There are thumb rules formulated in ancient Vaastu, which most people follow but hardly understand the logic and conscious application behind them. Each suggestion of Vaastu and Feng Shui has some logic and reason and one must understand the same before applying in life. For instance, it is said that the kitchen should be in the south-east corner of the house.
What’s the reason behind this? It is said that the south-east corner corresponds to Agni Moola (fire energy) and, hence, the kitchen should be situated in there to make it Vaastu compliant. But, that’s not the actual reason. To understand this better, we need to know wind movements. In India, generally, it is observed that the wind flows from Southwest to Northeast or Northwest to Southeast. In various parts of the country, the wind movement is from West to East in most months.
Indian kitchens usually have spicy cooking and are busier than Western kitchens. Hence if the kitchen is located towards the South-west or West side of the house, wind flowing from West to East will flow through the kitchen, and food smell will flow in the entire house. This is the reason why Vaastu recommends a kitchen in the south-east, so there is no direct wind affecting the kitchen. Also, when you have kitchen towards the south-east / east, early morning sun rays will enter the kitchen, which helps in cle.ng off bacteria generated overnight. By understanding this concept we realise that architecture and Vaastu goes hand in hand.
Vaastu and Feng Shui are not at all against architecture. It is very important for every individual to understand the base of Vaastu and Feng Shui. There are few questions that arise after understanding the kitchen’s position:
Is it enough if the kitchen is aligned as per Vaastu.
Will it solve all the problems related to the kitchen’s position?
If the kitchen is not in the right direction, will it lead to Vaastu dosh?
As per our experience, very few people are privileged to get their kitchens in the south-east area of their premises. If the kitchen is located in some other area of the premises, it suggests that the Vaastu is compromised. However, Conscious Vaastu philosophy sees this from a different perspective looking beyond thumb rules to make things more practical and adaptable. It pays in depth attention to the energy levels of the kitchen as well as energy of the one who cooks.
The philosophy of Conscious Vaastu considers the kitchen as the heart of the home. There are several important reasons for considering the kitchen as an important space. Conscious Vaastu enables us to upgrade the energy of the kitchen irrespective of its direction.
Health and wellness
The kitchen is where meals are prepared, providing insights to make newer recipes that promote positive eating habits. It’s the main focus area for fostering inner wellness.
Conscious Vaastu recommends to keep kitchens as tidy as possible with minimal storage on the platform once the cooking is completed.
Kitchen should look and also smell fresh when one enters.
In case if the ceiling of kitchen is dirty or has food stains, it is important to clean and maintain it.
Innovation and skillset
Kitchen is an epicentre of creativity. Good cooking allows individuals to curate varieties of flavours and cuisines, expressing their cultural heritage, personal tastes, and culinary skills. Culinary art is a skill. Good energy inside the kitchen inspires the cook to develop unique skillset to prepare different varieties creatively to satisfy the tastebud.
It is important to avoid overhead storage above the cooking range. If there is a cabinet, then it is recommended to keep it empty.
Avoid standing under the beam while cooking.
Fortune
As per ancient science, the fire element in the kitchen represents fortune. In various cultures fire is respected as an important source of energy. It is also a part of the five basic elements.
It is good to have a kitchen that is away from the front door so it is not directly accessible or visible from the main entrance.
Closed kitchens are generally better rather than open kitchens.
Unity and harmony
The energy of the kitchen also relates to unity and harmony within the family. When argument is active during the cooking process it affects the energy of entire premises.
It is important to keep the area of cooking range as clean as possible.
Even number burners represent harmony. In case if there are an odd number of burners, any one burner can be kept covered and should be avoided while using the cooking range.
These are simple principles based on fundamental Vaastu. Conscious Vaastu has a deeper, subtle, practical and adaptable approach towards this. In the next article, we shall discuss
further on this.
(Dr Harshit Kapadia is a metaphysics consultant of Conscious Vaastu, Yuen Hom and Sam Hap Style of Feng Shui)
