Feng Shui for Your New Apartment

Anjie Cho November 2, 2022

Miidtown West Full Living.jpg — Photo and design by Anjie Cho Architect PLLC

I'm excited to share with you the first in a series of three posts offering helpful feng shui adjustments for moving into a new apartment. The move from one space to another can be stressful and costly, but these feng shui tips are easy to implement and will go far in helping you make your new home into a sacred, nourishing space.

Clear the Space

First things first, it's important to always clear any new space before introducing your things and trying to set up a home. All spaces can hold predecessor energy which could be negative, but definitely isn't yours, so it's helpful to clear your new space and set an intention for this to be YOUR new sacred space. Try any of the space clearing techniques we've discussed here for refreshing the energy in your new home!

Commanding Position

Moving into a new space is a great opportunity to ensure that you lay out your furniture in the most advantageous way. In feng shui, we have the concept of the commanding position, which helps to identify advantageous placement of furniture in your space, including your bed, sofa, desk and stove, in the furthest diagonal spot from the door, facing the door. This helps you see what's coming towards you in life and be properly prepared!

Check the Bagua

Laying a bagua can be a complicated process, even for the most advanced feng shui experts, but it's an important way to address any energetic needs in your space. If your new home is rectangular or square, simply stand at your front door and lay the bagua, taking note of what areas in your life may need extra attention. If this is not the case (and many times it isn't), you may want to reach out to a feng shui practitioner for assistance in making sure the important areas in your life are accounted for in your space.

As time goes on, you may find that different areas in your space need work, but these three adjustments are a great way to start off your time in this new space on the right foot. Check back soon for the next installment and three more feng shui tips on moving into a new apartment!

by Anjie Cho

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

6 Easy Feng Shui Fixes to Create Prosperity

Anjie Cho October 5, 2022

Aside from help in the romance department, feng shui for prosperity and abundance is one of the most popular requests I get. We all want love and stability! Fortunately, there are many easy adjustments that can encourage prosperity and open your life to abundance. Here are some of my favorites!

Put Your Furniture in Command

It's important that all your major furniture pieces are in the commanding position, as this symbolically places you in control of your life. This is especially important for your desk, where you earn your financial stability, and your stove, where you nourish yourself. If it's not possible to put these directly in the commanding position, add mirrors to make the doors in your space visible from these positions.

Add a Plant (Or Plants) to Your Prosperity Corner

On the feng shui bagua map, the back left corner of your space represents abundance, wealth and prosperity. Adding a plant to this space promotes growth and prosperity in addition to bringing a beautiful touch of nature inside. Check the blog for plant recommendations or opt for three or nine bamboo stalks to really amp up your abundance!

Set Up Some Mirrors

Mirrors are a common adjustment in feng shui and they work well for encouraging prosperity. To increase your earning ability and bring prosperity, add a small, round mirror above your workspace to enhance focus and clarity while you work. You can also add a mirror behind your stove, as burners represent prosperity as well, and mirroring them symbolically multiplies them in number!

Add Citrine

Back to the Abundance area of the bagua map, adding citrine here can also stimulate abundance and prosperity. As with any feng shui adjustments, you can lay the bagua on your bedroom, office, desk or entire space to effectively make this adjustment, or opt for three different placements (bedroom, home and desk) to triple your prosperity!

Add Water to Your Entry

Water represents the flow of cash and wealth into your space, so adding a water element to the entry of your home is a great way to increase prosperity. Just be sure that any water element with actual flowing water directs into your home, not out!

Carry a Chinese Astrological Charm

In Chinese New Year and astrology, each year honors a different animal. Each of those animals has a best friend in the zodiac animal kingdom. If you're looking for prosperity, check out the current year's animal, then carry a feng shui charm of that animal's best friend for protection and luck. This year's best friend is the Pig!

There are numerous feng shui adjustments to increase prosperity and abundance. The more in depth you get with a feng shui practitioner, the more personal these cures will get, but these basic remedies can certainly work wonders as well! We'd love to hear about your adjustments from the blog, so please send photos or stories about how feng shui is improving your life!

by Anjie Cho

Text reads: Mindful Design Feng Shui School: Energy. Meditation. Sacred Space.

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

Common Misconceptions about Feng Shui and Plants

Guest User September 28, 2022

There is a lot of conflicting information out there about feng shui and plants. I also get a lot of questions about how to work with plants in the home, so I wanted to share my perspective and help clear up some of the confusion around three common misconceptions that I hear a lot:

MISCONCEPTION #1: It's not good to have plants in the bedroom because they release a lot of CO2 at night.

Plants do release CO2 at night, but the amount is trivial, and many plants also continue to produce oxygen at night as well. If you're worried about the air in your bedroom getting stale, try opening some windows.

MISCONCEPTION #2: Plants in the bedroom are disruptive.

Plants have a special type of qi (life force energy) that is about growth and vital energy. They encourage us to move onwards and upwards. Your bedroom represents you, so any feng shui changes you make here can have a big impact. Plants in the bedroom might be just what you need, especially if you're feeling a little stuck or lethargic. If you're worried about having plants in your bedroom, try taking them out for a few days and see how you feel. If you notice that you sleep better without the plants, honor that, but in the school of feng shui that I practice and teach (BTB feng shui) there's nothing wrong with having plants in the bedroom.

MISCONCEPTION #3: Spiky plants are always bad feng shui.

If you're going out to get a new plant for a feng shui adjustment, something with soft, rounded leaves is generally best. However, if you have a spiky or thorny plant that you love, don't throw it out! Plants are living beings, so we'd recommend treating them with love. Also, not everything in your home needs to be a feng shui adjustment.

I hope these guidelines are helpful as you consider plants for your space! Keep in mind that there are no absolute rules in BTB feng shui. My teachers taught me that the best feng shui solution for you depends on your unique circumstances…and if you're feeling confused, it's always a good idea to work one-on-one with a practitioner.

by Anjie Cho