Carole Hyder

Garden Alive: Feng Shui on the Path

2009-07-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

My husband has completed the enormous project of cutting a path through our backyard hill as discussed in a past blog. As with many projects that have a purpose, it took on a life of its own. He listened to its flow and followed the energy to create a beautiful, meandering walk through a once unwalkable hill.

What the path accomplished for us is a definition of areas. Instead of one big hill to consider, we now have smaller garden plots that can be treated as a unit. One day as I was walking the path, I was inspired with an idea that will help define the areas even more, which is to give them specific names. We could name one of them after our cat Bodhi who typically sits in that part of the hill—the Bodhi Garden. Another area where years ago we placed a lawn ornament with the Chinese character for ch’i could be called The Ch’i Garden.

When incorporating Feng Shui in a home, I’m very specific about instructing people to use all the rooms in their home. If not, some part of the home and their lives will become stagnant. It has become blatantly obvious this same concept must be applied to the garden as well. If there are parts of your garden or yard you can’t get to or don’t access, something is going to be dormant in your own life.

Whether we stay with the suggested names is yet to be determined. Not only does the gardener himself have to determine their appropriate titles, but also the garden. Anyone who has walked the path comes away with a smile on their face and their spirits lifted. Something came alive when the path was uncovered, and it isn’t just us. Everyday I see our cats strolling on the new walkway. In fact, one day I found one of them actually sleeping on the path. Knowing how cats are so sensitive to energy, I have no doubt an energy has surfaced offering a fresh message from the land. I’ll bet the garden can offer up some great names—better than any we’d conjure up or imagine.

Rocking the Flow: Keeping Feng Shui in the Family

2009-07-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

In recent days with the deaths of so many celebrities, I’m brought back to a question that has been nagging me for years. The question has to do with stuff----more specifically, who’s going to deal with my stuff after I’m gone. I presume this is critical for me because I have no children of my own who will take care of this issue. The thought of a stranger making decisions about my treasures doesn’t set well.

When my Mom passed away, she had reduced her life to one room. Clearing out most of her things had occurred in the years prior to her death, so that once she was gone the remainder of her clothes and furniture were disposed of in half a day. I always appreciated that about her. My sister, however, is still going through my niece’s extensive collections of stuff five years after she died

When my Dad’s mother passed away about fifty years ago he came back from her funeral in North Dakota with her rocker. She had rocked all eleven of her babies in that chair. My Dad refinished it and now I have it. I’ve treasured it with all my heart over the years, but I have often thought about what will happen to it when I’m no longer around to appreciate its beauty and its history.

A valid question could be why I’d care if I’m dead. But this isn’t about me, it’s about the rocker and where it belongs. My sister isn’t interested in it; my nephew doesn’t understand its meaning. So last summer when some cousins from North Dakota were visiting, I showed them the rocker. One of them remembered Grandma’s rocker that had been in her bedroom and always wondered where it went. Without thinking I offered it back to her. I knew it belonged back in a part of the family where there were generations who could keep Grandma’s memory alive. Although I loved this little rocker, the thought of it returning to where it started its life filled my heart. My cousin has kids and grandkids who, she assured me, would all be interested in the chair.

Because she was traveling by train last summer and couldn’t take the rocker with her, my sister and I will be delivering it to her in North Dakota this week. I’m very sad to let it go and will miss its sweet presence in our house, but I know this is right and I’m happy for its future. Its energy will be alive and well long after I’m not.

Opportunities are Knocking: Feng Shui at your Front Door

2009-06-26T12:42:00.001-07:00

It is not unusual for me to go to a Feng Shui appointment and discover that the only way the client knows I’ve arrived is to bang my fists against their front door. There is either no doorbell for me to ring or the one that is there doesn’t work. Sometimes there’s a little note taped to the doorbell informing me that it is out of order. Or there may be a small piece of tape stuck over the doorbell to hint at its dysfunction.

Of course, our first order of business once I sit down with the client is to advise them to repair the doorbell. In Feng Shui the front door can be a beacon for opportunities and possibilities that may come into your life. The doorbell is like the “voice” of the front door and can assist in bringing in more money, or a new relationship, better health or a better job, depending on your intention. Having the voice silenced doesn’t help in bringing about positive changes.

Not only should the doorbell work but it should have a sound that you like. Having watched a client wince or another one jump when a doorbell went off during consultations, I am here to say

how important it is to be able to open the front door with anticipation and

excitement, not aggravation or fright.

If the doorbell doesn’t work, a door-knocker is an appropriate substitute. A door-harp can also replace a doorbell, providing gentle ringing tones when someone arrives. Installing a wind-chime near the door, low enough for someone to reach it, is another option.

So if you want to bring in some good energy, make sure your doorbell is pleasant sounding and works consistently. Opportunity may be ringing.

Uncovering a Path and Following Its Flow

2009-06-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

Our house has been blessed with a steep little hill in the back. It’s a great Feng Shui asset, representing protection and support. Most Feng Shui people would love to have a hill like ours in the back of their house. That said, it is still a challenge to maneuver up the hill requiring someone to crawl around on hands and knees trying to plant anything. The hill extends into our next door neighbors’ yard and they have resorted to planting grass on the surface---an interesting sight when they try to use the lawn mower. My gardener husband has planted various shrubs and lilies, hydrangeas and phlox on the hill, but by mid-summer it’s overgrown with weeds because, of course, it’s nearly impossible to scale the hill to do any maintenance.

Somewhere in the not-too-distant past, my husband and I discussed terracing the hill to make it easier to get up there. We also tossed around an idea for a path that would take us to areas of the hill we had never been able to attain. We couldn’t ever figure out how either project would work, they each sounded like a humungous undertaking, and my husband quite honestly didn’t think he could pull it off.

For some reason, this spring things were different. One warm afternoon we stood at the base of the hill and in about 30 minutes’ time, we could see where a path should go. We crawled up the hill and let it open up in front of us, around some of the shrubs, in front of others, from one end of the garden to the other. Our excitement was unbounded!

The path is in progress as I write this. We have already blessed it with some Feng Shui energy. The excitement about it is that it seems to be guiding the project. Every now and then my husband will come in and say “Look what the path is doing now!” It’s better than we could ever have done ourselves. It has come together fluidly---I won’t say easily because I’ve watched the effort it takes to lug the stones up the hill. But there is a definite organic force behind it all.

Summer-Time Feng Shui for Parents

2009-06-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Feng Shui business does have a cyclic pattern to it---very busy in the fall, the first of the year, and spring. Over the holidays, everyone’s schedule gets busy and money may be more of an issue. I get fewer calls during the summer as well because the kids are home from school, people are traveling, doing yard-work, going up to a cabin somewhere. No time for Feng Shui.

However this is the exact time when some Feng Shui principles would be effective to help parents maintain their balance amid the frenzy that comes with extra activities and disrupted routines. Here are a few tips:

1. Parents should have a headboard. The headboard is a significant statement about feeling supported. It should be made out of wood with no opening or slats in order to maintain a symbolic message of continuous support.

2. Remove children’s photos from the bedroom. The parents’ bedroom is a private place for them. Photos of anyone other than the people who sleep in this room should be removed. This is a statement about setting boundaries and being able to say “no” when needed.

3. Keep some areas of the house off-limits to toys and games. When the kids take over the entire house with their play-things, it signifies that they have taken over in a bigger way. The “kid energy” should be contained to not only confirm boundaries but also to teach them responsibility.

4. Make sure the master bedroom is nurturing. This is the time for the parents to ask themselves if they like their bedroom. From deliberate color choices to usable and appropriate furniture, the bedroom should be the adults’ favorite room in the house.

5. Keep the kitchen table clear of clutter. Maintain an element of control over the chaos of summer-time by refusing to let clutter gather on the kitchen table. Since this is the area where the family eats together and talks to one another, it should be treated with respect.

Implementing one or two of these tips can help parents keep a handle on summer-time chaos. When routines seem to be non-existent, integrating a few Feng Shui ideas can create areas of firm stability.

Judge the Book By Its Cover: A Feng Shui Principle

2009-05-30T08:31:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I bought a pair of adorable, expensive shoes. Shoes which I immediately realized I’d only wear for special occasions, nevertheless they more or less leapt into my hands. I bought them despite the cost and despite the rare occasions when I would need such a pair. Since then, I have found a couple of instances when they have been the perfect solution to an otherwise dull outfit. When not in use, they are stored in the box in which I bought them, prominently placed on my closet shelf. (An image of these fabulous shoes is below)

However, I discovered a surprising added benefit to those shoes, which has not only added enormously to the value of the shoes but to the pleasure of owning them. It is the box itself. It is beautifully decorated inside and out, advertisement-free, and has carrying straps. The side of the box slides out to display those marvelous shoes. In fact, I realized I love just opening the box, whether I’m going to wear the shoes or not. I have the same experience putting them away. I nestle them in the tissue paper, slide the box parts together, carry it by the color-coordinated straps to the closet shelf. A veritable shoe ritual.

I had a similar experience when I bought an expensive cashmere sweater once that came wrapped in tissue and tied with a ribbon, then placed in a special hand-made paper bag that was sized just for the sweater and tied again with matching ribbon. I went through the ritual of tying and untying ribbons for months until the bag literally fell apart.

Along this same vein, my editor Dorie and I took enormous care in designing the covers of my two Feng Shui books. There is no truth in what is said about not judging a book by its cover. She and I were determined to let the judging start the moment someone picked up the book. Similar to how I feel taking the box of shoes out of the closet or the sweater bag out of the drawer, I wanted people to have the same sense of excitement and anticipation as they picked up one of my books.

If there ever was a Feng Shui argument for making your front door appealing, this has to be it. The story of what lies behind the door (or in the box or in the bag or behind the cover page) begins before the door opens. It is a great opportunity to hint at the magnificence that is about to happen, and, in doing so, the hint becomes part of the magnificence itself.

Summer-Time Feng Shui

2009-05-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

If it hasn’t happened already, school will be out soon. For some parents this means kids hanging around the house all day, kids getting bored, kids needing to be entertained, chauffeured, and accommodated. Rather than let this be a time of turmoil and anxiety, this is a good opportunity to incorporate some Feng Shui. Without the constraints of a school schedule, both parents and children could appropriately mark the passage of time in the child’s life by making corresponding changes in their bedroom.

Here are some questions to get the ball rolling:
Is their bedroom still age-appropriate? Summer vacation is a great time to acknowledge a passage in the child’s life. In a few months they will be heading into another level of education, taking on more responsibilities, taking another step closer to leaving the nest. Do they still have ducks on the wall? Is their comforter still covered with the images of toy trucks? Perhaps it’s time to mature the room a bit to help the child mature.

Is their bedroom conducive to good study habits? It is a parent’s responsibility to provide their child with a place to lay their heads at night. It is a parent’s gift to their child to provide them with the means of getting a good education. This message can be transmitted by making sure there is a place to study or at least a spot where they can pile their books, their back-pack or school bag. Whether they study there or not is not as important as the message about the option they have. And perhaps they will indeed find it a comfortable spot in which to crack the books.

Do they like their room? Over the summer invite your child to discuss what they like or dislike about their room. It might be solved with something as simple as a coat of paint. Some things may never be able to be changed, but sometimes an extra dresser for storage, or a different color comforter on the bed could make all the difference.

By making positive changes in a child’s life in their own personal space, positive changes can also be forthcoming in their lives as they return to school in the fall, older and better supported.

9 Steps to Feng Shui: The Cliff Notes Version

2009-05-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

In response to people who are looking for a quick fix and who don’t know a lot about Feng Shui, I offer the following nine actions to take to bring about some difference in your life. You don’t have to do all nine steps---in fact, I discourage you from doing so. Start with the one or ones that speak to you, get clear about what kind of change you want to bring in so this activity isn’t done without a focus, and then see what Feng Shui can bring in.

Clear off all magnets, photos, and reminders from the front and sides of the refrigerator so you can cook in a calm environment thereby supplying you and your family with healthier food.
Paint your front door a different color from anything on your house so that there’s no confusion as to how good luck will find you.
Have a headboard on your bed to provide you the support and backing you need in your life.
Keep your windows clean to assure that your vision is clear and focused.
Take every item off the top of your dresser for nine days in order to experience spaciousness and calm. After nine days, be discerning about what you put back.
Close your closet doors at night so that your dreams are peaceful and pleasant.
To enhance your creativity and to get new ideas, re-arrange your furniture from time-to-time so you don’t always walk through your home in the same way.
Love the sound of your doorbell in order to eagerly open the door to new possibilities.
Make your bedroom your favorite room, providing a sanctuary from the rest of your day.

The Virtual Flow of Feng Shui: Tweets from the Universe

2009-05-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

I’m taking a six-week course on social networking. I had a guarantee which would refund all my money if after the first week I didn’t find it helpful. On the contrary, I’ve found the information fascinating and exciting. Our discussions are about the endless virtual possibilities and how to access them. It would follow that the class itself is virtual. I sit home and stream the whole thing on-line on my computer.

For some of us who are familiar with the old business model of going somewhere to meet someone, engaging in face-to-face contact, joining a group that meets in a specific place on certain nights of the month, making cold-calls on someone who should buy our service/product, social networking is an entirely different paradigm. Despite what it may look like, this business model is friendlier and more people-based. Rather than doing business with someone first and possibly getting to be their friend later, social networking is based on being someone’s friend first---the business part comes later.

This is where social networking gets its bad name because on the outside it looks like all we’re doing is telling the world what we’re doing, what we had for dinner, where we’re heading for the afternoon---blah, blah, blah. It seems like inconsequential drivel, unworthy of my time. However, the valuable part of this is that someone is learning about me in small ways. They get to know a person----someone with whom they share the details of life, someone they can trust. They learn what makes me laugh and, in turn, what angers me. Once the trust has been secured, the relationship may move into the business arena. Virtual becomes profitable.

This internet world is provocative, vast and powerful. The opportunities to expand are infinite. It is Feng Shui in action in a whole new way----flow and movement transcending the physical space. This is not the time to be stagnant in any parts of life----our space, our actions, or our network. It’s the time to be in the flow.

Sweeping the Flow Under the Rug

2009-05-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

I love when things just happen, especially when I’ve spent lots of energy trying to force it to happen. I had an experience in my dining room that exemplified to me the necessity to let stuff unfold in its own way.

Our cats access the back yard mainly through a sliding glass door going out from our dining room. Because they sometimes come in with wet little paws if it’s rained or there might have been some snow, I placed a rug there. I haven’t trained them to wipe their feet, but it did act as a slight buffer before they hit the rest of our hardwood floors. The rug disintegrated over time and I threw it out quite a while ago. That’s when the effort to find the right rug kicked in.

My argument was that it would visible from many angles of our house, so it had to be more than functional----it had to be Feng Shui perfect. It was important to find the right color to go with the dining room. I wanted it to be round if at all possible. Plus I didn’t want it to be so special (as in expensive) that having cats walk over it with wet, dirty paws would cause concern. Mind you, for years, we had a very unattractive woven thing laying there serving the purpose. I never liked it and took it away when company was coming. However, now I could put all that behind me and have an attractive rug with all the features mentioned above.

Over the last few months I found lots of rugs, tons of rugs, more than enough rugs to place in front of all our doors and more. But there was always something not quite right----color was off, too big, too small, too expensive. I’d come home empty-handed from various rug-shopping ventures, frustrated with not finding just the appropriate one. Then last weekend I went to visit my sister. She is the catalog queen, so during some down time during my visit I started looking through one of her cheesy little catalogs. What junk, I thought. What trivial nonsense. Who’d buy this crap? Wait, here’s my rug.

Sure enough, I found the perfect rug to put in front of the door—right color, size, design, price

($17). It came today and I put it in place. The cats love it (see photo of cats basking on new rug), I love it, proving once again if I didn’t try so hard, the thing I’m looking for will find me.

Does My House Dream?

2009-04-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

The other night I woke up to some strange noises. They weren't all that loud, but loud enough that they disturbed my sleep. At first I figured my cats were playing around, but I soon discovered they were all sleeping soundly in various spots. So I tip-toed around to see if the doors were locked or if something had been knocked over. Everything seemed in perfect order. Then I heard it again.

I tried to determine where it was coming from but it was a fleeting sound, barely audible. I sat on the steps going back upstairs and waited for it to happen again. It didn't take long before I heard it once more. It was coming from nowhere but everywhere. I didn't know where to go to get closer to the sound as it seemed it was already near me but was still coming from somewhere else in the house. The sound came in irregular intervals----kind of a hum, a cough, a snicker sound. After a while everything was quiet.

As I went back to bed, I remembered how I would watch one of my little cats make noises while she slept, dreaming about catching a mouse probably, and I wondered if my house was dreaming just then. Perhaps it was dreaming about a new coat of paint somewhere or how hard it had worked to keep us warm this winter. Maybe it was dreaming about playing with our cats, or about the recent group of students I had in our home.

I like to think houses only dream about happy things. They don't stay awake at night worrying about stuff like the age of their shingles or the condition of the water heater. They don't dream about how clear their corners are. No, houses dream about joyful events and quiet, tender moments. They're at their best when they can hold an imprint of a spectacular occurrence----and that's what they dream about at night.

A few times since that night, I've heard those noises again. It's comforting to know the house feels confident about engaging in its own dreams. I love trying to figure out what might be on its mind, who or what is the catalyst for those little sounds. Maybe my house is dreaming about me. Maybe my house is remembering funny little stories about the cats, or maybe it's dreaming about the back garden. Maybe I should stop eating chocolate before I go to bed!

From Our Home to Arc: No Flood Required

2009-04-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

I’m pretty much a fanatic about getting rid of stuff. I’ve always had the tendency to clear things out and have a great sense of accomplishment when I do so. It’s not that stuff doesn’t accumulate, but typically it never gets too far out of control before my radar kicks in and I get a handle on it.

A while ago I made a commitment to assure that stagnant situations never occur. I do this with the help of the Arc which is a non-profit organization that re-sells items—household things, clothes, some electronics, books, toys, much like a Goodwill. Monthly they send a truck through the neighborhood to pick up whatever you want to give away, eliminating the need to even have to drive to their facilities. I made a promise to myself to contribute each time the truck is scheduled to come by our house.

I have a friend who each year has a garage sale. I listen to her stories of how much work it entails, lugging stuff from the basement, setting up tables, being there through rain or hot weather, and then there’s always a whole bunch of things left over which she puts back in the basement until next year’s garage sale. When she deducts the ads she runs, she considers herself lucky to come away with $100. What is the point of that, I wonder?

