Essential Feng Shui Tips: Water Features
Water features invigorate Ch’i flow. You will find many indoor and outdoor varieties in department stores, nurseries, and catalogs, or you can make your own.
- Aquariums are highly prized Ch’i enhancers, as they gather the five elements of Wood (plants), Fire (fish), Earth (sand), Metal (rocks), and Water into one dynamic feature (look here for the Five Elements chart and here for other Ch’i enhancers). When maintained properly, they attract prosperity into your home or business.
- Whether inside or outside, place directional water features so that the water “points” toward the house or into the room. Still-water features such as birdbaths and urns also enhance Ch’i flow when kept crystal clean.
- Pools, Jacuzzis, and hot tubs are considered water features and must be kept clean, well lit, in good repair, and in many cases, fenced for safety. When designing these features, “amp” them up by including a waterfall flowing toward your house and the fiery touches of good lighting, bright flowers, and comfortable seating nearby.
The Power of Yin
By Karen Abler-Carrasco
WSFS Mentor & Instructor
The Tao Teh Ching says,
“What is in the end to be shrunken,
Begins by being first stretched out.
What is in the end to be weakened,
Begins by being first made strong.
What is in the end to be thrown down,
Begins by being first set on high.
What is in the end to be despoiled,
Begins by being first richly endowed.
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Read MoreEssential Feng Shui Tips: Wind and Water
Feng Shui, translated as “Wind and Water,” observes the relationship between the seen and unseen forces of nature. Like wind and water, you and your environment are two forces of nature. Your desires, goals, talents, attitudes, and feelings—like the unseen force of wind; and the home environment you live in—like the seen force of water; are constantly interacting and influencing each other. And as with wind and water, when you and your home blend harmoniously, the effect is friendly, comfortable, and positive. Life is replete with fair weather conditions such as abundant resources, good relations, and a steady stream of opportunities. In such harmonious circumstances, your health, prosperity, and happiness thrive.
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Comfort, Safety and Beauty
Photo credit: Terah Kathryn Collins
The Golden Triangle, part 1
by Terah Kathryn Collins, Founder and Instructor
Essential Feng Shui has taught me to take safety and comfort seriously. In fact, I like to baby-proof homes for people of all ages. I look for the uncomfortable and dangerous elements that live under most people’s radar. These include disagreeable desk chairs, poor lighting, sharp corners, problematic furniture placement, table legs and embellishments that protrude into walking space, and other irksome features that can compromise you and your surroundings. There is a good reason why I make such a big deal out of this.
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Life on the Yang Side – Where’s my Yin?
By Liv Kellgren, WSFS Instructor
I’ve been thinking about Yin and Yang lately.
Yin is a slow, patient waltz; Yang is a fast, tripping polka. Yin is an easy whispering beckoning; Yang a loud, demanding push. Yin can be a calm, sweet smile; Yang can be a wild, breathless anxiety. But they’re not glued in these extremities, they slide along the Yin-Yang Spectrum. Also, they are not alone in their positions, as they each need the other for self-identity. For example, that slow, patient waltz can feel really Yang if you’d rather sit out the dance altogether. They are always in relationship to each other, they aren’t fixed in their expression, they each exist as a part of the whole… Sounds a little too much like a riddle. The Yin-Yang spectrum is Nebulous? Changing? Fascinating? Yesyesyes.
As you can see, I’ve been thinking A LOT about Yin and Yang lately. Perhaps you’ve seen the circle, two spinning paisleys, the black one with a white eye and the white one with a black eye. Sometimes I even think they are watching! Those “eyes” remind us that within all Yin is Yang, and within the Yang there’s a little Yin, too. I even notice how Yin and Yang somersault around each other, each taking turns in the predominant role. Together, they symbolize balance. Or at least the search for Balance. I know I’m looking for Balance.
Like most people in-this-culture-at-this-time, I live on the Yang side of life. (And I like it!) A pot of coffee, workout at the gym, grocieriesplaygroupsearrands and then naptime for the kiddies at noon. Yep, some days do indeed squish together. This life in the suburbs with two kids under 3 has become a life of early mornings, to-do lists and a tile floor covered in loud, hard toys. It’s all too easy for me to turn my engines on full speed and gogogo; It’s an automatic setting at this point. But I’ve learned it’s unsustainable (unfortunately): Too much coffee = reflux. Stepping on toys hurts. What day is it, really? How do I create/find/allow for moments of peacefulness – especially if everything else in this life right now is not?
The one gift that Life on the Yang Side has for people like me (like us?) is that just about anything else is Yin. Looking at the Yin Yang Sliding Scale of Sanity, I’m waaaaaay over on the Yang Side. Not as far as it can go by any means, but far enough that there’s wholelotta Yin waiting to be discovered! I’ve been able to incorporate some Yin features into our daily lives that have helped me find some important moments of balance.
• We go outside for a walk – even if it’s just around the block – once or twice a day. This may seem a little Yang-ish, but we walk slowly, look at bugs, pick flowers, meander, hold hands, look at stars.
• We don’t watch the news. Ever. We have a TV and cable and Roku for kiddie movies, foreign films and stand-up comedians, but no “reality” TV. This alone has nearly erased that wild, breathless anxiety.
• We stop and listen to each other. To talk to the toddler, I’ll get on her same level, make eye-contact and summarize back to her what I heard. To talk to the baby, I’ll get on his same level (or lift him up to mine), and agree with everything he babbles, filling in the incomprehensible gaps. (The toddler now listens and talks to him the same way!) My husband and I stop what we’re doing, turn toward each other, make eye-contact and listen – without responding. These moments have established a deep connection between us and the freedom to self-express.
And I’m looking for more. Life on the Yang Side can be a challenge. And I want to create/find/allow for even more moments of Yin. What is it that YOU do to seek out Balance?
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