With over a year and a half of using our homes as our workspaces, it has become incredibly difficult for us to demarcate stress-free zones for ourselves. Unfortunately, this often results in a skewed work-life balance. An increasing reliance on technology has made employees accessible around the clock. There is also a fear looming on everyone’s head of the possibility of losing their jobs which has further incentivised spending longer hours at work, even if working from home.
The biggest cause of stress undoubtedly is the sudden breakdown of normal life patterns that we used to follow pre-pandemic. Without recourse to the much-needed breaks between work hours and mindless banter with office colleagues, it is hard for people to shut off completely from work mode while working from home.
Fortunately, ancient Indian wisdom provides a solution to this problem. The practice of Vastu Shasta and the rearrangement of one’s home in accordance with its principles, can certainly reduce stress, anxiety and enhance work productivity. Renowned practitioner and Vastu Consultant Chhavi Sharma, better known on social media as @vastuchhavi, explains this concept, “When the positive energy in the house is increased, the mind starts thinking in a more positive way. Your stress levels are automatically reduced, resulting in increase in productivity and output. This ensures that you feel more calm and your work also continues to grow. Your mind starts thinking in a different way. Many of us happily detox our body, digestive tract, even skin… why don’t we think of detoxifying our homes and workplaces too?”
Vastuchhavi’s mantra is ‘Aaj ke Aanand ki Jay’, which means you should give your 100% to the present in order to align your tomorrow correctly. She ardently believes that moving things around the house will help the energy flow in the right direction. Further, changes in lifestyle can act as a catalyst for better results too.
Vastuchhavi learnt the art of Vastu Shastra in her childhood from her grandfather, who was a great Astrologer and Vastu Consultant. Over the years, she imbibed more knowledge in this field from her uncle Yagnaacharya Pandit Sri Vishnukant Ji Shastri. She entered the field professionally in the year 2000 and specialises in Vedic Astro-Vastu therapies which are also known as pre-energised treatments for places where structural changes are not possible.
Currently based in Toronto in Canada, she is emphatic in saying that the science of Vastu is no longer limited to a belief among Hindus or Indians. People reach out to her for consultation from different parts of the world. “When people hear from their friends about the results of Vastu, they approach me regardless of their beliefs and religions. A few of my most recent projects involved Iranians, Afghanis, Pakistanis, Italians, South Africans, Australians, and North Americans,” she says. One can consult her through her website at vastuchhavi.com or by emailing her at info@vastuchhavi.com.
Vastuchhavi shares her knowledge of Vastu with these easy tips for the readers of this column. Here is how you can reduce stress and enhance productivity with simple changes made to your homes:
1. Indulge in frequent surya yantra baths, which involve holding the yantra (a small object) and chanting 108 times
2. Recite the gayatri mantra and enjoy the vibrations and positive feelings that emanate from it
3. De-clutter your home so that you can make room for energy rotation
4. The North East zone of the house should always be kept light and open
5. The South West zone of the house should always be kept heavy and closed
6. Ensure that you face either North or East when you are working from home
7. Be sure to hang mirrors only on the Eastern or Northern walls of your home
8. Family pictures should only be displayed on Eastern or Western walls of your home
9. Ancestors pictures should only be displayed on the southern walls of the South West zone of your home
10. Make sure to hang wall clocks on the walls of East or North only, and nowhere else
11. Keep plants in every room of the house for better live energy
By following these easy tips, everyone is sure to overcome the stress they are facing while working from home.
The writer pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com