Feng Shui Coaching » Feng Shui Coaching, Deborah Redfern, Victoria B.C.

Earth and Sky

Deborah — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:00:11 +0000

I am reading Light on Life, by B.K.S. Iyengar. I was so surprised to find feng shui teachings - but I should not be surprised because it confirms what I know, that feng shui is ancient and universal.

As a teacher of feng shui my goal has always been to find the explanations and words which capture true meaning. The words feng shui are now so overused that the underlying depth and beauty is missed. So here I offer some new thoughts and insights for you to explore.

When I read Mr. Iyengar’s passages about earth and sky I saw another way to express the feng shui concept of wind and water (which are what the words feng shui mean in English). I would like to share a few passages from Light on Life.

Earth:

Mr Iyengar writes:

As I have said, we human beings live between the two realities of earth and sky. The earth stands for all that is practical, material, tangible, and incarnate. It is the knowable world, objectively knowable through voyages of discovery and observation.

In feng shui this is expressed as water. It is a physical reality you can see, touch, and taste. This can also be thought of as simply nature and everything in it, in other words the earth! Our physical bodies are also part of nature.

Sky:

Sky is an analogy for the non-physical, what I could call the vibrational world. Other names could be the energetic world or the spirit world, but they all mean the same thing, which is a non-physical reality. In feng shui this concept is called wind, because the wind is intangible. Mr Iyengar explains sky this way:

Many languages do not have two separate words for sky and heaven as English does. The word heaven is useful as it suggests something that is not physical. This opens up possibilities: a) that it is perfect, as nothing physical can be perfect since all phenomena are unstable; b) that it is Universal–i.e. One, whereas Nature is many as we can see from its diversity; c) that it is Everywhere, Omnipresent since, not being physical, it is not limited or defined by location; d) that it is supremely Real or Eternal.

Interaction between earth and sky.

Feng shui is about the balance between the physical and non-physical world, but Mr. Iyengar offers another perspective:

Anything physical is always changing, therefore its reality is not constant, not Eternal. Nature is in this sense like an actor who has only different roles. It never takes off its costume and makeup and goes home, but just changes from one role to another, for ever and ever. So, with Nature, we never quite know where we are, especially as we too are part of it.

The non-physical Reality, however difficult to grasp, must have the advantage of being eternal, always the same. This has a consequence; Whatever is real and unchanging must offer us a fixed point, an orientation, like a perfect north on a compass. And how does a compass work? By an attraction between magnetic north and a magnet in our compass. The compass is ourselves. So we are able to infer that there is a Universal Reality in ourselves that aligns with the Universal Reality that is everywhere else.

This sentence “there is a Universal Reality in ourselves that aligns with the Universal Reality that is everywhere else” can be interpreted in different ways. Here is one way of looking at it:

Your body, like nature itself, is a physical reality, but that is not all a body is. It also holds the inner dimension - the energetic, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual activities that go on inside it. If you just make your body ‘pretty’ there is little opportunity for growth. Our homes are obviously a physical reality as well. They are after all, structures that hold and contain furniture and household goods.

It is actually the the non-physical aspects of a dwelling that transform an accumulation of objects into a home, otherwise it is like a beautiful showroom display, an empty shell. I believe that many of us - at least in the western world - primarily experience the Universal Reality Mr. Iyengar speaks of in the homes we create. This is because of how we feel about home. If you ask people to wite words to express what home means to them they often say it is their sanctuary, retreat, a place to renew and rejuvenate. I believe it is the ‘fixed point’ where we can experience the Universal Reality in ourselves.

Through a combination of what we put into our homes (the objects) and the meaning they have for us, as well as the overall feeling or vibration each home has, we balance the changeable physical world with what is real and unchanging — in other words balance earth and sky.

Balance and Feng Shui
How of us can truly say our homes give us the feeling of sanctuary all of the time? Homes are governed by the laws of nature: they are changeable and unstable. Homes get cluttered, need cleaning or repairs, or simply no longer reflect who we are. So at least some of the time, things are out of balance.

For many people there is never that sense of balance in the home - but still it is a goal they aspire towards and want to bring into their lives. I have observed that as the outer world outside becomes more unstable and chaotic, the stronger this drive it to find solace in the home.

In the simplest terms, feng shui helps us to align those aspects of earth and sky into our lives through using a variety of tools. Some of these tools are ‘earth-bound’: practical and down to earth measures, while other tools are ’sky-based’: non physical and not limited or defined by location. In my experience they work together and there is no definite separation. For example after physically cleaning and clearing up clutter, people feel differently about themselves on the emotional and spiritual level. It is as if an invisible layer has been lifted away. And, working on the energetic level - as in doing Space Clearing in a home, people often feel physically more grounded and stable.

