Q&A Sunday: Laying a Bagua with an Unused Front Door

I am a bit confused on how to lay the bagua map on my kitchen. I saw that for the entire house, it should be lain on the front door, whether it gets used or not, but my kitchen has the door we use all the time. It makes sense to me that that is where the bagua map should be aligned, but I want to make sure. The door we always use to come in and out of the house is on the east wall in the middle of the room, with the doorway to the rest of the interior of the house through the dining room on the south wall. If the map is aligned with the door to the dining room (since the kitchen is part of the greater whole of the house), that door would be in the benefactors gua, and the outside door would be in the completion gua. 

Judy S., Alstead, NH

Hi Judy

Thanks for your email! I’m so glad you like the podcasts and blog. I’m glad it can help you.

We never got your floor plan. Our team did email you again, but didn’t hear back. You’re still welcome to send it in to info@holisticspaces.com. It is true that a picture can say a thousand words. But based on your question, let’s see what we can do! 

Yes, the main bagua of the house is based on the formal front door, whether it’s used or not. As a reminder, be sure to use the front door periodically, maybe once every 9 days, to keep the qi active there. There are many many people who use their kitchen door more often than the front door. So you can have a secondary bagua map, however this is advanced. As a non-practioner, you should place the main bagua map based on your formal front door.

On a separate note, doors represent the mouth of the inhabitants. Doors are portals. The confusion with all the doors may indicate some confusion with the voices in the home. Perhaps there are too many voices? Or there are power struggles and it’s difficult to tell who’s in charge in the household. Food for thought!

Again, please do try to email us your floor plan! We’d love to help you out!

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers.  Click here to submit any Feng Shui questions!

The Benefits of Natural Sunlight: Health, Happiness and Beauty

The sun is a star fixed at the center of our solar system — everything revolves around it. In many ways, the sun sits at the center of our lives, too. We orient our homes to capture its warmth. We keep time by its passage. It produces the heat and light that keeps us alive. 

These are obvious ways that we depend on the sun. But science tells us that we benefit from sunlight in surprising ways too. Did you know that sunlight can:

• Make you happy? 

• Help you to sleep better? 

• Boost your immune system?

• Reduce your risk of cancer? 

• Lower your cholesterol and blood pressure?

Research shows that a few minutes of sunlight each day can produce so many significant benefits. Health care professionals may not agree about how much sun we need, but they do agree that we suffer without it. 

The Science of Sunlight

The rising and setting of the sun has a lot to do with our body’s natural rhythm, known as our Circadian Rhythm. Our body’s hormones actually respond to sunlight. At night, our bodies produce melatonin to make us drowsy. Come morning, our bodies respond to sunlight by producing serotonin, a “feel good” hormone that stimulates our brains, influences our moods, controls our appetite, and fights stress. Without sunlight, our body can fall out of its natural rhythm. 

In response to direct sunlight, our body produces vitamin D – crucial for healthy immune systems and skin, brain activity, and bone growth. Vitamin D has also been proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, fight disease, and to encourage better sleep.

Disruptions (or lack of sunlight) can trigger a domino effect that leads to poor sleep, depression, and compromised immune systems – an obviously unhealthy cycle. Kind of makes you a little eager to get out in that sunshine, huh? It should. We have a long history (and healthy relationship) with the sun and that’s not going to change any time soon. 

So how can you add more natural light to a dark space?

• Add some shine

The more shiny surfaces you have in a room, the brighter it will appear. Add brass doorknobs and lighting fixtures, mirrors, silver frames, or acrylic furniture.

• Treat the windows

For maximum sunlight, keep your windows unobstructed. Choose sheer fabrics, or cover only the outer edges of the window to create a larger appearance without blocking any light.

• Go light and glossy

Lighter paint colors on the walls and ceiling – especially the glossier finishes – will reflect the most light back into the room.

by Anjie Cho

Q&A Sunday: Prayer Wheels on Ceiling Fans

Thank you for your podcast. I have a question about making a prayer wheel from your ceiling fan. I have always been interested in prayer wheels, but I was wondering if the prayer wheel (ceiling fan) turning counterclockwise during the summer is still auspicious. Perhaps the direction that the fan spins does not matter, but I wanted to make sure that if I print mantras and attach them to the top that it is spinning in the correct way to enhance the benefit.

Barbra, Pittston Twp, PA

Hi Barbra,

Thank you for your email! I love that you are interested in making your ceiling fan a prayer wheel. I personally think this is a beautiful adjustment. Your question is very thoughtful!

It is thought that in order to utilize their ceiling fans year-round, people can switch the direction from counter-clockwise, during the summer, to clockwise, during the winter. This adjustment switches the fan from pushing cool air down, when it turns counter-clockwise, to slowly pulling cooler air up and redistributing warm air, when it turns clockwise during the winter. We're assuming you do this!

Traditionally the prayer wheel is turned clockwise. In Buddhist walking meditation, we also walk clockwise. The clockwise direction creates a tightening, whereas a counter-clockwise loosens. Like a screw, righty tighty and lefty-loosey, right? I just learned recently that most of the planets, including the sun, rotate counter-clockwise, which makes sense because the universe is constantly expanding. It’s loosening, rather than getting smaller. You can read about it here! 

But when we read in western culture, we read left to right, which corresponds to the clockwise direction. Therefore, I agree with you that it’s more effective to place the characters or syllables of the mantra so that when they're positioned, they are unfolding in a left to right direction. But if you've had it set up so it does not read in the left to right direction, remember, your intention is what's more important. Also the direction of the fan changes depending on how you look at the fan. Whether you look up or if you are above looking down, your perspective on the direction changes.

Creating a prayer wheel without taking this into consideration isn't necessarily wrong, but it can enhance this adjustment if it's something you've noticed and are thinking about. Whether the fan is turning clockwise or counter-clockwise is really all in your perspective, so adhering to this guideline is the best way to go. 

Ultimately, I would recommend not letting the process get too complicated and remembering the intention! Remember that BTB feng shui is all about intention, and if you're going through the effort of creating the prayer wheel in the first place, chances are you have this down! 

by Anjie Cho