Have you ever walked into a home or office and instantly felt comfortable and relaxed? Can you recall an environment that made you feel uncomfortable or anxious for no apparent reason? An explanation for these positive or negative feelings in different environments may be found in the principles of feng shui (pronounced fung schway).

Feng shui is the ancient art of placement and design used to balance and enhance the energy flow in living environments. The Chinese have relied on feng shui for over 3,000 years to assure an abundance of wealth and love in their lives. Feng shui experts believe that by creating harmony and balance in your physical environment you will attract good luck and prosperity in all areas of your life.

The practice of feng shui is based on the flow of ch'i (pronounced chee)--the life force or vital energy that links people with their surroundings. Ch'i is the medium by which energy moves into an environment. According to feng shui principles, ch'i is a tangible force that gives way to physical manifestations when it flows freely or hinders physical manifestations when it is blocked. A practitioner uses feng shui to read the energy movement in a home or office and restructure the movement to enhance health, harmony, and abundance.

So what does this have to do with your home office? By following some basic principles of feng shui, you may improve your productivity and career prospects as well as enhance your success, creativity, and wealth. Specifically, you can use feng shui to determine where to set up your home office, the best placement of your desk, the use of color in your office, and incorporate "cures" into your office to change the flow of blocked energy.

Home Office Location

If you have the luxury of choosing the location of your home office, these tips can guide you in maximizing the flow of energy:

•Since energy enters your home through the front door, you want to set up your home office in the front of the house to take advantage of

the flow of energy. If you're in the back, it's more difficult to receive any energy. This will also be beneficial if you will be receiving clients

and conducting business with others in your home office.

•Once energy enters through the front door it flows up, so it is preferable to be on the entry level or above as opposed to a level below the

main floor of the house. It's difficult for energy to move down into the basement.

•A rectangular-shaped room is best for a home office. If the room you choose for your office is L-shaped, use one of the areas for your

desk and the other for a sitting area.

Suggested "Cures" for Less Ideal Locations

In the art of feng shui, a cure is a change you make in your environment to bring balance and harmony into the space. When the flow of ch'i or energy is blocked or stagnant, a feng shui cure can get the energy moving again to create change.

The following "cures" can be used to alter blocked or stagnant energy: 

 •If your home office is in your bedroom, hide the office area with a screen at night so that you don't mix energies when you move from

work to sleep.

•If your home office does not have a window, brighten up the room with yellow paint, bright lights, and pictures of the outdoors.

•If your home office is located in the basement, paint the walls and ceilings a bright white. Create as much light as possible with bright

lighting. Install a fan to get the energy moving.

For more information, visitwww.manobluedesign.comor emailmarie@manobludesign.com