Shui to Go! » Office Feng Shui

Feng Shui and the power position

Aisling — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:16:37 +0000

When you use Feng Shui to plan your home or office, it’s important to know where the Dragon seat is, also known as the power position. This is the area where you should place your own chair, and the Feng Shui elements that are most important in your life right now.

The power position in any room is usually the seat that is furthest from the door, but faces it. It should not be in direct line with the opening of the door; it should be slightly diagonal from the door.

In some schools of Feng Shui, the power position can be commanded by art, a window, a display, or anything else that catches your eye as you enter through the door. You can achieve this with design elements such as gold highlights, or with small spotlights or other decorative effects.

If you are planning your office, place your desk chair in the power position and arrange the rest of your furnishings around that. Ideally, your desk chair should also be in the Money corner (left corner) or the Fame area (center back of the room). You can still be effective if your desk chair is at the far right–in the Romance (Relationships) corner–where you are most likely to develop networking opportunities.

At home, design your dining room so that you sit in the power area. If it is impossible to place the table so that your chair is in the Money corner or Fame area, be sure to put some eye-catching decor in one of those areas to strengthen your position.

Also, although the dining table is likely to be in the Health area (center of the room), plan the seat covers in the colors of the power seat.

That is, if the power seat is in the Fame area, your dining room chairs should be upholstered in red, orange, or yellow fabric. If the power seat is in the Money corner, choose upholstery in Mardi Gras colors of green, purple, or gold. If possible, add gold accents to the chairs or upholstery to better support the Health aspects.

When planning your living room, place your favorite chair (or your end of the sofa) in the power position. The upholstery color should match the location of the power seat rather than the overall placement of the sofa.

When planning your kitchen, consider where you spend most of your time. This is often at the stove, a food preparation area, or at the sink. Ideally, you should spend the most time in the power area, facing the doorway. If that is not possible, either add design elements that immediately draw the eye to you, or weight important areas with extra Feng Shui elements.

If you do not see the doorway easily from that position, place a mirror or other reflective surface so that you can always see someone entering the room.

This can be tricky when designing the bedroom. Try to plan your “power seat”–in this case, the bed–so that it’s in far right corner of the room as you enter through the door. That’s the Romance corner.

When you are in bed, you should also be able to see the doorway easily. However, if you can’t, do not place a mirror for this purpose. In Feng Shui, if you can see yourself in a mirror from the bed, this can lead to poor sleep habits and insomnia. Instead, move the bed.

Above all, never place the bed so that your feet are in direct line with the door. This is very bad luck. Try to place the bed at least a few feet away from a straight line to the door; that is, it can be diagonally across from the door.

Whether you are selecting a seat at a banquet, on a bus, or in the boardroom, always try to secure the power position. This is where you will shine and where you’ll find the greatest success.

By using Feng Shui’s “power position” at home and work, you can improve your luck and success in everything that you do.

Big Spaces, Little Spaces – Feng Shui Your Office

Aisling — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 21:58:06 +0000

Have you ever tried to work in front of the TV, and lost your sense of focus? Or, have you ever sat down in your cubicle to do some brainstorming, and not one good, creative idea came to mind?

In Feng Shui, we try to match the place to the project and to the individual’s workstyle. So, your workstyle is probably the best place to start.

Start by taking a quick mental survey of the projects you’ve worked on in the past.

Where have you come up with your best ideas? Is that the same place where you are able to keep your nose to the grindstone and complete challenging projects?

Probably not.

So, if you’re planning up a home office, consider creating multiple work areas in the room. Each should be designed to match your personal work style and make optimum use of the room.

If you’re creating a new home office, it may be simplest to start ‘by the rules’ and see what works (and doesn’t) for a few weeks.

IF YOU’RE DESIGNING ‘BY THE RULES’

If you’re following strict Black Hat Sect (BHS) Feng Shui rules, your reference books will be on your left as you enter the room, in the Knowledge area.

