How to Clear and Bless Your Space Using Your Own Voice

Anjie Cho March 15, 2023

One of the sections in my forthcoming book, Mindful Homes: Create Healing Living Spaces with Mindfulness and Feng Shui, is about space clearing rituals. This is a popular topic, and in my book I share more about why we practice space clearing rituals in feng shui and the best times to practice them.

I generally prefer the term “space blessing,” because “space clearing” puts the focus on getting rid of negative energy. Instead of looking at it as removing something bad, I like to approach this process as a way to bless the space and enhance what is already there. We put a lot of effort into trying to change our experience into what we think is good or what we think will make us happy. When we are present with what is, rather than looking at what needs to be fixed, we can find a lot of ease and relaxation. Instead of fighting our circumstances, we can really recognize and appreciate what is around us.

There are many ways to do a space blessing. You may be familiar with methods that use smoke offerings of botanicals or space clearing sprays with essential oils and crystals. One of the methods I share in my book doesn’t require you to collect or buy any special supplies — instead, it involves using your own qi and your own voice to shift the energy in your home.

To clear and bless your space with your voice, think of a song or mantra that feels meaningful to you. I almost always chant the Buddhist Sanskrit mantra “Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum,” which translates to “The jewel is in the lotus.” Start by taking a deep breath, and then sing out loud as you move clockwise around your home, beginning and ending at your front door. As you sing, place your hands over your heart and imagine your voice permeating your entire home and shifting the qi in your space into a bright rainbow light. When you return to your front door, make a wish to close your ritual.

It’s okay if you feel a bit embarrassed doing this — you can wait to do it when no one else is home. If you want to learn more about feng shui and space blessing rituals, I invite you to check out my book Mindful Homes: Create Healing Living Spaces with Mindfulness and Feng Shui. You can find it everywhere books are sold on April 11th, and it’s also currently available for pre-order!

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 to Work with the Mandarin Duck Symbol for Love and Partnership

Anjie Cho March 1, 2023

I recently visited my family in Los Angeles, and since I was there around Valentine’s Day, I was reflecting on the idea of romantic partnership. It can be really fun to pay attention to what’s present around you in your space, and consider how the things you notice might reflect events or situations that are happening in the outside world.

One of the things I was thinking about at my parents’ house was the symbol of mandarin ducks. Mandarin ducks are considered one of the most beautiful types of ducks, and they are often found in pairs not only in artwork and Asian motifs, but also in real life. They are symbols of marital happiness and fidelity in Asian culture, as well as good luck and joy. It’s said that Mandarin ducks mate for life, and that the two love birds become so attached to each other that if they are separated, they may perish from sadness. I think this is something we can all understand — we’ve been through the heartbreak that can happen when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to open up to a partner. Whatever Valentine’s Day means to you, the symbol of mandarin ducks can be an invitation to consider how you have opened yourself to be vulnerable with a partner. If you want to invite in a new partner, how can you become more open to that? Is this the right time for you to open up to a partner?

My parents received three sets of Mandarin ducks: one from my wedding, and one from each of my two sisters’ weddings as well. It’s traditional for a couple to be gifted a pair of wooden Mandarin ducks on their wedding day, and this represents good luck and conjugal harmony. For my wedding, we dressed in hanboks, traditional Korean dress, and we did a bowing ceremony in front of my parents, and my husband offered the ducks to my parents. This is how my sisters and I used the symbol of Mandarin ducks, but it may be different in different Asian cultures.

If you resonate with Mandarin ducks, there are many ways you can work with this symbol. You may want to find a pair of Mandarin ducks, create or draw your own, or even just reflect upon this symbol of conjugal harmony, partnership, lifelong connection, and opening your heart to vulnerability. If you’d like, you can place Mandarin ducks in the Kun area of your bedroom or home. To find Kun in your bedroom, stand in your bedroom door facing in, and find the far right corner. This will typically be Kun, which is the area of the feng shui bagua that is connected to love and partnerships.

In most cultures, including Asian cultures, weddings are considered very auspicious and festive life events, along with birth, death, and age transitions. In our modern, fast-paced world, we often forget about the importance of honoring these transitions, but in feng shui, a wedding is considered a life event with unlimited amounts of positive qi. I had the honor and pleasure of having my feng shui mentor Rosalie Prinzivalli officiate my wedding. She also helped me choose an auspicious date for my wedding based on my astrology and my husband’s astrology, and also gave me some practices to do.

Whether you have an actual wedding or simply a party to celebrate your partnership, this event is a time in your life when you have auspicious qi all around you. You have an unlimited amount of qi to offer the world, and it’s quite a gift for you to share it with others – so if you are looking for a partner, one thing you can do is surround yourself with people who are getting married, people who are married, or people who symbolize the type of partnership that you would like to have. The more you are around these people, the more you will absorb and understand their qi.

If the symbolism of Mandarin ducks feels meaningful to you, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on this. And whether you are single or in a relationship, I hope you had a happy Valentine’s Day!

by Anjie Cho

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

Feng Shui for Your New Apartment - Round 3

Anjie Cho January 1, 2023

So you're moving! We've already talked clearing your space, laying the bagua, adding plant life and more, but there are still a few more ways to use feng shui in turning a new apartment into a sacred space. Let's hang out in the bedroom (mostly) for a bit!

Balance Your Bed

Whether you're currently in a relationship or hoping to one day be part of a healthy couple, it's important that your bed reflect this. If you shove your bed against the wall, you're telling the universe you don't have room for anyone else! Instead, do your best to center your bed in your space, allowing equal room on each side, and if you're opting for a nightstand, make sure to put one of comparable size on the other side of the bed too. This set up lets the universe know that you're ready to welcome another person into your life and your space.

Avoid EMFs in The Bedroom

These days we're surrounded by technology. Some of us use it almost every minute of the day, and many of us even use our phones as alarm clocks. While this is ok if it's your only option, it's best to try to avoid any electronic items in the bedroom. Over time, the radiation that EMFs (electromagnetic forces) give off can result in health problems like fatigue, extra stress and more. Your bedroom should be a place of relaxation, so if you can, leave the television, laptop and cell phone in another room. If you need your cell nearby for work or as an alarm clock (get a battery operated one!), aim to place it at least five feet from your head.

Hang Art At Eye Level

There are both practical and feng shui reasons why you'd want to hang any art, in your bedroom or elsewhere, at eye level. For obvious design reasons, hanging art at eye level allows the eye to rest easily and view art comfortably, without having to crane the neck up or lean down. In feng shui, hanging artwork too low can bring down your energy and the energy of your space. Here are some tips for hanging art successfully in your new place!

I've shared several tips, all very basic feng shui adjustments, for moving into a new apartment and creating a holistic space. Of course, each space, and the person or people in it, is individual, so there are always more in-depth remedies depending on the person. If you're interested in those, I would definitely recommend seeking out a feng shui professional for specific services, but you can absolutely get started with these tips!

by Anjie Cho