Who Are We To Judge?

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.

Ch'i Over the Years

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.

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