FENG SHUI & YOGA – An Unexpected Continuity

When Gee came to visit us, we quite naturally fell into long discussions of our respective fields of passion – Feng Shui for her and Yoga for me. What became apparent was a previously unnoticed relationship.

When I teach a Yoga class, regardless of the specific topic area, I always begin by reviewing the definition of the word Yoga itself.

Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yug. One of central texts of Sanskrit grammar is the Dhatu Pada, the Recitation of Verbs. All of the verbs in Sanskrit are listed in it in four chapters. Yug appears in the first, third and fourth chapters. Respectively, these are translated as unite, control, and samādhi.

While English writers on Yoga typically point to the union definition, the great sage, Vyāsa, in his commanding commentary on the Yoga-Sutra of Patañjali, made this unequivocal statement in his exegesis on the first sutra: yoga = samādhi.

Samādhi (and Yoga) refers to progressive states of consciousness wherein the experiencer enters ever-deepening relaxation with loosening of the binding restraints of the separative ego. Books have been devoted to exploring samādhi.

I wish to point out the significance of the three syllables that constitute samādhi:

sam – a prefix meaning perfect or complete

ā – a prefix meaning all around

dhi- - a verb meaning place or to place

As you can see, samādhi can be literally defined as an internal state of consciousness in which all elements of awareness are – placed perfectly all around.

Feng Shui is more than similar to samādhi. Feng Shui provides for the outer realm what samādhi provides to the inner realm. How distant are these realms, really?

I can testify that Gee’s suggestions for “placing perfectly all around” in the external world of my meditation hut provided an unbroken continuity of support for my meditation practice. The transformation of space harmony has been equivalent to half an hour or more of sitting.

This experience leads me to deeply encourage committed meditators to confer with her. You have nothing to lose but the subtle cross-chop of space disharmony.

Salvatore Zambito © 2017