According to Chinese folklore, in the middle of the Yellow River there’s a narrowing point, or “gate”. The carp would swim upstream to make their journey back to their birthplace. But, when they reached this gate, they would have to stop their journey. The problem was, it was too narrow for them to swim through. So the only way to get pass this point was to jump over it.

Of course, this was no easy task. These carp needed great effort, strength, and perseverance to get over this blocked point. But, legend says that those who managed to jump over the gate, transformed into a dragon, the most auspicious Chinese symbol.

Hence, this spot became known as Dragon’s Gate. And still today, carp are symbols of effort, strength, and perseverance.

Therefore, if you give a young man, an ornament with a carp on it, it means you wish for them to develop the positive characteristics of the carp.

In Asian culture, we use a lot of symbolism. That’s just part of our tradition and upbringing. But sometimes people confuse this with feng shui, when they’re actually two separate things.

More stories on Asian culture and Feng Shui you can find in the book How to Find a Good Feng Shui House by Jenny Nakao Hones

It’s summertime and flying during Covid can be stressful.  I flew a few weeks ago.  As I took to my seat, I ripped open the wipe that the flight attendant handed us as we boarded the plane.  I diligently wiped down the arm rest, table top, and video screen.  Call me paranoid but I figure it’s better to be safe than sorry.

During this time of year, flights to and from Hawaii are often filled with a lot more families with small children.  Flying with children is always a challenge.  It’s understandable that kids don’t like to be confined to a small space and locked into their seats.  I don’t like it either!  Well, who does, right?  On top of that, their nap schedules are disrupted and they’re often tired.  Furthermore, they’re more likely to suffer from the air pressure and get ear aches.  No wonder they’re miserable on planes.  I would cry too.

During the flight, a child behind my seat started to cry.  Her father walked the child up and down the aisle and she stopped crying.  “Good job dad,” I thought.  Then, he sat down again.  And the crying started up again.  I don’t know why, but he never got up again.   She cried for a very long time.  I felt bad for those trying to sleep.

I then remembered a time when I was on an overnight flight.  I wanted to go to the bathroom.  I heard a child crying in the bathroom and I waited patiently.  But no one came out of this bathroom for the longest time.  So I knocked.  The door opened.  A man carrying a boy who looked about four years old came out.   He said “go ahead, use the bathroom.”

He was still there when I came out.  So, I asked if the child was okay.  

“Yeah, he’s okay.  My job requires me to live abroad, so our family has to fly to go see our respective families.  But, my son hates flying.  And he tends to cry the whole flight.”  

He told me that they’ve tried many things to try and ease their son’s pain and control his tears.   But nothing seemed to work. His best solution was to lock himself and their son in the bathroom so as not to bother anyone.

He said he felt so bad for the other passengers because it was an overnight flight.  This meant that this Dad locked himself and the child in the bathroom for the whole flight, that was eight hours!

What a kind man and father, I thought.  He’s caring for his child who was in pain.  And  he also cared about the rest of us passengers who may be affected by his child’s crying.  What a considerate guy! Being considerate of others is a wonderful trait.  I have a feeling the son and father had a wonderful bond.  To all the wonderful father’s out there, thank you.

photo:  Photo by Szilvia Basso on Unsplash

But, the reality is when we’re so busy thinking about our work or family commitments, many of us don’t have time to think about what to clean at home.  I find that making a list of what I need to do helps me put things into perspective.  Then I put it in order of priority.  This seems to help my mind and actions from wandering and I can stay focused on one area of the home at a time.

This article has a list of great feng shui tips from various feng shui experts.   I’m included in the article.  And its fun for me to see what others have to say too!  Please check it out by clicking on this link:  Expert Approved Feng Shui Spring Cleaning Tips

Happy Cleaning!

If you want to understand the “Why” behind Feng Shui, the origins of its practice and why there is an ongoing battle for what is “true Feng Shui”, you’ll love this book. As we say: “True knowledge will resonate with you, as you are also a part of nature”.

A.  Feng Shui and Clutter Online Workshop

Do you suffer from clutter in your home?  In the U.S., they say one in four suffer from clutter!  That’s 25% of the population!  It’s not only an American problem, it’s a problem everywhere.

Clutter can cause stress and tension in your life.  This workshop will help you understand why you suffer from clutter.  Once you understand the root of the problem, you can work on the solution to clear the space.  This system is based on the principles of Chinese philosophy.  You will also learn tips on how to clear clutter and simple solutions to organize your space.

This class will be offered online on Zoom.

Date:  April 28, 2022 – Thursday

Time:  6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Pacific Standard Time (California time)

Investment:  US$39.00

B.  CANCELLED: Online Fundamentals of Form School Feng Shui

Why Feng Shui?  And Why Form School Feng Shui?

Feng shui is the study of how your environment affects you.  

That means, everywhere you go, whether you’re inside or outside, your feelings, your thoughts, and your emotions are being unconsciously affected by your surroundings.