Some of my beautiful clothes that I’m tired of or that don’t match my newly discovered fashion Feng Shui sense I’ve taken to a consignment shop. I get them cleaned, ironed, hung neatly on hangers, drag them into the store, wait while a clerk goes over every square inch, and then points out why they’re totally unacceptable in a loud and accusatory voice so that anyone in the store, anyone out on the sidewalk, anyone actually within driving distance can hear. I take my pile of clothes and shamefully head out the door. Who needs that?

No, I’m taking a different approach. When the Arc reminder comes in the mail, I set about looking for something to purge. I never have a lot to put out on the boulevard—maybe just one bag, or one box. But it has made me so aware of what we have stuck away in the linen closet, in drawers in the basement, hanging in my closet. When I think I can’t possibly get rid of anything else, there’s always an item that becomes an obvious choice.

Wednesday the Arc truck came by our house and I had stuff ready to go, sitting on the boulevard. I find this approach of clearing clutter respectful, easy and not at all time-consuming. I look forward to next month when once again I will have the opportunity to release some items from dark and deserted corners and closets.

No Support for Our President

2009-03-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Right off, I will tell you I wanted Barack Obama to be our next President. I feel he offers us some solutions to problems which are deep-seated. They may not all be the best solutions, but I felt he could jump-start some enormous, maybe painful changes we need. Nevertheless, I would have taken this blog in the direction it’s going no matter who was president, because there’s a Feng Shui problem with a simple solution that someone needs to notice.

I watched our President deliver his second press conference the other night and, again, was appalled at the arrangement of the room and his position in it. Not only does he have his back to the door but he stands IN the door during the entire duration of the event. The problem with this is that in Feng Shui, when someone has their back to the entry, they set themselves up for vulnerability. They may be caught off-guard; they may be taken by surprise around something. The first question to ask is whether he could be on the other side of the room facing that huge entry. I surmise the retort to that is "No" because it seems this is a special entry coming in from other parts, maybe restricted parts, of the White House. It seems more convenient to position him just inside the entry rather than have him walk all the way around the room.

Okay, if that’s where he has to be, couldn’t someone close the doors behind him? There are two huge doors that come in from both sides. Surely there must be enough staff who could ceremoniously close and open those two huge doors to protect him from behind. If the doors are closed, it acts like a headboard or a high-backed chair providing support and safety. Couple that with the vulnerable spot he has in the Oval Office with all those windows behind him, he could really use a Feng Shui make-over. Thank heavens he’s got that high-backed chair. I’ll bet some days that’s the only support he gets.

Is My House Bored?

2009-03-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

My experience as a Feng Shui consultant has opened my eyes and ears to the nuanced messages a house may provide. Although we are typically known for aligning a space to fit with a person’s needs and goals, I’ve learned that a space can have its own agenda and we just don’t hear it. My house like to entertain. It likes to entertain more than I do actually. It’s not that we’re at odds with one another but sometimes something will happen when I realize the house would just simply like to have more activity in its life. This became apparent last weekend.

I rarely teach at my home anymore. Years ago I used to, but found it better for me if I did my teaching in another facility. Last weekend, however, I had a small group of students who needed to take one class in order to qualify for another coming up in May. So rather than incur the expense of renting my usual place, I invited them to my house. As soon as I did that, I became uneasy. I was concerned there wouldn’t be enough room for them, they wouldn’t have tables to write on, the cats would interfere, I’d need to make the house Feng Shui-perfect. I should have trusted my house more.

When we bought our home, we knew full well that the previous owner, and a dear friend, had hosted tons of gatherings in this house. Sometimes she’d have people here for days and days. Sometimes other people lived with her in the house as well. There was coming and going on a continual basis. In fact, after we bought it, three people showed up to turn in keys to the front door! It had indeed become a community center.

For the first few years we lived here, my step-son also lived with us which provided a fair amount of activity, some of it good and some not so good. But for the most part the number of times the front door opened and closed fell substantially after we took ownership. Being more of an introvert, I was happy for that. I felt the house, too, had moved into a more quiet and yin phase. We have found a rhythm with one another that is comfortable and secure.

Then, every once in a while, something happens that makes me realize the house remembers times past. Maybe it even misses those days, for it seems to eagerly open its arms wide and embrace anyone who comes through the door. Surprisingly, it expanded to welcome in nearly 100 people for an event a few years ago. They were all comfortable and had a great time, and remarked endlessly about how they loved the house. Likewise, it cozies up to four or five, as it did last weekend. The students who were here were very generous with their praises for the house. They, too, felt comfortable, felt "at home," the cats behaved. It was a flawless experience for all, including me.

My house entertains with fearless confidence and flair. It is less concerned about appearances than I am, instead surrounding people with its innate ability to comfort and nourish. I’m sure it has never forgotten those early glory days when it was host to many visitors and provided a backdrop for countless experiences. I need to worry less about the details and my own sense of privacy and provide my house with more opportunities to rise to the occasion and shine.

TV to Blog: Weight Management

2009-03-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Every month I appear on the NBC affiliate television station here in Minneapolis (KARE-11) on a program called Showcase Minnesota. I have 4-5 minutes to talk about some aspect of Feng Shui. On Tuesday, March 17th, I will be speaking about Weight Management and Feng Shui. For those who can’t watch the program, attached below are five steps to losing weight using Feng Shui principles in your home.

A full-length mirror: Having a full-length mirror somewhere in the home is essential if you want to lose weight. It not only provides you a true reflection from head to toe but also provides a base line from which to monitor changes.

A bowl of fruit: Place a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter to represent healthy eating and vitality. It could be a distraction from the bag of chips sitting close by. If a bowl of fruit doesn’t appeal to you, a painting of a bowl of fruit strategically placed in the kitchen could provide the same message.

Eat at a table: Never eat unless it’s at a table. Someone who struggles with weight will often admit they sit in front of the television while eating dinner or they eat in their bedroom. Eating at a table or counter that is specific for enjoying a meal shows respect and honor for the process of self-nurturance.

Kitchen near entry: If the first room you see when entering your home is the kitchen, this can trigger the urge to eat, even when you’re not particularly hungry. Find another way to enter, if possible, or find a way to minimize the impact of the kitchen. Hang dramatic artwork near the entry so that your eye goes there, or place fresh flowers close by the door, or walk across a cool and dynamic rug to get your mind off the possibility of snacking.

De-clutter: True to the principle that your space reflects your life, put your home on a diet. Get rid of the excess weight you may find lying around by getting rid of things you no longer need or want.

Doing Feng Shui for weight management should be considered a support for other efforts you may be taking to lose weight. Unfortunately, it doesn’t excuse you from exercising and eating right.

Still Being Positive

2009-03-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

As a follow-up to my last email when I complained about being interviewed on a radio show and then being preempted by the weather and a topic that had been discussed prior, I will now tell you what I would have talked about had things gone a bit more smoothly.

I was asked to come on the mid-day talk show to give some Feng Shui tips on what people can do in their work environment to create a more positive space in order to counteract the negative news that swirls around us daily. Here are the five talking points:

1. Deal with your clutter. This is a good time to deal with this stuff—in your office, on your desk. Some people have found themselves without a job at all, so they have some time on their hands. Here is an opportunity to go through those shelves, that file cabinet, those drawers in order to make room for new possibilities.

2. Change something in your office. This can run the gamut of changing the furniture all around or simply re-arranging the top of your desk. When your space changes, it changes the vibrational pattern inherent in a room/office/cubicle, which in turn changes the way you think opening you up to some new ideas.

3. Use your front door. The front door represents new opportunities coming in. Keep that door moving to maximize the security of your current job or the hopes of a better one. If it’s inconvenient to use the front door, use it as often as you can, assure that it’s easy to open and that it has a color that you love.

4. Check out your bedroom. Although this isn’t specific to the office, the bedroom still impacts your work since it’s the room where you sleep, rest, and dream. Remove everything under the bed for better flow around you; keep the closet doors closed at night to minimize the chaos coming from your clothes; remove the computer and/or television from the bedroom (even if temporarily) to maintain the quiet safety that you want in there.

5. Wear red. Red is an active color and, in the Chinese tradition, a successful color. If you don’t like red or don’t look good wearing red or any of its shades, then wear the color underneath, i.e. red cami or red boxer shorts. The active color will keep your spirits up and your enthusiasm high.

Disclaimer: These suggestions are not a substitute for doing good work at the place where you already have a job, or updating your resume and going on interviews. However Feng Shui can support your efforts to secure or hold a position you love and/or one which will ride you through the economic troubles.

Being Positive When it's all Negative

2009-02-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago, I was asked to be on a radio program today to talk about Feng Shui and how it could help during these challenging times. Specifically the topic was "Creating a Positive Environment in Negative Times." This is a talk radio program and I was scheduled to have one half-hour with the host discussing ways people can change their environment to offset the negative world situation. Prior to the program the host and I had considered several ways to take the discussion prior to the program and established some talking points. She let me know that at some point she would open up the program for callers.

Although the weather was fine driving to the station, about ten minutes after I arrived, it started snowing. We had been warned of a huge snow storm headed our way so this wasn’t a surprise. By the time I went into the studio, the blowing snow made it impossible to see across the street. No one could predict the quick severity of the storm, so the first ten minutes of my time was used up by the weatherman giving listeners the latest forecast.

What I didn’t know is that prior to my segment, the host had asked listeners to call in with the name of the person they would most like to meet, dead or alive. Just as I was finally making my first point on-air, there was a caller. "KURT RUSSELL!!" she announced. I looked at my host who engaged the caller for several minutes about her preference. It was then time for a commercial and a weather update.

When we returned, I managed to finish my first point when another caller came on and gave a nice testimonial about using Feng Shui. The second caller wanted to meet Audrey Hepburn, and then the weatherman filled us in on more details. I had a moment to talk about red underwear, hear one more lengthy testimonial, have a commercial, and my time was up.

I left the station disappointed at the turn of events. A lot of effort and time had gone into preparation for this 30 minute segment which turned into no more than 5 or 6 minutes. My frustration was enhanced even further when I couldn’t retrace my steps to the parking ramp elevators (finally had to ask for help), couldn’t remember the floor I had parked on (three tries before I found my car), temporarily lost my parking ticket requiring me to find a place to pull over in the ramp and get out to search under the seat, pay $11 for one hour of parking, and spend 45 minutes driving home in a total white-out storm. The irony of the topic wasn’t lost on me----being positive when it’s negative. Somehow I mistakenly thought it was a topic I’d talk about not one I’d experience.

Chinese Valentines Day

2009-02-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Although the Chinese don’t necessarily celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, they do have a day devoted to the same idea. This is called Qi Qiao Jie, which takes place on the seventh day of the seventh month. This year the holiday falls on August 26th. There are two legends associated with this day.

The first version involves the seven daughters of the Goddess of Heaven who are batheing in the river. A cowherd named Niu Lang sees them and decides to run off with their clothing. Realizing that they’re in an awkward predicament, they enlist the youngest daughter, Zhi Nu, to go after him to get their clothes back. She happened to also be the most attractive of all the daughters.
Since Niu Lang has now seen Zhi Nu naked, they have to get married. The couple lived happily for several years. However, her mother, the Goddess of Heaven, eventually decided she wanted her daughter to return home. But seeing their wedded bliss, she allows them to be reunited once a year. So on the seventh night of the seventh month, magpies form a bridge with their wings enabling Zhi Nu to cross over and be with her husband and children.

The second version is less well-known. In this story, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu were fairies who had fallen in love but were living on opposite sides of the Milky Way. The Jade Emperor felt sorry for the two fairies and decided to bring them together. They became so caught up with one another that they failed to do their work. So the Emperor forbid them to be together except for one night a year—the seventh night of the seventh.

On this night, those interested in the astrological connection of Qi Qiao Jie can see Zhi Nu in the sky in the form of the star Vega, east of the Milky Way. On the west side of the Milky Way is the constellation Aquila which represents Niu Lang waiting for his lover to join him.

All You Need is Dove

2009-02-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

In my years of experience in the Feng Shui world, I have come up with a couple pretty earth-shattering revelations. They may be obvious once I state them, but I don’t think anyone else has claimed this data, so let me be the first. I’ve discovered some common threads that run through the lives of people who study and practice Feng Shui. Sometimes it’s a certain "je ne sais quoi" that simply hits me----someone just feels or looks like they’d be open to Feng Shui. Perhaps it’s the way they’re dressed or the fact that they’re shopping at Whole Foods. Whatever. I feel a sense of camaraderie with a total stranger.

However, my theory extends far past this idea. A long time ago I witnessed the inordinate amount of my clients who had cats. I kept track for a while and I went nearly one whole year visiting clients on a brisk basis. Each one had at least one cat. The first time I visited someone who didn’t have a cat, it was just odd. Having three cats myself, I feel a real kinship with other cat owners.

Now I have another discovery. Feng Shui people, almost without exception, love chocolate. Whenever we have a birthday celebration during one of our training weekends, someone brings cake---chocolate, of course. A student will go on a baking binge and bring treats for us all---brownies. The Wind and Water School of Feng Shui is housed in the Old Arizona complex in Minneapolis, part of which is a store. One of their specialities? Chocolates. Late last fall I re-released my first book while at the same time the owners of this store were introducing a new line of chocolates, so we teamed up with a "Feng Shui and Chocolate" event. People were streaming in all afternoon, blissed out with chocolate, asking Feng Shui questions, buying my books. Fun was had by all.

Sometimes a student will say they "take it or leave it" when talking about chocolate but I’ve yet to meet anyone who despises it. Of course, there’s always the possibility that someone who hates chocolate is too intimidated to admit this fact among all of us chocoholics.
As with any hypothesis, holes could be punched into these cat-chocolate claims. No doubt there’s someone out there, a well-qualified Feng Shui consultant who can’t tolerate either. But they’ll have to admit, if they’ve done any kind of research at all, they’re in the minority. Perhaps it’s a gender thing since most of my students and clients are women, and women are known to be partial to both. Somehow I don’t really think that undermines my theory much at all—don’t know why exactly, but my argument still feels strong. Now if I could just train my cats to bring me my Dove bars.

Feng Shui Shuffle

2009-01-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

A bit of Feng Shui happened around our house this past week. It all started a month or so ago when my husband expressed a desire to get a plasma TV. I know that left to my own devices I’d be watching a TV with rabbit ears—I’m just not that interested in what it offers. Yeah, I’ve gotten into "Brothers and Sisters" and "Numbers" but, actually, if I’m not around to watch it, I don’t really care that much. However, my ex-athlete husband loves to keep up with sports so hence his request for an improved way to do just that.

The television arrives but, of course, doesn’t fit in the cabinet in which our current one is nicely placed. We decided to move the old television and cabinet into the lower level for those moments when I can no longer tolerate the roar of stadium crowds or the squeak of tennis shoes on gymnasium floors. Then we moved an Asian-looking chest from near our front door and put it in the corner to hold the new television.

In order to integrate the old TV and its cabinet into the lower level family room, we had to move out a Chinese rice chest, so we brought it up to our second floor. We have a sitting room off the master bedroom that has never been able to define itself. It has been through at least three or four transformations without any success. But as soon as we got that chest in the room, a major shift happened and everything else seemed to fall into place. It’s the first time the room actually "worked." In order to incorporate the rice chest we had to move a side table that was originally made by my grandfather. We brought it downstairs to replace the Asian-looking chest that was originally by the front door.

It was kind of a domino dance and one which we never would have predicted the day the new TV arrived. Each piece of furniture led us to the next one as they traded real estate around the house. The furniture has taken on renewed life in their different positions; it’s as though we bought all new stuff. And we solved the issue of a long-standing problematic sitting room. The plasma television is pretty nice, too.

Fur Shui: Time Fur Everything

2009-01-23T13:16:00.000-08:00

It seems these days we are all struggling with lack of time. Too much to do and too few hours in the day and days in the week. Even my cats remind me of this time issue. Hardly a day goes by when one of them doesn’t follow me around pathetically meowing, complaining that I take too much time doing stuff that doesn’t involve them. I’m hanging up clothes, fixing my hair, putting on make-up, going out to buy more clothes, putting on lotion, doing my nails, doing laundry. Of course, their motivation to get me to quit all this is because they either want something to eat, want to go out, want some attention, want, want, want. And here I am occupied with my own selfish activities. One day when I was looking at them it occurred to me that if we all still had fur how easy life would be.

Just taking clothes out of the equation of life would be a huge step forward in having time and energy. No shopping required, very little laundry, no ironing or dry cleaning. Nothing would need to be altered as my fur would fit my body. Anyway, a few pounds here or there----the fur would cover it.

The morning bathroom ritual would get incredibly simple. I could let go of having bad hair days because fur seems to fall into place no matter what. No more expensive hair cuts or foil jobs. I wouldn’t have to worry about sagging facial muscles as no one would notice under all the fur. All the creams, anti-wrinkle gels, make-up....no need for any of it.

Just the money saved would be reason enough to take the evolutionary step backward. Instead of clothes, we could buy more expensive food and luxurious beds to sleep in. We wouldn’t need coats anymore as our fur would keep us warm. I don’t see why we couldn’t still use the computer or use the phone even though our fingers were covered in fur. With all our extra money, we’d probably buy more expensive houses and fancier cars, take more trips, maybe work less hours.

I presume those of us who are Feng Shui consultants would find a brisk business if everyone was covered in fur. Without all the distractions of clothes, make-up, and hair, people would be more intent on having a beautiful home. They’d want their space set up in perfect order because it would be the only way to express their individuality. Having fur doesn’t allow much personal expression----maybe a snazzy collar or two but that would be about it.

Of course, if you think about it, someone would figure out how to dye patterns in your fur, how to sculpt designs into it which you’d have to keep up with regular visits to the fur salon. Collars would get more and more elaborate, more and more expensive, hand-made by other fur people, requiring mending, laundering, dry cleaning. Somehow we’d find ourselves back to where we are now: incorporating incessant and labor-intensive self-care into our lives. Then, we’d have to hire a Feng Shui professional to help with fur control.

Disconnect Between Store and Home

2009-01-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

Despite being a Feng Shui consultant for all these years and despite claiming to know my space intimately, I apparently know nothing when I get in a store. Once again this week I was reminded of the emotional power of consumerism. I bought something for my house that I thought would be great, got it home, and now don’t like it at all. It isn’t a simple matter of taking it back because this particular item we bought it in China.

I’ve had this experience when buying clothes. I first encountered this disconnect during one of our first trips to Mexico. I bought a dress while we were there. It was adorable. I wore it almost every evening when we went out to eat; it was sassy and flirty and I felt great in it. I got it home and never wore it again. It wasn’t that I didn’t think about wearing it, but whenever I took it out of the closet, it just didn’t fit the occasion. I’d put it on in an attempt to re-create the feeling I had wearing it in Mexico, but it never worked. Rather than sassy, I looked ridiculous.

