“A garden requires patient labour and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfil good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.” ~Liberty Hyde Bailey
A Feng Shui gardener and landscaper Milan Stefan Salowsky from a small, quiet town Troisdorf, Germany creates and landscapes gardens of peace and tranquillity. He believes in a natural flow of energy, love for oneself and the unique expression of it all with the help of nature. He uses nature as his guide showing him how to bend his perception, blend his approach and works with the garden and person when needed, where to leave space if required and how to flow with the change that constantly occurs in the natural habitat. Milan Stefan Salowsky sees beauty in nature and feels its deep philosophy for life and its flow. He is peace, and with the help of Feng Shui Milan expresses it in his daily life and work.
http://www.beseelte-gaerten.com/
We all have a certain way of living and being and certainly there is a philosophy of life that you are living and experiencing in your life right now. What is it?
For me it is important to be in peace with myself. I appreciate every day and I am thankful for what I have. I enjoy being happy and having a good laugh. Also, it is important for me to accept myself the way I am with what I like and especially with what I don’t like about myself. This way life runs easier, especially when I do things that give me joy. This way of being enables me to let things go easier and accept change for what it is. At the moment I experience the importance of making clear decisions. The change begins within myself and then becomes visible on the outside and depending on my state of mind with which I meet my environment and myself the resonance will follow. I cultivate and send out my peace as much as possible by doing things that I do. I’m glad if other people get inspired to become more conscious about themselves.
What does make your life tick? What are your principles?
“Throw all your principals aboard, the good ones first” (Steed Dölger). I learn more and more about the meaning of this sentence. Principles often hinder me in my development and in meeting myself and others with an open heart and mind. Attentiveness, personal initiative and personal responsibility – these are the tasks that I practice in my daily life to get self-determined and to live spirituality in the every day.
You are closely connected with nature – you are a gardener and a landscaper. At what time in life did you exactly know that gardening was something you wanted to do?
After finishing my vocational training at the age of 20 I worked on the job for some time but I doubted if I chose the right path. At first, I selected the profession because I was not sure enough about what I wanted to do. It was clear to me, however, that I wanted to work outside. At some point, my way led me away from gardening towards the renovation of half-timbered houses. A few years later by chance I got back in touch with my former profession and after doing it for a while I began enjoying it. Working on things that I learned about actually gave me joy. In 2004, I started my own company and it became obvious to me that the planning and construction of gardens was something I really liked doing. It was my calling.
There should be someone who inspires you to walk the path you walk?
Yes, my spiritual teacher – Steed Dölger. So far I have learned a lot from him. My view to the world of my own life has changed drastically and brought unimagined depths of peace.That’s a blessing! I discovered simplicity, my approach to life changed, however it does not mean that it is always easy.
I heard you are very much interested in Feng Shui. What is the true essence of Feng Shui?
Feng Shui is a part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and it is holistically concerned with the influence of the surrounding nature and the residential environment on the people who are living there. The main thing is to lead the vital energy, called the Chi, in a way that the person can get it forwarded in the aspects they want to access.
In the Traditional Chinese Medicine an increase or lack of energy leads to physical phenomena or illnesses. It is similar with a house or garden. Feng Shui can help to get accumulated energy into motion and to vitalize areas with lacking energy to create a surrounding that corresponds to the resident. The individual is always in the focus. There is always an interaction between the energies of their house or garden and their own life energy.
Feng Shui is a good way to get in contact with one’s personal energies and to make necessary changes to reach one’s goals. Transformation always occurs from the inside to the outside. Often, it is easier to realise the transformation inside oneself by apparent changes on the outside. Feng Shui can be a great opportunity and a first step to reaching a happier and fulfilled life if you are willing to change things in yourself for yourself.
Does one need to understand the roots and meaning of Feng Shui so as to be positively affected by it?
No, that is not necessary. Feng Shui is based on experience and the study of nature, and so it unfolds its effects independently of someone’s previous knowledge.
What can be achieved with Feng Shui and a holistic garden concept?
If you want to feel comfortable in your garden and make it ‘your’ place, planning it as a holistic garden can be the right choice. With Feng Shui you can gain a better understanding of your current situation. It can help to get your visions and ideas on the move.
The process of Feng Shui consultation is capable of raising levels of your awareness of inner and outer worlds. Things that have always been somehow unconscious for you can suddenly become present and clear. Those new discoveries or realisations may lead you to where you want to be. I will be your guide as long as you are willing to walk.
The constructional measures are they necessary and who can implement them?
That’s very individual. Most of the time it makes sense to change different aspects or parts of the garden to get it in the order that is helpful. When the customers change their inner attitude, the change has to follow in the outside as well.
With our company “BeseelteGärten” (Gardens for the Soul), which I run together with a partner, we are able to implement all constructional measures in the garden for we know the goals and the energy of the consultation. A lot of empathy is necessary to create the garden in the way that it provides the recommendations of the Feng Shui consultation.
What is the procedure?
At first there is an informative meeting where the customer can get an overview of the steps that may be taken. If they are interested, we will make an offer for consultation. On this basis they can decide whether they would like to have the consultation done.
The consultation itself is done at the customer’s home. Based on the information that we collect visiting the garden and talking to the customer, as well as our knowledge of the five elements, the BaGua and other Feng Shui tools, we give recommendations for changes in writing. We explain them in detail and inform our customer about the time and effort needed for those recommendations to take place as they cannot implement it all by themselves and, of course, the costs that come along with it. After a while, perhaps half a year or later, we offer another meeting where the customers can tell what they have implemented so far and how they feel about it. If they are interested, we give further personal consultation.
You say that Feng Shui can bring people into contact with themselves and their life’s issues. How?
People often come with a vision of what they want to have in their lives. To reach this goal one has to look inside oneself in order to see which way one has to walk. Like I said before, changes always start inside one’s self and express themselves on the outside. During our consultation we have a number of conversations with the customer who eventually will have to deal with their issues and get in contact with themselves, so as to get to the point where they want to be. Everyone has their own time and pace.
The situation in the garden is sort of a mirror for the owner. Churchill is supposed to have said that at first people shape rooms, then the same rooms shape the people. In other words, each person’s place or garden and life are interacting and whatever changes happen within the person, it can become visible in their environment.
Do you do any special consultations?
Every consultation is special and individual. The power of our consultations lies in the energetic order that we provide.The Feng Shui we do is intuitive and it is called Dharma Qi Feng Shui (by Khristin D. Randazzo).
Where do you see yourself and your company going in the future with the work that you do and lifestyle that you live?
Today more and more people are looking for a perspective, inner peace and a fulfilled life, as the society we are living in nowadays doesn’t really support this. Whenever I can give my support to people to help them find their own way to experience life they want, it makes me happy. The more people live love and peace, the more the world changes and becomes a better place.
Personally, I will concentrate on planning projects and consulting people in the next few years to come.
How do you understand the concept of Love?
The way I understand love it is not only love between a man and a woman. There is more to it, much much more. Love encompasses all and everything. It is also a part of the attitude with which I meet other people. It means listening to my inner voice and living my life according to the values of truth, righteousness and respecting others.
I have also learned that if I love myself, happiness and peace follows and life becomes more meaningful.
Do you also work abroad or only in Germany?
Yes, we are ready to consult and plan projects abroad.
Is there one particular thing you would like to wish to your readers?
I wish all my readers that they may find their way to a happy and balanced life.
P.S. Facebook page: BeseelteGaerten
