5:33 AM
Did you know that many Asian billionaires consult Feng Shui experts before moving office or buying a property? In fact, there are stories about hotels and companies on the brink of collapse that reworked their Feng Shui and now make a fortune. Malarkey? Possibly. But when you work for yourself from a home office you will try anything.
In this post I am going to talk to you about how to Feng Shui your office to increase your wealth. I did it in my office and it seems to be helping.
What is Feng Shui and why do I care?
Let me preface this post by warning you that I have a little bit of an Eastern obsession. I practiced Kung Fu for ten years, travel to the Indian Himalayas fairly regularly, am fascinated by Buddhist philosophy and prefer to read about Chinese emperors and dynasties than wizards and sexy Vampires.
Feng Shui was a natural progression for me.
But if you live in a conservative US “red state” you might have already switched off by now. And I totally understand that. Feng Shui is probably the last thing you are interested in. But like many ancient cultures and practices, there is a lot of wisdom behind the method. So let’s look at a definition:
Feng Shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. It is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure the health and good fortune for people inhabiting it.
Energies? Really? Hear me out because it might not be as crazy as you think.
Feng Shui and Chi
The Chinese and Indians believe that there is an energy flowing in and around us called Chi or Prana. When there is an imbalance of Chi in the body, for example, you can get sick. When there is an imbalance of Chi in your office you can lose wealth.
The Chinese and Indians believe that there is an energy flowing in and around us called Chi or Prana. When there is an imbalance of Chi in the body, for example, you can get sick. When there is an imbalance of Chi in your office you can lose wealth.
Now if that sounds too crazy to be legitimate why not think about it in terms of modern science. We know that if someone is overly stressed they can develop heart problems or depression. The Chinese might call that an imbalance of Chi. We also know that if your office is too dark or noisy you will find it difficult to concentrate. That might be the loss of wealth.
While there is very little scientific study about Chi itself, modern science and medicine are now incorporating and accepting many related practices such as acupuncture which is based entirely on balancing the body’s Chi flow. I used to be skeptical but after seeing my girlfriend cured of migraines in one week by an acupuncturist after spending 15 years trying every western medical method available including CT scans, medication, chiropractics, etc., I started to pay attention.
My Feng Shui adventures
When I first started working for myself I tried anything to “make it happen”. I set up good systems, got advice from successful people and studied. I also tried to make my office as Feng Shui friendly as possible. If it is good enough for Malaysian billionaires it is good enough for me. I now have a reliable business and can work from home. And while I don’t attribute that to the Feng Shui, I do think it has helped facilitate the right environment for success.
When I first started working for myself I tried anything to “make it happen”. I set up good systems, got advice from successful people and studied. I also tried to make my office as Feng Shui friendly as possible. If it is good enough for Malaysian billionaires it is good enough for me. I now have a reliable business and can work from home. And while I don’t attribute that to the Feng Shui, I do think it has helped facilitate the right environment for success.
I first got interested in Feng Shui when I visited a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in North India which had been totally designed using Feng Shui principles. The place had such a wonderful environment and vibe that I thought I better check it out for my own place.
This post is for all of you entrepreneurs and business owners out there who have an open mind and would like to know how to make their office a little more conducive to success and wealth. If its not your thing that’s cool too.
How to Feng Shui Your Office
What I am going to do now is go through a few well know Feng Shui tips that are said to help increase wealth by fixing the energy flow in your office. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment but, as always, I probably have no clue.
1. Make sure your desk is facing the right direction
Feng Shui experts will tell you that the position of your work desk is of utmost importance. If you are facing the wrong direction you can throw off the balance of your office. The idea is to place your desk in a power position such as facing the door with a wall to your back for stability. You should never have your desk with your back to a door or window.
Feng Shui experts will tell you that the position of your work desk is of utmost importance. If you are facing the wrong direction you can throw off the balance of your office. The idea is to place your desk in a power position such as facing the door with a wall to your back for stability. You should never have your desk with your back to a door or window.