While in China recently we bought a piece of art at one of the gardens in Suzhou. We had just experienced a delightful evening tour of the garden, found ourselves in their gift shop and bought a painting. The colors were soft and muted; I was sure it would always remind us of a very enjoyable time. I have now brought it home and realize it simply doesn’t fit. I’ve walked around the house holding it up in the hopes it might land somewhere. The colors, although nice on their own, aren’t really even close to what blends here in our home. The size is awkward. I’m not remembering the great time we had in that garden but instead am a bit annoyed that we’ve got this expensive piece with nowhere to hang it.

As I see it now, we removed ourselves from our environment and got swept up in the setting, the store, the feelings, forgetting whether the item we’re purchasing is appropriate in our lives. Of course, there have been some times when I’ve bought something that far surpassed my expectations. But that’s a different side of the same coin. I’m still buying something I like in that moment without considering the context in which it will have to fit when I get home. I may get lucky or I may not. In terms of clothes, perhaps it’s a way for us to be someone else for a while, or do something we wouldn’t ordinarily do in our normal life. In terms of buying things for the home, regardless of all my Feng Shui training, I let go of the connection to my home, forgetting what will work and what won’t.

Dear House Letter

2009-01-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Each year my husband and I have end-of-year rituals, one of which entails writing to our house. As a Feng Shui consultant, I experience the energy of space, as do many people. A home takes on the energy from the predecessors, from the builders, from the neighbors, and from those who currently live there. Our responsibility as sentient beings is to recognize and acknowledge this energy. So my husband and I write individual letters to our home.

I have included the letter I wrote to "901" this year for you to read. You will see that I review what we’ve done in the home in terms of repairs, remodels, upgrades. And I outline what we’re planning to do in the next year (this is part of another ritual we do together on New Years—plan out house projects). This letter also gives me an opportunity to express gratitude for all that the house has done for us. You will also notice that the house has a name, an exercise I highly recommend. If reading this letter is helpful to you, I encourage you to sit down before February 4th (the Chinese New Year) and express your thoughts and ideas and grateful heart to the house in which you live. It's a simple and fun way to connect.

May this Year of the Ox bring you all that your heart desires.

Dear Jiu Ling Yi (Chinese for 901)
This past year marked our 14th anniversary together. I remain grateful for the safety and security you provide us, for the sense of "place" you exude, for the beauty you reflect our way. In all ways you have become home to us.

This past year we spent some quiet moments together painting the upstairs hall. I love this soft earth color and trust you’re finding it as soothing and delicious as we do. We continued to clear out the storage areas in the basement—as you know it becomes an inviting spot in which to dump the questionable items. This does not go unnoticed by me so do not fear that things will get out of control. Some new furniture arrived here and there during this past year replacing old pieces that had "expired," or, in the case of our bedroom furniture, finding another home in which to thrive. The addition of our pendant lights in the kitchen has added nothing but sparkle to the area; I find comfort in their golden glow. And, finally, we sealed the garage floor with an interesting textured finish to seal the crumbling cement. It has provided us the added benefit of preventing moisture from going under the driveway which caused it to buckle in past years. The front and back gardens changed in small ways, enhancing our surroundings and embellishing the innate strength that lives within and without your walls.

In the upcoming year our plans are to paint the upstairs bathroom—I get the feeling you love the chosen color, again an earth tone. You seem to be nudging us in this direction, bringing in a more grounded spirit. We plan to make some changes to the lower level living room. As you know this area is being used less and less so we have some ideas to correct that. We continue to search for the "perfect" light fixture for the powder room. I know you don’t want us to settle for anything less. We have some modest garden plans, one of which is a new hammock for the back deck, that will enable us to enjoy your beauty and inspire our souls.

Thank you for your warmth, your shelter, your quiet presence. At certain moments I hear your breath. You have been an inspiration to us and I hope we have been to you. Thank you for opening your arms to our life, our cats, our chaos at times. I am never lonely nor frightened here—I hope the same is true for you. Let us know if there is anything we can do for you.

With love,
Carole

A Better Kind of Holiday

2008-12-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

I feel badly about the dire state of the retailers this holiday season. I’m sorry so many of them are struggling and so many more are closing their doors. I know this time of year is often their only time to be profitable. I feel badly that I didn’t help their cause at all----not in the least----not once. That’s because I don’t buy presents anymore. No one in our family exchanges gifts and we’re very happy about it.

We didn’t always do it this way of course. The first time we thought about the idea of foregoing the exchange of gifts, we got scared and, at the last minute, bought things for each other. It’s interesting how unsettled we all were at not having gifts to open. What would we do on Christmas Eve? Would we feel sad? Deprived? Then, add the fact that we’d always given gifts to one another, we just couldn’t break a long-standing tradition.

The next year we decided to try the idea on again. I think it came up for review because most of the gifts I had gotten from my sister and her family the year before I didn’t particularly like, or didn’t use, or they didn’t fit. I also had noticed that the rather hard-to-find item for her kitchen that I had searched all over for and paid quite a bit of money for has never been seen again. So the discussion of not buying presents for the upcoming holidays was pretty welcome. This time, however, my sister put forth the idea of giving our money to someone who needed it. That’s when the concept stuck.

Each year now my sister finds a family in need; each year we hope to make their holidays a bit brighter; and each year we feel good as well. Do we suffer from deprivation on Christmas Eve? Heck no. We watch movies, play games, eat----it never occurs to us that we’re NOT opening any presents. I don’t have to have a feng shui crisis about what to do with this stuff----Is it clutter? Should I re-cycle or re-gift? I don’t have to feel badly about all the wrapping paper being thrown in a land-fill somewhere. I don’t have to ponder the question as to whether there is an appropriate length of time to keep a gift that you have no intention of using/wearing. Of course, this no-gift plan probably wouldn’t work so well if there were still little kids in our family. But as adults, it’s a perfect one-size-fits all concept.

Although the retailers had not been dependent on the spending habits of me and my family for the past few years, I nevertheless feel badly about their plight. The irony around the family who received our gift of money is that they owned a retail store which they had to close due to the bad economic times. Add to that their seven children and the husband with a serious medical condition, it was looking like the holidays for them was going to be pretty grim. Perhaps our small influx of well-wishes helped to ease their worries for a time.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2008-12-20T10:52:00.001-08:00

Last night I made a grocery run to stock up on food---hoping we’ll be snowed in for at least two days if not more. I even made sure our cats had emergency back-up supplies. It seems odd I’d be so enthusiastic about having to be house-bound. I typically find a situation like this confining and irritating. However, my theory is that for this brief time, corresponding with the Solstice in a synchronistic way, I have unconsciously aligned myself with the flow of nature.

The Chinese use the language of the 5 Elements to describe, well, everything—directions, process, land formations, medical analysis, tai qi, and even the seasons. These phases are described in simple terms (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood), but have deep and nuanced meanings. Currently we are in the midst of the Water phase, the Solstice signifying the exact mid-point. During Water time, nature stops expressing itself outwardly but instead takes this opportunity to re-group, re-calibrate until it’s time to appear again. It is intended to be a quiet time where we would appropriately hibernate, as nature does.

As a culture, we have evolved this time into a frenzied and aggravating spell. The holidays require people to go out, put forth money they may not have, over-book their schedules, attend boisterous gatherings, eat too much, drink too much; for most people the holidays are anything but thoughtful. Perhaps I have a need to be part of the Water energy this year when things slow down and there’s less activity. Perhaps I have felt an unspoken entrainment with nature, an alignment that just feels good for me right now. I can use the storm as my legitimate excuse to stay home and slow down—to hibernate. Whatever it is, I want it to last as long as possible----long after the snow has stopped.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2008-12-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

Today on the morning of the Solstice, I sit in my office keeping my eye on a snowstorm. I have been looking forward to this storm for the last three or four days. Ever since I heard about it coming from the Dakotas, I’ve been in high anticipation of its arrival. You can accurately surmise I’m not the one out there shoveling and I’m not trying to drive to some distant parts. I’m the one sitting in my office looking out the window and blissfully counting the inches that have dropped thus far.

Last night I made a grocery run to stock up on food---hoping we’ll be snowed in for at least two days if not more. I even made sure our cats had emergency back-up supplies. It seems odd I’d be so enthusiastic about having to be house-bound. I typically find a situation like this confining and irritating. However, my theory is that for this brief time, corresponding with the Solstice in a synchronistic way, I have unconsciously aligned myself with the flow of nature.

The Chinese use the language of the 5 Elements to describe, well, everything—directions, process, land formations, medical analysis, tai qi, and even the seasons. These phases are described in simple terms (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood), but have deep and nuanced meanings. Currently we are in the midst of the Water phase, the Solstice signifying the exact mid-point. During Water time, nature stops expressing itself outwardly but instead takes this opportunity to re-group, re-calibrate until it’s time to appear again. It is intended to be a quiet time where we would appropriately hibernate, as nature does.

As a culture, we have evolved this time into a frenzied and aggravating spell. The holidays require people to go out, put forth money they may not have, over-book their schedules, attend boisterous gatherings, eat too much, drink too much; for most people the holidays are anything but thoughtful. Perhaps I have a need to be part of the Water energy this year when things slow down and there’s less activity. Perhaps I have felt an unspoken entrainment with nature, an alignment that just feels good for me right now. I can use the storm as my legitimate excuse to stay home and slow down—to hibernate. Whatever it is, I want it to last as long as possible----long after the snow has stopped.

Feng Shui and Felines

2008-12-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

I’ve had a theory for several years now----it has stood the test of time and I think it merits consideration. My theory is that people who are interested in Feng Shui also have cats. I’m not proposing this idea just because I myself have three cats but because the majority of my clients are also owners of felines.

It may be that cats are very attuned to subtle energies and since Feng Shui is all about energy, people may find a connection between the two. Cats like to sleep in warm, cozy corners where there might also be a soft pillow or a fresh pile of laundry, seeking an area where the ch’i flows favorably. By nature cats are nocturnal----ask anyone who owns a cat about those night-time tirades where hanging from curtains or "cat"- apulting over the back of chairs is just normal behavior. Feng Shui also prefers a good balance of yin energy—soft and winding paths, fountains, gentle breezes.

It’s not that dogs aren’t good indicators of energy, but you must admit they lack subtlety. A cat knows how to coerce ch’i to get what they want. They can masterfully stare changes into happening. They will stare at a door so long that suddenly it will open for them. They can stare at their owner from across the room for hours if needed until food appears, or a lap, from which they can choose which one will fulfill their needs at the moment.

A few years back, I kept track of this cat phenomenon. Each and every one of my clients had a cat or two, even three. This lasted unbroken for nearly two years. Back in those days I was doing two to three appointments a week. That’s a lot of homes with a lot of cats. I even wrote a tongue-in-cheek article back then sharing this observation if you want to ponder more about this topic.

My question is whether cats actually enhance the Feng Shui of a space or not. Or do they simply manage to get themselves adopted into a home that already has good Feng Shui. Perhaps that will always remain their secret. But, as a cat love, I myself am happy they’re here doing what they do----which is pretty much nothing.

Yin Yang Economics

2008-11-29T10:36:00.000-08:00

On the Friday after Thanksgiving my husband and I went shopping. The mall wasn’t as crowded as I expected and our parking angel got us a spot right near an entrance so all-in-all it was very enjoyable.

As we were driving home we discussed the concept of this day being called Black Friday, coming from the simple fact that stores hopefully register profits for the day— their income column will have a larger number than the expense column. In the days when these accounting ledgers were filled in by hand, red ink was used to write in the final number if someone was in debt or experienced a loss and black ink was used for this number if there was a profit.

From a yin-yang perspective this makes some sense. Yin energy is receptive, pulls in—the flow is toward the center. Yang energy is expansive, expressive— the flow is outgoing. When a situation is "in the black," money is coming in, flowing toward the company. When someone is "in the red," money is going out, the company is losing profits. The red color, in fact, could be considered an alert in case anyone reading the accounting books didn’t notice the small minus sign in front of the number— the red color would draw their attention.

Due to this accounting tradition, people get confused about the term Black Friday. It sounds ominous—like something a person would want to avoid. In fact, the recent economic turmoil the country is experiencing has been compared to a day back in 1929 called Black Tuesday or a similar day in 1987 called Black Monday. These were NOT profitable days; there were no gains to be had. So, of course, we’re confused. In one economic situation black is good, in another black is bad. Perhaps this discrepancy between black being good or bad is a higher symbol of the discrepancies (i.e. confusion) that are inherent in our economic system in the first place.

Despite all that, we shopped at the mall on Friday oblivious of good black or bad black, yin or yang, knowing there will always be inconsistencies. Some of those "sales" weren't such great

bargains either.

Feng Shui in the Oval Office

2008-11-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

I haven’t heard from anyone in Washington yet, but just in case someone calls (like Michelle or probably her assistant) requesting some Feng Shui for the Oval Office, I’m starting to put some ideas together. I figure when the call comes in, I’ll have to move quickly.

So here are some initial thoughts and ideas. Aware of President-elect Obama’s national plea to work together and make sacrifices as a unified team, the round/oval shape of the room is a benefit. This shape reflects unending unification; it creates a potential for communication and discussion; and it is symbolic of heavenly energy—the kind of strength and support our new president will certainly need. So thankfully no major renovations will be needed.

Due to the three doors opening into the room, the desk does need to be positioned in the back part of the room. The problem, however, is that here sits our President with his back to a window. This window wasn’t always there----earlier pictures of the Oval Office show a solid wall. Of course, the President will be outfitted with a state of the art chair which I’m sure will have a tall back on it, but shouldn’t we be extra cautious these days? I will strongly suggest to First Lady Michelle (or whomever) that the President not only have a high-backed chair, but also a solid wall. Out with the window. And no artwork will be hung behind him to distract anyone from looking directly at our President.

I draw your attention to the center of the room. It is no wonder this last presidency had some issues play out what with the two sofas opposing one another----a statement about continual opposition and arguments. I will suggest no sofas, but chairs that can be moved and re-arranged as needed, reflecting a theme of flexibility and adaptability in this presidency. I will also suggest a round coffee table in the middle of it all to act as a stabilizing hub.

I was struck by the photo of President Bush and the President-elect meeting in the Oval Office for the first time. Although the chairs are positioned at an angle to support communication, what you don’t see is that there’s a door from the hallway behind them making them both vulnerable. There is also a definite break in their rapport evidenced by the line of energy coming from the presidential desk and the coffee table, in effect, placing them on different sides of the issues. Another reason to support changing the layout of this central area.

Finally, because our new President seems to be fearlessly breaking new ground, I might venture he coordinate that idea in his Oval Office as well. What if, instead of all the chairs/sofas/coffee tables in the center of the room, he install a large round conference table where he could meet with heads of state in an equal yet focused way? Where it would take on a board-room look—professional and business-like, yet supporting productive discussions.

Well, I’m ready if anyone should call. Who knows, they might decide they need a full-time resident Feng Shui consultant to be just steps away from the action. For my country, I’d be there.

Unabashed Chinese

2008-11-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

As fellow travelers start to share photos of our recent China journey, it’s like seeing the trip through different eyes. Situations which I didn’t particularly think to photograph, someone else did. What struck me as worthy of lots of memorable snapshots, someone else skipped over. A couple of times I was sorry I didn’t get some record of what was happening, but luckily others did. One thing we all documented with vigor were the people in the parks.

The public parks for the Chinese are venues for people to perform----to sing, to dance, to do tai chi. These aren’t professional performers, but people who like to get together, who like to have a good time, who will dress up in costumes, who laugh and enjoy themselves. They particularly get a huge kick out of pulling in any gawking tourists to dance with them. We learned we had to keep moving along----if we stopped to watch we were sure to be targets for their enthusiasm, pulled into some kind of a folk dance, that required twirling and jumping.

How come we don’t dance our the parks? How come I don’t pick up a portable microphone, stand by a tree, and belt out some song everyone knows—even if I don’t sing all that well? How is it I wouldn’t be caught dead waving scarves around to music coming from a boom box? When did we get so hung up? My theory is that performance is an integral part of Chinese culture. It doesn’t matter if you’re particularly good or not—the group joins in to help you out, everyone claps no matter what, and above all, everyone feels good at the end. Inspired even. My ch’i was lifted just watching them.

All this gives me some new and inventive ideas for lifting the ch’i in a space----- a new Feng Shui approach. With kareoke machine in hand and dancing shoes on feet, what better way to clear out those dark energies, those lurking spirits, those dead clutter areas? What dank, moldy basement couldn’t benefit from a short musical number----maybe a costume to enhance the experience? Maybe a waving scarf? Maybe not.

A Tall Tale of Politeness in China

2008-11-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

The first time I went to China (2002) with my husband, we were regularly stopped to have our picture taken. A whole bunch of Chinese people would come from seemingly nowhere and crowd around us. They were always polite and gracious, but always on the verge of laughing uncontrollably. My husband and I would stand in the middle, smiling at the unexplained attention we were getting. They would take picture after picture of us, other cameras would show up, we kept smiling.

I always knew they were amused by his height (6'7"). After all, when any of the Chinese would come stand by him, they would be the same height as his belt buckle which they found hysterically funny. But it didn’t explain why I was included in these photo moments. I’m not that tall by their standards. Was it more than his height? Were we that special looking? So outstandingly handsome that people couldn’t help but ask for a picture with us? Or were we just freaks? Whatever, they were always gracious to us and thanked us profusely.

Over the years, these polite photo forays continued. Last year, as we were coming out of a museum, a group descended on us for the usual snapshot experience. We stopped walking, preparing ourselves for the onslaught of twenty or more people who would gather around us. One young woman, however, cut in front of me and took my place by my husband's side. I was relegated to standing behind her, virtually unseen. Some of her friends came along and crowded me out altogether. I stepped aside unnoticed. I watched from the sidelines as the laughing went on and cameras were clicking. Alas, I realized this photo scene wasn’t about us as a couple, and, lest I had any other idea, it certainly wasn’t about me----it was merely about a tall man in contrast with short people which the Chinese find very, very funny. Things are loosening up in China, and so are those Confucian ways that require strict decorum. I can only surmise that up to that point politeness had prevented them from asking me to step aside, until one young Chinese figured out how to make it happen.

Truthfully, watching my husband surrounded by all those short laughing people was a highlight for me. I was happy to relinquish my image, however photogenic it may or may not be. And I'm happy to see their shining faces and hear their delightful squeals----even if they aren't so polite

anymore.

