Q&A Sunday: How to Choose a Crystal

Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash

Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash

Hi Anjie! I have a question about crystals: I’m feeling really drawn to them but not sure where to start. Do you have any suggestions? 

Thank you for your question! I get so many questions about crystals, so this seemed like a good one to answer on the blog.

My suggestion is to trust your intuition. Go to a crystal shop near you, or look online, and see what you’re drawn to. My feng shui teachers always taught me to first go with what you’re attracted to, not just for crystals, but other things as well. For example, when clients and students ask me what the best feng shui color is for a certain area of your home, I always ask what color they’re drawn to. Then you can look at what that indicates. I always recommend the book Love is in the Earth by Melody. It’s a really great resource when it comes to crystals.

For example, I recently bought an amazonite amulet that I was really drawn to. I chose it because I really love the shape and colors. Then I looked it up, and found that amazonite is soothing and is especially good for the heart and throat chakras. I’m working on the lower part of my throat chakra right now, so I love that I chose an amulet that will help me work with that energy. 

What are you attracted to? What do you love? Go with your intuition, and then look up what it means, rather than the other way around. Once you’ve chosen a crystal that you love, you can wear it or place it in an area of your home. Listen to your intuition as you’re deciding where to place it also. Do you feel like you need it with you while you’re sleeping? While you’re working? It’s really important to pay attention to what your intuition is telling you, because that will give you the most meaning. 

I also encourage you to not worry so much about sharing your crystal or making a big deal of it. Just be curious and sit with it.

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

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 Knowledge Area

Photo by Vladimir Mokry on Unsplash

Photo by Vladimir Mokry on Unsplash

I noticed that there’s a “knowledge” area on the feng shui map, and I’m wondering what that means?

In case anyone isn’t familiar with the feng shui bagua map, it’s a tool that feng shui practitioners use to assess and adjust the energy of a space. It’s usually depicted as a three-by-three grid, and it’s made up of eight life areas around a center.

One of these life areas is the knowledge area. It’s called Gen in Chinese. It’s also about self-knowledge, self-cultivation, and skillfulness. It’s represented by the color dark blue, the number eight, square and flat shapes, and the element of yang earth. Yang earth is like a big mountain, one that you might climb to the top of to meditate. 

To find the knowledge area of the bagua, stand at the front of your home or bedroom looking in, and imagine a three-by-three grid laid over the home or room. The corner that is closest to you on the left-hand side is the knowledge area. 

This area of the bagua is related to your spiritual development as well as your skills and wisdom in mundane areas of life such as your career. It’s a great place for a library or a meditation space. Both books and meditation are related to the knowledge area. Reading books can be educational, and meditation assists in your spiritual development. Experience and practices like reading and meditation are really the most impactful way to cultivate yourself, and they may be especially effective if you do them with intention in the knowledge area of your home.

If you want to take it a step further and incorporate color, try a dark blue bookshelf or meditation pillow, since dark blue helps to activate the knowledge area. 

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

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

Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui for Your Ex

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Is there anything feng shui-wise that can help me cut ties with my toxic ex?

If you have a toxic relationship that you need to let go of, be aware that feng shui does affect your energy, so it can definitely make a difference. Here are a few suggestions from a feng shui perspective that may help you cut ties with your ex: 

First, make sure you don’t have anything in your home that’s connected to your ex energetically, for instance any of their clothing or mementos. It’s especially important to move these things out of your bedroom, since this is your most intimate room that’s most closely connected to you. If you must hold onto anything connected to your ex (for example, if you are going through a divorce and have to keep the divorce papers), find another place in your home to store them.

Second, space clear your bedroom. Your ex’s energetic presence actually takes up space in your home. Space clearing, especially in your bedroom, will remove your ex’s energy.  This helps create space for you to work on your own self care and eventually invite in a new partnership. There are many different ways to space clear - here are a few of my favorite methods to get you started. 

Something else to keep in mind when you’re working through a toxic relationship or finding your way out of one is that it’s a good idea to take time to heal yourself. An adjustment I often give for inviting a relationship is to put two pieces of rose quartz in your relationship area, to represent you and a future partner. However, in this case it might be more helpful to just have one for the time being. It’s important to heal yourself and your own heart first before rushing into a new relationship. 

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

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