How can something as simple as a waiting-room chair affect the outcome of an acupuncture session? How could lighting make someone who is ill feel even worse? What color is best for people in chronic pain?
The Northwest is blessed with many holistic practitioners who give great thought to caring for their clients. But often they work without being conscious of how their surroundings are affecting everyone involved. Sometimes treatment rooms, even waiting rooms, are working against both the practitioner and client, preventing some truly deep healing to be accomplished. This is where Feng Shui comes into the equation. Just as an alternative-care practitioner works with the personal qi (life force, also spelled chi) of each client, Feng Shui works to improve the qi of the healing environment.
Feng Shui is about how our surroundings affect us. We all practice Feng Shui all the time. When we listen to that inner voice, that intuition, that tells us "this is a good place, this feels good," we are practicing Feng Shui. It's a primal instinct that is our heredity. Feng Shui has been practiced for thousands of years, in cultures all over the world. The Chinese have refined their system, through three thousand years of "research and development," into a highly sophisticated method of creating nurturing environments. Over the last few years, there has been an explosion of interest in Feng Shui in the West. Many people have already put Feng Shui into practice in their homes. But it's less known how beautifully it can be used to help doctors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, counselors, and any caregivers to provide a space where some truly profound work can be done.
When you're feeling stressed or ill, your qi is depleted. You need to be able to protect your qi so you don't lose any more energy. When you go to a doctor of any sort, you may already be feeling quite vulnerable and fearful. Usually, you're worried about what's wrong with you. In addition, you may have to take off your clothes, be open to being touched, and you may experience some pain while receiving treatment. Your stress is increased just in anticipation of this. Your first experience as you walk into the waiting room determines how the rest of the visit will go.
What's your first impression as you stand in the doorway? What is the first thing you see? A worn welcome mat? A blank wall? The sharp point of the reception counter? The entry should feel welcoming, like open arms held out to embrace. Artwork, plants, attractive colors, comfortable furniture, and soothing music all help to create a feeling of caring. Seeing that tea or even just drinking water is provided makes people feel nurtured, like their needs are being considered. If you feel cared about the moment you enter a space, you'll immediately begin to relax and trust.
Some practitioners deal more with fearful clients than others do. For instance, massage therapists usually have clients who look forward to their treatments, but acupuncturists or chiropractors sometimes have to work to counteract their clients' fears. They can use the waiting room to their benefit. In Feng Shui, the "water" element (one of eight used in the practice) helps to counteract fear. You may notice aquariums in more dentists' and pediatricians' offices these days. This is because the water helps eliminate fear. And just the distraction of watching the fish undulate in the water reduces tension!
Lillian Garnier is an internationally renowned Feng Shui educator and professor of Oriental Medicine who specializes in healthcare facilities. She tells the story of one acupuncturist who had moved into a new space and noticed that his clients were unpleasant, tense, and afraid of the needles. The waiting room was filled with hard, uncomfortable chairs and one large, soft couch. When he commented that the few nice patients tended to sit on the couch, he may have had it backwards. It was probable that the hard chairs made his clients more tense and anxious, while the couch allowed the others to relax and feel calm. Indeed, when the waiting room was refurnished with comfortable easy chairs, the problems disappeared.
Another practitioner dealt with people with chronic pain and limited mobility. Her waiting room was crammed with small tables and potted plants. The lighting was so overly bright that it made even the staff squint. She complained that her patients consistently had negative attitudes, even before their sessions began. But the space wasn't designed with their needs in mind, and that impacted their entire experience in the clinic. The crowd of tables and plants made it very difficult for them to navigate, and the room was too bright for their condition. People with limited mobility need more space, not less, and people dealing with chronic pain need dimmer light, a softer, more comforting environment. When half the tables and plants were removed, the windows curtained, and the room painted soft earth colors appropriate for people dealing with pain, her relationship with her patients did a complete turnaround. They felt cared for, nurtured, and began to respond to treatment.
When you're in a depleted state, first and foremost, you need to protect the qi you do have left. It's important to have no surprises to create stress, causing the qi to scatter. So many treatment rooms don't allow you to protect your own qi. Any time you're seated or lying so you cannot see the door, you become tense. This inhibits your reaction to the treatment, hindering the depth of work that could be possible if you were given an opportunity to begin to relax and release beforehand.
The best placement for an examination table is out of direct line with the doorway, and arranged so that you can see your practitioner come in. If you'll be lying flat for treatment, you could have pillows under your head until the doctor comes in. That way, your head is propped up enough for you to view the door, and the pillows can be removed when treatment begins.
Another essential aspect of healing work is being aware of the energetic residue left behind by people who've been treated in a space. People release and clear deep issues during treatment. However, that energy lingers, in the treatment table, in the examination room, and around the practitioner. Over time, the room becomes full of "stuck energy." It drastically affects the quality of healing that can be accomplished in the space, and often, as caregivers absorb and carry the energies released by their clients, they end up quite depleted and less able to do deeper work.
A full space clearing by a qualified practitioner can be a very effective way to release stagnant energy and return the environment to an energetically clean space. However, some simple space clearing techniques, used on a frequent basis, can have a dramatic effect. An ancient Chinese method to clear a space is to use a citrus solvent: Take nine citrus fruit of any kind, and cut them in half. Place them in a pot and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for one hour. Squeeze all the juice out and throw the rinds away. The leftover acidic substance has essential oils and is a powerful clearing agent, especially for dark emotions like anger and depression. Use it to wipe down surfaces, or just as air therapy. Health-food stores also have readymade citrus cleansers and sprays for the air.
The three most important aspects of Feng Shui are to protect, nurture, and enhance our qi. The next time you visit a healthcare practitioner, really take a look around the place. Consider what the surroundings are "saying" to you. Try to sense the qi and how it makes you feel. If you are a practitioner, go on a "qi walk" through your space as though you've never been there before. Look at what you see, and consider how it may be affecting your clients' needs. Feel how the energy flows; use your body as your own qi monitor. Does it move too fast in some spots, too slowly in others? Are there areas that feel stagnant and stuck? If it feels wrong to you, it will feel that way to others, too. In order to do powerful work, practitioners have to first be as healthy as they can be. If you create an environment that heals yourself first, it will attract people who know you can heal them.
Feng Shui is a wonderful tool for supporting and enhancing the important work healthcare practitioners perform. As we take a more holistic approach to health, we must also expand our view to include not only our physical bodies, but also our surroundings. We don't end at our skin. As Kahlil Gibran said, "Your house is your larger body." As we understand more and more how everything is connected, Feng Shui makes perfect sense.
Jean Haner of MainStream Feng Shui has been involved with Feng Shui for twenty years. One of only 12 practitioners in the U.S. certified in space clearing by Karen Kingston, Jean is also director of The Lotus Institute, which offers classes in Feng Shui, Chinese facial diagnosis, and personal and environmental clearing. She her at (206) 522-7997, or e-mail <