China Memories

2008-11-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

As I integrate a recent trip to China, I am a bit overwhelmed with unpacking, sorting, catching up, not to mention jet lag. It will eventually all settle into a warm, satisfying experience but this initial phase is a little rough. Over the next few weeks, I intend to share some of these memories—those small details, as well as those huge moments. I can’t say there will be any order or progression, just drop-in segments.

Hinda and I were obviously both struck with the impact of the Olympic Park. Let me continue on that thought. As luck would have it, the Olympic Park opened up to the public the very week we were in Beijing. We hadn’t planned to actually go in the buildings but only to drive by or take photos from the outside. However, timing was on our side and we were able to buy tickets to get inside the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest.

I had heard theories that someone had come on board to offer Feng Shui advice as the Olympic Park was being put together, but then I heard that was not true. Our guide was pretty adamant that Feng Shui had been left out of the plan since, after all, "it was nothing more than superstition." However, as I got to see the buildings up close and personal and when especially I got into the Beijing Planning Museum, it was clear to me that Feng Shui had been integral to the layout of this Olympic Park.

Anyone who has visited the Forbidden City in Beijing will hear the story about how its front gate is facing directly south, the halls are facing south, and each of the thrones are facing south. This afforded the emperor (the son of heaven) to take advantage of this auspicious direction while he was ruling the Middle Kingdom. The south brought the warm winds and the sun. There is a meridian line that runs up from the south of Beijing, directly through Tiananmen Square and into the Forbidden City, past the Forbidden City and up into the northern part of Beijing. This same meridian line runs precisely between the Birds Nest and the Water Cube, linking it to the imperial strength and power of the emperor’s world. The Bird’s Nest is on the east side of the line; the Water Cube is on the west side.

The Chinese have a concept called san cai, or three treasures, which is built on the philosophy that balance is built on positive energy of heaven, earth, and mankind. One common way this is seen is in the ancient coins used by the Chinese during the Ming and Qing dynasties in which
the coin is round (heaven) with a square hole in the center (earth). The transfer of the coins from person to person captured the element of mankind. It is certainly no accident that the Bird’s Nest is round/oval and the Water Cube is square/rectangular with a walking path for people in-between. A creative blend of these three treasures.

Furthermore, the prevalent color for the Bird’s Nest is red; the color for the Water Cube is blue. Anyone who has studied Chinese philosophy knows that the Five Element Theory is a foundational system for the Chinese. And that red (or fire) and blue (water) is a particularly potent combination. The two together will assure action since sparks are bound to occur, as evidenced by the abundance of fireworks that occurred during the Olympics. This fire/water juxtaposition had to be intentional.

So whether anyone wants to admit it or not, it seems apparent to me the Olympic Park was very carefully positioned to tap into a meridian that assured a dramatic display of power and very purposefully constructed to bring about the jolt of energy that propelled the event to new heights—and most definitely assured them of a successfully creative production.

Re-Defining Feng Shui Travel

2008-10-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I leave for China (Saturday, October 11th). This will be the fifth time my husband and I have taken students to the land of Feng Shui. Every year we condense our lives into one suitcase per person. You’d think I’d be used to the procedure by now. But, no. Each year I decide two days before we leave that the clothes I was intending to take aren’t going to work—they’ll be too warm, they won’t be warm enough, they won’t hold up in rain, they won’t hold up to multiple use.

But it isn’t just the clothes. We have people live at our home while we’re gone to tend to our precious cats. So I’ve been cleaning. This is not my favorite activity and it takes way too much time. Of course, I have to stock up on two weeks’ worth of cat food. After all the times we’ve made this trip, you’d think I’d know exactly how many cans of food I should buy, but I stand in the pet food store, imagining my little cherubs pining with loneliness----will they then eat less food? Or will they bury their distress by eating more? It would help if I counted the cans before I left on each of these trips and then counted them when I returned.

I thought about making a time-line for this process, but as I was putting it together in my mind, there are many circumstances peculiar to this trip that wouldn’t apply to any of the others. Which requires being in the moment. Which is the reason packing is such a challenge for me. Which brings me back to my clothes.

You see, as a good Feng Shui consultant who tries to walk her talk, I have learned that each day I should "tune in" to not only the upcoming events of the day, but the weather, my mood, my energy level, and my preferences. According to these factors, I would then select the right outfit to help me get through the day with utmost harmony and balance. If I needed a little more fire, I could select something red to wear; if I was feeling a little under the weather, I might choose something yellow.

Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of bringing all the clothing options which that kind of consideration requires. So I have to anticipate and hope for the best, which is why packing takes me so long. I watch my husband take shirts out of the closet, two pairs of pants, two pairs of shoes, his toiletry bag and in 30 seconds he’s done. He never seems to have a wardrobe meltdown where he’s standing in the hotel trying to decide what shirt to wear and realizing his shoes don’t match the one belt he brought and people are on the bus waiting for him to make up his mind which is hard to do because he’s also having a bad hair day and is still looking for something that expresses the element of earth. No, he just grabs an outfit and feels fine about it. He maintains equanimity with Feng Shui grace and style throughout the whole day and late into the night. There’s a lesson here for me. Maybe the Feng Shui flow isn’t about wardrobe perfection but perfection with what is, no matter what the outfit. Oh brother, I need to re-pack (again).

E-mail Derail - Feng Shui to the Rescue

2008-09-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

I am very particular about my space----most of that is due to my background in Feng Shui studies but some of it is due to my mother’s training. Nevertheless, I am typically fastidious about things around our home. When life takes me on a temporary whirlwind, the stress for me increases because of the clutter that I’m faced with every day because of my schedule. I simply don’t have time to deal with it so when I see it, I become even more agitated.

One area that has become nearly crippling for me is the issue of emails. I get, on average, 30 to 40 a day. How can that be? I’m not a US Senator, I’m not running for office, I don’t have an on-line business. But truthfully, if I’m gone all day for whatever reason, when I return home I know that when I turn on my computer there will be an enormous amount that’s stacked up in my absence.

Of course, a lot of those emails I delete immediately as they hold no interest for me. If I can get my name off their email list, I’ll unsubscribe, but some of these sales pitches don’t allow me that option. Isn’t there a law about that? Nevertheless, I still face close to 20 emails daily which require some kind of action on my part. I struggle to keep my current email list below 100 at any one time. What is wrong with this picture, I ask myself ?

When I’m so adamant about my physical surroundings, I am understandably annoyed and befuddled by the computer clutter. For about five days this summer, my old computer crashed and I didn’t have one. My delight in being able to have a normal day without my nose in a laptop was lessened by the reality that, when I did get back on-line, I’d have more emails than I could bear. And that’s how it played out.

Sometimes I will take 2-3 hours on a day when I have some time and go through them one-by-one, with the idea that I’ll make a decision about a particular email, take action, move on to the next one, until I’ve gotten through them all. The issue always seems to be that the first ones I look at require a couple hours each of my time-----submit an article, send my curriculum vitae (needs updating), write a letter of recommendation, plan a course. These aren’t easy one-two requests.

I’ve decided that I’m going to enlist my Feng Shui expertise in finding a way to slow this influx of communication down to a more manageable flow. I’m not sure what this means, but I’m desperate. I’ve got a few ideas in mind and will experiment and let you know what worked and what didn’t. Since I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve received five additional emails (I would know this because my computer dings when a new one comes in). I know I’m not alone with this problem, so in the interest of all of us who struggle with computer infringement, I will begin my research now and let you all know. Oop---another computer ding.

Sale or No Sale

2008-09-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Lately, about one-third of the people who contact me for Feng Shui guidance are trying to sell their homes. These people are looking for some kind of insight about how to rise above a depressed market. These aren’t just local folks, but people from all over the country.

Understandably, there’s a desperation in the tone of their voice or their written words----particularly because usually something else is hinging on this sale. Sometimes the new job has already started so the spouse who needs to relocate has left already. Sometimes the current owners have a contingency offer on the house of their dreams and are despondent around just the thought of losing it. Sometimes they’ve even bought another house and are now facing an uncertain future with two house payments. It’s obvious that many of the people who call me wouldn’t normally do so under different circumstances. Desperation moves people to try just about anything, even Feng Shui.

Luckily, about close to half of my clients who have called me in to help sell their homes actually end up selling shortly after our time together. They’re the believers----Feng Shui is the greatest tradition around. Where else in their lives can they put this magic to work? they ask. If Feng Shui can sell their house, think of the other possibilities. The other half of my clients are not as pleased. Feng Shui didn’t work, they announce. Of course, that upside St. Joseph statue didn’t do much either.

So why some homes and not others? I have all these clients run through the same protocol----clean out the basement first to "lift anchor," remove photos of themselves and family members to neutralize the space, begin packing (which should involve some valuable sorting and throwing), write a letter to the house thanking it for all it has done for them over the years (this is especially helpful if the people didn’t particularly like the house; it helps to bring about a nice closure). We discuss whether someone might be hanging on to the house, consciously or unconsciously. We discuss whether an entity might have settled in and won’t let it go. We micro-manage the northwest or Helpful People area of the house.

And still some houses don’t sell. To say it’s a matter of timing to someone who needs to get out from under a mortgage payment isn’t very comforting. Yet, when all else fails, that seems to be the only reason left on the table. It simply isn’t the right time. Feng Shui can shift and manipulate energy, but there are limits. Evidently a very hard lesson has to be learned here----perhaps about impulsively jumping into something before looking at all consequences. Maybe the lesson is about listening to one’s own intuition (countless people stuck with homes on the market say to me they had a funny feeling about trying to sell right now----just didn’t feel right). Maybe the lesson is about realistic expectations with regard to a selling price.

I wish I had the magic wand that put "Sold" on all those real estate signs. There’s a house two doors down from us that was sold once but came back on the market because the buyers couldn’t sell their home. Every time I see the sign in their yard (again), I’m sad for them. And I’m sad for the house because it is sitting empty. Whenever I see potential buyers going in to look at it, I smile and wave from my front yard----my small effort to make the neighborhood seem appealing and irresistible. That’s not working either.

Who Are We To Judge?

2008-09-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

This week I had a Feng Shui practitioner from out of state contact me with an issue in her own space. As it happens with all of us, we’re blinded when it comes to our own situation. We may be nothing short of brilliant in a stranger’s home or office, eloquently honing in on their problems, delivering the message with authority mixed with a blend of kindness, looking them straight in the eye lest they try to avoid our forthright message. Yet when it comes to our own house, we’re dead in the water.

So it was with Ruth. She knew something wasn’t right, couldn’t get a problem to turn around, felt like she had done everything she possibly could and didn’t have a support system in the area where she lived. Things were getting desperate, so she went on-line and found me. Ruth spoke easily about the directional aspects she’d worked with, the blessings and ceremonies she’d performed in the space, and the bagua. It seemed she was highly trained in several Feng Shui modalities. There wasn’t anything I said that was unfamiliar to her nor did she once say "I don’t understand."

We spent a good 20 - 30 minutes discussing the situation, me asking her specifics about the ceremonies, had she thought of this? had she tried that? She had indeed covered the gamut. I was impressed with the respectful and professional way she had handled each adjustment or ceremony, allowing an appropriate amount of time to kick in. A good deal of our phone time was spent with me being a mirror to her words while she talked about the problem and the illusive solution. I was also impressed with her depth of knowledge and found the conversation stimulating. Together we decided on a course of action----one which she actually hadn’t considered.

I finally asked her with whom she studied. It’s the question I strongly suggest people always pose to a prospective Feng Shui consultant. There is no right answer to this question as long as they provide the name of someone and don’t say: "I’ve read some books." In line with the oral tradition that so many of the Chinese modalities followed, it’s important that an expert, Feng Shui or otherwise, have studied with someone. There’s an eye-to-eye and heart-to-heart transmission that happens, which, in my opinion, infuses the material with its power.

Imagine my surprise when Ruth’s answer to that very same question was "I’ve read a lot of books." I hung up the phone speechless and dumb-struck. Her depth of wisdom and intellectual understanding denied any lack of training. I'm not sure it still isn't the appropriate question to ask a consultant, but in this case, Ruth certainly defied the odds.

Yin-Yang on a Stick

2008-08-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

I’m not much of a State Fair-goer. Left to my own, I would never go—too many people, food doesn’t agree with me, get sick on rides, it’s often hot, it’s often rainy, the list goes on. However, I’m married to a man who LOVES the Fair. He’s not originally from Minnesota so finds it fascinating and unusual how our Fair is so heavily promoted and how everyone who is anyone goes. So, I go to the Fair with him.

It’s fun to see him so excited about it all—he loves the animal barns (don’t know why since he wasn’t a farmer growing up). He loves eating corn dogs (which he’d never eat at home) and he gets a major kick out of seeing the flower arrangements (although he is a gardener, flower arranging isn’t his passion). I guess the Fair just gets people out of their normal lives. I’m sort of a curmudgeon when we go----I refuse to walk through the Midway and I’m super fussy about food. It takes me a while to adjust to all the yang energy. This year, I decided to see if I could create a better balance for myself and went in search of some yin spots.

There have to be other people like me who find it all too much. Well, to them I say take heart, I did find a couple places during which I could gather myself together, if only for a moment. One was the sky ride. Here we were safely tucked into a little pod all by ourselves and sent up and over the foray where we could quietly look down on the masses. That was a helpful relief when I needed it and it went slowly enough that it didn’t upset my stomach. We went through Ye Old Mill----a very out-dated but funky ride that takes you on a tunnel of love experience. It’s quiet, dark, and very moist----couldn’t get more yin than that.

I thought the fine arts center would provide some quiet time, but not so. Everyone was jockeying and elbowing. The Birthing Center did offer some nice moments—people seemed to respect the mothers and their new babies, so there were nano-seconds of quiet awe. I had heard there was a meditation tent, but couldn’t find it. When it got too bad, I’d have some little doughnuts which gave me temporary relief. Nothing like a little sugar to put balance between yin and yang.

I guess the State Fair isn’t meant to be a quiet, meaningful day, but rather a head-on collision with stimulation. That’s why most people love it so much. And I must admit, I enjoy watching my husband turn into a kid, trying to figure out where to run first.

Floored in the Garage

2008-08-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

This week we had our garage floor re-coated. It wasn’t as simple as all that since they had to grind down the crumbling cement, and apply several coats of epoxy-like substances.
As with most projects, this started when we were naively sweeping out the garage this spring. We noticed that another winter had affected the floor even more than last year, causing the cement to disintegrate even further. That Monday I was on the phone getting bids to fix the problem. It took only a day to complete, probably due to the expertise, good-humor, and good looks of the two guys working on it.

The obvious Feng Shui slant to this is that our garage is on the left-hand third of our house. Depending on your perspective that could translate as being in the Knowledge, Family and Wealth area or the northeast, east, and southeast areas. Either way, a substantial part of our lives was experiencing foundational breakdown. So, in a word, from a physical standpoint that issue has been addressed.

The other Feng Shui piece to our garage floor has to do with the change in energy. I had no idea the results of this project would be so pervasive. Several times each day I am confronted with the shift----for obvious starters, every time I go in and out of the garage to get in my car. But also, I realized I am in there at least once if not twice each day with some recycling. We keep the plant food in the garage. Some of our tools are stored in the garage. When I need a box, we collapse them and put them in the garage. The plastic bags for gardening are stored there as well. The bottom line is that I love going in the garage. I can go in there barefoot. I let the cats play in there now---it felt creepy to me before. Sounds are even different inside the garage. When I close my car door, when I open the back door, when I walk around, it just resonates differently----solidly.

Such a small, seemingly insignificant change----such a huge change in my daily pattern. It feels like the garage is truly a part of our house now, pointing out that I evidently hadn’t felt that way before. Just when I think I know my house, I have a new experience like this. I guess you could say, yes, I was floored.

Two Sides to the Olympics

2008-08-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

Even if you hadn’t watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics, by now you’ve heard how over-the-top they were. Each moment was nothing short of breath-taking and left you wondering "how did they do that?" I think everyone marveled at the enormity of the ceremony just from the sheer numbers of people it took to pull off most of these routines. If I heard correctly, no one had to perform twice, so we’re really talking a lot of people.

I conjecture that part of the appeal of the ceremony was the innate balance that unfolded----the mingling of fire and water, rigidity and flow, dark and light, children and warriors, marching soldiers and dancing calligraphers, yin and yang. Each sequence was balanced by the sequence prior and the one after. How appropriate the arena was termed the "bird’s nest" since at times a phoenix all but flew out the top, symbolic of China’s rise and re-birth.

Having studied Chinese history while recently in graduate school, I know there were periods of history when the Chinese wanted to not only forget their past, but destroy it as well----the cultural revolution being the most recent movement. But this night, they remembered----their calligraphy, their printing blocks, their tai qi. Hopefully those of us who study Feng Shui noticed a mock-up of an original compass with the spoon. They proudly claimed these aspects as part of who the Chinese are, even down to walking in the athletes based on the number of character strokes in their country names, not in alphabetical order. For the last century, the Chinese have been trying to accommodate this language disparity by romanizing their characters so those of us learning it could alphabetize and find things. Not this evening. It was done the Chinese way.

Perhaps the most important piece that fell into place was to break the idea that "made in China" means cheap and slip-shod. I pity the next city who hosts the summer Olympics—this was a first-class act and will be a hard one to follow.

Feng Shui Perfection

2008-08-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I’m a stranger in my own town. I’ve lived in Minneapolis all but three years of my adult life, yet I was just recently introduced to a part of the city I had never been, which, as it turns out, it is probably the most perfect Feng Shui spot around.

I had heard of Centennial Lakes Park, a man-made area integrating condos, townhomes, offices and retail space. But I never seemed to have the time to explore it, or it wasn’t convenient, or something. A couple nights ago my neighbor invited me to go with her as she walked her dog.

Understand that my husband and I live near Lake Harriet in south Minneapolis where people can bike, walk, or jog around the lake. Most people have their I-pods plugged into their ears and are oblivious to anything else. When I do walk around the lake, I feel like I need to keep up or get out of the way of the power walkers. We also live on Minnehaha Parkway which provides more walking and bike paths meandering with the flow of Minnehaha Creek. At times these paths get downright remote and isolated, rustic even. So I’m familiar with walking by
water and have done my share.

