Pinky Kapoor (left) fields questions from the audience at The Good Life Talk Show in Salt Lake, as compere Rita Bhimani looks on. Picture by Amit Datta

Feng Shui is nothing to be afraid of. With positive thinking and conviction, you?ve already won half the battle.

That was the theme of the Good Life Talk Show with Pinky Kapoor at Julee House, Salt Lake. The Feng Shui expert spoke to township residents about the guiding principles of this ancient Chinese practice.

First: it can be pronounced any which way! Though some insist it is pronounced ?fung shway?, Kapoor clarified that it makes little difference. ?Feng means wind, Shui means water. It refers to the flow of energy,? she explained. In fact, when one audience member asked how Vastu and Feng Shui differ, she stressed that both work towards the same goal: keeping the energy in the house.

That is why structure is important. ?Every corner of the home signifies something. If one is missing, it disturbs the balance,? Kapoor observed. If a house is missing a corner it is necessary to take steps to correct it.

While making any changes, positive thinking counts. ?If you do something with the right attitude, it will work. But symbolic Feng Shui ? or placing of objects ? cannot achieve everything.?

When possible, an expert should be consulted from the construction stage. ?We sit down with the architect and find out the client?s needs before coming up with the final plan,? said Kapoor. After that, advice is needed for the interior design as well. For example, mirrors can be very powerful in the right place. In the wrong place, they can be disastrous. Colour schemes, placement of rooms, all depend on the birth charts. ?If you are a fire person, you should avoid fire colours in your room. We would advise cool shades instead,? she added.

One gentleman was confused about how to stick to Feng Shui principles in day-to-day life. ?The land I was allotted was not in my hands, and my house was built on the basis of the land,? he said. ?Nobody is living in a perfect house. You have to make the most of whatever God has given you,? replied Pinky. But a basic knowledge is helpful. ?Would you want a bathroom blocking the wealth area?? she asked.

Each direction is connected with an aspiration. South-west is the best direction for bedrooms. North-west is not recommended, because there is a lot of movement here, and it could lead to arguments between couples and is negative for business. It is bad for a girl who is about to get married, but good for a girl whose marriage is not yet fixed. It is beneficial for a student?s study table.

If your sitting room is in the north-east, create the right ambience in the north-east corner of the room in an aesthetic manner, Kapoor advised. Put an earthen image here, with a basket of the five elements, and put a few candles around it.

The east, on the other hand, is perfect for kitchens and dining rooms. ?This is very powerful as the sun rises in this direction.? The east is also the family area. If there are problems, it would be a good idea to keep pictures of the whole family grouped here, to help resolve differences.

The south-east is the wealth area and every married couple should have a marriage corner in the south-west.

There were a number of queries about Laughing Buddha. P.K. Basu wanted to know how he should position his earthen statue. ?It should always be facing the door, never with its back to it,? she told him. There are three different kinds of Laughing Buddha figurines, which are believed to help with depression. The one with its hands up symbolises contentment and happiness. One carrying a bag of wealth is for good fortune, while the third, with children all around him, is supposed to bring good luck for children.

But there is some fear that Feng Shui demands major structural changes in case of imbalances, which many are not willing to make. ?The best thing to do is to follow basic Feng Shui principles while constructing the house. But if that was not done at the time, there are always remedies,? she assured.