Health Tourism Magazine

Feng Shui:Promoting Well-being in Healthcare Facilities

Imagine that you are a patient anxiously on your way to an appointment with a new doctor. There are a number of confusing turns in the directions and the street address numbers are difficult to read. You get lost while trying to locate the building. You are running a little late now when you finally park, but cannot easily locate the front entrance. Once you walk inside the lobby, the ceiling is low and the gray decor is oppressive. The lack of proper signage and directions require you to walk through some maze-like hallways until you finally find the office.Stepping through the door into the reception area, you nearly bump your leg on a chair and trip. The reception desk is immediately in front of you.

You apologize for being late and notice that the florescent lighting is flickering and you feel a headache coming on. The receptionist is snippy and tells you to wait until you are called. You sit down in an uncomfortable chair in a crowded waiting room with a television broadcasting the news of the day as you wait to meet your new doctor.You've just experienced a very stressful episode that will color how you feel about your doctor, your treatment and healing process. You've experienced "poor" Feng Shui and, unfortunately, it's more common than you realize.

Why Should You Care?

Feng Shui affects you every moment of your life, whether you realize it or not. It's also affecting your patients, clients and your staff. The Feng Shui of the office impacts the quality of people's experience in those places.The principles of Feng Shui state that you are always under the influence of universal life force energies, or chi. The Chinese describe energies as being yin (passive) or yang (active). For harmony to exist, and therefore, health and well-being, chi needs to be in balance. Negative chi, or energy that is out of balance, contributes to stress, depression, and illness. Negative chi can affect you consciously - such as the stress of being in a traffic jam on the way home from work - or subconsciously - such as the stress you will experience as you sit with your back to the door. This form of subconscious stress grows and accumulates throughout your day.

A poorly laid out office plan with sharp angles, a darkly lit entrance to your office, and items piled up in your foyer will add stress subconsciously and, with repeated exposure, can lead to depression and illness.The World Health Organization cites stress as a global epidemic. "Chronic . . . (stress) is potentially very destructive and can deprive people of physical and mental health, and at times, even of life itself," wrote Cyralene P. Bryce in Stress Management in Disasters (Pan American Organization).According to the International Feng Shui Guild: "Feng Shui seeks to reduce stress in the environment by designing spaces that prioritize the health of humans and our absolute need for nature and balance."

What is Feng Shui

For thousands of years, people lived in harmony with their environment. Feng Shui, along with other indigenous philosophies around the world, was practiced as both a science and an art and enriched the lives of the people.Just as with traditional Chinese medicine, Feng Shui uses the natural movement of chi, the polarities of yin and yang, and the five Chinese elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water); to create a more holistic space that nurtures physical and psychological health and well-being.Some principles of Feng Shui are being tested and validated by modern environmental psychology. Both disciplines focus on the relationship between humans and their natural and manmade surroundings.

The focus on nature is very important, as many studies have shown that a connection to nature is a major component of well-being.A 1984 study (Ulrich) with patients recovering from surgery were shown to have significantly less pain killers, shorter hospital stays, and improved emotional disposition. The only difference between the two test groups were window views from their hospital room: views of nature versus a brick wall.Many scientific studies have shown that stress suppresses normal immune system functioning, impeding resistance to infections and the worsening of other healing indicators such as wound healing.Feng Shui as a part of design helps to mitigate patient stress and therefore improves recovery and well-being.So even though we spend, on average, 90% of our time indoors, we can still find ways that will help balance us, through integration of nature and Feng Shui principles.

How Does Your Office Stack Up?

Basic Guidelines

Environments should allow a gentle flow of chi to nourish and energize the space. Design should maintain a balance of yin and yang: hard and soft, bright and dark, textured and smooth, patterns and plain. Incorporate a balance of the five Chinese elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water-this can be accomplished through the use of color, shapes, materials, patterns and textures (see chart).As there are no straight lines in nature, Feng Shui promotes the use of curves, as they make us feel more comfortable.� The color schemes used in our interior spaces are most comfortable when they mimic the natural environment: darker floors echo the forest floor, medium colors for walls mimic buildings and distant landscapes, and light-colored ceilings represent the sky.

