"When things don't work well in the bedroom, they don't work well in the living room either." -- William Masters
As a child, rearranging our furniture was my secret form of therapy. I recently found one of my drawings and was inspired to share it with you. I want to give you a general idea how to make your bedroom a place that promotes a harmonious flow of nourishing, recharging, and peaceful energy.
Here's the master piece:
Since we spend about a third of our lives in our bedroom, the feng shui of this room will have a great impact on us. It is the second most important feature in the house, after the front door. It is the room where the "spirit of life" resides. Bedroom is our intimate sanctuary, a trusted place for deep personal communication, procreation and purification. Not a small thing! Let's start with the position of the bed, since that is the biggest advice I'd give to my younger self. It is said that a bed aligned with the door resembles a coffin that is taken away feet-first. Understandably, this image does not promote a relaxed feeling. It is symbolic of your energy flow. In feng shui, when your feet are in line with the door, it means that you are leaking your energy at night, so your personal energy weakens. Doors and windows serve as energy connectors between areas of the home, and energies are pulled from one area to another. If your bed is in line with the door, your energy will be constantly pulled at night. Remedy: Move the bed away from the doorway. If that's not possible, block the flow of energy from the foot of the bed, using a tall, solid footboard, or hang a curtain or place a furniture between the bed and the door. If your bed is aligning with the bathroom door, the most obvious and often forgotten remedy is to always keep the door closed. You can also hang a Noren (a Japanese fabric divider) at the door. Or make the bathroom door as invisible as possible by painting it with the same color as the surrounding walls or strengthen the bedroom door and weaken the bathroom door by using color. You want to also make sure that your bed is not positioned against the same wall as the toilet. In general, we want the "public" (kitchen, office, living room) areas be in the yang/active part of the house (South East/South/South West), and the more "private" areas (bedrooms) in the yin/passive part of the house (North West/North/North East). Sleeping is yin activity, requiring soft light and stillness. The main bedroom should not be directly connected to the living room or the family room. Ideally the bedroom should be approached through a corridor or a small entry way. Avoid doing any work in the bedroom. Dedicate this area solely for non-doing. Remedy (if your bedroom is in the public/active part of the house): Heavy drapes / blackout curtains, soundboard/insulation, painting the room with dark blue/navy blue (Water phase/element), making the room extra cozy and cave-like. For an adult, always have a double bed, even when you are single. Also, have nightstands that are equal size on both sides of the bed. Keep your bedroom uncluttered, always having enough empty space. This will translate into your life. Cluttered room creates cluttered mind. And if you are desiring a partner or improving your relationship with your current partner, insure that both sides of the bed are given equal attention. Also, notice if the art and images reflect what you are wanting. One time I was giving a feng shui consultation for a woman who was looking for a partner. Most of her artwork was images of single women. In general, it's good to feature pairings of objects, symbolizing the union and harmony between people. Too many mirrors in your bedroom will disturb "hun po" (soul) chi and not provide a peaceful sleep. Especially a mirror that is reflecting your body while you are in bed can deplete your energy while you sleep. Remedy: Cover the lower half of it with Japanese rice paper. Avoid putting your bed under a window-wall. The ventilation will create a cold draft at night as you sleep, and does not provide enough containment for a restful sleep. Remedy: Move the head of your bed against a solid wall for support. If this is not possible, add a tall, solid headboard, or heavy window treatments/shutters to cover the window. I have experienced this in the past: Bed under a sloped ceiling applies constrictive pressure to your energy, and can lead to health challenges and lack of energy. Remedy: Move your bed so the head is under the highest point of the ceiling. Or if that's not possible, paint the ceiling and walls with the same color to invite upward energy flow. If there's enough room, you can also pull the bed off the wall and build a wall behind the bed - this will create a storage space under the lowest part of the slope. Try to avoid placing your bed under an exposed overhead beam, or any heavy item like a chandelier or ceiling fan. This downward oppressive thrust can create a sense of uneasiness while you sleep, and ripple into your daily life. Remedy: Reposition the bed. If this is not possible, add a light fabric canopy to cover the beams or the bed. If you have a sharp vertical edge ("poison arrow") pointing at your bed, you can cut a bamboo into half lengthwise and place over the sharp edge, or hang a curtain over it.
CLASSICAL FENG SHUI: FORM AND FORMLESS Until we have our rooms feng shui'd according to Form School, which is mainly focusing on the Qi flow, furniture placement and the Yin/Yang (passive/active) aspects of your house, there is no real point using the Compass School approach, which is like the icing on the cake. Form first, as my teacher says. After everything that is "seen" is adjusted according to good feng shui, then we can look at the "unseen" or formless aspects of your home, by using a Luo Pan compass, to define the favorable directions and sections for the property, as well as for each of your family members, based on the date of birth.
A special thanks to Howard Choy at Golden Gate Feng Shui school for teaching us all about this!
