By Robin Mastro

Transform your life through the wisdom of ancient India with a dash of modern magic. Altars have the power to create positive change through the beauty they bring into your life

I stumbled upon the concept of creating transformative altars based on Vedic knowledge. It began with three large, time-consuming events that were vying for my time and attention at the same time: The first was the remodel of a house my husband, Michael, and I bought to move into in Seattle. We were overseeing the remodel incorporating Vastu principles of architectural design. The second was the graduate program I was doing at Antioch University, and third, was a quickly approaching trip to India.

That was a lot for me to juggle in any one year, yet alone over the course of a few months. The time to address my Graduate Committee with my thesis was due just weeks after returning from India. I felt pressured with the prospects and thought I either had to drop out of school while this renovation and trip were happening, or somehow use whatever I was about to see and learn in India in my final project for school.

I decided to drop out of school for the semester and on my way in to school one morning, driving on the I-90 floating bridge heading west I heard a voice, so clear and strong coming from the back seat that said, “Don’t do it!” I actually turned to look to see who was there…and then I took the first exit, once over the bridge and through the tunnel, and headed for Michael’s office, which was just down the street. I remember turning off the engine and just sitting in the parking lot for the longest time rather stunned. Then, I turned around and went home not knowing how it was all going to turn out, but trusting that I could handle whatever was next.

That was a pivotal moment; one that changed the course of my life even before I knew it. The remodel of the house was moving forward and Michael and I left for India. I was on a quest…in fact the entire group of us who met up in Bangalore were on a quest together. It was 1998 and there were, traveling throughout India north to the Himalayas with renowned spiritual teacher, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of The Art of Living Foundation

Everywhere we went, people honored the Divine through sacred ritual known as puja. Ordinary people and powerful priests all preform these beautiful, intricate ceremonies honoring the holy traditions they follow. They are done in ancient temples and people’s homes, in shops in towns we visited, and at outdoor weddings. Throughout India, and in Bali, Europe, Mexico and Egypt for that matter, everywhere we had traveled in the past decade, I saw how people of these distinctly varied cultures honored the forces of nature, acknowledging the Divine, all-knowing presence at play in their lives.

It was in Rishikesh, on the banks of the Ganges, walking through huge crowds of sadhus and wandering cows who had gathered on their way to Hardiwar for the Kumbha Mela that I had this expanded thought. It was about the design of sacred altars used for thousands of years. My thought focused on the five elements already used in the ancient ceremony known as puja. I wondered what would happen if I arranged the items in this sacred ceremony differently, using principles of placement from Vastu, the Vedic science of environmental harmony and wellbeing. Would it empower people? Change their lives in some notable way? Create a positive impact? That query became the basis for my thesis and our first book, Altars of Power and Grace ~ Create the Life You Desire, which won multiple awards including Book of the Year four times the year it was published.

My graduate research that followed our trip to India, and the impact these altars, designed in the Vedic tradition, have had on thousands of people’s lives over the past 20+ years astounds me to this day. Through our three books, various workshops, and now our upcoming course on altars, we have shared our life’s work and it has been purely transformational. Altars are like homing devices for your highest intentions to manifest in your life. The alchemy is powerful and the impact, life-changing.

You can learn more about Vastu altars and how they will transform your life and connect you more deeply with your dreams and heart’s desires. We’ve launched a brand new, 6-week course, “Altars of Power and Grace”, beginning October 22. Click here to learn more. 

Robin Mastro