The Approach to Your Office

As opposed to the opening scenario, you will want your clients to have a direct and easy experience in finding your office. This all comes down to locating your office in a proper building. Ask yourself, when entering the lobby, do you feel welcomed; are hallways well lit and spacious; is it easy to locate your office?When scouting out a new location, be sure that you and your staff can easily locate the space. You might consider hiring a certified Feng Shui practitioner to be sure the space you select has proper Feng Shui (see Resources).Be sure that there is proper signage to help your patients locate your office. This may seem rudimentary, but there are occasions where businesses change their name and forget to change their name in the directory.

The Entry

The office door should be well-marked with the name of practice. The door should open easily, but with some resistance so that it doesn't fly open. Upon opening the door, be sure there are no obstacles-including chairs or coat stands-that may cause your clients to pause or awkwardly step around. Many times, doors are hung improperly and open onto a wall, rather than the full view of the room. You can re-hang the door or add a mirror to a wall to open up the view of the room.

The Waiting area

The color of walls should be soft earth tones, yellows, greens or blues, which all promote a calming effect. Use background lighting such as up lights to soften the room. Overhead lighting should be full-spectrum lighting, which is close to natural daylight and provides sufficient lighting for all tasks.Carpeting works well to absorb sounds. Seating should be comfortable, well-spaced and have their backs to the wall, rather than the doorways, which can make clients feel exposed and vulnerable. Avoid televisions in this space. If necessary to have one, do not broadcast news, which adds to stress.According to several environmental studies, views of nature significantly reduce stress. If windows aren't available, images of natural landscapes and gardens, versus abstract paintings, work well. In addition, plants and trees add vitality to the space. Be sure that plants are well-cared for and maintained. Other natural elements, such as water and rocks are also good additions to this space.

Treatment area

Consult the Waiting area for guidance. In addition, wood flooring versus linoleum gives more warmth and vitality to this space.

Offices

Position desks to "command position", a position where you can clearly see the doorway to the room and you are not directly in-line with the door.

The head doctor's office should be furthest from the front entry allowing the command position and giving appropriate power and authority to this position.Position desks away from electrical machines such fax machines, credit card machines and printers as they emit electromagnetic fields and can drain energy and lead to illness of staff members.

Feng Shui around the World

Many healthcare facilities and spas have integrated Feng Shui into their green design.The Hotel Inter-Continental Hong Kong, formerly known as The Regent Hong Kong's Spa, is now Hong Kong's first spa incorporating the ancient Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui to create balance and well-being in one's life and environment. This spa facility incorporated Feng Shui design into their reception and treatment rooms to instill a sense of peace and harmony.Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield, Michigan, opened in 2008 and incorporated both LEED design and Feng Shui principles. Its use of nature and curves throughout the floor plan provide a wonderful space for healing and rejuvenation.

In San Francisco, the 48,000-square-foot Mount Zion Medical Office Building is a five-story project being built with Feng Shui and LEED design principles. Intended to accommodate the needs of outpatient services, this building will work with the University of California at San Francisco Mount Zion Hospital campus. Feng Shui was incorporated into the exterior design of the building, as well as the placement of interior spaces. In addition, the building has a green roof with a Japanese Zen Garden to aid in healing and rejuvenation.In the U.K., The Department of Health has given approval to hospitals to use taxpayer money to utilize Feng Shui design to improve the quality of the environment, to create a more "soothing atmosphere."Managers are encouraged to install fish tanks, paint walls calming colors, and use the principles of Feng Shui to arrange the interiors. Many hospitals, including surgery rooms, have implemented these principles.

References:

Ulrich, R.S., 1984. "View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery." Science 224:420-421.

About the Author

Maureen K. Calamia is founder of Luminous Spaces, a Feng Shui consulting firm based in New York. From simple recommendations, to renovation and building projects, Maureen works with her clients to create spaces that promote physical and psychological health. Incorporating nature into the built environment, Maureen provides guidance on the use of directions, layout, the five Chinese elements, objects, colors, materials, shapes and textures. Through the ancient principles of Feng Shui, Maureen restores balance and harmony.

How an environment feels is just as important as how it looks. Maureen uses concepts of environmental psychology and biophilia in her designs to inspire balance and joy by re-establishing a connection to the nature. She teaches at the Metropolitan Institute of Design, is a writer and an energetic and passionate workshop leader. Maureen may be contacted at maureen@luminous-spaces.com