feng shui (pronounced “fung shway”) may sound like an outdated concept, but if you're feeling a bit off in your space, it might be time for a little reorganization. The art of feng shui is all about organizing and arranging the items around you to optimize the flow of energy. This ancient practice has long been praised for bringing in positive energy (known as "chi"), enhancing health, and attracting good fortune, while simultaneously warding off negative energy, bad luck, and sadness.
Incorporating feng shui into your bedroom can lead to better sleep and deeper relaxation, something we can all benefit from. But feng shui is more than just moving furniture around. By incorporating specific elements into your home, feng shui can unlock a sense of harmony and comfort—and it's much easier than you might think. Let's dive into our complete guide below to get you started.
Quick Feng Shui Tips for Your Bedroom
1) Avoid Sharp Edges
Who wants a jagged and unwelcoming environment in their bedroom? While you may not be able to do much about the sharp edges on certain furniture like dressers and nightstands, you can soften your space by adding natural decor such as plants, lamps, and sculptures with smooth edges.
2) Shrink Large Windows
Having a breathtaking view from your bedroom may seem appealing, but excessively large windows can leave you feeling uncomfortable and exposed. To create a cozier atmosphere, consider adding darker drapes or curtains on both sides of the window.
3) Minimize Electronics
Even when turned off, electronic devices emit electromagnetic energy that can disrupt your sleep. Keep smaller items like alarm clocks or smartphones at least three feet away from your head while you sleep.
4) Organize Your Bookshelf
Believe it or not, a well-organized bookshelf can significantly impact the mood of a room. Arrange your books by color and weight, placing the heavier books at the bottom. Instead of pushing your books to the back, align them at the edge of the shelf to create a harmonious line.
5) Purchase a Headboard
Adding a sturdy headboard to your bed creates a sense of security and comfort, much like a protective barrier against a bare wall.
6) Bring Down Tall Ceilings
While cathedral ceilings may be visually impressive, they can make us feel vulnerable and small in a room. Ideally, ceilings should be seven to nine feet tall. If you want to bring down the height further, consider painting the ceiling a darker color or adding visual interest to the lower half of the room with pillows, area rugs, or vases.
7) Reposition Your Bed
The placement of your bed plays a crucial role in feng shui. Ideally, position your bed against the wall opposite to the bedroom door. If that's not feasible, place it as far away from the door as possible, and avoid having your headboard on the same wall as the door. This arrangement promotes a feeling of security and allows for a more relaxed night's sleep.
8) Downsize a Large Room
Having a spacious bedroom may initially seem desirable, but it can also create a sense of insecurity and unease. To make a large bedroom feel cozier, consider adding smaller furniture like a vanity or seating area. Painting the room with warmer tones can also help create a more intimate atmosphere.
9) Keep Work Out
In larger bedrooms, resist the temptation to convert part of the space into a small home office. Work-related items like laptops and phones can create a distracting environment. Even workout equipment, such as treadmills or weights, may hinder feelings of relaxation and peace.
Feng Shui Bedroom Art Ideas
While rules are meant to be broken, certain guidelines can help when you're decorating your bedroom with feng shui in mind. Here are some general rules to consider:
1) Choose Relaxing Artwork
Busy and chaotic paintings don't contribute to a relaxing bedroom environment. Avoid placing large mirrors near the bed, as their reflective nature can be distracting when you're trying to sleep.
2) Stay Positive
Decorate your bedroom with artwork that conveys positive energy, such as uplifting quotes or images of people smiling. Avoid artwork that evokes strong negative emotions or drama.
3) Don't Hang Above the Bed
Resist the temptation to fill the space above your bed with heavy artworks or sculptures, especially if you don't have a headboard. Artwork above our heads can create a subconscious fear of it falling on us during the night. Instead, focus on decorating the three other walls in your bedroom.
4) Find the Perfect Pair
Using images of pairs, such as wedding photos or artwork depicting two objects, can evoke a sense of intimacy and harmony in your bedroom.
The Five Core Elements of Feng Shui
Feng shui revolves around five core elements: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. According to feng shui principles, it's essential to have a balanced presence of each element in your home. Here's a quick overview of the elements and how they can manifest in your environment:
Fire
- Candles
- Geometric patterns like cones, pyramids, and triangles
- Landscape artwork featuring sunrises or sunsets
Earth
- Textiles like granite, brick, or cement
- Decorative rocks and pebbles
- Mountain or desert landscapes
Metal
- Metal materials like bronze, silver, gold, or copper
- Oval or circular furniture
- Metal sculptures
Water
- Small water features like waterfalls or aquariums
- Free-form artwork
- Glass objects
Wood
- Wooden floors and furniture
- Tall, vertical shapes
- Floral artwork
Balancing Life Aspiration Areas
Feng shui goes beyond individual rooms and encourages the balance of life aspiration areas throughout your entire home. These areas include career, knowledge, family, wealth and prosperity, fame, love and partnership, creation, synchronicity, and health. The presence or absence of the five elements determines the balance and energy of each area. Let's explore how each area can be reinforced through specific elements:
Career
Enhancing the career area of your home goes beyond focusing on your job; it also encompasses your overall life direction. Activating this area can help you set goals and rejuvenate your current work.
