Feng Shui may get mispronounced a lot, but its philosophy is getting some pretty hard looks from growing segments of the population-including the corporate world. (Actually, it's pronounced phung shway and translates literally as wind and water.)

      In a word, the theory of Feng Shui is harmony while the practice is placement. In 25 words or less, the art of Feng Shui is about positioning yourself in advantageous alignment with the energies of earth, heaven, and humankind. It would take far more words to explain the intricate and elaborate divinings that lead to a perfect alignment-and the resulting ideal balance in life that is the overall goal. Nevertheless, these divinings, garnered from centuries of Eastern spiritual studies, are being used today by Feng Shui consultants to determine the most harmonious-and therefore healthful and productive-arrangements of our physical environments, both private and public.

      So as you read this in your cubicle or corner office or upper berth on the commuter train, how, you might sensibly ask, can turning your desk 45 degrees to the right or hanging a photograph of a waterfall on the north wall help you achieve Nirvana, not to mention your quota, bottom-line, and promotion? According to the laws of Feng Shui, making even small changes in your environment can result in unblocking and enhancing your chi (energy/cosmic breath).

      You're not into Eastern religions? How about this: would you believe that sitting with your back to the door can evoke a subtle yet constant sense of vulnerability? Or that a small fan moving the leaves of a plant in a windowless room can help eliminate the sense of being stuck in a sensory-deprivation tank?

      Regardless of what paths business owners and managers are taking, there's clearly movement toward the centeredness of all things environmental in the workplace. And with promises of everything from an improved love life to health, wealth, and smarter children, there would seem to be much to gain at very little risk-whether you use one of the many Feng Shui self-help books and videos out there or bring in a full-blown, credentialed FS consultant with an impressive client list and track record.

      One such advisor, Chris Shaul, co-founder, with wife Sophia Tang Shaul, of 168 Feng Shui Advisors, Burbank, Calif., and Senior Instructor at the American Feng Shui Institute, Monterey Park, Calif., has a background in computer systems, and finds "the logical and common sense process of Feng Shui attractive and interesting." As a method of harmonizing our environment and the calculation of time and space, Shaul considers Feng Shui to be "a science that incorporates astronomy, geography, the environment, the magnetic fields, and physics." Since meeting Master Larry Sang (founder of the American Feng Shui Institute) in Hong Kong in 1993, Shaul has studied and taught Traditional Feng Shui and provided readings for corporations, small businesses, and individuals across the U.S. and abroad.

      One of 168 Feng Shui Advisors' clients, David Thomas of Venice, Calif.-whose voice can be heard in TV commercials, cartoons, and King of the Hill, as the rascally Cadillac-Hyundai dealer Lane Pratley-speaks glowingly of the changes in his life. "Within one month, my income from doing the voiceovers doubled, and my nonprofit for disenfranchised kids aged 9 to 18 has really taken off," he says, "and I'm not doing anything different." One FS remedy-which resulted from a walking tour and an hour of exacting mathematical calculations (he emphasizes that, when done correctly, Feng Shui is a science)-involved adding five large boulders to the parking space between his front door and garage, establishing a "mountain element" to redirect the chi near a too-exposed entrance. Toss in a couple of fountains for corrective water elements and a red lamp in the kitchen as a symbolic fire element, and even his friends claim to be reaping the benefits of the altered environment, visiting more often, staying longer, and asking what it is about his place that makes it so great to hang out in.

      Gaining a "greater sense of belonging" to the environment was also stressed by Jeff Kohran of Treemendous Landscape Co., Plainfield, Ill. Changing openings and taking down superfluous walls, he says, greatly improved company communication and teamwork. "We went from 70 percent turnover to 5 percent, with no losses in the past three years." He also attributes their improved bottom line to a company-wide "decluttering project," shedding those long-stored items and papers that require "subconscious maintenance" and steal energy.

TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS OF THE TRADE

      Practitioners use different techniques for implementing the laws of Feng Shui: Ba tzu, which uses the Chinese lunar calendar, and Jyo hsing, which uses nine-star astrology-the oldest known horoscope system, dating back to 4000 BC.

      Fortunately for people not schooled in the ancient traditions, there are some short cuts to determining what steps you can take to achieve balance and harmony. Starting at "Go," you need to consider the direction your building (home or work) faces and the year it was built (space and time). Then you assess yourself according to yin (inclusive, tranquil, magnetic) and yang (active, concentrating, fiery) characteristics, including your physical makeup, occupation, and environmental needs. Next, you determine your Chinese season of birth, birth star number, and lucky stars, to tell you which of the five elements you belong to: water, fire, wood, metal, or earth. Once this is done, you can use various tools to rearrange the furniture of your life to get the most benefit from the spaces you inhabit.

      Black Sect-trained FS consultants typically use the Ba Gua, an octagonal chart that depicts key areas in your life in relation to one another. At work, you would set the bottom of the chart at the entrance to your office or top of your desk to identify and then improve the physical areas that influence your success: (moving clockwise from the top) fame, marriage, children, helpful people, your career, knowledge, family health, and wealth. Both Black Sect and Traditional FS consultants use the Lo Pan Compass for determining your exact alignment in relation to your key directions.

      According to Esme Hecht, co-owner and designer for Lunch at the Ritz Jewelry Manufacturing Company, Black Sect FS is more decorative-with crystals, symbols, and more obvious use of the five element colors-while Traditional FS is more subtle, relying heavily on mathematical calculations for corrections using the five elements. His first Feng Shui consultation-prior to construction of the building-left him and the rest of the company "unsettled," with sales declining. After a year and a half, he knew he had to do something, so he called in Sophia Tang Shaul, who did new calculations and discovered that the departments were not advantageously situated. The sales staff, which had fallen from seven employees to two, was moved to the "money" area, along with Hecht's business partner, Alexis Watts. Hecht, a designer, moved into the creative area. The front two "segments" of the building are no longer used as work centers, and employees forego the "bad energy" employees' entrance and enter instead through a utility entrance in the "prosperity" area. The results? "Who knows," says Hecht, "maybe it's psychological, but the staff is happier, the sales group has expanded, and profits are up."

      One thing is a safe bet: whether you follow the instructions and examples on a how-to Feng Shui video or a path of discovery with a FS consultant leading the way, simply paying more attention to your environment, energy level, and working habits can be a catalyst for changes for the better.

QUICK FIXES FOR FAULTY SPACE

• For a workspace that faces away from the entrance, adjust the desk or table to increase your view of the door or opening. If that's not possible, add a mirror to the wall or use a desk- or computer-mounted convex mirror to give you a view of the entrance when you glance up from your work. A wall mirror will also open the workspace visually and reflect the motions in the space, adding a sense of energy.
• If your office is in a dim or out-of-the-way location, add lighting to the entrance, perhaps in the hall outside your door.
• Plants are right up there with mirrors and lights for enhancing the environment and bringing in good chi, especially if you inhabit an interior space. You can add pictures of nature (and plants, of course) to make you feel less buried in the architecture.
• If your workspace shares a wall with a storage area or restroom, add a fabric wall hanging to create a better boundary.
• If there's clutter in your space, especially near the entrance, sort it out (simply moving it to another spot would be like convincing a mosquito to bite your left arm instead of your right). A real obstruction to the flow of chi-and an energy drainer-clutter is the antithesis of balance and harmony.