Q&A Sunday: The Commanding Position and Living Alone

Anjie Cho May 30, 2021

I am living alone, and my desk is not in a commanding position. Actually, I have a my back facing the door. Nobody will ever come through that door unless I open it. Does it still need a mirror remedy, or is it irrelevant in this particular situation?

Ula, Letchworth Garden City, UK

Hi Ula

Thank you so much for listening to our podcast and for your very thoughtful question. I totally get where you’re coming from. If you live alone, your rational mind knows that you’re the only one that will ever come through that door unless you let them in. However, when we are talking feng shui and the commanding position, it’s not really based on your rational mind, but rather energy. In addition, the commanding position taps into your unconscious mind.

From the physical and scientific perspective, there are areas of the brain that are more primitive than others. These areas are connected with the fight or flight response, or “acute stress response." The feeling of danger and fear is a physiological response that you experience on a subtle level when you cannot see the door or what may be coming towards you. This stress is activated most strongly when the back of your neck is exposed and facing the door, and it applies to any situation with the door behind you, regardless of whether others are around. The increase in this stress level can lead to mood and health issues over time.

Although not everyone is consciously aware of it, it does affect you. I like to compare the effects to a stone with water dripping on it lightly for years; the stress levels begin to wear down at you, and eventually, you will experience symptoms.

Therefore, even if you live alone, and even though you know that no one will ever come through that door unless you open it for them, if you want to improve the feng shui of your desk, yes you still need to be in commanding position. This means ideally you move your desk. If it's impossible to place your desk in command, you can adjust with a mirror so you can see the door. Plus if you are in line with the door, you also need a feng shui crystal, which you can find at the Holistic Spaces store here. This will help disperse the energy coming through your door so that it doesn't all hit you at once, and you can find tips on how to hang a crystal here.

Be sure to also check out our other posts on the commanding position for more information on why this is an important feng shui adjustment. If you are able to relocate your desk to accommodate this position, I would love to hear if you notice any immediate difference in your stress level or if you find yourself more productive at your desk!

by Anjie Cho

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

Mindfulness of Spaces

Guest User May 12, 2021

Anjie Cho was featured on Mindfulness in the City

Buddhism teaches that we are interconnected and interdependent. This includes the spaces and environments that we live in and engage with everyday. Many of us spent more time at home in the past year than what we are accustomed to. What did that feel like? Did you cultivate a new relationship with your spaces?

How can we begin to connect to our world and see the beauty in each moment? Let’s investigate how mindfulness meditation can include awareness of the spaces around us.

Listen Now

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

Q&A Sunday: Bathroom in the Wealth Area

Guest User May 2, 2021

Do you have any advice for a bathroom in the wealth area? Is that bad?

The way that I approach and teach feng shui is to not label things as good or bad. That’s the easy way of looking at the world: this is good and that is bad, or I am right and they are wrong. When you look at the world this way, you’re creating separation.

A bathroom in the wealth area isn’t the most desirable, but I wouldn’t call it bad. In fact, I encourage you to not use the word “bad” in general. You have to have a bathroom somewhere, and you have to work with what you have. Often, we’re attracted to feng shui that may be challenging. This isn’t necessarily negative, because with the greatest challenges come the greatest rewards. We’ve all been through challenging times, and there is so much beauty that can come from them. For instance, you might reach out to people or ask for help. You could create connections, or start to see others with more compassion as you realize the kinds of things that people go through.

Another thing to note is that most people lay the bagua incorrectly, so without looking at your floor plan, I can’t tell if your bathroom is actually in the wealth area or not. If you want some help figuring this out, you may want to check out Mindful Design’s free bagua kit or our Practical Feng Shui course.

If you do have a bathroom in the wealth area, called Xun, the first thing I would ask is whether you have any problems with wealth. If not, this isn’t something you need to worry about. If you do, there are ways that you can correct this. One way is to put a plant in your bathroom to activate and uplift the qi in this part of your home. You can also work with a feng shui consultant to look at what you can do for your specific situation.

by Anjie Cho