michael rullo, a thirty-something calgarian of italian heritage believes in the principle of kaizen, a Japanese strategy for continuous improvement, applying it not only to his personal life, but also his professional one. He is the owner of Precision Homes, a company specializing in home design and the consultative process of building unique customized homes, primarily located in the trendy area of Altadore. He believes that all aspects of design are influenced by cultural practices.

“Being in the business of design, you can’t solely isolate one element of a culture to be unique unto itself anymore. I’ve been in European castles built in North America, that use feng shui as its guide in design. I’ve been to boutiques in Italy where the designer uses the principle of ‘less is more,’ and the store looks barren, again a principle of feng shui. Clean lines, clutter-free space, proper flow, woodwork, water features, iron work, painting and spatial arrangement is feng shui at its best,” said Rullo.

From his clients’ perspective, Rullo said cultural practices are easily adopted, simply because designs guided by cultural influences look better and make sense to the overall design of a home. Anyone can apply feng shui to their lives to bring additional wealth, health and prosperity into their homes.

He also practices what he preaches. A feng shui master assisted Rullo in creating a floor plan that abides by guiding principles. He has put loonies in all four corners of the foundation for good luck during construction and installed a waterfall in the entry way, stimulating the senses each time someone enters the home. He has ensured all of his rooms are free of shakras or negative energy. Earth elements are utilized throughout the home, including wood, metal and stone. His bed was placed strategically to give him the most restful sleep possible — a key element to good health.

Though feng shui is scientific in nature, its practical applications are considered timeless to those adhering to its guiding principles. According to Ellen Whitehurst, author of Make this your Lucky Day; Fun and Easy Feng Shui Secrets to Success, Romance, Health, and Harmony, feng shui creates and constitutes harmonious relationships between your interior self and your exterior atmosphere. This harmonic ordering of space can influence every area of your life, while contributing to happiness, wealth and good health.

Defining wealth is subjective. For one, it could translate into a monetary affluence. To another, it might mean being surrounded by loving family and friends who accept conditionally and without judgment. However wealth is defined, one commonality is always present; wealth is about the energy of abundance. Receptiveness and gratitude, according to the laws of attraction, make wealth happen. According to feng shui practitioners, the area of wealth is located in the far back left-hand corner of your home, bedroom or office and is associated with the colour purple.

There are many simple things a novice feng shui practitioner can do to attract prosperity into their home; try placing a basket of fresh fruit (lemons, limes and oranges work well) or a purple orchid on the table in the kitchen or dining room.

Moving water is an excellent way to conduct a flow of energy or a flow of abundance straight into your home. According to Rullo, neither the cost nor the size of the water feature matters. If the water feature is inside, it is pivotal to ensure the direction of the water flows into the home, otherwise potential opportunity and wealth, quite literally, flows out the door. Bamboo sticks strategically placed in the wealth corner of the home also attracts prosperity.

All the money in the world means nothing if good health is in peril. Interestingly enough, the heart of the home is located in the direct center of your space, just like the physical organ is in the center of the body. Illness affects not only the physical, but also the mental, emotional and spiritual elements of a person and thus needs to be nurtured. If the center of the home is the kitchen, office or family room, chances are it’s a hub of activity in the home. Fresh flowers or healthy green plants — excluding cactus plants with sharp edges that might promote negative energy — in ceramic and terracotta vases bring good health.

Those who have come to depend on hand sanitizer to ward off seasonal illness could also find wearing jade jewellery helpful. In many Eastern cultures, jade is the jewel of longevity. For those actual sick days, diffuse lavender oil around your bed or comfy couch. Lavender is a very popular scent used in aromatherapy because it serves as a holistic antibiotic and antibacterial and is generally appealing to the senses.

Feng shui is meant to foster a positive energy in your home for improved health and prosperity. There are many applications that can be applied without necessarily hiring a feng shui master or consulting a bagua map.

“Studies show that the mental stress a person is under can cause and lead to disease. Why not do everything you can to create a positive energy to the one space you spend the majority of your time in; your home,” said Rullo.

Tina Varughese is the president of t Works, a Calgary based company specializing in multicultural marketing and cross-cultural communication seminars. Additionally, t Works offers relocation and settlement services specifically for expatriates working in Calgary’s oil and gas industry. Tina may be reached at 403-478-0880 or tina@tworksforyou.ca. www.tworksforyou.ca