Fame, Fortune & Feng Shui

Reema Sisodia offers a peek into the fascinating world of Feng Shui, which is billed as a sure shot way to corporate success. But, experts caution that it should be adopted with a high level of discretion

Some say that one needs to believe to see. With due reasons, perhaps, especially if you talk about a complex 3,000-year old Oriental art.

But without intending to discourage the novice, it would probably be difficult to explain to skeptics that the size of their office table or the design of their company logo could determine the fortunes (or god forbid, follies) of their business. However, those who have practiced and incorporated the ancient art of Feng Shui swear by the changes brought about by it, even in today's high-tech world.

Related to the law and order of the universe and the power of nature, Feng Shui, experts say, can have a huge impact on many aspects of your life. If your home or work environment is disorganised amid a jumble of haphazardly-placed furniture, chances are that your finances, health and emotional well-being will be just as messy.

Changing The Office Plan

In the corporate environment, Feng Shui is all about creating a pathway to success. Improvement in one's working abilities, profits in business, enrichment in client relationships, strengthening business ties and enhancing long-term stability are few of the effects that Feng Shui practitioners have revealed. To achieve the best results, experts feel that Feng Shui knowledge should be applied to city planning, architecture, interior decoration and landscaping.

Today, major corporations worldwide as diverse as Merrill Lynch, Citibank, British Airways, Ritz Carlton and Marks & Spencer, to name a few, have been known to incorporate Feng Shui principles. A hotel (that requested anonymity) which had its main entrance aligned to its back door was worried that this feature, a big no-no in Feng Shui, could lead to an immediate outflow of revenue. No major structural changes were required and a block created between the two entrances constituted a suitable solution.

In another instance, a factory found that there was a considerable turnover of employees. Closer examination revealed that several of the employees had been sitting with their backs exposed to large windows, which created a lack of support and resulted in constant movement. The company installed blinds on the windows to remedy that.

Starting With The Basics

To introduce the basics, there are generic principles of Feng Shui which comprise directions, the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) colour and shapes. One needs to use these aspects in the right combination and proportion to create a balance that would help in reducing negative energy and increasing positive energy to help reap rich rewards.

According to Anshu K Goil, a Feng Shui consultant and teacher who has been practicing the art for over 10 years, "Feng Shui is a geomagnetic practice that aims to harmonise human existence with nature. It goes beyond the layman's understanding that certain objects available off the shelf can bring in luck and good fortune. It calls for in-depth research and analysis of a particular project and also the person for whom the project is being done."

The HSBC Story

The HSBC building in Hong Kong

According to legends, this art - like Vastu Shastra - germinated in India and spread extensively in Oriental countries. Today, it is a rage in China and Hong Kong so much that many of Hong Kong's soaring office and apartment blocks were laid out in accordance with the principles of Feng Shui.

One such example is the HSBC building in Hong Kong whose architecture and design is based completely on this principle. The Chinese and even the British believe that those who have a direct view of a body of water, whether it is a river, a sea or an ocean, are more likely to prosper than those who do not (water is strongly associated with wealth in Feng Shui). The HSBC building has a wide open area (the Statue Square) in front with no structure blocking its view of Victoria Harbour. This is considered to have 'good feng shui'.

One of the bronze lion statues in front of the HSBC building

Even though the Hong Kong government is proposing to extend the existing coastline further out into the harbour in its latest land reclamation project, it will still set aside that space so that no new developments will block the HSBC building's view of the harbour. It has been said that the bank is guaranteed its view of the harbour by the government in an agreement. Moreover, there are two bronze lion statues in front of the HSBC headquarters building. From a Feng Shui point of view, the statues are believed to contribute to the steady revenue of the bank.

In other parts of Asia, while not every architect believes in Feng Shui, most of their customers do. However, it has not yet reached a level to have a public-private consensus like in the case of HSBC in Hong Kong. But it is being incorporated on a large scale in the corporate set-up.

Experts Speak

Many HR heads in India have also incorporated the art into their corporate set-up. But they are not quite vocal about it and choose to remain anonymous.

Endorsing this fact is Nayan Laxman Dhotre, an astrologer, Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra consultant and a visiting faculty at Rachana Sansad, School of Architecture, Mumbai. He says, "I have had businessmen and corporate clients who have used the principles of Feng Shui extensively in their work places. But by and large, 80 per cent of our clients would not like to declare it openly about using the method and maintain secrecy about the practice."

