Guide · At work
Desk Feng Shui by Kua Number
Updated
If the bed is where Eight Mansions feng shui looks after your health, the desk is where it looks after your work. The rule is simple: face a good direction, keep a wall behind you, and see the door. Here is how to apply it, including in a small flat where the desk shares a room with everything else.
On this page 5 sections
Desk directions for every Kua Number
For a desk, "direction" means the way you face when you are seated and working, looking toward your screen. This is the opposite of the bed, where the direction is where your head points. Sheng Qi (生氣, vitality and success) is the classic desk direction. Fu Wei (伏位, stability) suits study and focused work. Yan Nian (延年, relationships) suits roles built on people. Avoid facing Jue Ming (絕命). Find your number with the calculator; if you got 5, see Kua 5.
| Kua | Group | Success (Sheng Qi) | Focus (Fu Wei) | People (Yan Nian) | Avoid (Jue Ming) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kua 1 | East | Southeast | North | South | Southwest |
| Kua 2 | West | Northeast | Southwest | Northwest | North |
| Kua 3 | East | South | East | Southeast | West |
| Kua 4 | East | North | Southeast | East | Northeast |
| Kua 6 | West | West | Northwest | Southwest | South |
| Kua 7 | West | Northwest | West | Northeast | East |
| Kua 8 | West | Southwest | Northeast | West | Southeast |
| Kua 9 | East | East | South | North | Northwest |
Your fourth good direction, Tian Yi (天醫, health), is also fine for a desk. It is usually saved for the bed; see bedroom feng shui by Kua.
Which good direction to use
- Sheng Qi if you are building something: a business, a promotion, sales targets, a portfolio. It is the "active" direction and the default for most desks.
- Fu Wei for students, writers, coders and anyone whose work rewards long, quiet concentration. It is also a good choice when work feels chaotic and you want steadiness more than growth.
- Yan Nian if your day is mostly calls, meetings, client work or managing a team.
To measure, sit in your chair facing the screen and hold a phone compass flat in front of you, away from the laptop, monitor and metal desk legs. Each direction spans 45 degrees, so North runs from 337.5° to 22.5°.
The commanding position comes first
Almost every school of feng shui agrees on the commanding position, and many teachers put it ahead of the compass. Check these before chasing a direction:
- A solid wall behind your back. Sitting with your back to a door, a walkway or a large window is traditionally unsettling: you can't see what is coming. A tall bookcase or a high-backed chair gives "support" if there is no wall.
- The door in view. You should be able to see the door without turning your head far.
- Not in line with the door. Sitting directly opposite the door, so you are the first thing anyone walking in faces, puts you in the path of rushing qi. Shift the desk diagonally to one side.
- Not facing a wall at close range if you can help it. A blank wall right in front of the screen is read as "blocked" progress. If it can't be avoided, a picture of open landscape or a pinboard of goals softens it.
- No beam overhead. A beam or heavy shelf directly over your chair is traditionally oppressive.
Setting up a work-from-home corner
Most homes in Singapore and the region were not designed with a study. Common setups, and how to handle each:
- Desk in the bedroom. Very common in HDB flats and condos. Keep it out of sight of the bed if you can, or at least put the laptop away at night, so the room still reads as a place for rest. Avoid facing the bed while you work.
- Dining table as desk. Choose the seat that faces one of your good directions and has a wall or cabinet behind it. Clear work away for meals so the table keeps both roles.
- A corner of the living room. Use a rug, a shelf or a plant to mark the work zone. A corner position often gives you a wall behind and the door in view at the same time.
- Two people sharing a room. Put the desks side by side or at an angle rather than directly facing each other, which is traditionally read as confrontation. Each person can then face their own direction.
Keep the desk itself clear, with good light from the side rather than behind the screen. A small plant on the left side of the desk is a common touch, linked to the Green Dragon (青龍) in landform feng shui; keep taller, heavier things to the right.
When you can't move the desk
Offices and small rooms often fix the desk position. Work in this order: get support behind you first, then make sure you are not facing Jue Ming, then aim for any good direction. Practical fixes:
- Back to the door? A small mirror or a reflective monitor stand that lets you see the door behind you is the classic cure.
- Wrong direction? Angle your chair and screen a little. Even 20 or 30 degrees can move you into a neighbouring direction.
- Open-plan office? A high-backed chair, and a plant or divider behind you, give some of the support of a wall.
The same personal directions work for the front door of your home; see front door feng shui by Kua. For small-flat layouts, see feng shui for an HDB flat.
Kua directions come from the Eight Mansions school. They are a gentle guide for arranging your space, not a promise of career success. Good lighting, a comfortable chair and a screen at eye level matter too.
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