Feng Shui, more than just a moving experience; If you thought feng shui was all about hanging wind-chimes around the house, think again. Abigail Hughes takes a master class in this Chinese art and returns - little the wiser.(News)

Byline: Abigail Hughes

I'M sitting, trying to blend in, right at the back of the class. In front of me, a dozen fully-focused students are frantically scribbling notes and listening intently to their teacher. On an overhead projector at the front of the room is an extremely complicated-looking pie-chart, which everyone is staring and nodding sagely at. Every now and then,I pick up the odd familiar word,like ``ox'', ``snake'' and ``rooster''.

But this is no zoology lesson. Rather, the topic in question is the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui. And it is becoming rapidly obvious that I won't be fooling anyone with my misguided beliefs that there is little more to feng shui than painting your house calming,muted colours and shifting the sofa every couple of months.

In fact, this lecture, held in a Llandudno seafront hotel and headed by Malaysian feng shui supremo,Yap Cheng Hai - otherwise known as the Grand Master - sounds to my untrained ear a bit too much like hard work, involving complex mathematical formulas, never my strongest subject, and a specially crafted Chinese compass to tap into earth's most beneficial energies and avoid the negative ones.Phew!

``We teach classical feng shui, which is entirely different to modern forms,'' explains the 77-year-old Grand Master. ``It is not at all about decoration, rather it uses the earth's energies to benefit us. Using the date and time of an individual's birth, we can calculate which energy directions are best for that person.''

White-haired, suit-wearing Grand Master, who co-founded his Feng Shui Centre of Excellence with Young Master,charming 27-year-old Joey Yap,began studying the art half a century ago.

``My son had been ill for five years and we went from hospital to hospital, but nothing could cure him,''he explains. ``So I read my feng shui book and discovered he was sleeping in the wrong bed, in the wrong room. I moved him and within two months,he was cured. Feng shui was better than the doctor, so I followed feng shui.''

Sleeping and eating right is central to the feng shui belief that a healthy person will think clearer and be blessed with good luck. But this does not simply mean eating five portions of fruit and veg a day and getting your full eight hours kip.

``We turn our beds and ovens to the direction that will benefit us,'' says Joey. ``If you sleep in the wrong direction,over a long period of time you'll get headaches and ill-health as well as sleepless nights and a hot temper. We eat food cooked in the oven,but if this is facing the wrong way, you'llget sick.''

Aileen Penn is proof that followers really do heed this advice. She has travelled from Hampshire for theweek's course and every night, stands before her hotel bed, gripping her feng shui compass and calculating which angle she should sleep at.

Unfortunately for Aileen, every morning the hotel's super efficient cleaners move the bed back to its original position.

``I'm an east group person,'' she says. ``So south, north, east and south-east are good directions for me. If I tap into one of my good directions,I'll sleep better.''

And she's not the only one to benefit from mattress-twisting.

``My baby granddaughter had very bad chest problems, so I worked out her good energy directions and discovered she needed to be turned round in her cot and the cot needed moving a foot because she was sleeping in an area afflicted with negative energy.

``Within days, she improved and hasn't suffered since.''

But Rhuddlan-based feng shui consultant,Jayne Goodrick goes much further. She explains that the home she shares with husband Chris and their three children, will soon be undergoing some serious structural changes.

``I'm having my back door moved 40 degrees,'' she says. ``At the moment it's is facing west, which is OK,but I'm moving it to face south-west which is a fabulous direction for me.'' And while the construction work will cost thousands of pounds,Jayne insists: ``I can't afford not to have it done - I'll get the cost back through the energies coming into the house.''

And that's not all. Because Jayne will also be removing tiles from her roof, leaving a gaping hole - to enable the chi to circulate.

``Energies are changing because we're currently moving from feng shui's Period Seven to Period Eight,'' she says. ``Each period lasts 20 years and it's based on astrology and mathematical formulas because the planet Jupiter takes 180 years to orbit the sun. This is divided into three cycles of 20 years each. ``As we leave one period and enter a new one, there is always turmoil in the world.''

