Spaces That Heal.

Often when people visit my simple and small shala they often comment on how lovely the space is and how it’s a place where they can relax and feel happy.  So how do we create a healing space?  When we visit a temple the whole space has been created to represent the body and our chakras, which are energy centres within the body.  That is why the footprints are outside; we start with the feet and work through to the inner sanctum which is representing the Sahasrara chakra our highest energy centre located at the crown of the head.  All three qualities of nature are in balance and we gain a sense of harmony by just being there, the temple space contains a shakti; an energy that uplifts us, and as we walk around the sanctum in a clockwise direction we can tap into that energy.

We are all familiar with the Chinese idea of Feng Shui of balancing spaces to create harmony, there is also the amazing tradition from India of Vaastu Shastra which comes from the great Rishi Brahmarishi Mayan, it deals with the cosmic science of energy and matter, light and sound, time and space and the manifestations of subtle energy into gross forms.  In his 892 sutras he enlightens us on the workings and intricacies of making a divine space.  Vaastu Shastra is an advanced science, too complicated for this little brain to handle!  It is rendered in technological language for God forms, temple structures, residential buildings, village and town planning and all are based on a science governed by a mathematical order and not according to whims and fancies.  But reading the sutras written on the subject or the most sacred literature is complicated and not enough to get close to the truth and build a living being – a Vastu house.  We need to find a Guru and we need to meditate, because only through the practice of yoga, of purification and raising inner awareness, can we find the balance needed to create that healing space.  But here are some tips to make a start;

1. Try to ensure the centre point of your home or space is unobstructed because it is the most sacred place, it is the lungs of the space, without lungs we cannot breath, without the breath there is no life.
2. A pond or fountain at the North East corner will strengthen peace in your space as this is the water zone.
3. Having your main door or entrance at the corner of the building will loose a lot of energy.
4. Skylights are very healthy as they help cosmic energy to enter the space.

For me the space I live and teach in are very important in the respect that I have to be able to feel them, all spaces have an energy and all spaces can be transformed through the energy you put into them.  I like to spend some time just breathing within the space before knowing what to do with it.  Maybe some knowledge from the past is coming, maybe this small brain has a little Vaastu knowledge deep in its depths somewhere, trying to make head and tail of the explanations is overwhelming but sometimes a little bit of intuition goes a long way.

For now have fun re-organising your spaces the Vaastu way!

Om Om shanti Om

Mangala / nicky :-)