Water is an essential component for good feng shui.
After all, according to classical feng shui writings, mountains emit chi, wind carries it, and water accumulates it for us to harness.
This is why many people, at home or in the office, like to set up water features when the presence of water is lacking in or around the house.
Before we delve further into indoor water features, it must be said that outdoor water features tend to be more powerful and potent than indoors.
This is firstly because they tend to be of larger size. Secondly, the chi (or positive energy) from the external environment can be held for the house and it’s residents to tap on.
Saying that, not all homes will have the luxury to install their own water walls or water fountains in their gardens.
And not everyone will have the good fortune of a meandering river stream in view from the house.
Because of this, sometimes water features set up inside the home is the only option to bring that little extra water energy into the house for good feng shui in general, and sometimes to specifically enhance wealth luck.
Assuming you have already determined the perfect placement of the water feature in the house either through flying stars feng shui or other water theories, the next step would be to decide what types of indoor water features would have the biggest impact in terms of influencing the energy according to feng shui.
In determining the strength of the water feature, 5 factors should be considered.
How you measure these 5 aspects is really up to you.
But I suggest that you give each factor a score of between 1 to 5. Then add up the total and compare it to the maximum score of 25.
After which you should have a good idea of how potent the water feature you bought (or going to buy) would be in harnessing positive energy in the house for good general feng shui.
Also keep in mind that we are discussing things with real physical water. Not paintings of water, lakes or waterfalls.
1) Exposed surface area
The bigger the surface area of water that is exposed to air, the better.
A larger surface give the water pond greater reach in accumulating Sheng Chi for the house and inhabitants to draw upon.
However, the size of the surface should be of a nice proportion to the room size the water feature is located in.
As a rule of thumb, the water surface should not be bigger than one-sixth of the room size. Even that could be pushing it.
2) Depth of water
If we use the metaphor of the water feature being a hand that “catches” wealth luck, when the surface area exposure is the reach, then the depth If the surface area is the muscle that gives it strength to hold onto that positive energy.
This is why swimming pools outside the house are great water features for feng shui. They have both a large surface area and a deep depth.
This allows the pool to accumulate the powerful chi that originates from the environment.
For indoor water features placed on the floor, the maximum height of the water should be no taller than 2 feet. There’s not as much energy for it to accumulate compared to outside the house anyway.
This gives it enough strength hold onto the weaker energy inside the house. Enough for the residents to harness it effectively.
This is a reason why aquariums are such a favorite among feng shui masters. Many even regard them as the best water features.
They have considerable surface areas, and sufficient depth.
Often times, homeowners set up aquariums without fishes or devoid of life inside. This can work.
But consider that while the key to using aquariums as water features is with the water presence, having fishes in the fish tank can only help as we move on to the next factor…
3) Yang energy
The water feature must be that of yang energy… unless you are placing still water in a particular sector of the house specifically for Yin energy.
Yang energy in this sense refers to movement and/or activities.
Going back to the previous point regarding aquariums.
Even though a water pump can keep the water in an aquarium moving to create yang energy movement, why not go all the way when you have come this far?
By not putting fishes in the aquarium, it would be like charging your cell phone and have the battery charged at 80% instead of allowing it to reach 100%.
Real actual life force adds unmatchable yang energy into the equation that can supercharge the potency of the aquarium as a water feature.
This is why koi fish ponds are one of the most highly recommended outdoor water features.
While people love arowana and flowerhorn for indoor aquariums for feng shui, guppies goldfish and other alternatives are also acceptable.
The drawback is in managing and caring for the aquatic animals as pets.
That can be tedious and is a decision that you have to make for yourself.
If you are using a water feature like a mini fountain, then do ensure that it is one with a motor that creates movement in the water.
Still water in something like a vase is not going to do any good for prosperity.
Some of the popular types of water features are those with rotating wheels or tiered layers. When buying these, just be mindful of point #1 and #2.
4) Clean
It should be intuitive that the water and the water feature itself should be clean and cleaned regularly.
Dirty and smelly water is not good for feng shui by default.
With this in mind, do purchase one that is easy to maintain for cleanliness.
5) Quiet
While we advocate water features with moving water, sometimes homeowners can get carried away with the movement part as they find that it makes so much sense.
Even though noise can be expected from water features, especially when they trickle down from tier to tier, the noise level that these things make should not be too loud.
Noise is a category of Sha Chi.
If the noise, whether it comes from the motor or the splashing water itself is loud enough to disturb your focus when reading a book, then it is too loud as an indoor water feature.
Remember that you don’t really want a mini Niagara Falls setting up shop in the living room.
That would be too fast a water to be of any use indoors.
The noise level would kill you first.
This is especially the case with desktop water features.
The desk or workstation is a place where you work, study or read. This is a place where activities for generating wealth takes place.
A water feature causing a disturbance when you are in your work mode is just not conducive at all.
Best water features
Now that you have tabulated the scoring of the 5 factors, tally them up and see the score for yourself.
Don’t be disheartened if you find that the water wall, water tower, or resort-styled fountain don’t have a perfect score.
On average, most indoor water features that have a positive effect on feng shui obtain an average score of 18 to 22.
Water features that get a full score are usually those that are made for outdoors.
So you don’t need to be single-minded in seeking a perfect indoor water feature for the house.