Amanda Gibby Peters: Feng Shui Will Elevate Your Home's Energy

"Feng shui is happening whether you endorse it or not, whether you believe it or not. Because if you have stuff, if you have space, it is happening all around you. So, it doesn't care whether you believe in it or not. And again, this is my invitation, get curious about where your house can help you out, because it can." — Amanda Gibby Peters

On the Being Home With Hunker podcast we have feng shui expert Amanda Gibby Peters.

When you hit "play" to listen to this episode (or read the full transcript below), get ready for your brain to be filled with incredible feng shui tips. Amanda is here to drop some knowledge, and you'll come away with something tangible to help elevate the energy in your space. Honestly, I was thrilled with this conversation, and I think you will be, too.

Amanda is the creator and founder of Simple Shui and has been teaching feng shui techniques for over a decade. This includes teaching people how to become their own feng shui consultant and her House Therapy Certification Program which empowers people to see their homes as living, breathing entities. Basically, she's training us to see our homes as another family member!

Amanda believes (and now I do, too) that our homes and the greater vision we have for our lives are interconnected.

As we evolve, our home evolves with us – we are meant to co-create with each other. Basically, our home is our accountability partner — we're in relationship together. Our home is reflecting our life at any given moment. So, home-improvement and self-improvement go hand in hand. How exciting is that?

In this conversation, Amanda she shares where people can start when they want to dig into feng shui to tune into the energy of our homes. It's all about amplifying our surroundings. I absolutely love the practical and non-expensive ideas she shares. I personally have started sweeping my front porch at least three to four times a week! Listen to our conversation to hear why she suggests this simple ritual, and so much more.

If you want to learn more about Amanda Gibby Peters, visit any of these places:

• Website: SimpleShui.com
• Instagram: @amandagibbypeters
• Services: SimpleShui/services

You can work one-on-one with Amanda; learn how to become your own feng shui consultant; or enter her House Therapy Certification Program (perfect for designers, real estate agents, therapist, coaches ... or really anyone who wants to amplify their space.)

‌(Edited slightly for clarity)‌

Laurie Gunning Grossman:

My mind, Amanda, is swimming with feng shui excitement and questions.

Amanda Gibby Peters:

Oh, good.

Laurie:

I want to start off by saying, I love your podcast.

Amanda:

Oh, thank you.

Laurie:

House Therapy.

Amanda:

Yeah.

Laurie:

It is full of really helpful information that people can get in these tasted little bits, and come away from listening to you and be able just to go try something in their home. I think it's wonderful.

Amanda:

Oh, I appreciate you saying that. I love it. I put off doing a podcast until literally everyone decided to do one.

Laurie:

Right.

Amanda:

Because I was like, oh, creating content for the blog and courses and curriculum. You know?

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

And then I was like, "But I can do this in really little bite size episodes, and people can get a lot and not feel overwhelmed. And they can do something in their home, and then they'll come back the next week-

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

... because there'll be more." So it's been a lot of fun.

Laurie:

I bet. And it sounds great too. And it's interesting, because I was listening to it and I'm also doing renovations at my house. It started as a need to do, and then we put in a couple of little want to do renovation things.

Amanda:

Sure. That always happens.

Laurie:

Yes. So my house though right now was like, there are dirt piles, and there's junk in the yard and things are moving, but there's a lot of things not moving. And so listening to you, I've really been thinking, "Oh, when all of this is done, and maybe actually while it's happening, I just want to go feng shui crazy." So is this something though that happens when you are working with clients? Because there's so many exciting things to think about and to work on, how do you temper people's excitement? And with that, where do you suggest people start?

Amanda:

That's a great question. Of course, yeah, people always want to do all the things. They're like, "Give me a list. I am so dive in. I'll do it all."

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

It's like, "Well, that's not really what this practice and this wisdom is about. It's about changing things energetically so that you can feel that shift." And what I really encourage people to understand, I guess the most important thing to understand before we dive into this conversation is just when you translate feng shui it's wind-water, right?

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

And wind is energy that we don't see, but we see the effects of. Water's energy we see. So understanding that you are working with both those concepts in your home, not just moving things around or putting paint on the wall or tidying up or taking care of the yard, that you're shifting the energy around you that you don't see. And so when you go to do all of the things, it might visually be appealing, but you might have triggered more transformation than you're ready for.

Laurie:

Whoa, okay. Oh, my goodness. Okay. I can definitely see that.

