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Honor
Your Soul at Work
by Kathleen Cox |
Spirituality is rarely honored
in the Western workplace. At best, a spiritual life is
treated the same as a lunch break or workout at the gym.
It is an activity crammed into stolen time. Work has
become so dehumanized for most of us that we don’t
even consider the workplace as a part of us. We don't
claim it as our space in the way that we claim our
homes. We think of work as a place where we
"must" spend our time -- and we derive
pleasure to the extent that the time passes quickly and
is generally free of turbulence.
Rushing through work, however,
often robs us of the pleasure that comes with the
discovery of the solution to a difficult problem. The
goal to finish whatever-now-no-matter-what consumes
people, and strips work of meaning and strips us of our
sense of self at work. Constant focus on the goal to
finish also leads to mistakes, and worse—an overload
of stress that does us absolutely no good.
So how do we change
this? What do we do?
We not only acknowledge the
soul in the workplace; we celebrate it—this sacred
essence of our self. We reclaim our identity and we
reclaim our work. We can do this by applying some
important principles that form the foundation of Vastu
Living: Creating a Home for the Soul. Vastu Living
is the first adaptation of an ancient discipline from
India that has been designed specifically for the
contemporary Western lifestyle.
The Vedas and Vastu
Let’s take a momentary
digression to learn a bit about the Vedas and
this spiritual science called vastu, which is connected
to yoga and ayurveda. The four Vedas, the sacred
books of the Hindus, were codified and committed to
writing possibly as early as 6000 years ago—maybe
earlier. The dates are under dispute. The Vedas
put forth the philosophy that the soul or the essence
within us, that unique aspect of our self, is not alone.
Our soul does not exist in a vacuum. We, meaning every
creature and every aspect of this astonishing universe,
are related and interconnected. We are all part of the
Divine Creative Force that established this perfect
cosmos. Everything that exists, therefore, shares this
divinity and is worthy of our respect. This includes our
individual self.
This spiritual philosophy binds
together all the Vedic disciplines, including yoga,
ayurveda, and this new (to many of us) ancient
discipline of design and placement called vastu, which
is the precursor to feng shui. All these Vedic sciences
believe that in order to maintain health and wellness,
we must maintain a healthy balance with the environment
and within our self—our body, our soul, and our mind.
To create balance we must also observe the rhythm and
proper proportion that govern the laws of the universe.
Balance, proportion, rhythm—these are the principles
behind yoga and ayurveda, and vastu. These are the
principles that help us discover and maintain physical,
mental and spiritual well-being.
Brief Introduction to Vastu
Living
Vastu Living is not an all or
nothing science. If you can follow 50 percent or better
of the Vastu Living guidelines, you are on the winning
side. You will realize some healthy benefits in your
work environment and work experience. Vastu Living is
also not a quick fix. You need to tinker a bit to see
the effect of each change that governs how you use your
home or work space. You must try to respect the physical
sacred center of every space—let it remain open and
unencumbered—just the smallest part of the exact
center. The sacred center collects spiritual energy and
is similar to the womb, which is the source of our own
creation. Ultimately, if you can embrace the philosophy
of Vastu Living in your workplace, you can create a
healthy home-away-from-home for your soul. Your work
environment will feel better and will look better, too.
It will celebrate your special self and the perfect
universe.
Many concrete principles used
in Vastu Living relate to the five elements. Many of
these specific principles are influenced by an
individual’s preferences and needs. The best direction
to sit in and face at work, for instance, is determined
to some extent by the nature of your work and your
personal characteristics, including the particular
balance of the elements within your own body. But there
are some extremely useful Vastu Living principles that
all of us can consider and apply at work so that we can
shake off some of that awful stress and enjoy this chunk
of life that takes up so much of our time.
Rethinking the Business of Work
Two important steps in your
practice of Vastu Living relate to how you think about
your workplace and your work. First, please don’t view
your work space as temporary space that doesn’t belong
to you. It is your space. It is where you work, so claim
it for yourself. Yes, you may end up moving to another
post within your company or taking another job
elsewhere, but this is where you are working now and you
must treat it with care. You must train your mind to
think of your work space as sacred.
