Feng Shui FAQ's | Design For Energy

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~ Creating harmonious, prosperous living and working environments ~

by Belinda Mendoza
Feng Shui Consultant, Design For Energy

Spring is that time of year when we look to get into our yards and clear out the old and dead from winter. It feels like a fresh start with lots of energy because things are starting to grow again. Its true because we are planting seeds for growth that harvest in the fall. It is nature's way of reminding us of its beautiful cycles. In Feng Shui, spring is the energy of the East, its color is Green, the element is Wood which are plants, trees, and flowers and it heralds "new beginnings" as things start to sprout out of the ground.

When looking at your yard or garden, think out of the box and look at it from a different perspective. Your home is your own personal sanctuary and your garden an extension of that so it should also be harmonious and feed your soul. Lots of money is spent each year going on vacations to get away from our homes to find rest,relaxation and to re-charge ourselves. You can have your home give you that feeling so that your vacation is about fun and adventure and not so much about leaving to reducing stress. Take the best qualities from your favorite vacation spots and apply them in your garden: beautiful scenery, quietness, natural sounds and scents, water flowing, etc.
Designing your garden with this in mind can be less expensive than a vacation and do so much for you.

Here are some Key Feng Shui Tips:

Treat your garden as an outdoor room.
Have a point of entry.
Create a curved path leading to it.
Have a threshold to enter as this feels welcoming and inviting.
Have a place for relaxation that would have a bench for two, a gazebo or swing.
Create a wall or edge to define the border of the space.
Create a visible "heart" in the center with a large boulder, a pond with aerating waters, a cluster of yellow daffodils.
Create a mystery with some special place to inspire curiosity.
Have it fulfill a specific intention: For ex: Do you want a Wealth, Meditation, Lover's, Healing, or Children's garden?

Some Questions to Ask Yourself:

What type of vegetation do you remember from childhood? Which ones evoked Positive feelings?
What textures do you like against your skin?
What aromas? Sweet like gardenia or perfume like a Lavender?
What sounds? Crickets on a summer night or wind blowing through the trees?
What color is your favorite to see? If its red, for example, how does it make you feel?
What types of plants, shrubbery, trees, attract butterflies, birds?

Then:

Design with a layout according to the Feng Shui Bagua and choose colors that correspond to the 8 directions. Use the Five Elements for a balancing feel. Each direction of the Bagua has a corresponding element, color, shape, and number. Each area of the Bagua corresponds to a life area known as a "GUA". So, if you would like continued prosperity, go to the SE corner of your yard or garden and place some purple or red plants or flowers or hang wind chimes to activate wealth. *If not familiar with the Bagua, it's the octagonal map used to arrange spaces and can be found in any Feng Shui book.
Decide what you want in your garden (in your life).
Plant a seed (use your intuition as to what kind of seed and where in your garden you want to plant it or area of you life you want to grow).
State an intention and show gratitude for all that you have. Important: This keeps energy moving.
Go there often to meditate, pray, relax, entertain,and enjoy life!

Congratulations! YOU HAVE NOW PLANTED THE SEEDS FOR SUCCESS.

garden

Belinda Mendoza is an Austin-based Feng Shui Consultant and owner of Design For Energy. She gives advice on creating harmonious gardens and can be reached at (512) 740-1251 or on her website: www.designforenergy.com