Yes, every moment is being influenced in some way.  

Many other feng shui schools use superstition, numerology, cultural practices, and astrology to assess a space.  In reality, feng shui began as a very practical, useful practice by understanding the physical surroundings in nature to help the people live a better life.

It was all about the form of the landscape.  

Come and join me to learn about how Form Defines Energy!  Learn what’s affecting you and how it’s affecting you. With this information, you can create spaces that energize you!

This class will be recorded.  

You will receive a class participation certificate at the end of the class.

Class Date:  May 21, 2022 – Saturday

Time:  10:00 am – 3:00 pm – PST time – US Los Angeles Time

Investment:  US$180.00

Cancelled

Sign up in the comment below.

Questions welcome too!

Of course having flowers and greenery is so uplifting and welcoming to any home.   It feels like there’s life in the home.

But, we’re complicated creatures.  Although we want our home to be welcoming, we still want to maintain our privacy.  It’s confusing how to achieve both!

As I stroll the neighborhood, nearby I come across old large properties that are completely walled in.  My favorite are the lava rock walls.  This is the rock that makes up the Hawaiian islands which were created by the lava that has been cooled and hardened.

They are beautiful because they are native to the landscape.  I think they’re more beautiful and are easier to maintain compared to the other wall materials such as metal, wood or concrete.  That’s because here, due to the moisture, metal rusts and wood rots quickly if not maintained properly.

But, the main purpose of a wall is for privacy and to keep intruders at bay.

In ancient China, they also used symbols to help keep not only intruders but evil symbols.  One of these is Fu Dogs.  This is a set of fierce looking dog figures that sit on each side of the front door.  Their job is to keep evil energy away.  They were the symbols of guard dogs who protected the people inside the building.  And they are scary looking for sure!  When I was a kid I had nightmares looking at these ugly creatures!

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Today, in the U.S. we often see them in front of Chinese restaurants or Asian buildings.  Some call fu dogs feng shui, but it’s really a cultural practice not feng shui.  

So, what would be a good feng shui practice. Well, I think I found one!

This is what I saw on one of my walks.

This is a lava rock wall that surrounds a large property.  At the top of the wall, is a plant called dragon fruit.  As you can see it grows in a twisted way.  The leaves are three dimensional triangles with spikes on the edge.  Those spikes hurt.  I know because my Mom has a plant and I tried to move it the other day and got pricked!

Now back to that amazing wall.  See where they place it. Right on the edge.

I thought, “How clever! No one can climb over that wall! Now that’s good feng shui.”

It follows nature, it respects the environment and it serves a good purpose but it does it in a most natural way.  I give it two thumbs up!  

What do you think?

It never ceases to amaze me at the different shapes and colors of the flowers.  Call me weird, but more than the flowers, I really enjoy observing leaves.  And here you can find many that are very large in size.

I also love trees.  During my walks, I often stop and admire the unusual shaped trunks and branches.

One of my favorites is the banyan tree.  In Hawaii you can often find them in parks.  Near where I live there’s a park with several large banyan trees.  One has a small stream running next to it.  

As I slowly walked toward the massive tree, my mind was flooded with memories of when our boys were little trying to catch crayfish.  They would spend hours with their cousins, poking around the stream with sticks.  Then we used dried cuttlefish on strings as bait.  If they caught anything we never took them home.  It was just the thrill of being able to catch them that entertained them for hours.  

As my heart warmed to those thoughts, I got closer to the stream, leaning over to see if I could find any form of life.  But, there was none.  Just the sound of water gently tricking down.  

Then I looked up.  And as I stood in awe of the beautiful tree I felt my whole body tingle.  It was like I was in the aura of the tree and felt it’s grandness.  I found myself smiling.  “This feels wonderful.” I thought.  “I should do this more often.”

The banyan trees are majestic.  Their energy feels very encompassing and welcoming.  In a funny way, I felt like I could talk to the tree and that it’ll understand me.  I know if I said this to my kids they’d roll their eyes and think, “there goes Mom again.”  But that’s okay.  The tree makes me happy.

Do you have a tree that gives you those feelings?  

People born in the year of the Tiger are said to be very ethical and have strong loyal ties to their family and relationships.  I have to agree with this assessment because I have a sister who is a tiger and this rings very true.

My year started off with a big change.  Due to family and personal issues, I have relocated to Honolulu, to be with my family.  So, now I will be posting from here and sharing my experiences as I go along.

The last time I lived in Honolulu was back in 1980!  Yes, it was that long ago.  I worked in Waikiki at JalPak and wore a uniform.  JalPak was a subsidiary of Japan Airlines and they were promoting tours to Japan for the local people.  If I recall, they were called, “Beautiful Japan”.  That feels like a lifetime ago…well, I guess it is!

Honolulu today is very different.  There are so many new buildings and traffic is another story.  I will have to find my way around all the new developments.  Over the years I’ve visited but only for short periods of time.  And most of that time was with visiting family and relatives.  We all know that visiting and actually living there are two different things.

