Clutter and Feng Shui

Anjie Cho August 12, 2020

Feng shui is really about connecting to the cycles of nature. When we pay attention to what is happening in the world around us, we can harness that energy to make shifts in our homes and our lives. With Virgo season coming up, it’s a perfect time to focus on organization, decluttering, and shifting any stagnant energy in your home.

When feng shui was developed in ancient China, there really wasn’t any clutter. People didn’t have all the stuff we have now. It’s a modern issue, and also a big issue for a lot of people. However, not all clutter is bad. As a feng shui consultant and an architect, I’ve worked very closely with many people in their homes, and I’ve heard so many apologies about clutter. Often, it’s really not that bad; people can be really hard on themselves.

There are some indications that you should look at clutter. For instance, are there areas of your home that you haven’t touched in a long time? Maybe there’s a place that’s full of stuff you haven’t even looked at in years? I recently did a consultation for a client who was aware that she had an area in her office that was full of stuff from her partner's old job. This clutter was in the relationship area of her office, which is related to business partners and clients. This area is also related to self care and self love, which turned out to be something that my client needed to work on.

When you accumulate a lot of clutter, it also can become difficult to work with because it starts to collect yin qi, which is related to death - picture a light fixture full of dust and dead flies. Yin qi isn’t bad, but you want to have a balance of yin and yang, not too much of either.

In my own home, there was a top shelf in my kitchen that I hadn’t touched in quite some time. There were extra plates there, and recently some of them fell and broke. It was a message that I needed to pay attention to certain areas of my life that I’ve neglected. Your home talks to you, and lets you know what needs to be worked on. If you’re not attuned to it, and you’re moving through your life really quickly, it’s easy to miss those messages from the phenomenal world.

If I ask you if there’s an area of your home that has clutter that you need to work on, there’s probably something that pops into your head. Don’t overthink it - your first thought is your best thought. Go to that area and start to stir up the qi by giving it some attention. If you need some extra help, sign up for our Virgo Season Space Activation and use the celestial energies of the cosmos to help you get a kick start.

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 questions!

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

Q&A Sunday: Finding Your Purpose with Feng Shui

Anjie Cho August 9, 2020

Hi Anjie, I noticed that one of your recent Practical Feng Shui classes was about finding your purpose. I wasn’t able to make it but am really curious about how feng shui can help with this, as I feel a little stuck in this area!

Thank you for your question, and thanks for checking out Practical Feng Shui! You’re correct that in July our focus was finding your purpose. It was a really great class, and I hope you’ll be able to join us for a future session so we can go over your specific floor plan!

One of the things that came up during our July class was that we often think our purpose has to be our career. This isn’t always the case, though the two can be aligned. In feng shui, both concepts relate to the Kan gua (or area) of the bagua, often called the career area, which also has to do with your path in life. I would recommend activating this area in your home, office, or bedroom if you want help finding your purpose. If you’re doing this on your own, it’s generally easiest and most impactful to start with your bedroom. To find the Kan area of your bedroom, stand in the doorway looking in and find the center of the wall aligned with the door.

Another pattern I noticed in our class was that a lot of people wanted to work on not only improving their career, but also finding something that was inspiring and meaningful to them that made a difference in the world. That is related to the Li gua, which has to do with fame and recognition. Li is the gua directly opposite Kan. If you’re standing at the door of your bedroom looking in, Li is the center of the wall opposite you. Because they are directly opposite each other, Kan and Li are intimately linked. It makes sense intuitively too; your reputation and how you are seen and recognized by the people around you impacts your career, and vice versa.

Li is also associated with the fire element, so if you want to work on finding more inspiration and passion (fire qualities) in your career, I’d recommend activating both Kan and Li. You can do this by adding new green plants, which bring in new energy. Another way to activate these areas is by hanging a feng shui crystal ball.

Those are simple things you can try on your own. Since you said you’re feeling stuck, I would definitely recommend working one-on-one with a practitioner who can help you with your specific situation!

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 questions!

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

Best Feng Shui Colors for a Baby's Room

Guest User August 5, 2020

Anjie Cho was featured on The Spruce

Color is one of the most effective ways to enhance the energy and qi (life force energy) in our environments. When inviting a baby into your home, parents are especially mindful of how to create the most nurturing room for their new addition.

When choosing the paint color for your baby’s room, there are different feng shui approaches.

One way is to paint the room with an elemental color that you are most attracted to. This means a visual color you're attracted to and/or a color with attributes that you feel most connected to.

Another way you can incorporate feng shui is to support your baby’s element. First determine the baby’s numerology using the Nine Star Ki and next, figure out their primary birth element. Then, check out our best feng shui paint colors below to select the paint colors that nourish your baby’s birth element.

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