Life is a journey
By Jenny Liu
Our father lit an incense
It is a fond childhood memory to remember how every night, our father lit an incense, rang the singing bowl and began chanting his gratitude and asking for blessings. Meanwhile, our mother placed daily offerings of homemade food and flowers from her garden at the altar. Almost as if in response, our door bell would ring and people would come, seeking their help.
From morning to night, clients would visit. As children playing in the living room right next to these sessions, we grew up watching our father work. Gesturing for the client to take a seat at our oak carved dining table, our father listened carefully and would switch on the necessary dialect, putting the client at ease. Our mother would fill a teapot and place a steaming cup of tea next to our father and his client.
Our father had a gift of instantaneously connecting with his clients, allowing them to feel safe to release years of burdens no one else seemed to understand. We have seen many clients entering with an aura of despair, but leaving full of laughter and hope. Witnessing such transformations was part of our childhood pastime.
He cured our colds with gua sha
Growing up, we almost never went to hospitals or doctors. We learned how daily meals made with garlic and ginger, herbs; and acupuncture, gua sha and cupping could cure our colds, indigestion, aches and pains. The mere thought of accompanying our mother to our family herbalist conjures the nostalgic pungent smell of Chinese herbs brewing in the kitchen.
Being immigrants from Taiwan, far from our motherland and culture, our parents raised us with Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian belief systems. We three sisters have many memories of learning from our father – from sitting on his lap as he recited mantras, to evening strolls where he would point out different feng shui characteristics of houses.
When we came of age, we started to accompany him to feng shui consultations. This gave us the opportunity to see the diversity in Los Angeles, and understand different lifestyles and businesses. He was a pioneer influencer, sharing his passion through articles in local Asian newspapers, as well as segments on Asian radio and television. Our mother curated his wardrobe of imported Chinese gongfu silk jackets and Western suits in his compatible element palette. She also managed the business and media budgets, all while raising three daughters and joining him in active leadership roles in many Asian American community cultural associations.
Our father and mother, Chi-Jen and Mariana Liu
Mom took care of everything else
Late into the night, our father would be writing his case studies and articles for his columns, sharing his experience so others may learn. We remember seeing our mother revel at his stories as she edited the articles. She saw how passionate he was and did everything she could for him to be able to focus on his career. Not only was our mother our main caregiver who managed all aspects of our household, she also established a side business of helping clients acquire feng shui items.
As the oldest of eight children, our mother was and still is a home economics expert. We can thank her for our practical life skills of managing a household, organizing finances, minimizing waste, recycling, organic gardening, cooking, and sewing.
Feng Shui and Art
Our father gradually transitioned from feng shui consulting to painting, and created thousands of inspiring nature-themed watercolor, abstract mixed media, and calligraphy artworks that embody his healing and empowering messages, many of which are now available as art prints. Our mother supported him by procuring custom frames and art supplies. His paintings have been exhibited at the Sierra Madre City Hall and donated to raise funds for earthquake victims in China. In the 90s, he painted Buddhist deities and symbols like koi fish and lotus flowers for meditation. From 2000-2020, every year he created a new series of 9 paintings to adjust the feng shui directions based on the annual Flying 9 Star system. Currently, some of his largest works are commissioned masterpieces for private clients.
“Lotus Dancing in the Wind” by Chi-Jen Liu
We run the family business
When I (Jenny) graduated from UCLA with a Master’s degree in Architecture, I trained in AutoCAD drafting and lighting design at architectural firms before taking my place in the family business. Aside from consulting, I authored several columns in different publications, and like my father, I also shared my expertise through seminars. In 1995, I started my own feng shui consulting and design business, New Feng Shui Concepts.
Meanwhile, my sister, Julie, graduated from UCLA with a degree in Communications and trained in TV production, interactive entertainment and public relations companies before joining our family team in 1998. Besides consulting, she managed community events, websites and our father’s art business. She also teaches a 2-year Life Map curriculum for professional consultants based on traditional master-to-disciple methods.
Liu Feng Shui, Inc. was established in 2007. As our father had been practicing feng shui in the US for close to 50 years and wished to ease into semi-retirement, Julie and I now run the family business with our youngest sister, Linda, who handles all the social media, websites, art and graphic design. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute, College of Art.
Feng shui masters are works in progress, too
Moving forward, we are constantly asking ourselves how we can evolve and provide better solutions for our clients and our world. One of the greatest inspirations our father lent us was his renaissance of ancient philosophies. He adapted, communicated and modernized feng shui principles without losing sight of his purpose: to educate people on the art and science of feng shui and how this holistic philosophy benefits us on personal, social and environmental levels. We emphasize that feng shui is not a one-time solution; it is a lifestyle of self-cultivation that takes years to hone. We are still works in progress.