Becoming a Feng Shui Master on Tenerife Island, part of the Canary Islands – Part One

February 26, 2002 will always be a MAGICAL DAY for me!

Diploma Certification as Feng Shui Master

Diploma Certification as Feng Shui Master

It was the day I earned my Feng Shui Master’s degree/certification. Many things contributed to the “magic!”

The journey has been unexpected, long, interesting, terrifying, blissful, disconcerting, challenging, mystical, weird, expansive, and so much more – especially LIFE-CHANGING! Someday I’ll have written a book about it all, but for now I’ll share part of this particular day plus a few events that led up to it.

As I write this, I see it is going to be longer than what I want one post to be. Hence, this will be Part One.

I’d been taking courses on various topics including Feng Shui with Prof. Dr. Jes T.Y. Lim for several years. Because of his extensive and diverse education, these trainings encompassed so much more than Feng Shui. Since he has diplomas and degrees in psychology, medicine, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), hypnotherapy, and business administration, we’d learn all of these modalities and how to interconnect them.

Leading up to the 3-week course –

Culturally, as a student, it is disrespectful to arrive late to a class, and late could be as little as a couple of minutes. I was planning to attend this course when my “life-saving” best friend announced she was getting married. (I’ll share the “life-saving” story for another time also.) When the Twin Towers were attacked in September 2001, she was in Tahiti. That was a wake-up call for her to marry the love-of-her-life NOW! It was scheduled for February 9, which happened to be the first day of the Canary Island course.

It may sound strange, but back then many of us didn’t have, or use, email like we do now. It was still a very new technology and everyone was working out the bugs with it. I emailed the organizer to tell her I wouldn’t be attending after all – and why.

Arial View of Hotel - I believe it is Dreams Jardin Tropical

Arial View of Hotel – I believe it is Dreams Jardin Tropical

A couple days later I received a personal phone call from Dr. Lim from his home in Australia with this voice message: “Linda, you go to best friend’s wedding. Then you catch the first flight next morning out of San Francisco. When you arrive in Tenerife, you go straight to hotel, drop off bags, and come to class!”

WHAT?!!! That is totally unheard of!!! Many times I had seen a person kicked out of course, or even kicked out of the Feng Shui School, for being as late as an hour because it is such an insult or dishonoring to the Master when one is late. To be given permission to be almost 2 days late – actually to be given a directive to attend even though I was going to be 2 days late – I was in tears with gratitude!

I did exactly that.

I was stopped and searched in San Francisco because I was carrying eight 18″ hollow copper rods as part of the “tools” I needed for the training. Remember, this was about 4 months after 911 and security was exceptionally high.

I knew it might be challenging to get through security, even though I had contacted airport security telling them I was going to be traveling with the copper rods. I allowed plenty of time – at least I thought I had. I had allowed 4 hours and it took every bit of the four hours and then some – to the point where I did almost miss the flight!

Maybe this day stands out as magical to me because of the prelude. Yet when I tell you some of the rest of the story these following days, you just might see a Divine Directive was at play!

Infusing Western Style with Eastern Traditions: A Busy Woman’s Guide to Feng Shui for Chinese New Year (Part 4)

Step 6: Aromatherapy and Positive Energy Infusion (10 minutes)

Aromatherapy image & products by West Elm

Aromatherapy image & products by West Elm

As our transformative journey continues, immerse your home with the soothing scents of aromatherapy, one that is carefully orchestrated blending Western wellness trends and traditional purification practices.

In just 10 minutes, infuse your living space with the refreshing aroma of citrus or the calming essence of lavender. As these fragrances delicately permeate your home, negative energy dissipates, leaving behind a profound sense of clarity and renewal.

This intentional act ensures that your home transcends the realms of the physical and becomes a sanctuary of positive energy, aligning seamlessly with the very essence of the Chinese New Year. The fragrances linger not only in the air, but also become an integral part of the very essence of your living space.

A vase filled with roses in all their glorious colors brings fragrance and the Five Elements of CTM to create balance. Also, it adds the personal touch to make your home uniquely yours!

A vase filled with roses in all their glorious colors brings fragrance and the Five Elements of CTM to create balance. Also, it adds the personal touch to make your home uniquely yours!

Bringing in natures’ natural scents, like a vase of roses or boughs of pine, connects you and your space to the elements of Mother Earth. They create an environment that not only promotes well-being; it exudes an aura of balance since it encompasses the Five Elements of Chinese Traditional Medicine (CTM); the elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. This step continues our journey, contributing to the ongoing positive transformation of your living space.

#AromaHarmony #SacredScents

Next Stop: Invoking Prosperity with Part 7

Step 7: Invoking Prosperity with Personal Touches (20 minutes)

Our journey unfolds as we delve into the realm of personal touches to invoke prosperity.

