A Personal Experience

by Lin Huntting Congdon

Several years ago I was reassessing my life. My busy practice in Reiki, Integrative Massage and the Bowen Technique (a system of muscle and connective tissue alignment) was fulfilling and successful. Through my work, I had become very sensitive to the use of energy in the body, and at this time mine was feeling stuck. 

Although work was going well, my personal life seemed stagnant. Sharing time with clients and friends was a pleasure, but the intimacy and depth of a committed relationship was missing. However, it was clearly important to know that lessons of the past had been learned and need not be repeated in a possible new relationship. My grown daughter and I were both experiencing some health issues and although our income was steady, there was not much left over for savings at the end of the month.

The Chinese philosophy of energy known as Feng Shui (literally meaning Wind and Water) had been an interest of mine for a number of years. When I heard Valmai Howe Elkins talk about a system she had developed called Power Feng Shui which provided an individualized approach, I was intrigued. Perhaps this was the spark I needed for some positive change. So, I asked her for a consultation on my home and workspace. This decision was the beginning of a six-month education which has had profound and permanent impact on my life.

Not knowing anything about me or my housemate at the time, Valmai did an assessment of my home and provided us with her "diagnosis". The primary issues for both of us were the need to heal challenges we had faced in prior intimate relationships. Secondary issues were related to finances and health. We were impressed with the accuracy of her diagnosis gleaned from her brief assessment of my home. It seemed as if my housemate and I had ended up in the same house to work on very similar issues. After discussing each of our goals with Valmai, we received a "recipe" of steps to be taken to achieve them - a plan of action.

My goals at that time were to live in a way that supported a focus on my spiritual development, to regain and maintain vibrant good health, and to feel financially secure. I also wanted to have good friends, the right life partner, and to be of service to others.

The steps of our action plan did not seem difficult on the surface. Yet the process was challenging and results profound. To confirm our progress with each step, we were to individually have a clearing. I later learned that this is sometimes called the "Feng Shui flu" because it is a feeling of being "off center", perhaps slightly physically ill or emotionally sensitive. The purpose of a clearing is to release energetic patterns or blockages which may stand in the way of positive changes.

According to Valmai, following the "clearing" would be an unexpected blessing she calls an "oob" or "out of the blue" experience - a surprise telephone call from an old friend, for example, receiving a gift or money without prior warning, a relationship issue resolved. The clearing and blessing needed to be received before we could proceed to the next step in our action plan.

Working together, my housemate and I slowly began to recognize that things were shifting in our lives. Our awareness of old patterns or habits surfaced, and those patterns began to change. At the completion of the process, we both felt major changes in the atmosphere of the home we shared and in ourselves. People would come into the house and sense the difference.

It is now five years later, and although there are still challenging days, I am in a good place, personally and professionally. My spiritual path is clearly evolving. Finances have stabilized and specific health issues resolved. A wonderful partner came into my life, and I am so blessed with the relationship I have always wanted. My connections with friends and service to others continues to be a source of joy and fulfillment. 

I am also simply more self-confident having learned from my past experience, and knowing myself better allows me to be a more authentic individual. A Power Feng Shui practitioner came along at just the right time for me. I learned firsthand that since our homes reflect and affect us, we have the opportunity to use these surroundings to help us make changes in our lives. It has worked that way for me, and it works that way for my clients. Since this powerful process had such a positive impact on my life, I wanted to share it with others, and began a new career. I enrolled in The Academy of Power Feng Shui at Santa Fe, New Mexico as one of Valmai's first students and graduated as a Certified Power Feng Shui Practitioner.