How To Spring Clean Like A New Yorker

Featured this week on BondNYMagazine.com

by guestblogger Anjie Cho, who is a holistic interior architect and a sought-after expert in the fields of feng shui and green design. A New York state-registered architect and certified feng shui master, Anjie creates beautiful and nourishing spaces throughout New York City and beyond. Check out her Blog, Facebook, Twitter.

The spring equinox is March 20th and everyone will be out and about, bursting with happiness and liveliness. I imagine it will be even more so after this extraordinarily snowy winter, because we’ve been stuck inside even more than normal. The first day of spring marks an especially auspicious time to start spring cleaning. Below are spring cleaning tips to get that dormant winter energy moving!

1. Non-Toxic Cleaners

Let’s start with the basics. Spring clean your cleaning products! Take an honest look at your cleaning products. Unfortunately, many conventional cleaning products are made up of toxic chemicals. We barely have enough fresh air living in an urban area – why make it worse inside your home? It’s so easy to find or make non-toxic alternatives to most household cleaners. You can make your own all-purpose cleaner by mixing 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. I love eucalyptus because it is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-microbial.

2. Clean The Entrance

Start spring cleaning at the entry of your home. Vacuum your welcome mat, toss all the clutter that has accumulated over the winter and sweep up the dusty corners. In feng shui, your entry represents the mouth of “chi”, where energy comes into your space. Therefore it is important to clean out this area and keep it clean and fresh so you can attract the best energy in your life.

3. Deep Clean the Refrigerator

Next, move into the kitchen and go through the entire refrigerator. Look for any expired food and put it aside to compost. Your refrigerator represents how you nourish yourself. Old and moldy food may indicate or even lead to health problems. There are many locations where you can drop off your food scraps for compost now in NYC. Click here to see where. Be sure to scrub the inside of the refrigerator including all the shelves, drawers and interior walls with a sponge and your new non-toxic cleaners!

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by Anjie Cho

Holistic Spaces Store

How To Feng Shui Your Home Like A New Yorker

Featured last month on BondNYMagazine.com

Even New Yorkers need some feng shui in their homes!  Feng shui can improve and provide relief from our fast-paced lifestyles, even in the tiniest of apartments.  Here are my simple tips so you can create a supportive and nurturing nest in the big city.

1.      The Buzzer

Let’s start with your door buzzer.  I’m talking about the buzzer downstairs at street level.  If you’re lucky to have one, make sure it’s working properly and your name is clearly labeled.  A doorman is a good substitution.  This represents how your opportunities will find you from the outside world.  If you have a broken buzzer, repair it. What if you don’t have a buzzer?  See if you can get one installed.  If that’s not possible, then unfortunately you’ll just have to work a little harder than everyone else to attract the best energy to you.

2.      Your Apartment Door

Now let’s look at the door to your actual apartment. This doorbell should also be in working order.  Other things to check:  apartment door number and doorknob.  Are they in clean, straight and in working order?  Take some time and clean the outside of your door.  A clean apartment door not only invites positive energy, it makes your homecoming more pleasant.

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by Anjie Cho

Holistic Spaces Store

Using Feng Shui to Create a Harmonious Living Space

featured in "Sales In The City" by Kelly Kreth in  
Residency New York this month

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Anjie Cho, a Feng Shui consultant and licensed architect who is also at work on a book to be called "108 Ways to Create Holistic Space:  Feng Shui and Green Design for Healing and Organic Homes," suggests:

  • "Because most New Yorkers are so career-oriented and short on space, look at the clutter on your desk.  If it is in the left-hand corner, you might have stuck energy in financial aspects of your life; if it is in the middle top, your reputation may be suffering and if it is the top-right corner, you need to open up your relationships."  Bottom line: clear that clutter--everywhere!
  • She continues, "not only is it important to keep your door and entrance tidy, but I once lived in a NYC apartment with a broken buzzer.  In feng shui your entry symbolizes opportunities to find you.  How will an amazing project find you if your door cannot be found?"  Greeting guests with a new doormat would also assist in inviting in energy.
  • Storage space is in high demand in NYC.  But in feng shui most things should not be stored under your bed.  Cho warns, "This can represent subconscious blocks in your relationships.  You spend many hours in a passive "yin" state while sleeping.  What is underneath you affects you.  If there is a box of old love letters lurking it may be the reason you are single. Store only soft items related to sleeping such as sheets or pillows."
  • Never work out of the bedroom; it should only be a place for rest and relaxation.

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by Anjie Cho

Holistic Spaces Store