Average customer rating:
- Transform Your Home into a Peaceful Sanctuary
- Detox Your Life
- Declutter, paint and detoxify
- Life-changing ideas
- Fantastic book with tons of information
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Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet
Norma Lehmeier-Hartie
Manufacturer: Lingham Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0977963306
Release Date: 2007-01-01 |
Product Description
Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, by Norma Lehmeier Hartie, is an indispensable reference book for anyone who cares about their health and well being and for the future of the planet. Hartie concisely covers a wide range of subjects and includes a comprehensive listing of advisory organizations, product and service resources. Part I of the book, Banish the Ugly from Your Life, is a blueprint for green, sustainable living. Discover how to replace toxic and unsustainable products from household cleaners to food (including recipes) to furniture to personal care products with safe, eco-friendly ones. Hartie is the tough but motivational Life Coach in her approach to cleaning, removing clutter and on organizing the home or office. Part II, Bring in the Beautiful to Create a Harmonious Environment and Self, includes a chapter on Earth-based spirituality and a fascinating look at the Four Elements (Earth, Fire, Air and Water) and the Medicine Wheel. The core of Hartie s philosophy blossoms in Chapter Seven, Applying Harmonious AdjustmentsTM: Using Feng Shui and Other Techniques for Powerful Results. Unlike other Feng Shui authors, Hartie has experience as a designer and her skills are apparent in this chapter and the following two. She has combined principles of Feng Shui, the Four Elements, color, energy, Vastu, and good design principles that create a unique and eclectic approach to home decorating. Finally, Hartie provides guidance on how to manifest personal or professional desires. In Part III, Putting the Pieces Together, Hartie skillfully integrates the many subjects of the book into a unified and cohesive whole. At its cover price of $19.95, Harmonious Environment is a value alone for the comprehensive green living product suppliers in the Resources section. What makes this book so truly ambitious, however, is what lies beneath the surface. In a sense, this book is only marginal
Customer Reviews:
Transform Your Home into a Peaceful Sanctuary.......2007-04-10
"The energy from flowers is so bright and strong that they can be put anywhere in the home and they will enhance your life." ~ pg. 217
Norma Lehmeier Hartie is a design consultant and Harmonious Adjustment practitioner who enjoys gardening and cooking. She created the practice of Harmonious Adjustments to give her clients the chance to reconnect with nature and to manifest their personal and professional dreams. Through her book she introduces ideas for detoxing and decluttering your home environment.
If you want a happier, healthier lifestyle that is more in harmony with nature, then Norma Lehmeier Hartie's book has a world of information to make this possible. She can help you:
Remove toxic products from your home and garage
Clean and organize your home
Buy environmentally friendly cleaning products
Organize your home for more peace and harmony
Find healthy personal care products
Grow plants that help to control pollution - A list of the Fifty Best Houseplants
Find the best choices in flooring
Figure out how to recycle larger items like a refrigerator
Cook more safely and use kitchen scraps for your garden
Formulate a plan to keep your house clean
Organize every room in the house
Decorate with Confidence
Reading through the list of harmful products gives you an idea of the ingredients to avoid in cleaners and how they can affect your health. For an antibacterial spray, the author suggests water and essential oils and for cleaning silver she also suggests more natural solutions like baking soda and vinegar. Using Borax and water is less dangerous than chlorine bleach fumes and you may want to try this in your shower. You may enjoy products by Seventh Generation.
Chapter three felt a little out of my personal range of expertise, although we know that thoughts can affect our environment and life and can move our life in a positive or negative direction. This chapter deals more with spiritual practices. Chapter 6 also delves into a deeper connection with nature, personality types and elemental powers. The list of Yin and Yang is helpful to create a balance of the two in your home. An entire chapter is also dedicated to plants, gemstones and crystals.
"If you are the average American woman, you expose yourself to over two hundred synthetic chemicals that are found in the products you use as you prepare yourself for the day. These products do not simply sit on your skin; approximately sixty percent of these ingredients get absorbed into your bloodstream." ~ pg. 91
Chapter four is especially informative and essential if you are trying to be healthier and want to find organic alternatives to products filled with synthetic chemicals. Why should you avoid petroleum and talc? Why is there lead in hair dye?
