As an entrepreneur, there are some absolute must-haves for your office space. Things like an adjustable height chair and a sturdy desk. Then there are things that aren’t critical, but certainly do make your office space more conducive to producing your best work.
Feng Shui is a Chinese philosophy that deals with the flow of energy in the universe. According to feng shui, certain plants can help to improve the flow of energy in a room and act as activators and energizers. Let’s take a look at lucky plants for office desks and introduce some auspicious energy into your office.
Understanding The Flow of Chi
Universal life force or Chi moves through spaces like wind or water, gently meandering and flowing sinuously through a space. It is about harmony, balance of yin and yang, cleanliness and order.
9 Sectors in Feng Shui
In feng shui, a space is divided into 9 equal sectors, according to the 8 compass directions and a center sector. So these would be South East, South, South West, East, Center, West, North East, North and North West.
You can apply the chart to your whole house or business, which is the Big Tai Chi, but also to individual rooms – and you can zoom in further and apply it to your desk – small Tai Chi.To do so accurately, you do require a compass.
The Five Elements in Feng Shui
There are Five Elements that feature in feng shui, as follows:
- Air
- Earth
- Fire
- Water
- Metal
Each sector is governed by an element.
- Wood governs the South East
- Fire governs the South
- The South West is an Earth sector
- Wood also governs the East
- The Center is an Earth sector
- Metal governs the West
- Earth governs the North East sector
- Water is the element of the North sector
- Metal governs the North West
The East Sector in Feng Shui
The East Sector governs health and wealth luck. It is the area of growth chi and is associated with your career path. And the element associated with the East sector is wood. According to Feng Shui expert Lillian Too, wood symbolizes growth and expansion. Its energy is dynamic, spreading upwards and outwards – shooting out many branches in all directions.
What are the Benefits of Having Lucky Plants for Office Desks?
Activating the East sector with lucky plants for office desks is said to bring good health, longevity and the accumulation of assets. Plants bring life to the home and office and they help to keep the air fresh.
NASA Weighs In
Dr. Bill Wolverton, an Environmental Scientist working with NASA discovered that some plants are useful for extracting harmful substances from the atmosphere. Including common pollutants like ammonia, formaldehyde and benzene. This was part of an investigation into how to create a breathable environment for a NASA lunar habitat. He later published a book: How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Office
Get the balance right
A few plants positioned in the most auspicious sectors are all you need. 2-3 plants are ideal, depending on the size of your space. The effect you are going for is a light, airy environment accentuated with a few healthy, vibrant plants.
NOT that of a long lost civilization emerging from Amazonian forests.
What to Consider When Choosing Lucky Plants for Office Desks?
Choose young, vibrant plants with lots of visible new growth. Plants with broad leaves are excellent choices for accumulating wealth chi.
Size is also a factor. Remember we are trying to achieve harmony and balance, so a plant that is the right size for the environment. Not too big so that it creates an overpowering effect, and not so small that it is ineffective.
Which Plants to Avoid?
- Old, withered plants
- Plants with yellowing leaves
- Diseased plants are a definite no no
- Any plants with an insect / parasite infestation
- Sharp, pointy plants like Holly and Cacti
Our Top Choices: Lucky Plants for Office Desks
The Money Plant
Crassula Ovata, also known as ‘The Money Plant‘ features round succulent leaves which represent the metal element. It’s best to place these plants in the corresponding sector, which would be the west and the north west sectors.
Pilea Peperomioides
This is my personal favorite and I have one perched on a shelf in the east sector of my office. It is a great choice when it comes to lucky plants for office desks. With its gorgeous round leaves that are coin shaped and symbolic of money, they are also really attractive plants and bring a tranquil green energy to your desk.
Pilea plants are symbolic of good fortune, abundance, wealth and prosperity. Take care of them properly ensuring that they get enough light, but no direct sunlight. They prefer light moisture, so be sure to allow the soil to dry before watering again.
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky Bamboo or Dracaena sanderiana, is a completely different plant to regular bamboo or Bambusa Vulgaris. It is said to bring peace, luck, fame and wealth.
Delicious Monster
The Delicious Monster or Monstera Deliciosa, also known as the Cheese Plant or Split Leaf Philodendron, is another incredibly attractive plant. It does well indoors and brings some great energy to an office – especially when placed in the east sector. Bonus features – they are generally low maintenance and easy to grow. They do grow faster in bright light and prefer to dry out between waterings.
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily or Spathiphyllum is an attractive, low maintenence plant with gorgeous glossy leaves and elegant white flowers. And it checks all the boxes when it comes to lucky plants for office desks.
Bonus features: It is well known for its air-purifying abilities – breaking down and neutralizing gasses like carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. And it tells you when it’s thirsty, with its telltale droop.Once watered, it perks right up again.
The Peace Lily symbolizes harmony and happiness and would be a great addition to your desk.
Mother In Law’s Tongue
While it is better to choose broad leafed round foliage, it is about balance. You can introduce a little yang energy in the form of the Snake Plant, also humorously referred to as ‘Mother In Laws Tongue’. It is said to bring positive energy to the space as well as removing toxins from the air and reducing stress.
Activate the South East Sector for Prosperity Luck
The South East sector governs Prosperity Luck – and it signifies income and prosperity. Its element is also wood. To increase and attract earnings and earning potential, feng shui dictates that you should activate and energize this sector with a blooming plant. This is symbolic of your plans coming to fruition.
An orchid is a fabulous option to consider, and a violet orchid is considered especially auspicious and activating.
Bulbs are also considered great feng shui activators in the east sector – symbolizing potential and growth. These include plants like tulips, narcissus, crocus and hyacinth.
Plants That Clean The Air
The Rubber Plant
The Rubber Plant or Ficus Robusta is especially auspicious and it also cleans the air. Remember to gently wipe its broad leaves regularly.
Other plants that perform double duty as air purifiers include:
- Dumb cane (Dieffenbachia Exotictum pictum)
- Lady Palm (Rhapisexcelsa)
- Dracaena Deremensis
- Dwarf Banana (Musa Cavendishii)
- Ivy Hedera Helix
- Heart Leaf Philodendron
- Croton (Codiaeum variegatum pictum)
- Golden Pothos (Epiprenum aureum)
- Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata Bostoniensis)
- Ficus alii
Picture Perfect
When it comes to choosing lucky plants for office desks, living plants are ,without a doubt, your best choice. But if you are utterly horrible at keeping plants alive, all is not lost.
Pictures of flowers and plants or silk flowers are still acceptable and symbolise growth. But they need to be clean and attractive and kept free of dust and grime.
Dried flowers however, are not acceptable as they represent dead, stagnant energy.
Small Changes
Small changes can have a big impact. By following feng shui principles, you can create a space that is conducive to good business.
Outsourcing your admin tasks to a skilled virtual assistant is another small change that can have an incredibly positive impact on you and your business. You’ll find you’ll have more time to focus on the tasks that will grow your business and you’ll spend less time stressing about the tasks you have been neglecting.
Book a discovery call with MYVA360 today. We’ll talk you through all the ways in which we can free up your time.
