Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui for a Yoga Teacher

Anjie Cho September 16, 2018

I’d love any feng shui advice you can give me. I’m a yoga teacher - it’s what I love. I would like to grow my annual income by doubling the amount of private clients I work with regularly. I’m exhausted with the myth that it’s impossible to make money as a yoga teacher!

Hunt P., Brooklyn, NY

Hi Hunt,

What a blessing that you love your career and what you do. And yes, it is possible to make good money as a yoga teacher; I believe in you! And a little feng shui always helps, right? 🙂

Thank you for sending along your floor plan. I’ll make some basic comments on the entire plan, then focus on your bedroom. The bedroom represents you and is the best place to focus your energy.

Feng Shui for a Yoga Teacher - Floor Plan.png

It’s really important to have a clean entry with a bright light. If there isn’t an ability to keep the entry area bright and as expansive as possible, do what you can. You can add lighting, use brighter bulbs, paint the area white. From your floor plan, it looks rather narrow, so it could also benefit from having a mirror on the wall, to visually and energetically open up the space. Also make sure that, since this is an apartment, the apartment door number is easy to find and clean. You can also make sure all buzzers and door bells are in working order. Since the entry is your Path in Life and Career area, this is especially important.

Let’s move onto your bedroom area. We can echo what we are doing in your overall floor plan by activating the Path in Life area of your bedroom. Mimic what was done in the entry of the whole floor plan. For example, you can add a new light fixture and/or mirror in both of these areas. Or paint the entry of the apartment and the wall along the door wall of the bedroom white. Or do all three!

The bed is not in the ideal position, but I understand you have a window and closet that makes it difficult to relocate it. What you can do to put the bed in the commanding position is to place a mirror so that when you’re in bed you can easily see the front door. Second, your body is in the line of qi from the door. This can cause health problems. This can be corrected by hanging a Feng Shui crystal in the line of qi, where I’ve notated it on the floor plan. You can purchase a feng shui crystal here, in the Holistic Spaces shop.

Feng Shui for a Yoga Teacher - Bedroom Floor Plan.png

Finally my last comment is to move your desk in command as suggested on the floor plan. You’re not in command with your current desk position. Your desk represents your career, so its location is super critical. Also, in the Recognition areas of your desk, bedroom and apartment, you can place a piece of citrine; see the circles noted on the floor plans. This will activate your prosperity energy and your fire energy in the world, so all the potential clients out there who can benefit from your services can find you!

Be sure to check out our upcoming webinar, which is geared towards wellness practitioners like yourself. You can visit the website below to get registered!

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design feng shui cerfication program. Laura Morris and I are launching our program in September 2018. We have a free webinar “Five Feng Shui Tools Revealed: Must-do business boosters for soulpreneurs and wellness practitioners” coming up, too! check us out at www.mindfuldesignschool.com

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.

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!

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Down the Drain: 7 Feng Shui Mistakes You're Making in the Bathroom

Anjie Cho August 29, 2018

featured this month on realtor.com by Jennifer Geddes

We've waxed on about the benefits of feng shui in the communal spaces of your home, like the living room and the kitchen. After all, that's where you spend the bulk of your time, so naturally you want things to be harmonious.

But there’s an oft-overlooked room where, if you're not careful, good energy (chi) can drain out of your home.

”The bathroom is one of the key energy centers in the home, so focusing on this space is important for good feng shui," says Ping Deters, a certified feng shui consultant.

”In the Western world, bathrooms are now luxurious and a place of relaxation, and keeping this area restful and in balance can affect one's health and well-being," adds Anjie Cho, an architect, feng shui educator, and author of "Holistic Spaces: 108 Ways to Create a Mindful and Peaceful Home."

But from the color of your walls to your tiny trash can, you could be unwittingly throwing off your balance in this space. Here are seven major ways you're screwing up your bathroom feng shui.

...read full article

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design Feng Shui certification program. Laura Morris and I are launching our program in September 2018. We have a free webinar “Five Feng Shui Tools Revealed: Must-Do Business Boosters for Soulpreneurs and Wellness Practitioners” coming up, too! To get on the list about it, sign up at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com.

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our 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 the Holistic Spaces Store

Brighten Your Apartment: 6 Simple Tricks

Anjie Cho August 22, 2018

Not everyone has the luxury of having big windows that let in ample sunlight. Most apartments have at least one room or space that is continually dark. A dark room can cause accidents, eye-strain, and even a sour disposition. If you’d like to illuminate your space – without taking a sledgehammer to your walls – try a few of these apartment-brightening tricks. A brighter space will lead to a brighter mood!

Paint your walls a light color

Dark walls actually soak up the light, making the room seem darker – even when you put the lights on. But lighter colors have a higher LRV, or “light reflectance value.” LRV tells you how much useable light is reflected by a surface. Wall colors with a higher LRV help to spread light deep into a space.

Use eggshell or semi-gloss paint

Flat finishes absorb light, while glossier paints reflect the light back into the room. One warning, though: Because of the light reflection, a glossy finish does call attention to any flaws in the wall.

Keep your ceiling white

It’s amazing the difference that a white ceiling makes on a room. Even if you have dark walls, a white ceiling will help keep the darkness from overwhelming the space. My go-to color is Benjamin Moore Super White in a flat finish -- it's the most reflective for ceilings.

Add more lamps

Yes, this seems obvious. But many apartment dwellers rely solely on overhead lights to illuminate the rooms. Light needs to come from various levels – low, middle, and high. Combining uplights on the floor and lamps on tables around the room with overhead lighting will create a brighter, more comfortable space. In feng shui, uplighting can also lift your mood and energy.

Hang large mirrors

Large mirrors can act like windows, reflecting the light back into the room.

Choose reflective surfaces

Just like walls, other large surfaces can absorb or reflect your light. Opt for glossy countertops, add glass panes to your hanging artwork, and place mirrored trays on top of dark tables.

Light is important for your physical and mental health. So make sure your home is gets as much light as possible!

by Anjie Cho