The section on an Eco-Friendly Kitchen is interesting and the chapter on natural and organic foods also gives ideas on how to save time in the kitchen. A few recipes are included:
Vegetarian Pasta Primavera
Fajitas
Risotto with Scallops or Shrimp
Lemon Rice
Grilled Vegetables
An extensive list of resources and a very handy index complete this well-researched and extremely helpful book. If you enjoy Feng Shui or decorating and organizing your home, there is a lot to enjoy and you may find the information in this book can also help with fatigue, anxiety and sleeping problems.
~The Rebecca Review
Detox Your Life.......2007-04-04
No matter what your goals are, this book has the starting point for you. Learn how to make your life less toxic and get a better relationship with Mother Earth.
Declutter, paint and detoxify.......2007-04-02
Using the principles of Feng Shui, you can create a harmonious home environment with this book as a guide.
Author Lehmeier-Hartie has you choose colors, elements and design based on your birthday. If you suffer from problems feeling disorganized or headachey at home, it could be your home is not organized properly or the flow of energy is impeded.
The author extends this tranquility to finding the right job and the right mate. Whether or not it is the alignment of elements in the home, focusing on clearing clutter in your life can only have positive effects. A very pretty book.
Life-changing ideas.......2007-02-02
Worried about what your family is being exposed to? Are you hoping to increase your wealth or find love this year? Trying to decide on the best color to paint your walls? If you answered "yes!" to any of these questions, then Harmonious Environment is a must read.
The goal of this book is to create positive energy both in your home and your life and to be kinder to the earth. Hertie is a design consultant, chef, gardener, and healer. She shares her professional and personal experiences with the readers, i.e., homemade earth-friendly cleaning products, tasty recipes for carnivores and vegetarians, etc. She recommends that after reading this book, you apply the process in the following order:
1. Remove toxic products from your home and garage
2. Clean, declutter, clear and organize your home
3. Buy/use environmentally friendly products
4. Learn how to use place objects (furniture, mirrors, etc.) to manifest change in your life
The relationship between people and the Earth is an important part of Harmonious Environments. To remind ourselves of this interconnection, Hertie recommends bringing the natural world into your home. Some ways to do this include displaying rocks and minerals and using houseplants as pollution busters.
Hertie uses Harmonious Adjustments (TM) that combines "the best principles of Feng Shui, the application of the Four Elements based on your birth date, color, Vastu, energy work and good design." I've read a few Feng Shui books in the past, but the author's clear instructions and enthusiasm has given me the confidence to actually try this at home.
I liked how the author reminded me to use this book as a guideline but to also trust my intuition. Do what looks and feels right for you. I also liked how the Resource section listed all the suppliers, organizations and further readings mentioned throughout the book.
Even if you aren't interested in Feng Shui, this book has valuable information about becoming an informed consumer and living a more eco-friendly life.
Armchair Interviews says read Harmonious Environment and get ready to change your life!
Fantastic book with tons of information.......2007-01-18
I got this wonderful book as we are moving our place of business, and wanted to make smart choices. From the first page, Ms. Lehmeier-Hartie shares her expertise in an organized, thoughtful way. The day after I got the book, I negotiated a much more logical and healthier ventilation system, and the section on colors was far and away the most organized and logical explanation I have ever seen.
Some aspects of our project are beyond our control, but I became a much more active participant. We anxiously await our new space, and know that the suggestions made here will add to the beauty and functionality of our space. I wish I could have rated this 10 stars!
Amazon.com
Much like the Chinese feng shui, Indian vastu is an ancient practice of spiritual philosophy and science. By analyzing the orientation of your home and placing your furnishings in an arrangement that best fits your constitution, you can introduce more harmony and tranquility to your life. Vastu Living is designed to help you discover which primary element you most identify with (fire, air, earth, or water) and to create a living or working space that will both inspire and calm you. Author Kathleen Cox, a longtime proponent of vastu and an expert on Indian culture, says "an orderly and harmonious space leads to an orderly and harmonious inner life, which is so necessary for the good health of the body, mind, and soul--and by extension, of everything that exists around us."
