The Fire Element

Guest User June 17, 2020

If you took my quiz and found out that the most nourishing element for you is fire, you may want to add more fire to your home to make it a more supportive environment. Fire is related to passion and inspiration, so adding more fire can also invite more of those things into your life.

One of the easiest ways to bring the fire element into your space is through color. Generally, humans are very visual, so we really respond to color. Fire is related to red, which is very active and dynamic, and the most auspicious color in feng shui. This doesn’t mean you have to paint a whole wall red, if that feels like too much; try adding something smaller, like a pillow or artwork that includes the color red. Triangles also represent fire, so you can add the fire element by incorporating art, furniture, or decor with triangular shapes.

Fire is also related to the fame and recognition area of the bagua, and how the world sees you. If you want to be seen and recognized, try placing nine plants in this area. Plants represent the wood element, which feeds fire. You can also place something fiery here. I have my Durga yantra in the recognition area of my desk. Durga is the Hindu goddess of destruction and rebirth, and the fiery colors and triangular shapes in this yantra invoke the fire element.

Another way to bring fire into your space is with lighting. Lighting and candles represent the fire element. If you want to reinvigorate your fire energy, it’s a good idea to go through your home and check on your light fixtures. Are your lamps covered in dust? Your stove also represents fire, so check that too--is there a layer of grease that needs to be cleaned? Spend some time making sure these fiery objects in your home are clean and well cared for.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design Feng Shui certification program. Laura Morris and I launched our program in September 2018. To get on the list about it, sign up at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com.

Dive deeper into feng shui to transform your life!

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Create sacred spaces that support, and nourish.

Visit us at mindfuldesignschool.com

The Earth Element

Guest User June 10, 2020

Today we’re going to go over how to bring the earth element into your home. You can take my quiz here to see which of the elements is most supportive for you, which can help you decide which element to add to your home to make it more nourishing.

Earth has the qualities of stability and nourishment, like mother earth. People with a lot of earth energy might take care of others, sometimes at their own expense. If that’s the case for you, you probably need less earth! If caring for others doesn’t come naturally to you, and you want to become more generous and nurturing, you may need more earth. Adding earth can also be helpful if you’re feeling unstable, ungrounded, or anxious.

Earth is related to earthy colors, like brown, orange, and yellow. It’s also related to square shapes, as well as stones and earthenware. Incorporating any of these things into your home can help to bring in more earth. A good example of the earth element is a solid wooden desk that is brown and has a squarish shape.

Earth is also related to the relationships and knowledge areas of the bagua, so you can use earthy objects to activate those areas. Earth is also related to the tai chi or the center of the bagua, which is related to health, so you may also want to bring the earth element into the center of your home or bedroom to activate health.

If you feel like you need more earth in your life, try adding one earth element object to your home this week. Make sure to place it with intention, and remember that even one small adjustment can make an impact. Feng shui can get very complex sometimes, but my goal with this blog and my book is to give you simple, approachable ways to start to shift the energy in your home. For me, feng shui is about being mindful in our homes, and paying attention to details so that we can create a more nourishing and healing environment.

by Anjie Cho

Dive deeper into feng shui to transform your life!

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Create sacred spaces that support, and nourish.

Visit us at mindfuldesignschool.com

Which Element Nourishes You?

Anjie Cho June 3, 2020

Since a lot of us are spending more time at home right now, it’s a good time to consider whether your home environment feels supportive, and what you can do to shift that if it doesn't. One simple way to do this is to make sure your home includes the elements that are most nourishing for you. The five element theory comes from Taoism, and is the foundation of a lot of modalities including Traditional Chinese Medicine and feng shui.

There are a few different ways to figure out which of the elements (earth, water, fire, metal, or wood) nourish you the most. You can look up your numerology, or you can tap into your intuition and notice which element you’re naturally drawn to. I like this method because it encourages us to tap into our own innate wisdom, which we all have. Just like everyone can sense whether a home or a place feels good or not, we can sense which element feels the best to us.

To help you figure out which element feels most supportive for you, spend a moment visualizing each of the following vacations and see which one sounds the most appealing. Go with your first instinct and try not to overthink it!

Taking a cooking and wine tour in Tuscany
Looking out the window of a modern penthouse in the middle of a bustling cosmopolitan city like New York City
Swimming in a deep, dark, cool lake
Hiking in a lush bamboo forest surrounded by tall trees all around you
Sunbathing on a hot summer day at the beach

If a food and wine tour in Tuscany sounds appealing to you, you’re nourished by the earth element. If you’d rather be in a modern penthouse in a busy city, you’re drawn to the metal element. If swimming in a cool lake sounds like your ideal vacation, water is supportive for you. If hiking in a tall, lush forest sounds ideal, you’re nourished by the wood element. If you prefer to be on a hot, sunny beach, you are attracted to the fire element.

It’s also totally normal to be nourished by more than one element, so don’t worry if you can’t decide between two of the above. This can also change over time based on what’s going on in your life. For example, I have friends who aren’t happy to be in New York right now when there isn’t a lot to do, but for me, being in my home in New York feels really nourishing and supportive.

Now that you know which element supports you, you can choose colors, shapes, and materials that make your home a more nourishing space for you. Stay tuned for future posts where we’ll go into each of the elements and how to incorporate each one into your home!

by Anjie Cho