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Doreen
Pendgracs |
Lifestyle Samples: HARMONIZING
YOUR GARDEN WITH FENG SHUI© I first learned of feng shui back in 1999, when I happened upon an article about it in a local newspaper. Since then, the Chinese ancient art of placement and design has had an effect on every aspect of my life – including my appreciation for the beauty of nature and understanding the need for balance. Feng shui is all about balance, placement and harmony. It is about equalizing the yin and the yang (complementary opposites) in any environment in order to make it more comfortable and positive for its inhabitants and visitors. The result will be a harmonious symbiosis between you and your environment. Feng shui (pronounced “fung shway”) translates from the Chinese words for wind and water – the two fundamentals the Chinese believe are most critical to balancing the life energy called chi (pronounced “chee”) and keeping that energy fresh and vibrant. And by balancing that energy and fostering the positive while minimizing the negative, we are able to open the door to improving our health, wealth, careers and relationships. The Chinese – and an increasing number of North Americans – believe that when we design anything from a building to its landscape and interior, we should carefully consider a balance of the five basic elements of earth, metal, water, wood and fire. So when we’re designing a feng shui garden, we must be sure to represent each of these elements in balance. The thing to remember about feng shui is that you can use symbolism to represent a certain element, when the real thing is not practical. In an earthen garden, it’s easy to use real earth. Metal is easily represented with a metal or wrought iron sculpture or accent piece. Ponds
and Fountains Ponds also provide an excellent opportunity to introduce the water element into your garden. A water garden that is built with the right filtration system encourages clean and constantly running water. A circulatory filtration system in which the water is drawn from the pond and filtered by a skimmer circulated into a biological filter then falling back into the pond, ensures constantly moving water. In the process, not only is debris removed from the water, but a biological filtration happens, keeping the water clean via bacteria living in the gravel and in the filter media. The system ensures the water is constantly moving and never stagnant, and that is very important for creating the best feng shui conditions. Let the water – and your creativity – flow with endless energy. Use rocks, stone such as granite or marble, ceramics, terra cotta or seashells to represent the earth element. ... page 2.
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