How to Feng Shui your room

Not a typical student activity and certainly one that should not be attempted without expert guidance, Feng Shui can only be taught.

You may want to get a responsible adult to help you, or just do what we did and speak to a pro. Feng Shui Master Kay Tom, Chairman of the Chue Foundation, and Thomas Coxon, Master of Feng Shui at Thomas Coxon Associates were on hand to guide The Tab through every step of the amazing ‘spiritual’ journey.

So what exactly is Feng Shui?

Master Kay Tom told us: “The Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui believes that a building is just as much of a living organism as we are. As such it needs sustenance and a healthy lifestyle to support its needs and hence the needs of the people within its space.” Maybe ordering Dominos all the time isn’t such a great idea after all.

Looking around it was clear what needed to be done, a tidy up was in order. As “like attracts like or chi attracts chi”, having a clean room the mind should mean you start to think clearer.

Before…

Having a clear work space enables the mind to “circumnavigate its way around mountains of books and volumes of information,” the Master told us. Mountains of books and volumes of information? It’s almost like he thinks we do work at university…

After…

“Avoid sharp corners”

The desk was the next apocalyptically muddled area to face the feng. Master Kay Tom suggested I avoid sitting with a sharp corner pointing at me. It seems like an obvious thing to say really, who on Earth sits on the corner of a table…

She also suggested that staring at the same wall while revising makes study difficult, so facing various walls should stop procrastination and improve concentration. Everyone has favoured directions so have a bit of a play around and you’ll soon find a direction that suits you, although looking out the window probably isn’t the best idea either.

“Treat your files with respect”

Respect your files and folders and apparently you’ll learn more. Who’d have thought it? Maybe keeping shaving equipment next to them isn’t the best idea then.

“Sleeping under the window damages your liver”

Thomas Coxon said: “In Feng Shui folk lore it is believed that sleeping with your head under the bedroom window damages your liver.” Supposedly  “energy from the bedroom window enters the body’s energy meridians at your head and travels to your liver where it knocks it out of balance” – sounds a lot like Thursday morning…

Decoration

Again, Master Coxon suggested removing pictures that hold negative content and symbolism as seeing these daily will programme our brains and “bring those things to life”. An example he gave was “A picture of a lone person tends to create a single person who doesn’t maintain a long term relationships”.

New posters seemed to solve the problem, one of a happy baby elephant and a one of some beautiful ladies. I would be happy to bring either of those two things to life.

Finally, you need an energy source. Master Kay Tom stressed the importance of “attracting energy to your building. If you don’t feed yourself then you die of starvation (stating the obvious there). If your property doesn’t have a healthy chi supply then it, and it’s occupants, energy levels fall.”

I’m not sure how to supply my bedroom with chi, or what ‘chi’ really is. Incense sticks will do.

So feng shui…

What did we learn?

• Houses and rooms need to live healthily.

• Putting your bed under a window will damage your liver.

• There’s probably a perfectly logical and rational explanation for doing everything a Feng Shui expert will tell you.

With special thanks to:

Master Kay Tom (@masterkaytom) & Thomas Coxon