3 Common Feng Shui Misconceptions

Guest User December 22, 2021

There are a lot of feng shui misconceptions out there, and I wanted to address a few of them in this post. While the things I’m sharing here aren’t problems from the BTB feng shui perspective that I practice and teach, I want you to first consider your own feelings. If you are very concerned about something, always go with your intuition. If you’re very fearful about an object in your home, it’s not going to be a source of good energy.

Plants in the bedroom are bad feng shui

One common feng shui misconception is that you shouldn’t have plants in the bedroom. My teachers taught that plants are fine in the bedroom. I have plants in my bedroom, and my business partner Laura at the Mindful Design School does as well.

Some feng shui consultants do recommend avoiding plants in the bedroom, and this doesn’t mean they are wrong. Their teachers probably taught them that plants in the bedroom are not ideal. There are many schools of feng shui, and while their foundations are all similar, each school has different takes on certain things. If you’ve read a lot about feng shui from different sources, you may have read some conflicting information, and that’s okay. Just think about how many chocolate chip cookie recipes there are in the world; there isn’t one that is the best, unless it is the best for your needs and your taste.

The idea that plants shouldn’t be in the bedroom comes from the fact that plants and wood energy are more active, and the bedroom is more of a restful space. If you do have trouble sleeping, and you’ve already tried all the logical things and you’ve done all the bedroom feng shui adjustments, you can try taking the plants out of your bedroom to see if that feels better.

Again, from a Black Sect or BTB perspective, which is what I teach, it’s totally fine to have plants in the bedroom. That said, if you want to try removing the plants from your bedroom to see how it feels, go for it. I would encourage you to test things out and trust your own intuition.

Mirrors in the Bedroom are bad feng shui

Another common misconception is that it’s not good feng shui to have mirrors in the bedroom. Mirrors are something we use a lot in BTB feng shui because they have the ability to magnify and amplify energy. As with plants, if you feel uncomfortable with a mirror in your bedroom, then you should acknowledge and honor your own perspective. However, from the BTB perspective, mirrors in the bedroom are not a problem.

If you have a second-hand mirror that has a lot of predecessor qi, or if you don’t know where the mirror came from and what energy may be connected to it, that’s a whole different story. With anything you bring into your home, it may have picked up energies from its previous owner or on its way to you. If you do have a second-hand mirror in your bedroom, it is a good idea to clear it.

The mirror itself, however, is not a problem according to the BTB school of feng shui. Again, if you don’t feel comfortable having a mirror in your bedroom, honor that. You have to pay attention to your own personal connections to how your bedroom is set up and how it makes you feel.

Feng shui is about fixing things

The last feng shui misconception I want to address is that feng shui is about fixing things. While a lot of feng shui is remedial, I like to look at it from a different perspective. Instead of looking at feng shui as a way to fix problems, I like to ask my clients what wishes they would like fulfilled. This way, we are using feng shui with the intention of creating the life you want and manifesting your dreams.

Since I’ve started practicing feng shui, almost all the aspirations I’ve written down have come true. Feng shui can be a tool that allows you to see what is already present in your life and be in greater harmony with your space and with the people around you. Then, you can be grateful for what you have, and think about what wishes you have for your life.

by Anjie Cho

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

Q&A Sunday: Can I Use a Mirror as a Headboard

Anjie Cho July 4, 2021

I wanted to know what you thought about using a mirror as a headboard.

Carla P., Houston, TX

Hi Carla,

Thanks for your question!

I would probably advise that it would not be ideal to use a mirror for a headboard if you’re doing this to improve your feng shui. Of course, you can use whatever you like for a headboard, but feng shui-wise there are a few problems I can foresee.

First of all, it’s important in feng shui philosophy to have a headboard, because it provides stability and connects both sides of the bed. I would have to assume that if you want a mirror as a headboard, it is not a mirrored headboard, rather a mirror you’re adapting into a headboard. So then you wouldn’t be able to attach it to the bed frame.

Second, if you could attach it to the bed frame, it seems a bit dangerous to have a mirror fastened to the bed. Or to lean on a mirror while sitting up in bed. It could very easily be broken, and of course broken glass can be a nightmare to clean up. And it would be a literal nightmare waking up to glass shards in your bed.

There are always exceptions, for instance maybe there’s a lovely headboard that has mirror on it. However the sense I’m getting from your question is that you want to use a mirror in lieu of a headboard, in which case I would not recommend that.

The ideal headboard in feng shui is solid, connected to the bed and supports both partners safely. You can read up on that here. Of course it is fine to have mirrors in the bedroom, at least in BTB feng shui, and you can certainly include one above your headboard, but unless you have a headboard with a mirror already purchased, there should be plenty of beautiful options that will be more supportive in that role. :)

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: Extra Mirrors in the Bathroom

Anjie Cho March 22, 2020

I have been listening to your podcast and throughly enjoy it!! You have done some great episodes on the bedroom and office, so wondering if you will touch on the bathroom? If so, I look forward to that! However I have one specific, and very current question as we make a decision with our bathroom remodel.

We currently have a tub/shower, and would like to convert it to a walk-in-shower. My struggle is that the current tub/shower has the sliding doors, and one of them is glass and one is a mirror...which I love! If we convert to the shower only, we will have to do a new sliding glass door, and I have found that it's very standard for those to be available in glass only. I'm considering doing a custom door, in order to again have a mirror. However, I'm curious about how feng shui applies to having that additional large mirror in the bathroom.

Carly M., Oshkosh, WI

Hi Carly

I’m so happy to hear you like the podcast! And also thanks for writing in with your question.

First, I will definitely do a bathroom episode, just for you! Keep your eyes open for it. In the meantime, we have some blog posts on bathroom feng shui here, here and here. Hopefully that will help!

Q&A Sunday - Extra Mirrors in the Bathroom - Floor Plan.jpg

Second, your question regarding a new sliding glass door for your shower - you wanted to know if there are any feng shui concerns regarding having an additional large mirror in the bathroom. Or if there’s a feng shui reason to opt for clear glass over mirror for a shower glass enclosure.

This is actually more a mundane or practical issue and not a feng shui concern. Mirrors are used in many feng shui adjustments, because they can reflect, expand and have many other auspicious uses. In this case, with your floor plan, I don’t see any reason why a mirrored shower enclosure would have any negative impact. And it might instead be positive, because you love having a mirror there so much. So, I will encourage you to go for the custom option.

One occasion where there may be an issue with the mirrored shower door would be if perhaps the bathroom mirror were in line with the bed and the bathroom door was kept open. Your bathroom location is not like this. But in that case there is another reader who has this situation, please read our other post where we discuss how mirrors facing the bed directly may be at your disadvantage.

In most situations, having a full-length mirror in your bathroom is actually a positive move, especially if it brings in additional light or includes plant-life nearby to encourage better qi flow from water to earth to wood. I think it's especially positive in your case, since you seem to love the mirror so much! Hopefully this helps and our bathroom posts will tide you over until the podcast feature!

by Anjie Cho