The second important step in
Vastu Living is to learn how to work for your own
satisfaction, not for the satisfaction of your boss or
your company. Once you make this shift and begin to work
for yourself, you will most likely find pleasure in your
work—no matter what the work. You will also do better
work. When you work for yourself, it is difficult to
accept anything less than your best effort. Learning to
believe that your work is your own is the second most
important step that you can take toward the
implementation of vastu living.
Celebrate Your Universe
Vastu Living also asks you to
express your connection to all that exists in the
universe by introducing nature into your workplace.
Nature’s presence is soothing for your soul. If you
happen to have a window with sunlight or decent overhead
lighting, you can introduce a couple lovely plants and
then take pleasure in caring for them—they are
connected to you and this activity has a surprisingly
therapeutic effect on you. If your work space doesn’t
get much natural sunlight, add a bouquet of fresh or
dried flowers or small wood or rattan boxes. Or put down
an inexpensive jute area rug or a dhurrie (woven rug of
cotton or wool or camel hair). Even your visitors and
co-workers will feel comfortable when they enter your
space that acknowledges our link to nature. Also
celebrate the connection that exists between you and
your loved ones. Showcase a couple of pictures or
mementos that remind you of the powerful role that these
people play in your life. Let their presence swirl
around your space and be a reminder of your good
fortune.
Make Room for Peace and Serenity
To give a boost to inner peace
create an area for calm and reflection. Vastu
Living calls this area a zone of tranquility. Even if
you work in the tiniest cubicle or office, you can
dedicate a small space to a shallow vase with flower
petals floating on water or a glass jar filled with
glistening pebbles or a terra cotta dish filled with
sand and seashells that are soothing to touch. If you
place this zone in the northeast, you face the gateway
of the gods, which gives you positive energy. In the
east, you are the beneficiary of enlightenment, and the
morning sun if you have a window. In the north, you
receive spiritual wealth.
Your zone of tranquility should
be so appealing that you can look at it and clear your
head whenever you are frustrated. Help yourself to a
tranquility break, perhaps instead of a coffee break.
You can recharge by focusing on nothing but your
breathing for five minutes, which is superior to a
recharge on caffeine. It works. You’ll return to work
with positive energy, not just coffee jitters.
Honor the Divine Essence
When you incorporate Vastu
Living into your personal work space, you will have an
ambience that welcomes you as soon as you step inside—again,
even if your workplace is the tiniest cubicle. The space
is warm and familiar because it represents you and your
divinity. Positive energy circulates so that you are
energized and can focus on your work. You will increase
your sense of satisfaction if you: 1) accept the belief
that it is important to work slowly, 2) enjoy each stage
of the process, and 3) find comfort in the work that you
are doing now.
Giving yourself permission to
take breaks to empty your mind calms you and leaves you
reinvigorated. The acknowledgment of nature keeps you
connected to the outside world. Your soul becomes aware
of everything that pulsates along with you. The harmony
and positive energy that come with a Vastu Living work
space reduce the stress that far too often colors our
work experience.
When your space reinforces
Vastu Living and the importance of tranquility, work
cannot overcome you. During the course of your moments
of reflection, you will probably discover or remember,
sooner or later, that your work or your career does not
define you. Work is an important part of us all, but it
is not ALL of us. What matters most is you: your unique
being, a divine part of the Supreme Creator.
This
article is based on an excerpt from Vastu Living:
Creating a Home for the Soul by Kathleen Cox.
The publisher is Marlowe & Company, June
2000.
Kathleen Cox is the
author of Vastu Living: Creating a Home for the
Soul, the first book on vastu published in the
United States and the first book on vastu geared for
the contemporary Western lifestyle.
Kathleen Cox is a
journalist who first visited India in 1985 and lived in
New Delhi throughout the 1990s. She has traveled
throughout the subcontinent and has served as a
consultant for the private sector and Government of
India.
She has written
extensively about India's culture, and business
development for the United States and India for major
publications. She was the principle contributor to many
successive editions of Fodor's: India and is the
author of Fodor's: Himalayan Countries--Bhutan,
Nepal, North India, North Pakistan, Tibet.
Kathleen Cox has been
researching Vedic traditions for the past decade. She
started her formal vastu education in 1997 and studied
with a prominent Indian architect and vastu scholars.
Vastu Living will be a Fall
selection in the One Spirit book club. Visit her web site: www.vastuliving.com
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