Meeting Up with Melissa Kushi
Question
1:
When were you introduced to Feng Shui, and how long have you been practicing?
Answer:
My personal investigation began with "Westernized" Feng Shui in the '80s, over 15 years ago. Professionally, I have practiced Classical Feng Shui as taught to me by Grandmaster Yap Cheng Hai for about two years.
When were you introduced to Feng Shui, and how long have you been practicing?
Answer:
My personal investigation began with "Westernized" Feng Shui in the '80s, over 15 years ago. Professionally, I have practiced Classical Feng Shui as taught to me by Grandmaster Yap Cheng Hai for about two years.
Melissa with her teacher,Grand Master Yap Cheng Hai
Question 2:
How did it all start? Where did you begin with Feng Shui, and what piqued your interest in it?
Answer:
Being a devoted student of macrobiotics and Oriental philosophy since 1979, Feng Shui was a natural inclusion to my way of life. While living in Asia, I was practicing and teaching macrobiotics, researching the environmental aspects of bamboo for a green project in Ghana with the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation and working for Japanese National Television. I was highly motivated, using everything I knew about Feng Shui to benefit my family and projects. I needed all the chi I could harness with the responsibilities I had created for myself.
Question 3:
Which Feng Shui Masters have you specifically studied with? And are there other qualifications you may have taken professionally or otherwise?
Answer:
In the past, I studied Feng Shui from a number of people who developed their own systems, or who trained personally with Master Lin Yun. Then, fortunately, I found Grandmaster Yap Cheng Hai and graduated from his Module Four Feng Shui Mastery Course, the most advanced, authentic Classical Feng Shui training program in the world today.
I also trained with Michio Kushi, the internationally renowned leader of macrobiotics, and graduating from the Kushi Institute gave me invaluable life skills and a deep understanding of health, practical application of yin and yang, Five Element Theory, Nine Star Ki, and physiognomy (facial diagnosis). This provides a unique foundation for my work in Classical Feng Shui, as the essential elements of both are rooted in the empirical standards that form the traditional systems arising from ancient China.
Question 4:
What drives you on? Many people might be content to study simple Feng Shui from books but you have chosen to spend time and money studying this subject. Why?
Answer:
Being able to make a difference in people's lives! When I taught macrobiotics or worked with very ill people, I was moved by the positive changes that occurred in their lives. Food as medicine is a very powerful tool to change the quality of our blood, health and longevity. However paramount food is, though, it is not everything. Incidentally, it has been much easier to get people to move their bed than to change their diet or way of life.
Being able to study personally with elite, distinguished Masters is a priceless gift. Michio Kushi is the greatest teacher without peer or rival in the field of health, healing and developing human nature. I had long searched for his equal in the world of authentic Feng Shui and, after doing my homework, I at last found Grandmaster Yap Cheng Hai, one of the world's top five Feng Shui Grandmasters. Now you can't very easily get that from a book!
Melissa with her fellow colleagues and classmates
Question 5:
What is the Feng Shui scene like in Massachusetts?
Answer:
Feng Shui is popular, and becoming even more so. However, for the majority of people who are interested, their only exposure has been to New Age "pop" versions. Educating the general public on the differences between New Age and authentic Feng Shui is especially important as the commercialized pop versions are still predominant.
Question 6:
So what do you think the trend will be in, say 5 years?
Answer:
People in New England are well educated. Once those differences become more apparent through proper dissemination of information - their preferences will rely heavily upon properly trained Classical practitioners, whom, in my opinion, will dominate the industry. The "pop" versions can't stand up to scrutiny and will eventually fade away. Classical Feng Shui, five years from now, will be openly accepted as a valid tool for life empowerment. Perhaps it will become more the rule rather than the exception.
Question 7:
From your experiences, what is the most common reaction when your students/clients are exposed to Classical Feng Shui?
Answer:
Reactions are mixed… most people are relieved and excited. Some are skeptical and suspicious. Valid information is empowering… it turns people in the right direction and they realize it. For example, some clients were disappointed at first - because they were expecting me to tell them about their "relationship corner, wealth corner". However, they became more enthusiastic when they discovered that there really are time-tested systems that have developed over thousands of years. They saw how authentic Feng Shui went much deeper than its modern Americanized offshoot.
Question 8:
So have you any clients who, after finding out that traditional Feng Shui is more than just crystals, refuse to let you in within 10 feet of their home?
Answer:
No, not yet! To avoid that, I make efforts to distinguish myself as a practitioner of Classical Chinese Feng Shui and have very clear information on my brochure. If anything, after discovering that I won't recommend quick fixes of crystals, flutes and mirrors, some confide in me that they've already had that, and were actually searching for more. The ones who were hoping to hear about their "corners" did so from a lack of valid information, and were basing their expectations upon what they had mainly read in a number of "pop" books.
Question 9:
What was the one consultation you did that further enforced your belief in Feng Shui?
