What is Feng Shui?

Feng=Wind Shui=Water

In the Chinese language, "Feng" [pronounced fung] means wind & "Shui" [pronounced shway] means water.

Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese art and science, was created over 3,000 years ago. This complex body of knowledge involves balancing the energies of an environment to cultivate health, wealth, and good fortune for people inhabiting it.

Chinese traditions have always associated gentle wind and clear water with bountiful harvest and good health. Overtime the idea of "good feng shui" came to represent good fortune and livelihood, whereas "bad feng shui" represented hardship and misfortune.

The main tools used during feng shui analysis are the Compass and the BaGua.


Feng Shui Benefits

The benefits of Feng Shui include:
When we create a smooth flow within our living environment, it translates to all other aspects of our lives.


Feng Shui Consultants

Although the basic levels of Feng Shui are easy to understand and apply to one's own environment, Feng Shui is a profound and complex subject that requires dedicated and thorough study to be performed properly for consistent positive results.

Feng Shui can include a variety of enhancements to improve many aspects of life and is extensively used in residential and commercial settings all over the world.

If you would like to experience the vast benefits of Feng Shui, consider hiring a professional Feng Shui consultant to visit your home, land, or office.


Office Energies

Asian businesses have been using Feng Shui for centuries, and the practice is becoming more common in other parts of the world as well. Feng Shui is valuable in spaces where income streams are generated.

Plants that Clean the Air

Indoor plants effectively clean, detoxify and purify the air inside a building, in addition to enhancing it aesthetically. These are the top ten plants most effective for ridding the environment of Formaldehyde, Benzene and Carbon Monoxide:


Storage and Clutter

A cluttered workspace hinders productivity, and reflects a poor image to others. Paper is the worst offender. Eighty per-cent of all paper in a workplace is unnecessary so keep a shredder and recycling receptacle on hand. Other clutter should be sorted and then neatly stored in bookshelves, cabinets and storage bins.

The Air We Breathe

The sealed-air construction of many contemporary office buildings contributes to a variety of health problems. Respiratory illness, throat irritation, headaches and exhaustion are common reactions to stale, dry air. Bacteria and viruses can also develop in air that's passed through cooling towers. These conditions can have a negative impact on workers' performance.

Ozone-free air purifiers and carbon air filters clean the ambient air in enclosed air spaces. Water fountains offer benefits above beautification. They aid in stress relief and relaxation, act as a natural humidifier, and improve air quality by releasing negative ions, with a soothing sound to form a buffer against external noise.

Lighting

Our bodies depend on light. We need it to see, but we also depend on it for Vitamin D, which our skin absorbs from sunlight.

For general good health and safety, a work place requires proper lighting. Often it's provided from artificial sources like fluorescent, full-spectrum, incandescent and halogen lighting. Fluorescent lights are common because they're inexpensive and easy to install, but they emit high electromagnetic fields, which may be harmful to our health and rob our bodies of stress-reducing B Vitamins.

Healthier options include full spectrum lights that simulate natural sunlight, certain compact fluorescent light bulbs that reduce air-borne contaminants while using less energy and, of course, natural sunlight. If you work in a space where you can't control your light-source, even a small desk lamp can help relieve some of the strain of sharp overhead lighting.


Decoration

Colors:

Neutral Yin colors such as green, blue and black suit all tastes but offices frequently use Yang colors such as red, purple, orange and bright yellow instead.

Materials:

Yang substances are shiny and hard, like metal and glass, and they move energy more quickly.

Decorations:

Inspirational items like paintings, pictures, quotes, and your awards and trophies decorate your space and create a soothing environment while reminding you of your successes.

Qualities of the Five Elements:

• Green, or Wood, embodies the qualities of new business, growth and development.
• Red, or Fire, emits dynamic, outgoing and forward-looking qualities.
• Yellow, or Earth, is intellectual and rational in nature.
• Brown, or Metal, indicates a fresh start.
• Black, or Water, symbolizes secret research.

Electrical Equipment

While computers are necessary to the work environment, their use can create health risks such as optical damage and repetitive strain injury. Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) that are generated by electronics and wireless communications has been linked to some serious health problems. In fact, prolonged exposure may cause stress-induced Arthritis, Depression and Alzheimer's disease because they interfere with the cells ability to beneficially process potassium, lithium and calcium.

There are many products designed to recharge and maintain your body's bio-field and increase resistance to stress-related disease. Many other products and simple devices are also available to help neutralize and protect your environment from the negative effects of EMF.

To protect your body from repetitive strain injury, use an ergonomic chair, and be sure to take a stretch break and change position every 15 minutes. Sit approximately 30 inches away from your monitor, and about 40 inches from the back of your computer.

Furniture and Materials

Natural materials are dramatically superior to the synthetics commonly used in modern construction. Harmful substances are omnipresent in our work-places - particle-board, chip-board, plywood, stains, varnishes, upholstery, carpets, curtains, plastics, paint, photocopiers, printers, pre-printed paper, correction fluids and adhesives all contain toxic elements.

If you can't control the use of these substances in your surroundings, try to maintain a source of fresh air like an open window, or use air-cleansing devices such as compact indoor water fountains, air filtration devices, and plants that clean the air.

Look into substituting natural material alternatives for common office use. Eco building products, soy-based ink, bamboo, hemp, cork, and other natural fabric furniture and floorings are some of the best options available.


Chair Ergonomics


Your Office:

• Avoid the glare from windows and lights, such as ceiling and desk lamps. If necessary reposition your monitor, cover office windows or re-design the placement of lamps.
• Design your office to maintain appropriate air circulation.
• Do not sit directly under air conditioning vents. If this cannot be avoided, try re-directing the air so it's not blowing right on top of you.

Your Chair:

• Change your posture and stretch every 15 minutes.
• Have your feet touch the floor, or use a foot-rest.
• Form a 90-100-degree angle with your thighs and back.
• Sit upright.
• Keep your arms relaxed and your forearms supported while typing.

Your Desk:

• Keep your keyboard and mouse within a comfortable reach.
• Don't raise your shoulders while typing.
• Have the mouse and keyboard on the same level, at elbow-height.
• Create a 90-degree angle from your shoulders to your elbows, and from your elbows to your wrist.
• Keep your wrists straight and use a mouse-pad with a wrist-support.
• Use gentle pressure on the keyboard.
• Use your whole arm instead of twisting your wrist or bending your fingers.