For someone who once prided himself on being the "sharp guy" in every meeting, watching my career slowly derail because of debilitating migraines was nothing short of devastating. 😣 Hi, I'm Rajiv, and this is the story of how ancient architectural wisdom rescued my modern tech career when nothing else could.
When My Professional Identity Began to Crumble 📉
Let me paint you a picture: There I was, a 42-year-old IT manager who had spent 15+ years climbing the corporate ladder, suddenly unable to make it through critical 9 AM meetings without feeling like my head was being split open with an axe. ⚡
My reality became:
- Excusing myself from Zoom calls with important clients 🏃♂️
- Watching younger colleagues step in when I couldn't perform 👀
- Taking more sick days in 6 months than I had in the previous 5 years 🤒
- Popping painkillers like they were candy 💊
- Facing a demotion after years of consistent promotions ⬇️
The worst part? My 12-year-old son asked me why I was "always angry in the morning." That broke my heart. 💔
My Reluctant Turn to Tradition 🛕
I was raised in a traditional household but had always considered myself the "modern one" who followed science over tradition. So when my mother suggested Vastu Shastra during one of our weekly calls, I literally laughed out loud.
"Mom, I need a neurologist, not someone to tell me where to place my furniture!" I told her.
But after my third neurologist appointment ended with yet another prescription that left me zombie-like, I found myself secretly Googling "Vastu consultants near me" at 2 AM while battling insomnia. Desperation will make you reconsider your skepticism. 🤷♂️
What My Vastu Consultation Revealed 🔍
Ms. Karishma, my Vastu consultant, didn't fit the mystical stereotype I expected. A former engineer herself, she spoke my language of angles, directions, and energy fields.
"Rajiv," she said after examining my home office, "you're essentially sitting in a pressure cooker of negative energies every morning."
According to her:
- My desk was in south-south-west, the direction of disposal 😱
- My computer setup created an electromagnetic storm in the southeast corner ⚡
- The dark blue paint I'd chosen for "professionalism" was amplifying stress hormones 🎨
- My back was to the door, putting me in a constant state of subconscious alert 🚪
The Changes I Actually Made ✅
With nothing to lose (except more sick days and possibly my job), I followed her advice:
- Rotated my desk to face east, allowing the morning sun to hit my face during those crucial early meetings 🌞
- Redistributed electronics throughout the room to break up energy concentrations 💻
- Added a snake plant and money plant to specific corners (they're now thriving, unlike my previous plants!) 🌱
- Repainted with a off white that apparently "balances the brain's neural activity" 🖌️
Yes, I felt slightly ridiculous doing all this. My wife definitely rolled her eyes. But I documented everything with the same analytical precision I apply to my IT projects.
The Results That Changed My Mind 📊
Week 1: Placebo effect? Maybe. But I made it through two morning meetings without excusing myself. 👍 Week 2: Needed only one painkiller all week versus my previous daily dose. 💊 Week 3: My team lead commented, "Good to have the old Rajiv back in morning standups!" 🌟 Month 2: Zero migraine episodes during working hours. ZERO. ⭐ Month 3: Assigned to lead our new cloud migration project—the kind of responsibility I'd lost after my performance issues. 🚀
What This Means for You (Yes, YOU) 👉
I'm not saying Vastu is magic or that it will solve everyone's problems. But as someone who lived by the mantra "if it can't be measured, it doesn't exist," I've had to seriously reconsider my stance.
What if some of our most persistent workplace struggles—focus issues, fatigue, inexplicable stress—aren't just about workload or office politics, but about the actual physical spaces where we spend 8+ hours daily? 🤔
Since sharing my experience with close colleagues, I've learned that:
- Our UX designer resolved her chronic back pain after similar Vastu adjustments
- Our CFO (the most skeptical person I know) has quietly rearranged his home office following Vastu principles
- Even our CEO has brought in a consultant for the entire floor plan of our new office building! 🏢
My Challenge to You 💪
If you're struggling with any persistent issue affecting your work performance—especially in this WFH/hybrid era—what would it cost you to explore Vastu principles? A weekend of furniture rearranging? A fresh coat of paint?
Weigh that against the cost of continued suffering and career stagnation. For me, it wasn't even a contest in retrospect.
Drop a comment if you've tried alternative approaches to workplace wellness or if you're curious to learn more about my journey! I'm now that annoying guy who can't stop talking about how changing my desk direction changed my life. 😂
Rajiv Sharma leads IT infrastructure projects for a multinational tech firm and is a reluctant convert to Vastu principles. He lives in Bangalore with his wife and two children in a house that's now arranged precisely according to ancient architectural wisdom—and his migraines have never been happier about it! Connect with me to discuss tech, wellness, or how ancient wisdom might have modern applications! 📱💻🧘♂️