Centennial Lakes, however, takes these concepts and creates what I see as the perfect Feng Shui experience. The paths are indeed centered around water, like the above examples, but that’s about where any similarities end. The walk is about a mile-and-a-half around the whole lake. For most of the way, their paths lead you around the lake in an obvious course, but then intermittently will diverge into two separate options, eventually merging back into a single walkway, providing a new view so you'd never tire of the scenery. There are tons of places to sit and in a variety of ways----park benches, benches where you can rest your back up against a tree, benches tucked behind some hedges, benches out on a peninsula overlooking the water, benches perched high up on some rocks to give a higher focus, double swings where couples could sit and talk, or where this particular evening three young girls could laugh hysterically at a recent text message, lawn chairs, rocks strategically placed by the water, picnic tables. If you needed to rest, you were not out of luck.

If you wanted to be more active, you could rent a paddle boat or a gondalier could provide you a Venice-like ride around the park. A labyrinth lured some people into its mystery. There was a putting course, a croquet lawn, bridges spanned across the water. People with dogs, people without dogs, people in wheel-chairs, people with kids and dogs, classical music coming from somewhere, lights emphasizing certain areas.

Maybe it had an artificial feel; it was, after all, a fabricated setting. Some would argue that this isn't truly nature but a polished substitute. But people were engaged. No power walkers here. I didn’t see one I-pod. Everyone said hello, everyone was smiling. People were ambling and strolling. I didn’t want it to end. The next night I took my husband back and the experience was just as great. We came home refreshed, renewed, uplifted----isn’t that what a true Feng Shui spot should do?

Are We Still Weird?

2008-07-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hardly a week goes by that Feng Shui doesn’t appear in the news. Sometimes it’s a mere mention of some celebrity incorporating its principles in a remodel or a new house. Sometimes it’s advertised as a selling point for a model home built by some upper-end builder. It might be mentioned in connection to a clinic that used a Feng Shui consultant to help bring about a harmonious environment. For those of us who have been in the Feng Shui world long enough, it’s gratifying to see it go mainstream. Not too many people are raising their eyebrows anymore.

Recently there was an article in our local Minneapolis paper about young Iranians who are expressing an interest in self-help books and motivational speakers. In fact, the book "The Secret" is in its tenth printing in Farsi. There’s a big interest in yoga and meditation and "advertising abounds on the virtues of feng shui and financial management."

You’d think I’d consider this good news. I should be happy that the benefits of wind and water have reached global proportions. No longer does a writer have to explain what Feng Shui is, but instead treats it as a matter of fact, presuming any reader will have enough recognition of the term to know the reference. I can present no argument to the contrary.

The issue for me is that this little snippet occurred in a weekly column called "News of the Weird." This column is typically one of my favorites. I look for it every Thursday to see what weird things people are doing. Most of the time, the stories are truly absurd----a thief who left his phone number behind during a robbery because he lost his glasses, or someone who collects and sorts rubber bands to the extent that he opened a rubber band museum, or the recurrence of the middle name "Wayne" in notorious prisoners. This is mind-boggling date describing the absurdity of people’s behavior or their bizarre situations. Those are the kinds of stories I expect to read about.

I challenge the appropriateness of the article about the Iranians for this column. Is this really weird news? Isn’t it more interesting news? Or uplifting news? Or hopeful news? My husband thinks I’m too sensitive and should just be happy Feng Shui and financial management were mentioned in the same phrase within the same sentence. Perhaps that’s true. But sometimes when many of us are working so hard to get us out of weirdness and into normalcy, even a small mention in the opposite direction ruffles my feathers.

From One Owner to the Next

2008-07-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

We love our house. It has been the perfect home for my husband and me and, for a few years, my stepson. We love the size, the location, the garden----well, everything. Okay, we do wish we had a two-car garage sometimes, but other than that it has been the best house for us. There’s one major reason this house is so special.

Many years ago we were lucky enough to have bought our home from a friend. We knew her when she lived in the house, witnessed her change in life-plans, bought her home when we realized we needed a bigger place, and now live here ourselves. In case you’re wondering, this amicable torch-passing is very good Feng Shui. We knew her reasons for leaving, what happened while she lived here, and knew the Feng Shui specifics of the space. Once we became the owners, we could shift the energy that needed to be transformed and keep what we wanted to build on.

It might be helpful for realtors to realize how important this was to us----not only buying from a friend, but also keeping her up-to-date with regard to the changes we made. I realize some previous owners would have a fit if their "perfect" home was altered by the new owners. But not in our case. Our dear friend rejoices in each and every change, no matter how big or small. And we’re always so excited to show her what we’ve done when she comes back to town. It’s as though we want her to approve and bless the changes. After all, she is an integral part of the legacy of our home.

It’s too bad old and new owners couldn’t become friends, help each other through the transitions of moving out and moving in, share the intricacies of the home, relate stories of what took place in the house. Instead the buyers and sellers often don’t even meet for fear some sort of fight will break out. I’m concerned when someone has bought a new/different house but in the process legal problems and animosity arose between the buyer and the seller. This is a predecessor issue which could plague the new owners for years to come.

Perhaps our story is unrealistic in today’s world. For the first few years we owned the house, we all referred to the house as "our" home. We’d tell her about something we’d changed or done, referring to it as "our" home----acknowledging her ownership and keeping her as part of the experience. She’d ask how "our" house was or "our" garden. I loved it. Recently I received an email from her when she referred to the house as a temple that had been handed from one owner to the next. We didn’t create that temple alone, I can assure you. In the work that she did and the infusion of Feng Shui energy she put in the structure, she had as much a part in how this house is functioning today as we do. For this we thank you, dear friend, and "our" temple continues to thank you.

Back to Nature

2008-07-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

In teaching and living the principles of Feng Shui, I am acutely aware of how disconnected we’ve become from the influence of nature. My husband and I are city folk and, although we have an ample yard, the shade trees and squirrels derail any efforts to grow our own vegetables. So last year we joined a community supported farm in order to bring some fresh food into our kitchen.
There is an abundance of these farms around here (and I’m sure everywhere) who grow organic, pesticide-free produce. Those of us who have paid into their efforts receive a weekly bag beginning some time in June containing whatever is being harvested. As anyone who has ever taken part in these community farms knows, it’s not unusual to get some mystery things, but our farm sends an accompanying sheet explaining what is all included and some recipes for its use.

What I love the most about this experience is the dirt. These vegetables come with the dirt and mud still caked on them. The eggs may still have some straw stuck to the outside of the shell. It’s almost as though I’ve dug the veggies out myself or gathered the eggs from under the chickens with my own two hands. I realize how important that is to me when I have to buy produce in the store, after the farm has closed up for the year. The potatoes are all washed and neatly stacked; the lettuce is in similar sized bundles, freed of any offending dirt. The eggs are in cartons. There’s something not natural about that.

Of course, we go to the farmers’ markets around our home. For the most part those vendors aren’t afraid to leave the dirt on their vegetables either. But the difference is that the vegetables we get from our farm were harvested with us in mind----not specifically us as in my husband and me, but all of us who support them. Without us, they wouldn’t be boxing up those vegetables that end up in our kitchens.

The other advantage to having this food show up on our doorstep is that it gets us cooking. Not wanting to waste this precious source of ch’i, we cook together, look for other recipes, try different combinations. I like to call this generational Feng Shui—where one intention brings one change, but leads to another one that hadn’t even been considered. Buying organic food to help out the agricultural community and to have good food leads to us to spending more creative and quality time together. That illustrates the true flow of nature.

Time in a Muddle

2008-06-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

My computer crashed a couple days ago. This email comes to you through a circuitous route, because, as many of you know, recovering from a disaster like that doesn't occur over night. For all of you who have shared your experiences of computer meltdowns and heard me smugly say something about “you should have backed up your data,” or “you have to use fire walls,” I apologize. We backed up, we had fire walls, the thing still died.

The last few years, I had some sickening awareness that I was getting just too dependent on my computer, but when I suddenly didn't have it at all, I was appalled at my helplessness. I had transferred phone numbers as well as emails to the computer. A fleeting thought of calling someone to discuss a project or an appointment, or even to let them know why I wasn't emailing, was foiled when I realized I had no other record of their existence except what I had recorded on my computer. Yes, we'll eventually retrieve the data, but we're dealing with a weekend here when tech help is somewhat limited.

In an experience like this, there's always a yin and a yang, a counter-balance to some polarizing event. I couldn't imagine what the proverbial silver lining would be other than to put a check on my over-bearing confidence and express some true empathy for those who have gone through the same ordeal. I wasn't expecting the enlightened moment, until I was preparing for a 9:30 meeting the next day. It was 8:30 when I looked at my watch and I was ready to go. How did that happen? Was the clock wrong? Ahhhh—no computer to suck me in---no computer to tie up my precious minutes----no last-minute emails to answer. I had some time on my hands.

Talk about flow. Over the weekend, I've gotten some long overdue ironing done. I cleaned out some file drawers. I picked peonies from our garden and put bouquets all over our house. I played with my cats, much to their initial mistrust and to their eventual delight. I took a nap. I had to admit my computer had taken over my life, depriving me of some very simple pleasantries.

In a day or so I expect I'll be back up and running as normal. From another perspective, I'm grateful I'm only worrying about losing a few pieces of data and not shoveling mud from my living room as many Iowa people have been doing over the weekend. But on the other hand, I learned, despite my mantra of “I wish I had more time,” I do have time. Out of the perceived chaos, the pathway to time became evident. As happens in Feng Shui, sometimes your things or your space will provide you the kick in the pants you need to move forward, or to see the light, or to find the time.

Car Shui

2008-06-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

This past week I bought a new car. The car I was currently driving, although I loved it, was going to require some major work----in my opinion, not worth the investment. Finding an appropriate car for me can be an ordeal. I won’t drive just anything, mind you. Most of my friends say something like "It’s just a car" or "What’s the big deal?" Well, not me. My car holds a lot of importance in my world; that has been true even BFS (before Feng Shui)----as far back as I can remember I took great pleasure in driving a spiffy car. My motto is: If I’m not looking good in my car, then something’s wrong. When I get out of my car at the grocery store, or post office, or anywhere, and someone (a stranger preferably) says "nice car," then I’ve got the right automobile for me. We could analyze why that has so much importance to me and what could be lacking in my life to desperately seek that kind of approval from strangers. But we won’t.

The colors of my last car were based on the elements I needed from my Four Pillars analysis (fire and earth, red and tan). I made those colors work beautifully in a sharp red car with a tan convertible top. Too bad its life-span was so short. This time I wanted something different. Having just completed the study of Fashion Feng Shui, I decided to go in that direction. Believe it or not, I had my color swatches with me at the dealership. I matched a car color to my eye color. My husband rolled his eyes when he heard this.

I also name my cars. In the last years because of my endless tenacity in learning Chinese, I’ve given them Chinese names. My red and earth colored car was called hong bao, Chinese for red envelope. By the time I drove my new car home, I had already discovered its name----green jade carpet (luyu ditu). It’s a take-off on a red carpet, get it? —flying to magical places, soaring through space to faraway spots. Part of the reason I picked that is because I know all those words in Chinese—yes, amazingly, I even know the word for carpet.

So "green jade carpet" ("green jade" for short) and I are getting used to each other. It has an intelligence key which is truly more intelligent that I am. It wasn’t until we got it home that we realized it’s the same color as our house! It will take a while for us to figure out the significance behind that. As with any new adjustment on the physical level, new adjustments could come forward on other levels as well. As I change the image of my car, I may be in for some image changes myself.

The Bandwagon is Full

2008-06-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

I’m on my high-horse today. Sometimes a small, seemingly inconsequential thing will annoy me to no end. And it’s happening lately. There seems to be a need to grab a popular concept (in this case Feng Shui) and link it to something else, something totally unrelated, or slightly related but not enough to make it valid.

A couple months ago I saw an article about Feng Shui Yoga. I read it with great anticipation that some enlightened connection that hadn’t occurred to me would be brought forth between these two philosophies. I do yoga; I do Feng Shui----it never occurred to me to blend the two. I couldn’t wait to see how this would be done. The author continued to refer to Feng Shui Yoga, continued to build up my expectations about what this might be, but before I knew it, I was at the end of the article. There was never a clear definition of what made it different from regular yoga, or any other kind of yoga for that matter. I was irritated that someone would use the Feng Shui tag to lure readers to their article----the title was effective because I did indeed read the whole thing, but I didn’t like it.

Then a student of mine forwarded a link to a web page for a Feng Shui Beauty package. You could get a Feng Shui haircut, a Feng Shui manicure and pedicure, and a Feng Shui makeup application (all for $205). How the heck does this work? The reader was assured they’d be aligned with the seen and unseen forces of nature if they would come to their salon to experience the art of Feng Shui. Huh?

I was shopping for groceries the other day and bought, out of curiosity, Feng Shui crackers. Maybe they had an Asian flair because there were some flecks of kelp in them, but, gee, does that qualify them to be Feng Shui crackers? What’s next? Feng Shui deodorant? Feng Shui pantyhose? Maybe we wouldn’t feel bad about paying so much for gas if we were using Feng Shui petrol? Where will it end?

Maybe I should change my attitude and look at it another way. Perhaps because Feng Shui is popular, all of these examples are attempts to grab on to some of that popularity. I believe there’s a word for this: entrainment----when one item vibrating in a certain way affects an item positioned next to it causing it to vibrate in the same way. I think there's another word for this: tacky. Well, I’m off to take my Feng Shui car to the Feng Shui mall and look for a pair of white Feng Shui shoes.

San Fran Ch'i

2008-05-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

My husband and I just returned from San Francisco where we proudly witnessed the graduation of his son from San Francisco State. We spent a few extra days hanging out with him and letting him play tour guide. He loves the city and was happy to show us his favorite places. I’ve traveled a lot but for some reason was struck by the difference in ch’i between what I’m used to here in Minneapolis and what I experienced in San Francisco.

Perhaps I’m stating the obvious, but for me the energy in San Francisco and that of Minneapolis might be in the category of polar opposites. I think sometimes here in the Midwest we get content, even lethargic. We get into a groove and are often reluctant to shift into something else. We love our routines. There’s no time for routines in California. For one thing, there may be an earthquake at any time that could change everything. So people are on the go, on the move, up and out, on a fast track. Don’t take this as a blast against us Minnesotans, but our lifestyle is, well, slower.

For one thing, people in San Francisco live closer together, and they put up with it. They eat in very small restaurants at crowded tables. We need our space here in Minnesota. Most of the California people I met don’t have cars----come on, we’d never endure the inconvenience of that, let alone the loss of independence. Of course, San Francisco has so much public transit that it’s down-right easy to get around without a car. We rented a car for our recent visit and spent endless amounts of time trying to park the thing----no space, or if there was space, not big enough. I didn’t see one over-weight person in San Francisco, I’m sure it’s because they have to walk to the transit station, or the bus stop. I did see one very obese woman in Chinatown, but the camera around her neck was evidence that she was a tourist.

In my opinion, the ch’i in San Francisco is nearly electric. It’s exciting, progressive, on-the-edge (probably because that next earthquake could be the big one). It left me breathless at times, even exhilarated. I’d love to live there. I think I could do very well there. The truth is I’d love to live there if I was younger. I’d love living there more if I was assured of a decent income. Oh yes, it was good to come home and slow down a bit. I was happy to get in my car again and get somewhere on my own time table. Nevertheless, a part of me is still in San Francisco, thinking about what it would be like to be part of that energy. I hear a song coming on......

The Muffin Tree

2008-05-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

Fifteen years ago my husband moved to Minnesota so we could begin our lives together. One of the few things he brought with him was an old cat named Muffin. After the first hour of being together, Muffin and I were bonded. I forgot she was his cat and not mine----I think Muffin forgot it too. By default my husband let go of any ownership of her as well. It was clear to all she and I were meant to be together.

A few years later, by some unusual circumstances, we given a June berry tree to plant in our front yard. The day we planted the tree, Muffin hobbled her nineteen-year-old body out to oversee the project. In Feng Shui fashion, my husband and I placed a couple of special meaningful objects in the hole while she watched. Since she seemed to want to take part in the proceedings, I brushed a bit of her fur and placed it in there as well. When we were done, Muffin wasted no time in blessing it in her own way, which entailed a lot of circling and trunk-rubbing. Thereafter we deemed it the Muffin tree. That was her last summer with us.

A few days ago the Muffin tree exploded with brilliant white flowers. Even though it’s been ten years, I remember the day we dedicated it to her as though it was yesterday. Each spring it’s as though she returns to remind us of the wonderful years we had together and the day we planted a very intentional tree. I always have to ask my husband what kind of tree it really is as I can’t remember its name, knowing it only as the Muffin tree. We have other cats now who are not nearly as interested in this story as I am. However, I will always be grateful for the gentle reminders of a special kitty.

Thinking Outside the Box

2008-05-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

I’m evidently into boxes. I blogged earlier about using a box to organize my desk, throwing everything into the box at night so that when I walked in the next day, I would be met with a clean, clear desk. I’ve loved the idea and have integrated it wholly into my routine. A few weeks ago I realized that the box idea isn’t a new one to me----I’ve organized my life by a box method. Back in the 70's I started putting together memory boxes rather than the proverbial scrapbooks. I would cover a sturdy box and lid with decorative paper and put in everything I wanted to keep for that year----pictures, birthday cards, memorabilia. The next year, I’d start a new box.

About 20 years into that process, I had a lot of boxes, as you can imagine, so I began a consolidation. First it was into five-year increments, then a few years ago I condensed it to ten year spans. As I went through each box, I had an opportunity to remember some moments, look over some old theater tickets, try to recall why some of the miscellaneous stuff might have been important. I had a birthday card from someone named Joan----I no longer remember who she was. It was easy to let a lot of it go.

So now I’m questioning the whole idea. Does anyone care what I looked like in 1976? or who sent me birthday cards? Perhaps the better question is whether I care? On one hand it’s my data, my history; on the other hand it’s in the past. I don’t have children who will one day cherish a photo of me in my bell bottom jeans. I guess I’m aware that at some point in universal time, all this stuff will be recycled by someone, never to be seen again. Shouldn’t that be me taking care of this while I can? Of course there’s always the possibility someone will want to write an extensive autobiography about me after I’m dead and will want any and all photos and memorabilia they can find. Then again.....

I ask myself WWFSD? (What would Feng Shui do?) I know the mantra that less is more, simplify, simplify, yet I also know the underlying Taoist belief about flow. Perhaps there’s no set answer, but instead a compromise. Maybe there’s the ultimate memory box where eventually the memories of the most important parts of my life end up, but there are interim boxes leading up to that point. That way my stuff is always moving around, I’m regularly assessing where it should go, as I choose to move it to another box or relinquish it altogether. No stagnent ch’i here. Yes, indeed, I do like those boxes.

