West Meets East

West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick BorNei

Delete Outdated Routines and Become Healthy

After years of scheduling art, Feng Shui and herb medicine-making workshops with local educational facilities, the routine began to wear me down. Instead of loving my work, it became an effort. . My Chi became cranky. Text-messages began to cross the internal front globe of my brain! The letters of the message were capitalized, large and clear. The words paraded from left to right and read, CHANGE … CHANGE … CHANGE … space, space, space and then were repeated over and over again across what I call the inner vision screen. It seemed I was the only person at this screening and the message was loud and clear. I began to talk back to the message. “I get it, I get it, I get it! I will change … soon.”

I decided to go on the road and leave the safety of teaching facilities. Good classes take hours of preparation. Art classes take even more effort, as supplies need to be transported from place to place. I even mailed off $79 worth of supplies for two art classes in Arizona and prepared four Feng Shui workshops in Oklahoma, Arizona, New York, Kansas City, and a once-in-a-lifetime trip to China for those who want to experience Change in March of 2009. Then my leg began to act up. It didn’t want to participate with all of these new ideas. “Why are you doing this to me, I don’t want to ‘move foreword’ I like things the way they are,” it complained. “The show must go on,” I surmised. Time for self-analysis.

After many months of this repeated warning, my left leg began to turn left when I wanted to turn right! Now the knee was swelling at the most inconvenient times. Pulling, pushing and loading supplies was not fun, and it was evident I must slow down, look at the blockage and do a tune-up. The roots of problems mingle and hide in the body, then manifest at the most inconvenient times. Understanding the relationship of humans and their environment can be through the Heaven, Earth and Man connection. The mystery of human behavior through the study of the I Ching or The Way or Path of Life can be very revealing. Many cultures have sacred books on human behavior. It is best to find your own source and investigate the Mind, Body and Spirit trinity. My personal checklist follows:

1. MIND: It was warning me with internal data. “You aren’t happy on many levels. Check each one of these levels, and revise the situation with a plan,” it said. “Change the way you work, change the way you play, change the way you love, change the way you create, and last, but not least, change your attitude and maybe location.” I love the Yin weather, but adding some Yang to the weather would help all the above. Yin energy is cool, giving and internal, motherly and resting, or it can become dark and gloomy. Yang is action, male, fire, change, fast to get things moving, but to excess can cause stress, anxiety and burnout. I was internally thinking and holding these thoughts, which cause an imbalance in the Mind, Body and Spirit connection. These thoughts overload and weaken all systems.

2. BODY: What made the leg hurt? “Thinking backward,” my mother used say when I lost something. So backward I went. It didn’t take long to recall a slight “sports injury” I incurred while playing tennis with my grandchildren during the summer. They had ganged up on me in fits of giggle, slamming two balls simultaneously at their dear, beloved grandmother. Dodging quickly leftward, to save myself, I forgot to turn my leg left. As I remember, the pain was only minimal at the time. Add this to the fact that the Wood Element in Feng Shui logic is associated with the triad of the Bagua Map called Family. “Yes,” I admitted, “there have been some ongoing family problems recently, and the Body part which is related to this Gua or section is the feet and legs, hum,” I thought.

3. SPIRIT or SOUL: “A broken spirit” usually refers to a horse being trained into submission. When I was doing the book illustrations for a book called “Chinese Power Animals” published by Weiser in 2000, the author, Pamela Powers, educated me on all the energies of the animal symbols before I could understand their Chi and create the interactions of the meridians of the body, mind and spirit through the drawings. By the way, the book can still be purchased through Amazon and other companies, as it is in its second printing. Treat yourself to a copy. The Horse energy is associated to the Heart. My question to myself would then be, “Is your heart happy?” “Yes and no,” I decided. “I want to paint more; I have seven pictures to finish for my Destiny 9 series. These Feng Shui-related paintings can be used as cures and corrections for any space, as they are done in a sacred way. I have allowed others in the Family (Wood element) to consume my time. I will budget my energy to finish these, or my mind, body and soul will take a bigger hit in the heart and spirit of my life.

Feng Shui corrections, cures, and enhancements were placed in the proper Guas or areas inside and outside the house to support my future plans. Although plans are great, remember to also be flexible, willing to change and flow and at any given moment, like the flexible but strong bamboo plant blowing in the breeze, or you will miss the most exciting times of your life. Is it selfish to heal your Mind, Body and Soul or Spirit? Not at all! When you are happy, all comes round. Your spirit of happiness becomes contagious and fills everyone’s heart within good Chi. PS. If Mama ain’t happy, no one’s happy!

Note: Caroline Patrick BorNei (pronounced Bornay) is Caroline's Chinese name give to her by her Master Teacher His Holiness Grandmaster Lin Yin.

DEPOSITS for THE CHINA TRIP ARE NOW DUE! spaces are limited, please call (360) 424-1501 for details, or go to www.fengshuiartistry.com and click on travelogue for flyer.

Traveling is in full swing for fall of 2008. August traveling to OKLAHOMA, September 17-October 1st, teaching ARIZONA Workshops in Watercolor, Oil Painting and Feng Shui including a visit to Diamond Mountain Buddhist University, ALSO a workshop on Feng Shui in Phoenix...November BOSTON, teaching in NEW YORK 1st week and KANSAS CITY. 2nd week.... REDDING, CALIFORNIA the 1st week of December workshop on Feng Shui. CHINA TOUR MARCH 2009 WITH CAROLINE, SIGN UP BEFORE JANUARY 1^st. For schedules & contact info go to www.fengshuiartistry.com

Please consult your physician for physical problems as this article only gives ideas and suggestions. Caroline is not responsible for anyone using these suggested plants or advice for cures or healing any problem either medical or Feng Shui claims. This column and article is for entertainment only. Please seek help from a qualified physician, naturopath, herbalist or other certified person for treatment.