Amanda:

Because everything is connected, right?

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

And people don't trust me until they're in the free fall. And then we're going through the 14th things that they insisted on doing. And it's really hard to put our finger on, "Okay, what was the thing that became too much, that pushed us over that line?" So I suggest to people, find one to two things that resonate, start there.

And then here's what happens, when you are able to make that connection between, "Oh, I took care of my front door and this really cool opportunity landed in my lap. I didn't have to hustle for it. It just kind of found me." You have that emotional connection. Which means you are going to remember the power of your front door, so much better than if you do a laundry list of things and just sort check it off the list. "Okay, got it done. Now what?" Right?

Laurie:

Yeah.

Amanda:

There's a different approach.

Laurie:

I like it. It's like proof of concept.

Amanda:

Yeah.

Laurie:

So feng shui is so much about energy, is what you're saying. And let's talk about this first. So how important is it for us to tune into the energy? So it's not just about designing beautiful spaces that just look pretty. It's really about designing the energy. Is that what you would say? Feng shui is helping us design the energy? Or is it connecting with the energy?

Amanda:

I would say design can be a part of it. Certainly, you want to feel inspired by your space, right?

Laurie:

Yeah.

Amanda:

But where design is so much aesthetic-

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

... feng shui really focuses in on how do you feel in your space? How is it supporting you? And perhaps the biggest question of all are, where are there opportunities to improve what's happening around you? Because there's this whole body of science, behavioral science now that acknowledges that the buildings that we're in, the homes that we're in, they influence our brains and our bodies.

And so when you start to understand your thoughts are having some say over your feelings. Your feelings are driving your moods. Moods lead to behaviors. Behaviors lead to your decisions, and that drives your outcome. All of a sudden it's easy to get curious about, "Well, wait a second, what is my house saying right now?" And so that's when understanding that every single aspect of your home has meaning. There's opportunity. That's where the curiosity starts to come to life.

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

Because it's like, "Wait, this isn't just an afterthought, or this isn't just a latest trend. This can actually align with me in a very deliberate, specific way."

Laurie:

Oh, my God, this is just thrilling to me. I love it. I just love it. And especially here at Hunker, because we're so much about the home and creating spaces that reflect our identities, and where ultimately we want to feel amazing, and live our greatest versions of our life. And getting back to, you had mentioned conversation, because you said that you work with clients through feng shui, intentional design, and crystal clear communication. Is that crystal clear communication for us with our homes? Or is that between you and your clients? What is this communication?

Amanda:

Well, it's both. I mean, I think that my superpower, what I tell clients and people who follow me on the socials is my superpower is to take really complicated information and give it to you in a very simple and easy to digest way.

Laurie:

Got it.

Amanda:

So that's the crystal clear. A lot of people come to me and they're like, "Oh my gosh, I stayed away from feng shui for so long, because it felt out of reach or too esoteric or really mystical. I didn't like the way it made me feel," because they don't understand of the languaging. There's a lot of fear that's embedded in it, and it's just the way that it was communicated originally. And feng shui has evolved. There's so many different schools. There's so many different approaches. And when you understand that you're able to take really what the backbone of the concept or the idea is.

So there's that crystal clear communication. But also what's happening in your house. So one of the things people will come to me about is, "I just feel stuck. Nothing's happening, nothing's changing." And so we walk through their home and I start asking about a room or certain things that are in place, asking if things have been moved around. When was the last time you changed this? Tell me about the art.

And what I find is that people just have lost that loving feeling for the things around them, and they haven't changed anything. And when the patterns around us or the way that we experience our home never changes, what we see doesn't change. And so it's really helping people get really clear about what you just said, what is this life that you really are wanting to experience or have or dip yourself into? And then how can we say that through your house? Let your intention be the center of attention here.

Laurie:

Love it. I love this so much. And I wrote something down that you say in your podcast, because the intro to your podcast, that alone is chock full of... I was like, "Ooh. Ah. Ah." You say, "What we experience in life is often reflected energetically in our surroundings," which is what you were talking about. "And when we change what's happening around us in a positive way, we reconfigure what happens in our lives as well."

And it's so thrilling to think that we have that ability within our own spaces to not just create the space that we live in, but that it's creating, as we've been talking about, our greater life, the greater vision we have for our life. It's so interconnected. And the power that lies within this. And using feng shui, would you say, as a tool, as a device, as a way of life? What would you call it?

