What is Vastu?
The literal meaning of Vastu is the dwelling or the place you live. Vastu comprises and deals with four different architectural objects namely the ground, the edifice or the structure that you live or work, the conveyance and the bedstead and other couches. Of these the ground is the chief object and then the structure comes next. Good Vastu balances the energy from the five elements of nature, which are earth, water, fire, air ad ether of space or akash, the four directions and their proper order and balance. Vastu Shastra is applied astrology and it belongs to Trantra, which is the applied knowledge of Atharva Veda just like Ayurveda belongs to Rig Veda.

Should our bodies be in harmony with the five elements that are present in nature?
We are no different than plants or animals, if there is no enough water or if the soil were not fertile vegetation would not exist. As humans we have the power to balance the elements by constructing good Vastu homes ad allowing proper flow of energies as scientifically lay down by our Vedas, Puranas, Agama Shasthras and related literature.

Can you explain what happens when we live in enclosed spaces of our homes?
When we live in enclosed spaces of our homes we are restricting the flow of energies into our homes. If the energies flow in the right direction then there would be harmony.

What is the importance of the entrance door?
The entrance door of the house is like the head on a human body. What if the head is in wrong place, if it is in the middle of the body, then we cannot see or hear the way we do now f it positioned wrong. Our head has the right place on the shoulders to grasp the information, eat and drink and hear with flexibility. Our house should also get the energies from the right directions.

Can you explain how weights and landscape elevations in our homes effects us?
With regards to weights, just take the simple example of the bullock cart or the trunk of the car, it is always on the back side, because it is easy to pull the weight from behind, it is difficult to push the weight if it is in the front. Our earth is going forward from west to east, so less weight on the east would be ideal. In the same manner, the weights should be on the south side because if you put the weight on our face or head we cannot bear it but if we put the weights on our backs we have the capacity to carry more. The southwest direction should have the maximum weight and the northeast side should have the least weight. The landscape elevations will store the positive energies we receive from the galaxies in the north and the suns energy we receive from east.

Everyone likes open spaces, does Vastu place any value to that.
With regard to value on open places, Vastu definitely places value on open spaces, because only due to the open spaces the flow of cosmic energy will affect positively on all living things including human beings. Open spaces are full of energy. We should spend as much time in the open as we can. Walk on the earth barefoot. Walk on the grass early in the morning with dewdrops bare foot to have good eyesight. We receive the parna or vital energy from the open space. With regard to our houses, we should have more open spaces on the east and north and this will help unrestricted flow of positive cosmic energy. If there is more space on the west and south, our building will naturally obstruct the flow of energy on the south and west side and hence it would not be not positive.

In America we all live homes or apartments that have already been built what basic Vastu can we follow in terms of which is the best direction to sleep or how to arrange furniture?
With regards to independent homes, there is a possibility to make changes or using the right door way and not using the wrong doorway etc.
Regarding apartments that are already built, if the basic tenets of Vastu are followed it is ok. If not an inspection of the flat by a consultant will be worth your while. Some suggestions can be given to over the ground object which is a very important object, especially if we live on higher floors. But if you live on the ground floor, try to get an apartment-facing northeast. See that the entrance doors are on the positive 50% of the apartment. Positive being north and east. Always sleep with your head towards the south. Leave two square feet of the northeast corner of every room empty. Have more weights on the southwest side. Any southeast flat of an apartment block or house on any southeastern portion of any street, site, village, town, or city is not desirable. Always arrange heavy items of furniture on the south and west side. Keep the television on the North side away from touching the North wall.

Usually which is the best place for the kitchen?
The best place for the kitchen is the Southeast corner of the house and you should face east while cooking.

Where should the pool in the house be?
Have the pool always on the northeast of the north side. Second best will be north east of east side if it is an in ground pool but if it is above the ground pool have it on the south or west side.

How can you know if our home is positively charged?
One can get a very pleasant feeling when one enters a positively charged home; the inmate's demeanor would also explain the calmness. You can feel it. When we visit a place of entertainment we feel happy and excited, when we visit a place of worship we feel peaceful and when we go to work place also we feel energetic, When we enter our own homes, as it is our dwellings and rest place we should feel above given feelings as such we do and will know that our home is positively charged. If the house is negatively charged, the inmates constantly quarrel and are also infested by ill health and plagued with financial problems.

Can we determine our energy levels based on where and how we live?
This is a very wide question, basically, it depends on the age, eating habits, the personal astrology of the person and the Vastu they live in. If our dwellings place is positive and good our decisions will be positive and energetic, innovatie and good. But if the dwelling place is negative our decisions and thinking will also reflect the negative aspects of the place.

Does Vastu effects peace and harmony in the home as well?
Definitely Vastu shows results. If the Vastu is bad, the bad results hit us immediately. If the Vastu is good, then the results would come in slowly and steadily and sometimes you can expect quick results if both the Vastu and the personal astrology are both very good.

How can we gain wealth through Vastu?
If we construct our homes in accordance with good Vastu principles, then we can gain wealth just look at the picture of goddess Lakshmi, you can see water, Lotus, She has four hands, Elephants, etc. The four hands are nothing but chaturbhuja's our house should be a square with four equal sides. All the gods have four hands. Do men have four hands, no, it is a way of telling us that the four sides of our house should be equal distance, like the hands being of equal size. In the geometry Bhuja is one side. Chatur Bhuja means four sides. Square is ideal, rectangle is ok. Water should be on the north east side, with lotus flowers, red color or padma varna is the color of hope and luck. She has a beautiful face signifying the correct entry way, all these are the signs that one has to get from the picture of goddess Lakshmi. I am trying to bring out these hidden secrets so that people can understand. Buddha said every person should build a lotus pond also when he constructs his house. The so called Hindu religion is not blind faith, there is science behind it. You don't have to be a Hindu to built a square house or have water in the northeast side. Just follow science. You can belong to any religion and any faith. Vastu is pure science. That's it. There are so many ways and means that you can attain wealth by just following some simple rules.

Can Vastu help us gain enjoy peace?
Definitely. Along with Vastu, please check your personnel astrology as well. Because Vastu Shastra is a part of Jyothish Shastra which deals with the effect of light on human beings. If Vastu is good and astrology is also good, then nothing to beat it. If Vastu is good and if the astrology is bad, then you will be forced to leave the house and going out of town for the next job and this is exactly what is happening to many people. We do reap the benefits of our good or ad karma but knowledge is power and the mind with the knowledge is powerful with synergy. Or mind can defy bad karma.