Ch'i Over the Years

2008-05-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago this September, following a distant call, I gathered the first class of what would eventually become the Wind and Water School of Feng Shui. To say that the program has evolved from those days is the proverbial understatement. Those who took part in that first group don’t even recognize what the training has become.

Not that those first classes were any less valid or substantive than they are now, but my approach has changed. I’ve re-arranged and re-formatted the hand-outs, changed teaching venues a couple times, added faculty, met the qualifications to become licensed as an official school by the Minnesota Department of Higher Education Services. And, bottom line, I teach the material differently. All of these changes have been exciting, appropriate, and in line with the flow of the ch’i.

Luckily, however, one thing has not changed in all these years----the faces. One of the pure delights I cherish is being able to watch the faces of my students as the light bulbs go on, as the words bring new insights, as they realize the possibilities. It was one of the first things I observed ten years ago, and it still happens with every group of students. It reminds me of my own journey. That ride is pretty exhilarating, that’s for sure.

I also know from experience that when you’re in a group having break-throughs, processing issues, supporting one another, making plans for the future, a bond happens. Feng Shui is no different. Some of the past classes still meet informally even though their classroom experience was years ago. I still have a dear friend who, at the time of our mutual study paths, was living in Florida and now lives in Pennsylvania. We wouldn’t think of going to a Feng Shui conference or take up another line of Feng Shui study without one another.

This past weekend one of my classes reached a mid-point in their studies. After a short ceremony to mark the occasion, they wanted to forever hold the moment so we took a picture. I want to share the photo with you to show you what I’m talking about.

It’s hard not to smile when you look at their faces. I thank them and all the prior students for blessing me with their open hearts.

Of course, nothing says "bonding" better than a group hug.

Enlightenment

2008-04-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I found myself engaged in light fixtures. One fixture project was planned, the other an unexpected surprise. To wrap up a kitchen remodel we started four plus years ago, my husband and I bought some pendulum lights for over the counter and the sink. Part of the delay in getting lights was due to the fact that we didn’t know what we wanted and were overwhelmed by the options. The other contributing factor was that we just wanted to be done with the remodel, with or without lights. So we shelved the idea until later.

One recent weekend we found what we wanted rather unexpectedly. When the lights were installed, it was as though the whole remodeling project took on a new life. And we were pleased all over again. At the same time, Debbie, a student of mine, gave me a small lamp with a lovely Asian flair----marking the end of her Feng Shui studies with me. I thought it curious that, within a few days, all this new light was appearing.

The kitchen pendulums had designated spots but the little lamp needed to find its home. I had it in my office, our bedroom, the entry, but nothing worked right. I found what I thought would be a suitable place in the dining room but then realized it was too close to the kitchen, competing with those pendulums.

So, I took a Feng Shui approach. Since the kitchen lights were in the south and center of our house (Fame and Health), I decided to complete that line of thought and place the lamp along the same axis----in the north (Career). I walked into the living room, lamp in hand, doubtful I’d find anything that would be appropriate. In fact, I saw the perfect spot on top of the television cabinet. The lamp nestled in next to some lucky bamboo as though it was always meant to be there.

I’m pondering the reality of having more light in my life. Feng Shui is the proverbial language of metaphor so there must be some message here, after all, the whole center third of my space/life has been lightened. Meanwhile until I fully understand the underlying meaning, I bask in the warm glow, grateful for the new vision it provides me.

Foiled Ch'i

2008-04-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons, or perhaps THE reason, my husband and I bought the home we have is because it overlooks Minnehaha Creek. Not only is it scenic, but there are walking paths, bike paths, the sound of water----a perfect Feng Shui setting. Besides all that, there is a foot bridge that crosses over the creek and lands close by our driveway. When I was taking buses back and forth to campus during my graduate years, I would get off one stop short to be able to walk across the bridge to my house. It was though I was flying over the creek into another world where I got to live. I loved that walk.

A couple weeks ago there was a small sign with a chain draped on both ends of the bridge----"Warning: Bridge Closed." Some of the neighbors and I called the park & rec department who told us the bridge was not fit to be used; they were going to have to assess whether they could repair it or would have to replace it. Either way there was no money to do anything. The bridge was closed indefinitely.

The bridge closure has not only changed the way we take our walks and the way my husband does his morning jog, but countless other people walking their dogs or riding their bikes have come to a sudden stop at the foot of the bridge. A lot of people relied on that path to get across the creek.

Despite the warning sign, I saw people fearlessly step over the sign as though it wasn’t there. You’d think after they got a few steps onto the bridge and heard the creaking they would come scurrying back. I didn’t understand the young couple who, pushing their baby in a stroller, stepped over the chain/sign, laughing and jostling one another ignoring the sounds of a bridge ready to give way. Maybe because the sign was so small, it wasn’t getting respect. I was witness to a bicyclist who nearly flew over the embankment into the creek as he came barreling down the Bryant Avenue hill expecting to take the bridge. We called our friend at the park & rec again. The sign wasn’t working; we were afraid of a total collapse of the bridge right in front of our eyes. We suggested they put up more chains across the entrances to the bridge. That way, we, the neighbors, could still see the bridge, enjoy the scenic aspect we all love, yet there would be no way anyone would be able to get on it.

Yesterday, the park & rec department came by with their own solution to the problem. I don’t know if they were mad about the disregard for their nice little sign, but what they left behind is nothing short of an eyesore. I can’t wait for the graffiti to start. I’d say this warrants another call to our park & rec friend.

Painting Lessons

2008-04-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

This past week I painted our entry and the hallway going upstairs. It’s something I had been wanting to do since we bought our new furniture and I realized the green walls no longer worked. Nevertheless, it felt like a daunting task----lots of taping and corners and high places. I figured I’d drag my husband into the project over the course of a couple weekends, during which we’d bicker over the details and the time it was taking. I dreaded the thought of going through the process of picking a new color. But I reached a point when I disliked the green color more than the prospect of painting.

When my husband announced he was going to a conference for four days, I saw this as my opportunity to move forward with the project on my own. Of course, when the timing is right, flow happens. With hardly any hesitation, I found a gold color that both of us liked. During the time he was gone, I decided how much I could realistically accomplish without exhausting myself. It took me all four days of his absence to finish the parts I could do on my own, which actually was the majority of the job.

The best part is that I found the work meditative, relaxing, and rewarding. I took my time; I pondered my intentions with each roller of warm gold paint; I stopped when I said I was going to; and I basked in the accomplishment of each day. Every night when we spoke on the phone, I would tell my husband what I had done, wall-by-wall, and he would enthusiastically encourage me to move forward. When he came home, I had to enlist him for only a couple hours to finish the very high parts.

Today every time I look at the entry and the hallway, I remember the quiet moments that went into transforming the energy and the great intentions infused in the paint. It’s more yang now----a lighter, cleaner color than before. It also reminded me of the many times my own dad would decide to paint our walls when I was growing up. For some reason, it was almost an annual affair and most of the time he wasn’t even changing the color----just freshening things up. He’d always enlist my help to fetch him a rag, or stir the paint, or just sit and watch. He painted in a meditative way, too. I loved being there with him, watching him methodically move his brush. I’m sure that’s where I learned how to paint this way. How appropriate that memories of him came up for me since, coincidentally, I was painting in the Family area of our house. I wonder if ever so long ago while my dad was slowly dipping his brush and carefully getting into the corners, he, too, was infusing the walls with his own intentions.

It's a Small World After All

2008-03-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

Last summer, the publisher of my first book "Wind and Water" failed to tell me they no longer had an inventory of this book, and furthermore they had no intention of reprinting it. So in the fall, I obtained the rights. Aware there was still an active readership, I began a long process of looking for a printer. The costs from domestic printers were astronomical, staggering even, and I knew I couldn’t fund something like that.

At about the same time, I had a conversation with a past student of mine from Michigan who had just written her own Feng Shui and gardening book. I was lamenting my dilemma when she gave me the name of her printer----in India. It was a long shot, but I sent off an email with the specifications. The cover of my book is complicated----varnishes, metallics, overlays. I know it was the reason for the high printing bids; a couple printers opted not to bid it anticipating the standards required to make it work.

Within a few hours of my initial request I received an email quote from the printer. The quote was one-third the cost of the domestic printers. I was sure they had misunderstood, so I sent them a copy of the book. They assured me that was an accurate quote—furthermore it included shipping and customs fees. My editor Dorie and I ruminated over whether this was a good idea or not—something too good to be true never works out. India is so far away—how would I ever sort out a problem?

During the midst of weighing the risks, I got a personal email from the sales person. It seems he had read my book and had found it "thoughtful and life-changing." It would be "an honor" for them to print it. He assured me he was familiar with Vaastu (the Indian form of Feng Shui) but was looking forward to implementing what I was proposing in "Wind and Water." That beat all...what printer bothers to read the books? And pay attention to the content?

Perhaps it was a clever sales tactic, but that email was the beginning of what has been a delightful and charming relationship. They have been conscientious; have air mailed proofs; have air mailed the first press runs; have assured me of some small tweaks they would be making to assure even better quality; have been patient while my bank tried to figure out how to wire money to India. The list goes on. We call each other "friend" now----"My dear friend Carole..." "Thank you, Jagdish, my friend, for your quick response....."

Yes, initially it was their price, but after these heart-felt emails, I have not regretted my decision to take the book to India. Of course, it didn’t hurt that their pre-run copies were impeccable, surpassing the last edition the publisher provided me. According to their latest production schedule the books will be arriving at the distributor here in Minneapolis on May 4th. I don’t feel badly about taking this job out of the country. For one thing, I have some new friends in India. And for another, I’m sure when someone picks up one of these new books, they’ll know there’s something extra special about it. Something they sadly would have missed if the books had been printed by anyone else. Thank you, Jagdish, my friend.

Update on Desk Experiment

2008-03-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I challenged myself to clear off my desk----totally. It was part of a New Year’s resolution because I was tired of looking at the same stacks every day. I outlined in a prior blog how I bought a box and at the end of the day put everything in there, leaving my desk totally clear. After a few hiccups, I have to say, I’m loving this.

I come into my office in the morning and I am ready to go. Everything I need for the day is in the box. I start pulling things out according to priority. When I’m done with one item, I take out the next. I haven’t lost one piece of paper so far—everything’s in the box. I must admit I’m waiting for this system to fail me, for something to happen where I’ll have to admit that this box idea just doesn’t work. It’s too simple.

Of course, there are things that have sifted to the bottom of the box that I may never get to and don’t really care about. But I’ll leave them in there for a while. I don’t see the harm in that. During my daily forage through said box, I see these small reminders of obscure possibilities so there’s no worry that I’ll ever forget about them. I just don’t need to repeatedly see them sitting on my desk, taking up valuable space.

So, if it were just the expansive feeling I get when I walk into my office, that would be worth this exercise. But there’s an unexpected benefit to putting things in the box that I can’t explain, which is: I have more time at the end of the day. I didn’t expect this, yet I should know that this is how Feng Shui works. Since I began using the box system, I have done projects and juggled more commitments which would never have happened during the pre-box era. There’s no logical connection here between putting my stuff in a box and seeing the hours expand, except for the energy of it all. As a Feng Shui consultant I shouldn’t be surprised.

Feng Shui for the Future

2008-03-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

Over the years I’ve gotten requests for insights about implementing Feng Shui in countless and interesting ways, but this week I got one that beat all. The editor of a science fiction web-site asked if I’d contribute information for an article she was writing about the Feng Shui of a spaceship. I think she was tongue-in-cheek, at least I hope so as that’s the direction I took it. Of course, I haven’t heard back from her so perhaps I missed the point.

Just contemplating the possibilities was a fun exercise. Since the traditional form of Feng Shui is based on the constellations as they relate to earth, what happens when the spaceship leaves the earth’s atmosphere? It would seem to me we couldn’t really discuss what we know about the influence of directions because it wouldn’t apply. Is there a north and south on another planet? Without much gravity this might be hard to determine.

Let’s say we could determine the ming gua number of the captain of the spaceship, presuming he/she/it is humanoid and had an actual birth day. Would it do us much good to know this if directions as we know them are non-existent? I don’t think so. Would it help to know when the spaceship was built so we could employ a Flying Star chart? Again, the answer is no because we need directions to make that work. A Ba Zhai chart is out of the question because the spaceship is always moving around so facing and sitting orientations would be impossible to determine unless you considered the facing direction the way the spaceship is moving when flying through space and the sitting direction is the back. Of course, the argument could be made that you’d want the facing and sitting directions to be determined when the spaceship has landed somewhere. Ah, but once again, we need directions to put sense to this. If I were the resident Feng Shui consultant on a spaceship, I daresay my compass wouldn’t do me much good.

All I could offer her was some good old western Feng Shui tips: watch for clutter, make sure the captain is in full command (high-backed chair, power corner, headboard), the importance of color. I remember those old Star Trek television shows----Captain Kirk always had his back to the entrance of the deck. Those doors would slide open with lightning speed and, guess what----he had to swivel around in his chair to see who was coming in! It’s amazing he made it to anywhere. If those Klingons would have caught on to that Feng Shui snafu, Kirk would have been toast.

So, for all of you out there who are studying or thinking about studying Feng Shui, here’s your future. Get your engines ready. The countdown has begun.

To Barb

2008-03-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

This morning I read in the obituaries that a friend had passed away. I knew she had cancer but when I last spoke with her a couple months ago, the tumors had shrunk and she was hopeful. Barb was my personal shopper. She worked at Macy’s and when I needed help I’d call Barb. She’s outfitted me for weddings, TV appearances and just general life. It was always an event spending time with her trying on clothes, listening to her opinions, having her run around the store looking for a different size or a different color. She was always glad to see me. I’m sure all her clients felt that way, but somehow she made me feel as though I was the most important client she ever had and would ever have again.

I initially met Barb in about 1996 when she called me for a Feng Shui appointment because she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I went to her apartment where she lived with her little boy, the delight of her life. Despite her cancer diagnosis, she was upbeat, funny, and invincible. At the end of the appointment she gave me her card—at that time she was a shopper for Dayton’s.

Over the years I had regular contact with Barb. She moved to a townhouse which I visited a couple times as a Feng Shui consultant----once because she had just moved in and another time because her cancer was back. On the reverse side, I’d have need for something to wear so would spend time in the dressing room with her. She was honest about what worked on me and what didn’t—and never pressured me to buy a thing. She’d call to keep me up on what was on sale (Dayton’s was now Marshall Fields) and what was "perfect" for me; likewise, I’d let her know when I was teaching a class she might like. We weren’t best friends, but she was definitely a part of my life. We never socialized together, but we still had friends in common. I kept up with how proud she was of her son as he grew up to be a young (and handsome, I might add) young man. I listened to her opinion as Marshall Fields was bought out by Macy's. Barb was so full of life, it never occurred to me she would die from her cancer.

In fact, just a couple weeks ago I thought I’d contact Barb to let her know there was going to be a Fashion Feng Shui class here in Minneapolis in May which I thought she’d enjoy. Plus I hadn’t heard from her for a couple months and needed to catch up. I didn’t know she was busy dying.

Here’s to Barb—for whom the heavenly cannon resounds your approach and the angels rejoice with the thought of you in their midst. Thank you for being my friend. May you rest in Feng Shui bliss.

McFeng Shui

2008-02-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

Countless people forwarded an article to me about Feng Shui being integrated into a McDonald’s restaurant in California. Doesn’t that beat all? A fast food restaurant (where flow means how quickly people can get in and out) incorporating colors and features that will slow people down and let them linger. There’s something odd about this. It doesn’t seem like a good business idea for a restaurant where turn-over is key to profit, especially fast-food restaurants who want to get people to eat and leave so another group can take their place.

I may be wrong here, but I don’t think people going to have a meal at McDonald’s are looking for a Feng Shui experience. Does Ronald McDonald fit into this picture? Will he have to tone down his colors and act more mannerly? What about those indoor playgrounds for kids? Will they be piping in soothing music while kids are squealing down slides?

And let’s face it----McDonald’s doesn’t exactly serve healthy food. I know they’re working on improving their menu, but truly a Big Mac/fries and Feng Shui are mutually exclusive, no matter how you look at it. If this restaurant was going to serve organic and natural food, adding Feng Shui to the environment would make perfect sense.

I guess we should celebrate that Feng Shui has become so mainstream that McDonald’s is now using it----well, one of their restaurants is. It will be interesting to see if their sales top their

other restaurants.

Creeping Clutter

2008-02-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

For the last few weeks I’ve been working on a drastic clearing of my desk. Not that it was totally out of control, mind you, but it did annoy me and wore me out. So I bought a decorative box where everything would go at the end of each day, thereby leaving my desk in a totally clear, totally expansive, totally open gesture, preparing for new possibilities. I loved this look. I had controlled the outside paper, duties, lists and put them in a box with a lid. Well, an interesting and curious phenomenon developed.

I basked in this emptiness for over a week. I’d peek into my office during off hours just to look at the desk, admiring such perfect Feng Shui. I’d walk in each morning, take out the box, and look through the stack. Everything was there in that stack that I’d need for the day----I just had to go through the papers. I didn’t lose anything in another stack somewhere----it was all in one place. It was mainly the top half of the stack that was most relevant and I would go through it several times during the course of one day to make sure I hadn’t overlooked anything. The system was working flawlessly.

Then, and I recall the exact moment and the exact situation, one evening I remembered something I had to do right away the next morning. I jotted it down on a piece of paper and, because of its urgency, didn’t put it in the box, but instead put it on my desk so I definitely wouldn’t forget to deal with it when I walked in the next day. Sure enough, the next day, there it was. Over-riding the box and the system which I had set up seemed innocent enough just this one time, but it opened the gates. That next day I wrote a couple more things down and also had a letter to follow up with----left them on my desk so right away the next day I’d jump right on it. You can see where this is going.

Soon I had a stack----again. It wasn’t big and it wasn’t all over the place, but it was the beginnings of a full-blown stack. I sadly realized I didn’t trust my own system. I must have figured I’d meander into my office, think I had nothing important to do, and leave. This, of course, is never the way I work, but what else could it be? Of course, the question remains unanswered as to why I’d undermine my own perfect method of maintaining a clear desk. Perhaps afraid of the outcome? Perhaps needing to feel overwhelmed/important? Clutter is infectious, particularly when it starts in the mind.

Sitting Tall at My Desk

2008-02-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

As a follow-up to my last blog about my New Year’s resolutions of clearing off my desk, cleaning out my closet, and blessing my house, I have much to report. I have done or am in the process of all three activities, but it has been the desk clearing which has impacted me the most. The reason I resolved to clear off every item from my desk is because I was tired of walking into my office and seeing piles of projects, reminders, and phone messages. I was tired of feeling overwhelmed with it all; I was tired of not knowing where to begin. I was.....well, tired.

