Flow in a Harmonious Chi Garden
I was having a few beers in the Paddington Hotel near Petrie Terrace, Brisbane with an old Pommy mate of mine when a girl sauntered by and asked whether we minded if she sat down.
Thinking my luck has finally changed, I started conservation and the lady advised she did martial art instruction for a living. Probably to make sure we didn’t molest her, but she spoke about its rhythm and flow and the body re aligning itself to allow movement to be as smooth as possible.
But flow is about Chinese acupuncture. The movement of energy around the body. Tai Chi is about flow and the movement of energy. And nature is also about flow. Feng Shui is about flow symbolised by wind (Feng) and water (Shui). A lot of commonalities.
I had great pleasure to direct the conversation to the garden and flow, and the imposition of flow to harmony. Flow in the sense of meandering, being slow and not pressured by intrusions such as sharp angles. The influence of flow on sounds, smells and movement. Not any overpowering but in unison with their surroundings. There’s a sense of gentleness there about flow. It’s necessary for life but there to support it and keep it in balance.
Just like Yin and Yang energies. They’re always in transition and oscillate between one and the other. One not dominating completely but having some part of the other to moderate and temper any transition. Tempering any need to rush.
Flow definitely has to be a tenet of nature. One of her necessaries for life, stability and change. The web of life exists within an arena of flow. Suggesting we can understand something of nature, chi harmony and finding harmony if we accept ‘’flow’’ as part of our makeup and surroundings.
The harmonious chi garden responds to ‘’flow’’. Harmonious chi energies revolve around congeniality of flow in an environment of change. Life and movement come with flow and if we remove it from the garden, so would life.
If we want to encourage flow in the positive sense we should consider the flow of blood within our bodies. It isn’t interrupted by sharp edges or intrusions or straight lines (to accelerate it). It tends to be in unison with our bodies needs such as movement, supporting rather than denying. Suggesting health in our garden is also good for positive flow. Maintain a healthy garden, avoiding straight lines, plenty of curves and no sharp edges and balance in the fabric which makes up the garden such as plants and its built environment.
The girl in the Paddington Hotel by now had left for other horizons and us returning to wallow in our beer. Me, still thinking about flow and the beautiful lines of flow seen in the shape of the remaining girls in the pub. Flow definitely is about curves.