As we continue around your home office, clockwise, here’s what can go in each area:

After your reference materials, the next area should be for the core of your business. It’s the Stability part of the room. If you sell things, this is a good place to display your inventory. If you are in a service industry or deal with data, your desk or communications center could be here.
The back left corner–the Money area–of your home office is for bookkeeping, and symbols of success and affluence.
To the right of it as you circle the room, think about Fame and Reputation. Display diplomas, awards, and promotional materials.
At the far right corner of the room, relative to the doorway, set up anything that has to do with your customers. This is your Relationships area. It’s smart to display endorsements, thank-you letters, and pictures of you with happy customers or clients.
Heading back towards the doorway, the next area has a Creativity theme. Whether you assemble products here or do your brainstorming in an overstuffed chair, keep this area open and equipped for your most energetic and original work.
Finally, the area on the right side of the door (as you’re looking into the room) represents Helpful People and Travel. Display photos and news about your mentors or role models, as well as postcards from friends, and pictures of places you’d like to visit for business or on vacation.
The center of your home office is symbolic of growth; keep it as open as possible, with plenty of fresh air and good lighting.

Traditional Feng Shui for Home Office Success

Aisling — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 22:05:34 +0000

In Design Your Office with Intuitive Feng Shui, we recommended designing your home office to support your work habits.

Having done that, let’s step back into more traditional approaches to Feng Shui.

MIX IN TRADITIONAL FENG SHUI COLORS AND SHAPES

Once you’ve designed your work areas intuitively, use traditional Feng Shui to turbo-charge your home office.

Consider the general nature of your homebased business.

Let’s say that you run a personalized dating service. Treat your entire office–or at least the area around your desk–as a “romance corner.” Paint it a juicy, vivid, tropical pink. Or, try painting one wall glossy red and the other three matte white or a very pale pink.

Try to have two of everything in your office, as much as is practical. If you have pens in a cup on your desk, try to have two of each kind. A vase of flowers should always have an even number of flowers in it.

If you’re managing PR, red and violet (both fame and prosperity colors) should dominate your office. If you’re an accountant, use Mardi Gras colors if green, gold, and violet symbolize prosperity to you.

Here are some other careers and their luckiest Bagua aspects. These are general guidelines, not rules. If your career seems to fit a different area of the Bagua, apply its colors and elements instead.

Writing, publishing, data management, teaching, private tutoring: Knowledge area
Family counselling, real estate: Stability area
General investing and investment counselling, accounting, money management: Money area
Advertising, personal shopper, organizing, website design, work in the media: Fame area
Relationships counselling, quiltmaking, catering: Romance area
Art, inventing or inventors’ services, day care, adoption services: Creativity area
Work related to travel or spirituality, mentoring, networking, nonprofits, some B2B* services: Travel/Helpful People area
Career counselling, temp or contract work, Human Resources work: Career area
Health, nutrition, some grooming, animals, and careers that don’t fit anywhere else: Health area

BALANCE YOUR LUCKY ELEMENTS

Check the balance of Feng Shui elements in your home office.

Do you have an equal balance of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water? Have you tilted the scales very slightly to favor the element related to your work?

Remember that broad areas that represent an element–your floor color and your walls, for example–need to be offset more than small elements such as a delicate vase or a small picture.

ADJUST YOUR HOME OFFICE SO THAT IT WORKS BEST FOR YOU

Once your home office is set up so that it supports your personal work style and you’ve mixed in traditional Feng Shui elements to turbo-charge your office, spend at least two weeks without changing anything… unless it’s driving you crazy, of course. Sometimes, it can feel awkward to shift from less productive work habits to efficiency. Give your new office design and decorating scheme a chance to “settle in” before making additional changes.

READ MORE about Feng Shui and business success in books such as:

*B2B services are any business-to-business services, such as phone directory advertising. Website management (as opposed to design) would probably go here, for example.

Design Your Home Office with Intuitive Feng Shui

Aisling — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 22:03:05 +0000

In Big Spaces, Little Spaces, we talked about planning your home office according to the guidelines of traditional Feng Shui, especially Black Hat Sect Feng Shui.

But, sometimes you’ll want to reach beyond traditional rules to create an environment that works perfectly for you, and with your unique environment. That’s when intuitive Feng Shui is useful.

