Using the concepts of Vaastu, a person’s house may be connected to subtle laws of nature, such as the energy grid of the ground and the positive earth energies, as well as cosmic energies from the sun.
As part of this alignment, they also connect the residence with the five elements of the Vedic tradition: the elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space, which are together known as the Panchabhutas.
Each of these five fundamental elements is energetically connected with one of the four cardinal directions of the universe. This is not a haphazard alignment, but rather an acknowledgment of the delicate rules of nature at work.
The many elements and their basic forces are respected and honored, and we live in better harmony with nature as a result.
Earth: Bhoomi
This orientation is related to the earth element, which makes it the greatest option for positioning the master bedroom. This also serves to strengthen the status of the family’s head and to serve as a robust and stable foundation for the whole family.
Tip: Orienting plants in this direction, as well as having rocks or hills in this direction, will be useful.
Water: Jala
The northeast is the direction in which the energy waves of the water element tend to condense and accumulate. Swimming pools, fountains, ponds, tiny waterfalls, aquariums, and other water features and bodies of water – both indoor and outdoor – may be found here, making it the greatest location for them.
Tip: In the Vedic tradition, water is commonly employed as a metaphor for the state of pure awareness.
Fire: Agni
Because the fire element predominates in the southeast, it is the optimum location for kitchens, computers, and other electrical equipment to be installed. Agni is also in charge of digestion and transformation, among other things.
Make use of dyes and non-toxic candles to assist and honor this element. Always begin by lighting them in the southeast corner of the room.
Air: Vaayu
The air element is most active towards the north-west, so position your air coolers and air conditioners, as well as your wind chimes, in this location to maximize their effectiveness. This element and its corresponding direction are connected with the idea of mobility in general.
Pranayama (yogic breathing) is a great way to make use of the advantages of prana in the air. Relaxing in a comfortable chair, ideally with the windows open, will allow fresh air to enter your body as well as the environment around it.
Space: Akasha
This element is inextricably tied to the concepts of sound and quiet. Located in the center of your house, Akasha (ether) represents the expansiveness; the components of energy and dynamic space are dominant here.
The Brahmasthan is the center of all space; it is the contact between the seen and the unseen, the manifest and the un-manifest, the visible and the invisible.
Avoid putting a heavy item in this region if at all possible. By maintaining the Brahmasthan pure and clean, you are honoring it as a sacred location where life may thrive.
Now that you’ve learned about the five aspects of Vaastu, you may put them to good use while designing your home’s interior.
Purifying Our Being Through the Use of the Five Elements
Everything in nature is composed of five fundamental elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. Earth, water, fire, air, and space are the five basic elements. The yogi’s understanding of the five elements helps him or her to comprehend the laws of nature and to employ yoga to achieve better health, power, knowledge, wisdom, and happiness than they would otherwise have. This is the result of a profound intuitive understanding of how the world works.
Advanced yoga practice requires an understanding of the five elements, which are responsible for constructing both our physical environment and our internal body-mind structures. Whether we are aware of it or not, all yoga practices are based on the five components. The understanding of the components (tattwas) is also the foundation of yoga treatment and Ayurveda, which is an ancient Indian medical system. We learn how to achieve and preserve health by deliberately working with the elements, as well as how to consciously live a long and meaningful life based on greater consciousness, by consciously working with the elements.
The States of Matter
Each of the five elements represents a state of matter in its most basic form. Earth is more than simply dirt; it is everything in nature that is composed of solid matter. Everything liquid is considered to be water. Everything that is gas is considered to be air.
Fire is the element of Nature that changes the condition of matter from one state to another. Using water as an example, fire turns the solid-state (ice) into liquid water, which eventually becomes gaseous (steam). The solid state is recreated by extinguishing the fire. Fire is revered in many yogic and Tantric rituals because it is the mechanism by which we may cleanse, empower, and govern the other states of matter. It is also the source of all life on the planet.
