w

Feng Shui: Wind & Water

The Continuing Process of Feng Shui
by Carole J. Hyder
I first met "Ned" when he called me for a Feng Shui appointment a couple years ago. He didn't know much about Feng Shui but had read an article in a magazine and thought it would be interesting. Besides he was in quite a desperate state which required desperate measures.


On the way to his appointment, three things happened to give me a hint as to what lay ahead. First, a semi-truck had stalled in the middle of a city street a few blocks from my own house just as it was making a left-hand turn. Traffic was backed up for several blocks in both directions as cars slowly took turns getting around this obstacle. Second, when I finally got on the freeway, the ramp I was intending to take to Ned's was under construction, so I had to make a quick adjustment as to how I was going to get on the road I needed. Finally, despite what I thought were pretty clear directions to his house, I was unable to locate the address. As I drove around the area trying to get my bearings, I knew that something unusual was going to happen on this appointment with Ned.


Unusual is not exactly the word I would end up using to describe the initial appointment. Everything looked fine, until the door opened. He was living in the lower part of a duplex, with tenants above him. It was apparent that the tenants were enjoying a loud rendition of some kind of rap music. The bass from their stereo made it seem like Ned's space had a pulse. He ran up the stairs to plead with them to turn the sound down. He shared with me later that he was embroiled in a severe battle trying to evict them.


As Ned ran upstairs, I had a chance to look around. It looked as though he had just moved in. There were boxes, bags and piles of items stacked everywhere. There seemed to be nowhere to enjoy a meal as anything resembling a table was full of stuff. I found a small pathway to a bedroom where evidently Ned slept. I remained standing until he returned because there was simply no place to sit down.


Ned's story was pretty simple. He divorced a woman for whom he still clearly had feelings, moved away from the pain of it all, took a production job in this small town, bought a duplex and lost sight of his dreams. He was not well, obviously smoked, and not very happy. He looked at me for some clue as to where to begin sorting out his life. I tried to get him to talk about what he wanted, what were any goals he may have, where he saw himself in a year or two. But these questions were not within his realm of consideration. He only wanted immediate relief. The stalled semi, the closed ramp and getting lost all began to make sense to me.


When in an overwhelming situation, the best plan of action is simplicity. I knew he couldn't take on some immense Feng Shui project. Besides I could sense that he was feeling a great deal of shame about the condition of his space now that I was standing in it. Yet I had to believe he was ready for something to happen or else he wouldn't have called me. We had a brief introductory talk about what Feng Shui is, where it comes from, the importance of energy and intention. Ned tracked with me pretty closely.


The first thing I suggested was to hang a round faceted crystal in the center of his space. The intention behind the crystal was to calm and balance the space and to begin a gentle, subtle movement of the energy. Once the energy would start to shift, he would be more inclined to get unstuck himself and therefore deal with his clutter. We spent a few minutes measuring out his space to determine where the exact center was located. He said he would get the crystal the next time he was near a store. That seemed simple enough.


My next suggestion was for him to consider moving his bedroom. He currently was sleeping in the front of his house and was quick to tell me that he didn't sleep well----some nights not at all. I suggested that he take a room near the back of his space where it would be quieter and safer for him. It was a smaller room, but I was sure the advantages would outweigh the disadvantage of the size. He was starting to raise an objection to having to move all the stuff from one room to another, but I reminded him that all I wanted him to move was his bed and a dresser and leave everything else behind. The books, computer, tread-mill, boxes of miscellaneous things, his gun collection and a television were NOT to be moved into his new room.


Of course, first he had to move all the stuff he out of the back room. I suggested he might want to clean the window in that room, shampoo the carpet and maybe even paint the walls before moving his bed in. He didn't seem too daunted by this switch, puzzled maybe, but not daunted.


That was all I wanted him to do for now. I suggested that we have this short initial appointment, let him implement a few small things and then I'd come back to consider his next step. He seemed okay with this idea----relieved actually. We re-scheduled another appointment for a month later.


When I arrived a month later, Ned immediately showed me the crystal he had hung in the center. He wasn't sure he had done it right and explained in great detail how hard it was to find a crystal and how long it took to find the right little nail from which to hang it. But he seemed quite proud of a job well done.