In the first half of the book, Cox explains the key concepts of vastu, including descriptions of Indian deities, the elements from which the universe was created, and the positive and negative forces that are in everyone's lives. "Unless our home is conducive to inward thinking," Cox says, "we can never really find an everlasting inner peace." The second half of the book tackles the practicalities of applying vastu to your home and office. Diagrams are included to help you map your space and to consider how to rearrange your furniture (or even swap entire rooms) for an optimal flow of energy and a content soul. Cox quietly and convincingly champions this blend of spirituality and efficiency. Well written and thoughtful, Vastu Living is an excellent introduction to millenniums-old Indian wisdom. --Dana Van Nest
Book Description
Feng shui, the ancient Chinese art and science of finding harmony with nature, has become widely adopted in the West. Like Buddhism, which migrated from India eastward, feng shui is recognized by Eastern scholars as having originated not in China but in India, where it is referred to as Vastu Shastra, or the science of architecture. In Vastu Living, Kathleen Cox introduces readers to the art, science, and practice of vastu. Cox explains vastu's origins in the Vedas, its relationship to the Hindu gods, its principles and guidelines, and its traditional uses. Vastu Living shows readers how to practice vastu at home and in the workplace--from understanding its teachings on room layout and furniture placement to bringing the divine into every dimension of one's environment.
Customer Reviews:
Finally someone understands the essence of Vastu.......2002-11-16
I've taught Vedic texts in the West for many years. The author presents a cogent, wise, and clearly stated introduction not only to vastu but to the Vedic holistic philosophy. I actually include the title in my students reading list. The author's update of vastu, connecting it to ayurveda, is a wise decision and makes good sense. Vastu is connected to all the other Vedic disciplines and practicing yoga, ayurveda and now vastu can enhance the quality of one's life. I've read many of the new books on vastu, but the author's understanding of this subject is refreshing and true to its Vedic source. I look forward to reading the author's new release.
A sophisticated meaningful update of vastu.......2002-11-16
I've taught the Vedic texts in the West for nearly 15 years. The author's understanding of the Vedic philosophy is wise, clearly stated, and valuable. I actually have my students read the book to get a good grounding in this Eastern system of belief. The author has also presented a worthy update of vastu that appropriately connects the discipline to yoga and ayurveda. The update also shows the true value of vastu and is the only book on the subject that I have read that treats vastu seriously--as a means to increasing your spiritual, physical, and mental health. This is the essence of vastu. I am looking forward to reading the author's latest book on the subject.
decent read, but poorly researched.......2002-07-12
While I enjoyed reading this book, I feel it suffered from several deep flaws. The author apparently loves India and is fascinated by it, but seems to have conducted research by following her nose rather than vigorous investigation. Her introduction implies that the bulk of the book is based on conversations with one or two people whom her friends told her were knowledgable. Unfortunately, the statements she makes about Vastu guidelines and even Ayurvedic medicine guidelines (which she spends a chapter on) are inconsistent with other books on the subject, and I can only conclude that this is due to her ad-hoc investigative work. A comment she made about Western science might work for illustrative purposes here: at one point she states that "all scientists accept that the world is made of five basic substances--earth, air, fire, water, and spirit." Clearly her 'insight' into Western science is flawed, as scientists disavowed that notion long ago, and my impression from comparing this book to more authoritative sources on Vastu, Ayurveda, and Yoga, is that her research into those subjects is just as "off." (Vastu and Ayurveda propose that earth, air, fire, water and spirit are key substances, but that's certainly not the position of Western studies.)