Space is considered to be the mother of all other elements. The sense of space as brilliant nothingness serves as the foundation for more advanced spiritual realizations.
Relationships between the Elements
Each of the five elements has a unique interaction with the others that are dictated by the nature of the element in question. The laws of nature are formed by these interactions. Some components are antagonistic in the sense that they each obstruct the manifestation of the other. In the case of fire and water, for example, they will “destroy” each other if given the opportunity. For fire and water to coexist, they must be kept apart. An excessive amount of heat in the body can induce inflammation, while an excessive amount of water will cool the fire and cause indigestion.
When certain components “love” each other, it refers to the fact that they are supportive and caring to one another. Earth and water like “hugging” each other, while air and fire feed off of each other’s energy.
Other aspects are merely nice and cooperative in their interactions. For example, water and air may coexist without causing issues, as in soda water; nevertheless, when the opportunity arises, they separate from one another. In the case of fire and earth, the same holds.
The Elements in the Body
There are distinct structures in the body that each element is in charge of. Earth creates solid structures such as bones, flesh, skin, tissues, and hair as a result of its chemical reactions. Water is responsible for the formation of saliva, urine, sperm, blood, and perspiration. Hunger, thirst, and sleep are all created by fire. All movement, including expansion, contraction, and repression, is facilitated by the passage of air. Physical attraction and repulsion, as well as fear, are created by space.
Disease and suffering may develop if one or more elements are contaminated or out of harmony with one another. Practicing yoga may assist us in purifying these components, restoring balance and health, as well as revealing the underlying forces and talents present within each element. Yoga is one of the most effective methods of restoring health because it provides us with the skills to bring even those aspects that are naturally antagonistic to one another into harmonious relationships with themselves.
Using the Elements to Purify and Rebalance the body
We may employ the elements of water, fire, and air to balance all the constituents of the body.
The elements of fire and air are the most regularly employed to cleanse the body and psyche. Additionally, water is utilized in certain of the hatha yoga cleaning techniques called shatkarmas to help eliminate extra mucus (water) and digestive acid from the body (fire).
Using fire to purify and balance
Fire is a strong cleaner, capable of destroying pollutants. To control the fire element, asanas may be employed. Asanas that are dynamic and evocative of movement, grace, and flow tend to enhance the amount of fire in the body. This will help to eliminate pollutants from the other components, which include the soil, water, and air. Matsyendrasana and Paschimottanasana, for example, are said to be able to enhance the digestive fire to such an enormous degree that they are capable of curing ailments according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP). Static postures have a tendency to be more cooling and stabilizing, resulting in a reduction in metabolic activity.
A well-balanced sequence of asanas that incorporates both movement and quiet helps us to manage fire as well as to harmonize the earth and air components, which are natural adversaries in their own right. According to Chapter 1, Sutra 17, of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, “Asana provides one with stability (firmness) of body and mind, lightness (flexibility) of the limbs, and the absence of sickness.” That is, even though they are natural adversaries, the firmness of the ground and the lightness of the air may be alchemically combined via the appropriate use of asana.
Using air to purify and balance
Air, out of all the elements, is possibly the most effective in ridding the body of harmful poisons. This is partly because it fuels the fire in our body-mind. It’s also because air contains prana, which is the universal life energy. When it is allowed to flow through the body and the other elements, it cleanses us without our knowledge. Teaching the right use of breath during asanas and adding Pranayama practice into our routine helps us to feel lighter and more powerful within.
A variety of pranayama methods may be used to discover and intentionally correct imbalances in the body’s components, as well as to consciously restore equilibrium.
One of the most effective methods of doing this is to get familiar with the natural sequence of the components in the body. At the base of the torso, below the navel, earth and water are located; fire is located mid-torso, and air and space are located in the upper body. We can help the energy to be distributed properly into the elements by keeping this in mind when we practice asana, pranayama, and meditation. With each movement of the prana up and down the body, we awaken certain sections of the body with awareness and energy, coaxing the components back into harmony. Learn about the procedure.