A dedicated home office was once considered a lavish amenity. Today it is a necessity for those of us who are actively retired or working professionally from home.

While the times and our workplace may have changed, not so the square footage and design of our homes. Creating a functional, appealing, and inspirational office within the space restrictions and layout of our home has become the newest design challenge.

Limited Space Shouldn’t Limit Our Expectations

Even if we’re trying to squeeze out an office space in an unlikely corner, limited space doesn’t mean we have to limit our expectations of a dynamic and supportive office.

With Vastu, also known as yoga for the home, it’s possible to create an office that supports creativity, productivity, abundance, and overall wellbeing in our business endeavors and personal activities in any size footprint.

Vastu’s ancient wisdom offers foundational solutions for our contemporary work-from-home challenges. For thousands of years, Vastu has been teaching that every part of our home is sacred and should be aligned with nature to create energetically vibrant and beautiful spaces. The office is no exception.

Our Office Is Sacred, Too

Though we might think of our office space primarily as a holding spot for a desk and computer, it’s actually one of the most powerful and sacred spaces in the home. When we walk into our home office, we should feel welcome and inspired.

This is where many of us create, compose, invent, write, and dream. It’s where we speak our truth and passion to the world – in our Zoom meetings with clients, through the products we are selling, the memoir we are writing, or the genealogy charts and digital scrapbooks we are organizing for our grandkids.

And, of course, our office is where we pursue greater financial freedom and security, as well as take care of the equally important chores of life, like paying bills. In short, our office space is where we need to be our most focused, grounded, inspired, enlightened, and visionary so our lives continue to shine into the world.

Energy Matters More Than Size or Location

Perhaps you have commandeered a spacious guest bedroom or a finished basement for your office.

Some of you, like myself, may be living in a much smaller apartment footprint, where you have to be somewhat ingenious in chiseling out a workspace. (My office is cozily wedged between my kitchen counter and the living room sofa.)

With Vastu, creating vibrant, balanced, and harmonious energy matters far more than the space size. Many home office issues are resolved when we understand the powerful effect of reestablishing our connection with nature and the geographic directions.

These five Vastu principles can immediately help reconnect and transform your office space, no matter the size or makeshift location, from stagnant and uninviting to downright inspirational.

Keep Your Desk Clutter Free

One of the quickest ways to transform the energy in your home office is to declutter your desk. (This goes for your computer desktop, too!) Desks have a tendency to become clutter magnets, creating chaos and distractions. Clutter also makes you feel tense and tired and hinders your creativity and potential abundance.

To tackle this project, I recommend first clearing everything off your desk and then adding back only the most essential items. You should quickly feel the energy change and a greater sense of calm.

If you are short of storage space for paper files and office supplies and need to use the space under or near your desk, keep them tidy in attractive boxes. Leave plenty of leg room to sit comfortably and for energy to circulate freely.

Sit at Your Desk Facing North or East

The ideal direction to face while sitting at your desk is east or north. (If you’re not sure of the directions in your home, your smartphone probably has a compass on it.)

East is the direction of inspiration, enlightenment, and creativity. If you are writing, composing, and inventing, this is the prime spot. If you are dealing with bookkeeping or financial matters, north is the best direction to face.

Often, when I find myself losing focus or stalled on a work project, shifting my chair’s direction even a tad seems to shift my brain and clear the energy.

Shape Matters

The shape of your desk also impacts the energy. Vastu recommends using a rectangular or square shaped desk in an office since it is more conducive for concentration and creative endeavors.

A circular or oval shaped desk is better suited for brainstorming or conferencing activities where the energy needs to keep moving around the table.

Keep Finished Products, Projects, and Contracts in the Northwest

Are you a writer submitting articles or scripts? Do you sell homemade soaps or aromatherapy products? Do you have contracts waiting for approval or acceptance?

Whatever you are creating in your home office, that is ready to go out into the world, is most auspiciously placed in the northwest direction in the room, on your desk, or on your computer desktop.

Northwest is the direction of the air element and connects you with free-flowing abundance. You want your projects and inventory (physical and digital) to flow quickly out of your office and create greater abundance for you.

I keep my digital client files in the northwest section of my computer desktop as a gentle reminder to set my intentions throughout the day for success and prosperity.

Create Calm and Soothing Energy with Plants

Plants add a touch of beauty and softness into your sacred workspace. They are soothing tranquilizers when the day gets harried and positivity energizers when you need uplifting. A plant on your desk should be placed in the north or east direction.

Some Vastu recommended plants are Tulsi (Holy Basil), money tree (Pachira Aquatica), and bamboo, all of which are noted for bringing greater opportunities, flourishing, and prosperity.

Succulents and prickly plants are not typically recommended, but go with your intuition and what brings you the greatest delight and support.

Even implementing only one or two of these basic Vastu principles will shift the feel of your office and help you discover the greater joy and harmony in your newly inspired and invigorated home office environment.

Do you work from home? Do you have a designated office space? How is it organized? Have you followed any specific principles when creating your home office space? Which ones do you think work very well for your layout? Please share your observations and thoughts.