Maybe I just watched too much Gilligan’s Island as a kid, but there’s something about being surrounded by bamboo that I find very relaxing. Whether it’s a thriving bamboo garden, an attractive arrangement of lucky bamboo, or a tasteful piece of bamboo furniture, it can really set the mood and create a sense of space. There’s no doubt that a little bamboo can do wonders for your Feng Shui, and nothing will do it better than a nice bamboo fountain.
Feng Shui for better Chi
Feng Shui experts agree that a well-placed fountain is one of the best ways to introduce a positive energy flow into your home or office. A good fountain can improve your Feng Shui in three basic ways.
- WATER: One of the five primary elements of Feng Shui — along with earth, metal, wood and fire — water is easily overlooked in most interior decoration schemes. But according to Feng Shui, water plays a crucial role in matters related to money and career. Still water (in a fish tank, for instance) brings a calming energy needed for new beginnings. Flowing water helps you to move forward and let go of things you no longer need. Just watch for spills. Stains and water damage to your hardwood floor are not likely to improve your financial well-being!
- MOTION: One of the chief functions of Feng Shui is to encourage the flow of Chi, or Qi, the fundamental energy force in traditional Chinese medicine. By arranging furniture and other objects in an advantageous position, the Chi can be sped up or slowed down. You can also redirect it towards or away from different aspects of life, including health, wealth, romance, and so on. An excellent way to promote the movement of Chi is to have something that actually moves, such as the flowing water of a fountain. Just be careful, as excessive or inappropriate movement can stir up chaotic and disruptive energy.
- SOUND: Another element that people often overlook in their home decor, sound is a form of energy created by vibrations in the air. Properly harnessing these vibrations can attract very beneficial energy into your home or office. Pleasant sounding wind chimes (from bamboo, for example) can accomplish this, as can the sound of trickling water from a fountain. Again, be careful when you introduce sound to the setting. As with motion, sounds that are too loud, too repetitious or just too shrill, can do more harm than good.
Bamboo Fountain Features
For years we’ve been using bamboo fountains around the house and in the store. And it doesn’t take a Feng Shui zen master to see how these water features improve the overall good vibes. Whenever a child comes into the shop, they almost always make a bee line for the bamboo fountain set-up. I’m not sure whether they see it first or hear it, but it never fails to captivate their attention. Maybe it’s the Chi, maybe it’s something else, but the wisdom of the child is absolutely tuned into it.
Sometimes I like to add a couple water plants, and maybe one or two goldfish, to give the fountain even more life. This requires changing out the water more regularly, but it’s worth it. The vibrant plants and happy goldfish can bring priceless benefits to your Feng Shui.
Also, it’s a good idea to used bottled water, because the city water (in my experience) tends to be very hard, so the calcium and minerals can muck up the water basin and the pump pretty quickly. If that happens, an old toothbrush and some vinegar solution will usually do the trick.
With these factors in mind, let’s go ahead and take a look at a few of my favorite bamboo fountain kits. To make shopping easier, we’ve included some Amazon affiliate links in this article.
Five Arm Bamboo Fountain
Probably my favorite bamboo fountain, for price and simplicity. The five arms — three running in one direction and the other two running perpendicular — allow it to balance easily on a round or square container, and lend the fountain an interesting, elegant appearance. Ideal for indoor use.
This kit includes the pump and the bamboo and takes about two minutes to set up. All you need is a medium sized bowl (about 12-18 inches in diameter) made from glass or ceramics. Do NOT use a bamboo or wooden bowl. As nice as it sounds, it will swell and crack from the water. For the construction of the fountain, this company uses a specific variety of bamboo (which seems to be a trade secret) that does not split in water. You’ll also need a place to plug it in, as the pump runs on old-fashioned electricity.
The Five Arm Fountain is available from Amazon for easy delivery.
12 Inch Adjustable Fountain
Great in any container and perfect for outdoor use, this fountain makes an excellent addition to the zen garden. The kit is simple to set up and easy to attach to a bowl, barrel or pond liner. The height of the spout is adjustable, which means you have some control over the sound of the water: the higher the spout, the louder the splash. If you’re setting it up outside, try to keep it mostly in the shade, as this will preserve the bamboo by protecting it from prolonger, direct sun exposure.
You’ll also need a place to plug in the electric pump, either an extension cord running into the house, or you can order this small solar power inverter from Amazon.
Bamboo Accents makes a great line of bamboo fountains, each of them, including the 12″ Adjustable Fountain is available conveniently from Amazon.
20″ Rocking Fountain Shishi Odoshi
Also known as the Deer Scarer, because of the knocking sound it makes as it teeters up and down, this is another excellent fountain for outdoor use. The traditional design relies on the weight of the water as it fills one end of the fountain and causes it to tip over, spill out and swing back up.
The kit is fairly simple to assemble, but with a little imagination you can cleverly incorporate it into a pond or other more elaborate garden setting. You will need a vessel or pond basin of some kind to catch the water as is spills forward from the front spout. From there, the water pumps back up to the top spout.
The pump, hose, platform base and all bamboo parts are included in the kit. The Shishi Odoshi Rocking Bamboo Fountain is also available from Amazon. And for an outdoor electricity source, you might consider a compact solar power inverter from Amazon.
There you have it. I hope these ideas help. It really doesn’t take very much to add a little splash of Om to your home or a bit of zen to your den!
Further reading
If you interested in improving your quality of life with a bamboo fountain, you’ll likely be interested in these articles as well.