In just 20 minutes, infuse your living space with elements that hold personal significance and meaning. It could be a cherished piece of artwork, a family heirloom, flowers from your garden or the Farmer’s Market, or items that resonate with your aspirations for the dreams you hold in your heart. These personal touches add a layer of uniqueness to your home, deepening the connection between your space and your personal journey.

As you strategically place these items, visualize them as anchors for the prosperity you seek. This final segment is a culmination of our efforts. It allows you to personalize your space in a way that aligns your head, heart, and hands with your goals and dreams – a powerful tool to start the Chinese New Year.

Dreams you hold in a jar called your heart!

Dreams you hold in a jar called your heart!

#PersonalizedProsperity #HomeAsAnAltar

In embracing the rich tapestry of Chinese New Year traditions with a Western twist, these Feng Shui tips are thoughtfully curated for the dynamic, busy woman seeking a harmonious home. In just a few hours, you can successfully transform your living space into a sanctuary of joy, balance, and prosperity. May your home beautifully reflect the intricacies of your unique journey in the Year of the Wood Dragon!

#HomeHarmony #ChineseNewYearDecor #YearOfTheWoodDragon #WoodDragon #ChineseNewYear2024

Self-Care During Seasons of Scary Times – When It’s Your Health – Part 3 (Continued) What I did

Here’s what I did

 

The Artist's Way - The book that started my journaling journey!

The Artist’s Way – The book that started my journaling journey!

  1. I started to read empowering books and magazines. (This was long before any electronic readers were available. Coaches, especially Mindset Coaches, were very rare and not in my immediate SOI – Sphere of Influence.
  2. I came across Julia Cameron’s book, The Artists Way. It talked about journaling and doing “Morning Pages.” This worked for me. I started to be more optimistic. I was “dumping” the negative thoughts and worries onto a hand-written page. After about a week of this I couldn’t handle the negative writing and started writing about how I wanted to be well, walk again, and be able to do all the activities I loved.
  3. I had learned about Feng Shui about 10 years before. In Feng Shui we learned about the interconnectedness of the home and the body. Since the diagnosis was unknown, all I could do was look at what had been visible – in and on my body – and what my symptoms were.
    • The rash was on the skin and the skin is the outside of the house. I knew the paint on my house was peeling in places. I had someone come and fix it.

      Area where the sheetrock was torn because the doorframe had been removed to move the washer & dryer out of the laundry room.

      Area where the sheetrock was torn because the doorframe had been removed to move the washer & dryer out of the laundry room.

    • My knees wouldn’t bend. Those are the “joints.” I had someone fix the joints where the sheetrock seams were located, which had been broken when the previous owner tore out the door in order to remove the washer and dryer from the laundry room. (The reason those joints had not been fixed before I bought the house was because I had bought the home “as is” out of desperation during the divorce.)
    • I continued the process by changing my thoughts from “symptoms” and “poor me” to my desired outcomes! I saw myself wearing beautiful shoes again and having the ability to dress up, go out of the house, and enjoy the beauty of life. I wanted to see the sunlight from outside, to wear bright colors, and dance. Then in my mind’s eye I saw a stained-glass window with all the colors of the rainbow. I saw where it had to go in the house.

      Before photo of living room when we started the remodeling. - Living room sheet rock removal 4-27-05

      Before photo of living room when we started the remodeling. – Living room sheet rock removal 4-27-05

    • From that point on my mind was on a creative journey. I wrote daily about visions I saw for the house. The visions looked at every part of the home, finding what was wrong or broken or didn’t work for me. These visions included ways to change it, making it beautiful.

Years before I was guided to name my company, A Beautiful Center of Light. During this time the real birthing of my company into a material form occurred. This process showed all the things I needed to change in my home and what to do.

I didn’t know how I was going to pay for any of the work. I didn’t know how this was going to heal my body.

But… the process healed my body! And the money came to do the work on the house.

The multi-colored stained-glass window placed in the living room where I saw it in my Mind's Eye years before!

The multi-colored stained-glass window placed in the living room where I saw it in my Mind’s Eye years before!

They still don’t know what I had or what caused my illness. It really doesn’t matter now. What does matter is I learned how our home is an extension of us. We are connected to it and it to us.

I continued to journal for many years and then stopped. When I went back to reading my journals, I decided I wasn’t going to do any more writing like that. It was so negative and depressing. I tossed the journals because I never wanted anyone to see how far down the dark hole I had gone. They contained an energy I needed to release from my body at that time, not keep to remember or share.

Multi-colored Stained glass window

Closeup – Multi-colored Stained glass window

Journaling has helped many people and may be exactly what you need and want to do. It definitely did help me. But the journals themselves were not something I wanted to keep in my space once I was healed.

If you’d like to learn more about the connection between our body and our home, I’ve written an eBook on this called, HOME: A Reflection of SELF! Check my website for a free copy of it or contact me to receive it.

I think you will find the information fascinating and helpful!