Many people don’t realize that where they live and how their house looks on the outside affects their daily lives in numerous ways. Outdoor Feng Shui is the ancient art of organizing ones garden or outdoor living area in order to maximize the energy flow for peace, health and prosperity. The ancient art of decorating and organizing is over 3000 years old and began in China as a way to balance the energies of a person and their life as well as their belongings.

In Chinese, these two words have the means of wind and water; however their deeper meaning is linked to good things happening to the individual who uses them in the correct way and good fortune being bestowed upon them. With this ancient Chinese method of energy flow, various items bring good luck and good fortune to a person. Items such as clocks, mirrors, certain colors and crystals along with the placement of these items conduct the flow of energy around ones home and around the individual. One must believe that the Earth is a living, breathing part of everyone in order for this to work.

There are five basic elements to this ancient Chinese practice: water, metal, earth, fire and wood. When these five elements interact with one another, they create a wonderful energy path for good fortune for the person or people who live in the house that uses this method of decorating and inviting the wind and water into their home or yard around their house. Using wooden lawn furniture combined with a metal and glass table in a clearing in a garden would be a good start to bringing in the good and healing winds.

Color, just as direction, is a major part of the elements and how they will play a part in allowing the good energy to flow forward toward an individual and their family and home. These colors will be found in nature and therefore are perfect for a backyard or outdoor area. Wood is a green and brown color; fire is governed by pink, orange, red, purple and bright yellow; water is blue and black; Earth is a sandy or earthy brown and light browns and metal is gray and white.

These elements must be placed in accordance with the winds in order to bring about the good spirits according to the ancient Chinese. For instance in the northern position, one should place something blue if they want a good career and ample support for their family. The blue placed in the east could also help with health issues in addition to family matters. Placing a piece of wood in a southeast corner of the yard will bring about money and nourishing wealth. Always place something yellow in the south corner when hosting a party to insure a happy gathering and good times for all.

A vegetable or flower garden in the backyard of a person’s home is a great place to usher in the good and scare out the bad. An individual will self-cultivate and have their personal growth be challenged by the northeast corner of the garden or yard. A pond or a fountain, a water feature, should be placed in the southeast part of the yard where money and abundance are centered. If one is having difficulties with their family or health, then center the water near the east and the north is where the path of life and career are most likely to be helped by a water way.

When creating a garden to entice energy, do not use straight lines because they are rarely found in nature, so they should not be in one’s garden. Flowing, relaxing shapes are best for this type of energy gathering gardens. Also, in the fountain, use something like gold balls, large gold Christmas ornaments work well, to help bring in abundance working with the gold and the water.

If an individual is looking for an outdoor Feng Shui pattern for optimal energy flow and living in the moment, there are many books and online guides that will help one find what they are seeking. Backyard designs and patios with gardens are very relaxing and beautiful and will bring good luck, good spirits and good things to an individual if they are carefully planed out in the ancient Chinese way of the wind and water. One of the major keys is to follow the pattern precisely to make sure that one is allowing the good spirits and energy to flow forth and not the bad.

Find out more about chinese feng shui and feng shui living at the author’s website www.101fengshuitips.com.