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Dig This
Friday, March 2, 2001
Cynthia Chomos
Feng shui is the art of placing objects in a natural environment.
Many a gardener would be pleased if their work yielded some cut flowers and a basket of tomatoes. In Cynthia Chomos' mind, the stakes are much higher. Garden with positive energy
Follow the principles of feng shui, she said, and your garden can grow wealth and stronger relationships.
"Feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement for enhancing the flow of positive energy in an environment," said Chomos.
"Everything you experience from the path you walk to your front door, to the placement of furniture, clutter, color, plant life, even the previous occupant's experiences, creates an energy pattern that shapes your life.
"Using feng shui design principles, negative environmental influences can be corrected and positive energy enhanced for greater health, wealth, serenity and relationships," she said.
Chomos will teach feng shui mapping techniques and the theories behind this discipline March 17 at the University of Hawaii.
Feng shui garden design must take into account the goals of the gardener, said Chomos.
HARMONIOUS GARDEN
What: Feng Shui and the Garden
For example, if relationships have been problematic and the garbage cans are in that area of the map, feng shui would suggest a redesign to place a bench for talking; or roses or other red, pink or white flowers, which symbolize love, in that area.
Chomos is a feng shui and color consultant who works in Hawaii and Washington state. She has a background in corporate communications and film production. Six years ago, a friend suggested she study feng shui.
The friend, an interior decorator, took what Chomos thought of as her perfectly beautiful house and rearranged it entirely to correspond to the principles of feng shui.
"Three days later I remember sitting in my living room and thinking how different, how much more supportive, my house felt," she said.
So she embarked on a nine-month internship and has been a feng shui proponent since.
"I've always, since I was a little girl, been very sensitive to space," she said. "I'm very sensitive to nature, I believe that all things are alive, that the plants, the rocks, the trees are energy, just like we are energy.
"I get information from nature, and anybody can," she said, pointing out the concept of mana stems from that kind of connectivity.
"So much of feng shui is common sense but it's also a way to create a meaningful environment, one that can really support an individual in their life," said Chomos.
"We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.
"What happens is people create the space, and then get used to it. They adjust to having obstacles in their path."
Feng shui clears those obstacles.
From its origins in China, the discipline has evolved into different forms.
Chomos combines traditional principles with a simplified Western approach designed to address any situation.
Traditional feng shui would insist a house has to face south, but many don't, said Chomos.
"We're working with the existing lot, the existing house. Feng shui can create harmony in any space."
It also can accommodate any esthetic taste.
"It isn't necessarily having Asian sculptures and tea houses and that kind of thing.
"It's not necessarily about having oriental guardian dogs at your door, it's about understanding the concept of protection."
In the class, Chomos will offer an explanation of feng shui and the different approaches to it. She will discuss the theories of chi, ying yang, the five elements and mapping.
She uses lots of slides, she said, and believes color is another key element in creating a harmonious interior or exterior space.
"If we're wanting to lift our spirits, a lot of the reds, oranges and yellows are uplifting colors," she said. "If we have a sunny hot patio we want to cool down and bring it into balance, we may want to use cooler colors," such as blues and violets.
If time permits, she may tackle aromatherapy and the relationship between color and scent.
"There's a need for a transition from the outer space of the world to the inner space of our home," said Chomos. And the garden provides a space for that transition.
"If we live on a very busy street, our life may be more fast paced than we want," she said. The earth elements of feng shui can be used to slow that down energy.
In contrast, a stagnant space may contribute to inertia. Movement can be introduced through water or wind features such as chimes or rustling bamboo.
"Feng means wind. Shui means water. On a primary level, we need both for our survival," said Chomos.
"What's wonderful about feng shui is it shows us a way to really enhance our lives in a tangible way.
"It's really about the person-place connection," she said.
"The garden is a place of sanctuary, it's a place to rejuvenate and really see oneself in nature."
Gardening Calendar in Do It Electric!
Stephanie Kendrick's gardening column runs Fridays in Today.
You can write her at the Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802
or email skendrick@starbulletin.com
