Feng Shui on a Budget

Many times, I hear people say that they can't afford to make the feng shui adjustments they'd like, or they worry about having to buy new items in order to improve the energy in their homes. While there are a number of products available to improve the qi in your spaces, I'm a firm believer that feng shui should be available to everyone. Take a peek at the tips below for introducing feng shui into your home and office, even if you're on a budget. Keep in mind, although these adjustments are effective, especially with the right intentions, they don't take the place of a certified practitioner. 

Student Consultations

Many feng shui schools or organizations offer student consultations while students are still learning. Think of places you can get a cheaper haircut by an instructor-assisted student, or discounts on other beauty regiments, like manicures or massages, as students perfect their craft. Feng shui academies often do the same thing! Spend some time online checking out schools near you, and if you're in the New York area, try the BTB Feng Shui Masters Training Program, where I learned feng shui! Or, hire one of my students!

Holistic Spaces

We work hard on the Holistic Spaces blog to bring you as many helpful, affordable feng shui tips as possible. From our Q&A Sunday questions to the podcast to weekly blog posts on common feng shui adjustments, the Holistic Spaces blog is a good spot to find information on feng shui without the cost of a full consultation. Just use the search bar on the right-hand side under Previous Blog Posts!

One Good Deed a Day

One of the first adjustments my feng shui mentor taught me was One Good Deed a Day. It seems easy enough - just do one good deed every day for 27 days. The best part about this adjustment is that, once you really start to think about it, it becomes so much more than just a good deed for another. This adjustment can really open doors for positive energy to come to you, and it's completely free!

Plant Life

A favorite adjustment for feng shui believers and non-believers alike is the addition of plants to your spaces. In feng shui, plants bring life energy to your home or office through the wood element, which symbolizes new beginnings, kind heartedness and fresh energy. As an added perk, they also work hard to improve the air quality in your indoor spaces. Adding a plant to your home or office can be as easy as transporting some of your backyard greenery indoors or even borrowing cuttings from friend. Check out how to do that here! 

Qi Cleansing of Re-used Objects

While it is almost always better to invest in new items or plants for adjustment purposes, it's understandable that isn't always an option. Maybe you managed to find some beautiful crystals at a thrift shop, or a friend moved away and left an object in your care. These are both acceptable additions to your space, but always remember to clear the energy of any item that comes into your home. Whether you open the windows and peel some oranges or burn a little palo santo, refreshing the energy in your space, including the items there, is a very important aspect of feng shui. Usually it's best to clear the "predecessor qi" of any reused objects so you can start fresh.  

Book Tips

One of my favorite resources for feng shui on any budget is my book, 108 Ways to Create Holistic Spaces. I finished my first book this year, and it's packed with tips on creating your own holistic space through feng shui adjustments and guidance, like how using different burners can open up your opportunities. If you haven't picked up a copy, check the Holistic Spaces store for a signed one! 

No matter what adjustments you decide are best for you and your space, the most important part of feng shui is remembering that it is YOUR space. Everyone deserves to have a sacred space filled with positive energy and beautiful objects that nourishes who they are. Your holistic space may be different from a friend or family members, and you make choose different adjustments that speak to you, but ultimately, all that matters is that you make your space your own. 

Have you made any of the adjustments or changes we mention on the site? We absolutely love to hear about how feng shui has affected the lives of our readers. Share your story in the comments (photos encouraged)! 

by Anjie Cho

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

De-Stress Your Relationship

Valentine’s Day is an opportune time to look at your primary romantic relationship. No matter how well it’s going, all relationships can use some support. Feng shui gives us some practical and magical tools to give your relationship some extra support. And if you’re not in a relationship, these tips still apply!

1. A headboard for support

A stable headboard that is securely attached to the bed represents solid support and stability in a relationship. The best type of headboard has no bars, holes or perforations. The bars may indicate feeling imprisoned or caged! Holes or perforations lack stability and may weaken a relationship. If you already have a headboard, just make sure to tighten it to the bed. The headboard should be securely and mechanically fastened to the bed (rather than attached to the wall, or almost falling off). If you don’t have a relationship, the headboard will help you to attract a relationship that has enough support to last!

2. Equal partners

Be sure to maintain equality in the relationship by having equal space on both sides of the bed. If possible, each person should have at least 18” of space between the wall and the side of the bed. You also want to have equally balanced nightstands with lamps. The nightstands need not be matching, but close in size. I had a client whose husband had a huge nightstand, and she had this tiny little thing. Such a situation may manifest itself in an unbalanced power relationship between the couple. If you’re single, this lets the universe know that you have space available to accommodate someone into your life.

3. Pair of rose quartz

Rose quartz is a natural semi-precious gemstone that assists in opening up our heart to receive and give love. Place two similarly sized pieces of this natural stone on your nightstand to symbolize and attract supportive openness between you and your partner. If you are looking for a romantic relationship, the rose quartz can support self-love and healing so that you can attract the best partner.

4. Clean under the bed

Whether you’re single or have a partner, the objects and storage underneath your bed can represent unconscious blocks in your love live. The energy of anything under your bed truly affects you in a great way, especially because we spend many passive “yin” hours sleeping in bed. If you must have some storage there, stick to sleep related items such as pillows, blankets and linens. Absolutely no photos of ex-lovers or anything sharp or dangerous.

5. In case you need more passion

Hey, we can all probably use a little more passion in our lives right? Maybe for Valentine’s Day it’s time to treat yourself to a racy little lingerie set… in RED! Red is the color passion and fire. Get yourself some sexy red underwear and see how it makes you feel. I promise it will make a difference. You can also get yourself some red sheets to heat things up in bed!

by Anjie Cho

Greenwashing and How to Avoid It

With the increased focus worldwide on taking better care of our planet and preserving our natural resources, marketing campaigns have started to focus on sustainability as a selling point in many fields. This is an awesome move if the company really is an active advocate for preserving water, energy and the like; however, many times companies toss a green marketing claim to consumers based on little to no actual action. Customers who fall for these claims and purchase advertised products from companies who aren't actually green are doing little to help save our planet and, in reality, may be unwillingly doing more harm than good. We call this "greenwashing."

Fortunately, greenwashing is a villain that can be stopped relatively easily if consumers are careful and pay close attention to products they purchase. The most accurate way to avoid being greenwashed is to properly research "green" products before purchasing. If your favorite detergent company has just launched a green cleaner, take the time to check facts about what exactly makes this new detergent qualify as green.

On this same note, avoiding greenwashing is about more than just ensuring that you buy holistic products. The idea behind going green requires that we do everything in our power to reduce the carbon footprint each of us leaves on the world. In this way, we can directly save many of the non-renewable resources we're currently flying through. That said, even if a product really is "green" on the consumer side, if the company is required to use more energy and produce more waste in order to create the product, perhaps promoting its production isn't the best thing for our planet. Just like you research your products, research the companies who make them. Are they really following a green initiative or just trying to make a buck off the good efforts of others?

I'm very happy to see the overwhelming number of new environmentally friendly options on the market, but remember the reason for these products. If we aren't actually conserving the earth's resources, perhaps these campaigns are less "green" and more "greenwash."

by Anjie Cho