The Medicine You Need...
...that you don't always know you do!
Feng Shui is often just thrown into the “woo woo” pile—something that many people consider has no practical backing.
For example, some “fixes” we commonly use in “Shwaying” which can leave a person scratching their head include:
Sprinkling salt in corners
Saging spaces
Using mirrors to stop or reflect back energy
Putting a desk or bed in its “command” position
However, it is only by diving a bit deeper that we can see why these and other energetic practices are very practical indeed, and many actually have their roots in healing and medicine.
For example, salt, as we all most likely know, is used for healing us when we have a cold, flu or body aches. Put a sprinkle in warm water for gargling, or take a salt bath for sore muscles (high magnesium content).
Don’t have a bath? Well, we were taught to go take a dip in the ocean to start feeling better. Nature at its finest!
We often sprinkle salt in corners where we tend to collect “stuff” and cobwebs! It’s an easy way to lighten those areas and allow the energy to flow instead of get stuck. Ever feel heavy, or like you have to take a deep breath, when you see lots of clutter in a corner, or those nasty cobwebs collecting? If so, it’s time for some de-cluttering and sea salts!
Native Americans looked to Sage for its many healing properties. You could expect them to use it for sinus headaches, eczema, respiratory issues, to remove toxins in sweat lodges, and to disinfect “sick” spaces.
In fact, there are various studies that measure the air of spaces before and after the use of sage—showing a significant decline in airborne bacteria. When used regularly, the air we breathe remains clear, and the “heaviness” in spaces can feel lighter due to the removal of positive ions, which can be generated by electronics, pollutants, and stress. These positive ions can give us fatigue, tension, and affect our mood.
For me, saging is Step 1 in my Space Clearing process when I Shway a home or office. Not sure if it works for you? Sage every few days and witness the subtle shifts within you and around you!
Mirrors have multiple uses! This “cure” may be a bit harder to understand its practicality, but perhaps answering this question will help:
How do you feel when someone comes up behind you and scares you?
I don’t know about you, but even when it’s someone I love, it shakes me. It stops me in my tracks, alters my “vibe”, and I have to spend a bit of time coming back to myself. It mis-aligns me.
We use mirrors for many reasons in Feng Shui, but one of the ways I use it most is to support our energetic bodies by preventing us from getting shocked or “attacked,” thereby helping us to stay in flow states instead of anxious ones.
Here’s an example:
I have a client who did not want to put her desk in the “command” position. A command position is when you have a nice sturdy wall behind you and you can see anyone or anything that walks through the door. You are in “command”.
So, using my client’s office as an example, her desk was up against the wall that is adjacent (along the same wall) to the office door, which means that she can only someone walking in via her periphery vision. This position is more unnerving, whether the person is conscious of it or not.
Although the most auspicious thing to do is move the desk, I fixed the issue for her by placing a beautiful mirror on the wall across from and slightly to the side of her desk, directly opposite the office door. Now she can see who or what is approaching, putting her in a more controlled and relaxed state to do her great work and to feel more in flow.
And, I don’t know about you, but there is a quiet air of authority and abundance when you walk into someone’s office and they are visible and inviting. This energy shares, “This is my sacred space. I welcome you, but come with respect and reverence.”
The 5 Elements
At the root of Chinese Medicine are the 5 elements—water, wood, fire, earth and metal. These elements represent everything living on our Earth, and when they are in balance, flow exists.
When there is a lack of flow (think of everything opposite to it!), we have to adjust the elements to bring in more balance.
It’s just like visiting the doctor’s office!
We are sick because we are overworking and not resting (remove some wood, bring in some water or metal).
We are in pain because we’re not moving enough and eating too much (remove earth, bring in more wood or fire).
We are experiencing anxiety because of a loss and we can’t sleep (too much fire, bring in more water or earth).
ETC.
“In our 3D world, each of the elements is represented with unique shapes, colors, emotions, pictures, materials, and more, which is why we can fix the flow in spaces by moving things around, saying ‘bye’ to things that no longer serve (or overwhelm), and inviting in new elements into our spaces to bring in that harmony we need, even when we don’t know that we do.”
