While Feng Shui has become familiar to many in the West, there is a new Eastern design theory coming to the attention of the esoterically and aesthetically oriented. It’s called Vaastu Shastra. Like Feng Shui, Vaastu is based on the idea that subtle energies must be allowed to circulate in a balanced manner inside of and around structures meant for human habitation. This energy is referred to as Prana in Vaastu (alt. spelling: Vastu). Blockages or disharmonies in the flow of Prana can lead to imbalances in the way people function in the environment. The five basic elements Vaastu seeks to harmonize are: Prithvi (EARTH), Akash (SKY), Agni (FIRE), Paani (WATER), and Vayu (WIND).

A slew of books have come out in recent years explaining the basics of Vaastu for the lay-person, while some cities, particularly on the West Coast have seen the rise of Vaastu practitioners.

Janice, a friend of mine who lives in Seattle, had an experience with Vaastu that, for her, confirmed the importance of harmonious design.

A realtor, Janice often deals with people coming to the area to work in the computer industry. Last August a couple came to her office looking for a house after arriving in Seattle from their native India. Their budget and the tight real estate market in Seattle complicated their search, and they rejected several houses that Janice felt suited their needs perfectly. Puzzled by their rejections, she continued to seek the perfect property for them nevertheless. It wasn’t until they settled on a house and were finalizing the paperwork that Janice finally discovered the reason for their finickiness.

The day they met her for the closing the man thanked her for her diligence. He knew they had been unusually difficult, he explained, but there was a reason. He then offered her a piece of advice. She needed to resituate her desk inside her office and the receptionist’s desk as it was placed was acting as blockage to the energies that would bring increased prosperity. In fact, he told her, the receptionist’s desk was placed in such a way as to create mental anguish and ill health in the person occupying that spot.

Janice wasn’t sure she believed these pronouncements, but the alternative placements that the man suggested were so easily implemented that she decided to give it a whirl. And, although she hadn’t told the gentleman, what he said about the receptionist’s desk had struck a chord. Since opening the office in this location she had had incredible difficulty in keeping receptionists. The reasons varied, but many had quit over health issues and all seemed somehow dissatisfied with the job, although in a previous location she had employed the same woman for several years in the position. Not only that but the business hadn’t taken off since the move as she had expected, considering that the new location should have been much better.

After the rearrangement the most recent receptionist hire revealed that she had been considering quitting but changed her mind and business took an almost immediate upswing.

Vaastu emphasizes directions and layout much like Feng Shui, but with a slightly different emphasis. For instance, one guiding principle of Vaastu, which is easy to implement is that the head of the bed should be toward the South, and never the North, the latter causing a depletion of energy, disrupted sleep, excessive stress and overall lack of well-being.

A science that has been practiced for centuries, Vaastu has evolved solutions not only for homes and businesses, but for factories and other types of buildings as well.

For Westerners just beginning their exploration of Vaastu books like, The Vaastu Workbook: “Using the Subtle Energies of the Indian Art of Placement,” by Talavane Krishna MD, offer an easy introduction.