A Holistic Holiday Gift Guide of NYC Experiences

featured this month on 6sqft by Hannah Frishberg and Anjie Cho

The catharsis of shopping and gift giving does not come without monetary guilt, but in a city as commercially diverse as New York, it’s possible to spend locally and come away with products bringing long-term relaxation and mental balance. No one wants to give or receive a gift that feels empty of emotional value and purpose. Here are some ideas for purposeful products and experiences that can be bought within the five boroughs for friends and family (or yourself!) this holiday season.

1. A yoga class

The pressure to workout is high enough when you’re the one who invested in a class, but when you’re gifted the paid opportunity to do yoga, an added element of etiquette raises the stakes even higher for you to find the time and energy to attend.

On the Lower East Side, Golden Bridge Yoga has no minimum for its gift certificates and RA MA Institute New York offers both yoga and meditation programming in its studio. Classes at both locations start at $22.

...read full article

by Anjie Cho

Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui for a New Pet

What are some considerations to make for a new pet (dog!)?

Jenny Beth M., New York, NY

Hi Jenny Beth, 

Thank you for your question, and congratulations on your new dog! I actually have two dogs, so I do have input on feng shui considerations for a new dog in your space. We have a blog post with insight on this question as well. 

Speaking from my experience and knowledge as a feng shui practitioner and pet owner, I believe one huge consideration is to allow the dog to find its own space in your home. Whether that means a favorite corner with his comfy dog bed or maybe a crate - whatever it is, it's important to give your dog a space of his own. It's also a good idea to locate that space in the commanding position so your dog feels safe. The commanding position governs the location we want to situate ourselves in, and dogs are the same as us. They want to see what's coming toward them and not have their backs to the door. In fact, dogs are even more in tune with that since they're animals! I find that my pups often want to sleep at the foot of the bed or at the door mat to protect us, which is common for dogs. 

You'll also want to take a look at the green plants in your space and make sure they're out of reach to prevent your dog eating them. There are a lot of houseplants that are toxic to dogs. Some of the most common are azaleas, tulips and oleander. One of the first things I did when I got my first dog was to look up all the toxins in a home, and one (for animals) is green plants. 

Another is cleaning chemicals. Dogs live very close to the ground and are very sensitive, so toxic cleaners will affect them more strongly than they might us. Switch to non-toxic cleaners out of consideration for your pet. In fact, switching to non-toxic cleaners can improve the indoor air quality of your space for you as well! Check out some of our posts on non-toxic cleaning options and choose one that fits your lifestyle! 

Congratulations again on your new pet! I hope you really enjoy your new companion. :) 

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!

Feng Shui Book Recommendations

featured this month on Marina V Design Studio 

I've been asked many times to recommend beginner books on Feng Shui. I certainly hope this post will be very useful for those who have reached out to me as well as the many who can benefit from reading this post in the future. I believe the first time this subject came up on air is on LuAnn Nigara's A Well-Designed Business podcast episode on Feng Shui & Interior Design. If you have not listened to it yet, I would love for you to take a listen. Luann's interviews are always great and I was honored to be one of her guests.

I had a few people contact me letting me know how much they enjoyed the podcast episode and wondering if I could recommend books for Feng Shui beginners. Hope you find a book or two that sparks your Feng Shui interest even more. Please note that recommended books have affiliate links.

On my reading list is a book by my colleague Anjie Cho that I have yet to read. Her book 108 Ways To Create Holistic Spaces looks beautiful and I look forward to reading it soon. 

...read full article