Preparation for Sleep – How to create Feng Shui in your Bedroom

If you’re looking to improve the feng shui in your home, start with the bedroom. The ancient Chinese art of arranging objects is a practice that some believe can positively affect your relationships, comfort, health, and well-being.

Benefits of a feng shui bedroom

Many experts believe that your bedroom is the most important room in your house to apply the feng shui principles. After all, you probably spend the most time in your bedroom.

A feng shui bedroom should be peaceful, relaxing, and balanced. You may also notice you’ll sleep better if objects are organized in a certain way. Some people who practice feng shui also believe that it can lead to better health and success.

While there are different perspectives on what to include and omit in a feng shui room, most experts embrace the same general concepts.

Pay special attention to your bed

We spend many hours sleeping in our beds, so the feng shui of our bedrooms is of the utmost importance.

First, I’d recommend putting your bed in the “commanding position” so it’s facing the door to your room. You don’t want the door to be behind where you sleep, as this is thought to create subconscious stress and uncertainty as you snooze. If possible, there should be at least 40 centimeters of walking space on the left and right side of the bed, with the headboard against the wall. Yes, you do need a headboard! A solid headboard without bars or holes, fastened securely to the bed, creates stability and harmony.

It’s also important to have space available on both sides of the bed. This means that you’ve made space for your partner (or future partner). Believe me: Nobody likes to sleep on the wall side! This also allows for a nightstand on each side of the bed. The nightstands do not have to match; however, it’s better if they are similar in size.

Take some time to make your bed every morning and thank it for supporting you every night. It’s a beautiful way to start your day with a little bit of order and peace. That energy can resonate throughout the whole day until your bed welcomes you back to sleep at night.

The 5 elements of feng shui

Feng shui divides everything into five elements that attract different energies. These elements need to be balanced in order to create harmony.

The five elements are:

• Wood: Wood channels the power of creativity and growth. Trees, plants, or green objects can be used to represent this element.
• Fire: Fire is the most powerful element. It harnesses passion, energy, expansion, boldness, and transformation. You can use candles or the colour red to bring the fire element into a room.
• Earth: Earth represents stability and strength. Incorporate the earth element with rocks, carpets, old books, and anything brown or tan in colour.
• Water: Water is related to emotion and inspiration. Water features, such as an aquarium, or items that are the color blue can represent this element.
• Metal: Metal unites all the elements, while bringing focus and order. Use objects that are metal or white, silver, or gray in colour.

From using colours to placing certain objects in specific areas, there are lots of ways to bring feng shui into your bedroom.

Here are some best practices:

Declutter under your bed

Store items out of sight. This allows for energy to flow freely around you while you sleep. If you must store belongings under your bed, only stow soft pillows, blankets, linens, or other sleep-related items.

Buy a headboard

In feng shui, a headboard represents stability and support. Look for a headboard that’s solid wood, without bars or separations in it. Be sure to fasten your headboard securely to your bed.

Position your bed correctly

Place your bed with the headboard against a solid, supporting wall. Be sure it’s positioned as far from your door as possible, but not directly in line with your door.

You want to be able to see your door while you’re in bed, but you don’t want to be aligned with it. The idea is too much energy will flow through the door.

Use pairs

Feng shui experts believe that pairs are harmonizing. If possible, use pairs when placing furniture or other objects. For example, use two nightstands, one on each side of the bed. Ideally, the nightstands should be round with matching lamps on top.

Incorporate the right colours

Feng shui bedroom colors should be calming. As a rule of thumb, use furniture, bedding, and accessories that are neutral colour tones. Traditional primary colours, such as reds and blues, are usually not a good choice.

You can incorporate the colours that represent the different elements, but make sure they aren’t too bright or overwhelming.

Use soft lighting

Soft lighting, such as that emitted from table and desk lamps, is ideal for a feng shui bedroom. Also, try to incorporate as much natural light from windows as possible.

Choose inspiring artwork

Hang pictures or artwork of nature, peaceful scenes, or inspirational quotes. The most motivating image should be placed across from your bed so that it’s the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning.

Hire a feng shui expert – If you’re interested in feng shui, you may want to hire a professional who can come to your home and help you properly place your items and decorate your space.

When evaluating your room, feng shui experts may use a tool called a Bagua map that outlines different life areas, or stations, including:

• health
• wealth
• marriage
• fame

These areas correspond to different parts of a living space to help you determine where to place items.

What to avoid in a feng shui bedroom

Some common feng shui no-no’s can disrupt the energy of your room. Here are some things to avoid when creating a feng shui bedroom.

Don’t use mirrors

Mirrors are thought to disturb sleep and make the energy in a bedroom too active. You should especially avoid placing a mirror directly in front of your bed.

If you really want to have a mirror in your room, you can put one inside a closet door or have it face a window.

Avoid placing your bed under ceiling features

Your bed shouldn’t be placed under a ceiling that contains beams, a skylight, a fan, or an angled design. If your ceiling does contain these features, position your bed so that you don’t sleep directly under them.

Get rid of all clutter

Unnecessary clutter can really disturb the energy in your room. Keep all your items organized, and if possible, out of sight.

No plants or flowers in your bedroom

Plants are thought to contain too much energy for a bedroom. Keep all plants and flowers in other rooms.

Don’t store books in your bedroom

While it’s OK to keep a few books in your room, too many can overpower your space and make it feel like a place of work.

Say goodbye to electronics

TVs, laptops, and smartphones in a bedroom can all disrupt your sleep. They release electromagnetic energy even when they aren’t being used. If you can’t bring yourself to get rid of your phone at night, keep it at least one and half meters away from your bed.

Here are additional tips for feng shui that do not belong in the bedroom and more important points on how to position a bed:

• Don’t place your headboard against a wall that has a toilet on the other side or your good fortune could be flushed away. If you have a primary bathroom connected to your bedroom, also avoid placing your bed in direct alignment with the bathroom door.
• Don’t place your bed under any low beams, soffits, or sloped ceilings or you will feel pressure.
• Don’t place water fountains, water features, or images of water in your bedroom, as that could encourage good fortune and love could wash away. While water elements (like fountains and artwork depicting oceans) can promote good feng shui in the home, they should also be kept outside of the bedroom since they give off too much energetic yang energy.
• Don’t push the side of your bed up against a wall. Make sure your bed is positioned on a wall where you have space available on three sides of the bed (left, right, and foot) so that energy is not trapped.
• Don’t put lights that can cast harsh brightness above your bed they can cause feelings of unease at night.