Of course, clearing everything off the desk requires some thought----like, where is all this going to go? I had to have a file or some place to put the things I was working on and the things I needed to jump on first thing in the morning. So I bought a decorative box and started there. That ubiquitous pile of must-do actions was stacked up neatly and placed in the box, which, for now, sits conveniently under the desk. I piled up all the related items for a couple of on-going projects I’m always working on (too big for the box) and decided to put them each on a shelf in my book case. However, that required I clear off a couple shelves. Then where did that stuff go?

I went to my closet. I could put the shelf things in there, but I’d need to clear off some space in the closet first. Some used folders, some old magazines, and some out-dated information were all cleared out to make room for the shelf items which were being moved to make room for the desk items. Anyway, it did all work but this domino transaction took more than an afternoon.

My procedure now is that each day I come into my office, pick up the box, and start looking through it to see what needs to happen. At the end of the day, it all goes back in the box, leaving the desk open and receptive to new things. After a couple days, I did put a candle and a photo back on a corner of my desk so the office didn’t look abandoned.

Today I go into my little office and feel expansive. My desk is primed for new possibilities. Interestingly, along with clearing up my desk, some problems with a printer who has been trying to reprint my first book magically cleared up. In Feng Shui, there are no accidents.

Year of the Rat Resolutions

2008-02-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

I myself am happy to be moving into another animal year. The pig year was okay but there’s something about the rat and its new beginnings that I’m anticipating with hope and excitement. The rat is the beginning of the Chinese twelve-year animal cycle so it's an especially New Year. Chinese New Year’s day is February 7 this year, so it means there’s still time to refine, or make, January 1st resolutions if you haven't done so already.

Traditionally, the Chinese clean their homes, pay all their bills, make amends with anyone they’ve harmed, buy a new outfit and celebrate for two weeks until the New Year culminates on February 21 when they celebrate the Lantern Festival. It’s the biggest holiday they have. Sadly, if you’ve watched the news, snow has hit some areas in China very hard making it difficult for migrant workers to get back to their families for this important celebration. I’ve been taking to heart what I can do to mark this passage, and here are a few things I’m going to do before February 7th:

1. I’m going to go to Patina to buy a decorative box and remove everything off my desk. Everything. Most of the time anyone coming into my office would say it's pretty organized. However, I have projects stacked into piles; I’ve got things I want to consider in the future in another pile; there are some decorative cards people have sent me which I’ve propped up; I’ve got a small area of trinkets. It’s all annoying me so it's going to be gone for these two weeks. I’ll just have to dig through the box to find what I want. This will be inconvenient, but will force the need to file better.
2. I’m going to take clothes I don’t wear but always think I will to the closet in the lower level and let them hang there. I want to get down to the actual pieces that matter and see where to go from there. This will be frightening since I already think I have nothing to wear.
3. I’m going to bless my house in some fashion on each of the 14 days. I may do some specific rituals; I may visualize I’m blessing the space; I may enlist my husband. This will be comforting.

What better example of implementing Feng Shui than by moving things along, making room for something new, honoring what you have. Elaine has a word for this----she calls it guerilla Feng Shui—it’s drastic, obvious, and in my face. But it’s a new year, a new time, and I’m ready.

WNDWATR

2008-01-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

I have a license plate that reads WNDWATR. Over the years, people have stopped me in various places to ask if I’m a sailor. No, I assure them, I am a Feng Shui consultant. Some stare; some ask “What??!” The polite ones say “Oh.” Some say “I’ve heard of that” as they pick up the pace heading toward wherever they were going in the first place. One guy ventured to guess that I did fly-fishing. I don’t mind explaining my license plates, because, of course, why have them if I won’t take the time to explain them. But sometimes it just gets complicated.

The other day I was getting out of my car at the post office and an elderly man who I’m sure was in his 80's was unlocking his car door and saw my car (and the license plates). He smiled and said “What does your license plate stand for?” I had one of those immense moments when in the span of a nano-second I vacillated between saying “I don’t know, this isn’t my car” to “Why, Feng Shui, of course.” I presumed he wouldn’t have any idea what I was talking about and I’d have to go through a long explanation which may or may not matter in the end. I was on a tight schedule after all.

What the heck. “Wind and Water,” I declared. “It stands for Feng Shui.” His eyes lit up. “Feng Shui? I’ve heard of that----my daughter was just telling me about it the other day. It’s become pretty popular these days, hasn’t it? In fact, she’s got some books and was trying to Feng Shui (he said this with emphatic glee) my living room.” I assured him that was a small but valid part of what I do, but before I could get very far into my explanation, he launched into telling me how much he loved personal license plates and how he always tried to figure them out on his own. Then I heard some reasons why he actually didn’t have any on his own car. Then he expressed how excited he was to learn about a license plate that had some connection to HIM. He waved me off with a self-satisfied smile, but not before reassuring me WNDWATR was a very clever way of expressing Feng Shui.

I walked several steps toward the post office when I heard: “Have a Wind and Water day, young lady!” I smiled back at him and waved. I smiled all the while I was waiting in line to mail some packages, thinking about our conversation. I smiled at the postal clerk who gave me a suspicious squint of her eyes. I got back in my car still smiling. I thought about this man who proved me wrong----just because he’s elderly doesn’t mean he lives under a rock. I imagined he would go home and tell his daughter about the license plates with all the delight and innocence he expressed to me. He probably had no idea how he had touched me—it seemed like such an insignificant encounter. For the next few days, every time I looked at my license plates I thought about him and, sure enough, smiled. It didn’t hurt that he called me young lady.

Mindful Mopping

2008-01-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

If all goes as planned, this weekend should be the last time I clean my house. I am neither dying, moving, or deciding to lower my cleanliness standards—I’m reinstating my cleaning service. I'm calling back the spirited, happy, energetic people who would blast through the house in an hour or two leaving it sparkling and uplifted. Why would I ever let them go I can hear you asking. Feng Shui, of course.....

I have had a cleaning service for most of my adult life. I’m busy, I don’t enjoy cleaning, it’s affordable----all valid reasons for relinquishing an activity that doesn’t make me leap for joy. However, many years ago when I was first learning about Feng Shui, I realized that, although I loved my house and I felt a strong connection to it, there was one layer I was missing out on. I wasn’t cleaning my own house. So I experimented with letting the service lapse and picking up the mop myself.

I’ve taken on the cleaning tasks twice in the last seven or eight years. Each time it has proven very beneficial and each time I’m happy when it’s over. I get into corners that I don’t ordinarily see. I appreciate the work behind the shining floors. I am less messy in the bathroom since I would be the one to clean up after myself. During this last phase I discovered a hair-line crack in a bathroom tile. This led to a massive bathroom remodel since water had been leaking through that crack for who knows how long providing mountains of mold behind that tiled wall. If I hadn’t been cleaning my own bathroom, this would have gone undetected.

It stands to reason that when I clean my own place, I would do things the cleaning service doesn’t do. I lug furniture around, rearrange things, dust under armoires, often find lost kitty toys in obscure places. Unfortunately, I never did acquire a smooth cleaning routine. Cleaning happened when company was coming or when I was disgusted enough to do it. But when I did, I made sure I was in a pretty good mood, had some time to devote to it, and took pride in the results.

Nevertheless, I’ll be so happy when those cleaners walk through the door in a few weeks. Somehow the house stays cleaner longer after one of their sessions. They have all the right equipment and tools, and a good attitude about it. I know the day I walk in and all the fringe on our area rugs has been combed into straight little lines, I’ll have trouble holding back the tears of joy.

New Year Intentions

2007-12-29T06:54:00.000-08:00

I really look forward to New Year’s Day. Every year about now I start to focus my attention on the day in preparation for a new year. It isn’t just about a fresh beginning, although that’s part of it. But truthfully, it’s about the actual day itself because my husband and I started a tradition years ago that we find nothing short of magical.

Feng Shui is all about intention. Someone can implement a change in their space to help it support their current life. Additionally, Feng Shui can also help someone support what they want to create in the future. And that’s what my husband and I do. Every New Year’s Day morning, we sit down and create our future. First, we look at the goals we wrote down last year and assess what we did with them. Then we make a list of new ones for next year. We make goals for ourselves individually as well as goals as a couple. We consider the financial parts of our life together, spiritual aspects, physical changes for the house, exercise plans, career steps, and recreation/travel ideas. Sometimes we’re collaborating on these topics and sometimes we’re putting our own plans together.

One of the most interesting parts of this ritual is reading what we wanted to accomplish a year ago. There’s no rule that says we can’t refer to our list throughout the year, but it seems like we don’t. So when we look at them again on New Year’s Day, we’re often surprised at how many of our goals were reached even though we had consciously forgotten about them. This is a good confirmation for the power of the written word. Writing an intention on a piece of paper, even if not referenced regularly, can still bring about change. Some of the items on last year’s list never got done. We may move them onto this year’s list or decide they weren’t all that important. Some other accomplishments may have happened that never made it to the list----a bonus, I say.

The years when we were into all the house projects around here, we would each write a letter to the house asking for guidance. One year we each got the same answer about whether to build on a sunroom—a definite “no” from the house. We opted for a deck and have never looked back on that decision. Even without specific remodeling projects, I find it helpful to check in with our home. It’s amazing what door gets open when you begin a clean page in the journal with “Dear Home.....” We’ve gotten some great ideas and insights from having done this letter-writing exercise.

We also throw the I-Ching coins for each of us individually and for us as a couple. We may even draw an angel card. My husband works with the Shustah cards which often become part of our routine. It may feel right to simply journal about the highlights or memorable parts of the past year for a bit of time.

All of this doesn’t take us more than two, maybe two-and-a-half, hours. It’s not much time considering we’re making an outline for the next 365 days. Yet it’s long enough for us to focus and discover our intentions for the next year of our lives. So, if you’re interested in giving this a try, get yourself a notebook or a journal and create your own ritual, create your own goals. Xin Nian Kuai Le as the Chinese say. May this New Year bless us all with good health, happiness and success.

Elements of Feng Shui

2007-12-22T13:50:00.000-08:00

My husband and I just returned from five days in Mexico. Every year we try to make this a ritual—get away before the holidays. We come back refreshed and ready for celebration. I love Mexico so much because it truly takes me out of my element. Whenever I describe these trips, I find myself using that term a lot: “I’m getting out of my element,” “The trip brings a different element to my life,” “The experience takes me out of my element.” And although it may sound uncomfortable to do this or something I would typically want to avoid, there are times when I ache for it.

I had a realization one idyllic day during our vacation while sipping a pina colada, with my toes in the sand and the roar of the ocean in my ears----conditions perfect for an intellectual epiphany. It all had to do with my use of the word “element.” As anyone who has studied Feng Shui knows, one of its underpinnings is the cosmological structure called the 5 Elements. Based on constellations, directions, and the deeply-rooted agricultural tendency of ancient China, the Elements provide insight into the universal flow. There are 5 of these elements (fire, earth, metal, water and wood). Some people relate to one element or another in very intense ways while finding the other elements not to their liking at all. The goal is to have a representation of all five in your life in some way----through your environment (hence Feng Shui), through the foods you eat, through your own personality projections, through the clothes you wear, etc.

Like Lisa, who described the typical metal personality in her earlier blog, I also carry an exuberant amount of this energy. Frankly, I do not know how to be unorganized, even when I’d like to be. Perhaps I’m a little compulsive but I list things I have to do during the day, projects that I’d like to complete within the next two months, phone calls to make during the week, groceries we need for supper, Christmas gifts to buy, articles to write, you get the idea. I am desperately uncomfortable if I think I may have dropped the ball somewhere. This is metal at its highest, not necessarily its finest. So I surprise myself when I get to Mexico and don’t even want to figure out the currency.

That afore-mentioned day, with pina colada in hand, I realized that I truly move out of my metal element and drink (no pun intended) in the other elements instead. The fire is present in the heat and sun; the water----well, there is no mistaking the ocean; the earth—toes in sand, remember?; and wood is represented by the abundance of palm trees and flowering plants. But metal? None to be found. There is nothing in Mexico to support all my metalness, not one aspect, nada. And I love that.

I spent five days in no-metalville. No schedule, no lists, no pressure, no expectations. I did see people in Mexico, even on the beach, have some bad metal moments. I saw a guy have a meltdown when his cervesa took about ten minutes to get to him at his beach palapa. I witnessed someone yelling about a taxi not showing up instantly. And I saw plenty of impatient metal people waiting for the elevator. All I could think was: next time, leave home without it, people.

Truthfully, I have to admit it would drive me crazy to live metal-less indefinitely. But for a few days, leaving it behind was a relief. I’m back home now watching my element kick back in. I’m not disappointed about this for I was never expecting a full-out metamorphosis. However, I had the opportunity to change the way I did life and to immerse into a different reality. It wasn’t that hard, despite my edgy metal. In fact, it was elementary.

Feng Shui Ole!

2007-12-14T16:08:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow my husband and I are leaving for Mexico for five days. We try to work this in every winter. We anticipate the trip for weeks prior to leaving, relish each and every minute while we’re there, and return renewed and invigorated. I have a friend who berates us for not spending more time down there. If you’re going to spend the money to go, why not stay longer, she preaches. I always have to reassure her we’re just fine doing it the way we want. I’m taking four books, three magazines and my Chinese to study-----as you can see, no tromping around ancient ruins for me. It always astounds me that we can both put the brakes on so quickly—no transition time required. We get there and drop.

The other piece that is so fascinating to watch is that we both adapt to the environment in ways we’d never do here in Minnesota. We eat hot spicey food, which would normally never agree with my system. We drink sometimes two margueritas a day (or pina coladas, depending on our mood) with no side effects. We read for hours on end with no pangs of guilt. Neither one of us could do any of this here without some ramifications.

I also wear things there that I would never wear here. In fact, I kind of have my Mexico wardrobe now----flamboyant, colorful, flowing items. My wardrobe color of choice (black) just doesn’t work in the land of endless sunshine and beaches. My husband wears a big floppy hat. He wouldn’t be caught dead in that thing here at home.

Adapting to one’s surroundings is what it’s all about. That time-worn Feng Shui phrase “Your space reflects your life” couldn’t be more true than when we land in Mexico. We take on a whole new routine, a new look, and new patterns. I often wonder if we lived there permanently whether we’d revert back to our Minnesota ways of doing life. I think not. Mexico holds a strong cultural energy to which we adapt. While in Mexico we let ourselves be open to the natural flow of the land, without a schedule or any expectations. We let ourselves live the “wind and water” of the place, as well as the beach and cerveza.

Political Feng Shui

2007-12-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

It’s almost a year until the presidential elections and I’m already sick of the political scene. I’m tired of thinking about how much money is being spent on ads for these people when our health system is in dire need of financial resurrection. I’m tired of hearing about the tweak someone’s platform took when a candidate used different wording to describe their stand on Iraq. I reach for the remote when I have to hear again how the polls are doing. It’s a year away, people.

However, the thing that rankles me the most is when these intelligent, brilliant (okay, that might be a stretch), savvy individuals resort to standing in front of national television and spend their time, my time, and everyone’s time running down their opponents. Rather than explain their own positions on our world, clarify their proposed policies, explain their strategies if elected, they belittle their opponents, and, I feel, themselves in the process. Who taught them this was a good approach? Now it’s such a standard tactic that if one person doesn’t get on this accusatory band-wagon, they’re left in the dust.

Well, this is the world of politics, as disgusting as it is. What has really saddened me is that this strategy is now permeating the world of Feng Shui. Just this week two situations occurred which nearly brought me to tears. One was an article forwarded to me which was published in the Finance and Commerce magazine/journal, an obviously local publication here in Minnesota. During the course of the article, a practitioner from the compass school of Feng Shui discussed her observations about the IDS building in relation to City Center, two major buildings in downtown Minneapolis----one which has struggled from its beginning and the other which seems to be thriving. She didn’t explain if she was hired to do this or whether this was simply a way for her to express her views. Nonetheless, some valid and interesting points were made about these two buildings and how they affected one another. However, for some reason unknown to me, the practitioner was compelled to take a jab at the western version of Feng Shui (aka Black Sect, the other main school of Feng Shui) that is currently so popular in the States. She readily offered her “disdain” for this form of “psychobabble” and “nonsense.” I didn’t see any value that was gained in making derogatory remarks about the school and those of us who practice this form of Feng Shui. I re-read her comments which I originally thought were well-founded and insightful and, quite honestly, dismissed them. A knee-jerk reaction, I grant you.

The very next day another article came across my desk entitled “What You Should Know Before You Hire a Feng Shui Consultant.” This consultant, a compass student, left no doubt in anyone’s mind about her opinion of the western version. Yikes! I broke out in a cold sweat reading her comments and her experiences working with people who had had the great misfortune of hiring a Black Sect consultant. In between her valid suggestions about what and who to look for to make sure you get the help you want, she couldn’t keep from blasting away at a perspective different from her own. She could have easily made her point without the insults and jabs. Again, I couldn’t help but dismiss her 12-page diatribe in toto----the good with the bad.

Any one of us who work a lot, or even exclusively, in the realm of Black Sect Feng Shui could have responded to both articles, arguing each point, defending our own system, offering countless examples of how the allegations were not based on fact but rather on ignorance, and offering examples of how compass is “nonsense” as well. But what would have been the point of that? Besides, those of us in Black Sect don’t believe that at all. We know the two systems are different—neither one being better than the other. In September, I was part of a Feng Shui conference in New Jersey where the whole theme was about working together, no matter what school is our preference. It was a very empowering and successful undertaking. In all of my training in both the compass tradition and in Black Sect, my teachers were adamant about being non-critical of other schools, other teachers, other consultants.

Perhaps politics has entered the realm of Feng Shui. It doesn’t seem like a good move to me. The latter example mentioned above hit home pretty hard for me since this was a former student of mine. I know she didn’t learn that in the classes she attended here in Minneapolis. I ask what is gained from taking this approach? Perhaps these two people have been watching too many political debates?

In a perfect world, politicians would smile at one another, congratulate one another on their victories (and mean it), keep in mind the big picture (making the world a better place), and stop the critical comments. It goes without saying, Feng Shui practitioners would do the same. In my perfect world, I had hoped Feng Shui practitioners would help to lead the way to this new paradigm----maybe not yet.

