Your work place is the cradle of nearly all your creativity, productivity and inspiration. But according to “feng shui”, the ancient Chinese art, it can also become a stepping stone to success if designed the right way.
To gauge your need for a little feng shui advice, close your eyes and bring your office to mind. What first comes to mind? A desk messily piled with files, or a huge, illuminated computer screen? Do you feel smothered by the “fresh air” pumped from the ventilation ducts, rather than soothed by a harmonious breath that promises a fruitful and harmonious work day? If you feel overwhelmed by the design of your work place, it’s an indication that the feng shui could stand some tinkering for better energy, and better performance.
Before diving into the nitty-gritty, a working knowledge of feng shui will help you grasp the spirit of it. Commonly associated with superstitious beliefs, feng shui conjures up an image of a so-called “feng shui master” walking the property with a kind of feng shui compass, or Luopan, in hand, mumbling abstruse words before offering the house owner some ambiguous advice. However, though it is usually regarded as a mere “art of placement,” feng shui is also a philosophy or a world outlook.
Anchored in the perception of reality in The Book of Changes (Yi Jing), feng shui has undergone thousands of years of evolution, drawing on the essence of other religions and academic fields. Perhaps the most fundamental doctrine is keeping a harmonious relationship with the course of nature. The crucial concept is qi, roughly translated into “breath”, “breath of nature’; “the energy that exists in all matter”.
According to An Introduction to Feng Shui by Ole Bruun, qi has “a certain parallel” in the Greek concept of “ether,” but perhaps is “of a more static nature”.
The benign energy flow, the idea goes, will create wealth, prosperity, health, sound relationship and vice versa. It is up to us to make adjustments to activate or slow the flow of energy.
A controversial subject, feng shui has always lurked along the sidelines of Chinese history, and is covered by no official guidebooks recognized by authorities. So we’ve gathered up a handful of tips that are universally acknowledged to help you feng shui up your business.
Clear up Clutter
Place your desk in a commanding place. If you are free to replace the furniture, here is the way to gather the utmost in good energy. The desk is where the most productivity is generated and thus should be in a commanding position; opposite the door, not in line with it, and in the area farthest away, allowing you visibility towards the door. Ideally, it should be backed up by a solid wall (which can be substituted by a tall wing chair) rather than an open window. This tradition is evolved from the living habits of primitive people who usually chose to settle nestled against a mountain. The desk should be placed parallel to a wall, rather than at an uneven angle, which feng shui experts say creates a feeling of conflict in the room.
An easy start, almost like household work, right? Al- though you might feel at home working among a lean- ing heap of papers, books and rubbish, all this junk is getting in the way of free flowing good energy. Accord- ing to Feng Shui Made Easy, a manual written by William Shakespeare, the unwanted negative energy must be addressed before the positive energy can have its way. So, throw out the wilting flowers on the table, send your obsolete files to the recycle bin and change that worn, oistained tablecloth. Believe it or not, a tidy environment will have a far-reaching effect, larger than your imagination!
If you don’t have say over where to place the desk, at least put up a mirror or reflective metal that lets you see what’s happening at the entrance.
Remove the Blockage
Ideally, there should be no walls facing the entrance or your desk, since it will block the flow of energy, creating a stagnant eddy of energy. But you can magically “remove” the challenging walls by decorating them with inspiring ornaments, anything, even a child’s drawing, that carry the specific energy you crave, thus changing the dull wall into a tool that creates energy and eases its flow. This is not a moment to be snooty about art; the crude portrait of you and your spouse painted by your 4-year-old may work better than some gloomy print by Van Gogh. The point is to generate positive energy, so a medal you won, a picture of your loved ones or simply a landscape painting that brightens your mood can suffice.
All you Need is a Little Green
Although you may choose whatever colour lightens up your spirit, the green provided by potted plants is most recommended. Remember the doctrine mentioned earlier; go with nature. Plants in your office can help absorb the toxic elements emitted in many work environments. And feng shui holds that evergreen and wide-leafed plants (such as Dracaena Janet Craig and Peace Lily) are good for absorbing negative energy and should be placed at a spot diagonally from the entrance, known as the Fiscal Position. A strong and lush plant like Golden Pothos or Areca Palm can also serve to create the feeling of a mountain and are thus ideal feng shui backings. On the other hand, vine plants or those with pointed and narrow leaves (cactus or the money plant, for example) should be moved to a balcony or dark corner, since they are thought to create conflicts within the office. Another way to bring nature into your office is to display a little fountain (try to avoid the south direction because it represents the “fire” element that would be snuffed by water). Besides its soothing sound, a fountain can bring the energy of water, a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
Depending on your Intuition
The last and the most important concept to bear in mind is to rely on your intuition. William Shakespeare suggests us to “pretend that you know nothing” and to observe your workplace from “emptiness” in order to achieve a state of objectivity. Everything that makes you feel uncomfortable should be changed. You should relate the outer world as if it were simply “a reflection of the inner psyche”, and allow it to sync with body and soul.
Now sit back and wait for the magic to take hold. Here’s to a bumper New Year in your freshly feng shui-ed office.
