Dear Karen,

Urgent advice needed! I am currently 26 years old and still do not have any boyfriend. I have checked the relationship area in my living room and the area is the place where my family keeps many Buddha statues and altar. I am not sure whether is this the reason for my single status now and there is no way which I could shift the Buddha statues out of the area. Is there any remedy which I could use?

- S.Y., Singapore

Karen's reply:

If you were to make a tour of all the Buddhist homes you know and find that everyone who has an altar in the relationships corner of their living room has stayed single all their life, then you would have cause for concern. However you are not going to find this is the case. A spiritual emphasis in the relationships corner can in fact help you to attract a partner with a spiritual focus.

When adjusting the Feng Shui of a home for a particular aspect such as relationships, it is best to enhance that area in the overall bagua of the home and in each individual room. In your case, since you are still living with your parents, the most important area to work with is the relationships corner of your bedroom (the right hand corner furthest away from the door leading into your bedroom). You'll find many suggestions for Feng Shui enhancements in my books.

Also bear in mind that Feng Shui can only do so much. An important part of preparing for a relationship is not to focus outside but to work internally on your relationship with yourself. There are many counsellors who can help you with this and personal development workshops you can attend. When you reach the stage of not needing a relationship because you are happy with yourself, that is when you are most likely to attract the right partner for you.