Feng Shui is an age-old Chinese art used by builders to govern the balance of energy in a given given space, assuring good fortune for people inhabiting it. Could Feng Shui be used to improve balance and harmony on your timber deck?
The Secrets of Feng Shui
Shrouded in complexity and mysticism, Feng Shui can nevertheless be simplified into a single concept: energy flow. The ancient Chinese believed (as modern people still do) that the flow of energy determines how favourable or unfavourable an area can be for health, love, business and every aspect of life and living. The key to a good life is managing how energy flows through the space.
Knowing is half the battle, and knowing and understanding how energy flows through your space — in this case, your timber deck, pergola, patio or even your home — is the start of understanding how Feng Shui can help you.
The main tool for understanding the energy flow in your deck is the bagua, an octagonal grid that maps out conceptual elements of the I Ching (an ancient Chinese divination text) — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — with specific aspects of your life.
Chi is the energy that flows within our bodies as well as in the world around us. Chi emanating from ourselves interacts with the energy that comes from the five Feng Shui elements, alternating in cycles of productiveness and destruction.
Feng Shui’s goal is to make sure that Chi flows through your home so that it positively interacts and supports the Chi inside your body, resulting in a state of constant well-being.
Feng Shui And Your Timber Deck
Obviously, the explanation here of Feng Shui is basic and barely scratches the surface of this incredibly complex and complicated practice. There are subtleties within the interaction of these mystical forces that we cannot even begin to understand. Feng Shui masters spend years honing their skills, perfecting their craft and building their reputations. So reading a few paragraphs here about the subject will not make an expert out of you.
But there are a few Feng Shui practices that you can already employ, simply because they make sense and result in improving your timber decking space.
- Clear the Clutter. Clutter obstructs the flow of energy throughout the deck. Get rid of these obstructions to ensure that the surrounding Chi interacts positively with your own. From a practical perspective, de-cluttering eliminates a common source of stress and helps improve our well-being.
- Decorate with Plants. According to Feng Shui, plants give the surrounding space the energy of growth, renewal and healing. The Chinese may be onto something, too. There appears to be scientific evidence to support this, as numerous studies attest to the healing power of simply being amidst nature. Healthy plants clean and purify the air and helps lower our stress levels, leading to better health.
- Aromatherapy. Scent therapy also helps us relax and brings with it many health benefits. When we are relaxed, things tend to flow more smoothly around us.
- Aquarium. People often have aquariums in their homes to help them relax. Placing one on your deck will give you similar results. In Feng Shui, it is believed that aquariums attract abundance and wealth. But there are rules on how to set up your aquarium and where to place it within your deck. Unfortunately these details are beyond the scope of this blog post, but some research should help you figure it out.
- Mirror, Mirror On the Deck! Mirrors are often referred to as the “aspirins” of Feng Shui because they are reportedly able to correct many problems and counteract many ills by redirecting the flow of Chi within the space. There are likewise a boatload of rules concerning the placement of mirrors. You should learn more about this to deploy them correctly and effectively according to the tenets of Feng Shui.