Working with a feng shui coach can also help you explore what sanctuary means to you and how you can bring that feeling into your home. It is exciting and rewarding and what I love to do most in my work as a feng shui coach and teacher.

Learning to See

Deborah — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 21:10:27 +0000

When I am looking through the lens of a camera I am often struck by what is really there. When I looked into this shop window, my eyes didn’t register the reflections of the building across the street, or the trucks and cars passing by. But it all was there as you can see by this photo which records everything.

For whatever reason, there are things around us that our eyes and mind simply ignore. But it doesn’t mean they have no impact. Our moods for example are intimately connected to our surroundings.

Are you amazed, as I am by this ability we have to block out the ‘chattter’ in the background? Imagine what you aren’t seeing around your home or your office? The most difficult part of feng shui is learning to see. This is why it is more difficult — even for a trained feng shui consutant — to work on their own home. Taking photographs is a good way to work because we look at photographs with a degree of objectivity.

Inspiring Views

Deborah — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:03:24 +0000

There is a beautiful oak tree right outside my office window - and that itself is a blessing. When I began working here the blinds were always down and it wasn’t until the days began to get shorter that I began opening them up to let more light in. That’s when I realised I could see this Cathedral.

It is a beautiful building; a sign invites people to come in to meditate. What really excites me is the Chartres-style labrynth in the courtyard. Roberta Binder and I walked it after the feng shui certification course at Kingfisher.

Whenever I need a boost of energy or some calmness I look out the window at the Cathedral and it is better. I am reminded of something larger than whatever is happening in the moment. This view sustains me and gives me a sense of peace.

Petals

Deborah — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:47:27 +0000

Petals

Even when you tear its petals off one after another,
the rose keeps laughing and doesn’t bend in pain.
“Why should I be afflicted because of a thorn?
It is the thorn which taught me how to laugh.”
Whatever you lost through fate,
be certain that it saved you from pain.
A Sheikh was asked: “What is Sufism?”
He said: “To feel joy in the heart when sorrow appears.”

Rumi
From: “Breathing Truth” Trans. Muriel Maufroy

Morning Beauty

Deborah — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:13:45 +0000

Golden Kwan Yin

I have a Kwan Yin statue by my front door. I would love this statue anywhere, but by my front door it sets the energy and the tone for my home: calm, peaceful and creative. The first thing I saw when I came out of my bedroom on this gloriously sunny fall day, was Kwan Yin bathed in golden light. It only lasted a few minutes, so a few minutes earlier or later and I would have missed it. Or, perhaps I would have been up but already caught up in something and it wouldn’t have struck me as something so gorgeous. Life is so often like that: a combination of opportunity and receptivity for finding what is beautiful in the moment.

Module 1 - Feng Shui Certification Course

Deborah — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:20:43 +0000

Today I put the finishing touches on my new Feng Shui Course. After months of planning, and then hours of recording lessons, I now have a tangible result: Module 1: Bagua Map - Path for Living.

Feng Shui Course Package

It seems fitting that I finished on Thanksgiving weekend. I am truly grateful for so many things concerning this project. One thing I am giving thanks for is the gift of vision that kept me going forward when it would have been much easier to let it go.

I am also grateful that I finally get to offer my course. I can’t begin to describe my hopes and dreams for it! I ended up with 3 DVDs of recorded lessons all neatly packaged in one DVD jewel case, and an accompanying workbook. My own book, Odyssey of the Heart: Paths to Wholeness will come with the package.

There is such a lovely energy and presence in this Module 1 even through the store-bought packaging, I think the sweetness and hopefulness of the messages contained inside are seeping through. I keep stealing glances at it and I feel like taking it with me everywhere I go so I can share my joy with others.

In the next few weeks I’ll be updating my websites and contacting people who’ve been waiting for me to finish putting the first module together, but today is a day to celebrate my achievement!

Joy is Where it’s At

Deborah — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:58:41 +0000

Learning New Things, Part Two: Conscious Incompetence

This second stage in learning represents a turning point. Conscious incompetence is when you begin to grasp the nuances of that new thing you are learning…and realise where you are with it: the parts that flow easily and naturally and the aspects that are more challenging or difficult. It is also a time when you realise how much there is still to learn.

