Feng shui tips for success from a guru who’s helped the Rolling Stones, Steven Spielberg

When Marie Diamond was 15, she was run over by a truck near her home in Bruges, Belgium. “They had already covered me with a sheet,” she says. “My father thought I was gone. I was hovering outside my body, watching everything – the ambulance, my mother arriving. Then I moved through what felt like different dimensions into a space of light.” There, she says, she encountered “nine beings – like angels”, who told her: “You have to go back. You’re here to reach 500 million people.” She woke from a coma three days later with a profound sense of purpose. The answer to how she would achieve it began in her bedroom. A mentor suggested she had poor “feng shui” – a term she had never heard at the time. The Chinese philosophy emphasises spatial arrangement to maximise positive energy, balancing the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. “He was right,” she says. “I hated my room. I had nightmares.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mindvalley (@mindvalley) She switched bedrooms and introduced colours and images reflecting her goals. She was bullied at the time and drew pictures of friendship and connection. Within months, the bullying stopped and her social life transformed. “It was my first experience of how your environment affects your life,” she says. Diamond’s teenage breakthrough became a foundation for what is now a global cultural phenomenon: manifestation. Her practical approach offers a physical blueprint for a concept that has recently taken social media by storm. What is manifestation? Think of manifestation as the art of turning a “what if” into a “what is” by pairing focused intention with real-world action. These days, it is touted as a form of environmental and cognitive hacking. The idea is to flood your brain with reminders of your goals and curate your surroundings so that you are essentially “priming” your subconscious. Doing this trains your mind to stop missing opportunities that have probably been right in front of you all along. The idea of manifestation has evolved from “wishful thinking” into a grounded lifestyle movement. On social media, trends like #TheGreatLockIn focus on discipline and nervous system regulation. It is not just about vision boards; it is about “alignment” – ensuring one’s habits, mindset, and physical space all support a singular goal. A master of energy Diamond recounts her journey over breakfast at a cafe in Los Angeles, where she has lived for many years. She is purposeful in selecting her table to ensure a “welcoming energy”. In person, she embodies the “high-frequency” life she teaches; she is poised, precise and deeply connected to her surroundings. While studying and qualifying as a lawyer, she felt instinctively aware of other people’s energy and the “blocks” in their homes, and offered readings and healings. In her thirties, she began formal training under Malaysian grandmaster Yap Cheng Hai, who was known for a rigorous, mathematical approach to feng shui. “It came very naturally,” Diamond says. “Feng shui is very mathematical, and I’ve always been strong in that area.” Her teacher predicted she would share feng shui with a global audience. Today, Diamond is among the most famous practitioners in the Western world, a profile that expanded dramatically after her appearance in the 2006 documentary The Secret, which popularised the “law of attraction” – that like attracts like in one’s thinking. It pairs with manifestation – setting intentions, using visualisations and taking “aligned action”. The 33 per cent rule That action includes what you do with your living space, according to Diamond. “Your home is one-third of your manifestation,” she says. “Thirty-three per cent happens not in you, but around you.” Diamond has applied this philosophy to high-profile figures, including Steven Spielberg, Jodie Foster and the Rolling Stones, as well as to a growing client base in Hong Kong. Bestselling author Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, sought her help after hitting a professional plateau. “He told me, ‘People aren’t calling me any more … I don’t know what to do,’” Diamond says, adding that she repositioned the furniture in his office and six weeks later, he secured a major multi-book deal. “Suddenly, people started calling him from all over the world.” Diamond insists that such outcomes result from aligning physical space with intention. “Sometimes the positioning is exact to half a degree.” Her work often includes dowsing to detect unseen energy disturbances, such as magnetic interference. “If I tell someone to move their bed, but that area has negative energy … they can get sick even if the feng shui is good. So we look at both,” she says. The Asian connection Diamond’s case studies are often deeply personal. She recalls a couple in Italy who were told they could not have children. “I said, ‘You need to move. This house will not support fertility – it’s just impossible.’” They relocated and had three children within three years. After a subsequent move to Hong Kong, they were expecting a fourth. “It’s not only about working on the house; it’s about feeling where the energy is – where people need to be,” Diamond says. These principles are detailed in her 2024 book, Your Home is a Vision Board, and her mobile app, which helps users find “success directions” within their own walls. She has also taught more than 2 million students worldwide over the past 30 years. “When the top people in the self-help world use feng shui, it’s because they know mindset alone is not enough,” Diamond says. However, she is careful not to position it as a cure-all: “I never say feng shui can heal you … but when your space is more aligned, your immune system can become stronger.” She recalls a client surrounded by “dead energy” – dried flowers and unsettling artwork. Once they were removed, the client quickly found a doctor capable of treating a long-standing condition. “It doesn’t mean you’re healing, but your ability to attract the right help – that changes,” Diamond says. Looking ahead, Diamond is focused on expanding her reach in Asia, a continuation of a journey that began with a message received between life and death. “Everybody needs to know this information,” she says. “I want everyone to do better.” Marie Diamond’s practical feng shui tips Avoid “hitting a wall”: Do not place your desk facing a wall. Instead, face a window, door, or open space to avoid energetic barriers. Bedroom sanctuary: Keep mirrors out of the bedroom, as they can contribute to restlessness. Place them where you want to amplify energy, such as kitchens or workspaces. Colour psychology: Choose colours carefully. Bedrooms benefit from grounding ones – beige, peach, soft browns – while brighter colours suit social spaces. Fix the flow: Repair or discard broken items immediately, as they represent stagnant energy. The 20 per cent rule: Keep spaces uncluttered. Start by removing 20 per cent of what you own to allow new energy to enter. Strategic vision boards: Place vision boards in your “success direction” (identifiable via Diamond’s app) to accelerate results. Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.

Feng shui tips for success from a guru who’s helped the Rolling Stones, Steven Spielberg

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Marie Diamond talks about her journey to becoming a feng shui and manifestation master and gives tips on how to turn desires into reality

Marie Diamond talks about her journey to becoming a feng shui and manifestation master and gives tips on how to turn desires into reality