Welcome the New Year with Feng Shui

Photo by Julia Larson on Pexels

Photo by Julia Larson on Pexels

In addition to wishing you a happy new year, I wanted to offer some direction from a feng shui point of view on how to welcome 2021, and a few things that I’m doing. The start of a new year, whether it’s the western new year, lunar new year, Jewish new year, or another date that marks a new cycle, is a good time to reflect on the passing of time and also to welcome in new energies, especially with ritual. In feng shui, we do a lot of rituals that relate to the home. 

My approach to feng shui is to begin by looking at the home, because we can make changes there that feel doable and even exciting. However, it’s really important to see that our inner environments and our homes are interconnected and interdependent, and they’re not separate from each other. There’s a lot we can learn from our homes

One thing I like to do to welcome the new year is to acknowledge that my home is something that is connected to me, and not separate from me or from any of us. This helps me appreciate my home and environment. Even simple practices like offering gratitude to your home can start to change the qi, or energy, in your life and in your spaces. 

Another thing I’m doing is to start working on a beautiful journal I received from a friend. Part of what I’ll be doing there is looking at how I can begin to simplify my life, and also reflecting upon what I learned this year. I did a self-led meditation retreat over the holidays, and something that’s been coming up for me is that although it’s been a really challenging year for all of us, I’m grateful that the pandemic brought us together on a global level, and we all began to see how we’re all interconnected and interdependent. Even oceans can’t separate us. We’re all connected in this vast network, and we can resonate with other people from all over the world. 

This network of connection includes our homes, too. Like I said above, we’re connected to our homes and our spaces. You can talk to your home in English, in another language, or just talk through your energy, but I recommend you offer thanks to your home somehow. Then, make a list of what you’d like to keep and what you’d like to let go of, and how you can simplify. It might also be interesting to see if there’s anything you can do in your feng shui to correspond to how you are simplifying your life

I hope this gives you some ideas for how to welcome 2021, and I’m wishing you all a happy new year!

by Anjie Cho


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

Q&A Sunday: Is Purple a Good Feng Shui Color?

Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels

Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels

Is purple a good color in feng shui?

First, I encourage you to read more about my philosophy on color. It’s more complex than certain colors being “good” or “bad.” It’s important to think about which colors support your intention, as well as how different colors make you feel. 

That said, purple is an auspicious color in feng shui, and can be helpful in many situations. It’s connected to wealth and abundance, as well as elegance and royalty. Purple is the combination of active red (fire element) and relaxing blue (wood element).This means that purple can harmonize and create inner balance and peace. Purple is also the color of the crown chakra, related to enlightenment and wisdom. 

Purple is connected to the abundance area of the bagua map, called Xun in Chinese. You can place purple in this area to activate and welcome abundance, as well as self worth. To invite prosperity in your career or business, activate the abundance area or your desk. For overall prosperity, activate the abundance area of your home. You can also work with the abundance area of your bedroom, which can support you as an individual, or you and your partner.

A vase of fresh purple flowers is a great activation for the abundance area. Make sure to take care of your flowers by changing the water often, and cutting the stems regularly to allow them to drink more water. You can also place a purple amethyst crystal in this area, or another purple accent that speaks to you.

Keep in mind that what I offer on my blog is the entry level version of feng shui, and if you really want to work with it, it’s best to work with an expert. This is true for a lot of disciplines. For example, you wouldn’t just poke yourself with needles if you wanted to experience the benefits of acupuncture - you would go to a trained practitioner. 

This applies to feng shui as well. I try to keep it as simple as possible on my blog and podcast so you can apply it to your own life. But if you’re really curious, I encourage you to understand that it’s a really deep wisdom, and work with a consultant or study more deeply

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

Create a Meditation Space with Feng Shui

Feng shui is a philosophy developed in ancient China that outlines positive ways in which to organize yourself in your environment. Meditation is a practice in which you can learn to become familiar with your inner landscape. Both feng shui and meditation are used to generate harmony and peace within your life.

Why not use feng shui to create a sacred space in which to meditate that can support and improve your meditation practice?

Define a Space

Select a dedicated space that you can routinely go back to for your meditation practice. It can be the corner of your bed, a room in your home, or a place outside in your backyard. My meditation space is a quiet section of my living room that faces a river view. Since it's not in the commanding position, I've set up a mirror so I can see behind me to put me in a relaxing and calm mental space. It is okay if you cannot find a perfectly quiet spot. Life is full of distraction, and part of meditation is to learn to accept the interruptions.

You can further differentiate your space by sitting on a special pillow, cushion or blanket to define your place. I have a couple of buckwheat zafu cushions specifically designed for meditation. This can help you to dedicate and define your special “spot.”

Dedicate and Clear the Space

After you have selected your meditation space and defined it physically, it is of utter importance to clear and dedicate the area energetically. Space clearing dedicates the invisible energy of space so you can start fresh and set your intention for the space, the particular moment and for your life.

In feng shui, oranges and orange peels represent vibrant, life-affirming energy. Orange essence is refreshing, happy and contributes positive, fresh, and brightening energy to our inner and outer environments. You can use 9 drops of orange essential oil in an aromatherapy diffuser to transform your area into a space with vibrant, life-giving, positive energy. Remember, when you clear the space of the existing energy, be sure to replace it with positive intention.

Add a Crystal for Clarity

Feng shui crystals are used to adjust the flow of energy in a space. They are particularly effective for bringing light, brilliance and clarity to your meditation practice. Feng shui crystal balls are made of faceted, leaded glass. For this application, purchase a crystal that is a minimum of 40mm and place in the center of your meditation space, above your head where you’re sitting or just in front of you so you can see it. The ball should be hung with a red string in a length that is a multiple of 9, for example 18”, 27”, 36”, etc. You can find crystals and red strings at the Holistic Spaces store here.

Use these three simple feng shui tips to create your own sacred meditation place to create harmony and peace in your inner and outer spaces.

by Anjie Cho


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