As for the gaping hole in her roof,it will be left there for a fortnight and yes,Jayne is well aware that it could mean soggy carpets and windswept wallpaper. But that's all part of the deal.

``The fabric of the house has to get wet,'' she says. ``I either do this or move house.''

There is some good news, though. According to the Grand Master,North Wales possesses very beneficial chi, thanks to its proximity to the sea and abundance of mountains, providing easy-to-tap- intoenergies. Residents of Llandudno's West Shore are particularly fortunate.

``The Great Orme looks like a dragon's head rising out of the ocean,'' he says. ``The chi remains right at the back of the mountain, so the people who live in that specific area should be happy,healthy and prosperous.

``Many big financial centres of the world are near the sea,like New York, Singapore and Tokyo.''

Jayne, who has studied feng shui for seven years, turned to the classical style after dismissing modern feng shui as little more than hype.

``Someone bought me a book on new age feng shui and I thought it's is too easy if I can read a book and become a master. So I started looking for a master and found Grand Master Yap,'' she says.

Now she believes feng shui helps her avoid potential problems and make the most of good happenings.

``My family still has all the normal problems every family has,but feng shui affects how we come out of the problems. We will stub our toe instead of breaking our neck. Years ago,I had a serious motor bike accident that broke both my legs,but had I done feng shui then, I would have been aware of the potential for an accident at that point in my life and the severity of it would have been reduced.''

And while husband Chris does not actively practice it himself,he is happy to leave Jayne to get on with reordering the family home.

``He has given up putting things down to coincidence and these days does exactly as I ask.''

For a feng shui consultation,contact Jayne on 01745 590410.

Six strategies to feng shui your life

Your home may have charming olde worldy beamed ceilings, but you should ensure you don't sleep beneath a beam - it oppresses the positive energies.

Beware - energy can escape if your staircase faces your front door. If the door is within 10 feet of the stairs, keep it shut and let the chi circulate.

Plants don't do anything for feng shui, so there's no need to live with that rubber plant that's growing out of control.

This year,houses facing south-east may suffer more problems and if you sleep in the south-east of your house, you may want to shift your bed to another room.Similarly, homes facing north may have more sickness this year.

West is definitely best this year and occupants of homes facing west are more likely to strike it rich, so fling open those west facing doors and windows.

If you're working at a desk with your back to the door, make sure it is closed. Otherwise the force of energy is too strong against your back, affecting concentration.

CAPTION(S):

Young Master of feng shui Joey Yap with the Chinese compass; The shi compass; (left) which Jayne Goodrick (right) uses to align the bedroom furniture; Malaysian feng shui supremo, Yap Cheng Hai - otherwise known as the Grand Master Picture: RICHARD WILLIAMS

Feng Shui, more than just a moving experience; If you thought feng shui was all about hanging wind-chimes around the house, think again. Abigail Hughes takes a master class in this Chinese art and returns - little the wiser.(News)

Byline: Abigail Hughes

I'M sitting, trying to blend in, right at the back of the class. In front of me, a dozen fully-focused students are frantically scribbling notes and listening intently to their teacher. On an overhead projector at the front of the room is an extremely complicated-looking pie-chart, which everyone is staring and nodding sagely at. Every now and then,I pick up the odd familiar word,like ``ox'', ``snake'' and ``rooster''.

But this is no zoology lesson. Rather, the topic in question is the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui. And it is becoming rapidly obvious that I won't be fooling anyone with my misguided beliefs that there is little more to feng shui than painting your house calming,muted colours and shifting the sofa every couple of months.

In fact, this lecture, held in a Llandudno seafront hotel and headed by Malaysian feng shui supremo,Yap Cheng Hai - otherwise known as the Grand Master - sounds to my untrained ear a bit too much like hard work, involving complex mathematical formulas, never my strongest subject, and a specially crafted Chinese compass to tap into earth's most beneficial energies and avoid the negative ones.Phew!

``We teach classical feng shui, which is entirely different to modern forms,'' explains the 77-year-old Grand Master. ``It is not at all about decoration, rather it uses the earth's energies to benefit us. Using the date and time of an individual's birth, we can calculate which energy directions are best for that person.''

