when i was wading into shui, i hired several practitioners (throughout my first couple years of figuring it out) to “shui” our home.

lucky for me, one of them became my very first mentor and teacher – Ellen Whitehurst.

she invited me to start writing about shui for her site and blog; she extended her spotlight to me during her workshops; and she was the one who nudged me to get certified.

as i now create my own certification program, i am digging into alllll the notes i’ve held onto for a decade and a half – and Ellen’s are among them, bound in a black journal dated 2008.

so, today, in honor of my “shui mother” who helped me onto this path and the graciousness she extended me over the years, here are my 3 favorite tips she shared during our very first conversation and consult together.

TIP ONE: find a photo of YOU that you LOVE. mount it on blue construction / colored paper. place it in a wood frame, and place it in the Skills / Knowledge area (of your home, your office, or any room that caters to this addition well). leave it out for at least 9 days.

this concoction reinforces self-love practices and strengthens beliefs of inherent self-worth.

back then, i didn’t have a photo of myself then that i LOVED, so it pushed me to get one – which i did – and what i remember happening shortly after i had this remedy installed:

AOL reached out to interview me about Feng Shui. (lucky me, i had a freshy fresh photo to share with my feature!) that was such a validation for me, and it really rippled into all sorts of BOLD moves on my part. 

TIP TWO: something Ellen said to me in that first conversation – “if the universe sees you constantly busy taking care of everyone BUT you, she will keep delivering you opportunities to do more of the same. push PAUSE at least once a week to take a long, hot bath – schedule the time and keep it like an important appointment! when you start taking better care of yourself, the universe will interpret this as ‘i’m worth it’ and replenish you with more opportunities to enjoy your life now.”

message received, and…

here is the bath recipe Ellen shared with me that i now affectionately refer to as a “me, myself, and i soak”:

you’ll need 2 cups of Epsom salt and 9 quarter-size pieces of orange peel from 9 oranges (1 piece per orange). fill your tub halfway with HOT water. add the orange peels and Epsom salt, and let it all steep for 20 minutes before getting in. fill the rest of the tub, and soak for at least 20 minutes. you can use the peels 8 more times before discarding them. (they lose potency with each bath so if you feel really depleted, you might consider using new oranges more frequently.)

(if you prefer to use one orange instead of 9, go ahead. i prefer to teach the rituals as they were given to me, but i know people like to modify this one so do what works best for you!)


TIP THREE: to help me “manage” my people pleasing instincts – because “people pleasers have a hard time receiving money” – she recommended i place a lamp in the Wealth corner of my Wealth area. and then…

take 9 faux bills, stack them on each other and punch a hole through them.

tie 9 inches of purple string through the hole, and once they’re bound, fan the bills out.

place the fanned bills under the lamp – keeping the lamp turned on all (or most of the) day.

the magic at play? you’re lighting a path for money to find you!

(she also had me take 9 $1 bills, stack and roll them, and place them in a plastic bag that then went to the back of my fridge – suggesting i would always have a little “cold hard cash” on me!)


i would not be where i am today without all my many teachers along the way, but it was Ellen who grabbed my hand, encouraged and led me far enough down this path that Simple Shui became possible, and truly planted the seeds of what it means to be a teacher and guide. so, do me a favor and if you give any of these remedies a whirl, look to the heavens and give her a BIG thanks for me! xo