Feng Shui Your Patio, Family Room or Office with Portable Waterfalls

In Chinese the words, feng shui, literally mean wind and water. For centuries the Chinese have used feng shui to advance the quality of life, since they have long observed that some environs are better than others. Feng shui in the present day has developed into a fine art used to improve fortune and happiness through the adjustment of layout and orientations of workplaces and houses and is gaining recognition in the West.

Bring flow into your existing career by adding a water feature near your home's front entrance. Whether or not you're currently working, an indoor waterfall with water flowing into the house, not out, will generate a torrent of opportunities for you. Placing pictures of moving water - such as oceans with rolling waves or tumbling Amazonian waterfalls - in that spot will achieve the same fabulous feng shui home decor objectives.

Water is symbolic of wealth. Having water near your home will influence you. Water that meanders and flows gently will give you a sense of flow in your life. Gently flowing clear water represents a consistent flow in your life - flow of chi and money. Along with prosperity, this sense of flow brings more relaxation, that "go with the flow" feeling. Remember that water is essential to our lives and our bodies are part water.

When correctly placed, a six-tiered waterfall is among the most powerful wealth enhancers in the garden and home. It should be placed in the southwest inwards direction to invite positive energies. The southwest is described as the place of indirect spirits or elements and water in this sector of the room or garden will harness a lot of wealth/luck. The waterfall's size must be in balance or proportionate to the garden or room and must not overwhelm it.

A waterfall should never be placed in bedrooms. The bedroom is a "yin" place and the waterfall will contradict this. Waterfalls and fountains are strongly recommended for commercial buildings, i.e. inside hotel lobbies and outside the building, especially in front. If you're placing a waterfall in your family room, make sure the room is big enough to accommodate the waterfall along with the regular furniture.

The ideal time to apply feng shui rules is when you're designing a new building: 1. Consider employing a feng shui advisor to assist you in understanding the rules 2. Look for a parcel of land that's flat and generally rectangular 3. Plan a home that's square or rectangular 4. Avoid sharp projections, and make the building regular in shape 5. Add an entrance hall to the floor plan 6. Floor-to-ceiling windows placed in bedrooms allow too much chi to escape, so avoid them 7. Choose smooth surfaces for interior walls 8. Design a curving walkway to your front door

Adam O'Connor is the owner of www.eventceilingdecor.com, which provides excellent free information on interior decor . Adam O'Connor is an expert in this industry and his website helps people find answers to questions such as, which indoor waterfalls are recommended commercial buildings, i.e. inside hotel lobbies.

Improve Your Health, Happiness, and Prosperity by Making your House Feng Shui Compliant

It might sound crazy or foolish, but the Chinese have been successfully fixing their lives with the practice of feng shui for centuries. You see, there is a positive energy force in the world (which the Chinese refer to as Chi) that you tap into every time you feel good or have a happy moment. This energy force flows through your house and your life - or maybe it doesn?t and you need to attract it! It?s not hard to do. Heck, it wants to come in and help you, but you have to welcome it in and create an environment that it will want to stay in.

I am an account executive, and several years ago I found myself in a real sales slump. My wife had briefly read an article in the paper about feng shui and suggested that I put a mirror and a plant on the ledge behind my home-office desk. I had no objections. A plant sounded nice, and a mirror was a little odd but it did let me see when somebody was walking up behind me which I liked.

My sales numbers picked up immediately and so I asked my wife more about this feng shui stuff. She didn?t know any more so I went to the book store and picked up a paperback on the subject. I guess I was willing to try anything, and having seen good results from just a dabble in it probably opened my mind enough to be able to let it work for me.

The first thing the book had me do was clean up my house. Chi doesn?t like clutter, and the reason is, people don?t like clutter either. We tend to train ourselves to ignore it, but in the back of our mind we know about it and so does the Chi. In order for Chi to flow all clutter must be cleaned up and neatly organized. This necessitated an intense house-wide cleaning project, but I was very satisfied when it was done. That?s good, as the Chi is attracted to positive feelings.

Next came the strategic decorating, in accordance with the ?Bagua? map. This is a chart that tells you which areas of your home correspond to which areas of your life. Each of these areas attracts Chi better with the use of certain colors and certain elements (earth, wood, water, etc.). Also common sense creativity comes into effect; we hung a picture of France in the ?travel? area of our house.

Finally, we implemented the use of recommended feng shui tools that keep the Chi flowing into, and not our of, our home. These tools include things like water fountains, wind chimes, and crystals. For example, a toilet that is visible from a bathroom doorway drains the Chi right down the plumbing. But hanging a crystal between the door and the toilet at least partially remedies that problem.

My wife and I had a field day getting the home up to feng shui standards. Afterwards we really like what we had done and felt good about it, which of course is the magic that makes feng shui work. Within several months I was one of the top producing reps at my company, no kidding! Don?t knock it until you?ve tried it. The most you have to lose is your messy house!

Andrew Kasch is an account executive and feng shui convert. You can learn more about specific feng shui techniques at his web site: http://www.fengshuihouse.info