Answer:
Well, there have been a few. What continues to amaze me is that when I go into a client's home or office and start looking at the Flying Star chart… the numbers don't lie. Recently, I had a challenging experience at an Asian student center, which is part of a university in Boston. The client, who was Chinese, asked me to diagnose the organization's troubles without giving me any prior input. Nobody had ever challenged me that way before (except Grandmaster Yap) by saying, "If you can tell us what you think is wrong and you end up being right, then we will listen to you and take your advice…" I set to work and found there to be money loss, arguing and backstabbing among the staff, legal problems and ongoing damage to their reputation. They were surprised and confirmed my findings. Once again, the numbers had spoken.
Also interesting, I sometimes find the potential for issues that some clients won't readily admit to. Like lawsuits, marriage problems, infidelity. This makes me question myself, and I go back and double-check my work. I'll ask them again, and again they deny. Often, later into the consultation - they relax and reveal the truth. It is very confirming.
Question 10:
Any "miracle stories" to share?
Answer:
One client - who develops web sites - took my advice, made the changes and watched his business soar, gaining many new clients. After a year of strong increase, his firm just landed a prestigious account.
Another client, whom prior to our first consultation was healthy and physically very active, moved into a new house. Within the first year in the new location, family finances declined, relationships became strained and the client developed a calcified cyst on one foot along with other minor health issues. One month after implementing my recommendations to change the position of the bed, use a different door, and make adjustments throughout the house, the family experienced major improvements. However, the most startling and radical change for this highly skeptical client occurred upon awakening one morning to find the cyst had vanished overnight.
A varsity coach at a prestigious New England university requested Feng Shui to remedy the lagging performance of his team. After making adjustments and renovations at home as well as in his offices on campus --he had a triumphant breakthrough for his team, winning every match. This had not been predicted by their previous seasons' records.
Question 11:
These are certainly very life-changing results. There are many people out there who do not get almost-instant results, and they give up and look at Feng Shui skeptically. What do you think of this?
Answer:
There are many factors that can contribute to this - the type of Feng Shui employed, using an unqualified practitioner, or not making the necessary changes. There are also a few clients, regardless of the efforts and revisits, who do not experience that much of a shift after making all the recommendations. These clients often warrant more attention, the double-checking of my work, and an introduction to the Cosmic Trinity and how it relates to where they are in their lives. There are many unseen, unknown factors in a person's destiny, personal timing, and many other realms of life. Feng Shui does not control everything, however it can support everything.... Could it be that someone who does not experience results, does so without knowing it by having bad luck lessened, or tragedy averted?
I sometimes now begin my consultations by explaining the Cosmic Trinity. This ancient Chinese philosophy explains that Humans, embraced by Heaven and Earth, have their destiny determined by the three foundational luck elements, and each one plays an equally important role. Our level of success and happiness is determined by all these factors. Following is a brief description of each luck element :
Heaven's Luck - Understood as destiny, fate, karma or luck. Heaven is the source of spirit, believed to account for one-third of the influences in our lives. This is our gift at birth, our fate or karmic inheritance.
Man's Luck - What we develop and achieve through our efforts of hard work, discipline, education, wise choices, and taking responsibility. Humans hold their place between Heaven and Earth, and are the bearers of that unique force of human spirit, or will. This accounts for another one-third of the influences upon our lives.
Earth Luck - The source of essential elements for life. This is where Feng Shui enters our lives by harnessing the energy and forces of nature. Earth's Luck is left to personal choice. By practicing Feng Shui principles, we can alter, enhance and support the positive aspects of Heaven's Luck as well as Man's Luck, and reduce its negative aspects.
It's a powerful tool for self-knowledge and growth, for those who are seeking ~ it's a blueprint. Most everyone will agree that, in the end, Heaven will have the final say. As far as skeptics go, I'm not out to convince anybody. Authentic Feng Shui does not require belief in order to work.
Question 12:
Are you still studying Feng Shui? Is it a continuous life-long pursuit or will you at some point say, "OK, I'll just stop right here and make do with what I have"?
Answer:
I will always be a student! It takes years to master certain systems, then beyond a plateau, there's always more! Classical Feng Shui is a lifetime study for me. It's a rewarding pursuit where I can continually improve my methods, evolve my practice and knowledge, as well as maintain a healthy responsibility to my clients.
Question 13:
Any last words for our readers?
Answer:
Authentic Feng Shui is powerful and deserves the highest respect, always to be used with integrity. Classical Feng Shui will continue to gain a wider appeal and become the industry standard as more people are able to distinguish the long-term benefits of using a system that has developed over thousands of years. It's worth the effort and commitment of discovery.
Melissa on her graduation, flanked by Grand Master Yap Cheng
Hai
and Joey Yap, co-founders of the Yap Cheng Hai Feng Shui Center of Excellence™
 Trained
in Asia by Grandmaster Yap Cheng Hai, one of the world's top five Feng Shui
Grandmasters, she received the distinguished Level Four Feng Shui Mastery
Graduate certification. Melissa brings over 20 years experience in the study
and application of ancient traditions, has taught in Asia, Europe, and the
USA and practices authentic Classical Feng Shui professionally for corporate,
residential, site selection, new building design, landscaping and water
features for wealth. Melissa brings a holistic approach to her clients offering
a synthesis of her knowledge and experience, while honoring her respected
and elite lineage. Melissa is a licensed instructor for the YCH Professional
Feng Shui Series.
Phone
: 413-644-9050 |