Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui for Business

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my inquiry. I am a Rooster, born on August 18, 1981. My house faces the east (my front door faces the east). My kitchen is in the NE, guest room is in the east and my son's bedroom is in the SE. Master's bedroom is in the SW, while living room/grand dining room is in the NW. In the west is our bathroom. I just started my business. However, I am having difficulty selling out my products. I am selling fashion bag charms / bag accessories. This is the first time the styles I have are sold in the U.S. I want to be a successful business owner, but I didn't expect it to be this difficult. Can you help me? What should I do?

Avvy C., Cleveland, MS

 

Hi Avvy,

Thanks for listening to the podcast and your question. First I wanted to explain that there are many schools of feng shui - dozens. The feng shui that I practice is BTB feng shui, and we do not use the compass directions in our analytics. If you’re interested in that, you can try a compass, flying star or classical feng shui consultant. My good friend, Beth Grace, may be a good option. She’s featured regularly on my new podcast mini-series “Astrology and Feng Shui”. Check out the podcast and Beth!

Otherwise, if you aren’t specifically looking for a particular school, BTB feng shui does, of course, give methods for improving your business. You did not mention an office in your home, so the first thing would probably be to look at the feng shui of your office. If you don’t have an office, that could be an issue. 

You also mention that you are selling something that is new to the U.S. When I work with a client, I ask a lot of questions at this point to pinpoint what the issue is. For instance, is the problem that you can’t get the business off the ground? Are there money issues? Are the products desirable; are they made well? Is it that people know about the product but don't want to buy? Or if only they knew about the product they would buy? And of course there are a slew of other questions; these are just a few.

In general, I would make sure you have an office space with a dedicated desk. Please make sure your desk is located in command of your space. There’s information in these articles about the command position. I also have a feeling that you need to work on the Recognition and Fame area, so that people know about your product. You can place something like a new green living plant in the Recognition area of your desk and home to add some fuel to fire up your recognition.

Hope that helps! Let us know and good luck with your new business!

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!

Om Mani Padme Hum: The Most Popular Tibetan Buddhist Mantra

image credit: Carmen MensinkDakini offers the lotus flower and mantra

image credit: Carmen Mensink
Dakini offers the lotus flower and mantra

Last week we talked about the importance of mantra in everyday life, in feng shui and in other outlets of holistic living (like meditation). As we discussed, a mantra is a mind tool, and each person may have a separate mantra that is meaningful for them. But there are some mantras that are widely used and considered especially important in certain practices. 

In fact, one of my favorite mantras and one of the most popular in Tibetan Buddhism is:

“Om Mani Padme Hum”

Om Mani Padme Hum translates to the phrase, "The jewel is in the lotus," alluding to the strong symbolism of the lotus flower in many Indian belief systems, including Buddhism. The lotus flower originates in a thick, muddy environment and blooms pure and beautiful to the surface. The Dali Lama has also said that this mantra can be interpreted as the jewel (which represents altruism) and the lotus (representing wisdom) in combination, which is where enlightenment is found. Om Mani Padme Hum is believed to hold all Buddhist teachings.

The Om Mani Padme Hum mantra is associated with the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who is symbolic of the compassion of all the buddhas. In depictions, Avalokiteshvara is shown with a lotus in his left hand. Kuan Yin, the feminized version of Avalokiteshvara, is also related to this mantra in addition to the heart sutra mantra. 

As I mentioned in last week's post, though the meaning of the mantra is important and good to know, there is actually more to be experienced in the sound of the mantra as it is repeated. Also, since mantras are traditionally in Sanskrit, assigning a translated meaning to them can detract from their original interpretations and make them less meaningful. 

As it does encompass all the Buddhist teachings, Om Mani Padme Hum can be used in almost any situation. From cultivating compassion for yourself or another to finding solid ground to preparing for your day and more! In fact, a guide at the Rubin Museum shared that while visiting a family in Tibet, the family recited it regularly, which is said to purify on three levels - speech, mind, body - and remove negative karma. The more you recite Om Mani Padme Hum, the more merit you receive, and the more you begin to embody Avalokiteshvara. 

When do you find mantras to be most helpful? Are there any that you use daily that improve your life?

by Anjie Cho

Q&A Sunday: Do You Lay Out the Bagua by Room or by Floor?

Feng Shui 101- The Bagua Map.png

I have recently discovered your podcast and blog. I really enjoy it and appreciate the information you are providing for all. I do have a question about the bagua map. I'm getting ready to move into a townhouse. Is that supposed to be by space or room? For example, I have a combined living room and entryway, combined kitchen and dining room on the same level. Does this map apply to the entire first floor? Or by room? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Keisha D, Asheville, NC

 

Hi Keisha

Thank you for listening to my podcast and reading my blog! And thank you very much for your question. This is a great one; it comes up a lot, and I think it will help a lot of people.

The feng shui bagua map is a conceptual map that can stretch and shrink to fit a floor plan. But it can also stretch to be laid over your entire home, your property, even your city, then your state, and so on and so on. In turn, it can also shrink and be applied to an individual room, a piece of furniture (like your desk or bed), it can even be applied to your face or your palm. This a previous Q&A that talks a bit about that concept. 

When the home is multi-level, like a townhouse, we generally apply the bagua on the entire first floor based on the entry door location. The second floor is a bit more complicated. It depends on the landing, the stairs, etc. You would need a feng shui consultant to look at it. You can also use the bagua on each individual room. If you submit the floor plan to the blog, we can take a look.

So the answer is yes to both!

I hope your move went well and I hope the clarification helps. If you'd like, you can check out a few of these other questions regarding the bagua in specific spaces. Please also note that, if you have trouble on the second floor, I can do long-distance consultations, or you could schedule a quick 15-minute call! 

Q&A Sunday: Unique Bagua Layout

Q&A Sunday: Family Bedrooms and the Bagua

Q&A Sunday: The Bagua Map and Your Entrance

Q&A Sunday: Laying a Bagua With an Unused Front Door

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!