Show Me the Money

2007-12-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking about money a lot these days. Not because the holidays are here, not because I’m strapped, not because I just won the lottery. Most of this began because I have been facilitating a teleconference for a group of my graduates based on the book "Feng Shui and Money" by Eric Shaffert. His book is organized into nine sections with exercises, journaling topics and just plain soul-searching around the topic of money. We’re doing one of the nine sections each month.

I’ve always liked money and think I have a pretty good relationship with what it can do. I know people who have a love/hate thing going on with anything financial, or people who simply think it’s a very poor exchange mechanism and would rather do away with it entirely. I credit my mother for instilling in me a respect for money and for the value of spending wisely. She knew well the impact of the Depression so passed along the powerful lessons about saving and about delayed gratification.

As a result of the above mentioned teleconference, I have moved my relationship with money to new levels. One of the first issues that came up for me was that my husband and I have no wills. We travel a lot together and have never addressed the question about what if something happened to both of us...? Questions about what would happen to our money and our investments was right up there with what would happen to our three little kitties. We hired a lawyer. Writing a will isn’t an overnight task. We discussed all kinds of scenarios and some delicate questions, like how do we divide our assets equally between his side of the family and mine. Who should be in charge of disbursing it? Where does the money go and in what quantities? If I was truly going to take care of my money, I knew I had to protect it after I’m gone just as much as when I am here.

The other habit I re-initiated was spending only cash. I get cash at intervals during the month and then watch it leave my hands. If anything makes you mindful about spending, that will do it. I always watch with despair the television commercials for one of the credit cards where everyone is happily and efficiently moving through the store like a well-oiled clock making their purchases. Then one person shows up at the check-out with cash and everything comes to a screeching halt. Very embarrassed, the purchaser realizes their stupidity and pulls out the required credit card and everything gets back to its flow. I don’t let that deter me in the grocery line----I just get prepared. The money is in my hands before I even know the amount! I perhaps have offended a person or two behind me as I count out to the last penny in order to get the exact amount. But, I give them a big smile and move out of their way as quickly as I can.

Handling cash in American money is one thing, but handling cash in another country is a different experience. When I get Chinese yuan or Mexican pesos in my hands, it is nothing more than play money to me. I know I’m not alone in this idea. I hear people say it all the time as they buy something they may not need or particularly like----"This isn’t real money; it doesn’t matter." They even hand a wad of money to the clerk and say something like "Take what you need!" The danger of course is that such a serious disconnect to money, foreign or not, can send someone home with a lot less money but also a lot of stuff they’re not particularly wild about. I have to constantly remind myself that it’s just as real as American dollars and to keep my diligent spending habits in place.

Years ago I went on a five-day mini-vacation with a friend who I knew was strapped for money. Nevertheless, all the while we were strolling through shops or at market places, her credit card was working over time. Her justification was "I’m on vacation!" I often wondered what she said when all those credit card bills started showing up—and how her husband handled it who had so carefully been managing her carefree spending ways. Once she got out of a familiar venue, money reverted back to its original meaning for her----something to spend, spend, spend. Nothing I could say would dissuade her from buying a very unattractive, not to mention unflattering, Hawaiian shirt----she just had to have it. I had to borrow her some cash the last couple days of our trip because she had spent all of hers, and ATM’s were not available in those days. So her spending not only influenced her trip but mine as well. By the way, she only paid me back part of what she owed me, only after I asked her about it. I know she didn’t intentionally forget, but the realm of money is so disconnected from her reality that it just never came up again.

Last evening, Tom and I went to dinner with a friend. When she got change for her share of the dinner, she pulled out the bills she had in her wallet, integrated the change in such a way that all the bills were facing the same way and were in ascending order. I remarked on her automatic behavior. It was so automatic she was unaware she had done that and was also unaware there was anything unusual about it. In light of our teleconference discussions about money being energy, I saw at once the connection in how she treated her money and how she lived her life----owns her own house, has a good job, travels, goes to graduate school, just completed a huge remodeling project in her kitchen. That small habit spoke volumes to me.

Still, when I’m working with clients, the issue that always comes up as something they’re dissatisfied with or something they want to elicit some changes from is money. It’s clear many people have a difficult time relating to money. A lot of Feng Shui adjustments have evolved over the centuries around wealth and money, so this craving is not a new phenomenon. One last fall-out from the Feng Shui and money teleconference is that over Thanksgiving I approached my side of the family and suggested we not exchange presents this year. They all agreed and we decided that we’re going to take the money we would ordinarily spend and donate to a family my sister knows who sorely needs some financial help. Right now we all feel warm and fuzzy about that. What remains to be seen is how we’ll feel on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day when there are no presents to open. Dissatisfied? impoverished? a little sad and nostalgic? My hope is that we’ll be overjoyed with how we’ve used our money in a positive way, avoided the shopping frenzy, and shared the blessings.

Missing Maureen

2007-11-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

Three years ago this morning my beautiful niece passed away. In 2004 it was the day before Thanksgiving. We had pizza that year on Thanksgiving Day sitting around my nephew’s dining room table. Understandably noone was in the mood to cook a traditional dinner. Life goes on even though we didn’t think it would, even though we really didn’t want it to. My 93-year-old mother opted out----a few weeks after Maureen died, she also chose to make her departure. My sister and I were the walking wounded for a while.

After this much time to ponder such an enormous event in our family, I have slowly discovered something. I knew this piece of information intellectually but I have now gotten glimpses of it in the core of my heart—and that is there is a definite existence on higher level of life. Naturally I was taught about “life after death” as a Catholic----it was framed in the context of heaven, purgatory, and of course hell. I now know there is something beyond all this.

This came about because, shortly after Maureen died, my sister’s life began to change. Well, of course, it would naturally after such a loss, but I mean in a good way. Not just good, but fabulous. Not just fabulous, but miraculous. It was odd, because as she was grieving, great things started to come her way. She became recognized in the community newspapers in many ways for her charitable work. She was asked to speak at the high school’s Homecoming celebration—the first time a woman has been bestowed this honor. She made some lovely changes in her home (with a little help from her Feng Shui sister, of course) and she began entertaining. She had some travel opportunities. An incredible financial windfall was dropped in her lap. And most recently she won $500 in a local drawing. It’s like she became charmed, in a bittersweet way. I asked her what she thought was going on. She said “It’s Maureen.”

It seems every day she sits in Maureen’s room for a few minutes and asks for strength and guidance. Then goes on about her day. As it turns out, this King Midas touch began almost instantly after Maureen left. First, in small ways. Then in bigger ways. Now, everyone is noticing. She is rather embarrassed by all the attention coming her way, admitting she’s even afraid to buy a lottery ticket because she’s pretty sure she might win. No one begrudges her change in fate. It’s a pretty known fact in my hometown that she deserves every good thing that comes her way. But why now? After her husband died twenty-five years ago, she struggled to raise her little kids by herself, worked sometimes two jobs, paid her bills on time, held her head high. Why not then?

I believe it comes down to the fact that she has asked for the help she needs, which is not something she did very often and wasn’t able to do even after the death of her husband. This time she didn’t ask me or her son for help, she asked her daughter who had died. She stretched past the concept of heaven or hell and reached to someone she knew. She put forth an intention with all of her heart, with what was left of her heart, and asked. She reached into the transcendental for answers and guidance that couldn’t be answered from here and came back with palpable results.

Does she consider this praying, I asked? She assured me she didn’t think of it as prayer. It’s simply a mother reaching out to her daughter, heart-to-heart. It’s simply one soul putting forth a heart-felt request in the hopes another soul will hear and respond. How is this any different than someone asking for a better job? an easier relationship? a chance to heal? Perhaps the difference lies in the word “heart-felt”----feeling with the heart and having the heart accept the feeling. Maybe we just don’t reach far enough with the request.

We still miss Maureen, especially around this time of year. Not only because she left us at Thanksgiving, but also because she loved the holidays. Yet I see now that she really isn’t far away at all. I need only reach out.

"FUN SHUI" NEEDS A WARDROBE MAKEOVER

2007-11-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

I’ve been watching the HGTV show "Fun Shui" for a few weeks now (Friday nights at 8:30 CST) and want to preface my comments by saying I really do think the show is doing a good job. There are some good teachable moments and some clever ideas. Watching a place transform makes for good viewing and I think they’re pretty spot on.

Now, however, I think it’s time to bring in a wardrobe coach. What is it with those clothes Stefanie the consultant wears? Is she going to a ball-game? running errands? Does she only have that one pair of jeans? I’m waiting for the show that has her wearing a baseball cap. This is a professional appointment, people. Come on, dress her accordingly. I’ve met this woman----she doesn’t dress like this otherwise, that I could tell. I’ve seen her in a very attractive two-piece suit, or a pair of dress slacks with a sweater. She’s a mature woman who should no longer be dolled up in tops appropriate for an 18-year-old, with a pair of stone-washed jeans and those boots. She never takes those boots off even when painting walls. Wouldn’t it be nice if we saw her remove those things at the front door so she could respectfully walk through the space without danger of scuffing up the wood floors?

I guess my beef is that I’ve seen how hard some of us have worked to get people to take Feng Shui and Feng Shui consultants seriously. If I showed up in something like that, I’d be apologizing all over myself to the client explaining how my house had burned down and this was all I was wearing when I ran out of the burning building. What would it hurt to make her a bit more age appropriate?

My other wardrobe gripe has to do with editing. I think they’re trying to make it look like this whole make-over thing took one day since everyone is wearing the same outfit in the beginning and then at the end. But in-between everyone wears different clothes. This doesn’t take an Oliver Stone to know that sequential integrity is important. I get that they would change clothes when they’re involved in the "hands on" parts where we see them happily pushing paint rollers around. But then to bring them back in the original outfits to end the program? Who dropped the wardrobe ball here? On more than one show Stefanie announces that she’s going to take her client shopping. The next shot in the story shows her and her client in the store in different clothes and different hair-dos. Maybe I’ve made a mistaken assumption that they’re shopping in the city in which the client lives. Maybe they’re traveling to another city, or country for that matter. Then they would, of course, have to change clothes after traveling so far. However, it’s unsettling when they return to the house and they’re all back in their original outfits. When did they have time to launder those clothes? Since they’re traveling to destinations unknown to do the shopping, couldn’t they have made a little side-trip and bought something new to wear when they came home? Look, here’s the new headboard we found in Italy, and isn’t this a cute jacket I bought there as well?

While I’m on it, the producers also need to give Stefanie a few coaching sessions about hand gestures. She’s getting a little out of control with them. I’m waiting for the time when she pokes someone’s eye out with those fingers she points. I detected on a recent show one of the client’s ducking ever so slightly to avoid being whacked on the side of his head from her waving arms. This is easy to overcome (I should know) so hopefully they’ll get on this. Oh yes, one more thing----please don’t show her plopping herself on someone’s bed to drive home a point about an over-head shelf. She can just use those fingers to point at it.

Pet Perq in my Office

2007-11-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

It was only a matter of time before I blogged about my cats. Anyone who knows me for more than five minutes know that I own, or rather am owned by, three little cherubs. Most of my adult life I’ve lived with cats, continuously astounded by their magnificence, their intelligence, and their indifference. My husband believes I have some kind of persecution complex to put up with their behavior sometimes, but I don’t care. I’m here to serve.

I will say each day I have a Feng Shui issue with one of my little felines. Her name is Mudra and she is the most "water-y" of the three----she doesn’t mingle with the other two, she prefers to eat by herself, and she’s not much for sitting on the back deck even on sunny days. She’s an indoor kitty all the way.

One of the places she takes over is my office chair. She curls up on the chair first thing in the morning, and at night she’ll often still be there. Of course, it presents a dilemma for me since I need to work at my desk. What dilemma? you may ask, echoing my husband’s own question. You move her off the chair—it’s that easy, he’ll tell me. This next part will fully disclose a flaw in my own character, but real, true cat-owners will totally understand: you don’t disturb a kitty. Oh no. The cat stays and I adjust.

In Feng Shui, you must have a comfortable, high-backed chair at your desk. One that supports you as you make decisions. One that rolls back and forth easily, has arms, and can be raised and lowered as needed. I hear myself say it countless times to clients and students. I say it adamantly even, with great emphasis, stressing the importance of sitting straight and feeling in control. The caveat, for those of you who still are not understanding the gist of my blog, is that this Feng Shui directive does not apply if you have cats. Here’s the new directive: if a cat is sitting in your office chair, you share the space with the cat, disturbing them as little as possible. Duh.

As I write this very blog, I am comfortably and easily perched on the front two inches of my chair, with my lovely cat Mudra sprawled behind.

She has agreed to move her large bushy tail to give me this space for which I’m grateful. Lest I forget she has so generously shared her space, she will from time to time push her little front paws into my back. Some people would think she was trying to shove me off the chair, but I know she’s offering me the support and confidence I need in life. When stalled for an idea, or struggling to know where to begin, I reach behind me and pet whatever part of her my hand finds. As though that isn’t reward enough, she will emit a soft purr to let me know she’s there and recognizes my efforts. What better Feng Shui can I have? Those high-backed chairs, those ergonomic monstrosities----they’re only for people who don’t have the privilege of sharing their space with the gift of a cat.

Equine Feng Shui

2007-10-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

On Friday, my husband and I experienced a session of equine therapy. It was his birthday and through a convergence of various people, I had heard about a place called Acres for Life, about an hour north of the Minneapolis area. I thought it would be a fabulous experience for him to celebrate not only his birthday but also a new shift in his career. I was not prepared for how mind-blowing and enlightening it would be for both of us.

I have done a bit of horse-back riding over the years so, even though I knew going in I wouldn’t be riding these horses, I figured I’d be pretty comfortable with the whole idea. What surprised me was the paralyzing awe I felt once I got in the pasture. It was hard to know what came over me, but I felt I was in the presence of masters, everyone of them. On the outside they were slowly and steadily grazing, hardly noticing me standing there, yet I knew I was dealing with something other than my normal life.

After a couple of exercises to get comfortable with the horses, the therapists dragged out a bunch of poles, barrels, stools, rope, etc. Our assignment was to build our own little space within their space, using any or all of these tools. This was, to say the least, the ultimate Feng Shui conundrum. Rather than maintain a respectful distance while standing in their pasture, I had to make a "home" for myself, mark my territory in some presumptuous way. This was a blatant desecration of Feng Shui protocol that states you walk lightly in someone else’s place, leaving no footprints behind. But an assignment was an assignment and the therapists were waiting.
I began dragging things around laying them here and there, creating a semblance of walls. I left the front open so I didn’t seem too overtly rude and uninviting. I’m busy hauling and shoving poles around when a black horse is suddenly standing in my space. He came in through the "front door," magically appearing as though out of nowhere. He assessed what I was doing and began to re-arrange a few things, nudging some of my "walls" with his nose, lifting up one light-weight pole with his mouth to make sure I understood it didn’t belong there. We talked and laughed and, of course, I helped him move things where he wanted them. When it was all just right, he stood there for a bit, while we basked in the final results. The therapists were smiling from the sidelines, furiously writing things down on their clipboards. Then he slowly turned and meandered out through the front door.

If I ever felt like dropping to my knees, it was at this point. The therapists came running over exuberant at the interaction; my husband had left his own little creation of space to join the experience. I was, of course, concerned I had upstaged his own birthday celebration. But, in that moment, watching my equine buddy amble away I knew I had to re-think the Feng Shui protocol about infringing on another’s space, I had to replay the moments of playful interaction, of moving my walls, of being in the moment. In five minutes, he touched on issues that were real for me. I was indeed in the presence of a master. And, as it turns out, my space had been blessed by magic----literally. One of the therapists revealed that the horse’s name was Magic.

Can You Hear Me Now?

2007-10-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

It seems Motorola has requested a patent for a Feng Shui phone. Please. I know from my own experience that when something is coined "Feng Shui" it means the colors have a zen-white or peaceful pastel shade. Or it could (operative word) make you feel centered just being around it, or just simply holding it, or just looking at it. On the initial glance, however, it would seem Motorola has done some homework on what a Feng Shui enthusiast might want to know.

One of the first features mentioned is that it has a digital camera (uh, guys, many phones have this already), but the difference here is that it can determine color saturation leading us to better balance in an environment. I guess we can’t get there with the other camera phones. It is also equipped with a compass to determine directions along with some version of an otherwise valid and scientific meter that measures electromagnetic fields.

It also has a GPS receiver to locate where you are and then it will run that information through a network to determine if you’re standing with your Feng Shui cell phone near any airports, landfills or factories. It is also equipped with an AM/FM radio which, through transmission clarity, can determine how close you might be to power lines. Finally, it has a microphone to measure noise levels in the environment.

The phone owner (this does not take a licensed Feng Shui consultant as you can probably figure out) takes some pictures of the surrounding areas, points the phone toward the main wall and presses a button. A "Ch'i Map" is presented measuring positive ch’i, neutral ch’i, and negative ch’i. I was unable to determine how to interpret the results, but let’s hope there’s a manual. I also didn’t know what we were supposed to do about anything that falls in the negative ch’i column.

Although some valuable information might be spewed out, without Feng Shui training, most people aren’t going to know what to do. Unfortunately, here’s a sad example of the cookie-cutter approach to an art and science that requires careful considerations, individual assessments, and room to implement extenuating circumstances. Maybe the best action to take is not buy the phone in the first place.

"Fun Shui" television show

2007-10-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

I’m pretty excited about the new HGTV "Fun Shui" show that has recently aired. It was a matter of time before it happened. It’s kind of cute and glitzy, but that’s what sells. I think the Feng Shui designer on the show (Stephanie McWilliams) does a good job explaining the changes and doing some educating along the way. She’s perky and hip to boot.

Tonight, however, I had a strong reaction to the program which I hadn’t noticed on prior shows or, if it had occurred, it wasn’t so blatant to me. As part of the explanation to this reaction, let me say that in the Feng Shui world, the client rules. Any good consultant would spend a good deal of time asking questions about the clients’ taste, their preferences, what colors they like, etc. Well, Stephanie has her client slather on some dramatic red paint on the living room walls. When the client expresses some concern that she isn’t sure she likes the color at all, she’s told "it’ll grow on you." Feng Shui Stephanie also hauled in an enormous piece of art which she unveiled for the first time in front of the client, assuring them they’ll love it. I thought the piece was God-awful. How come the clients didn’t get to choose? How come they had to adjust to Stephanie’s choices? Where does it say she knows best what belongs in their home? Bad Feng Shui.

I suppose it makes for good television. People do like to be told what to do. But, sadly, I think a huge piece of what Feng Shui is all about was terribly misconstrued. I’ll watch "Fun Shui" again next week in hopes Stephanie pulls in the reins a bit and guides the clients rather than pushes them.