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Written by: Anita Zou, B.Arch, AFSM (Accredited Feng Shui Master) Associate member of International Feng Shui Association www.natura-home.com
Master Anita Zou (B. Arch) is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, Australia in Architecture. Taking interest in Feng Shui since university, she has learned from numerous renowned Grand Masters such as GM Raymond Lo (Hongkong) and GM Yap Cheng Hai (Malaysia). She is currently a Feng Shui consultant in Singapore Feng Shui Centre under personal mentorship of Grand Master Vincent Koh. In this edition of Feng Shui Today Anita shares with us her journey and life long committment to Feng Shui.
Many people think there must be a special calling for someone to be a Feng Shui consultant. In my case, it was another ordinary boring day when suddenly it occured to me: why not learn Feng 
Shui professionally; something that I have always been interested at? I might have fun in one of the short courses! Little did I know that it will take more than just a fun short course. Knowing the knowledge is one thing; applying it is a whole different story. After many years of learning and practising, these are a few notes of what I think will make a good and professional Feng Shui consultant, through my own humble experience.
Shui professionally; something that I have always been interested at? I might have fun in one of the short courses! Little did I know that it will take more than just a fun short course. Knowing the knowledge is one thing; applying it is a whole different story. After many years of learning and practising, these are a few notes of what I think will make a good and professional Feng Shui consultant, through my own humble experience.
Be prepared for a lifelong learning
The very first thing that I noticed as soon as I started learning Feng Shui, was how much I did not know about the subject at all. Many people think that they can sort their own life and solve the problems of family and friends, open a business and teach courses, over a three days Feng Shui short course. I certainly did too, thinking that I could easily combine my architectural practice with practical Feng Shui. As much as it is a common sense discipline, there is nothing simple about Feng Shui. It is a scientific study that has evolved and stood the test of time for thousands of years, and it should be learnt with respect to its depths. In fact, a good Feng Shui consultant should continue learning and developing his or her skills over the years. If anything, Feng Shui studies should teach one humility and lifelong learning.
Destiny studies are needed
Feng Shui is inseparable from destiny studies. I thought at the beginning (and probably a lot of others too) that I could get away with it, but unfortunately it does not work that way. Feng Shui is part of the cosmic trinity of Heaven, Earth and Man, therefore all three are linked together. Feng Shui is just a trigger; be it bad or good, as a reflection of one’s personal destiny and luck. There is a Chinese saying 一命二运三风水. One’s destiny and luck come first, therefore the ability to read one’s destiny will definitely give your clients a bigger picture. And like anything else worth learning in life, it takes many years of practice to be able to do it well.
Be well versed in other areas…
Feng Shui is an intricate discipline that stretches to many aspects of one’s life. Through my experience, you would end up being an interior designer cum Feng Shui consultant one day, a land surveyor the next day and a psychologist cum destiny analyst the day after. Therefore to be a good consultant from my experience, we should be able to read floor plans and have some knowledge of building design, as well as possess some good counselling and communication abilities. It is also good to have some understanding of Chinese culture, as Feng Shui is deeply influenced by it. Only then would we be able to separate what are the myths in its practice to educate our clients properly.
Seek a Mentor
The next step after completing our Feng Shui studies is finding a respectable mentor. We all know that in universities we need to do internships for several years before we can be full fledged professional, and the same goes for Feng Shui studies. As for myself, I was fortunate enough to be under personal mentorship of Grand Master Vincent Koh. The wisdom and intellectual properties as a result of many years of experience is something one cannot simply buy. As a beginner practitioner, you are also being respectful of your clients’ trust by having a respectable mentor behind you.
Be Professional
The practice of Feng Shui have undergone many different transformations compared to the ancient way. It has become less of a secretive practice, with increasing demand for Feng Shui consultants to operate with integrity, transparency and higher degree of profesionallism. The awareness of professional code and conducts in Feng Shui practice must be raised, or else the otherwise noble profession can be tainted by some jokers who just want to take advantage of the trending market. We can all start creating awareness by continually asking ourselves: “Have I practiced Feng Shui professionally and with integrity today?”
Be Accredited
Being accredited is part of integrity in Feng Shui practice. Similar to the other professional societies out there, Feng Shui practitioners should ideally
practice under an umbrella of professional organization to standardize professionalism among its members. By having a proper accreditation, a consultant will have a written proof of his or her capabilities to perform certain tasks and duties. I also believe in joining a professional Feng Shui organization and contribute to it, as it will not only give us an edge as practitioners but also alleviate our knowledge further by sharing with like minded individuals. This will in turn promote healthier competition among practitioners too.
practice under an umbrella of professional organization to standardize professionalism among its members. By having a proper accreditation, a consultant will have a written proof of his or her capabilities to perform certain tasks and duties. I also believe in joining a professional Feng Shui organization and contribute to it, as it will not only give us an edge as practitioners but also alleviate our knowledge further by sharing with like minded individuals. This will in turn promote healthier competition among practitioners too.
Lastly…be sincere
I believe that everyone has a purpose in life. And if our calling is to be Feng Shui consultants, we should do it with pure heart and intention. Feng Shui is dealing with energy and the subsconscious mind, therefore it is easy to be strayed and misuse the knowledge that we have for ill intention. Respecting Feng Shui practice is doing it with the right mindset of benefiting others. And I believe this is how we can really make Feng Shui work to enrich and improve the wellbeing of our lives, and those around us.
Written by: Anita Zou, B.Arch, AFSM (Accredited Feng Shui Master) Associate member of International Feng Shui Association www.natura-home.com
Edited by: GM Vincent Koh of Singapore Feng Shui Centre.
Anita Zou (B. Arch) is a graduate of University of Melbourne, Australia in Architecture. Taking interest in Feng Shui since her university age, she has learned from numerous renowned Grand Masters such as GM Raymond Lo (Hongkong) and GM Yap Cheng Hai (Malaysia). She is currently a Feng Shui consultant in Singapore Feng Shui Centre under personal mentorship of Grand Master Vincent Koh. To date she has undertaken numerous projects, ranging from small to big scales both in Singapore and Indonesia, integrating feng shui and eco-design carefully.
She has also been engaged in various teaching and public speaking especially related to Feng Shui, healthy design and architecture in various corporate and educational institutions namely Raffles Institution and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore.
