7 Easy Feng Shui Tips to Clear Your Space and Your Mind

Guest User June 2, 2021

Anjie Cho was featured on InStyle

It's pretty safe to say that the pandemic impacted our relationships — with family, friends, coworkers, and significant others, in profound ways. One of the most surprising, and unexpected, to be affected? Our relationship with our homes.

When the pandemic hit, home transformed into a multitasking space almost overnight. Some rushed to purchase a desk set-up for a workable home office, while others ordered workout equipment to turn their living rooms into home gyms. And as the months of sheltering-in-place and working from home orders ticked on, even those who hardly thought about their apartment's aesthetic before found suddenly themselves interested in sprucing up their home's decor.

Our new, intense home-centric lives led many of us to become more interested in a functional way of living, theorizes feng shui expert Anjie Cho, so it's unsurprising that the ancient Chinese philosophy of feng shui — which focuses on balance and positive energy — became the design ethos du jour. "[We] began to look and ask, 'how can we really create homes that support us?' I think a lot of people spent a lot of time outside of their home and never realized how much they were disconnected from or unhappy with their homes."

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If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Q&A Sunday: The Commanding Position and Living Alone

Anjie Cho May 30, 2021

I am living alone, and my desk is not in a commanding position. Actually, I have a my back facing the door. Nobody will ever come through that door unless I open it. Does it still need a mirror remedy, or is it irrelevant in this particular situation?

Ula, Letchworth Garden City, UK

Hi Ula

Thank you so much for listening to our podcast and for your very thoughtful question. I totally get where you’re coming from. If you live alone, your rational mind knows that you’re the only one that will ever come through that door unless you let them in. However, when we are talking feng shui and the commanding position, it’s not really based on your rational mind, but rather energy. In addition, the commanding position taps into your unconscious mind.

From the physical and scientific perspective, there are areas of the brain that are more primitive than others. These areas are connected with the fight or flight response, or “acute stress response." The feeling of danger and fear is a physiological response that you experience on a subtle level when you cannot see the door or what may be coming towards you. This stress is activated most strongly when the back of your neck is exposed and facing the door, and it applies to any situation with the door behind you, regardless of whether others are around. The increase in this stress level can lead to mood and health issues over time.

Although not everyone is consciously aware of it, it does affect you. I like to compare the effects to a stone with water dripping on it lightly for years; the stress levels begin to wear down at you, and eventually, you will experience symptoms.

Therefore, even if you live alone, and even though you know that no one will ever come through that door unless you open it for them, if you want to improve the feng shui of your desk, yes you still need to be in commanding position. This means ideally you move your desk. If it's impossible to place your desk in command, you can adjust with a mirror so you can see the door. Plus if you are in line with the door, you also need a feng shui crystal, which you can find at the Holistic Spaces store here. This will help disperse the energy coming through your door so that it doesn't all hit you at once, and you can find tips on how to hang a crystal here.

Be sure to also check out our other posts on the commanding position for more information on why this is an important feng shui adjustment. If you are able to relocate your desk to accommodate this position, I would love to hear if you notice any immediate difference in your stress level or if you find yourself more productive at your desk!

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Feng Shui Uses for Jade

Guest User May 26, 2021

I get a lot of questions about natural crystals and feng shui, and a lot of our Mindful Design students have been very interested in this topic too!

One of my favorite stones is jade. Jade has the power to protect, and in Asia jade is considered to be a living stone. It’s from the earth and it has this luminous quality, so it really connects heaven and earth. The color of jade, green, is also connected to the liver, healing, longevity, and the wood element.

One thing you may not know is that not all feng shui is for your home. You can also feng shui your body by wearing auspicious objects and powerful talismans. I have a jade bangle that I love to wear. A piece of jade jewelry is said to help to clear the meridians of the body. If you wear a jade bracelet on your left hand, it is said to be closer to your heart and can protect you.

If you want to get a piece of jade jewelry, please do, and if you have one be sure to wear it! It’s a living thing and shouldn’t be kept in a box at the back of your closet. It has its own energy, so you want to take it out, wear it, and let it breathe.

Do you have any jade jewelry that you like to wear? Or any jade that’s been sitting in a drawer or box that you’re feeling inspired to take out?

by Anjie Cho