Feng Shui – (pronounced fung shway) is the ancient Chinese art of improving every aspect of your life by enhancing your environment according to the principles of harmony and energy flow.  Feng Shui affects you every moment of your day, whether you are aware of it or not.  It examines the placement of things and objects, and how it can influence your personal energy flow.  This in turn affects how well you perform and succeed in your personal and professional life.

Here at Next Big Leap, we have decided to take this on board and create an office that is in line with the Feng Shui principles.

Some quick Feng Shui Techniques.

1. Desk

• DO sit in the corner farthest from the entrance to the room to have a “command” position.
• Make sure you can see the door but DON”T sit in line with the door, as you will be in the path of negative energy.
• Allow access to your desk from either side.

2. Clutter- This is anything unfinished, unused, unresolved, tolerated or disorganized.  When you clear your clutter, you create space for new things and your energy and creativity will increase.

3. Make sure office cords are hidden to allow for free flow of chi.

4. Treat files with respect, they represent your past, present and future business.

5. Light – The best light is natural daylight, so move your desk close to a window but never have your desk directly in front of window or fluorescent lights that cast a glare, causing eyestrain and exhaustion. You may improve your mood and energy dramatically by replacing fluorescent lights with warm lights or bring in some incandescent light in the form of floor or table lights.

6. Plants - Place plants in your office spurs creativity and new ideas. In Feng Shui practice keeping plants helps to have positive Chi flow in corners which other wise are neglected spaces devoid of any energy. Green plants also act as a filtering system, reducing toxins and circulating stagnant air.  If you can bring an odd number of healthy plants into your space, you can stimulate more active, vibrant energy.

The Feng Shui Octagon

The Feng Shui octagon is an energetic map, or tool used to diagnose energy qualities in your space.  By using the octagon, you can divide any space into 9 areas, each with its own corresponding set of influences and energies.  The octagon helps you pinpoint the areas you need to work on e.g if your business needs to make more money, identify the area in your office that affects wealth, then make the changes to improve its energy.  The location of each area are in relation to the door that allows access to the space i.e the career area is located where the door is.

The Five Elements
There are five elements that occur in every environment (see Feng Shui Octagon - to find the location of these elements), these are the natural phases of energy (wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).  When these elements are in balance, the energy circulates and helps you achieve peace and harmony.  When elements are located in the wrong area, it could have a negative impact.  

Orienting the Five elements in your office
You can use the elements that work for you by placing objects in these areas.  Follow our guide to find out how you can empower your chosen elements.

Wood element
To increase the growth, expansion, and upward movement of your career. 

Put any of the following in the Wood’s natural location:

• A lively, green plant
• Any object or piece of art containing the colours green and/or blue
• A rectangular or columnar object e.g. stereo speaker or filing cabinet.

Fire element
Provides you with lots of energy and movement. 

It can help you become more active, better known and more powerful.

Place any of these in the Fire’s natural location:

• A candle or bright light
• A red object or something triangular or pyramid shaped, with the point directed upward.

Earth element
Creates balance, peace, connection and stability. 

Good if you are experiencing changes and transitions.  Accentuate your office one of these:

• An earthen item like pottery, smooth stone or ceramic statue
• Yellow or earth coloured pieces
• Any square or cube-shaped object

Metal element
The agent of communication, creativity, codes and keys. 

Use this if you need to make better connections with people or move more quickly and fluidly.

Put these cures in the Metal’s natural location:

• Anything made of metal e.g. chair, lamp, art object
• An item or picture containing the colour white
• An object or image with a circular or spherical shape

Water element
Moving water brings money and people.  Still water improves depth, wisdom and clarity. 

To increase either type of water:

• Apply the colours black or midnight blue in the Water’s location
• Place something with a wavy shape

To improve moving water:

• Install a fountain in the water’s natural place
• Hang a photo or painting of a waterfall, river, ocean

For still water, an image of a calm lake is good.

Feng Shui Your Desk

The Feng Shui Octagon is versatile enough to for you to use on your desk.  The Octagon can be placed on your desk.  The entrance of the desk is where the front of your body meets the desk, this area corresponds to the carreer life area, the other areas are placed around the desk accordingly.

Feng Shui Desk Tips

• Place your phone in the wealth area – the bell sound stimulates more money
• Place a lamp in the Fame area – can help your reputation inside and outside the office
• Fasten purple fabric or paper at the wealth area – to enhance your money