The Mycenaean

Two months ago, as I followed my everyday routine of walking from the senior parking lot to the Newspaper classroom, I felt a certain disturbance in my soul. It a was strange feeling that I could not describe, and I had no idea where it was coming from. Still, I continued down the long hallway to my classroom only to find the something most unsettling. All the chairs were facing in a circle!

“What is this?!” I exclaimed to a rather perplexed Will Bennet, a senior also in Newspaper. He shook his head, eyes down, and said, “I don’t know. I just… don’t know.” We stared in wonderment, curious what to do next, when our teacher, Mr. Broer, came to our rescue. “The feng shui in this room… it’s so different now!” he cried.

Feng shui? I did not know of such a thing, but obviously Broer did.

Feng Shui is one of the most ancient Chinese concepts that is still practiced by many today. It is the practice of harmonization between a space (a room) and the spiritual forces that dwell there. The concept focuses on positioning of buildings and objects within those buildings. It is used as a means to create and maintain health and happiness.

My enlightenment of feng shui suddenly helped me to realize many things. Before the circular formation of chairs, the newspaper room never brought me any happiness, in fact, the class had been my lowest grade. A lack of harmonization between the newspaper room, and its spiritual essence must have been the cause, for I was not the only person who had struggled here. The energy that flowed through the room was throwing off our qi!

Qi (pronounced “chee”) is the vital energy or life force that thrives in each and every living organism. Feng shui is based on the balance of qi,and its interaction with many Chinese forces, such as the five elements (wood, fire, earth, water and metal) and yin and yang. This life force may rise and fall, affecting health, wealth, stamina, luck, etc.

According to Feng Shui Crazy, seating arrangements should be positioned in a circular or octagonal shape, letting energy circulate through a room more easily. At the very least, chairs should be facing the door. These chair rules are very important in the school environment where there are many people and a lot of energy in a single room. This is also a very easy fix to any classroom.

A no-no of feng shui is having metal-based objects as the central point of room, especially in a living room. Here at school, classrooms can easily follow this rule by making the whiteboard the focal object, instead of the TV or computer screens.

Upon further research into qi and feng shui, I became curious whether or not my classes followed this ancient Chinese concept. Maybe a harmonious consideration in the furniture placement in other classrooms would help my grade.

Following the correct chair arrangements, for example, is my English class. For about three-fourths of the semester, my seat, along with half of the class, had its back toward the door. During this period of backed up qi, my studies were very difficult, and I struggled to finish assignments on time. Since the teacher changed the desks to all face forward, my grade has risen and the stress level has decreased. The energy of the room flows much more nicely now.

I believe that other staff and students can benefit from the affects of feng shui. By rearranging classrooms, even a little, to conform to the concept

There are an enumerable amount of guidelines to follow when it comes to feng shui– too many to be able to discuss them all. I suggest students and teacher at least try out the concept in their classrooms, or even at home. It could very well improve students’ concentration or lessen the stress that comes with educating and grading.