Eight Local Women Graduate from Feng Shui Success Institute

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Eight area women recently graduated from the Feng Shui Success Institute. (See accompanying photo and cutlne.) The class was the first to complete the program offered by the FSSI, which is the only Midwestern training course that certifies practitioners in Feng Shui, an ancient art that uses color, materials and object placement in homes and offices to bring about positive life changes for occupants.

"I'm extremely proud of these students. They deserve to be recognized for their hard work and desire to help others achieve their goals through these powerful principles," says Linda Binns, executive director. Feng Shui practitioners assess spaces and suggest changes designed to promote the flow of positive energy, or "Chi," through an environment. Interest in this centuries-old practice has surged in the past decade, creating increasing demand for Feng Shui-savvy architects, interior designers, real estate agents, landscapers and homebuilders. Several of the recent FSSI graduates plan to incorporate Feng Shui consulting into current careers.

Binns is a graduate of the Western School of Feng Shui in Solana Beach, Calif. She says that as Feng Shui became better known across the country and increasing numbers of students at her local workshops and classes expressed interest in pursuing in-depth training, it seemed logical to create a Midwestern Feng Shui certification program. Although the FSSI is located in the central part of the nation, Binns notes that it is designed to appeal to students from any part of the country.

The FSSI offers students a hands-on approach to mastering Feng Shui through techniques designed to examine how energy moves through the environment, how the presence of essential environmental elements (earth, fire, water, metal and wood) affect energy flow, and how specific areas in a home or office correspond directly to specific parts of the occupant's life.

For Diane Puhl, attending the FSSI has been "one of the best experiences of my life." Puhl became interested in Feng Shui several years ago when a friend from California told her about a Feng Shui consultation in her home. Her interest piqued, Puhl began reading about Feng Shui and applying basic principles. Her growing fascination led her to one of Binns' Feng Shui workshops in St. Charles where she learned about the FSSI.

"To help other people find and change the negative things in their lives is a very spiritual thing for me," Puhl says. "This is a way to really help people." Puhl plans to incorporate Feng Shui consulting into her existing professional organizing business, Energy Enhancement.

Cynde Meyer, another FSSI student, has been interested in Feng Shui since the early 1980s. "I had my first consultation in the early 1990s, but never thought I would become a practitioner myself," she says. A practicing psychic with a strong intuitive sense, Meyer felt that she would eventually do some sort of work with houses. "I assumed I would become a real estate agent. Then, as I was referring potential FSSI students to Linda, it hit me - I should take this course myself."

Meyer was especially excited by the residential aspect of the FSSI. The course consists of two week-long sessions during which students stay at St. Louis-area retreat centers, which offer an optimal Feng Shui environment.

In addition to daily instruction, the close contact at meals and informal gatherings throughout the week allows the students to bond as a class. "The residential aspect of the training makes you fully present," Meyer says. In addition to their in-depth Feng Shui training, students are introduced to business concepts that will help them promote and manage their Feng Shui practices. Asked if she was concerned about a glut of new practitioners in the St. Louis area, Meyer says, "There's more than enough for all of us. After all, there are several million people in St. Louis alone, and there are even ways to offer long-distance consulting."

Binns is joined by three other instructors at the FSSI: Linda Sherwin, a fellow Western School of Feng Shui graduate; Jeannie Compass, an expert in dealing with environmental energy problems; and Karen Hoffman, a well-known business coach and founder of City of Experts.

In addition to her work with the FSSI, Binns offers private and corporate Feng Shui consultations and holistic health assessments through Harmony Inside & Out. For details on upcoming FSSI sessions and to register, go to www.fengshuisuccess.com. A new session will begin on Sept. 24 at the Cedar Creek Conference Center and Resort in New Haven, Mo.