At his office, he already had a tortoise figurine behind him as according to him, he felt he lacked support at work. He was sure that the tortoise would help since he had no choice but to sit with his back to the window. As with most offices, he is not able to shift around or make many changes to his work area. He was considering using a mirror stuck to his computer to 'reflect' the so-called sha-qi that he felt was coming from behind him.
One of my philosophy's I have always believed in, is to 'never let what you cannot do, interfere with what you CAN do.' It's also a popular fallacy that sitting with a glass window behind one's back indicates a less than ideal sitting position.
Feng Shui is a study of Qi and how its flow affects the residents. If the Qi in your environment is good, you will definitely want it to come in from any way it can, including the window.
The only exception to this rule would be when there is a sharp edge from the outside angled at your window behind you, a straight road coming straight at the window, having stagnant or dirty water just outside the window or nearby and if there are other negative Feng Shui structures in the vicinity of the window.
"But I was under the impression that the glass at back will leave my back exposed and bad energies will affect me?"
My point exactly. IF there are negative energies (sha-qi), yes they may affect you but if there are none and you instead have positive energies, why would you not want these to come in (from the window) and influence the Qi in your cubicle?
Mirrors are not considered a primary Feng Shui cure. The positioning of mirrors, depending on its elemental Qi relationship with the sector, might at times cause more harm than good. In fact, if there was negative Qi coming from the glass window, the mirror will have nothing more than a negligible effect on it. A better, and often more effective idea is to simply keep the blinds of that window closed.
Also, here's a quick tip that many people often overlook. Are you facing your favorable directions? Favorable directions help heighten your work performance. If you're already tapping into one of your good directions, then the glass behind your back should be no great cause for concern.
Apply this quick system of points to gain some perspective on this. If you are facing your best direction (Sheng Qi), let's now say that you have 90 points. Let's say having a window behind you now detracts (at most) 20 points, you're still ahead by a luxurious 70 points! Not bad at all.
At times fear can do more harm than anything else. It often places a mental restriction on a person and causes them to perform a lot less than they really could have. In 8 out of 10 cases that I have seen, it's the psychological hurdles that are holding back many people. Not their Feng Shui.
Here are a few guidelines that I think you will find useful when applying Cubicle Office Feng Shui.
If you are familiar with Xuan Kong (Flying Star) Feng Shui, and you have a choice, find a location in your office that supports your work. This need not necessarily mean hogging the area where the facing or sitting star #8 is located (although that is a good idea), you can just as well tap into the energies of the 4-1 combination if you are in marketing to keep you in peak performance. You can also tap combinations like #1-#6 for professions related to managing, engineering and administration. Each combination in Xuan Kong can serve a particular job function.
Selecting a suitable, favorable facing direction while working is yet another important and effective method for cubicle Feng Shui. If you're a little uncertain about this, use the Eight Mansions Calculator link below to have the software automatically calculate this for you.
http://www.joeyyap.com/member/login.asp?Surl=/fengshui/8Mansions/index.asp
Take note of the annual and monthly influences of Qi and take the necessary precautions (or capitalize upon opportunities where possible). By far, this is the best advice I can give you - know what's coming and be prepared for it. Much of Feng Shui does not always depend on a physical object or item as 'cure' but rather the people's personal action and deeds.
For example, assume the #3 star flies into your cubicle for the month. You then already know that arguments, misunderstandings and disagreements are bound to crop up. So what's a person to do? Moving out is an option, or you can always try some quick re-decorating using the color red to weaken the #3 star, but if neither of this is an option, then simply practice self control. Take note of your actions and attitudes and even if the Qi makes you a little cranky this month, a little restraint will go a long way towards ensuring harmony between your colleagues. Personal action is effective and practical when it comes to Feng Shui 'cures'.
Naturally, there is no substitute for hard, smart work and a positive attitude. Combine all this with good Feng Shui and you'll soon see a meteoric rise to the top.