Home Design Philosophy Older than Feng Shui The Power of Vastu, from Ancient India by Rehana Begg Anokhi Vibe Magazine, Summer 2003 Are you truly happy and at peace in your home? Does your living space suit your lifestyle? Are you inspired and truly energized before you leave home everyday? If you answer no to these questions, it’s probably time you checked out the latest sweep in the Western decorating world -Vastu. Vastu Vidya, which literally means "wisdom of dwelling spaces", is the ancient Indian science of placement and design that stems back more than 5,000 years. Feng Shui, the more widely recognized and more recent Chinese practice, is believed to have evolved from Vastu. Feng Shui and Vastu are similar in that they both depend on the harmony of basic elements, but they define these elements differently. Vastu is more spiritual and connected to encouraging the well-being of one’s soul, whereas Feng Shui is used to encourage materialistic gain. Vastu Living Room: The living room is regarded as the nucleus of our living environment and is ideally located in the north, northwest or western quadrant. Shingara (seductive essence) is particularly apparent in the choice of brilliant jewel tones and rich fabrics chosen for the scatter cushions. The position of the furniture ensures that Prana is encouraged to flow freely. While its principles were originally interpreted for ancient Indian civilizations, Vastu can be applied equally to any style of home in any location, from the elaborate palaces in southern India to the modern loft-style condominiums of New York and Toronto, says Kathleen Cox, a New York-based Vastu consultant and author of The Power of Vastu Living: Welcoming Your Soul Into Your Home and Workplace (Fireside, 2002, $24.50). Vastu offers a holistic approach to design, treating the home as a complete unit that creates a sense of connection between rooms and a flow of energy throughout the interior and exterior structures of the house and garden. Moreover, Vastu celebrates the individuals who use the space. Before planning any changes to your home, you need to know what works for you and what doesn't says Kusum Pandya, an architect and interior designer who incorporated Vastu principles in her designs before immigrating to Toronto from India a year ago. Each individual has a unique constitution or dosha and knowing what your dosha is will help with personalizing your space and maximizing the benefits of Vastu. Go to  www.vastuliving.com/VastuTest.htm to take the Vastu Test. The Vastu Home, by Juliet Pegrum (Duncan Baird Publishers, 2002) is beautifully illustrated with 80 photographs, The Vastu Home is a worthy coffee table book. Pegrum shows how to create an attractive home while bringing a deeper sense of contentment, prosperity, and well-being to one’s life. Learn how to arouse passion in the bedroom by positioning furniture, using colour and light, and incorporating plants, paintings, mirrors, and other decorative elements. She offers inspiration and makes recommendations for every budget. The central goal is to create a living space that aligns both the home and garden with the cosmic balance, orienting it with the movement of the sun, the electromagnetic field of the earth, the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether) and the three gunas (qualities of energy). Once alignment is achieved, the living space echoes the basic structure of the universe so that the Prana (the energy used to sustain all living things) flows freely through space, bringing health, happiness, peace and overall well-being to its inhabitants. The overarching theme in a Vastu design is the emphasis on creating light and space within a home. A few carefully chosen and placed furnishings can promote positive energy – too many will impede the flow. Also key is the strategic use of colour, shape, texture and natural elements. The science of Vastu uses the mythical figure of Vastu Purusha, a cosmic spirit whose physical posture is represented inside a square, known as the Vastu Purusha Mandala. This geometric representation is a blueprint for the home and is a Vastu practitioner’s tool used for the orientation and design of the living space. The four sides of the square represent the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west), while the four corners represent the inter-cardinal directions (northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest). The cardinal directions are significant because they define not only our space but also our metaphysical place in the world. Their opposing forces represent the contradictions that lie within us, as well as the dualities of the external world, such as hot and cold, light and dark. Using this blueprint, the home’s layout can be aligned with the cosmos: where the ground floor represents the earth; the walls, the four directions; and the roof represents the heavens. The Power of Vastu Living: Welcoming Your Soul Into Your Home and Workplace, by Kathleen Cox (Fireside, 2002) is for the seriously spiritual: a comprehensive, yet accessible, tool that offers a room- by-room approach for organizing and decorating every conceivable environment, both at home and in the workplace. The mandala is applied, for example, to an individual room by imagining Purusha’s form lying face down in the room, oriented along the northeast-southwest axis. The centre of the mandala covers the heart and navel of Parusha’s body. Since these areas are believed to be his most sensitive, the most vulnerable points of a room are, by extension, concentrated in the middle. The centre of a room can be protected by keeping it clear and as open as possible, free from heavy pieces of furniture or architectural features, such as pillars and beams. "Vastu is not superstitious," says Cox, who studied Vedic philosophy in India for ten years. "It is merely the use of space to increase well-being." While Vastu does have a spiritual base, Cox says it "should not be confused with religious dogma, which is unalterable and immutable." Vastu floor plans are intended to serve as gentle guides, illustrating possible arrangements of furniture or architectural features, says Pandya. In practice, the precise proportions of your rooms and garden, and the positions of the furniture you already possess will dictate the layouts available to you. "Vastu is not an all-or-nothing science," says Pandya. "We should try to adhere to its guidelines. But as long as we reach 51 percent or better in our practice of Vastu Living, we are on the winning side." So what are some of the guidelines experts say you should follow in order to reap Vastu Living’s benefits? Look for an apartment that has an East-facing entrance, recommends Ruth Anne Taves, national director of Maharishi Global Construction, a company that specializes in Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design. The entrance to the building is more significant than the door to the apartment, she says. As well, look for a building that is aligned with true North rather than one constructed at an angle. And when you’re in the market, look for a plot of land sloping to the east or northeast. Kathleen Cox, who has been described as the American doyenne of Vastu design, says, "We are extraordinarily connected to the natural world. So, it’s important to choose organic materials." Steer away from plastics and opt for natural fabrics. Group plants together to create a feeling of being in the woods. Use grass, wood, sand and terracotta to invite warmth to your space. Your environment should reflect who you are and you should not keep anything that has no meaning. (This is also a good reason to get rid of clutter.) And, if you can’t place elements where they belong, make sure you make your space reflect what you love. Choose colour schemes according to the mood you wish to promote, says Cox. Soft shades of red and orange stimulate passion and excitement and delicate hues of green or blue produce a calm and soothing environment. Therefore, an intense person, one who worries as well as a very passionate person should opt for calming colours such as green, white and blue. Stay away from intense red - it will only intensify a fiery temperament. A person who is not motivated may choose yellow, red and orange. Vastu in the Bedroom:  If you share your bedroom with a partner, this person should also take the Vastu Test. If you discover that you have different doshas, Vastu Living factors these differences into the organization and design of your space. Bedrooms should provide a sanctuary from the pressures of daily living. The bedroom is associated with the ritual of procreation and is the one place you can be your authentic self. "It is also the zone where you restore yourself,’ says Cox. "It should be so intimate and personal that any stranger will feel as though they’re trespassing. Burn candles and keep any ornaments that have deep personal meaning in the bedroom." If possible, the southwest quadrant of the home is the ideal location for a master bedroom. In this region the Earth element provides a secure environment for relaxation. Where there are windows in the west, the room will also receive the warm rays of the setting sun, a soothing accompaniment to bedtime rituals. Ideally, the design of your bedroom should enhance your rest. Choosing a wooden frame connects you with the Earth element and provides the security needed for peaceful sleep. (Avoid metal- framed beds because their conductive powers produce negative patterns of energy around the body that causes stress and disturbs sleep). Because your home is a sacred domain, consciously get into the habit of taking off your shoes when you step inside your home. _______________________________________________________________________________________________