Garden Alive: Feng Shui on the Path

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

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.