Despite those flaws, it was an enjoyable read and I found myself looking forward to the final chapter titled "Appeasing the Gods - Appeasing Your Soul" which she said would give us tips for restoring balance, even when you've committed a cardinal Vastu sin, such as having a kitchen in the southwest corner of your house. Unfortunately, this chapter consisted of two parts. The first, which said to simply "choose an appropriate color" to remedy the problem, listed the colors of the rainbow without indicating which to use when other than a "choose what feels good to you" approach, in which case the book is completely irrelevant--if that's what you're going to do anyway, there's no point in reading the book. The rest of the chapter was acceptable from certain points of view--she talks about the Indian gods and how to make an offering to them in order to balance the energies--and while that is appropriate for certain people, I personally do not want to make offerings to a god who committed incest with his dauther. While I understand some people's inclination to do so, he is not part of my personal spirituality, and I feel that her book presented no other options than to make offerings to placate these gods who are not mine, or simply "pick a nice color that makes you feel good."
If you're planning to build a new house, this book is probably as helpful for you as most others (unless you're bothered by the fact that most experts in other books disagree with her), and if you're into the Hindu religion, I think it could be quite helpful for you. But if you're looking for a way to bring peace into your not-ready-for-a-complete-remodel house without worshipping Hindu gods, I'd recommend you look elsewhere.
Worth its weight in Gold.......2002-02-03
Ms Kathleen Cox has done a commendable task of stringing the pearls of wisdom related to Vastu, Vedas, Yoga, Ayurveda into a beautifully strung necklace. The book will enhance your understanding of Vastu and if applied, make life peaceful and profitable.
This is one book that I have read on Vastu that presents Vastu as an Indian art of space management rather compare it to any other similar art. A very well researched effort and written in a lucid manner. It lays the foundation and then build upon it. Also, it provides solutions when you cannot adhere to the recommendations as does happen in real life.
Kathleen - Thanks for putting the book together.
Marvelous.......2001-06-07
...I could almost say "poetic " and usefull. Better than the rest!Well written and simply explained
Book Description
The Power of Vastu Living introduces a wonderfully accessible, room-by-room approach for organizing and decorating homes, apartments, and work spaces according to the timeless healing principles of vastu -- the sister science of yoga and ayurveda. Kathleen Cox's breakthrough system, Vastu Living, delivers all the practical tools you need to incorporate the organic, soothing properties of ancient vastu design into an increasingly overcrowded, hyper-stressed, and e-saturated world. Now you can
create a home for your soul...
restore well-being to your work space...
celebrate your identity...
design your vastu blueprints...
...in every conceivable environment, from the kitchen, living room, home office, and bedroom to the company office, reception area -- and even the dreaded cubicle.
Elevate modern life through the 5,000-year-old healing properties of vastu. Enhance your inner peace, rediscover your sense of mind-and-body harmony, and always, always make room for the soul.
Customer Reviews:
fake vastu.......2007-08-09
This is a beautifully designed book but it has little to do with authentic Vaastu or Vastu. The author has good intentions but is following coffee table books that are replete with errors about the science of vastu and the science and technology of vaastu. The true definition of these two words is unknown by the author. Unfortunately this is not the only author who has marketed this topic but does not understand the authentic science. It is being reduced to incense, mirrors, moving furniture etc. Authentic Vastu is far more than the smoke and mirrors presented in this text. I know that this bastardization of truth was not intended, but the author simply does not know what she does not know.
vastu lover.......2004-11-05
awesome book! even our cousin loved this book and so i passed it on to him. now i gotta get a new one for us! its very descriptive.. and also a good deal for the price. it works nicely for yoga lovers!
Almost as good as a personal consulting.......2002-12-04
I took a 7 week long (2hours a week) workshop with the author and read this book during the workshop and after. The book is almost like having Kathy inside your home to figure out how to make Vastu work for you! It's amazing the changes that have occured within my roommate and my sense of ease now that my house is vastu perfected :) I even began to bring it into the workplace and the changes were amazing. Before I left my job I took my meditation belongings home and the energy around me and throughout my small workplace immediately became less friendly. If you feel like you're looking for something and you're constantly running away from your apartment read this book! It will help you recognize exactly how to make your home a sanctuary for yourself, animals, family, and even roommates! Not to mention guests.