Amanda:

Yeah, it's all of that. It's a wisdom. It's based on thousands of years of observation of the way energy engages-

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

... between the heavens and the Earth. And that sounds, again, out of reach. But really understanding some of those principles. And then how they might be showing up in your home, and how you can either enhance that or mitigate it, that starts to change how you feel. It's so funny, because I've been doing this long enough now that when people reach out and they're like, "This is the problem." I can usually, based on their description, put my finger on, it's one or two things that I think might be happening, because that's how reliable the patterns and this wisdom is, right?

Laurie:

Right.

Amanda:

It's really just understanding those connections. But that's not what people understand when they come to feng shui. They hear, "Don't have a bathroom in the wealth area," or, "Don't have your feet pointing at the door," or, "Oh, my gosh..." Those things that scare people. So I think it's a wisdom. I certainly think it's a lifestyle.

That's another thing that I can't emphasize enough. People want universal tips, and there are a handful of those, sure. But what you understand when you start to steep in feng shui is that at any given moment, where you are in your life, what your challenges are, what you need in your home, that's going to change. And so what I would advise someone today will be very different than what I'm telling them even a year, five years from now.

Because we are evolving, our homes are meant to evolve with us, and they are so able to co-create with us. That's the exciting part. Again, once you understand what the different ingredients mean, you get to start saying those things in your home. And then your home is communicating that back to you. So it's almost like this accountability partner.

Laurie:

It's so beautiful. It's like-

Amanda:

It is.

Laurie:

Yeah. I love that accountability part, or it's just another member of your family, where-

Amanda:

Yes.

Laurie:

... you're in relationship together. And as you say, as we're changing and growing, our needs change, our homes change. And for us to be able to help that along with feng shui, sounds so good.

Amanda:

Yeah. It's just your home is reflecting your life at any given moment. And some people feel really excited about that. Some people feel beat up by that. And I'm like, "No. That means there's opportunity." That's exciting. That means that just a little bit of TLC. And it does not need to be expensive. It does not need to be exhaustive. Those little things, they're sustainable, and they add up more quickly than people give them credit for. We are so used to instant gratification today that we discount those little things. But man, those little things that is the fertilizer, and something that you can do with consistency.

So sweeping the front porch by your door, making your bed, not letting your bedroom become sort of a catchall for everything. Tidying up, leaving a little bit of open space, having a ritual for clearing up your office. Those are all things that don't cost money that if you get into some sort of consistent ritual with, can really change your trajectory. And I say that from 15 years of experience.

I always tell people, "I come from a political science and communication background." Cerebral was my game, right?

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

So I couldn't do this unless I had story after story of my own. And certainly with clients and even people who read, again, the blog or the newsletter or the socials reaching out and saying, "Oh, my gosh, I can't believe this worked." That is so exciting for me.

Laurie:

Yes. And I love how you're talking about how it can be just some practical things. And I want to get into that. I want to get into some practical things. Also, how you touched upon that it doesn't have to be expensive. Because I think sometimes we might think like, "Oh, well, now I have to go buy a whole bunch of crystals and wooden flutes to put over my doorway, or a new red something."

So I want to talk about the practicality of things, because you did have, it was either a post, or maybe it was a post and your podcast, where you did talk about some simple tips. And the first one that really struck me was, as you just mentioned, sweeping your front door area. I immediately got my broom and started sweeping.

Amanda:

Good.

Laurie:

And it's so simple. Talk a little bit about why, maybe, perhaps this is something that people could first start with. Why the doorway? Why sweeping?

Amanda:

So a little backstory. So when I first started, when I was first freshly minted as a feng shui practitioner, I had a lot of people reaching out who this wasn't something they were ready to invest in a one-on-one consult. Or maybe I had a few people I was working with, and they were like, "I don't want to stop. What else can I do?" And I had remembered that one of my instructors along the way had said, "When you don't know what else to do, sweep." And so I thought, sweep, just sweep.

Because, really, the front door is what we call the mouth of chi. It is where, just like your mouth, you take in oxygen, food, water, nourishment. Your architecturally intended front door is where you welcome an opportunity, auspicious luck. That is sort of how feng shui sees what you want to come into your life approaching and entering your space. And so by sweeping it, you're maintaining an inviting space.

So I shared this. I wrote an article for mindbodygreen, and it went viral.

Laurie:

It did.

