7 Rules of Mindful Renovation

featured this month on Hunker by Laura Lambert

There's mindful eating. Mindful breathing. But mindful renovation? Well yes, of course. The mindfulness revolution absolutely belongs in the home, because home is where we retreat, recharge, and reimagine ourselves. But what is mindful renovation, exactly?

"One of the ways that my teachers describe mindfulness is paying attention to all the details in your life, whether it's making a cup of tea or your environment," says Anjie Cho, an architect and feng shui consultant who practices mindful design and writes about it on her blog, Holistic Spaces. "Mindful renovation is also like that."

Mindful renovation is informed by so many things that Cho has embraced in her own life — feng shui, meditation, Buddhism, as well as architecture and design. It's about slowing down and paying attention to how the space around us makes us feel, and using that quiet intelligence to inform design decisions. It's also about making choices — like using high quality, green materials, or paying your craftsmen well — that have a thoughtful impact on the world around you. And it's as much about the process of renovating as it is the colors, textures, placement, and finishes.

...read full article

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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.

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Q&A Sunday: Best Feng Shui Location for an Altar or Shrine

I read your "9 Feng Shui Things in Bedroom" and find it helpful. I'm currently remodeling my whole home. My question that I've tried to find an answer to in my books and online: Where is the best position to place an altar...what direction, and is the bedroom not a good place to have it? I am a single woman and my bedroom is in the front right section of the bagua map. 

Carolyn K., 

Hi Carolyn,

Thank you for your question, and I’m so glad you like the MindBodyGreen article, “9 Things That Should Be in Your Bedroom (According to a Feng Shui Healer)”.

Wonderful that you have an altar (or shrine) in your home. My first response would be to ask what’s most appropriate from your teachers and spiritual lineage. If there’s no specific place required, the next suggestion would be to locate it where you will use it. I’m assuming this is where you would practice meditation, so it’s a good idea to have it placed so that it works for you functionally. 

When I created my first altar, it was after I started studying and practicing BTB feng shui. My teachers taught me that, if we’d like, we could create an altar in the BTB feng shui tradition to honor the teachings and as a focal point for our attention. We were even encouraged to assemble “altar committees” in class so that we could have a special sacred place in the classroom. Here we offered an image of the teacher (a Buddha and/or Professor Lin Yun), a musical instrument, a red ribbon on a stick, saffron water, rice, and a mirror in a rice bowl.

Since I live in a small New York City apartment, I have my shrine in the living room. I’ve even included a photo of it here. If I had more space, I would like to have a separate shrine room near the rear of the home. It’s ideal if the shrine can be in a more private space. I’ve been told that the bedroom traditionally is not great, as it’s seen as disrespectful for the Buddha’s image to gaze upon our romantic activities. But remember, the mundane and functional is as important as the spiritual and transcendental. It’s up to you and your specific situation. I can only share guidelines.

I have a spiritual Buddhist shrine, but there are also secular altars that you can create. Laura Morris (together we founded the Mindful Design Feng Shui school) has a blog post about more secular altars. An image of a deity is not required... you can even have a vision board or beautiful inspiration piece of art, like from my talented friend Amy T Won. On my shrine I also have a manifestation list and my ikebana cutters. The cutters are there to remind me to "cut my thoughts" and a tool of my contemplative art practice.

Since I practice BTB feng shui, the direction is not important. However, my shrine is located in the commanding position of the living room. And when I sit to meditate, I face the shrine, so I’ve also placed a small convex mirror so that when I’m sitting, I can see behind me as well. This corrects and places me in command as I meditate. But the Buddha holds the leading seat - the seat that’s most in command.

On a final note, wherever your altar ends up, you can see what area of the feng shui bagua maps it corresponds with. Or alternatively, if you have total flexibility, you could choose the feng shui bagua map location based on your intention. For instance, the Knowledge (dark blue) area would be wonderful if you seek to deepen your self-cultivation. The center area of your home, or the Health area, would be useful to have your altar become the central focal point of your life. A shrine in the New Beginnings area might give you a sense of freshness and nowness every time you sit to practice.

As with so many aspects of BTB feng shui, the optimal placement of your altar does depend on you and your preferences. Of course it helps to observe any feng shui guidance, so I would encourage you to consider the feng shui bagua and the energy of the area when selecting your altar space. Don't forget to arrange your altar with intention as well!

by Anjie Cho

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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.

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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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DIY Terrariums with Margaret West

Terrariums are increasingly popular houseplants, but arrangements can get expensive. My talented and crafty sister, Margaret, shared with us how to make beautiful miniature terrariums with succulent plants, so you can make your own arrangement!

A terrarium is generally a transparent enclosure or similar container for cultivating plants. This version is not sealed, but is enclosed in a small container. Margaret’s interest in miniature terrariums started while browsing Pinterest. She opted for succulents, as they are a bit heartier than other houseplants. Their ease of care makes them a good choice.

Margaret browsed the web for instructions on assembling her terrariums. Everyone has a slightly different way of doing things, so Margaret recommends you adapt her instructions based on what materials you can find.

So, let's get started!!! 

