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

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

Are Snake Plants Bad Feng Shui?

Guest User August 17, 2022

Green snake plant with pointy leaves in terra cotta pot on wooden table — Photo by Kara Eads on Unsplash

Are snake plants bad feng shui?

Snake plants are very popular houseplants that are quite beautiful and easy to care for. They have robust, pointed leaves that stand upright. In my view, they embody the metal element because they’re strong and rigid, like a metal sword.

I’m often asked whether snake plants are bad feng shui, and the short answer is that it depends. Generally, it’s recommended in feng shui to avoid plants that are particularly sharp or pointy. However, something that’s not typically considered a good feng shui plant can be used if you really consider your life and your needs, and if you can find an appropriate time and place for it. This is where you can bring some skillfulness into your feng shui, rather than following general rules about what is good or bad.

Snake plants may be supportive in certain situations and in certain areas of your home, and not so much in others. To find out whether a snake plant in your home is supporting you, the first thing you’ll want to do is draw up your floor plan. Then, you can overlay the bagua, which is a mandala we use in feng shui that has different areas representing different areas of your life. Once you’ve laid the bagua on your home, notice where your snake plant is located, and consider what that could mean.

For example, a snake plant may not be the best plant to put in the relationships area, called Kun in Chinese. This could mean that you’re being defensive and protecting your heart more than you need to, or that you’re being sharp-tongued in your relationship.

However, snake plants can be very beneficial in certain areas of the bagua if you need more fierceness and strength in that part of your life. I have a snake plant in my fame area, called Li, and it’s been very helpful for me. Since I have a public face, I also need to protect myself a little bit. I actually placed this snake plant in my fame area when I needed to cultivate more strength and the ability to have a sharp tongue when necessary.

It also depends on your energy and situation. If you’re already pretty assertive and sharp-tongued, you may not need a snake plant. If you need more strength and protection, though, it can be beneficial. Also, your needs can change over time. After you’ve had a snake plant for a while, you may decide that you’ve received the lessons you needed, and it may no longer be serving you in the same way.

Another great place for a snake plant is on your desk, which represents your career. I find that a lot of people need some protection there, especially if they work with some difficult people, or if they need to stand up for themselves more at work.

Snake plants are also great additions to your home’s entry when you want to feel more protected. However, if you really want to open yourself up to invite in new opportunities, I wouldn’t recommend this placement. In that case, you may want to choose a plant that’s more typically recommended in feng shui, like a monstera or pothos.

I encourage you to have some curiosity about what you need, instead of making blanket statements about what is good or bad. There is a lot of polarity and duality in the world, but feng shui teaches us through the principles of yin and yang that things are “yes and,” rather than “either or.”

Do you have a snake plant in your home? Where is it located in the feng shui bagua? Do you feel like it has protected you in some way?

by Anjie Cho

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

How Feng Shui Can Help You Attract More Abundance in Your Career

Guest User June 8, 2022

Wooden desk with laptop computer, mug, cell phone, and potted plant — Photo by Amanda Vick on Unsplash

If you want to bring in more prosperity and wealth through your career, it’s a good idea to look at your home office, and specifically your desk. Your desk represents your career and path in life, which affects how much abundance you can attract to you.

One of the most important things to pay attention to is the location of your desk. When you’re at your desk, what are you facing? Your view from your desk has a big impact on your energy, and is reflected in how much abundance you can invite in through your work. In feng shui, we recommend placing your desk in the commanding position. This means that you are facing the room, instead of a wall, and that you can see the door to the room without being directly in line with the door. Usually, you’ll be located diagonally from the room’s entrance. Being in this position represents being in control of your life and career.

If it’s not possible to put your desk in this position and you have to face a wall, you can improve the situation by putting a mirror on the wall in front of your desk. When you’re directly facing a wall at your desk, this can mean there is a block in your career or path in life, or that you’re not able to move forward. Placing a mirror here will expand your view and allow more forward motion.

Often, people will orient their desk towards a window. While this can give you a pleasant view while you’re working, it isn’t the best position for someone who wants to advance their career, because it means that your qi, or your life force energy, is going out the window instead of staying with you and your work. Instead, try placing your desk so that the window is at your side, so you can take breaks to enjoy the view without getting too distracted from your career and wealth goals.

Once you’ve found the best location for your desk, you can also activate the Wealth corner to invite more abundance and prosperity through your career. To find the Wealth corner of your desk, divide your desk’s surface into a three-by-three grid. When you’re sitting at your desk, the Wealth area will be in the far left corner. This area is connected to how much wealth you can attract, as well as your self-worth adnd how you value yourself.

To activate this area of your desk, you can place a potted plant or a vase of freshly cut branches or flowers here. A plant is ideal, because it is a way to invest in slow and steady growth when it comes to building wealth through your career. If you are using cut flowers or branches, be sure to change the water frequently and refresh the stems when they are starting to wilt.

by Anjie Cho