Best Book on Vastu!!!.......2002-11-18
I practice yoga--seriously. I just heard about vastu and bought this book after someone told me it was the best book to read on this ancient science. I enjoyed it immensely and found it so logical to follow and understand. I've started to re-organize much of my apartment. Already, it looks so much nicer and really does make me feel much more comfortable and calm. I highly recommend this book to everyone--especially people who do yoga--the two go together for sure.
Who knew if could be so simple to change your life?.......2002-08-02
Who knew you could change your life so much by simply moving your bed or computer? I couldn't recommend a better book to learn how to improve your health, your job, even your romantic life. Forget all those male/female books that try getting you to color your hair or spend crazy amounts of time at coffee shops. This book lets you know the most significant changes come from within.
Book Description
The Vastu Vidya Handbook is an indispensable primer on a practice that is thought by many to predate Feng Shui. Rooted in Vedic philosophy, Vastu Vidya literally means
Customer Reviews:
Best there is on subject!!.......2002-02-10
This is the BEST book available on Vastu Vidya! Great reference for anyone interested in Vastu or Sthpatyaveda design. Great graphic design and content. If you like Fung Shui, you'll love Vastu Vidya. Buy it here and get the best discount, too.
Using Hindu beliefs to enhance your home/office.......2001-06-05
The book starts off with a background on basic Vedic/Hindu history, Gods and beliefs. The summaries of each Hindu God is good and consise. Illustrations are also colorful and descript. The author has done a good reaserch job on Hinduism, no doubt. Futher chapters start discussing each room of the house, placement of furniture, room color and design for best spiritual effects. The later part of the book starts getting into office setup and the positions of bathrooms and colors to use for meeting rooms and such. Good illustrations throughout the book with clear examples used.
Overall, if you want to setup your home or office using Eastern(Hindu) philosophies and beliefs, then this is the book for you! The author does a good job of starting with the basics and progressing along to more advanced topics and issues.
Book Description
Based on the ancient principles of vastu vidya, the Indian art of placement, The Vastu Home shows how to create a beautiful home while bringing a deeper sense of contentment, prosperity, and well-being to one's life. Readers learn how to enliven dinner table conversation, create a relaxing atmosphere for soaking in the bath, and arouse passion in the bedroom by positioning furniture, using color and light, and incorporating plants, paintings, mirrors, and other decorative elements. With recommendations for every budget, and illustrated with 80 photos as well as historical Indian images and art, The Vastu Home includes suggestions for both simple adjustments and complete redesigns to home, garden, and patio. Assuming no prior knowledge of vastu vidya, the book traces its principles and development from ancient India to the present day.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty pictures but not a practical guide........2006-06-03
I purchased this book hoping to find a practical guide on Vastu. It turns out to be a picture book full of contempo-modern indian styled spaces with little to no practical instruction.
Vastu is a design system based on the Square (which represents the spirit/demon Vasta Purusha covering earth) and this book only explains how to decorate square rooms in a square space. I could find no advice on how to handle non-square rooms or solutions to problems that go along with renting a home that can not be significantly altered. I have seen plenty of Fung Shui books that suffer from the same problems. I understand that this design philosphy is ancient and most historical practitioners would have built their homes using these ideals, but this book is marketed to the modern public, most of whom are already living in their home and unable to make use of the chapters on "Choosing the Vastu Home: The Site" and "Choosing the Vastu Home: The Structure". These chapters might be informative, but they are only helpful to a small portion of the people who will read this book. There are no chapters for Apartment dwellers or on problem solving existing situations both of which would have a wider audience.
All in all, I wish I had not spent the money on this book. The pictures are nice, but hardly inspirational and the text is a little boring and dry. Also the page layout is very boring and each page looks exactly the same. I would suggest that you keep looking for another source of Vastu information. And when you find it, please let me know because I think the topic is fascinating!
Not just Vastu tradition, but a wonderful sense of style.......2005-01-12
This interesting book provides a useful introduction to the Vastu tradition, which many have compared to feng shui. However, the photographs in this book demonstrate a great sense of style, color, and design. Designers and even architects will find something of use here.
