Feng Shui in the new Acupuncture clinic: Way-finding

We are finally nearly settled in the new clinic. It has been quite a process. I have had many chances to think about the balance between work and home, and the balance between health and work, and lots about Feng Shui.

One of the topics that I recently heard about at a community meeting, regarding the revitalization of the neighborhood of my clinic, was the concept of ‘way-finding’. I had never thought about this before, but it makes sense. People need to have signals and signs that help them find their way in new and unfamiliar environments. This is, of course, part of Feng Shui.

As we introduce patients to the new clinic we are giving them tours, so they can find the restrooms, see my office and the other treatment rooms, and show them where to check out as they leave. We are lighting the public areas with  incandescent lamps in order to warm the place and make it inviting, and using light to lead people down the hall to their treatment rooms. I have found a nice set of house numbers to label each treatment room, and this also assists people in finding their destination. We have placed signs on the restrooms and keep a small light lit in each one to make it easier for patients to see where they are going.

One of the interesting way-finding problems I encountered was this: my patients were coming over to ‘my side’ of the treatment table to climb onto it. In that process, they were putting glasses, jewelry, purses, and phones on my work surface which houses my instruments. In addition, they were putting their shoes in my way, as I scoot around on my wheelie stool all day.

I did not even know I had this issue of  ‘my space’ and ‘patient space’ until this happened. In my old clinic, I guess things were laid out so that was taken care of in some way. But here, the rooms are smaller, people are getting used to the new place, and they are having trouble figuring out where to go. Way-finding was surely the issue here.

I considered this for some time, and decided that a few simple tools would help. We could use the Feng Shui ‘Ba Gua’ map of the room to assist them. In this map, the area to the right as you walk through the door is correlated with community and helpful friends. So, I realized that is the place to put hooks for them to hang their clothes. We put a little shelf there for glasses, jewelry, phones, and keys, and a spot for shoes and handbags. They can still put their clothes on the chair if they like, but having a designated area will resolve the confusion they are feeling about what is their space.

We also moved the treatment tables so there is a small opening into the area that is my work area. The table is angled in the room, and the corner of it is only about 18 inches from my counter. That opening is so small that people don’t naturally want to go through it. They will prefer to go to the side of the table that is open and easy to reach, and will climb up from there.

And by having them have their space, my feelings about them in my space will be better. They will get onto the treatment table from ‘their side’, and I can work, undisturbed, on ‘my side’.

My work space in the treatment room is across from the door, the area corresponding to reputation, and to the left in the corner, which corresponds to abundance. So, the abundance corner would be at your left hand in the far corner across from you as you stand in the doorway facing into the room. I think that is the best location for me in the room and as I earn my living there.

So, we have improved ‘way-finding’ for patients, helped them even find their way in the tiny treatment rooms, and helped me have a clear designation for my space and their space. This has alleviated my discomfort greatly, and has further improved the patients’ responses to the new space by making it comfortable and inviting for them.

Even without knowing much about the Ba Gua map from Feng Shui and the significance of the parts of the room, you can look at the flow of people, pets, and therefore energy in your space. Look for obstructions and awkward movement problems, sometimes a few small changes can improve things a lot, and therefore improve your feelings and your health.