Vaastu - What is it?

An ancient design philosophy based on Hindu scriptures is called vaastu shastra and is gaining a following in the United States.

Vaastu is the belief that one's environment is a physical extension of the body, and that home design can affect a person's health."The idea behind vaastu is to orient rooms toward different positions of the sun at different times of the day, being mindful of the quality of the sunlight. In a practical sense, that means orienting the dining room toward the south, so that the intensity of the sun's rays at midday assists in digestion; quieter rooms such as bedrooms should be placed to the north where the lower evening light prevails. Followers say, "Vaastu is a science, not an art, religion or philosophy," .

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle, Nancy Davis Kho (11/21/2007)