Monday, November 27, 2006

Feng shui your shed

Not making money? Feeling lethargic in your garden office? Don’t blame your clients, simply buy a red modem or move your desk. Feng shui boils down to a healthy mind in a healthy shed (or indeed any other home office) with consequently happy knock-on effects for all other areas of your life. It’s all about the the flow of ch’i, the life force or vital energy that links us with our surroundings and we want our ch’i to flow, not be blocked.

First the bad news for shedworkers: as ch’i enters your house through the front door, you should really have your shed in the front of the house to take advantage of the flow of energy. If you're in the back garden, it's harder for energy to get to you. Also, sadly, slanty ceilings are a big no-no since they can suppress your ambitions.

On the plus side, a rectangular-shaped room is considered a great shape and windows a major bonus (if you don’t have windows you are cutting yourself off from the world, literally out of touch with your clients and the general zeitgeist of your work). Don't put your desk right in line with the door or you will receive all the energy force coming into the room which may make you a bit nervous. Also think about interior design - yellow promotes creativity, blue is soothing, and red gives an aggressive edge. Your ceiling should be white as a dark colour will give you the impression there are dark clouds circling you.

Most importantly, your working environment is divided into quadrants reflecting your working life. That all-important wealth quadrant is on the upper left corner of your shed or desk so stick a tiptop bowl of fruit or a nice plant there to help you financially. Similarly, some experts suggest putting a red object (eg a cricket ball) in the same quadrant. Also think about a good rug. Nothing too big and something darkish is reminiscent of a pool of water which is of course very relaxing.

Finally, take a look at your furniture. If it’s secondhand then it has ‘predecessor ch’i’ which could be damaging to you if, for example, the previous owner of your chair went bankrupt.

A version of this article appears in the new issue of The Shed magazine. For a free copy please email me here.

1 comment:

  1. Finally, take a look at your furniture. If it’s secondhand then it has ‘predecessor ch’i’ which could be damaging to you if, for example, fengshui

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