Q&A Sunday: Is There a Wrong Way to Do Feng Shui?

Anjie Cho July 19, 2020

Could doing feng shui the wrong way bring the opposite effect?

Thank you for your question! First, there really is no wrong way to practice feng shui. A lot of times people like to lump things into “good feng shui” or “bad feng shui,” but it’s a lot more complex than that. The right feng shui for you depends on your situation and your space. People also tend to worry about doing things wrong, but I don’t take a fear-based approach to feng shui. The most important thing is your intention.

One thing that I wouldn’t suggest is doing a feng shui cure just because you heard it recommended for someone else. It will probably not be very effective because the advice was based on the other person’s situation, and not really what you needed. Likewise, don't tell someone else what to do for their feng shui if you haven't studied it. You can be your own test subject.

In general, I suggest that you don’t try to do something that you don’t understand. It’s similar to when people buy supplements without being guided by an expert on how to use them effectively. While they might not be harmful, they might not do anything useful either.

The things I share on my blog, podcast, book, and social media accounts is more general feng shui advice. When Laura and I work with our feng shui students, or when I work with clients one-on-one, I share a lot of secret cures and much more personalized advice. If there’s something specific you’d like to work on, I’d recommend working with a practitioner so that they can share cures that are more specific to your situation. It's always best to work with someone that knows what they're doing! They’ll be able to share a lot of things you won’t be able to find on a blog or social media post. Our Practical Feng Shui classes are also a great way to get personalized advice.

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui questions!

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

Q&A Sunday: The Feng Shui Energy Map

Anjie Cho July 12, 2020

I’ve heard a lot about the bagua in feng shui, but I’m a little bit confused about what it is and how to use it!

Thanks for your question! Feng shui practitioners do talk a lot about the bagua, and it’s a really important and foundational concept. Here are a few things to know:

Quick overview

The bagua is one of the tools we use in feng shui. It’s a conceptual energy map that you can overlay on your home, a room, even your desk or bed. If you’re not working with a consultant, the easiest way to start is with your bedroom. Or, if you want to focus on your career, you can lay it on your desk. Bagua is a Chinese word meaning eight areas (gua means area and ba means eight), and it’s made up of eight areas around a center.

How to lay the bagua

To lay the bagua map, align the bottom of the map with the entry wall of your space. Say you are laying the bagua on your bedroom. The entry to your bedroom will always be along the bottom row, so it will be in knowledge, path in life, or benefactors. Another easy way is to stand in the door of your bedroom looking in, and divide it into a three-by-three grid that way. If you’re looking into your bedroom from the entrance, the far left corner is the abundance (purple) area and the far right corner is the relationships (pink) area.

The image above is a really simplified version of the bagua because as we know, life doesn’t fit into perfect squares. It’s a conceptual layout that can stretch or contract to adapt to the size and shape of any space.

Areas of the bagua

Let’s start with the green gua (area) called zhen, which is related to new beginnings and family. I always teach my students the Chinese names because the English translations don’t fully express the many layers of each gua. Each gua is also related to a color, number, body part, and so much more.

Going around clockwise, the next area is the purple abundance area. This area is called xun and is related to wealth and self-worth. Next is li, which is connected to fame, recognition, and the color red. In the far right corner is kun, the pink area, which represents relationships, kun, partnerships, the mother element, and self care. As you can imagine, these three areas in the back of the bagua (abundance, fame, and relationships) are generally very popular! It makes sense intuitively that the guas at the back of your home are related to the deeper aspects of your life, while the guas at the front of your home have more to do with your connection to the world.

After kun we have dui, the white area. This area is sometimes misnamed creativity, but it’s really about completion. The inspiration of creativity is more related to the new beginnings area. Dui is about output and projects, which can be creative projects, as well as children, offspring, and joy. Next to dui is qian, or benefactors. This area is also related to the color grey, helpful people, the father element, and travel.

The black area is kan, related to path in life and career. You career doesn’t have to be your path in life, though they are often related. This area is about your reason for being in the world, and it’s also related to your ancestors. The dark blue area is gen, which has to do with self-cultivation, self-knowledge, and skillfulness.

Finally, the center of the bagua is called the tai chi, and it’s related to overall wellness because it touches all other guas, and all other areas of your life. The center of anything, including a home, body, or even face (yes, you can lay the bagua on your face!) has a lot to do the overall health of the space or person.

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui questions!

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

Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui and Crystals

Anjie Cho July 5, 2020

Photo by Franco Antonio Giovanella on Unsplash

I really appreciate your podcast and all the work you are doing. I would love to hear your opinion about the use of crystals in Feng Shui. They seem an integral part of the practice, but I find them personally difficult to use as many are mined in deadly conditions in one of the world’s poorest countries.

- Christine T.

Hi Christine,

Thank you for your question, and thank you for listening to our podcast! First, natural crystals are actually not an integral part of feng shui. That’s a common misconception. If you look at any older feng shui books, you won’t see any crystals, except maybe jade since that was often used in Asia. A lot of feng shui practitioners do use crystals, but they’re not necessary. The use of crystals in feng shui is part of a modern version of feng shui that’s been adapted to make it relevant for the current time.

We do talk a lot about using feng shui crystal balls in BTB feng shui, which is the school of feng shui that I practice and teach. In the BTB tradition, these faceted crystal balls are very important, but they’re also not necessary. There’s always something else you could use as an adjustment instead. Feng shui is about shifting the energy in your environment. You can use many different tools, including natural crystals or crystal balls, but they’re not a must. If you’re working with a consultant, they’ll be able to give you adjustments that are appropriate for you and customized to what you’re working on, as well as substitutions if required.

In terms of the mining industry, that’s a really important thing to think about. Especially because crystals are used as a healing tool, it’s important to think about where they come from. I find that as I’m teaching more and becoming more available to the public, I have a responsibility to educate myself because what I show and model publicly has an impact. While in many areas of my life I’ve taken the time to consider the ethics involved with where things come from, I haven’t researched that much about natural crystals, so I’m really grateful that you’ve brought this to my attention.

I don’t have a great answer about the mining industry because I’m not a gemstone expert, but I think it’s an important conversation and I’m going to reach out to my colleagues who are gemstone experts to see how they address it. If this aspect of crystals does make you uncomfortable, remember that you don’t have to work with them to practice feng shui.

We all have to do the best we can and continually wake up to see more of the suffering in the world and the ways we can lessen it. Since I’m talking publicly, it’s especially important for me to up the ante and take responsibility for what I am sharing with the world.

Thanks again for your question and for bringing this to my attention!

by Anjie Cho