5 ways to shui from the ground up!
why does your garden shui matter?
in my 6-week course, we talk about land chi (a lot!) because the energy that surrounds your home as well as the land your home lives on holds mighty influence over the chi quality inside your home. so, while we LOVE to busy ourselves with the shui inside, it equally matters to tend to its external chi as well. on that note, here are 5 of my favorite ways to do this!
TIP ONE: LEAD THE WAY
pathways to / around a home are best when they have a meandering flow. whether it leads to the front door or around to a back yard, you ideally want a path to “take you somewhere” rather than coming to a dead end. make the path to the front door entrancing, and if you have a path to your back yard, consider a seating area or something unexpected, like a water feature, as a welcome embrace!
TIP TWO: PACE YOURSELF
you determine how quickly or slowly chi “travels” along your path simply with your choice(s) of material. anything smooth, concrete or solid accelerates energy; gravel, pebbles, mulch or textured pavers slow energy down. likewise, you orchestrate energy flow throughout your yard by alternating between green chi (trees, bushes, and flowers) and outdoor décor (prayer flags, different colors, sculptures / statues, or varying heights among the design of your yard).
TIP THREE: FIND YOUR POWER SPOT
(i learned this one in my own Feng Shui training!) a power spot is a space in the yard that feels resuscitating. the easiest way to locate that spot is where are you naturally drawn to in yours? it might be “noted” with a tree or view of your garden. it might also be where you can see the ocean or mountains (if you live near either) from your perch.
TIP FOUR: MAP IT OUT
we can apply the Feng Shui map so many ways; however, keeping this simple…
standing at the curb of your property – looking at your house – line up the bottom of the map (Wisdom / Self-Cultivation, Career, and Helpful People) at the street curb. looking at your property from the curb, the far back left-hand corner of your property is Wealth and the far back right-hand corner is Love. you can now shui your yard according to the bagua principles. a few quick ideas to get your own creative genius on the dance floor:
Wisdom / Self-Cultivation: a statue or rock garden
Family / New Beginnings: an herb garden
Wealth / Prosperity: a bird feeder, wind chime or a butterfly bush (to attract the butterflies)
Fame / Reputation: the color red (pink and orange work well here, too!), or anything fiery, like a fire pit or twinkly lights
Love / Relationships: seating for two
Children / Creativity: yard games
Helpful People / Travel: suggest “Heaven on Earth” with a circle within the square decor
Career / Life Journey: create beds that have a flow-y feel to them; incorporate swirling patterns into any textiles (seating) that might reside here; or have a water feature here
Health: this is usually where the house resides in the property, so make sure its shui is shipshape!
TIP FIVE: GO FOR BALANCE
a good yin / yang balance can make all the difference. pulling from tips one and two, “balance” out those smoother surfaces with lush landscaping. if you have gravel or mulch in your garden design, bring in a water feature – and this will have a healthy variety of chi flow “pouring” into your life. pulling from tip four, if you have a statue in the yard, entice living chi out here – a birdbath, bird feeder or even a wind chime would have fresh chi depositing daily! xo
