My husband had knee replacement surgery, so we added a 4 inch seat raiser to the toilet seat and cannot close the lid. I have been putting a folded towel over the open bowl--do you have any other suggestions?

Angela L., Victorville, CA

Dear Angela,

Thanks so much for your question. I hope your husband is on the mend after his knee replacement surgery.

First, it’s great that you’re accommodating his needs in a practical way by adding a riser to the toilet seat, but it sounds like you’re concerned that you can’t close the toilet lid. For the readers, ideally it’s good to keep your toilet bowl lid closed. There are practical reasons for this: the moisture in the toilet actually adds to the moisture in the bathroom and can create mold and mildew. Closing the lid also energetically puts a lid on the excess downward water energy in a bathroom.

It’s nice that you’re mindful of trying to maintain this cover by putting a folded towel over the open bowl, which is a great solution. You of course want to keep that towel clean and change it regularly, because it can accumulate bacteria. You can also keep your bathroom door closed, which effectively does the same thing as closing the toilet lid. Another suggestion is to put a mirror outside the bathroom door, which energetically helps the bathroom disappear from the floor plan.

Because your husband had knee surgery, another thing to pay attention to is your landscaping, and especially the trees on your property. The health of a landscape affects the health of the people living there, and the branches of a tree can represent joints, including knees. If there are any trees on your property with broken or extremely heavy branches, it’s a good idea to prune and take care of them. This can be helpful in terms of your husband’s recovery as well as preventing possible joint problems in the future.

Thanks so much for your question, Angela. We’d love to hear more about what’s going on with the trees on your property. Good luck with your husband’s recovery!

by Anjie Cho

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our a unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish. Visit us at mindfuldesignschool.com.