White-haired, suit-wearing Grand Master, who co-founded his Feng Shui Centre of Excellence with Young Master,charming 27-year-old Joey Yap,began studying the art half a century ago.

``My son had been ill for five years and we went from hospital to hospital, but nothing could cure him,''he explains. ``So I read my feng shui book and discovered he was sleeping in the wrong bed, in the wrong room. I moved him and within two months,he was cured. Feng shui was better than the doctor, so I followed feng shui.''

Sleeping and eating right is central to the feng shui belief that a healthy person will think clearer and be blessed with good luck. But this does not simply mean eating five portions of fruit and veg a day and getting your full eight hours kip.

``We turn our beds and ovens to the direction that will benefit us,'' says Joey. ``If you sleep in the wrong direction,over a long period of time you'll get headaches and ill-health as well as sleepless nights and a hot temper. We eat food cooked in the oven,but if this is facing the wrong way, you'llget sick.''

Aileen Penn is proof that followers really do heed this advice. She has travelled from Hampshire for theweek's course and every night, stands before her hotel bed, gripping her feng shui compass and calculating which angle she should sleep at.

Unfortunately for Aileen, every morning the hotel's super efficient cleaners move the bed back to its original position.

``I'm an east group person,'' she says. ``So south, north, east and south-east are good directions for me. If I tap into one of my good directions,I'll sleep better.''

And she's not the only one to benefit from mattress-twisting.

``My baby granddaughter had very bad chest problems, so I worked out her good energy directions and discovered she needed to be turned round in her cot and the cot needed moving a foot because she was sleeping in an area afflicted with negative energy.

``Within days, she improved and hasn't suffered since.''

But Rhuddlan-based feng shui consultant,Jayne Goodrick goes much further. She explains that the home she shares with husband Chris and their three children, will soon be undergoing some serious structural changes.

``I'm having my back door moved 40 degrees,'' she says. ``At the moment it's is facing west, which is OK,but I'm moving it to face south-west which is a fabulous direction for me.'' And while the construction work will cost thousands of pounds,Jayne insists: ``I can't afford not to have it done - I'll get the cost back through the energies coming into the house.''

And that's not all. Because Jayne will also be removing tiles from her roof, leaving a gaping hole - to enable the chi to circulate.

``Energies are changing because we're currently moving from feng shui's Period Seven to Period Eight,'' she says. ``Each period lasts 20 years and it's based on astrology and mathematical formulas because the planet Jupiter takes 180 years to orbit the sun. This is divided into three cycles of 20 years each. ``As we leave one period and enter a new one, there is always turmoil in the world.''

As for the gaping hole in her roof,it will be left there for a fortnight and yes,Jayne is well aware that it could mean soggy carpets and windswept wallpaper. But that's all part of the deal.

``The fabric of the house has to get wet,'' she says. ``I either do this or move house.''

There is some good news, though. According to the Grand Master,North Wales possesses very beneficial chi, thanks to its proximity to the sea and abundance of mountains, providing easy-to-tap- intoenergies. Residents of Llandudno's West Shore are particularly fortunate.

``The Great Orme looks like a dragon's head rising out of the ocean,'' he says. ``The chi remains right at the back of the mountain, so the people who live in that specific area should be happy,healthy and prosperous.

``Many big financial centres of the world are near the sea,like New York, Singapore and Tokyo.''

Jayne, who has studied feng shui for seven years, turned to the classical style after dismissing modern feng shui as little more than hype.

``Someone bought me a book on new age feng shui and I thought it's is too easy if I can read a book and become a master. So I started looking for a master and found Grand Master Yap,'' she says.

Now she believes feng shui helps her avoid potential problems and make the most of good happenings.

``My family still has all the normal problems every family has,but feng shui affects how we come out of the problems. We will stub our toe instead of breaking our neck. Years ago,I had a serious motor bike accident that broke both my legs,but had I done feng shui then, I would have been aware of the potential for an accident at that point in my life and the severity of it would have been reduced.''

