Turning your life around - the Feng Shui way
Feng Shui can make the difference between an ordinary existence and a joyful one, writes Pankaja Srinivasan

Scepticism
To a lot of the sceptics out there, this may sound far-fetched, if not downright ridiculous. But there are people in hundreds who swear by the efficacy of Feng Shui (pronounced Foo Shway), meaning wind and water.

"Feng Shui is much misunderstood," says Feng Shui expert Mini Rajiv, who prefers to be called Gurusarana.

"But the fact that it has lasted 3,000 years of scepticism, disbelief and ridicule says something, doesn't it?" she asks. An increasing number of corporate houses are consulting Feng Shui experts before they do up their offices. "Usually the top man's particulars are taken into consideration before changes are carried out," explains Gurusarana who adds that this should take care of the well being of the entire company.

Clearing one of the most common misconceptions, Gurusarana says, "It is not always about breaking down walls and demolishing buildings. Sometimes just a simple thing like the changing the position of a desk, or moving the beds elsewhere that can make a change. It is all about the flow of positive energy," she says.

Or it could be about repainting a room to another colour or adding a water body to it that could make all the difference between good and bad. It is not always a drastic measure.

Method
Neither is it just about hanging chimes and keeping aquariums and laughing Buddhas. There is a method, science and specific technique to each problem One of Gurusarana's clients, M.T Williams, a house owner, was surprised at the change Feng Shui brought about to his house. "I own a house that is 15 years old. It is big, well located, and should have returned me good rent. But it didn't. It lay locked up most of the time or if at all someone lived there, it would be just for a couple of months before they left. I was very unhappy." .

Bright and inviting
William decided to take the help of Feng Shui and he still can't believe the changes it has brought about.

"My consultant recommended a few changes like putting up a few screens, rearranging some effects and including some Feng Shui objects in the house. I followed the advice. Almost immediately I found a good tenant." William recently revisited his home and he says, "It looked so bright and inviting, I couldn't believe it was the same old house I used to be so reluctant to visit."

Cost
So how much does it cost to have Feng Shui? "If you had to break something, rebuild it and then add something to enhance it, it would cost a lot. Just by adding something to an already existing room to enhance the energy levels, will definitely cost only a fraction of that," says Gurusarana.

Feng Shui consultants usually charge per square foot. Of course, the expense varies depending on the client's requirements.

Once upon a time, Feng Shui was the preserve of the royal dynasties of China and a closely guarded secret, and the common man was denied its advantages. Not any more.

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