Q&A Sunday: Front Doors and the Bagua

Anjie Cho December 9, 2018

You did a wonderful, artful creation! I received my copy of “Holistic Spaces: 108 Ways to Create a Mindful and Peaceful Home” yesterday. I don’t think we have met, but I am a member of Bon Shen Ling.

If you don’t mind, I have a question about your bagua map. Do you consider the front door to be the front door as the house was designed? Or is it the door that you use the most? Because those are two different doors for me. Kinda important for the whole system to work, I think

David D., Milford, PA

Hi David,

Thanks so much for your question, and thank you for purchasing the book. It’s nice to meet you! That’s great you’re a member of Bon Shen Ling; Chongtul Rinpoche is very kind man.

For the readers, Bön Shen Ling, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization in the U.S., is dedicated to supporting the global Bon community through its programs that support refugees and educate western societies about this unique group of people and their way of life. Bon is the indigenous religion of Tibet and is closely tied to BTB feng shui as well as Tibetan Buddhism. Chongtul Rinpoche blessed me at my BTB feng shui ceremony. In addition, 10% of the proceeds from each Holistic Spaces Mandala is donated to support Tibetan refugee children at Bon Shen Ling's Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India.

Ok, now onto your question! In BTB feng shui, when we refer to the front door, we mean the formal front door to the space as was intended when the house was built. There are many people (especially in the US) with the situation that you have, where you have a formal front door but then have a secondary door that you use more frequently. Either way, you would lay the official house bagua on your home using the formal front door. You align the bottom of the bagua map so that the front door is in Gen (Knowledge), Kan (Path in Life/Career) or Qian (Benefactors and Travel).

In your case, if you don’t use the front door very often, I recommend you open it every day, if possible, to activate the energy. If the official front door stays dormant, it may affect how qi comes into your life and home.

Another interesting thing of note, once I had a client where the official front door was converted into a window, and the side door then became their official front door. In this case, we had to open up the closed door. Doors represent the mouth of qi, and the mouth/voices of the inhabitants. When a door is removed or closed up, this may impact the voice of the people and the voice of the house.

Thanks so much for the wonderful question. Doors are really key in feng shui, as is the bagua, so this is a good question for everyone! Again thank you for purchasing the book and feel free to reach out with any other questions!

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design feng shui cerfication program. Laura Morris and I launched our program in September 2018. Check us out at www.mindfuldesignschool.com

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.

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How to create a mindful and peaceful home

Anjie Cho December 5, 2018

featured in The Yorkshire Post by Sharon Dale

Architect and feng shui expert Anjie Cho has put together 108 tips on how to create a mindful and peaceful home. Sharon Dale reports.

We are all used to applying the word “holistic” to our bodies but architect and feng shui expert Anjie Cho believes that it is also relevant to property.

Anjie, a feng shui expert and an architect with an interest in eco-friendly design, is perfectly placed to show us how to turn our homes into calm, balanced and harmonious oases. Her book, Holistic Spaces, published by Cico, £9.99, has 108 tips that blend everything from feng shui to Buddhist and Taoist philosophies and environmental psychology. She says: “Holistic spaces are designed by looking beyond the surface to create awareness and an environment that supports and nurtures the inhabitants.” The book is a fascinating read and begins with a feng shui bagua map that you can align with the entrance to each of your rooms. It splits the space into nine areas, each relating to a different energy covering everything from new beginnings and relationships to wealth, health and knowledge. It then suggests what you can do to improve these areas.

…read full article

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.

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our 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 the Holistic Spaces Store

Q&A Sunday: Black Tourmaline for Protection

Anjie Cho December 2, 2018

Grounding, Clarity and Protection Kit.jpg

Could you talk a little more about using black tourmaline for protection (tip 19 from your book)? Not sure where exactly to place them.

Izabela F., Roseville, CA

Hi Izabela,

Thanks so much for your question from the book. For the readers who don’t have the book, here is the excerpt from tip 19 from Holistic Spaces: 108 Ways to Create a Mindful and Peaceful Home.

“In feng shui, black is related to wisdom and knowledge… Black can be contemplative, too… Because black absorbs, black tourmaline is excellent for protection from negative energy, including electromagnetic smog. Use four pieces to create a grid under your bed, in your bedroom, or for your entire home. Place one piece in each corner (of the bed, bedroom, or entire home). This generates an energetic grid of security and absorbs most types of harmful energy.”

Black tourmaline is a natural crystal that’s pretty popular! It can absorb negative energies and provide protection. I love the idea of incorporating it into your home so it’s part of the design of your space. The black tourmaline can be small tumbled pieces, around 1/2”-2” diameter. The rough pieces, larger and smaller, also work. See what you’re drawn to and what is available for you.

Black Tourmaline for Protection - Grid.jpg

I’ve created a diagram that I hope will be helpful for you, Izabela. The red stars indicate where you can place the crystals if they would go under your bed. They can also go between your box spring and mattress, or fastened to the bottom of your bed frame. Sometimes that’s easier if you have pets, children or a cleaning person who may move them around. Similarly, the blue stars indicate where you would place them in the bedroom, and the yellow stars would indicate where they would be located if the grid is created for the entire home.

You may be wondering which option to choose: bed, bedroom, or entire home. Usually it’s best to start with your personal energy, so I would suggest you do this for your bed first. It’s also worth noting it’s probably overkill to do all three areas (bed, bedroom and home) unless you have a very unique situation.

Check out our black tourmaline and crystal set for protection on the Holistic Spaces store website. I have included in the set a pointed clear quartz crystal that can be placed in the center of the grid. Clear quartz provides clarity and it can be programmed for your intention. Check it out!

by Anjie Cho