Amanda:

I mean, seriously. It was a Saturday. I was going to my parents' house. I saw I had 200 likes. When I came out, I had 8,000 likes, and-

Laurie:

Wow.

Amanda:

... it just went, boom. And so I got curious, "What is it?" And I've been fortunate enough to travel around the world. And something that I've noticed everywhere I go is people sweep. They prepare their little shops for the day. They sweep outside their front doors. I think when you're sweeping, you are steeping in something that is resonant in our DNA. It really is ritual for preparing for the day or preparing for the week. And so I think it almost becomes meditative in a way. But it just works so well. Because, again, it's preparing the space for whatever it is you're calling into your life.

Laurie:

It is so cool and so easy.

Amanda:

Super easy. I mean, something that you can... Again, people are like, "Do you sweep every day?" You never need to become a perfectionist with any of this, right?

Laurie:

Right.

Amanda:

So I say get into a ritual of doing it once a week. And then if you find yourself in a situation where you are setting some new intentions, or you're about to do something big that week, maybe you have a job interview, or you've got a big collaboration or something coming up, consider that that might be a quick five minute thing to do to just, again, align the energy of your home so that you're in the best position available for whatever it is you're stepping into.

Laurie:

It's so brilliant. Yes.

Amanda:

And easy.

Laurie:

Yeah. You had also mentioned something about fixing the issues around our homes. I saw you mentioned something about that. Like, if we have a broken window, or it could be a leaky faucet. So these are things that are not just about checking things off our to-do list, which I know is big for our Hunker audience, especially when seasons change and it's kind of time to do things. Can you talk about, in feng shui, how these issues, it's just not about making things pretty, again, it's about changing the energy in our homes?

Amanda:

So the best way to lead into that answer is one of the things that people ask me is, "What are the things that everyone should do?" Or, "What are the things that I just need to know?" And again, this practice is so nuanced, it's thousands of years old, it's kind of hard to just tidy it down to 10 bullet points. So what I tell people is there are three things to know. Everything is energy, everything is connected, and everything's always changing.

So if everything is energy and everything is connected, that means that everything fantastic in your home is connected to you, as well as anything that's happening around your home that needs some attention is affecting you. Now, that's not to cause worry, but it is to say, don't overlook the tasks just so you can buy the new couch, right?

Laurie:

Right.

Amanda:

That's not going to compensate for what something is costing you. And those little repairs, or even sometimes the big repairs, we don't have the language for it, because again, not everyone understands feng shui, but if you understood what it represented, you would feel more than motivated to take care of it. So when people talk about leaks, I'll give a really good example. "Oh, it's just a little leak. It's not a big deal."

Well, water represents our emotions, and it represents money. So when you have this drip, drip, drip, drip happening, that means that emotionally you're feeling drained, and financially you probably have some leaks. And that usually makes people sit up, "Wait, what?"

Laurie:

Yeah, definitely. Yes. We don't want that.

Amanda:

And you don't want that-

Laurie:

No.

Amanda:

... leak to get bigger.

Laurie:

No, we don't.

Amanda:

Right?

Laurie:

Yeah.

Amanda:

Or even, say, pathways to the front door. Say, they're cracked or they need some repair. If you think about how energy travels to you, how things show up to you, you want them to have clear, safe passage. You don't want to give opportunities any possibility of getting tripped up-

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

... on their way to you. So the best way I can explain to people to do this without going into a rabbit hole is to just start looking at things metaphorically. So if something's broken, that could mean something in your life, or even financially you feel broke. If something is cracked, it means that you're not seeing things clearly. If something is cluttered, that means energy is not moving around as easily as it could, or you're not giving yourself the best reception for whatever it is you're calling. Start to get metaphorical, and you might start making some connections to, "Oh, my gosh, this here totally matches what's happening in my life right now."

Laurie:

It's so fascinating to me, Amanda. I love this stuff.

Amanda:

Same.

Laurie:

I just love it. I imagine maybe some people don't believe in feng shui or the-

Amanda:

Sure.

Laurie:

... energetics of it all. There's a part of me that's like, "Why not?" There's a whole mystical, magical world that we're a part of. So it feels like it's a yes to me.

Amanda:

Feng shui is happening whether you endorse it or not, whether you believe it or not. Because if you have stuff and you have space, it is happening all around you. So it doesn't care whether you believe it or not. And, again, this is my invitation, get curious about where your house can help you out, because it can.