2. Use symbols of wealth in the south-east corner
The south-east corner of your office is said to be the wealth area and as such you should place symbols of wealth in that area and not have anything that might represent money getting sucked away. Some things that you can place here include:
- A jade plant in a red pot
- Images, photos or pictures of something wealthy
- Flowing water or a pond with fish in it
- A heavy crystal weight on your “money-in” receipts
The idea is to make the area feel as prosperous and energetic as possible. Make sure it is clean, well lit and without any clutter. My south-east corner (above) has a couple of healthy jade plants, a coin jar I keep constantly filled and some beautiful crystals. All symbolic of wealth and power.
3. Use flowing water
Flowing water is said to represent prosperity and wealth. This rings true in society at large as well; most successful cities or empires throughout history were located by great rivers.
It is said to be very helpful to have a flowing water fountain with fish in it at your front door (the door you enter your home or office most). If you visit the super successful companies in Asia you will find that most of them have a beautiful water feature at the entrance or places strategically within the lobby. The pond above is something I built using a large plant pot, some water plants and a solar powered water pump. Its right in front of the doorway to our home.
If you can’t build a pond or fountain then images of swimming fish and flowing water will do. My desktop backgrounds on my PC are always images of great flowing waterfalls with lots of sunlight if possible.
4. Hide cables and mess
If you have a Mac this probably isn’t a problem but for us PC users there are a lot of cables. Experts say that this clutter stops a clean flow of energy in that it can make you feel stressed, overly busy and cramped. Try to clean up your office cables so that they are hidden and make the mess in the room completely go away. Set it up so that walkways and desk areas flow nicely and you feel like you are in a well organized space.
If you have a Mac this probably isn’t a problem but for us PC users there are a lot of cables. Experts say that this clutter stops a clean flow of energy in that it can make you feel stressed, overly busy and cramped. Try to clean up your office cables so that they are hidden and make the mess in the room completely go away. Set it up so that walkways and desk areas flow nicely and you feel like you are in a well organized space.
5. Keep well stocked things visible and fix leaks and breaks
The Chinese believe that you should never leave symbols of poverty or a decline in wealth laying around. A broken and dripping tap, for example, is said to represent a constant loss of wealth or power. You should therefore make sure you fix things as soon as they break, especially in the southeast corner or your house or home office.
The flip side to that is keeping symbols of prosperity and health on display. The above photo is from my kitchen where we like to keep clear containers full of pasta, coffee (who has been drinking that?), flour, oats, cereals, etc. on constant display. Its like having a full granary. Plentiful and healthy.
6. Get lots of sunlight and fresh air
Your office should never be in a dark, stale room. You should always have lots of natural light and fresh air blowing in for as much of the day is possible. This, for me, is one of the most important things because it has a massive and scientifically proven impact on how well you feel. A lack of vitamin D can really get you down and when you feel depressed and stressed you are less creative, less efficient and have no ability to increase and improve your circumstance.
Your office should never be in a dark, stale room. You should always have lots of natural light and fresh air blowing in for as much of the day is possible. This, for me, is one of the most important things because it has a massive and scientifically proven impact on how well you feel. A lack of vitamin D can really get you down and when you feel depressed and stressed you are less creative, less efficient and have no ability to increase and improve your circumstance.
7. Learn about the Feng Shui Bagua
The Bagua is the cornerstone of Feng Shui as well as playing and important part in Taoism and many Chinese philosophies. Basically it is an 8 sides map where each side relates to an aspect of your life. For example, the southeast side relates to money.
The Bagua is the cornerstone of Feng Shui as well as playing and important part in Taoism and many Chinese philosophies. Basically it is an 8 sides map where each side relates to an aspect of your life. For example, the southeast side relates to money.
It is really important that you check out how your home and office relates to the Bagua. For example, if you find that a toilet is in your wealth area then it is said that you will experience money problems until it is fixed with a remedy. Likewise, your relationship, fame, health, etc. can be thrown off by imbalances with the placement of rooms and elements within those rooms.
How does your office hold up?
Feng Shui is such a massive topic and it can be quite confusing. If you read books on the matter you will constantly find that they say different things. That being said, I know of several businessmen who have consulted Feng Shui experts and have reported great success. So, how is your office Feng Shui? Do you think you might be on the right track? Will you make any changes?
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