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Feng shui (pronounced "fung shway") principles can be applied to any area of a person's life, or to organisations and businesses. According to an old Chinese saying, man and his environment are one; this is the basic theory behind feng shui. Literally translated, feng shui means "wind and water", referring to the movement of these two elements as being balanced or channelled. To apply the principles of feng shui to the business environment, is to invite prosperity not only in financial terms but in the overall happiness of the workforce and everything around them.

The main ingredient in feng shui is the life force, or chi. The main aim is to not impede the natural flow of chi, but to enable its course to run as smoothly as possible. Imagine sitting by a clear stream, and the feeling of calm that the sounds, sight and perhaps the feel of the water caressing your toes can give. Now imagine that same water, but in a stagnant pool, with no movement, an unpleasant odor and unable to sustain life beyond mosquito larvae. It is the stream that good feng shui aims to recreate with the chi energy which is present in and around all things.

Using feng shui in an existing workplace may be more difficult than looking for a new location with good chi flow. However there are some ways to encourage the flow of chi to move more easily, thus increasing the energy in the building. Each building, in feng shui teachings, is surrounded by the 4 heavenly guardians; the rear by the tortoise, the front by the phoenix, the left side by the dragon and the right side by the tiger. By drawing a square grid divided into 9 equal sections (called a bagua and like a sudoku grid), you can identify the 9 areas that make up the body of the dragon. You can then lay this grid over the building plan and see where each section of the building relates to the bagua grid. The front of the building or the entrance, should be aligned with the bottom of the bagua grid. Then from top to bottom and left to right, mark the squares thus: Wealth, Fame, Partnership, (middle row) Family, Tai Chi, Children, (bottom row) Knowledge, Career, Helpful people.

Knowing the sections of the bagua can help you to plan where in the building to locate specific departments or offices. For example, the top left square relates to wealth, so this would be an ideal location for the finance department. The middle right square relates to children, so this could be the section you use for creche facilities. The centre

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