And to follow that up, I will say, this happens to me often when I go into clients' homes. If it's a traditional marriage, there's usually a partner who's like, "How much is this going to cost me? I'm not into this stuff." There's a lot of resistance. But I will tell you most of the time, either before I leave or sometime over the course of the consult, that spouse is reaching out to see if I'll come do their office. Or if I have some... Right?

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

Because energy changes, and you can't help but get curious about, "Okay, wait, what shifted?"

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

Right?

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

And so I'm like, "You don't have to believe in feng shui, but we're going to call me a good luck charm."

Laurie:

Right. Yeah. So it's happening whether we accept it or not. It's happening whether we believe it or not, I should say.

Amanda:

Yeah. It's weather, I mean, think about weather, a fast moving river, it doesn't need your endorsement. It is just doing what it does. And it's the same thing in our homes. The way energy moves through them, the things that are being said by the choices we've made around us, the way we position ourselves in our homes, all of those things are making statements and they're having consequences. It's not really something that you get to check out of, right?

Laurie:

Yes. Oh, I love that. All right. So the front door, if anyone's listening, and they're just curious about getting into feng shui, you would say, perhaps, start with your front door sweep. And then the other thing that I did was like, you know what? I could stand and just wipe down my front door a little bit, because I noticed little dirt and little spider webs and stuff.

Amanda:

Here's why I love a front door, and there are a couple things that I tend to play favorites with. I love fresh flowers in a house. I love the front door. I talk about being a command position a lot. So there are some things that get said a lot. So, honestly, if you're curious about the front door, go hit the blog or Instagram-

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

... and you'll find more than what to do with. But the reason I love the front door, two specific reasons. One, because it is a first impression, and we know that because we hear so much about curb appeal, right?

Laurie:

Right.

Amanda:

So when people drive by, they notice the homes that have the big wreath or the potted plants or the brightly colored door, or they're doing something different. You notice that. And there's a ton of research from the Realtors Association that talks about how much more you can get for a home if you take care of curb appeal, how people feel about their homes, and if they even continue to sell it after they've taken care of the front. So there's a lot of statistical information out there to back this up. But in feng shui, that front door, mouth of chi, so it affects what's coming into your life, but it also speaks to how you're presenting to the world.

So when you go out and tidy it up, when you wipe down the door, when you make sure the doorbell's working, when you make sure that you can see the address, when you shake out the door mat, when you put something fresh or living or colorful by the door, say, you want to paint the door, you do that. Any of those things are really going to improve how you are being seen and perceived as you step out into the world.

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

And the most fabulous part of it is it's a small spot, so you don't really get into that overwhelm.

Laurie:

Yeah. So doable.

Amanda:

Totally doable.

Laurie:

And can we just talk really quickly? You mentioned, you brought up command position. So a lot of people have their offices at home now, at least their work desks at home. Can you talk a little bit about the command position of a desk in these spaces?

Amanda:

So people get kind of confused by this. So I'm going to start with think about a mafia boss sitting at the back of a room, solid wall behind him, able to see anyone who comes in, right?

Laurie:

Right.

Amanda:

There's a lot of reason that we talk about being in command. And so let me just explain the setup, and then I'll explain the benefits. When you are in command, ideally, you are back against a wall or something solid, so maybe bookcases or something that feels like it's supportive, you're not exposed. You are facing the door, but you're not in direct alignment with the door, which means that if someone walks in the door, they're not going to run into you if they just keep walking, right?

Laurie:

Right.

Amanda:

So it allows you the fullest command of the room. Here's why it matters. Because when our back faces a door, through, again, no choice of our own, our subconscious is like, "Well, wait, survival's the name of the game, so I need to be paying attention to anything or anyone that might come up unexpectedly."

So there you are working away and you are trying to do what you're focused on, but your subconscious has got a whole nother agenda, right?

Laurie:

Right.

Amanda:

And so something to keep in mind with feng shui, nothing is transactional. So anytime you read something and it scares you, just know that, usually, it's not you've done something and then immediately something bad is going to happen. And likewise, you're not going to do something and immediately something wonderful is going to happen. It really is about what is the quality of chi over a period of time. So going back to command, if your subconscious is on guard day after day after day, there's that drip, drip, drip again of you feeling that decision fatigue, without even knowing it. So you start to feel exhausted. And when you're not on your A game, opportunities might get by you. You might not see something coming up. You might have missed out on something.

