Q&A Sunday: How to Choose a Crystal

Guest User November 15, 2020

Hi Anjie! I have a question about crystals: I’m feeling really drawn to them but not sure where to start. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you for your question! I get so many questions about crystals, so this seemed like a good one to answer on the blog.

My suggestion is to trust your intuition. Go to a crystal shop near you, or look online, and see what you’re drawn to. My feng shui teachers always taught me to first go with what you’re attracted to, not just for crystals, but other things as well. For example, when clients and students ask me what the best feng shui color is for a certain area of your home, I always ask what color they’re drawn to. Then you can look at what that indicates. I always recommend the book Love is in the Earth by Melody. It’s a really great resource when it comes to crystals.

For example, I recently bought an amazonite amulet that I was really drawn to. I chose it because I really love the shape and colors. Then I looked it up, and found that amazonite is soothing and is especially good for the heart and throat chakras. I’m working on the lower part of my throat chakra right now, so I love that I chose an amulet that will help me work with that energy.

What are you attracted to? What do you love? Go with your intuition, and then look up what it means, rather than the other way around. Once you’ve chosen a crystal that you love, you can wear it or place it in an area of your home. Listen to your intuition as you’re deciding where to place it also. Do you feel like you need it with you while you’re sleeping? While you’re working? It’s really important to pay attention to what your intuition is telling you, because that will give you the most meaning.

I also encourage you to not worry so much about sharing your crystal or making a big deal of it. Just be curious and sit with it.

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

Rearrange Your Daily Patterns with Feng Shui

Guest User November 11, 2020

I had a session with one of my healers recently, and she challenged me to start rearranging my day-in, day-out patterns. This inspired me to share some ways you can start to do this in your home. If you reinvent your patterns and how you live in your space, that translates into reinventing the patterns in your life. You can start to loosen your grip on those patterns, as well as open up opportunities to invite in new energies.

One really simple way to reinvent your daily patterns in your home is to rotate the use of your stove burners. Take a moment and think about which of your stove burners is your favorite. Which is the one you always go to? Almost everyone can answer this pretty easily (mine is my front right one!)

From a feng shui perspective, your stove represents your nourishment as well as your career, fame, wealth, and resources. Because of this, it’s important to use your stove every day, even if it’s just to boil water. On top of that, you want to approach how you use your stove with mindfulness. Keep it clean and in working order. Take time to wipe it down daily and check to make sure all the burners are working properly.

What does this all have to do with your favorite burner? If you mindlessly go to the same one all the time, you’re continuing your day-in, day-out patterns. Instead, being a bit more mindful and using a different burner means you’re living from a more intentional place rather than an automatic response. When it comes to your stove, trying different burners can help open up new opportunities for success in your career, fame, and wealth.

I challenge you to go to the stove at least once each day, and try a different burner than you normally would. This way, you’re intentionally making an effort towards something new every day.

by Anjie Cho

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

Getting Grounded with Feng Shui

Guest User November 4, 2020

Today I want to talk about getting grounded, and what that means in terms of feng shui. In feng shui, we use the five elements, which is a system inspired by nature. The five elements can be found in your home, as well as everything around you. Earth, one of the five elements, is about grounding, connecting, stability, and self care.

It’s always helpful to get grounded, especially if we’re in our heads a lot. Being in our heads can lead to a lot of anxiety, difficulty, and challenges. Here are a few ways to get grounded with feng shui:

One simple way to become more grounded is to connect with nature through your senses. We often try to think our way out of things, but it’s important to connect through your senses rather than your thoughts sometimes. From the Taoist perspective, clarity arises once you stop thinking. In the Tao Te Ching, one of the verses challenges you to have the patience to allow the muddy water to settle. When the muddy water settles, you can have some clarity. Grounding with your senses can look like connecting with a pet, massaging your feet, or walking around your home barefoot and connecting to the textures on the floor of your home. The floor represents the earth element in feng shui, so that’s a really great way to ground.

Another way to get grounded is to find a place in your home where you feel safe, and to lie down there and allow the earth to hold you for some time. This is a way to let that muddy water settle, and it also helps you get grounded and connect to the earth.

The third thing I would suggest is to notice what elements in your home connect to nature that is alive. Do you have plants in your home? Animals? Do you live with other people? Next, take a moment to give some attention to those living beings. Notice if there has been a living being in your home that’s been neglected, and do what you can to bring more love and attention to that living being. This could even be yourself! I would challenge you to connect to this being without using words, so you can really tune in to your senses.

One more thing to keep in mind is that simple is always more powerful. People often try to make things more complex, but if something is simple you can really get straight to the heart of the matter. In order to keep things simple, start with my first tip: touch into your senses.

I hope this helps you get grounded. Let me know on Instagram if you noticed any shifts!

by Anjie Cho

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