Vaastu Has a Corner on Positive Energy
Designing Your Home According to the Elements
by Ruth Diab Lederer
According to Vaastu Shastra, the ancient Hindu system of architecture, every part of your home vibrates with energy. The corners of your house and their respective sections are especially important. That’s where the elements of air, fire, water and earth reside. Air is in the northwest, fire is in the southeast, water is in the northeast and earth is in the southwest. Most importantly, the locations of the elements play out in your life in powerful ways.
Air is transient, and all matters of life that benefit from this temporary element are best served in the northwest section. This includes the bedroom for out-of-town guests and the bedroom for the eldest child in a family—usually the one who leaves the family nest first. Air also acts to keep things fresh, which is why storing grains in the northwest section is an ancient tradition.
Fire is transformative, and all matters that benefit from this purifying state are best served in the southeast section. This includes all cooking activities, all creative activities, home gyms and a short-term home office. It is never appropriate for a bedroom or an activity of any duration because the intensity of the space will be detrimental to a good night’s sleep or a peaceful state of mind.
Water is tranquilizing, and all matters that benefit from this pacifying state are best served in the northeast section. In a traditional Vaastu home, this is the location of the puja room— the worship or meditation room. It is also an excellent location for asana. A bedroom for an elderly person or a person living a monastic life would be perfect for this slow-moving and lifegiving section.
Earth is stabilizing, and all matters that benefit from this restful state are best served in the southwest section. This section promotes deep sleep as well as the quality of dominance in the household, so the master bedroom should be in this location. It’s also useful for a home office for the head of the house or for a family room.
While each corner and section is imbued with characteristic elemental energy, there is also fundamental energy, such as “blessedness,” that comes from the design of a Vaastu house. Of the seven varieties of blessedness, the most interesting one is enjoyment. Blessedness on its own is a state of well-being and contentment. When it is further enhanced by the sense of enjoyment, the experience is deeper and more meaningful.
Visualize your asana practice in your northeast section and imagine a sense of blessedness. Explore the enjoyment of your asana practice as it enhances your well-being and contentment in a way that is powerful and elevating. While the qualities mentioned here are best experienced in a Vaastu-designed structure, living in such a space may be merely a dream for many people. Instead, harnessing the power of our minds to imagine these harmonious effects for the purpose of asana may provide powerful benefits.
Ruth Diab Lederer is the principal of Vaastu Partners LLC. Contact her at ruth@vaastupartners.com for more information or to visit a newly built Vaastu cottage in Lake Bluff, Illinois.
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