Q&A Sunday: How to Feel More Inspired at Work

Photo by Slava Keyzman on Unsplash

I am feeling uninspired in my career. Are there any feng shui cures that can help me?

Thank you so much for your question! I’m sorry you are feeling uninspired in your career. That’s not a good feeling, and you are most certainly not alone. I think most of us have been in work environments where our gifts are not nurtured, and when this happens we end up losing inspiration and passion for the work we are doing.

In feng shui, inspiration is related to the fire element. I would suggest you take a look at the li area of the bagua map, since that’s the area associated with fire energy. To find the li area of your bedroom, check out my blog post on the bagua. 

Before you make any feng shui adjustments, I would first observe what’s happening in this area of your home or bedroom. Do you regularly give attention to this part of your home? Does it need to be cleaned? Is it easy for you to move around in this area, or is your path blocked? This information can give you a clue as to what might be happening in this area of your life. 

Sometimes, when you are not feeling passionate about your work, it is because you are not being recognized for your unique gifts. When we feel like we are being overlooked, it’s easy to lose inspiration. If this is the case, I would again look to the li area, since li and the fire element are also connected to recognition, fame, passion, and reputation. Think of a fire, big or small, and what kind of energy it has. The flame of a candle is illuminating, and can bring luminosity, clarity, and attention. In the same way, fire energy can bring these qualities into your life. 

One of my favorite ways to activate the li area is with new green plants. Plants represent life energy and growth. When placed in the li area, they can infuse the energy of growth and new life into how you are inspired and how you’re seen by others. Plants also represent wood energy, which feeds fire. Think about it: fires need fuel to burn. Since your lack of inspiration is specific to work, I would also recommend placing a new green plant in the li area of your desk, since your desk represents your career. A flowering plant can be especially helpful in this area.

I hope this helps you find more inspiration in your career! As always, if you want advice that is more tailored to your unique situation, I recommend working with a practitioner or studying feng shui more deeply. 

Even if you decide to move on from your current work situation, a bonus of activating the li area is that it can help you gain public support if you are starting a new endeavor. So, if you decide to pursue a new career or even start a business, you will have a boost there as well!

by Anjie Cho

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Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

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

Q&A Sunday: Flowers and Feng Shui

Photo by Paula Russell on Unsplash

Someone told me it is good feng shui to have flowers in the dining room. Is this true?

Thank you for your question! Yes, in general, fresh flowers are great, because they can bring in joy and uplift the qi in your home. Flowers also feel special. When I was going to ikebana class every week, I would bring flowers home and people would always ask where they were from. Having fresh flowers in your home can be a lovely and simple way to do some special for yourself. 

It’s also true that flowers are especially good for the dining room. Dining rooms are important places in the home because they represent how we nourish ourselves, and also how we connect to others and how deep our friendships are. However, they’re often neglected because we often don’t spend a lot of time eating in the dining room, and sometimes we even use the dining room table as a home office. If you want to deepen your friendships, make sure you are being mindful of how you interact with your dining room and especially your dining room table. Find a separate space that can function as your home office if you can, and take time regularly to eat meals at your table. Having a vase of beautiful flowers here can also help to bring more attention and energy to your dining room table and the parts of your life that it represents. 

If you do bring flowers into your home, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, if you can, try to find locally grown flowers. Local flowers are generally better for the environment because they aren’t shipped from far away, and don’t require as many chemicals to stay fresh for a long trip. It’s also a great way to support your local farmers. 

It’s also important to care for your flowers once you’ve brought them into your home. Replace the water daily and remove any dead leaves or flowers. Water is their life blood, just like it is ours, and it’s important to keep it clean and free of any debris that might fall into the vase. When you replace the water, you can also cut off the bottom inch or so of each stem, so that the flowers can receive more water.

I encourage you to do something special for yourself and bring some fresh flowers into your home. Choose flowers that you’re drawn to, and if you like, you can even look up the symbolism of those flowers to learn more about what they can teach you.

by Anjie Cho

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Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

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

Q&A Sunday: Finding a Place for Garbage Cans

I'm really enjoying your podcast -- it's a wonderfully simple way to get into the art of feng shui, and I've started using some of the techniques and loving the simple tips and tricks you have provided. I wanted to ask something weird -- is there a good or bad place to put garbage cans within a room or home? I'm curious if the location of a garbage can affects the area and, if so, how?

Emily P., Milford, CT

Hi Emily

Thanks so much for listening to the podcast! I’d love to hear about how it’s going for you so far since you’ve incorporated some adjustments. Thank you also for writing in. The trash can question is not “weird” at all! In fact, you’re not the first person who’s asked me that. There are a few ways to look at the placement and use of the garbage bin. 

First, let's look at the practical function of a garbage can. A garbage bin serves as a temporary place for things you want to remove from your home. It's something we all really need and it isn't a bad thing! It's great to put it in a place where it serves a practical function, like in the kitchen, where you definitely need one! I often recommend that people put it under the sink or incorporate it into cabinets near the sink, where it's best used.  

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that it shouldn't be the first thing you see or a main focal point anywhere. You wouldn't want to walk into a home and see a garbage can, as it can shift you toward negative energy, and the same goes for its placement in the kitchen. It may be something you need in your home, but it shouldn't take the focus!

Desks and bathrooms are also great areas for small, functional trash bins that can be emptied often as necessary. Again here though, avoid letting the bins be first in the line of sight.

On another level, if you view the feng shui bagua in a more advanced way, it's composed of circles, not squares. In this situation, there are areas in between each circle. These spaces are often used for placement of necessary, but maybe not "positive," items like toilets and, you guessed it, garbage cans! Take a look at this bagua map and see if the spaces correlate to anywhere in your home where you can place a trash bin.

Wherever you place your garbage cans, be sure to take them out regularly. I'm partial to smaller bins, rather than giant trash cans, since it's necessary to empty them daily. There's nothing wrong with having a space for trash in your home, but you don't want it to allow refuse to rot and stink as it gathers. If you have this situation now, take a look at where it's located on the bagua map. This can be a sign of where you're not taking care of yourself! 

Finally, I would highly recommend taking a look at what is going into your trash can. Are you throwing things away that can be recycled or can lead to more sustainable living? If you have space, add in a recycling bin to the same area as your trash bin, and move a little focus toward living a bit greener by putting thought into what you're sending to landfills and what you're making available for reuse. 

As with many things in feng shui, trash cans and their placement are very symbolic, and it's really all about your intention. Keeping mindful of your garbage bins and what they represent, and taking care to keep them emptied and clean can make a huge difference in how your space feels. 

by Anjie Cho

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Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our a unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish. Visit us at mindfuldesignschool.com.

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