Book Description
Vastu is an ancient Indian science concerned with the arrangement and organization of living and working space. Its aim is to create harmony between people and their environment. Like their feng shui counterparts, Vastu practitioners believe that people should try to fit into the natural flow of universal energy, and that everyone's life can be enhanced by the knowledge and practice of certain key principles. However, that's where the similarity between these two sciences end. Vastu combines architecture, mathematics, geometry, astrology, and philosophy to form an intriguing scientific template that anyone can use to enhance their life. Vastu in 10 Simple Lessons shows readers how to use ancient Vastu principles to arrange their workplace for productivity and prosperity, "clear the air" with incense and herbs, create a Vastu-inspired courtyard in their gardens, and incorporate their unique individiual style within the family home. They'll also learn the best arrangement of living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms, as well as the best places in the home for staircases, doors, and even storerooms and garages. Entertaining and easy to understand, Vastu in 10 Simple Lessons is the first book with a jargon-free approach to an age-old science that aims to fill every reader's life with happiness, harmony, and peace.
Customer Reviews:
A starter book.......2002-10-16
Indian philosophy believes in living in harmony with all elements of nature. There is also a belief that a natural flow of energy exists which should not be blocked and that all elements- living or non-living- should be aligned in a way to facilitate this flow of energy.
Vaastu shastra is an old Indian text that contains the principles of building construction and placements of objects within it, in accordance with the principles above. But in view of the religious nature of the Indian people, this text explains these principles more in terms of Gods rather than energy. It uses eight directions instead of just the cardinal four. This ancient text contains instructions on things like the shape of the plot, timing of construction, placement of various rooms around the house, home decoration and even the direction in which the inhabitants sleep.
"Vastu in 10 simple lessons" has been written as a starter book. Ancient Indian text allows some flexibility and suggests some alternatives, but only to a certain degree. The author, on the other hand, allows wide latitude- maybe rightly so. After all, the rules of vaastu are not binding but are suggestions. The more principles the readers incorporate, the better- vaastu shastra claims- will be their life. The author explains various principles in context of their traditional significance and relevance to modern day life. Some people confuse Vaastu shastra with feng shui. In spite of the goal being the same, the principles in these two tomes are entirely different and may be at conflict with one another. The practitioners can practice one or the other but not both. This books would be a decent starting point for anyone interested in the science of vaastu.
Ne pas habiter les espérances de upto.......2002-09-05
J'a acheté ce livre avec beaucoup d'espoir et espérance. J'ai lu beaucoup d'autres livres de vaastu et ceci était un autre celui dans le feuilleton. Malheureusement ce livre n'habite pas jusqu'à les espérances. En premier lieu, ce vaastu de marques de livre très flexible et permet à l'utilisateur pour faire comme il/elle plaît. Ce livre semble geared vers plaire l'auditoire et donner les une illusion qui ils practicing vaastu tandis qu'ils en fait ne sont pas. Le généreux pages, caractères et images sont signifié impressionner l'utilisateur. Une autre inexactitude, que je considère une insulte à la religion de Hindu (Hinduism est où Vaastu est venu de), était qu'il montre un symbole Nazi et dit le lecteur qui c'est un symbole de Hindu. Ce livre n'est pas recommandé. Mieux dépense cet argent sur les livres de vaastu plus authentiques.
Does not live upto expectations.......2002-09-05
I bought this book with a lot of hope and expectation. I have read many other vaastu books and this was another one in the series. Unfortunately this book does not live up to expectations. For one thing, this book makes vaastu very flexible and allows user to do as he/she pleases. This book seems geared towards pleasing the audience and giving them an illusion that they are practicing vaastu whereas they actually are not. The lavish pages, print and pictures are meant to impress the user. Another inaccuracy, which I consider an insult to Hindu religion (Hinduism is where Vaastu came from), was that it shows a Nazi symbol and tells the reader that it is a Hindu symbol. This book is not recommended. Better spend that money on more authentic vaastu books.