He was anxious to show me his new bedroom. I couldn't help but notice on the way to the back of the house that not much of the clutter had changed. Nevertheless, Ned had managed to clear the back bedroom and had moved his bed into the back corner furthest from the door (the command position). He had indeed moved only one dresser in there as well. In cleaning the carpet, he realized it wasn't tacked down very securely and underneath were beautiful, pristine hardwood floors. So the carpet was removed. The walls had a lovely coat of green paint and the window was sparkling clean. He showed me how it now easily opened up and down due to his efforts to repair a stuck window. Ned seemed tentatively proud of his accomplishments, again not sure if he had done it right.


When asked, Ned did admit he may be sleeping a little better in this room. Of course, he was quick to add that the tenants' stereo was no longer directly above his bedroom so naturally it would be quieter. I let it go at that.


I made a couple of additional suggestions for the bedroom----like bringing in a chair so he could sit by the window. I also recommended he move his bed away from the wall so he could get in and out of bed on either side. Doing that brought the bed out into the room a little more than Ned thought was practical. He was willing to consider leaving it out in the room when I explained the importance of having options in life----even when getting in and out of bed.


I initiated a conversation about the fact that his new bedroom was in the Partnership area of his home. Ned seemed guarded about the possibility of bringing someone new into his life. As long as he was beginning to sleep better, that was enough for now.


The next area of concern was where Ned eats his meals. He made it clear that it was a stupid question since the kitchen table was buried with stuff as well as the chairs. He ate on a recliner in the living room in front of the television. I explained that, whether he ate there much at all or not, he still needed to have a special place designated for eating food. He realized that meant cleaning off the kitchen table. I encouraged him to not just move the stuff to another part of the house, but to make some decisions about these things with regard to keeping them or not. He reluctantly agreed with me that it would be a good project, but I could tell it seemed daunting to him. I suggested he deal with nine items on the table----either move them, throw them, give them away or file them. Doing this for nine days could make an incredible impact on his space. Nine items didn't seem so bad he assured me. Even the nine days didn't seem like too much to ask.


While still in the kitchen, I also relayed the story about the belief that if the burners on the stove are working and clean, he can expect more money and better health. Additionally, cooking good and nutritious food enabled a person to be healthy. Therefore, it is important for the stove-top burners to be in good working order. From the looks of the stove, I could assume that the possibility of having all four burners in working condition, even if they were scrubbed clean, was slim. Dealing with that stove was going to be a major project.


I could see Ned had had enough. I figured if I made too many suggestions as to what to change and what to move, he would fall back into the same overwhelm he was already experiencing in other parts of his life. Before I left, Ned was anxious to schedule another time for me to return. Was that a little enthusiasm behind his quiet demeanor?


As I drove back home, I recalled the obstacles I had encountered on my way to Ned's place the first time I went---a stalled semi, a closed ramp and confused directions. Returning to the metro area, I drove by a field of wildflowers and noticed their beauty----the first sign of spring and new beginnings. What a contrast to my first visit.


Next time: Oreo ch’i and the rest of the story

Carole J. Hyder,
Feng Shui consultant, speaker, teacher, author and trainer.
Carole J. Hyder has accomplished success as a Feng Shui consultant, speaker, teacher, author and trainer.


She has been a Feng Shui consultant since 1992, having studied with Professor Thomas Lin Yun and Roger Green, both master teachers in their respective philosophies of Feng Shui.


She has facilitated hundreds of private residential and commercial consultations in both traditions. She is co-founder and president of the Feng Shui Institute of the Midwest, an organization dedicated to creating standards for practitioners, providing continuing education and community outreach.


Besides being published in countless publications and writing a monthly column for "The Edge," Carole has published two books. Wind and Water: Your Personal Feng Shui Journey is in its fifth edition, has world-wide distribution and has been translated into Spanish and German. Her second book Living Feng Shui: Personal Stories was released in September 2001.


Carole currently spends her time presenting seminars and keynotes. She has developed a six-part training program, Wind and Water School of Feng Shui, which is now licensed by the State of MN.



www.carolehyder.com



You'll find it in
The
Directory!



