gave my talk. Afterwards, a line of people formed, all wanting to speak with me one-on-one about some aspect of feng shui. Something had shifted inside me and something extraordinary was happening. As I spoke briefly with each person on that line, I felt an intense personal connection with each individual. The topic was clearly one of great importance to them, and when I had my moment with each one, it was like there was no one else in the room.
Returning home from this successful presentation, I discovered nothing but escalating bad news about the real estate market. If I was going to reinvent myself, I would have to act fast and be resilient. As a problem solver and one who generally tries to look on the bright side of things, I viewed this state of affairs as an opportunity. Thinking back on the unexpected and overwhelming reception to my presentation, I decided to study with a Feng Shui Master to learn more about this fascinating discipline and see where it would take me. As it happens, the person I chose was one of three Feng Shui Masters who were credited with bringing feng shui to the U.S. from China in the 1960s. As I studied with him, expanding my knowledge of the art and science of indoor and outdoor spaces, I kept in mind that unusual jolt of connectivity I had felt with each person at that conference who had asked me about feng shui. Something wonderful was definitely happening inside of me and it was bubbling up to the surface.
We all have gifts but sometimes it takes the right circumstances or the right person at the right time to lead you to them. Fortunately the Chinese Master appeared at the precise time in my life when I was ready to let go of my past and embrace my new path. It actually took me seven years to find my gift. It was a process of self-discovery, combined with extensive and intensive study of both the ancient and the modern. Most of all, it required being open to whatever the universe had in mind for me.
Interestingly, at this moment in time, I feel like I am standing on a key “acupuncture point” in the universe and a turning point in our earth’s history. My hope, in creating EcoChi, is that it has the power and possibility, if utilized by each of us and enough of us, to serve as one of the “needles” that can bring back the vital resurgence of positive energy we so urgently need in our spaces… and in our lives.
In the pages ahead I will share my journey of discovery and disclose the endless opportunities available to you when living the EcoChi experience.
ECOCHI IS BUILT ON THE
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF THAT
“HOME” IS WHEREVER YOU
ARE, AND THAT IT IS
ESSENTIAL TO NURTURE YOUR
INDOOR SPACE SO THAT IT
NURTURES THE SPIRIT
WITHIN.
A Recipe for Transformation Takes Shape
Kitchens inspire me. While I love every room that makes up a home, I must admit that I find kitchens especially enchanting. This is the heart of the home, a place where love can be expressed through creativity. In fact, I have never lost my sense of awe at how one can take a classic recipe, and with a pinch of this and a dash of that, something delicious and original is born. Given my adventurousness in the kitchen, it is exhilarating and not really surprising to me that all the hard work and the years of accumulating knowledge in a variety of disciplines has led me to the creation of the new discipline I call EcoChi. EcoChi is built on a solid foundation of three basic, tried and true ingredients: feng shui, green and sustainable living, and environmental psychology.
I will soon describe all three prongs of this discipline in detail. EcoChi has given me what I wanted so badly for so long: a powerful strategy to help people experience their spaces in an entirely new way, and in so doing, transform their lives.
A Whole Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts
In the early 80s, I looked for and found every entrepreneur’s dream, an unmet niche in the marketplace, and I established Debra Hope Creations, Inc. This online gift service was designed specifically to provide businesses and organizations with the type of gift item they could be proud of sending out for corporate events and special occasions. The custom-designed gift baskets I created were received with raves, reorders and referral business. Like most endeavors of passion, creating these packages was, for me, the highest form of self-indulgence.
The process itself was so much fun. I would choose a basket from my inventory—anything from a painted basket with handles to a natural wood tray. Working out of my design studio, I would blast Rod Stewart on the stereo and begin the creative process while singing, dancing and sipping a freshly brewed cup of decaf hazelnut coffee. First, I would place an array of products into this basket, which acted as the “pot.” This could include gourmet foods, chocolates, bath products, stationary and other items of all shapes, sizes, colors, scents and tastes. These were my “ingredients.” I would then design my end product, which was something magnificent and far beyond its individual components. My “recipe” was then entered into the computer, with the list of components and a photograph so each design could be exactly reproduced for future orders.
The music I listened to, the colors and scents with which I surrounded myself, the taste of hazelnut and the panoply of textures I worked with all brought joy to my life because they engaged all of my senses and created a wonderful Chi energy. As a result, Debra Hope Creations became a successful international business with happy employees and delighted customers. I tell you this story because forming and running that company lives on in EcoChi— the pinnacle of all my many lessons learned. So here are the basic ingredients, which, once imbued with my own “secret sauce,” became the EcoChi System.
Feng Shui
Feng shui is a design method that involves purposefully arranging a space so that it has an uplifting and life-enhancing effect on the people who occupy that environment. When designing beautiful buildings, rooms and outdoor spaces, it takes into consideration the surrounding aspects of nature and the specific landscape and topography of a site.
The ancient Chinese, undistracted by television, cell phones and the Internet, devoted their time to studying the mysteries of life. They masterfully created fundamental disciplines and life-enhancing applications, all based on their strong appreciation and understanding of the natural world. Lying on their backs at night and looking up at the stars, these Chinese sages studied the universe, nature’s cycles and the relationships these cycles created. They then translated these relationships into numbers and symbols (Trigrams). This is how feng shui was born.
Feng shui literally means “wind and water” in Cantonese. Wind represents the shifting energies (Chi). Water represents contained Chi at rest. Chi (qi) is the dynamic movement of non-tangible energy or vibrations. In India it is known as prana, in Japan ki, in Arab nations Baraka, and for Polynesians mana. In the western world we have no word to express this concept. The closest description in our language is “life force.” With feng shui, one can enhance and amplify the Sheng Chi (auspicious energy) and eliminate or minimize the Sha Chi (inauspicious energy) in order to bring about a desirable balance.
Many people with little or no knowledge of feng shui think of it as merely moving furniture around to reposition it in some more advantageous location. That is so not the case! Having studied feng shui for years, I can tell you that there are no shortcuts to understanding all aspects of this intuitive art. Feng shui, like an onion, has many layers. The most well known School of Classical Feng Shui is called Form School.
