Changing Direction, Changing Self

My usual work room has had to become my bedroom temporarily, as builders arrive shortly to renovate a couple of rooms in my home. It is not just the change of view which is striking, but the change in sound: it is strange not to hear the chatter of the river at night, and instead to have complete silence except for the calling of the owls; I am closer, too, to the slopes of the mysterious mountain on which my house sits as I sleep, and I feel its protective energy strongly. Each of us has a direction which suits us best, and for certain purposes, and to try out alternatives to the usual ones we have established in our lives, even if it is just adjusting where we sit at night, can be instructive. The experience of using my usual rooms in different ways has made me wonder about where I might best sleep and work for the future, without disrupting other people; it is early days, however, and I will have a couple of weeks to become accustomed to working facing North, Air, and sleeping facing West – Earth. It is so easy to take the familiar routines for granted and to forget that as we change, our directional calling may change too. I know it is not easy to switch rooms from one use to another particularly if you have a family, but by being aware, at least, of the influences of the four directions, even if the opportunity to take action is limited, our human well-being can be enhanced greatly.   [byline]]]>