Not impressed..........2002-09-05
I bought this book with a lot of hope and expectation. I have read many other vaastu books and this was another one in the series. Unfortunately this book does not live up to expectations. For one thing, this book makes vaastu very flexible and allows user to do as he/she pleases. This book seems geared towards pleasing the audience and giving them an illusion that they are practicing vaastu whereas they actually are not. The lavish pages, print and pictures are meant to impress the user. Another inaccuracy, which I consider an insult to Hindu religion (Hinduism is where Vaastu came from), was that it shows a Nazi symbol and tells the reader that it is a Hindu symbol. This book is not recommended. Better spend that money on more authentic vaastu books.
Book Description
This exciting and insightful guide for home making can help you establish a vital relationship with the world and the cosmos. A World Home adapts the ancient wisdom of Vastu Shastra to the demands and opportunities of modern life in an easy step by step process. Vastu Shastra asserts the unity of all things and it embodies a conviction that an intuitive recognition of oneness with the world has an ultimate value. In adapting Vastu Shastra to modern life, A World Home helps you organize your home so that every activity can reinforce your unity with the world.
This guide can be adapted to any home making situation. It is relevant to apartment dwelling, or to living in a rental house, for remodeling a dwelling, or for building a new house. If you are thinking of nothing more than moving a chair in your apartment, this guide can open a door to considerations you should take into account in even minor adjustment living in your home. A World Home is a guide toward determining what you need to know about the physical aspects of your requirements, to assist you in examining your needs, wants, and dreams in creating a home, and to help you develop a living pattern that will support and encourage a profound realization of oneness with the world. The issue in A World Home is home making: the purpose is life fulfillment.
If you are going to build a new house, or substantially change an existing one, or have any other dwelling project that might require a design professional, this guide can give you knowledge and insight that can help you locate the best architect or designer for your particular project. In using this guide, you will have progressed a long way toward knowing the kinds of questions you need to ask, and a long way toward knowing with whom you will want to work. You will understand much that you will need to know in order to be an active participant in creating a home that will be effective in your life.
A World Home is organized around introducing relevant issues, one at a time. You will be prompted to respond in ways that will record, needs, wants, dreams, projections, ambitions, beliefs and feelings related to creating a home that will satisfy your needs, nurture your life, and promote your fulfillment.
The first part of this guide focuses on helping you identify and examine your physical needs, wants and dreams. In the case of a new house, an addition, or even an interior rearrangement, it can also help you record information about the piece of earth you will occupy that will be needed so that your new environment can be intelligently and sensitively created. Satisfying one's physical needs wants and dreams is an important part of living in harmony with the earth. The second and most important part of A World Home focuses on gaining a realization of the world and living in harmony with the spiritual reality of the earth.
Book Description
Vastu is the ancient Indian tradition that combines architecture and aesthetics. Resembling the Chinese philosophy of feng shui, Vastu is also a revered, spiritually oriented method of organizing living space so that all details induce harmony between a home's dwellers and the universe. The Vedic practice of sanctifying one's living space is as relevant today as it was when it originated among Indian builders thousands of years ago. Vastu enables readers to put this system to use in today's homes, thus bringing peace, happiness, and success to the dwellers. The author points out the four zones of every home, and explain how they govern their dwellers' mental, physical, emotional, and psychic well-being. Easy-to-use tables and diagrams present techniques for creating a harmonious living arrangement. Detailed instructions guide readers in furnishing living areas and modifying the proportions of floor space, doors, windows, and other room features. Specific materials and construction methods are suggested. Every part of the home is considered, including the foyer, bedrooms, kitchen, living room, storage rooms such as closets and pantries, study or work area, and bathroom, as well as the home's adjoining verandas and gardens. More than 150 illustrations and diagrams are all in color.
Average customer rating:
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Sthapatya Ved-Vastu Sastra; Ideal Homes, Colony, and Town Planning
Niketan Anand Gaur
Manufacturer: New Age Books,India
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 8178220423 |
Book Description
The book tries to trace the origin and historical background of Vastu-Sastra in Vedic, Buddhist, Epic, Pauranic, Agamic, Historical, Political and Astronomical literature of ancient India.
