Feng Shui is a relatively new concept for us here in Canada, but in
many
other countries
in the western world it is very "main-stream" and used by
corporations
of all sizes. There are
retailers that set up their stores using Feng Shui,
architectural firms
with on-staff Feng Shui
practitioners, large hotel chains are incorporating Feng
Shui principles into their new
projects
and renovations, investment companies and banks are using Feng
Shui to increase their success,
etc. The interest in Feng Shui is growing rapidly as
people discover that, yes, it does work!
When we are hired
by a business to do a Feng Shui consultation, we will first ask
some questions about the company:
THE HISTORY - What type of business is it and what are
the goals?
- How long has it been in business? -
- Is the business
thriving
or struggling?
With what aspects?
- How long has it occupied the existing space?
- Who were the previous occupants and were
they successful?
THE ORGANIZATION - Who are the principal people running the company?
- How many employees are there and what do each of them do?
- Are there any problems with the relationships between employees?
Between management and employees? With clients or customers?
The next step is to assess the EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR of the business
space:
- Are there any negative influences coming from
surrounding buildings?
- Is the signage clearly visible and attractive?
- Is the entrance easily accessible and inviting?
- Is there a reception area or space that welcomes
both clients and employees?
- Are the principles of the company in the appropriate
"commanding position" of the space?
- Are the individual offices arranged in the most
advantageous manner?
- Are shared office areas arranged so that each
person has equal space?
After we have spend time getting to know the company and the people in
it, we
then map out the space according to the Ba-gua. This
shows the location
of each Life
Aspiration and we can then make suggestions as how to
"stimulate" these areas to benefit
the company and the people working there. This Ba-gua map
is also applied to individual
offices
and rooms and even to each desk.
The Life Aspirations are the same ones that apply to a residence, but
they
have slightly different meanings for a business:
CAREER - refers to the aims of the company as well as the
individual careers of everyone involved.
KNOWLEDGE - refers to the ongoing learning that is required in
order for the company and individuals to grow and prosper.
FAMILY - refers to the relationships between everyone in the company.
It is also important to honour past contributions.
WEALTH
- refers to abundance; of finances as well as good will
and reputation.
FAME - refers to the path that the company wants to take in the
business world, as well as its standing and reputation.
RELATIONSHIPS - refers again to the relationships within the company,
as well as the relationship with customers / clients.
CREATIVITY - refers to the creative powers of everyone in the company -
new ideas and approaches are essential in helping a
business grow successfully.
HELPFUL PEOPLE - refers to the outside people who help the company;
bankers, consultants, etc, as well as customers and clients.
HEALTH - refers to the emotional, spiritual and physical health of
everyone in the company.
Another important aspect of business Feng Shui is the concern with the
physical
comfort and safety of everyone in the space. In our every
increasing electronic
age we are
constantly surrounded and bombardedwith Electromagnetic
Frequencies (EMF's). Many people
spend their entire day sitting in front of computers, working
with photocopiers, fax machines,
etc, all under fluorescent
lighting. This EMF energy has been proven to be
detrimental to our
health - we must be aware of it and
try to minimize our exposure to it as much as we can.
COMPUTERS - the monitor and tower of a computer emit a lot
of EMF energy;
the rear of a computer actually emits far greater EMF's
than the front, so be aware and try not to direct the rear of the
monitor at another person.
- Live plants soak up some of this negative energy, so try to
have one close to your computer (peace lilies / spathyphylum
plants have been found to be the best)
- There are commercial devices that are available to place on
computers that will help neutralize these negative energies.
- Natural quartz crystals also work to help neutralize EMF's
(3-4" in size) - place one between you and your monitor. It is
also beneficial to wear a natural quartz crystal while you are
working on your computer.
- Have your computer plugged into a power bar so that when
it is not in use so you can completely turn off the electricity.
Did you know that in other countries in the world (ie: Australia,
Russia,
Japan, Switzerland, etc)
there are laws governing how much EMF energy a computer can emit?
We have no such laws
here and as a result cannot purchase "clean" computers that
are legislated in those countries?
FAX, PHOTOCOPIERS, ETC - try to keep these as far away
from
where
people sit as possible.
- Live plants soak up some of this negative energy, so try
to have one close to these machines (peace lilies /
spathyphylum plants) have been found to be the best)
- Again, there are commercial devices that are available that
will help neutralize these energies.
- Natural quartz crystals work to help neutralize EMF's
(3-4" in size) - place one between you and the machines.
LIGHTING - incandescent is the best, but if fluorescent is what you
have,
at least try to use full spectrum bulbs.
There are some good books about EMF's that are worth
reading,
just ask us!
Feng Shui principles can be used to help create a wonderful environment
for everyone
to work in. Even if your company is not "Feng Shui
savvy", there
are lots of things that you
can do to make your own personal workspace a pleasure
to be in - all without
anyone noticing!
- Margo Trofimenkoff