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Finding Feng Shui: Woman teaches Truckee class

Alisha Wyman

Piles of clothes and draws stuffed with odds and ends could have a more negative effect on a person’s life than simple disorganization.

“Clutter is like the cholesterol in your home,” said Chris Blanchard, a professional Feng Shui consultant. “It blocks the circulation of [energy]”

Energy, or Chi, flowing through a home, office or other space promotes healthy relationships, a successful career, good health, knowledge and other positive aspects of life, Blanchard said. She will speak about clutter and its negative relationship to Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement, during a class at the Pioneer Commerce Center July 16.



Feng Shui is a technique used in many cultures in different forms for “as long as people have been making conscious decisions on where to live,” Blanchard said. “It’s something that’s been proven and lasted thousands of year because it works.”

Furniture, art, color and other elements of the home should be situated in certain places. A bed, for example, placed where there is a clear view of the door gives a feeling of control, or “puts you in the driver’s seat of your life.”



Different areas of the house are associated with different things. The front door and entry effects career, and how the bedroom is arranged has impact on relationships.

One of Blanchard’s clients had a freezer sitting in the strong relationship corner of the house, or the far right corner. She said she felt like that aspect of her life was frozen. Soon after the client moved the freezer, she was married.

“These stories happen constantly, and you can say it’s just coincidence, but it’s something that’s just repeated and repeated and repeated,” Blanchard said.

She compares Chi to water. It enters the front door and moves through the house according to the layout.

“You can see how Chi pools and moves, and stagnates in places and moves in others,” she said.

A couch with its back to the door is like encountering a wall. “It’s sort of like bouncing off the back of the couch and back out the door,” she said.

The arms of a couch toward the door are welcoming. Whether we feel welcome in someone’s home has to do with Feng Shui, and it’s something we feel subconsciously, Blanchard said.

Clutter is one of the things that can stop the flow of Chi and block opportunities. Blanchard’s class deals with practical and easy ways to clear it from the home. A common problem is keeping things that should be thrown away, she said.

“That’s sort of the packrat syndrome,” Blanchard said. “When we have fear of the future, we keep everything.”

People often hold on to old gifts out of obligation, which forces them to give away their power, she said. Only things that support a person’s life should be in the home.

Blanchard began her career after friends from Hawaii asked if they could Feng Shui her family’s house. After completing a missing wealth corner in their home, Blanchard’s husband received a job offer in Asia, with all expenses paid.

Once in Asia, she continued to learn about the teachings of Feng Shui in a place where it is prevalent. She incorporated the techniques in a bookstore she opened in Hong Kong.

Now, along with helping clients in the Truckee area change their homes and offices, Blanchard tries to offer a class once a month and asks people to bring a floor plan of their house. Her class August 13 is a basic Feng Shui introduction.

“[Feng Shui] a tool you can use in many different settings,” she said.

Classes are held 7-9 p.m. at the Pioneer Commerce Center, 10775 Pioneer Trail, and Summit Bldg. #216. The cost is $20. Call 550-1118 to register.


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