IF YOU’RE DESIGNING INTUITIVELY

If you approach Feng Shui and interior design with greater innovation, consider the major purposes for your home office.

First, can you find your work tools easily? Consider the ABC system to organize your home office:

“A” items are used daily, or at least several times a week. They should be stored where you can reach them easily from your chair, desk, or worktable.

“B” things are used once a week or once a month. They can be stored in your office, but in locations that are less accessible, such as a middle drawer in a desk or filing cabinet.

“C” items are used rarely, seasonally, or only once a year. Winter holiday decorations are in the “C” category. These can be stored somewhere else that’s not convenient, such as a storage closet, basement or attic.

Do you need reserve storage in your office? If not, keep your extra office supplies and inventory out of sight.

Unless it’s essential to your work, storage = visual clutter. Move it to a less obvious location.

Which tasks are part of your work? Consider these possibilities: Planning, designing products or promotional materials, website work, reading, scanning, printing, meeting with clients, phone calls, correspondence, accounting and bookkeeping, creating products, and packing and shipping.

Select your top two or three activities… the tasks that are most important, daily. These should be most carefully placed in your home office.

Let’s say that your homebased business is working with an automated knitting machine. Since that work can be repetitive, would it be to place your knitting machine at a window, to enjoy the view as you work?

Or, if you are an accountant, do you work best in a space where you’ll have no distractions? Perhaps your desk should be far away from windows and doors.

Think about the settings in which you do your best work, and set your home office up accordingly.

Sure, this may break Feng Shui rules, but keep in mind: What works best for you… is what works best for you!

When Feng Shui becomes a by-the-numbers approach to design and doesn’t support your individuality, approach it intuitively instead. Above all, place your work areas so that they support each of your regular tasks.

Finally, it’s time to Add Traditional Feng Shui for Home Office Success.

Feng Shui Your Desk

Aisling — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 21:07:02 +0000

Have you use Feng Shui around your desk? Apply the Feng Shui bagua grid to your workspace for fast results! Start at the left side of your desk, which is the Knowledge area. Store your reference materials there, including your dictionary, your calendar, and so on.

If you have a counter or bookcase to the left of your desk, the top may be the perfect place for symbols of Family (photos) and Security (anything that says “old money” to you).

The back left corner of your desk is the Money area. Whether not your monitor is there, keep this corner clean, dust-free, and uncluttered. If there’s space in back of your monitor for photos or posters, display pictures of what you plan to do (or own) when you have an even better income.

At the back center area of your desk, or on the wall directly in front of you, take advantage of this Fame area. Display awards, diplomas, certificates, and anything that tells others about your accomplishments. Add something red–the best color for this area–to draw attention to your new display.

At the right corner of your desk, and on the wall behind it, the focus is Romance. Place photos of your sweetie, or symbols of love and partnerships there. If you have flowers or pens at this area of your workspace, remember: Everything in twos… no “onesies”!

Closer to you on the right, it’s your Creativity area. Be sure to keep symbols of what you do that’s original, as well as your smaller work tools. Whether this is a stapler or a set of pens and paintbrushes, focus on creativity. And, if you’re a fan of Disney or other cartoons, those images go in this area.

At your immediate and front right, it’s the Helpful People and Travel area. This is where you’ll put your Rolodex or Palm, or whatever you use to store names & phone numbers. Also display vacation-related items and pictures.

And, the center of your desk is the Health area. If you want a healthy career, your work area should be clean & “happy looking.” Consider a new blotter or other desktop covering in sunny yellow; that’s the best color for the Health area.

Finally, your chair represents your Career area. Keep your chair well-oiled (if it’s on wheels or springs) and clean. Polish any chrome and keep it dusted.

If you use a floor mat beneath your chair, make sure that your it looks fresh and new. If it doesn’t, a replacement may be a small expense for the potential benefits. Or, sometimes a little floor polish will renew a plastic floor mat and make it look “like new”.

Applying Feng Shui to your desk may not guarantee success, but it’s a bold step in the right direction.