Carole Hyder, Feng Shui
w

Feng Shui: Wind & Water

The Continuing Process of Feng Shui
by Carole J. Hyder
I first met "Ned" when he called me for a Feng Shui appointment a couple years ago. He didn't know much about Feng Shui but had read an article in a magazine and thought it would be interesting. Besides he was in quite a desperate state which required desperate measures.


On the way to his appointment, three things happened to give me a hint as to what lay ahead. First, a semi-truck had stalled in the middle of a city street a few blocks from my own house just as it was making a left-hand turn. Traffic was backed up for several blocks in both directions as cars slowly took turns getting around this obstacle. Second, when I finally got on the freeway, the ramp I was intending to take to Ned's was under construction, so I had to make a quick adjustment as to how I was going to get on the road I needed. Finally, despite what I thought were pretty clear directions to his house, I was unable to locate the address. As I drove around the area trying to get my bearings, I knew that something unusual was going to happen on this appointment with Ned.


Unusual is not exactly the word I would end up using to describe the initial appointment. Everything looked fine, until the door opened. He was living in the lower part of a duplex, with tenants above him. It was apparent that the tenants were enjoying a loud rendition of some kind of rap music. The bass from their stereo made it seem like Ned's space had a pulse. He ran up the stairs to plead with them to turn the sound down. He shared with me later that he was embroiled in a severe battle trying to evict them.


As Ned ran upstairs, I had a chance to look around. It looked as though he had just moved in. There were boxes, bags and piles of items stacked everywhere. There seemed to be nowhere to enjoy a meal as anything resembling a table was full of stuff. I found a small pathway to a bedroom where evidently Ned slept. I remained standing until he returned because there was simply no place to sit down.


Ned's story was pretty simple. He divorced a woman for whom he still clearly had feelings, moved away from the pain of it all, took a production job in this small town, bought a duplex and lost sight of his dreams. He was not well, obviously smoked, and not very happy. He looked at me for some clue as to where to begin sorting out his life. I tried to get him to talk about what he wanted, what were any goals he may have, where he saw himself in a year or two. But these questions were not within his realm of consideration. He only wanted immediate relief. The stalled semi, the closed ramp and getting lost all began to make sense to me.


When in an overwhelming situation, the best plan of action is simplicity. I knew he couldn't take on some immense Feng Shui project. Besides I could sense that he was feeling a great deal of shame about the condition of his space now that I was standing in it. Yet I had to believe he was ready for something to happen or else he wouldn't have called me. We had a brief introductory talk about what Feng Shui is, where it comes from, the importance of energy and intention. Ned tracked with me pretty closely.


The first thing I suggested was to hang a round faceted crystal in the center of his space. The intention behind the crystal was to calm and balance the space and to begin a gentle, subtle movement of the energy. Once the energy would start to shift, he would be more inclined to get unstuck himself and therefore deal with his clutter. We spent a few minutes measuring out his space to determine where the exact center was located. He said he would get the crystal the next time he was near a store. That seemed simple enough.


My next suggestion was for him to consider moving his bedroom. He currently was sleeping in the front of his house and was quick to tell me that he didn't sleep well----some nights not at all. I suggested that he take a room near the back of his space where it would be quieter and safer for him. It was a smaller room, but I was sure the advantages would outweigh the disadvantage of the size. He was starting to raise an objection to having to move all the stuff from one room to another, but I reminded him that all I wanted him to move was his bed and a dresser and leave everything else behind. The books, computer, tread-mill, boxes of miscellaneous things, his gun collection and a television were NOT to be moved into his new room.


Of course, first he had to move all the stuff he out of the back room. I suggested he might want to clean the window in that room, shampoo the carpet and maybe even paint the walls before moving his bed in. He didn't seem too daunted by this switch, puzzled maybe, but not daunted.


That was all I wanted him to do for now. I suggested that we have this short initial appointment, let him implement a few small things and then I'd come back to consider his next step. He seemed okay with this idea----relieved actually. We re-scheduled another appointment for a month later.


When I arrived a month later, Ned immediately showed me the crystal he had hung in the center. He wasn't sure he had done it right and explained in great detail how hard it was to find a crystal and how long it took to find the right little nail from which to hang it. But he seemed quite proud of a job well done.


