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If you’re looking to create a more relaxing place to sleep, try designing your bedroom around feng shui principles. Feng shui is an ancient Chinese concept that showcases how the objects in your space can positively or negatively impact the flow of positive energy, known as qi or chi, and how certain factors and placements affect your well-being.
According to feng shui experts Reiko Gomez of Reiko Design and and Anjie Cho of Anjie Cho Architect, the bed is an important place in your home. “The bedroom represents intimacy, romance, privacy, rest and well-being,” Gomez says. “Bed placement can have a large impact on your quality of sleep, as well as your overall health.”
That’s why starting off with proper feng shui bed placement is a great way to introduce yourself to this practice — and we’re sharing exactly how you can incorporate it into your bedroom design.
Tips for Proper Feng Shui Bed Placement
Based on feng shui, the bed is where you mostly spend your time in a passive energetic state. It’s a place for your body to rest and regenerate. “Metaphorically speaking, the bed represents you,” Cho says. “It’s a part of your home that can support you and literally holds you up to rest.”
To continue feeling that sense of security and well-being, proper placement is essential. While some may feel the effects immediately, it might come later for others. And according to Cho, it’s sometimes based on if you’re ready to take command of your life. Here are a few tips our experts shared.
- The commanding position: Move your bed in a position where you can see the door while laying in bed (so that you’re “in command” of the room). You don’t want to be directly in line with the door, but more diagonal or in a kitty corner from the door. “You want to be able to see opportunities coming to you,” Cho says. ” You want to move through life with your eyes open rather than your eyes shut and then physiologically when you’re sleeping.”
- Keep under the bed clear. Clutter under the bed prevents qi from flowing around you as you rest. If you absolutely have to keep something underneath, Cho says pillows, blankets or other sleep-related items are ideal. Letters from an ex, divorce papers or anything that’s emotionally charged will only make you susceptible to negative energy.
- Declutter the space: Clearing clutter from a room can be beneficial to your mental health. Think calm thoughts, happier emotions and the feeling of more control over your area and life. When it comes to feng shui, you don’t want anything that will lead to stuck energy in your surroundings.
- Add blackout window coverings: “Too much light can impact deep sleep,” Gomez says. When it comes to the bedroom, warm-colored lighting combined with dim lights may enhance the feel of the space.
- Ensure good air flow: This will support sound sleep. You can do this by keeping the front door clean or displaying your favorite piece of artwork or furniture by the entrance.
- Use a feng shui crystal ball: This feng shui tool is great to use if you’re unable to place your bed in the commanding position. Hang one from the ceiling on a red string halfway between the door and the bed. “Because it’s faceted energetically, it takes any kind of chi or energy that’s coming in through the front door and disperses it,” Cho says. She recommends purchasing one that’s at least 40 millimeters in diameter.
- Aim for symmetry: For a classic and balanced layout, center your bed on the wall with bedside tables and lamps on both sides. “It represents a stable, harmonious relationship — either an existing relationship, or one that will come in the near future,” Gomez says.
- Consider a canopy bed: “Canopy beds have been around forever and they create a cocoon-like sleeping alcove which feels deeply restful,” Gomez explains. The fabric draped between the beams and the bed protects you as you sleep.”
Feng Shui Tip: Gomez recommends having a feng shui expert tell you the best direction to sleep based on your birthday. “I’ve helped many clients improve their sleep by determining their best sleep directions, and then rearranging the bedroom so they are sleeping in one of those directions.”
Common Mistakes With Feng Shui Bed Placement
Jean Allsopp
When you’re first starting out, you may find yourself falling into many of the mistakes people make when designing a feng shui-inspired bedroom. While feng shui designs can help to decrease your stress, this doesn’t mean that the factors you find relaxing match up with its principles. Here are a few misconceptions:
- Sleeping directly under a window: “Some people think this is good for air circulation; however, it can lead to a feeling of vulnerability,” Gomez says. “It is best to have a solid wall behind you where you sleep.”
- Sleeping under beams: “Beams break the flow of qi energy and can disrupt sleep, or even lead to health issues,” Gomez says. To overcome this issue, Cho recommends putting a piece of fabric over the beam to stop the feeling of pressure.
- Hanging a mirror directly across from the bed: Mirrors are seen as energy bouncers, where your chi becomes unbalanced, causing restlessness and worry as you rest.
- The headboard should be off the bed: “You want the head of your bed against the wall because you want that support,” Cho says. “A headboard can represent the connection between partners and ideally you want to have a headboard that’s solid without perforations.”
Looking for more ways to incorporate feng shui principles into your home? Check out our guides to the best feng shui living room tips and the best feng shui plants.
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