~Monique Renée
Our bodies and thoughts tell us so if we’re paying attention.
Feng Shui is the art of harmony via the elements.
The elements are medicine.
Feng Shui is Medicine. ❤️
Spirituality and Feng Shui
Yes, there is a spiritual component to this practice; call it Faith and Hope.
But, isn’t there a spiritual component to western medicine as well?
We are placing our trust and hope in the hands of a physician and lab created medications to help us heal. 🤷🏼♀️
We do the same with Feng Shui and what we know to be true about the wisdom of the 5 elements, passed down to us over thousands of years.
Bottom line, spirituality is at the root of everything.
We are spiritual beings in human bodies.
Take the spirit out of something and what is left?
NOTHING. 🙏🏼
A Balance
Feng Shui, then, is a beautiful blend of both practical and ancient, spiritual wisdom. It is a tool—a science—that when practically applied, can put us (and keep us) in the very best energetically abundant spaces for our highest and best and those around us.
Spirit of Place
“Our ancient ancestors believed that every place has a spirit looking after it or embodying it. Just as we have a soul, the plants, trees, birds, mountains and rivers have their own essence.”
~Collette Baron-Reid, The Enchanted Map.
Our Unique Medicine
What I love most about Feng Shui is how it can support each of us uniquely, depending upon the “medicine” we each need.
Each of us has a different energetic constitution. We find the 5 elements inside each of us. Chinese Medicine and 9 Star Ki Astrology inform us of this (at the foundation of my Flow Roadmap™ system). By a simple scan of our faces and bodies, we can understand much about a person and their needs.
But, then, ask them to express who they are and how they feel today, and the rest of the story is revealed and provides much context for the medicine needed.
Some of us may be more “earthy,” while others of us may be more “fiery” or “watery.” The elements that we need represented in our spaces to support who we are or what season we are in is different for each of us.
Hence, the practice of Feng Shui is meant to be customizable. Some practices are good for all, while others are only right for some.
The Medicine You Need
Each of us carries a unique blend of energies within. Just as no two faces or hearts are exactly alike, the elemental medicine we most need is deeply personal.
Some of us are in a season of fierce growth, needing grounding and steadiness. Others are in a tender season of rest or reflection, craving more warmth, inspiration, or movement.
“Feng Shui, at its core, is not just about rearranging furniture — it’s about listening to what your soul and your season are asking for, then creating spaces that bring you back into harmony.”
~Monique Renée
So I invite you to pause here, take a breath, and gently explore:
🌱 What season of life are you in right now?
Is it a time of planting, growing, harvesting, resting, or beginning again? If this chapter had a name, what would it be?🔥 Where in your life do you feel most stuck — and where do you feel most alive and flowing?
Let your body tell you. Notice where it feels heavy or tight, and where it feels light and spacious.🌊 Which of the five elements feels most present for you these days?
Water (emotion, flow), wood (growth, vitality), fire (passion, transformation), earth (nourishment, support), or metal (clarity, precision)?
Which feels missing or depleted?💫 If you could wave a magic wand and invite one energy or quality into your life right now, what would it be?
More rest? More inspiration? Connection? Courage? Spaciousness?✨ How willing are you to release what no longer serves, so you can receive the medicine you truly need?
Your answers hold the map to your medicine.
When you’re ready, Feng Shui becomes more than a tool — it becomes a sacred partner in creating a life and a space that nourish exactly who you are, and who you’re becoming.
I’m here to support in any way, just reach out! 😊
Monique
P.S. I’m so excited to share that I’ve opened up a WAITLIST for my Fall Cohort of Sacred Home. Aligned Life™—Where your space becomes a sanctuary & your life becomes a ceremony—a guided journey for Women Leaders.
If you're curious, just sign up HERE for updates as we near program launch.
Sending you so much love and AH-mazing ju ju!
Monique
