The Command Position is one of the easiest, yet most powerful tools in Feng Shui to take charge of your life. The theory behind the The Command Position is an ancient one that ties us back to our evolution. This powerful position helps us handle whatever comes at you in life, keeping us in a calm state of rest and digest. What does that mean? Stick with me here. Flashback two hundred thousand years ago to our ancestors when they lived as hunter-gatherers and the threat of becoming eaten was a legitimate concern. Our simple survival states were an ebb and flow of resting and digesting to fighting and fleeing. It was that simple.
In an episode of fighting and fleeing you would experience brief stress when a saber tooth tiger was about to attack you. In order to survive you’d experience increased heart rate and breathing, increased blood pressure, increased blood to muscles and adrenaline release, to improve your chances of escaping death through either fighting or fleeing the scene. But this “stress” would be temporary and when the threat dissolved you’d return back to calm. Ahhhhh, life is good again. In resting and digesting you’d be in a peaceful state of repair and growth, learning and reproduction and digestion. And life is hunky dory, right? Well….
Today we live in a totally different environment than the one we evolved in. Our original genetics are not exactly suited to our modern lifestyle of concrete, cell phones, cubicles and cars. Many of us fail to return to rest and digest which puts us in a constant state of fight and flee. Today’s stress for most humans has taken on a different definition and is no longer about getting eaten by a tiger. It’s related to our jobs, relationships, kids, status, and health (or lack thereof). Don’t be fooled, we’re still using “fight or flee,” just in a different way that isn’t healthy.
Instead of spending the majority of our life in a state of “rest and digest” like our ancestors did, we are constantly experiencing low level stressors that trigger our bodies into “fight or flee” all the time. Even though the fear of becoming prey in today’s world is unlikely, milder threats such as work demands and deadlines, bills, hectic schedules, non-stop emails and text messages, along with strained relationships are creating the same response in our body as a saber-toothed tiger ready to pounce on us. Most are walking around with increased blood pressure and heart rate, and shallow breathing. Rest and digestion, learning and memory, repair and growth, and reproductive function, which aren’t essential for managing our stressors, have been placed on the back burner. Who has time for that? We’re all just trying to get out alive! Although this physiology is essential to surviving a saber-toothed tiger attack, it’s not exactly practical to see your boss, spouse or mortgage as a threat. But these modern demands are experienced as a threat making them detrimental to our health especially if we never shift back out of this state.
In response to all this acute stress, the body’s sympathetic nervous system is activated stimulating the adrenal glands, triggering the release of catecholamines, which include adrenaline and noradrenaline.This system functions like a gas pedal in a car. It triggers the fight-or-flee response, providing the body with a burst of energy so that it can respond to this perceived danger. Can you see how over time this constant state could wear the body down and cause major health issues?
The fight or flee response prepares your body for fast-paced action. However, chronic activation of the fight or flee response, particularly in situations in which neither outcome is practical, can lead to digestive problems, increased risk of heart disease and the other known effects of chronic stress. Ok, so what does this have to do with Feng Shui you ask?
The goal of any individual in its most simplest terms is survival, right? Being in the command position helps you produce an environment that supports your goals and also helps you achieve rest and digest to eliminate stress in and around the body. So what exactly is command then? Being in command means that you can easily see the door.The three most important areas in Feng Shui where reducing those stressors is key is at the bed, desk and stove. In other words, if you can’t see the front of the cave, AKA the door in your room, that saber-toothed tiger is gonna get you!
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It’s been scientifically proven that people who cannot see the door experience increased heart rate, digestive issues, anxiety and more. And doesn’t it make sense? If your body is constantly in a state of fight or flee you experience an increase in blood pressure, stress on the cardiovascular system, heartburn, and digestive issues from the anxiety. In fact, many of the leading causes of death in this country can be linked back to the effects of chronic low-level stress.
Now imagine if you are experiencing low level stress every day due to work, relationships, and other commitments and you’re also out of command at home! The cards are stacked against you. Your body never gets the chance to reach rest and digest making it hard for your body to heal. Now more than ever, with our chaotic schedules and manifested stress, we need to create environments that support us. The easiest fastest way to do that is to take command at home. Make sure your office and your bed are in command. And extra points for putting that stove in command too.