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Ancient art good for home, office
BY GINA HAMILTON • CONTRIBUTING WRITER
 | | Sharon Hevener |
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MONTEREY - In some homes, people find they argue in a certain room or just feel uncomfortable there, but they don't know why. Rather than avoiding that space, they can use the knowledge and skills of feng shui practitioner and Highland resident Sharon Hevener, who specializes in decluttering and arranging furnishings based on the ancient Chinese art of placement to create a sense of harmony in a space - home, office, or business.
Feng shui what? The literal meaning is "wind and water" as it relates to natural surroundings, from the location of a building, the arrangement of its furniture and contents, and the use of color within each room, according to author Kirsten M. Lagatree in her book, "Arranging Your Home to Change Your Life." She says all these factors contribute to an environment that is balanced or unbalanced, energizing or enervating, positive or negative. By following the rules of feng shui (pronounced fung shway) you can work with these basic elements - color, furniture, artwork, plants, room shape and location - to create a balanced environment in any building, home, or office.
 | | After a touch from feng shui consultant Sharon Hevener, a room becomes a more relaxing and comfortable space. She works with nine life areas of the ba-gua to guide her clients. (Photo courtesy Sharon Hevener) |
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Among the various methods of applying feng shui is the use of a basic tool called the ba-gua, a chart using compass directions and the five basic elements - fire, metal, water, wood, and earth. According to the Chinese art, these five elements account for all matter and together make up the essential life force, or chi. The chart focuses on aspects a person may want to change or improve, from health to family situations or finances.
Hevener discovered feng shui through a friend during the 18 years she lived in Philadelphia, before moving back to Hightown four years ago.
"I had owned a business in interior design, soft home furnishings and space design," she said. "A friend asked me about going to a lecture on feng shui and art, to look at how art influences a home and it (her interest in feng shui) was instant."
 | | Applying feng shui is one skill, but Hevener also specializes in helping people declutter their lives from the kind of chaos created in rooms like these. (Photo courtesy Sharon Hevener) |
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The lecture was presented by H.G. Chissell, a master in Lin-Yun Feng Shui studies, who has participated in retreats with the Dalai Lama. He studied with professor Lin-Yun in California, a philosopher and foremost authority on feng shui, who is today revered as grandmaster. A Beijing native, Lin-Yun began studying Buddhism at the age of six. For more than three decades he has introduced his teachings, especially feng shui, to the West by lecturing at universities and institutions all over the world (www.yunlintemple.org).
Hevener learned Chissell offered training in the art. "I contacted him and took the one-year program," she said. "I was familiar with feng shui because I did design work, but it just so spoke to the core of me. I truly wanted to study this and work with it as a profession."
After the training, she said, "I sold my design business and started doing feng shui consulting. And a particular area is de-cluttering." She said the space de-cluttering part of feng shui is the first step before any kind of work can be done with feng shui.
"I have worked with clients where their level of clutter is it the level of hoarding," Hevener said. "With one client, it took seven, eight days to clean out everything. They really have to be ready to let go and make a change. The key thing to me in de-cluttering is that people hold on to things because they don't trust the universe to take care of them." She said people hang on to things because their mindset is that it's always 'just in case' they think they'll need something. But Hevener said it comes down to "trusting that what they need will be there for them."
In her business, Pure Space (www.purespace.org), she works with clients on various aspects of feng shui, from help in dealing with clutter to feng shui consultations.
Prior to consultations, Hevener said, "I have people fill out a questionnaire to see what their intentions are. There are nine life areas of the ba-gua, to find out which areas they want to give attention to, travel, health issues, change career, bring more prosperity into their lives (among others). You can use the ba-gua in a room, the whole house, on the deck."
Hevener also works with Chinese astrology, looking at a person's date of birth and determining their basic element. She notes the different elements can compliment or contrast each other and don't necessarily support each other. "I give people a feed on their basic element; that is what you're born with. If I'm a fire and I have a close person who is a metal, I have to honor and understand their nature," she said. "It helps not to be in conflict with them."
According to the ba-gua, the fire element is associated with the color red, as well as fame, fortune, and festivity. The metal element is associated with the color white, as well as purity and children.
She works with local and national clients. "I find there's a mix of people in the area - Highland County is my highest client base - but a number of people call on me when they build a home, on using their life areas. And sometimes just for paint color consultation," she said. "Or after they've moved in, they have way too much furniture, to help them arrange furniture. The nature of the work can really call on different aspects."
She added, "And I love working with people's offices. They don't realize it doesn't feel good to have their back to the door. You want to face the door."
Hevener holds all-day feng shui workshops in other locations and cities. She said people stay in a bed and breakfast inn and bring photos of their home, all the different spaces.
"We look at their environment, look at the pictures, and I'll know how they need to balance their furnishings. I don't have to travel necessarily to do that," she said.
She also holds periodic twoday workshops in her home near Monterey and said, "When you do this kind of very personal work, you become friends with people so quickly. I'm finding it interesting at the number of people who want to explore this."
Hevener has also taught a feng shui course at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave.
But when visiting friends, Hevener leaves work at home. "I don't walk in and critique people's homes. If I'm going for a social visit, I don't scan it and have an opinion of it. There is no one single thing that works for everybody."
Related business
Hevener also operates a senior moving service called Timely Transitions (www.timelytransitions.org) which helps adults age 50 and older make moving from one home to another less stressful. She utilizes the concept of de-cluttering here as well.
"I had moved a number of people, including my parents. It's a very stressful path when they have to downsize," she said. "They want to move into these wonderful retirement communities, but how do they let go of these 40, 50 years' worth of possessions?"
Last week, Hevener had just returned from working with clients in Philadelphia, where she coordinated the moving company and was there on moving day. Using the floor plan of the clients' new dwelling, she was there when the furniture was moved in to direct placement. She is there to unpack, install window treatments, and do everything to set up the home. "They come into a fully furnished home," she said. "I love doing all of it."
Hevener is a member of National Association of Senior Move Managers, the non-profit, professional organization dedicated to helping older adults and their families with the physical and emotional aspects of moving. According to NASMM, members are committed to maximizing the dignity and autonomy of older adults as they transition from one living environment to another. The organization (www.moveseniors.com) was founded in 2002.
Hevener is also active with the Lifeline program and Meals on Wheels.
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