Feng Shui Bonsai

Feng Shui & Bonsai – A Perfect Match

Bonsai and Feng Shui are two ancient practices that both represent prosperity, harmony and peace. In recent years, people have begun to combine the two practices in an effort to bring balance and beauty to the home.


What Is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that concentrates on the placement of items and arrangement of space to achieve environmental harmony. Feng, meaning wind, and shui, water, are two elements used in the practice.


History Of Feng Shui

Evidence shows that the practice dates back to around 4000 BC, when the doors of many Chinese homes were aligned to certain patterns of stars that appeared following the winter solstice. Early practitioners of Feng Shui used astronomy in this manner to identify correlations between the universe and humans. Other ancient sites confirm that the practice was used throughout the country in building construction.



Feng Shui became more popular during the 12th century, when China was ruled by the Song Dynasty. Historians believe the practice surged at the time due to its connections with Confucianism, the era’s dominant philosophy. The practice saw resurgence in the 19th century when the Chinese government published official charts and diagrams to promote Feng Shui.


Theories Of Feng Shui


Qi

The aim of Feng Shui is to construct buildings and environments on places with good qi. Qi is a life force, or energy, that interacts with the local environment’s structure, land, vegetation and other factors.


Polarity

Duality is expressed in the Yin and Yang theory of Feng Shui. The two parts, Yin and Yang, balance each other to achieve equilibrium. Feng Shui seeks to foster a similar balance of the five elements of wood, metal, water, fire and earth.


An Introduction To Feng Shui’s Guidelines

The following guidelines represent basic foundational aspects of Feng Shui and can be applied to any dwelling, landscape or environment.


Clutter should be eliminated as much as possible.
There should be a clean line of sight from chair positions to door entrances.
Straight lines and sharp corners should be avoided where people rest.
Curved and twisted roads are often used to confuse and eliminate evil spirits.
The power of reflection and redirection can be harnessed by strategically placing crystals, wind chimes and mirrors around the home.


What Is Bonsai?

Bonsai is an ancient Asian practice that involves creating miniature tree specimens. Both an art and a science, Bonsai combines aesthetic beauty with natural plants. To successfully grow and care for a Bonsai, growers must have patience and appreciate the plant’s essential spirit.


What Is The Connection Between Bonsai And Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is all about fostering harmony and balance. In a similar manner, Bonsai trees are trained to grow in shapes that represent natural balance. The trees can be grown in many styles, including cascading, upright, group and forest styles. Each of these styles brings a certain harmony to the tree.



Feng Shui supports the addition of plants in the home, including Bonsai trees. When placed in an office setting, the trees are believed to bring luck. This is especially true of plants placed in the room’s east, south-east or south corners. Bonsai trees can also be used to soften sharp lines and promote air flow through dead spaces.



Bonsai trees also bring the important element of wood into the home in a natural way. According to Feng Shui, wood is one of the five elements of life. As such, wood influences the flow of qi and is believed to have healing properties.



Plants, including Bonsai trees, can be a good indicator of the type of energy present in a certain environment. Plants are far more sensitive than humans when it comes to environmental energy. If your Bonsai tree dies, replace it with another tree in the same space. The death of the second tree usually indicated negative energy in the area.



When the principles of Feng Shui are applied to Bonsai, the result is a balanced natural landscape that in turn can bring balance to the surrounding environment. Bonsai trees are a practical way to bring both nature and the positive energy associated with Feng Shui into the home.