This is the place where we are inclined to make comparisons. Be gentle with yourself! If you compare your early efforts to someone who is an ‘expert’, the gap can feel so large as to be a waste of your time. However even in the conscious incompetence stage you are an expert of a type: no two people have the same energy field, so no person is really ‘better’ than another. Stripped down to the basic level what you bring to everything you do is your own unique energy imprint and there can be no comparisons.

The message here is “who I am is enough!”

Give yourself permission to be an expert — wherever you are in your stage of learning, and remember that your stage of development is constantly changing. You will know more tomorrow, next week, and next month than you do now. Does this make what you know today to be less valuable?

Not at all! If we do not value and honour what we know today, whatever we learn will never be enough and we will never be satisfied, since there is always more to learn. Just as you cannot stop aging, you cannot stop the process of learning. On the other hand…

At the conscious incompetence stage you may begin to ask yourself if you want to invest the time and resources to become as skilled as you first imagined yourself becoming. You might find yourself considering one of these options:

to keep going and delve deeper, perhaps taking courses or finding a mentor,
to keep going but feel like a fake because you ‘aren’t really doing it’,
to quit or adjust your expectations.

Keep Going and Delve Deeper

Once you get a glimpse of what it might take to truly master something it can feel overwhelming. To keep going can require courage. You may feel vulnerable in the beginning but as you gain confidence, there are rewards on many levels: confidence, self esteem and the pleasure of doing something well.

Feeling like a Fake

“Fake it ‘til you make it” is a perfectly legitimate way to act while you are learning something. You can actually have a lot of fun with this.

One of the exercises used in vocal technique is to sing as an opera star would sing. How would an opera singer hold his or her body? What would the sound they produce be like? When even young children are given this exercise they produce a richer singing tone. Just holding your body differently produces a noticeable change.

This technique can be used for learning anything. Take an ‘expert’ in the field you are learning as an example, or imagine such a person. How would she carry herself? How might she interact with others? What he say and do? You can even continue this exercise to include what clothes would they wear, what their home would look like. How do they get around? Do they drive a car or ride a bike. Try it…this can be a lot of fun and it also works to help you overcome feeling like a fake.

Deciding to Quit or Changing Expectations

If things are not progressing as fast as you would like them to, you simply do not enjoy it as much as you imagined, or if you realise that it will take more time and effort to become as expert as you would like, allow yourself to change your mind.

Deciding to quit - or to continue as a beginner, is perfectly acceptable. It does not have to be all or nothing. Perhaps doing something ‘just for fun’ at the beginner’s stage is where you really want to be. Here is a story from my own life, of something that I recently learned.

Many years ago I decided I wanted to play the flute. As a beginner in music I did not realize what I was getting into, and about six months into music lessons I quit. The progress I was making was painfully slow and I wasn’t really enjoying it. Still I held on to that flute, thinking I would find a different teacher one day, or even teach myself enough to play ‘free-style’. Then I discovered Native American flutes. I picked up one at a trade show and realized I could play it right away and that even as a beginner pretty much anything you do on the Native American flute sounds good. Of course experienced Native American flutists sound incredible, but as soon as I picked it up I knew it was the instrument for me.

In the grand scheme of things, joy is where it’s at. The inner work in the consciious incompetence stage of learning is to find the joy and happiness of the beginner’s mind and bring that feeling with you as you develop a deeper level of skill.

Feng Shui, Inner Knowing and Learning New Things

Deborah — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:14:23 +0000

Learning New Things, Part One: Unconscious Incompetence

Painting Class - My Starry Night

Last weekend I happened upon a summer festival where there had been a juried plein-air art show. I only caught the end part as the awards were being announced. The adjudicator was explaining that the pieces they awarded prizes to were those that had captured the energy and spirit of the festival. They were not necessarily the most technically developed among those who had entered the competition.

He went on to say that if someone sticks with painting long enough their technique would improve but eventually they would hit a wall and that wall is Themselves. In other words, in going deeply into any art (and probably all and everything in life) our biggest block is not skills and konwledge, but what we find inside ourselves with all our human mixture of fear, pride and ego.

This got me thinking about feng shui, inner knowing and how the 4 stages of learning all fit together.

The 4 distinctive stages of skill development are: 1 - unconscious incompetence, 2 - conscious incompetence, 3 - conscious competence and 4 - unconscious competence.

Unconscious incompetence is when you don’t know what you don’t know. It is in this ‘beginner’s mind’ that we are often the most joyful and happy, not yet being aware of the rules and the ‘right’ way to do things. The painting ”My Starry Night” I did in an art class as an interpration of Van Gogh’s style is just such an example. I had fun painting it and I enjoy the mystical quality about it.