Book Description
Vastu, the ancient Indian design philo-sophy, uses the human body to guide the creation of harmonious interiors
Some rooms refresh and reward everyone who enters them with a sense of comfort, calm, and wonder. Other interiors—no matter how lavishly appointed—simply donÂ't work. But why?
To puzzle out this riddle, design consultant Kathleen Cox studied vastu, the ancient Indian philosophy of space that centers on the human form as the guiding force in interior design. (A sister science to yoga, vastu was the precursor of feng-shui.) In Space Matters, Cox—working with 11 other designers, all of them adept in the green architecture and “home as sanctuary” movements—presents her utterly modern adaptation of vastuÂ's age-old wisdom. The starting point is the awareness that space, and all the “matters” that occupy it, are fundamentally important to human well-being. The goal—accomplished through the manipulation of color, light, and texture and the discerning selection of objects and sensitive placement of furniture—is to create environments that holistically appeal to body, mind, and soul.
Space Matters isnÂ't just another catalog of great design work. As practical-minded as it is beautifully illustrated, the book provides questions and answers, before and after photos, and a wealth of advice explaining how to apply vastuÂ's insightful, life-sustaining principles to your own home.
Customer Reviews:
Photographer's Review........2007-10-14
As a photographer, I found Kathleen Cox's advice right on the mark. She fully understands lighting, space, form, and above all color. Her suggestions would work for any type of home/space (from a MacMansion in the suburbs to a New York City 400 sq. ft. apartment). And guess which one I live in!
Space Matters....so find a place for this book!.......2007-10-13
Space Matters...and so does time. This is a deeply personal exploration of living space and it requires you to slow down and pay attention. If you can't do that in general and with this book in particular, then you'll never succeed in reshaping "your place," the euphemism Cox says people employ when they don't feel too affectionate toward their domicile, in whatever form it takes. She demonstrates how to reduce the clutter and not just simplify but balance, according to vastu principles which she thoroughly understands and you will grasp, too, by the end.
The beautiful photography well represents the points made, particularly with respect to the play of light, the use of scale and the importance of arrangement. She visits each room in the house and stresses their typical pitfalls and how to enhance their function and purpose. For example, all the extraneous things so often found in the kitchen may explain why so many of us eat standing up these days. Hmmmm.....so that's it. I'm guilty as charged.
What moved me in many places was the understated but powerful use of color as a background. I'm sure I'll always have trouble picking paint, but at least I can better appreciate how a soft pumpkin color can pull many elements together.
I highly recommend this book for those who need a soft hand to guide them (and who doesn't??). It's instructive, but it's also contemplative. All budgets could accommodate the design principles laid forth, too, because it's not about grand stuff, but carefully and sparingly chosen accents.
Good read and good advice.......2007-10-10
I love the opening lines in the first chapter of this book: We create a home with our heart and our soul. They tell us how to proceed. Our heart and our soul take the lead in design, not our eyes. This thought sets the tone for the entire book--which is filled with great wisdom and advice and is absolutely gorgeous--showing beautiful rooms designed by great designers and architects, many of them talented green designers you should know about. Cox cares about the quality of the home--and wants us to care deeply, too. You'll learn a lot.
Beautiful, wise, and so useful.......2007-10-05
I heard the author speak on the martha stewart radio channel and decided to buy the book. I've just moved to a new apartment--and need to redecorate but don't really understand basics about design. This book explains how design decisions affect the way we feel in a room--something I never thought about before. The author bases her theories and advice on what she has learned from an Indian science called vastu, which I'd never heard of, but don't let this scare you away. Her advice is easy to understand, follow, and insightful--and makes me think about design in a whole new way. There's plenty of info about important issues like color and light and the importance of nature. She's a green advocate. She also discusses what happens when you organize rooms symmetrically or asymmetrically and even how to display objects on a wall or a table--interesting important details that have a big impact on the look and feel of a room. It's unlike any design book I've seen and read--really useful and smart. I'm so glad I heard her on the radio... this is my favorite design book.
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