And while husband Chris does not actively practice it himself,he is happy to leave Jayne to get on with reordering the family home.

``He has given up putting things down to coincidence and these days does exactly as I ask.''

For a feng shui consultation,contact Jayne on 01745 590410.

Six strategies to feng shui your life

Your home may have charming olde worldy beamed ceilings, but you should ensure you don't sleep beneath a beam - it oppresses the positive energies.

Beware - energy can escape if your staircase faces your front door. If the door is within 10 feet of the stairs, keep it shut and let the chi circulate.

Plants don't do anything for feng shui, so there's no need to live with that rubber plant that's growing out of control.

This year,houses facing south-east may suffer more problems and if you sleep in the south-east of your house, you may want to shift your bed to another room.Similarly, homes facing north may have more sickness this year.

West is definitely best this year and occupants of homes facing west are more likely to strike it rich, so fling open those west facing doors and windows.

If you're working at a desk with your back to the door, make sure it is closed. Otherwise the force of energy is too strong against your back, affecting concentration.

CAPTION(S):

Young Master of feng shui Joey Yap with the Chinese compass; The shi compass; (left) which Jayne Goodrick (right) uses to align the bedroom furniture; Malaysian feng shui supremo, Yap Cheng Hai - otherwise known as the Grand Master Picture: RICHARD WILLIAMS

Feng Shui, more than just a moving experience; If you thought feng shui was all about hanging wind-chimes around the house, think again. Abigail Hughes takes a master class in this Chinese art and returns - little the wiser.(News)

Byline: Abigail Hughes

I'M sitting, trying to blend in, right at the back of the class. In front of me, a dozen fully-focused students are frantically scribbling notes and listening intently to their teacher. On an overhead projector at the front of the room is an extremely complicated-looking pie-chart, which everyone is staring and nodding sagely at. Every now and then,I pick up the odd familiar word,like ``ox'', ``snake'' and ``rooster''.

But this is no zoology lesson. Rather, the topic in question is the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui. And it is becoming rapidly obvious that I won't be fooling anyone with my misguided beliefs that there is little more to feng shui than painting your house calming,muted colours and shifting the sofa every couple of months.

In fact, this lecture, held in a Llandudno seafront hotel and headed by Malaysian feng shui supremo,Yap Cheng Hai - otherwise known as the Grand Master - sounds to my untrained ear a bit too much like hard work, involving complex mathematical formulas, never my strongest subject, and a specially crafted Chinese compass to tap into earth's most beneficial energies and avoid the negative ones.Phew!

``We teach classical feng shui, which is entirely different to modern forms,'' explains the 77-year-old Grand Master. ``It is not at all about decoration, rather it uses the earth's energies to benefit us. Using the date and time of an individual's birth, we can calculate which energy directions are best for that person.''

White-haired, suit-wearing Grand Master, who co-founded his Feng Shui Centre of Excellence with Young Master,charming 27-year-old Joey Yap,began studying the art half a century ago.

``My son had been ill for five years and we went from hospital to hospital, but nothing could cure him,''he explains. ``So I read my feng shui book and discovered he was sleeping in the wrong bed, in the wrong room. I moved him and within two months,he was cured. Feng shui was better than the doctor, so I followed feng shui.''

Sleeping and eating right is central to the feng shui belief that a healthy person will think clearer and be blessed with good luck. But this does not simply mean eating five portions of fruit and veg a day and getting your full eight hours kip.

``We turn our beds and ovens to the direction that will benefit us,'' says Joey. ``If you sleep in the wrong direction,over a long period of time you'll get headaches and ill-health as well as sleepless nights and a hot temper. We eat food cooked in the oven,but if this is facing the wrong way, you'llget sick.''

Aileen Penn is proof that followers really do heed this advice. She has travelled from Hampshire for theweek's course and every night, stands before her hotel bed, gripping her feng shui compass and calculating which angle she should sleep at.

Unfortunately for Aileen, every morning the hotel's super efficient cleaners move the bed back to its original position.

