Q&A Sunday: Positive Thoughts with Feng Shui

Anjie Cho May 3, 2020

How do I create positive thoughts?

Balbir G.

Hi Balbir,

This is an interesting question. Since I’m coming from a feng shui perspective, I’ll talk about cultivating positive thoughts in terms of feng shui. My beliefs and my heart would lead me to suggest that the best way to create positive thoughts is to start a meditation practice. There are a few ways to look at this through the lens of feng shui. I’ll talk about two ways that feng shui can help you start a meditation practice.

First, you can activate the gen area of the bagua, which is related to self-cultivation, self-knowledge, and skillfulness. It’s the dark blue area on the bagua map. There are many ways to activate this area of the bagua; a few ways are to add dark blue, add a plant, ring bells, or declutter this area. If you’re not happy with the way your life is going, it may be time to reflect and get to know yourself better, so this area of the bagua can be a helpful one to focus on.

The other area you can work on is zhen, the green area of the bagua map, which is related to new beginnings and family. This is a good area to activate if you want to start something new, whether it’s a meditation practice, or a shift in perspective. This area is related to the colors green and blue, so you can incorporate those colors into your home or your wardrobe. You can also add the wood element, in the form of plants or column shapes in your home. Similarly to the self-knowledge area, you can also activate the new beginnings area by giving it some extra attention; try decluttering or spending more time there.

It’s always important to do these things intentionally. Know that the physical change you’re making in your home is a mirror for what will happen on the inside. That’s a key factor in feng shui; the inside and outside are interdependent, and they work together.

If you have any questions about how to lay the bagua on your home, check out our posts about the bagua map or sign up for Mindful Design’s next Practical Feng Shui class.

Thank you for your question, I hope that helps!

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 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.

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Q&A Sunday: Laying the Bagua on a Room with Two Doors

Anjie Cho April 26, 2020

Hi!I am reading your Holistic Spaces book and I have tried to find an answer to this on your website but so far no luck.... what if your room has 2 doors? Which way do you put the map as that would totally change the outcome. I appreciate your help and if you have a Frequently Asked Questions page, please let me know!

Linsey R.

Hi Linsey,

That’s a great question. We often get asked how to lay the bagua, or feng shui energy map, when your home has more than one door. You always want to use the formal or official front door, because that’s where qi (energy) enters the home. You use this door to lay the bagua even if that’s not the door you generally use.

It’s very common, especially in many areas of the U.S., to not use the formal front door. Often people use a back door or garage door instead. Because the front door is where energy enters the home, this can limit the opportunities that are available to you, so it’s important to start using your official front door if you can. It can be as simple as making an effort to use the front door when you get your mail; opening and closing your front door will activate it, and will help you start to welcome more opportunities and resources into your life.

You can also place the bagua map on an individual room. I often recommend that people who are not practitioners start by laying the bagua on their bedroom, because it can be much simpler than laying the bagua on a whole house. If your room has two doors, you also want to use the door that feels like the official front door. It’s not ideal to have multiple doors leading to your bedroom, as it can mean that things are a little complicated in your life.

Doors also represent communication, the mouth, and how you connect with the world. I worked on a project where the original front door was closed up and made into a window, and they had added a side door that became the front door. This meant that there was a voice that was blocked or not being heard in the home.

I hope that helps!

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!

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

Q&A Sunday: Laying the Bagua, Health, & Skin

Anjie Cho April 19, 2020

Hi, We are in Australia (Southern Hemisphere) and I get to read your book in our local library. Do we read the map of bagua in the same direction? My daughter has eczema and I want to give her some help in Feng Shui. Health is in the middle of the space. What shall I do to help her recovery? Thanks a lot.

Chuiyin I., Victoria, Australia

Dear Chuiyin,

Thanks so much for your question. For anyone who doesn’t know, the bagua is a conceptual map that feng shui practitioners lay on a space. It’s a three-by-three grid with nine areas that each correspond to a different area of life. The word “bagua” actually means “eight areas,” because there are eight areas around the center.

There are many schools of feng shui, just like there are many schools of yoga, many ways to make pancakes...you get the idea. In the school of feng shui that I practice, BTB feng shui, we lay the bagua based on the formal front entry. We do this because that’s where the qi, or energy, enters the space. It’s also called the “mouth of qi.” In your case, even though you’re in the southern hemisphere, you still lay the bagua based on the formal front door. Other schools of feng shui, like Compass School, Classical, of Flying Star, may orient the bagua based on the cardinal directions, but I’m not an expert in those schools of feng shui.

You also mentioned the health area and wanting to help your daughter with her eczema. You’re correct that the health area is in the center of the bagua. This means it is touching all other bagua areas, and metaphorically, all aspects of your life. Think about it: if you don’t have your health, it can be hard to be successful in things like your career, relationships, or family life. Right now, it’s especially relevant to stabilize your health, and focusing on the health area would be helpful for your daughter and also your family in general.

You can start activating the tai chi by giving attention to the center of your home: notice what is going on in that area of your home or bedroom, start spending more time there, and make sure it is well cared for and uncluttered. You can also add the color yellow, which is related to this area, and/or plants, which bring growth and healing.

There are many metaphors in feng shui. If someone in your household is having skin issues, it may be helpful to notice what is going on with the walls, which represent the “skin” of your home. Are they dirty? Do they need a new coat of paint? Working on things in your home can work in tandem with what you’re doing for your health.

Thanks again for your question!

by Anjie Cho