Again, all the metaphors of having your back to opportunities play in here. For people who have to face a wall, though, because I don't want anyone to feel left out, you can mitigate that by putting yourself in a situation where you can possibly see the door. So you can angle your desk, you could even put a mirror up. But the bigger thing I would say, the two things I would really insist on is, if you're facing a wall, put a piece of art on the wall that has a landscape view, something that opens up the space in front of you, so you don't feel like you are, again, metaphorically hitting a wall day after day. And then go for a high back chair, so it creates that speed bump between whatever's coming in the door and you.

And that can help mitigate... Because I know when people are working from home, and certainly over COVID, people didn't have the space, and then they were sharing it with their kids, or they didn't have square footage to set up a dedicated office space. So there are ways to work around that. And that's, again, another beautiful part about feng shui, is that there's always a workaround. There's always a way to sort of figure it out. I tell my girls all the time, I think it's a Marie forleo quote, but, "Everything is figure outable."

Laurie:

Right. Yeah. I love that quote.

Amanda:

Same thing in feng shui.

Laurie:

Oh, that was a good tips. You're so generous with your tips too, Amanda. Now, I want to ask you a couple questions about your own space, being that this is your thing. What have been some of your favorite or most powerful ways that you have personally used feng shui in your house?

Amanda:

Oh, my gosh. I have so many stories of this.

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

Well, I'll tell you really, I mean, it's a long one, but I'll make it brief. So when I came to feng shui, when I first started, I was curious, "Okay, so what is this about?" And I started reading the books. There were certain things that I put off. The five elements were one, because I was like, "I don't even get that." And space clearing, people didn't even know what sage sticks were back then, or palo santo or any of this. It was before Facebook. We didn't have these social media platforms.

So I put that off, put off, and then finally I was like, "I got to do one of these things. I kind of feel like I'm circuiting the same information." So I decided I would do a space clearing. And I did. And you can go to my site and there's a lot of information on that. But shortly after I space cleared, I ran into a woman who knew the people that we'd bought our home from, and she proceeded to tell me some of the struggles and challenges that they'd had in this house. And the interesting part of that was, the entire reason I fell into feng shui is because when we moved to this house, there were so many problems.

I thought it was the move. But after six months, it became clear something was happening. And in a moment of desperation, I found feng shui. I didn't take to it right away. I thought it was really silly. I was very skeptical. But here I was on this path realizing, "Oh, my gosh, when we stepped into this home, it wasn't that things were going badly for us, it was that we had inherited all of this energy that had been left behind-

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

... and it hadn't been cleared." That immediately made me one of the biggest advocates for clearing space. In fact, when people are like, "I just moved into a new space, what should I do?" I'm like, "Space clear."

Laurie:

Wow. Okay.

Amanda:

Manage some of that predecessor chi. Just the energy, if you think about it, the things we say, are patterns of living or behavior, or what we're watching, or how we're feeling in our space, that is energy residue that comes off of us. And it gets soaked up into our things, our walls, our floors, all of that. And if we don't cleanse it, sort of like we dust and vacuum and shake things out, if we don't do some of that energetic cleansing in our spaces, and certainly when we move into new spaces or new to us spaces, we are going to soak some of that up. So that was a really powerful, personal lesson for me.

Laurie:

That is so great. And as you're talking, I'm thinking to myself about how we are having a lot of people here working on things, fixing things.

Amanda:

Yes.

Laurie:

A lot of people in and out of our house, or just in our yard, in our garden. So it's still going on, but it's making me think, "Oh, I want to do just a nice..." As lovely as everybody is, but it's still, they're bringing all of their energy into my home or on my property.

Amanda:

So I'm going to tell you what to do. I'm going to tell you exactly what to do.

Laurie:

Let's do it. Okay.

Amanda:

My favorite thing to work with is salt. Again, I like things to be super accessible for people. So it can be sea salt, rock salt, the salt, doesn't matter, if table salt is all you have, that's fine. But you're going to fill a bowl. The size of the bowl, again, doesn't matter, but fill it 70% with that salt, and leave it out for exactly 24 hours and then toss it out. Salt is, I joke, it's the original crystal, if you think about it, but it has this way of absorbing energy. And, again, some of the most powerful stories I have, really traumatic experiences that clients have gone through, who are like, "I need you to come here in space clear."

