Ideal feng shui for an acupuncture treatment room

As more and more of us start welcoming patients into our stripped back Covid safe treatment rooms, we asked architect and feng shui expert Howard Choy for some advice on how to arrange a clutter free space that encourages healing…

Howard Choy

Principal: European College of Feng Shui

The ultimate aim of good feng shui (FS) is to gather the sheng qi (qi that nourishes life) of a living space, so there is qing (love and affection), for the Chinese believed that when there is love and affection, everything is possible, including wealth and health.

With this in mind, the general principle underlying the design and layout of a treatment room is to gather the sheng qi of whatever room that you have to work with. And since a room always has a door to get in, let's start with the door.

The sheng qi corner of a room is usually located diagonally across from the opening side of a door, for it is the most balanced space from a yin/yang perspective – it is neither too active, like next to the opening of a door, or too passive that it is hidden from view 〉 illustrations 01 and 02 Since the most important piece of furniture in a treatment room is the treatment table, we should place it within the assembled qi corner 〉 illustrations 03 and 04

Where the treatment table would finally end up is influenced by the location of the window(s) in a room. FS recommends that the head of a patient should not be directly underneath or behind a window, to avoid glare and an exposed feeling, plus to avoid catching a chill, since it is always good practice to keep the window slightly open to have some cross ventilation; it is better if the head is against a solid wall instead, to make the person feel safe and secure 〉 illustrations 05A to D

After the treatment table is located, then we can look for a place for a small consultation table and chairs, rather than a couch. Generally speaking, a couch is too intimate for a healer/patient relationship, and the ‘furry’ material used is often too difficult to clean.

A polished wooden table and chairs that can be folded away is better for hygiene and it would avoid giving the room a sterile feeling if polished metal is used. FS would recommend the use of organic materials, like natural wood and wool, rather than artificial material like plastic or a synthetic fabric for covering. A foldaway table and chairs can make the room feel less crammed, especially when space is at a premium.

The best place for talking would be to place the table next to a window, sitting across from each other, with the light coming from one direction, to make the face come alive. If that is not possible, then it is best not to be too close to the opening side of a door, as the movements of going in and out, of even a feeling of movements of going in and out of the room, would disturb the conversations. But it can be behind the swing of the door if there is enough room. Another option would be to place the table in a corner and sit perpendicular to each other.

Generally speaking, sitting perpendicular to each other is better for communication than sitting across from each other, as the table would become like a barrier and makes the conversation feel more confronting, face to face.

The next consideration would be where to place a sink and a small storage cupboard, both these items can be located in an out-of-the-way place in the room, since they are utility objects used only by the healer. They can be close to the door or to a corner, out of the qi flow of the room.

With more strict requirements since Covid-19, the use of natural and organic materials for furnishings becomes more crucial to make the treatment room feel less sterile.

The requirement to remove anything that is not cleanable in a treatment room is actually a good thing from a FS perspective, it goes with the Chinese preference for ‘wuwei’ (effortless action); there is no need to put things in a treatment room that you don't need