Vastu, the knowledge of healthy living and building
Author: Dr. Hans H. Rhyner
Studies show that nowadays we spend on average about 90 percent of our time in closed rooms and space. Shouldn’t we feel as comfortable as possible there and create a lifting indoor climate? Dr. Hans H. Rhyner reveals how we can use the cardinal points, the room layout and the elements for our well-being.
Everyone knows the feeling of immediately feeling comfortable and secure when entering a house. Or maybe an apartment or simply a single room. Another building or room, on the other hand, seems off-putting and unpleasant from the very first moment. In the first case the aura is good and attracts the visitor, in the second something is wrong. Not for nothing does an Indian proverb say:
“When choosing a partner and a house, you should not let your mind speak, but your heart.”
Which in turn means nothing other than that the living space – just like love – has emotional aspects. It cannot and should not be considered only from a functional point of view.
VASTU AND SPACE
But, what exactly is hidden behind the sensations that a room triggers? In addition to the knowledge of well-proportioned forms and an architecture that is pleasant for people, there are certain other criteria that must be fulfilled. Vastu summarizes these conditions. This is the doctrine of healthy building and living. Its principles give a house that pleasant aura that welcomes you as soon as you enter and invites you to linger. The atmosphere is right, space and one’s own body vibrate on the same wavelength.
वास्तु – Vaastu with a long “a” means “light” and stands for the relationship of Vastu to Vedic astrology (Jyotish).
वस्तु – Vastu with a short “a” stands for the teaching of spaces.
It is not about the sense of style of a particular era in India, about cultural or climatic conditions. It is but about the universally valid basic principles of spaces par excellence.
Wherever I create an enclosed space, i.e. a (spatial) body, a liveliness, an energy of its own develops at the same time. Also the human being is an enclosed space. Inevitably, the space-human now enters into vibration and relationship with the space-body. If human is to do well, the two must be compatible.
The Indian sages and scholars of antiquity studied in detail the forces that can act on and in a building. Their findings made and still make it clear that the sensations that a space evokes are not an abstruse phenomenon devoid of any basis. Actually it is quite the opposite. A “tangible” fact based on scientifically explainable facts.
Example of Vastu architecture: The 8th century coastal temple in Mahabalipuram.
SENSE AND PURPOSE OF VASTU
Due to today’s hectic lifestyle, the need for a comfortable home is very great. A refuge where one can retreat and find relaxation.
More than ever, living and working spaces have the task of creating a balance, promoting physical and mental well-being and, last but not least, strengthening the immune system, which is under attack both physically and psychologically.
However, this is precisely where the architecture of recent decades has shown its weaknesses. That happened through placing functional, aesthetic and material aspects in the foreground. A slick overvalue of them and forgetfulness about the needs of the people who will one day live in the finished building.
For some years now, there were attempts to counteract this deplorable state of affairs. Especially in Western countries. One thinks of biological building with materials free of harmful substances and other efforts to bring architecture and the creation of quality of life closer together again. Just like India’s ancient medicine Ayurveda, Vastu is not a promise of healing. Ayurveda is currently conquering the western world, Vastu wil follow. And with this the consequences of today’s living conditions and ways of life can be improved. The aim of Vastu is rather to draw attention to circumstances in a non-judgmental way, without any dogma. To train the senses and to sharpen them in order to change disadvantageous living situations.
THE IMPLEMENTATION IN THE LIVING SPACE
The Vastu principles convey which conditions must be fulfilled so that a building works with the natural forces and not against them, and how their influence can be used for the benefit of the inhabitants. These are recommendations that are valid from the overall structure down to the smallest details. One can easily transfer it to today’s conditions and put into practice.
Also, the principles of Vastu are universally applicable – whether in private homes, public buildings, offices and industrial buildings, hospitals and schools, or even in entire cities.
The orientation of a property, house or living space according to the four cardinal directions is an important part of the Vastu principles, as it allows the energy fields and currents to have an ideal effect on a space. The northeast is of primary importance, as this is where the most positive radiations hit a room and then move further to the southwest. Possible obstacles, such as tall buildings or trees, impede this flow, while bodies of water or a slope to the northeast are conducive. In contrast, weighty obstacles should be placed to the southwest to impede the outflow of positive forces.
Important when building and arranging according to Vastu: the life force flows from the northeast to the southwest.
Basically, a Vastu conformity of more than 51 percent is already a conducive living climate.
Every woman and every man can furnish according to these simple principles. And thus it creates a good living climate. Move a few pieces of furniture or reallocate living areas. In a short time you will notice measurable positive changes.
Minor defects can be corrected using the Vastu Mandala shown below. Hang the mandala at the level of your throat chakra on the wall or corner where, for example, an opening or space is missing. If the house or apartment is not correctly located in the cardinal points (a deviation up to 15°), then place this mandala horizontally with the head of the Vastu man in the northeast corner. However, correction of severe defects should be done by trained professionals.
Compensates deviation defects of a house to the cardinal direction: the correction mandala.
About the author
Hans H. Rhyner is an Ayurvedic physician and is considered a leading and internationally recognized expert and pioneer of Ayurveda in Europe. His knowledge is extremely authentic, as he lived in India for 25 years and ran his own clinic in Bangalore. Today he practices in his practices in Switzerland and Vienna.
This article appeared originally on the German Homepage Tattva Viveka: Wenn der Wohnraum Lebensziele unterstützt