He was anxious to show me his new bedroom. I couldn't help but notice on the way to the back of the house that not much of the clutter had changed. Nevertheless, Ned had managed to clear the back bedroom and had moved his bed into the back corner furthest from the door (the command position). He had indeed moved only one dresser in there as well. In cleaning the carpet, he realized it wasn't tacked down very securely and underneath were beautiful, pristine hardwood floors. So the carpet was removed. The walls had a lovely coat of green paint and the window was sparkling clean. He showed me how it now easily opened up and down due to his efforts to repair a stuck window. Ned seemed tentatively proud of his accomplishments, again not sure if he had done it right.


When asked, Ned did admit he may be sleeping a little better in this room. Of course, he was quick to add that the tenants' stereo was no longer directly above his bedroom so naturally it would be quieter. I let it go at that.


I made a couple of additional suggestions for the bedroom----like bringing in a chair so he could sit by the window. I also recommended he move his bed away from the wall so he could get in and out of bed on either side. Doing that brought the bed out into the room a little more than Ned thought was practical. He was willing to consider leaving it out in the room when I explained the importance of having options in life----even when getting in and out of bed.


I initiated a conversation about the fact that his new bedroom was in the Partnership area of his home. Ned seemed guarded about the possibility of bringing someone new into his life. As long as he was beginning to sleep better, that was enough for now.


The next area of concern was where Ned eats his meals. He made it clear that it was a stupid question since the kitchen table was buried with stuff as well as the chairs. He ate on a recliner in the living room in front of the television. I explained that, whether he ate there much at all or not, he still needed to have a special place designated for eating food. He realized that meant cleaning off the kitchen table. I encouraged him to not just move the stuff to another part of the house, but to make some decisions about these things with regard to keeping them or not. He reluctantly agreed with me that it would be a good project, but I could tell it seemed daunting to him. I suggested he deal with nine items on the table----either move them, throw them, give them away or file them. Doing this for nine days could make an incredible impact on his space. Nine items didn't seem so bad he assured me. Even the nine days didn't seem like too much to ask.


While still in the kitchen, I also relayed the story about the belief that if the burners on the stove are working and clean, he can expect more money and better health. Additionally, cooking good and nutritious food enabled a person to be healthy. Therefore, it is important for the stove-top burners to be in good working order. From the looks of the stove, I could assume that the possibility of having all four burners in working condition, even if they were scrubbed clean, was slim. Dealing with that stove was going to be a major project.


I could see Ned had had enough. I figured if I made too many suggestions as to what to change and what to move, he would fall back into the same overwhelm he was already experiencing in other parts of his life. Before I left, Ned was anxious to schedule another time for me to return. Was that a little enthusiasm behind his quiet demeanor?


As I drove back home, I recalled the obstacles I had encountered on my way to Ned's place the first time I went---a stalled semi, a closed ramp and confused directions. Returning to the metro area, I drove by a field of wildflowers and noticed their beauty----the first sign of spring and new beginnings. What a contrast to my first visit.


Next time: Oreo ch’i and the rest of the story

Carole J. Hyder,
Feng Shui consultant, speaker, teacher, author and trainer.
Carole J. Hyder has accomplished success as a Feng Shui consultant, speaker, teacher, author and trainer.


She has been a Feng Shui consultant since 1992, having studied with Professor Thomas Lin Yun and Roger Green, both master teachers in their respective philosophies of Feng Shui.


She has facilitated hundreds of private residential and commercial consultations in both traditions. She is co-founder and president of the Feng Shui Institute of the Midwest, an organization dedicated to creating standards for practitioners, providing continuing education and community outreach.


Besides being published in countless publications and writing a monthly column for "The Edge," Carole has published two books. Wind and Water: Your Personal Feng Shui Journey is in its fifth edition, has world-wide distribution and has been translated into Spanish and German. Her second book Living Feng Shui: Personal Stories was released in September 2001.


Carole currently spends her time presenting seminars and keynotes. She has developed a six-part training program, Wind and Water School of Feng Shui, which is now licensed by the State of MN.



www.carolehyder.com



You'll find it in
The
Directory!