DEL.ICIO.USFor the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/27/08
Nine years ago, Jill Kostrinsky was having a tough time with life. Everything felt out of order.
Her neighbor suggested feng shui, a Chinese practice in which, according to practitioners, a space is configured to harmonize with the spiritual forces that inhabit it.
 Special | ||
| Jill Kostrinsky, of Alpharetta | ||
 Ashley E. Mayer / Special | ||
| Feng shui expert Patricia Montouchet | ||
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Kostrinsky said she went to her husband and laid down the options: "Feng shui consultant or psychiatrist?"
They went with the feng shui consultant.
"I immediately felt better," Kostrinsky said. "I felt like I was really empowering myself to make my environment work for me."
Now the Alpharetta resident is a consultant for residences and businesses, and she enjoys helping people turn chaos into calm by teaching them about how their space affects them.
"As a feng shui consultant, I educate my clients," she said. "I don't just give them a bunch of rules.
"Feng shui is about balance. It's also about enhancing energy flow."
Patricia Montouchet first learned about feng shui 10 years ago from a decorating article in a magazine. She wanted to learn more, but had trouble finding information.
"I went to the library to learn a little more about feng shui and I just found two books," Montouchet said.
That's changed. Karen Swenson, a reference librarian at Spruill Oaks Regional Library in Alpharetta, said the system now has more than 171 feng shui titles.
Montouchet will teach a class at the library Saturday morning. The topic: creating a feng shui child's bedroom.
Chi in the bedroom
Many people seek feng shui consultations for their bedrooms, where rest and relationships are most important.
Montouchet had a client, "a mother who was very tired and couldn't sleep through the night, and with her husband it was not going so well."
The woman's bedroom wasn't good to sleep in for several reasons, Montouchet said. The walls were white, there was a television facing the bed, the room's love area was empty, and the furniture was arranged in such a way that the chi was not flowing properly.
Montouchet painted the walls a soft, relaxing color, removed the television, put photos of the couple in the love area, and moved the furniture. The couple's issues improved.
Feng shui experts use what is called a Ba Gua chart to examine different areas of a space. The chart divides a space into nine squares, each representing factors such as relationships, wealth, career and spirituality.
They then examine how to activate or deactivate those parts of a room to make it more functional by using furniture, colors and objects.
A room's chi, or flow of spiritual energy, can determine how functional a space is. The five chi elements are fire, earth, metal, water and wood.
Space reflects life
Kostrinsky recalled visiting a client and saw that they had a cracked door in the career section of the room. "What's wrong with your business?" she asked.
As it turned out, the client's business had been burglarized a few weeks before.
Kostrinsky said people sometimes think she's a psychic because she can read clues in their spaces that tell her about their lives.
People look to feng shui for a variety of reasons, says Kostrinsky, but many times they are seeking resolutions to problems with relationships, sleep, health or career.
One great thing about feng shui is that it won't break your budget. It can be as simple as moving your furniture, painting walls, adding objects to a room or removing them.
"Your space really does reflect your life," Kostrinsky said. "It's really an environmental affirmation of who you are."
IF YOU GO
What: Feng shui consultant Patricia Montouchet will use the Ba-Gua to help you create an ideal room for your child.
When: Sat. 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Where: Spruill Oaks Regional Library meeting room, 9560 Spruill Road, Alpharetta.
Cost: Free
Info: 770-360-8820, or e-mail karen.swenson@fultoncountyga.gov
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