First, the supplies:

THE CONTAINER.  Margaret used glass containers she had left over from flower arrangements. You can find vases like this second-hand at thrift stores or garage sales. Have fun finding containers in interesting shapes! It’s helpful if they don’t have a lot of patterns on the surface of the glass, obscuring the view of your plants. She also used hanging glass terrarium globes that were purchased online. They are easy to find as single pieces or in larger sets in bulk. Margaret prefers the flat bottom globes, they are simpler to travel with because they do not roll around. She also recommends the globes that are meant to be votive candle holders. The additional holes make it easier to water the plants.

SOIL.  Organic soil is always preferable to synthetic-chemically treated potting soil. Margaret recommends an aerated mix such as a cactus blend, rather than general potting soil. The cactus blend has more sand and rocks mixed in. She likes “E.B. Stone Organics” Cactus blend. If you can’t find an aerated blend, mix some porous rocks, such as perlite, into your mix.  

GRAVEL.  Gravel is easy to find at a pet store or aquarium. Margaret opted for the neutral earth tones, but she’s seen people use colored glass, black or white stones, and even sand instead. The size of the gravel depends on the size of the container as well as your preference. If you’re using 4” diameter globes, a 3-5mm pebble size is appropriate. For larger container, you can use the smaller pebbles, or go bigger, like 10-16mm.

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL. You can find this at your local pet store or aquarium too. It’s mixed into and used to filter the soil and minimize any odors. Any leftover activated charcoal you have can be used in a satchel in your closet or shoes, again to minimize unwanted odors. 

SUCCULENTS. Margaret suggests you purchase 2" or smaller sized plants at your local nursery. In NYC, I love Sprout in Brooklyn. You can also find varieties of small succulents on Etsy. Margaret’s favorite at the moment is the Echeveria, because they look like little roses and come in different colors. Avoid purchasing cuttings, which don’t have roots yet. Instead, look for potted plants with root systems.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS. A spoon, mixing bowl, and soft bristle brush, such as a ½” wide paint brush.

Finally, it’s time for the assembly!  If possible, this part should be done outside to minimize the clean up.

1.  CLEAN THE CONTAINER. It is a good idea to start with a clean container. It will get messy as we assemble the terrarium, but starting out clean keeps the cleaning you’ll do later to a minimum. The soft bristle brush is excellent for wiping off the dust.

2.  MIX THE SOIL AND CHARCOAL. Combine 5 parts soil with 1 part charcoal, and mix thoroughly. Add water to this mixture; the soil should be moist, but not wet. How much water to add will depend on how dry the soil is to start with. We recommend ¼ cup increments. Add a little at a time; you can always add more water. If you overwater, just add a little bit more soil and charcoal. Make sure the entire soil mixture is combined well.

3.  PREPARE THE PLANTS. Squeeze the outside of the plant container to loosen the soil and roots. Then tip the plant upside down and lightly pinch container until the plant comes out with the roots intact. Gently massage the root system, to release the loose dirt. The goal is to have the root system exposed and loosened, because there will not be enough room in the container for all the soil.

4.  ADD GRAVEL.  Now is a great time to rinse your hands off. With clean hands, add gravel to the bottom of the container. Margaret suggests using a spoon to ease the pebbles through the small opening of your container. Add about 1/2" layer of gravel for a 4" bulb. Then add a thin layer of charcoal on top of the gravel. This layer of gravel and charcoal will drain the soil, which is especially helpful if you overwater.

5.  ADD SOIL/CHARCOAL MIXTURE AND PLANT. Next add a couple spoons of the soil mixtures into your container. Margaret likes to make a well for the plant to go into, with more soil towards the back of the container. Loosely wrap the root system into a ball, and gently place the succulent plant roots down into the soil. Move the soil around with your fingers to gently pack in the roots. At this point, you can add more soil as required to cover the roots. 

6.  FINISH OFF WITH SOIL AND GRAVEL. Once you have the soil level as you like it and the plants where you want them, spoon a single thin layer of gravel on top. This is decorative and also helps to keep the soil layer in place. Use the soft bristle brush to clean off any dirt and gravel from the sides of the container as well as from the plant(s).

And voila! Your own beautiful miniature succulent terrarium!

If you need some inspiration on the plant arrangement, check out Margaret’s Succulents Pinterest board. You can also look at Sprout’s gallery. Margaret reminds us that odd numbers tend to look best, but two can also work. Pay attention to the size of our container.  And look around the web for inspiration!

CARING FOR YOUR NEW TERRARIUM. Keep the terrarium in indirect sunlight. Although succulents love sun, because it's a terrarium, the heat gets amplified like the greenhouse effect. Lightly water your plants every two weeks, or as needed. A good way to tell when using a glass container is to water when you start to see the soil turn light brown and dry. Be careful not to overwater! Remember that succulents need very little water. 

by Anjie Cho

Margaret West is my fabulous and brilliant younger sister and mother to my adorable nieces, Mia and Julia. Margaret has always enjoyed doing crafts and DIY projects.  She lives with her family in Seal Beach, California.  Follow her on Pinterest

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