There are challenges to doing a Feng Shui consultation from afar, but there are also opportunities, as I recently found out advising a client about her home office in St. Louis, MO. The biggest challenge for me as a practitioner doing a long distance consultation is context. In my practice I rely on observation and intuition to pick up energy in the space. This is something we all do subconsciously and we don’t even know it. We respond to the color of the walls, the feel of the carpet, of tile, or of hardwood, the smell of a soup cooking on a stove, or a fresh breeze through a window, the sounds of street construction or the hum of an air-conditioning unit. When doing a distance consultation this observation must be done via photos, drawings and written description (via e-mail or mail). The intuition part comes through phone conversation.
Given those challenges, are there any positives for the client in asking for distance consultation? Absolutely! The best thing about receiving a distance Feng Shui consultation for the client is the process of seeing the room through a camera lens, identifying what’s important and determining if the space is serving its purpose. The process of asking and answering those questions on “paper” by writing them down in e-mail, or in a note, requires a precision of thought that we don’t always have when in conversation. It also prepares the client to make the changes that usually follow with Feng Shui consultation. With that intention comes the desire to bring about the needed changes. The same process goes on in a one-on-one consultation, of course, through the dance of conversation, but it can be more circuitous, like any dance! The English novelist, Graham Greene wrote, “How can I know what I think until I see what I write?”
My client, Norma, sent me photos of her home office and drew a layout of the room so I could place the photos in context. In addition, she wrote captions under each picture to tell me about the items in her space. This was important so that I could identify the “sacred objects” in her office. I’m not speaking of religious objects; I’m speaking of those objects which hold special significance. In Norma’s office that included an antique family quilt hanging on the wall, a bulletin board made by her daughter to feature photos and postcards of her travels and some personal items, like a clock from a favorite home. One of the issues in the space was the couch she was keeping for a friend – it was bothering her because it held so much space in her office as well as being the first thing you notice.
After receiving the photos and the layout, we spoke on the phone to clear up any questions; particularly those relating to color, as digital photos often show different hues on different computer screens. I went to work using the bagua to define the areas and show her why I suggested moving her desk and the couch and other items in the space. Norma put those ideas into action that very weekend and sent me her “after” photos the next week!
She was really ready for change and felt the impact almost immediately as her follow-up email suggests:
Lorrie,
Had a great day working in my home office……………. Off to swimming.
Just wanted to let you know. THANKS, THANKS, THANKS, Norma
If you’re thinking about a long-distance Feng Shui consultation try this: look at your space through a camera lens. Put the photo/s up on your computer screen to get some distance from the space. Write down some of the issues that may be bothering you about the space. Is the room fulfilling its purpose in your home or office suite? This process will give you a different perspective.
If you’d like a long distance Feng Shui consultation through Thriving Spaces, I’d be delighted to help you. Just fill out the questionnaire on my website and we’ll get started.
