SPACES FOR HEALTHY GROWTH

Growing up in an environment filled with care, dedication and affection is the fundamental foundation that enables us, as adults, to feel confident, secure and grounded on our own two feet.

Human perception of reality has many nuances and takes many forms. We experience it through the relationships and connections we establish with the world around us, both within and beyond ourselves. When we inhabit the same space every day, we develop an emotional attachment to our surroundings, which gradually become part of our personal story. This connection can be particularly strong during childhood, when everything is a new discovery.

Feeling connected to the soul of a space and in harmony with our surroundings allows the body to relax and vital energy to flow freely — an essential condition for growth to unfold naturally and effortlessly. Every place has its own unique soul, yet the intention behind its design should always be the same: to support, nurture and protect development.

Feng Shui encourages us to consider several important aspects when designing spaces. Particularly in educational environments, it helps us remain connected to the laws of nature, fostering better learning experiences and promoting the well-being of both pupils and educators.

As an ancient Chinese practice that seeks to organise spaces in order to encourage the flow of beneficial energy (known as qi or chi), Feng Shui is based on principles such as the balance between expansion and contraction (yin and yang), the connection with nature, and the harmonious arrangement of furniture.

In this context, certain educational approaches reflect principles that resonate with Feng Shui, incorporating concepts of harmony, balance and connection with nature into their learning environments.

In schools inspired by Rudolf Steiner's Waldorf Education, Maria Montessori's Montessori Method, Loris Malaguzzi's Reggio Emilia Approach or Sarah Blackwell's Forest School approach, the environment is also an educator. Spaces are thoughtfully designed to promote well-being and learning, creating a balance between energetic expansion and contraction. Interior layouts, interaction with the natural world, wall colours (including ceilings), educational materials and lighting — everything is conceived from a perspective that connects the physical with the spiritual, and yin with yang.

I can therefore share some specific points of connection with Waldorf Education, the educational path we chose for our daughter from the age of three. This first-hand experience allows me to clearly recognise how many of the principles of this educational approach naturally resonate with the foundations of Feng Shui.

In early childhood, Waldorf schools seek to create inspiring environments in which the walls are painted with soft pink limewash washes, evoking the colour a baby perceives inside the womb. Even before birth, the little being experiences the world surrounded by delicate shades of fuchsia, offering a sense of calm and harmony from the very first moments of life. In Feng Shui, pink is associated with the south-west direction and the Earth phase of chi — specifically Mother Earth — as well as marriage relationships and the bond with the mother.

The fluid application of colour reflects the flowing nature of water energy and its natural inclination towards a connection with wisdom.

Another defining feature of this environment is the presence of colourful cotton curtains above the blackboard and across all the windows. Curtains represent the Earth phase of chi, and the strong presence of this element connects us with our roots and, in this context, awakens a sense of protection.

The use of wood, found in toys, furniture and decorative elements, is another emblematic feature. Just as in Feng Shui, where the wood element symbolises growth, vitality and creativity, its presence in Waldorf schools provides a rich sensory experience, stimulating children's imagination, motor coordination and independence.

Built-in cupboards can also be created in the corners to soften the perimeter of the classroom, with doors made from natural wood. In this way, a square room is transformed into an octagon — a sacred shape symbolising universal balance and the correspondence between all directions and areas of life.

Both approaches recognise that wood, with its texture, warmth and organic qualities, can create an atmosphere of harmony and positive energy, supporting well-being and natural development.

Beyond the materials that surround us, furniture placement is equally essential. A school environment brings together people of different ages and with different needs, making it vital to ensure that everyone feels safe and balanced.

When we look at spaces designed for adults — such as the headteacher's office, administration office or educational management offices — a fundamental Feng Shui principle comes into play: our backs should be protected. A desk positioned against a solid wall provides support and energetic stability, allowing for clearer decision-making, smoother communication and greater focus at work. Conversely, working with one's back exposed to a door or circulation area can create unconscious feelings of insecurity, distraction and fatigue.

Another less frequently discussed yet extremely important aspect concerns the positioning of the school's important documentation. Documents should be stored in accessible, organised locations and, above all, placed in areas appropriate to the energetic flow of the space. This helps foster healthy relationships between the different areas of the school — management, teaching staff and those responsible for the children's education.

Similarly, when considering the annual energy flow, the school environment may also take into account the application of the so-called 'annual cures' prescribed by Classical Feng Shui — Xuan Kong Da Gua: an advanced system of Feng Shui connected to time, the hexagrams of the I Ching and the relationship between direction, celestial energies and earthly energies. Within this framework, each direction reveals a subtle dialogue between time and space, allowing the energy of the environment to be adjusted in accordance with natural cycles in order to promote well-being and growth.

This system of annual cures can be compared to acupuncture in the human body, as it uses objects designed to harmonise and activate qi, placed at specific points within the home. In most cases, to enhance the flow of energy, practitioners use energetic activators such as water fountains. I consider it essential to provide precise guidance on the use of this particular tool, as it is often applied without appropriate criteria, potentially disrupting the energetic balance of the environment.

A water fountain introduces vital force, radiating beneficial energy from its spout and reaching an area proportionate to its size.

When harmonising nurseries and early childhood education settings, we must take into account certain aspects specific to these environments.

Above all, it is essential to understand that, at this stage, children 'think' and 'understand' the world through their bodies and therefore do not yet fully distinguish themselves from their surroundings.

We must also bear in mind that the environment they experience is shared with other children. However, their development is not yet fully equipped to navigate this shared experience, which means that everyday interactions can sometimes become challenging or conflictual.

With the aim of creating calmer environments, schools generally have multiple group rooms, which are separated from one another, creating distinct spaces for different age groups.

Placing a water activator (fountain) in just one particular children's room would concentrate excessive energy in that single space, hindering the circulation of energy throughout the environment as a whole and creating gaps and blockages in other areas.

Furthermore, particularly when harmonising a school attended by many children, we must remember that the group may have relatively weak emotional bonds and a still-developing sense of rootedness and belonging. This further reinforces the reasons for avoiding the use of a water fountain in spaces occupied by children.

If the group is small (no more than five children) and shares strong emotional bonds, the possibility of placing the activator outdoors or in the pedagogical team's room may be considered, always taking into account whether the energetic flow is favourable.

Children perceive the world through all their senses with remarkable acuity, displaying a surprising ability to understand space alongside a natural sensitivity to their surroundings. An effective learning environment should therefore be welcoming and simple, allowing children to feel at ease and offering a space that conveys security, joy and curiosity.

This feeling is nurtured through contact with environments that are balanced between yang and yin characteristics: spacious, bright areas with freedom of movement; generally light colours; predominantly wooden materials; and, alongside these, cosy corners with soft fabrics, a natural variety of toys, touches of deeper colour and soft objects. Sometimes, the greatest challenge lies in finding the right balance in each space, taking into consideration the individual characteristics of each building.

Just as Feng Shui seeks to allow qi (vital energy) to flow freely through a space, educational approaches that value the holistic development of children also seek to create environments that foster vitality and serenity.

In this sense, education and Feng Shui share a common purpose: to create places where beauty, energy and awareness become the fundamental pillars of learning.

By creating a harmonious experience, we make room for the essence of human beings — still in the process of growing — to express itself fully, in harmony with the whole.