Feng Shui Goes to School – Janet Mitsui Brown

Today was a real feng shui day for me. Let me introduce you to Judy D – a young lady who has been attending my feng shui classes for years. She needed help with her career – she is an elementary school teacher. I visited her home twice and we have been working very hard to balance her home and improve aspects of her life. This past summer she asked me to look at her classroom at her school, and we cleared the room of clutter and using a bagua as a template, used colors and elements to ensure a successful school year.

This week she invited me to her school – to participate in Reading Day – a day where Readers are asked to come to school to read favorite books to the classrooms. Since I have written and illustrated a children’s book (“Thanksgiving At Obaachans”) Judy asked me to be a Reader.

Today I drove to the school, not knowing what to expect. The school is located off of Manchester Boulevard, east of the Inglewood Forum. Since the Lakers moved to Staples, Manchester is quiet, and I passed Crenshaw and Western to get to the school. I noticed as I drove on Manchester the neighborhood was tidy – a working class neighborhood with small stores on every block. And then I saw the clear blue sky – and I realized the street was on the flight path to LAX – and I saw the planes, steady but mesmerizing spots drifting by.

When I reached the school, there were lovely signs posted directing the invited Readers to park on the school grounds. I found parking and saw children waiting for the Readers by the entrance. One 5th grader introduced herself and walked me to the sign-in area by the library.

I ended up reading to two classrooms, both of them 1st grade classes, and I was impressed – the children were eager, polite, and well mannered, and they loved my book and my illustrations! I looked at Judy and saw her hard at work – she is the teacher of one of the 1st grade classrooms, and I watched as she conscientiously worked with the students. The classroom was well put together, the walls exuded learning, and the young boys & girls seemed eager to learn. I noticed Judy had a bamboo plant for good luck & energy on her desk. And she seemed busy, very preoccupied with her work in the classroom – as one hopes she would be.

And so, to my friend Judy, congratulations – you and your classroom are an example of very good feng shui – you have learned and applied feng shui principles well.

In gratitude for this lovely spring-like day, and for clients like Judy D.

Janet Mitsui Brown, www.thejoyoffengshui.com