Feng Shui, not a religion, & Space Clearing in Bali

I have been working on a consultation report for a Muslim client. One of the things I love most about the work I do is the diversity in clients I work with. Feng Shui is sometimes mistakenly called a religion or spiritual belief because it has roots in Taosim and Confucsianism. Feng Shui is not a religion, but simply a way of working to optimize the energy that exists in the spaces we occupy, much in the same that acupuncturists and energy healers work with the energy in our bodies. And Feng Shui can be used in conjunction with any religion or spiritual belief.

I am learning more about cultures and spiritual beliefs different from my own then I did in my college Cultural Geography course (my favorite class, in fact!). It's exciting for me to expand my knowledge and understanding of others as a side benefit of what I do.

But I digress. While researching ways to incorporate my client's spiritual beliefs, I came across this article about Space Clearing in Bali on the day of Nyepi, the Balinese New Year. It's an interesting read,and what I like most about it is that it is a day of total silence. EVERYTHING stops. The airport closes, visitors are asked not to leave hotel grounds. No communication, no transportation.

How utterly appealing that sounds to me. To have a day of quiet and contemplation, and be surrounded by quiet.

May you find your own quiet spaces in this busy life.

Space Clearing in Bali.

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A different kind of Certificate

In my last post, I talked about hanging your diplomas and certificates on the walls and the value of this. Now I'd like to talk about a different kind of certificate. This is not one you would necessarily hang on the wall, but is equally as powerful.

Are you ready to retire? I am, at least, in certain areas of my life. Does it matter how old I am for this? Not really.

When I was training in classical Feng Shui, one of the class segments was titled "Inner Feng Shui." This was a surprise to me. I was prepared to learn formulas, work on diagrams and otherwise get to know the process of evaluating a building for energy flow. Our instructor, a very wise man who I respect immensely, believes that inner work is important to a Feng Shui practice and that being clear emotionally can only benefit the client. I would have to concur.

One of the things he recommended was for us to look at  our lives, and decide in which areas we were ready to move on. He told the story of Japanese soldiers found in 1970s and 80s who were unaware that WWII had ended. Japan held a ceremony to retire them with honor, so they could finally move on.

So, to repeat the question with more information now, are you ready to retire from anything? After taking this class, I decided it was time for me to retire from my role as the "Hero Eldest Daughter" in my family. After years to trying to hold things together within my family of origin, and make things okay for everyone, I decided I was tired, really tired, and it was time for me to live more authentically for me.

My certificate stated: In recognition of a job well done in the role of family hero, savior and otherwise fixer of all problems. You are now retired from duty.

That was nearly three years ago, and this is a process, but I have taken huge steps in the direction of living for me, not selfishly, but with the knowledge that the more I live by my own lights, the more brightly I can shine for others.

This is the year of the Metal Tiger. Great info about this here. Metal Tiger creates restless energy and supports change. It may be time to retire from your current career and embark upon a new one, from any role in your life that no longer suits you, from excessive worry, from low self-esteem, from a relationship that's not working. This very simple process can have such powerful results. Intention is a powerful tool, and the support that lines up when you set your intention can be amazing.