What is Vastu?

Why do some buildings withstand the test of time, and others crumble away? What do the Greek Parthenon, Roman Pantheon, Egyptian Pyramids, Mayan Temples, Taj Mahal, have in common?

In a word, Vastu.

Ask yourself

Have you ever been in a building for the first time and felt an inexplicable sense of peace?

When energy is kept moving we feel as if we’re in the flow.

Vastu means building and Shastra means science. Vastu Shastra is the science of building. It eliminates environmental stress by aligning us with the forces of nature. Vastu comes from India over 5,500 years ago, from an ancient body of wisdom called the Vedas. According to the Vedas there are three things that affect our success in life: 1. Ayurveda, the life science that reduces bodily stress. 2. Vastu, the building science that reduces environmental stress. 3. Jyotish, the astrological science that reduces cosmic stress.

Have you ever been in a building for the first time and felt an inexplicable sense of peace? Or walked into a beautiful building and felt a strange sense of unease? That’s Vastu. Corporations such as Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, The World Bank, NASA, Oracle, Nordstrom, and Intel have employed the principles of Vastu for their success.

 

About 3,000 years ago Buddhist monks brought the knowledge of Vastu over the Himalayan Mountains to China, adapted to the local cultural and climatic conditions became known as Feng Shui. The goal of Vastu and Feng Shui is the same: to keep energy moving and prevent it from getting stuck. If energy gets stuck it creates stress and impacts our daily lives. If energy is kept moving we feel as if we move with the flow of life.

The principles of Vastu can be found in architecture that has endured the elements over time, such as the Mayan & Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Majal, the Roman Colosseum, and Greek Parthenon. In these buildings we feel a sense of peace because the five elements are in balance, and the energy is kept moving. The five elements are space, air, fire, water and earth.

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How can the five elements affect our lives?

Each of the five elements is tied to a direction. Water is in the northeast, and affects our financial success. Fire is in the southeast and affects our health. Earth is in the southwest and affects our career. Air is in the Northwest and affects our relationships. And finally, the most important of all the elements, space. Space is in the center and affects success in all areas of our lives.

In nature all the elements are in balance, which is why we feel good in nature. When a building is built, the balance of the five elements is disturbed. Vastu restores that balance to any building, whether or not it was built with Vastu principles.

We restore that balance with a Vastu consultation. Whenever you feel that there’s an area of your life that could use some improvement, be it in relationships, health, career, or finances, that’s when it would be a good time to do a Vastu consulation, to get that stuck energy moving.

According to Vastu, there are two forces of nature that are extremely beneficial to human life. Magnetic energy from the north and solar energy from the east.

The magnetic energy from the north keeps us alert. Studies show that sleeping with the top of the head pointed south promotes longer REM sleep cycles, improved blood flow, circulation and digestion. In other words, it’s more restful and healing. For more on the directions and sleep, see For Better Sleep, Point Your Head in a New Direction. That same magnetic energy from the north is beneficial for analytical work. 

The ultraviolet rays present in morning sunlight from the east light increase our creativity. Studies show that facing east while doing creating work is beneficial. For more about the directions affecting office work, see Productivity, Creativity & the Cardinal Directions

In conclusion, there are forces of nature that are beneficial to human life. A building can support or oppose these forces. Vastu helps us enhance these in our homes and workplaces thereby gaining the support of nature in our endeavors.

 

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Kathryn-Ossing-front-yard-author-bio
Written by Kathryn Ossing

Kathryn guides health conscious women to align themselves with the rhythms of nature through Ayurveda, the science of life. She also brings peace to home and work environments through Vastu, the science of building, which comes from the same Vedic tradition as Ayurveda. As a Certified Vastu Practitioner and Ayurvedic Health Counselor, she inspires others to make the dietary and lifestyle changes that support their health, career, financial and relationship goals. Check out her free guide 5 Minute Mindfulness Practices for Busy Moms.

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What is Ayurveda?

Never heard of Ayurveda? In 2-3 minutes, Doctor J. explains how Ayurveda works, plain and simple. “Once you understand how Ayurveda works, it’s very easy to follow,” he says.

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