One person who had no qualms of sharing his experience is Arun G Guram, owner of Sai Engineering Works, in New Mumbai. An engineer by profession, Guram began as a non-believer but now agrees without hesitation that the Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra tips suggested by his consultant Dhotre rescued him and his sinking business. "I was facing a lull in business. Though my staff and my team of qualified professionals would work to their optimum levels, business would just not pick up. We would lose vital tenders and though the business plan would be in place, things would go wrong at the last minute. I finally abided to Dhotre who suggested certain temporary changes just to test if things were working back in favour," he says.

After waiting patiently for sometime, he admits that things started improving with time. He then made those changes permanent - changes that had been suggested in various areas of the factory in terms of the placement of the water body and the oven, the seating arrangement of the staff, his work desk, etc. "We tasted success and our work started receiving all the credit that was due. There is definitely something about Feng Shui," Guram exclaims.

According to Mohandeep, a Feng Shui master for more than 10 years who has consulted for industrialists and film stars, most of the corporate world uses Feng Shui extensively for some reason or another. He says that it is all about balancing the elements around oneself that can help change one's attitude and luck in terms of fame, fortune and success. "I have had experiences wherein balance sheets of companies have witnessed positive changes after making certain alterations in the office set-up. Guiding the office in terms of the seating, direction of various departments, boss's cabin, etc, can go a long way in turning the fortunes of a company."

Mohandeep cites certain specific changes that can lead to better fortunes - a black chair placed in the money corner is good but the same is detrimental if it is in the relationship corner. Similarly, the location of a toilet in the money corner is extremely bad for any business.

But there are corrective measures to change and improve the situation through the techniques of Feng Shui. The changes suggested by Mohandeep in one of the Tata offices, as also for one of the Birla offices, have reaped them positive results. What's more - even Bollywood has not been able to elude it. Reportedly, Karan Johar uses Feng Shui for all his film sets.

Each Case Is Different

There are many who have used principles of Feng Shui to improve their profits, boost client relationships and solve legal issues among other things.

Goil explains, "I have clients across the country and each case is different. Our job is like a doctor's - we need to tackle each situation on a case-to-case basis; there is no set formula in its practice. As mentioned earlier, it calls for an in-depth research and analysis of a particular client, which includes astrology and other aspects. The suggestive changes are mentioned to the client only after carefully studying the details and these changes can be done by blending it subtly in the entire look of the place. Certain changes are suggested to either control something negative or build something positive within one's environment.

Simple amendments and changes can be made to balance the energies to gain positive results. One needn't spend exorbitant amounts of money on Feng Shui articles that are available in the market, nor does one need to break down concrete structures to get the results. These changes are made with things and objects that are already present in the office. It’s not just about placing a frog with coins in one corner, putting a lucky plant in the other or dangling a musical chime somewhere else. Goil says, "This is all an eye-wash and such acts due to half-baked knowledge could be dangerous and also detrimental to the cause."

Courtesy: Nayan L Dhotre

Boom Not Doom

It is about using products and symbols correctly through proper guidance and that too only if it is necessary - what could be right for one needn't be right for the other. Supporting Goil's view is Dhotre, who strongly expresses a word of caution regarding articles that are readily sold in the name of Feng Shui by people with partial information. It is a wrong practice to which unfortunately a number of people have fallen prey to.

He also warns clients against new age, unqualified practitioners. Here is an example of the negative effects of blindly following Feng Shui: a businessman acting on the advice of such a practitioner placed a fountain in his so-called 'career' location. Since proper Feng Shui formulas had not been utilised, the water, a very powerful element in Feng Shui, ended up activating a financial drain. Once these mistakes were corrected in accordance with the actual Feng Shui calculations, his business improved drastically.

The intention of this preface is not to guide or offer tips to readers on Feng Shui. It is only an attempt to initiate the uninitiated. Of course, in this case, patience is not only a virtue but a necessity and one cannot expect success immediately and without any speedbreakers.

More information is available on fengshuimiracle.com hosted by Mohandeep.
Nayan Laxman can be contacted at vastunayan@hotmail.com
Anshu K Goil can be contacted at goil@vsnl.com