If I can't get to them right away, I'm like, "Leave a bowl of salt out for 24 hours, and then dump it in an outside trash. You can dump it in the ground or dirt, if you want, if you don't have a dog. But just get it out of the house." Because it is fully absorbed then, and it's sort of a wet cloth after that. It'll kind of seep back out if you don't get rid of it. But it cleans the energy so quickly and efficiently, and it doesn't feel like something that you've got to... If you have to buy several boxes of salt, it doesn't feel overwhelming or, "Well, that's only for some people." So that's what I would do.

Laurie:

Okay. Oh, my god, this is fascinating. I love this so much. I can't wait to do this cure. Thank you so much.

Amanda:

Oh, you're welcome.

Laurie:

And then, okay, just two more questions. So are you making adjustments all the time? I mean, I know you said to not make it overwhelming, but you being a feng shui consultant expert every day, are you like, "Just a little something here, a little something here."

Amanda:

So I have my rituals. I have the things that are non-negotiables for me. And when I say rituals, I am not a perfectionist. Things have sort of a natural ebb and flow to them. Rituals for me are a really great way to have a conversation with my subconscious. So I know when I'm doing something, I don't have to sit down and think about the intention or I don't have to do affirmational work. I know what it means and that's why they work for me.

So sweeping was one of them, cleaning my desk, making my bed, having fresh flowers in the house, fresh fruit out. There are different things that I do with consistency. And then I spot treat based on what we need. To me, it's not like a checklist. It really is about being attuned to what you need or want or that you're focused on, and then looking at your house and finding that opportunity.

Laurie:

I love it. I love rituals and routines. We all do them. Maybe not fully aware of them, but our habits that we do in the morning, if you meditate, or when you drink your coffee and you read something. So just kind of adding these into a daily routine, a ritual seems very manageable.

Amanda:

Here's a really easy one. When you go to set the coffee maker, moving water speaks to financial flow. So just have that thought a couple times. And then every time you're setting your coffee maker now-

Laurie:

Yes.

Amanda:

... you've got this nice little ritual-

Laurie:

I love...

Amanda:

... that's working in your favor.

Laurie:

Okay. I love this. I love it. I just have one more question for you. Our podcast is called Being Home with Hunker. What does being home mean to you?

Amanda:

I mean, it always is being with the people I love and feeling that contentment. It's not the highs, it's the lows, it's the ah. Like that, that's being home.

Laurie:

Oh, that's beautiful. Amanda, I'm so thrilled we got to talk. I was so excited to talk to you today.

Amanda:

I am so happy you invited me. This has been absolutely fun, and I love these conversations. I can talk all day about feng shui, clearly.

Laurie:

I mean, now you've really gotten my thinking going, so I feel like I'm the same. So I appreciate your generosity and taking the time today. So thank you so much.

Amanda:

Oh, you're so welcome. Thank you for having me.

Laurie:

Of course. To learn more about Amanda, visit her website, simpleshui.com, or on Instagram at amandagibbypeters. On her website, you can discover the services she offers, including working with her one-on-one, her House Therapy certification program, or how to become your own feng shui consultant. Also, in our show notes, you can discover other episodes. We think you might like based on this conversation, such as my Chat with color therapist, Walaa.

Thank you for listening to Being Home with Hunker. For more information about this episode or others, visit hunker.com/podcast. And if you don't already, please follow our show. If you like what you hear, be sure to give us a five-star rating and review and share it with your friends. It really does help.

Being Home With Hunker is produced by me, Lori Gunning Grossman. Eve Epstein is our executive producer. The podcast is recorded and mixed at Night Shift Audio. Theme music by Jonathan Grossman. Special thanks to our team at Hunker Senior designer, Mory Men, and director of Audience Development, Gina Goff. Hunker's mission is to inspire and empower you to create a space that expresses who you are, shows off your unique style, and makes your life happier and more productive.

Hi. Hey, there. Hi. Hi. It's always the hey, guys. Hey, guys.

‌Being Home With Hunker‌ ‌is a new podcast where we explore the idea of "home" – not just as a place where you live, but as an expression of your identity. Each week we talk with designers, creatives, and artists about who they are, how they create meaningful spaces, and what "being home" means to them.‌

‌If you like what you hear, please rate and review the podcast, hit subscribe/follow, and share with a friend. When it comes to podcasts word of mouth is how most people will find the show. It really does help. Visit‌ ‌Hunker.com/podcast‌ ‌where you can find, follow, and listen to our show.‌