I reached out to a Feng Shui expert and author. To my pleasant surprise, she responded to my questions with in-depth answers.
These were their following responses:
- How could Feng Shui encourage spaces for healing within a hospital environment?
Feng shui translates into ‘wind and water.’ The water is the visible adjustments that can be seen in a physical space– moving a piece of furniture or adding a mirror or artwork. The wind is the invisible aspect of Feng-Shui, the energetic part we cannot see. There are many transcendental, or invisible adjustments that will alter the energy of a room, but it can only be felt and not seen.
Applying Feng-Shui to any environment, including hospitals, will create more harmony and ease for all who occupy the space. There are many aspects of Feng-Shui and ways to apply it, but the overall goal is the same for any method you use. The intention of Feng-Shui is to create a space that is supportive of your overall well-being.
- How easy would it be to implement Feng-Shui on a low budget?
Feng-Shui can easily be applied on a low budget. Whenever I do a Feng-Shui consultation, I encourage my clients to ‘shop their homes’ first. Often, we already have decor or furniture that we need, but it simply needs to be shifted into a more auspicious location. Additionally, Feng-Shui is not always about adding ‘things’ to a space. The foundation of Feng-Shui is to clear stagnant energy and create space for newness. In other words, deep cleaning and decluttering will generate huge energetic results and those are low-budget aspects of Feng-Shui.
- What are the key essential elements for relaxation in Feng-Shui?
I am certified in the BTB School of Feng-Shui which uses a tool called the Bagua map. The Bagua map is a nine-square grid that helps you identify which areas of your home – or a hospital building or room – represent different areas of life such as health, wealth, relationships, etc.
Each of the nine areas is activated by a primary element. There are 5 elements in Feng-Shui. Optimal relaxation can be achieved when the 5 elements are working in harmony with each other.
In addition, we consider the balance of yin and yang energy. Some colors, textures, and shapes enhance ‘yin’ energy which tends to be more relaxing and soothing. On the other hand, there are colors, textures, and shapes which enhance the ‘yang’ energy which will be more energizing. A bedroom or hospital room would benefit from more ‘yin’ decor to promote rest and relaxation; while a kitchen or the surgical space could benefit from more ‘yang’ enhancements to promote collaboration and alertness.
- How does Feng-Shui affect physical and mental well-being?
Your environment is a reflection of your mind. Cluttered spaces create cluttered minds. The good news is you can change the narrative!
In addition, the center area of a home, hospital, and room would be considered the health area. There are ways to enhance the health area in order to support physical and mental well-being.
It also should be mentioned that there is something called the “Mystical Body” in Feng-Shui. Different parts of the home (or a building) and different areas of the Bagua map represent different areas of the body. For example, the front, and center area of a room is the career area and it connects to the ears, kidney, and bladder.
5. How soon could patients begin to see the effects of Feng Shui in their lives?
You can feel effects immediately upon shifting your immediate environment. I also like to take the approach that you could set your intention and manifest your dreams and desires through Feng-Shui. Manifestations could take time, but the feelings of more peace and ease will be felt almost instantly.
Analysis:
This interview was very informative and concise in defining the concept of Feng-Shui and its application as a science to hospital environments.
Relating to the first question, Feng-Shui methods do not just include building and buying furniture or plants to harmonize with wind and water elements of nature, but also the shifting of furniture in the correct spaces.
The findings from question two show that these methods can be implemented at a very low cost and within reasonable budgets within a hospital environment. The interviewee explains that the emphasis is more on decluttering and positioning furniture in a more auspicious space.
For question three, the interviewee gives a breakdown of the functionality of the Bagua map as a nine-square grid. They also explain the concept of the Yin and Yang components; Yin is for relaxation and soothing, whereas Yang is for energizing. Hence they explain why Yin elements would be more beneficial for hospital bedroom environments.
Regarding question four, they explained how the significance of the center of the home represents health, and how this could be improved within a hospital environment to maximize the benefits of physical and mental well-being. The ‘mystical body’ is deconstructed to explain the different areas of a home. They highlight further how the Bagua map connects to various parts of the body. Changes applied here would impact the positive improvement for individuals in hospitals.
The last question informs us that the effects of Feng-Shui can take place immediately and feeling at peace and relaxation does occur which would be ideal for patients in the recovery process within hospitals.
I felt this was a very successful interview, as it was insightful and informative in how it could be applied to my project.
To improve the questionnaire, I could also request the interviewee to suggest colors and textures for the Yin elements which connect to relaxation and soothing in hospital spaces.