Having a healing treatment can be a lovely way to boost our energy and vitality, but while most of us enjoy the experience we probably don't think about what makes a good therapy room. The room layout, decor and ambience can make a big difference to our relaxation and the benefits we achieve.
In an article produced for the Holistic Therapist Magazine in 2015 (Feng Shui For Therapy Rooms) I explain the benefits of using Feng Shui in a therapy room as well as some tips as to how this can be done.
This advice applies whether the therapy room is in a private home or professional clinic.
Here is the article:
Just in case it's difficult to read, this is what it says:
Feng Shui consultant Karen McDonald discusses how to create a calm and positive atmosphere in your treatment room …
Feng Shui for Therapy Rooms
Feng Shui is the practice of analysing and influencing the interaction between people, buildings and the environment in order to enhance quality of life. By considering the principles of Feng Shui in the layout of the therapy space we can enhance the client’s level of healing and relaxation, while bringing ourselves more strength and support.
The first thing to consider with a therapy room is it’s location. Ideally the room will be located in the North of the building as this direction brings with it a quiet, flexible, deep and powerful energy, promoting healing and other therapies.
Energy flows where the eye goes, so consider the layout of furniture, lighting and artwork to promote a flow of energy around the room. Curves are preferable to straight lines, as negative energy travels in straight lines. If possible, avoid using a space with a low or sloping ceiling as this can compress the energy.
The room should provide a mountain for support and protection. This might be a physical mountain in the form of a bookcase behind your desk or chair or a symbolic one such as a painting of a mountain, again placed behind your desk / chair. Place your chair to take command of the room. You should be able to see the door and window without having to turn your head. However, your chair should not be directly opposite the door nor should it be directly opposite your client if you both have to sit for discussions. Always try to angle the furniture so it is non-confrontational.
Nature likes balance, this is true regarding yin and yang as well as the five elements used in Feng Shui. Whilst the therapy room should contain representations of both Yin and Yang, more Yin will make the room more relaxing. Examples of Yin would be soft colours, downward lighting and plush furnishings. Examples of Yang would be bright colours, bright lighting and hard, shiny or metallic surfaces.
There should be a balance of the five elements; these are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. To obtain maximum benefit from each element you could place a physical representation of it in the relevant direction. Water in the North, wood (e.g. a plant) in the East or South East, fire in the South, (e.g. a candle), earth (e.g. a crystal) in the South West or North East and metal in the West or North West. The South East is associated with Good Fortune so to place a Jade plant (also known as money plant) here would have a positive effect on your business’ good fortune. To attract more clientele display your qualifications in the South of the room.
Colour can be a major factor in determining the ambience of a therapy room, take care to not over- or under-stimulate. Choose a colour which does not create negative emotional or physiological effects. Avoid red, for example, as this has been linked to irritability and impatience. Research suggests that blue is calming and green is healing.
Artwork or symbolic imagery can be used to bring in further colour or create a flow around the room. Pictures of natural scenes or landscapes have a beneficial effect on our physiology and brain function whereas abstract can detract from wellbeing.
Natural light is the best and should be maximised where possible. If artificial light is necessary, incandescent light provides a warm light illumination closely resembling fire. This warm light is associated with relaxation.
Plants are not only one of the five Feng Shui Elements but they also absorb carbon dioxide (during the day) and give out oxygen and negative ions which are good for us. Negative ions are found in the atmosphere by a river, the sea or in a forest and they ‘freshen’ the air which makes us feel really alive and vital. Generally, plants with rounded leaves are more yin like and have a calming effect, spiky plants should be avoided.
Water gives off beneficial negative ions just like plants. In addition, people perceive water as cooling and it can mask other noise. Ways to introduce water into a treatment room include an aquarium, water feature or a simple glass bowl of water changed daily.
Sound can also be important in creating a relaxing experience. Wind chimes are an excellent Feng Shui way to introduce sound, however this would require a breeze through an open window which may let in other unwelcome noises. Relaxing music could be more beneficial.
Now we have the optimum therapy room, we will hopefully have Clients to heal. Clients who leave you feeling better leave a little bit of negative energy behind, which can accumulate until eventually you can feel drained or ill. To avoid this, the therapy room should undergo space clearing regularly. With Space Clearing it is always recommended that you speak to a professional. However, if you want to try a very basic space clearing, you could open the window and burn incense regularly.
Clutter clearing is equally as important as Space Clearing as it presents a physical blockage or barrier to success. It is not unusual to discover a therapist is “stuck” with an area of their business only to find the part of their therapy room that relates to that area is filled with clutter. This physical blockage can have an impact on well-being and prevent someone from achieving their goals – not to mention that your clients expect a tidy treatment environment.
Finally, each year there are annual enhancements that can be made to support directional energy changes. For 2015, a metal windchime should be hung in the West of your room and a plant placed in the South East.
ⓘ Karen McDonald is an Advanced Feng Shui Consultant, who also holds a diploma in Space Clearing. She works with both corporate and private clients to optimise their working and living environments. Karen also offers consultancy services in geopathic stress, EMF, 9 Star Ki Astrology, Directionology and Fire Ceremonies. www.celticchi.co.uk
If anyone would like to know more then please get in touch!
Karen x
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