Most people have heard of Feng Shui, but could you explain exactly what it is, where it comes from and why it’s worth knowing about? We delve in to all things Feng Shui, so you can start the New Year feeling organised, comfortable and happy at work.
Feng Shui – the facts
Here are some facts about Feng Shui to get you up to speed, so you can impress colleagues at work, or family and friends at home!
- Feng Shui or fengshui originates from China
- It is pronounced “fung shway”
- In English, ‘feng’ means wind and ‘shui’ means water
- It’s the study of energy flow and harmony between you and your surroundings
- It was historically used to orient buildings, often spiritually significant structures like tombs and dwellings
- The history covers 3,500+ years before the invention of the magnetic compass
- Before the magnetic compass, Feng Shui looked at astronomy to find links between humans and the universe
The Three Power Principles of Feng Shui
#1. Chi
Chi is constant, moving energy. It’s what makes us feel good or bad in a certain location. In your office or home, the chi will flow in through the doors and out of the windows. The goal of Feng Shui is to keep this chi flowing gently throughout your space, not blocking it as this can have a negative effect.
#2. The Five Elements
The Five Elements are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. Each Element has a characteristic shape, colour and attributes. Feng Shui in your office or home aims to balance all of these elements.
#3. The Bagua
The Bagua is a chart used to map your office or home – deciding where to place objects that represent the Five Elements.
Top tips for your workspace
- Get organised! Clear the office of any clutter you don’t want or need from 2017, making sure to get rid of any ‘toxic chi’. If the clutter is the type of stuff you can’t just throw away, have a look at our storage options.
- Try to have your desk facing east or north if east isn’t an option. Avoid having windows or a door behind you, don’t put your desk in front of a door and avoid facing a blank wall. The latter may prove difficult so you could add thought-provoking pictures to break it up a little. If you’re in need of a new desk then have a look at all of our options here.
- Make things easier for yourself. An example of this is placing your phone on the side that makes it easiest to pick up, so you don’t have to lean or stretch across your desk. Comfortable seating is important too.
- Be aware of the quality of the air in your office. You can improve this instantly with a plant.
- Choose suitable Feng Shui office colours such as green or blue.
- If you want to take it really seriously, then draw a floor plan of your office. If it’s a new office space you’re looking at – we produce CAD Designs so we’ll do the drawing for you! We found this Feng Shui blog very helpful – clear and easy to understand.
Feng Shui is not simple and there is much to learn and understand. There are many websites and books out there to help you. The Feng Shui for Dummies book may also be a good place to start for more information.
Although there’s no scientific evidence that Feng Shui’s mystical claims are real, with the scientific community considering it to be a pseudoscience, many people take it very seriously. So seriously that there’s even a Feng Shui Hotel in Germany where separate floors of the hotel are dedicated to each of the five Feng Shui elements!
If you’d like us to create and optimize your office, boardroom or reception and help everything to flow with positive energy, get in touch! Why don’t you give Feng Shui a go in 2018 and let us know what you think.
