Q&A Sunday: Do You Really Need Two Nightstands?

Guest User February 28, 2021

I’ve heard that you’re supposed to have two nightstands. Is this always necessary? Is it ok to just have one?

In general for adults, it’s helpful two have two nightstands, one on each side of the bed. They don’t have to match, but ideally, they should be similar in size. In a mundane way, this creates more balance between you and your partner. If you’re single, it creates space to invite in a partner.

A lot of people who are single may only have one nightstand because they don’t currently need a second one. However, it’s helpful to actually create the space for the partner you do want to invite by accommodating them even before they arrive in your life. You can do this by having a nightstand for them. The same goes for pillows as well—you may only need one pillow at the moment, but by creating your bedroom as if you’re already in a partnership, you’re making your space more inviting, both energetically and physically, to your future partner.

You might also be in a situation where you are not looking for a relationship. If you’re really working on cultivating yourself and you intentionally don’t want to make space for someone right now, that’s completely ok and admirable. If you don’t want a partner, that’s your decision to make.

However, I wouldn’t recommend having only one nightstand long-term. Not only do nightstands represent you and your current or future partner, they can also represent the masculine and feminine sides of yourself. Regardless of whether we have a partner or not, there’s a duality within us that we’re always working to balance: feminine and masculine, light and dark, yin and yang. Over time, having only one nightstand may create an imbalance in these two sides of yourself.

I hope that helps! If you have more questions about your specific situation, I encourage you to work with a consultant or join an upcoming Practical Feng Shui workshop!

by Anjie Cho

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.

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

Q&A Sunday: Auspicious Hours in Feng Shui

Anjie Cho January 17, 2021

is there a most auspicious time of day on Chinese New Year to open windows/doors for nine minutes? Or does time of day matter?

N L D., Lindale, TX

Hi! Thanks for your question!

Yes, there are more auspicious hours to perform feng shui adjustments. I think most of you are familiar with the Taoist concept of yin and yang, which is a philosophy that describes everything as a dance between two opposites. Some examples of yin and yang (in that order) are: dark and light, moon and sun, cold and hot, feminine and masculine, internal and external, passive and active and so on. Everything in our universe has both yin and yang; that’s why I say it’s a dance. The yin yang symbol represents this constantly moving relationship between the two opposites. Then the little dot of white in the black, and the little dot of black in the white…this means that with yin there is yang, and within yang there is yin. The darkness only exists in relationship to the light.

When we look at how a day progresses in time, there are hours that are more yin and hours that are more yang. 11am to 1pm are the most yang hours of the day and beneficial to activate and start new endeavors with a big push of energy. Similarly, the hours of 11pm to 1am are the most yin hours of the day and may be a more ideal time to unravel and/or clarify internal workings of the mind, or have a more subtle push forward (like a "slow and steady wins the race" type of attitude).

As you see, feng shui philosophy is layered and is interdependent on many Asian philosophies, which really makes it so rich and powerful. I hope this information helps you to apply some changes in your life in a more powerful way! Let us know if you made feng shui adjustments for the Chinese New Year and how they made you feel!

by Anjie Cho

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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Practice Feng Shui with the Moon

Anjie Cho October 17, 2015

featured this week on Over the Moon

This month, I thought it appropriate to address the symbology of the moon from the feng shui perspective for our lovely Over the Moon readers. BTB feng shui draws much of its wisdom from Taoism, which looks to nature as “the Way” to achieve harmony. It also sees the universe in a constant dance and balance of opposites, which we call “Yin-Yang Theory.”

Yin and yang principle is about opposites, such as dark and light, cold and hot, passive and active, female and male, and so on. Even the moon and the sun fall into these two categories. The key is that, in our world, the two opposites are in constant flux because one cannot exist without the other. Darkness only exists in the absence of light.

And because the moon is yin, it’s also related to darkness, coolness, and indirect, subtle energy. In feng shui, we recognize the importance of the balance between the yin and yang energies and use the energy of the moon to make adjustments. Yin, or moon-focused adjustments, can be effective for taking the indirect route toward change or improvement. For instance, we call on the moon to clarify a confused mind, or to support fertility, or even ask for help.

One yin moon feng shui adjustment is chanting to Quan Yin under the moonlight. Quan Yin is the goddess of compassion and she is connected to the moon, as she represents the feminine yin principle. You can find a chant that calls to her and recite it under the moonlight. An example is,

“Namo Kuan Shi Yin Pu Sa,”

which translates to,

“Salutations to the most compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva Quan Yin.”

She has the power to cultivate compassion and understanding in your life. If Quan Yin doesn’t resonate with you, try another female deity of compassion, such as the Buddhist or Vedic Tara.

Another way to connect to the moon is with a Sun Moon Mirror. This is a BTB feng shui ritual object that has been imbued with both the yin and yang energies of the moon and the sun. There are countless ways to use this talisman, which can be prescribed by an advanced BTB feng shui practitioner. However, if you simply carry it with you at all times, it will protect as well as balance your yin yang qi.

The moon is an important expression and symbol in feng shui. I hope that you can tap into the yin energy of the moon to improve your life!

by Anjie Cho