There is no real reason to move from unconscious incompetence in the creative arts, either in your own creative endeavors or in purchasing art work for your home. Interior Alignment ™ says that if it feels good, it is good feng shui.

Many famous folk artists fall into this category. Nova Scotian painter Maud Lewis sold her paintings for under $10 when she was living and I recently saw one original being auctioned with the estimated selling price of $3,500 - $4,500. I do not know why certain pieces of art or artists becomes so valuable, but I do enjoy Maud Lewis’ art. They have a good energy about them.

It may be that we feel pressure, both from ourselves and from others around us, to move too quickly out of beginner’s mind. It is almost as if as soon as we show some interest and promise in an area we feel compelled to become as good as we can and sometimes in this pursuit, the pleasure is dimished. How great it would be if we could take up painting, drawing, dance or singing and be joyful in doing an activity just for the pleasure of doing it without expectations.

On ‘hitting the wall’, in the first stage even though you may be perfectly happy, critical feedback from others can burst your bubble which can then lead to fears arising; leading to self doubt and loss of confidence. Of course it is other people’s own fears and self doubts that lead them to be critical in the first place.

The wall can stop you in your tracks (you give up — pronouce yourself a failure and never try again), or it can represent an opportunity to move to the next stage where you begin to learn and develop. Another possibility is that you can break the wall down and continue doing what you were doing, enjoying the blissful beginner’s mind. Remember, if it feels good, it is good feng shui!

More on Vacations

Deborah — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:43:06 +0000

My colleague Neshi Lokotz wrote a wonderful piece earlier in the spring on the Where Energy Flows blog about what to do when your home away from home doesn’t feel so good. I smiled when I read parts of Feng Shui Teachers on Vacation. Neshi wrote: “We dismantled the single bed and it moved between the fire place and a large walk in closet which was in the main room. We also moved the small club chairs. One chair was moved to a corner we had designated for reading and the other chair next to the fire place. The second bed was in an windowed alcove that opened into the main room.”

I have re-arranged hotel rooms as well, but never going to the extent of taking a bed apart! It just goes to show what can happen you you get two feng shui teachers in the same room!

Read the article here: Feng Shui Teachers on Vacation

The Energy of Vacations

Deborah — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:44:00 +0000

Have you ever visited a different city or town and loved it so much you decided to go back again to recapture that memory — only to be disappointed? More often than not return visits are disappointing because each time is a totally different experience.

Every place has its own vibration - the energy and ‘feel’ of a place. Even different neighbourhoods in the same city have a unique vibration (so staying at a different hotel or resort in the same city can give your trip a totally different feel.) It is also true that the vibration of a city changes over time so that when you visit it again, the change is obvious, even though the people who live there may not have noticed. The same is happening in your own neighbourhood, town or city…visitors will notice changes more than you will. Most change is so gradual we do not notice. This does not apply to sudden changes, of course, such as trees that have been felled, or the damage following a fire or a violent storm.

In addition your personal energy field or vibration is also changing continuously so you can never really recapture a time, location or a feeling, even if everything seems on the surface to be the way you remember it.

You might also have had the experience of planning and waiting for a trip, all the while building it up and imagining every detail, so that the reality once you get there cannot compete with the image you have created. (My personal experience is that this is what can happen when you plan to experience something the second time. The second Cruise I eagerly anticipated did not live up to the first one I took, when all was fresh and new.) All of this puts an interesting spin on how we experience our holidays and vacations. Most of us go through life believing that we will have another chance to go back and do something ‘right’. Eckhart Tolle writes in A New Earth:

“People believe themselves to be dependent on what happens for their happiness, that is to say, dependent on form. They don’t realize that what happens is the most unstable thing in the universe. It changes constantly. They look upon the present moment as either marred by something that has happened and shouldn’t have or as deficient because of something that has not happened but should have.”

If you are upset on arriving at your dream destination because it isn’t as you remembered it last time, or something has happened to ‘ruin’ things: perhaps your luggage is delayed or the accommodation is not what you expected, try to avoid the temptation to compare, or to tell yourself that you will have a perfect trip next time. I am not saying that we have to pretend all is well even when it is not, but instead to acknowledge and then let it go. The perfection is in how fully we are able to attend to the energy of the moment. Allow yourself to experience unique energy of the time and and place, which by nature can never be re-created in the same way again. Each moment in time and space is precious, because of its unique constantly changing energy vibration.