Can rearranging the furniture in a room bring peace and harmony?
It can, according to the ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui — pronounced Fung Shway.
To help you, expert Eddie Cheng offers simple tips for using Feng Shui, which means wind and water, to create peaceful surroundings and bring positive chi — or energy — to your life.
Cheng is director of operations for the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, where Feng Shui is taken seriously. A Feng Shui master comes to the hotel each year to check all major locations, including the main en-trance, lobby, executives’ offices and hotel rooms.
The master provides guidance on how to organize the space, according to Cheng.
While each arrangement is unique to the individual, there are general rules that can be incorporated into anybody’s life. Cheng says the purpose is to either gain positive energy when it is already strong or to protect it when it is weak. He believes this develops a psychological feeling of confidence and energy.
Cheng’s tips include:
At work, you should be able to see the door from your desk. If this is impossible, position a mirror so you see the entrance.
At home, your bed should not be directly across from the door because the chi runs up the bed.
Having an odd number of healthy plants brings live, flowing energy to a room.
A water fountain or picture of moving water should be placed near the entrance to your office to bring money and diffuse negative chi.
Don’t sit under anything bulky or heavy, like a shelf or storage bin, because it symbolically impedes your movement up the corporate ladder. If this cannot be helped, hanging a crystal sphere from the shelf can brighten your environment.
Use fresh flowers to bring positive chi in, but get rid of them before they wilt and die.