``I'm an east group person,'' she says. ``So south, north, east and south-east are good directions for me. If I tap into one of my good directions,I'll sleep better.''

And she's not the only one to benefit from mattress-twisting.

``My baby granddaughter had very bad chest problems, so I worked out her good energy directions and discovered she needed to be turned round in her cot and the cot needed moving a foot because she was sleeping in an area afflicted with negative energy.

``Within days, she improved and hasn't suffered since.''

But Rhuddlan-based feng shui consultant,Jayne Goodrick goes much further. She explains that the home she shares with husband Chris and their three children, will soon be undergoing some serious structural changes.

``I'm having my back door moved 40 degrees,'' she says. ``At the moment it's is facing west, which is OK,but I'm moving it to face south-west which is a fabulous direction for me.'' And while the construction work will cost thousands of pounds,Jayne insists: ``I can't afford not to have it done - I'll get the cost back through the energies coming into the house.''

And that's not all. Because Jayne will also be removing tiles from her roof, leaving a gaping hole - to enable the chi to circulate.

``Energies are changing because we're currently moving from feng shui's Period Seven to Period Eight,'' she says. ``Each period lasts 20 years and it's based on astrology and mathematical formulas because the planet Jupiter takes 180 years to orbit the sun. This is divided into three cycles of 20 years each. ``As we leave one period and enter a new one, there is always turmoil in the world.''

As for the gaping hole in her roof,it will be left there for a fortnight and yes,Jayne is well aware that it could mean soggy carpets and windswept wallpaper. But that's all part of the deal.

``The fabric of the house has to get wet,'' she says. ``I either do this or move house.''

There is some good news, though. According to the Grand Master,North Wales possesses very beneficial chi, thanks to its proximity to the sea and abundance of mountains, providing easy-to-tap- intoenergies. Residents of Llandudno's West Shore are particularly fortunate.

``The Great Orme looks like a dragon's head rising out of the ocean,'' he says. ``The chi remains right at the back of the mountain, so the people who live in that specific area should be happy,healthy and prosperous.

``Many big financial centres of the world are near the sea,like New York, Singapore and Tokyo.''

Jayne, who has studied feng shui for seven years, turned to the classical style after dismissing modern feng shui as little more than hype.

``Someone bought me a book on new age feng shui and I thought it's is too easy if I can read a book and become a master. So I started looking for a master and found Grand Master Yap,'' she says.

Now she believes feng shui helps her avoid potential problems and make the most of good happenings.

``My family still has all the normal problems every family has,but feng shui affects how we come out of the problems. We will stub our toe instead of breaking our neck. Years ago,I had a serious motor bike accident that broke both my legs,but had I done feng shui then, I would have been aware of the potential for an accident at that point in my life and the severity of it would have been reduced.''

And while husband Chris does not actively practice it himself,he is happy to leave Jayne to get on with reordering the family home.

``He has given up putting things down to coincidence and these days does exactly as I ask.''

For a feng shui consultation,contact Jayne on 01745 590410.

Six strategies to feng shui your life

Your home may have charming olde worldy beamed ceilings, but you should ensure you don't sleep beneath a beam - it oppresses the positive energies.

Beware - energy can escape if your staircase faces your front door. If the door is within 10 feet of the stairs, keep it shut and let the chi circulate.

Plants don't do anything for feng shui, so there's no need to live with that rubber plant that's growing out of control.

This year,houses facing south-east may suffer more problems and if you sleep in the south-east of your house, you may want to shift your bed to another room.Similarly, homes facing north may have more sickness this year.

West is definitely best this year and occupants of homes facing west are more likely to strike it rich, so fling open those west facing doors and windows.

If you're working at a desk with your back to the door, make sure it is closed. Otherwise the force of energy is too strong against your back, affecting concentration.

CAPTION(S):

Young Master of feng shui Joey Yap with the Chinese compass; The shi compass; (left) which Jayne Goodrick (right) uses to align the bedroom furniture; Malaysian feng shui supremo, Yap Cheng Hai - otherwise known as the Grand Master Picture: RICHARD WILLIAMS