- Direction: North
- Main element: Water
- Destructive element: Earth
Knowledge
The knowledge area of your home encourages self-nurture and ongoing education. It can support studying for school or learning something new.
- Direction: Northeast
- Main element: Earth
- Destructive element: Wood
Family
The family area represents not only your immediate family but also extended family and friends. You can energize this area by displaying family photos or adding indoor plants to foster a sense of togetherness.
- Direction: East
- Main element: Wood
- Destructive element: Metal
Wealth & Prosperity
While you might not become an overnight millionaire, activating this area can enhance your work and financial stability.
- Direction: Southeast
- Main element: Wood
- Destructive element: Metal
Fame
Fame in feng shui refers to acknowledgment, recognition, and promotion. Enhancing this area can help you gain respect and appreciation.
- Direction: South
- Main element: Fire
- Destructive element: Water
Love & Partnership
This area supports nurturing relationships and attracting a partner. Consider incorporating subliminal messages, such as artwork depicting pairs.
- Direction: Southwest
- Main element: Earth
- Destructive element: Wood
Creation
The creation area focuses on generating new ideas or bringing something into existence. Artists, creative individuals, and those looking to start a family can benefit from activating this area.
- Direction: West
- Main element: Metal
- Destructive element: Fire
Synchronicity
This area helps you foster connections with people or places. If you've recently moved, enhancing synchronicity can assist in meeting new friends.
- Direction: Northwest
- Main element: Metal
- Destructive element: Fire
Health
The health area is at the center of your home and contributes to overall well-being. Keep this area clutter-free, especially if it falls in a busy entryway or room.
- Direction: Center
- Main element: Earth
- Destructive element: Wood
Layout Your Home for Feng Shui
Curious about which elements belong in your master bedroom? Mapping out your home based on the life aspiration areas is a helpful way to guide your feng shui efforts. Don't worry; it's not as complicated as it might seem. With a few simple tools, you can easily accomplish this in your own home:
What you'll need:
- A compass
- Graph paper
- Tracing paper
- A ruler
- A pencil
Step 1: Use an existing floor plan or measure the rooms in your home from the inside and outside.
Step 2: Scale the measurements on graph paper, for example, one foot equals one square.
Step 3: Locate the center point of your home by folding the outline in half vertically and horizontally. Mark an "x" in the center where the fold intersects.
Step 3a: If your home is not a perfect square or rectangle, fill in the missing space. Fold the sheet down the middle vertically and draw a dotted line extending from the corner of each room that makes up more than 50 percent of the wall it's on.
Step 4: Take your compass and stand at the actual center of your home where you marked the "x."
Step 5: Place your floor plan on the "x" in the room, and position the compass on top of it.
Step 6: Begin marking your life aspiration areas, starting at 0° and labeling them as follows:
- 0° - North
- 45° - Northeast
- 90° - East
- 135° - Southeast
- 180° - South
- 225° - Southwest
- 270° - West
- 315° - Northwest
Step 7: Use a ruler to draw dotted lines from the center out to each direction on the floor plan.
Step 8: Label each direction with its corresponding life aspiration area.
Feng Shui Bedroom Colors
Before you start moving heavy furniture, consider the impact of colors on your mood in the master bedroom. While there's no right or wrong way to decorate your bedroom, feng shui can provide guidance when it comes to choosing colors. However, it's important to note that simply painting a room a particular color won't automatically reinforce the life aspiration areas. Physical manifestations of the elements are much more effective in creating the desired energy. If you're looking to support or suppress a different element, use the following color guide:
- Fire colors: red and purple
- Earth colors: yellow and orange
- Metal colors: white and silver
- Water colors: blue and black
- Wood colors: green and brown
Conclusion
With this complete guide in hand, you're ready to not only recreate your bedroom but also map out your entire feng shui house. Remember, feng shui is not about strict rules, but rather a way to optimize your environment based on the flow of energy. Consider incorporating personalized home decor, such as fleece blankets, throw pillows, and canvas prints, to make your bedroom truly your own.
Source: McCandles, C. (2011). Feng Shui That Makes Sense. Minneapolis, MN: Two Harbors Press.