In feng shui, location is a big part of the picture.  Every city, every town and every neighborhood has an innate energy. And this innate energy affects the personality and lifestyles of the people.  Part of the process of feng shui begins with finding a place that resonates with your own energy.

For example, if you want to an actor and you live in Kansas, your chances of getting into the business is slim.  It’s best if you move to Los Angeles where there’s plenty of opportunity and places to mingle with others who have the same goal.  I remember Dr. Hsu mentioned a town in China that was famous for poets.  For some reason, the area produced many successful poets.  Like minds with similar energy can result in empowering energy.  That’s why I believe that places can carry specific types of energies suited for certain industries.

Hawaii has it’s own type of vibe.  To me, it’s very laid back, easy going, casual, warm, and welcoming.  As I age, I like that.   And since my family is from Hawaii, from a young age I always told my sisters that I was going to live in Hawaii.  But, life happens.  Our family was taken to other places.  And I just went with the flow.

It’s funny, I find the saying, “distance makes the heart grow stronger.”  Maybe that’s what I’m feeling now.  With our family situation and the pull of the islands, it felt right.

So, now I sit in my Mom’s dining room and am typing my first blog post from Honolulu.  It’s the beginning of a new chapter in life.

Since covid, many of my friends and neighbors have been moving too.  Some have taken early retirement.  Some are taking advantage of the record prices in the real estate market and have sold their homes and moved out of state.  Some have moved due to the political climate in the state.  And some are moving back to Japan.  I don’t know what it is, but many of my friends and colleagues are making big changes in their lives.

I look forward to what the Year of the Tiger will bring!

I would love for you to join me.  In this class you will learn about the Fundamentals of Form School Feng Shui.  It’s really about understanding nature and how to follow natures patterns.  By living more congruently with nature we leverage her energies to improve our lives.

Class Outline

• The Origins of Feng Shui
• What is Form School? How is it different from other Feng Shui Schools?
• Understanding Form and Energy
  1. What is Chi?
  2. What are Natural Laws?
  3. How does Form define Energy?
• How to Assess Energy
  1. In a landscape
  2. For house exterior
  3. For house interior

Upon completion of the class you will receive a Fundamental Form School Class Completion Certificate.

sign up following this link: Join Class

See you there!

I’ve never shared my home before.  This is a photo of our living room when we lived in Bellevue, where the boys grew up.  It’s not minimalist but I don’t think I had a lot of stuff either.

After we became empty nesters, we moved to Enumclaw, my husband became a farmer, and we downsized a lot.  It was a huge change in life.  So, of course, our living situation changed too.  

I got rid of the living room sofas and just kept our family room sofa and an armchair.  Well, I got rid of a lot more stuff, but here is our living room now.

It’s a very small space but it works for us now.  It has a completely different vibe right?  Much more casual and simple.  It’s more of a reflection of where I’m at in my life.

The funny thing is, as I get older, I don’t want to take care of so many things anymore.  In feng shui, we say that all things carry energy.  Therefore, it makes sense when we say more “stuff”  takes up more time and energy.  And Dr. Hsu says “a cluttered space is the manifestation of a cluttered mind.”  I asked my feng shui Facebook group, Feng Shui for New Home Owners, and most agreed with that statement.  

In my own experience,  I find that to be true too. When the room is a mess room with too many things lying around, I can’t think straight.   A more simple style is less stressful and easier for me because there is less to think about.  Do you find that to be true for you too?

Well, now with the Covid pandemic, many people are fixing up their homes because we’re spending more time at home.  Shopping for home goods is on the rise and many of the suppliers are having lots of issues with inventory and delivery.  According to Jooble, many people are struggling to find a job.  For my interior design jobs, we’re waiting about six months for furniture.  Some appliances are out for one year!  Tile inventory is unreliable, so if you see something you like, I suggest you grab it and store it for later.  With all the delays, and change, I began to wonder if everyone is hoarding stuff.  

That means, more people could be accumulating more things.  I thought they were getting rid of stuff.  Which is it?

I guess it can go both ways. 

There are those who think that since we’re stuck at home, why not make it feel warm and cozy.  Adding wall art, pillows, throws, lights, and ornaments can quickly warm up a space and make it homey.   I’ve had clients that decided now was a good time to get rid of their old furniture and upgrade.  Some just want change.

Then there are others who after spending so much time at home, realize that they have too much stuff and it feels cramped.  All of a sudden we had the time to assess our lifestyle and home.  That was me.  I thought, “why did I buy so much stuff?”  

I think I got sucked into all the advertising that told me that I needed to buy this ornament and that bag.  They convinced me that my kids needed all these supplies for school and the equipment and clothes for sports.  And over the years, the stuff just piled up and up.

Time to get rid of more stuff.  This is a good thing.  The pandemic has made me lean toward more of a minimalist than a maximalist.  Which one are you?