In Feng Shui, the front yard of your home is called the ‘Red Bird’ – a beautiful Red Bird will bring opportunities and positive, uplifting energy to your house (and your life!). Feng Shui masters say that Chi energy has to be attracted to the front of a house – and find its way in – otherwise there’s not much point improving the Feng Shui inside the home.
Chi energy follows people. If your home is bright and welcoming and it’s easy for people to find the front door, the river of Chi will follow-suit and opportunities will flow. If your home is bland, run-down or inconspicuous, you might be struggling with health, wealth, or relationships, or you might be feeling generally dissatisfied and a bit restricted by everyday circumstances. It’s surprising how much your surroundings can affect all the different parts of your life!
If your front yard Feng Shui is a little less than perfect, there are plenty of remedies you can use – here are a few of the options:
1. Create a space with brightly colored flowers in the front area of your home. Creating a beautiful garden is a gift to the community which is reflected back – not just in obvious ways like compliments, but in little unspoken bursts of positive thinking. Remember the times you’ve driven past a place and thought “I love that house – it’s so sweet!” – that’s the kind of thinking you want to be on the receiving end of too. As they say in ‘The Secret’, thoughts can be very powerful.
Image via Hooked on Houses
2. Make sure the front of the house is clean and in good repair – a house that’s run down or dirty will make you feel tired and despondent.
3. Make sure your house number or property name is clearly visible at the front of your home – you need to be loud and proud about where you live so all the good stuff knows where to find you!
4. Avoid the dreaded ‘Big Red Bird’ and make your home visible. A Big Red Bird is an obstacle in front of the house that blocks the view of the home from the street – something like a large tree or hedge, for example. A Big Red Bird can block opportunities and stifle your vision. Clearing the obstacle, or reducing its size, can improve the flow of Chi and clear the way for more opportunities to enter your life.
5. Create a “Bright Hall” or “Ming Tang.” In Feng Shui, it’s important to have an area of open space in front of the home because Chi needs a place to collect and settle before entering the house. In homes without a Bright Hall, Chi can rush into the house, potentially causing issues like poison arrows.
6. To encourage gentle movement of Chi, use soft curves and flowing lines in paths and garden edges. Sharp, straight lines can cause dangerous fast moving Chi.
7. Depending on which direction the house faces, you can enhance the energy of the front yard by placing corresponding elements and objects in the yard, and using corresponding colors. If you have a West facing front garden, for example, your Red Bird will be in the Metal sector and you can activate the energy of the area by using splashes of yellow, brown, beige and white, and placing metallic and round-shaped ornaments in the front yard. Earth elements like trees will also support the sector.
8. Last but not least, give your Red Bird a health check! Houseplanology offers “Front Yard Feng Shui” health checks with loads of information and advice for attracting positive Chi – look out for our online store (currently under construction), or email sam[at]houseplanology.com.
Simple fixes can make a big difference to your Feng Shui – it’s just a matter of knowing where to start!