Feng Shui for Your Dining Table

Guest User July 21, 2021

When was the last time you used your dining table for dining? What about the last time you used it for something other than dining? We often tend to use our dining tables for other activities, including working. This is probably especially true recently, with so many people working from home. Sometimes, we even use our dining tables as a storage area.

Your dining table is a space to nourish your body, and a place to connect with your friends and family. It represents how you take care of yourself as well as your relationships. Your home represents you and is affected by you, so when you neglect certain areas of your home, it can reflect upon how you treat different areas of your life.

If possible, take time every day to eat mindfully at your dining table. Just like you wouldn’t want your friendships or nourishment to become neglected, it’s important not to neglect your dining table and allow it to get cluttered or dusty. If you are working from home currently and space is at a minimum, it’s possible that you do need to use your dining table as a desk as well. Instead of eating amongst your work papers at the end of the day, take a moment to put away the items connected to your work before you sit down to eat. Sometimes we’re in such a rush because we have a poverty mentality and we think we are running out of time. In reality, it doesn’t take that long to set up a nice meal for yourself and eat mindfully.

If you don’t have a dining table, create a small space dedicated to eating mindfully, at least once per day. I encourage you to make a dedication to take care of yourself in this way. This might mean clearing off the coffee table, turning off the TV, and finding a beautiful placemat and dish for your dinner each night. Details like this can make your meal a more nourishing experience. By making space for a lovely meal, you’re making space to nurture yourself.

If you want to learn more feng shui tips for each room in your home, be sure to check out my book, Holistic Spaces: 108 Ways to Create a Mindful and Peaceful Home.

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 and the Kitchen

Anjie Cho March 17, 2021

When we talk about kitchens and feng shui, it’s helpful to look beyond the functional purpose of the kitchen and look into the metaphorical aspect as well. You can look at the kitchen as a place to nourish as well as a place for families to gather. I’m also a licensed architect, and I’ve noticed that kitchens, and open-plan kitchens in particular, are often places where families come together. Everyone tends to make a beeline towards the kitchen island!

In feng shui, it’s often said that white is the best color for a kitchen because it represents purity and cleanliness, which are qualities that we want in our food and nourishment. White is a great color for kitchen walls and backsplashes, as well as dishes, because it shows off the many colors of the food that we eat.

That said, this is very general advice, so you may want to work with a feng shui consultant to get a more personalized recommendation for your situation. They can give you much more background on different colors and figure out what is best for you, if you’re interested in that. Also, if you really want your kitchen to be a certain color, go for it! No one’s going to stop you. I don’t want you to be afraid to do something because you think it will be bad feng shui. You have to keep in mind that you’ll be living in this home, so you should love the kitchen that you design!

Because your kitchen represents how you nourish yourself, you always want to keep it clean and bring in the highest quality produce and items that you can. This includes cleaning products, too. The quality of your food directly impacts your personal energy, so you want to bring in the highest vibration food that you can.

Lastly, appreciate your kitchen! It does a lot for you, and our homes speak in energy, so offer gratitude to this part of your home that nourishes you.

by Anjie Cho

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 Best Feng Shui Colors for a Kitchen

Guest User March 7, 2021

What are the best colors for a kitchen?

The short answer is: it depends! I encourage you to go back and read my philosophy on color. The most important thing to take into account is what colors you are drawn to, and how they make you feel.

I do have some ideas to share as a starting point, if you’d like some guidance. One principle of feng shui that can guide you in choosing colors is the five elements system. Knowing that your kitchen is a room where you might spend a lot of time, this can give you some ideas about how you want to welcome colors into this part of your home.

The five elements are earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. I recommend reading the descriptions of each below, and seeing if anything resonates with you. Then, think about how you can bring colors into your kitchen with intention. You can do this through the food you cook and eat, your dishes, a new coat of paint, or even something as simple as napkins.

Here are the colors associated with each of the five elements, and what qualities they can bring into your home:

Earth: Brown, yellow, and neutrals

Earth element is great for nourishment, stability, and growth. This makes it a supportive element if you’re struggling with anxiety or if you want to focus on self care.

Metal: White, metallics

Metal is thought of as one of the more ideal colors for a kitchen because it’s related to cleanliness and purity, which is important for the food we earth. We want clean, healthy, pure food with vibrant life energy.

Water: Black and dark midnight blue

Water can help to support wisdom and flexibility. It strengthens our ability to go with the flow and to be less rigid. It can also represent our social connections to other people.

Wood: Green, teal, blue

Wood represents vitality and healing. It’s a great color if you need a healthy boost of qi. Wood is also connected to kindness and open-heartedness.

Fire: Red

Fire symbolizes how you show up in the world. It’s your vitality and passion for things, and how people see you. Fire is a great element to work with if you would like to be more visible.

Maybe one of the qualities of the five elements spoke to you, and you can find a way to bring this into your kitchen. It doesn’t have to be a big change—you can try out something small like a napkin or a mug. As you introduce a color, work with the intention of bringing in the quality of that element that you want to invite.

by Anjie Cho