 |
|
|
 The tutorials that appear on this page are written by Bobbi Virtue, Feng Shui consultant/designer/certified Soul Coach, and are being offered as assistance in understanding the theories and practice of Feng Shui, conscious living and the inner journey. These articles will change periodically so watch for new information.
All articles posted on Equilibrium-By-Design™ are protected under copyright law from unauthorized copying, distribution, or other use.
|
Getting To Know Feng Shui
|
GETTING TO KNOW FENG SHUI THROUGH THE LAY OF THE LAND
By Bobbi Virtue
Ideally, the outside environment and the land that surrounds us should be balanced and supportive with healthy vegetation, the presence of wildlife and a balance of sun and shade. The property on which we live should embrace us like loving arms or our most comfortable chair.
According to Form School Feng Shui, our physical surroundings can greatly influence the quality of our lives. It is easy to understand this simply by observing nature. When the grass is green, the plant life is vibrant, the sun is warm and the winds are calm, there is a beautiful harmony that is all apparent through the balance of the elements. Most birds and wildlife create their nests in a way that provides protection at their backs with a clear view in front of them. They migrate to areas that provide vegetation and water while maintaining their boundaries. They create an embrace from nature, providing them with all that they need. Animals know how to choose the surrounding that will suit them best by understanding the lay of the land.
Our homes can be compared to the nest and we too need to observe the landscape around us. Barren land brings barren opportunity and difficulty in surviving. Lush property with a balance of elements stimulates and provides for us. So, when choosing a location for residency, take notice of the landscape. The ideal Feng Shui landscape provides protection at our backs, meaning the land behind us should be higher than the land in front of us. The land to our left (looking out from the front door) should be slightly higher than the land to our right and the view out of the front door should be unobstructed, preferably with a stream gently passing by as it hugs the property. There are four celestial creatures that define these four positions. The turtle or tortoise is symbolic of the mountain or higher ground behind us. The dragon is the land to our left and the tiger is the land to our right. The dragon is considered to be a very powerful symbol for good fortune and should always sit taller than the tiger. The phoenix or rooster is symbolic of the openness that is preferred at the front door, giving the bird plenty of room to expand its wings. This is considered to be the armchair formation. If you can see yourself sitting comfortably in your favorite chair with legs stretched out before you, you can envision the ideal landform on which to build.
It is difficult to find and obtain this perfect landscape in today’s crowded world and not all of us are fortunate enough to already reside on property that hugs us and supports us like a favorite chair. We can, however, simulate these auspicious land contours by altering the land and creating the desired form.
We must first protect our backs. If there is no mountain to support this we can simulate a mountain by creating a mound with dirt, building up flower beds, planting trees or bringing in large rocks to be placed on the property behind the house.
Moving to the left, we want to create a raised area not as tall as the “mountain” behind us buy higher than the land to our right. Again, this can be done with raised flowerbeds or shrubs. The land to the right should slope down slightly. We can achieve this by digging down into the ground or by placing lower growing plants and shrubs here. However, if the neighbor to the left sits slightly higher than the neighbor to the right, the dragon and tiger are already in place and the “arms of our chair” are as they should be.
It is important that the front of our homes are unobstructed. Remember that the great phoenix needs the ability to spread it’s wings just as we need the ability to stretch our legs, so more even land is fine in the front of the house and is preferred over land that slopes down toward the door or too sharply toward the street.
By choosing or creating this landform we create a comfortable setting for our homes. We have protection at our backs, loving arms around us or at our sides and a clear view out into our world. In the words of Lillian Too, author and teacher of Feng Shui, we are advised to “Look for land that is undulating rather than flat, where the grass grows verdant and green, where the soil is fertile, where the air smells good and where the site is relatively sheltered. Avoid mountain tops that are exposed to the elements and land where even the grass cannot grow. Ensure that there is both sunlight and shade so that Yin blends harmoniously with Yang.” We want to be protected. We want to experience healthy vegetation and greenery that cleans and clears our air. We want to see what is before us and we want the opportunity to spread our wings. We want sun that warms us rather than burns, winds that cool rather than chill and rivers that hug and support us rather than swiftly rushing by. We want land not too steep to climb nor so flat that we are completely exposed. We want to feel supported by our surroundings. We want the lay of our land to complement us as comfortably as our favorite chair.
Copyright2010@Equilibrium-by-Design™
|
|
|
|