Feng shui (pronounced “fung shway”) may seem like an old-fashioned principle, but if it doesn’t feel quite right in your space, it may be time to rearrange it a bit. feng shui is a system to help organize and arrange the elements around you to account for the flow of energy. This centuries-old practice is praised for bringing good chi, such as better health and good fortune, while warding off bad chi, such as bad luck or sadness.
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Incorporating feng shui into your bedroom could improve sleep and relax you, something we could all use. But feng shui is more than just moving some furniture. By incorporating certain elements into your home, feng shui can unlock harmony and comfort, and it’s a lot easier than you think. use our beginner’s guide below to get started.
quick feng shui tips for your bedroom
1) avoid sharp edges
A jagged, pointed edge doesn’t feel appealing, so why would you incorporate it into your bedroom? You may not be able to help with some items, like dressers and nightstands, but you can soften the space by adding more natural decor like plants, lamps, sculptures, and other smooth edges.
2) reduce large windows
A great view from your room may seem like a desirable trait, but too much can make you feel uncomfortable and “spied on.” To easily shrink a window, add darker curtains or drapes to both sides of the window to create a cozier feel.
3) minimize electronics
Even when turned off, televisions and other devices emit electromagnetic energy while you sleep. keep smaller items, like an alarm clock or your smartphone, at least three feet away from where you rest your head.
4) organize your bookshelf
You wouldn’t think a simple bookcase could affect your mood, but proper organization can make or break a room’s feng shui. Organize your books by color and weight, placing the heaviest books at the bottom of the bookcase. Also, don’t push the books all the way in, line them up right on the edge of the shelf to create an even line.
5) buy a headboard
As in the previous tip, we like to feel comfortable and protected in our room. adding a sturdy headboard to the bed creates a more secure feel against a bare wall.
6) knock down high ceilings
Cathedral ceilings are impressive to look at, but they actually make us feel vulnerable and small in a room. seven to nine feet high is ideal, but if you want to reduce the height further, there are a few tactics like painting the ceiling a darker color or adding visual interest to the lower half of the room with pillows, rugs, or vases.
7) change the position of your bed
In feng shui, the location of the bed plays a very important role. Ideally, your bed should be placed against the wall opposite your bedroom door. if that’s not feasible, place it as far away from the door as possible; you want to avoid having your headboard on the same wall as the door. this will create a sense of security and allow you to relax every night.
8) reduce the size of a large room
It may seem counterproductive, wouldn’t an open space calm you more? but a bedroom that is too large can actually create a feeling of insecurity, as we like our bedrooms to feel intimate and private. Since you can’t go tearing down walls, consider adding other small pieces of furniture like a dresser or sitting area. painting your bedroom with warmer tones also helps bring the room together and feel cozier.
9) exercise
If you have a larger bedroom, resist the urge to turn some of the space into a small home office. work-related items like laptops and phones create a distracting environment. even exercise equipment like treadmills or weights can keep you from feeling comfortable.
feng shui bedroom art ideas
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and this goes for feng shui as well. There are many routes you can take when decorating your bedroom and you should always go for what suits your personality and style. but, if you’re looking for some guidance on using feng shui, here are some general rules:
1) choose calming artwork
Busy paintings that don’t give off calming vibes should be kept out of the bedroom. Another consideration is to keep large mirrors as far away from the bed as possible, as reflective images can be distracting while you’re trying to sleep.
2) stay positive
decorate with artwork that shows positive images or connotations, such as a fun and upbeat saying or a picture of someone smiling. avoid overly dramatic prints or things that give you a strong emotional response.
3) do not hang over the bed
If you don’t have a headboard (which you might want to consider; check out our quick tips below), resist the urge to clutter that space with artwork, especially heavy sculpture. the art above our heads will make us fear that it will fall on us at night. instead, use the other three walls of your bedroom.
4) find the perfect match
Images like your wedding photos not only evoke good memories, but photos of a couple can also bring about feelings of relaxation. Even if you’re not married, decorating with artwork featuring couples creates a sense of intimacy.
elements of creation versus destruction
If you’re familiar with feng shui, you may also be familiar with the five basic elements that make up the practice. those elements are:
- fire
- earth
- metal
- water
- wood
According to feng shui, you need all five elements in a home, but the challenge is creating a balance so that one element doesn’t overpower the group. while each element supports another (for example, wood supports fire), other elements can diminish another (for example, water puts out fire). To quickly understand the cycles of creation and destruction, follow this cycle:
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each element of the cycle has multiple ways of manifesting itself in your home. Some examples are:
fire
- candles
- geometric patterns such as cones, pyramids and triangles
- sunrise or sunset landscape designs
land
- textiles such as granite, brick or cement
- decorative stones and pebbles
- mountain or desert landscapes
metal
- metallic materials such as bronze, silver, gold or copper
- oval or circular furniture
- metal sculptures
water
- small water additions such as waterfalls or aquariums
- free form works of art
- glass
wood
- wood floors and furniture
- tall and vertical shapes
- floral artworks
life aspiration areas
The second component of feng shui is to balance the entire house with each element so that as you navigate from room to room, you achieve your best possible self. these are called life aspiration areas, which include:
- career
- knowledge
- family
- wealth & prosperity
- fame
- love & association
- creation
- synchronicity
- health
The above nine life aspiration areas are reinforced based on the presence or absence of the five elements in your home. this is how they each work together:
career
career not only applies to your job, but also to your general direction in life. activating this in your home can give you a space to make goals or reinvigorate your current work.
direction: north main element: water destructive element: earth
knowledge
In order to encourage self-care, your home knowledge area can help you study for school or learn something new.
direction: northeast main element: earth destructive element: wood
family
This can refer not only to your immediate family, but also family and friends. The family can be revitalized by displaying family photos or houseplants to reinforce a feeling of togetherness.
direction: east main element: wood destructive element: metal
wealth & prosperity
You probably won’t become a millionaire overnight, but encouraging this area in your home can improve your work.
direction: southeast main element: wood destructive element: metal
fame
Fame doesn’t automatically catapult you into celebrity. rather, bringing fame into your home means recognition, recognition, and promotion.
direction: south main element: fire destructive element: water
love and love association
This can support a nurturing relationship you already have or help attract a partner. think of subliminal messages as works of art of paired elements.
direction: southwest main element: earth destructive element: wood
creation
creation focuses on generating something new that did not exist before. this can be useful for artists and creative people, as well as people hoping to start a family.
direction: west main element: metal destructive element: fire
synchronicity
This area may seem a bit vague, but it can relate to finding a connection with people or a place. if you’ve recently moved, improving synchronicity can help you meet new friends.
direction: northwest main element: metal destructive element: fire
health
The health area will be the center of your home and will give you the greatest peace of mind. try to keep this part of the house clear, especially if it lands in a busy entryway or room.
direction: center main element: earth destructive element: wood
design your house for feng shui
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So how do you know which item belongs in your master bedroom? It’s hard to tell without mapping your home in terms of life’s aspiration areas, but luckily it’s not that hard to do. you can easily accomplish this at home with a few simple store-bought tools.
what you’ll need:
- a compass
- graph paper
- tracing paper
- a ruler
- a pencil
Step 1: Use an existing floor plan or measure the exterior and interior rooms of your home.
Step 2: Translate the measurements to scale on graph paper (for example, 1 foot = 1 square).
Step 3: Find the center point of your home by folding the outline in half vertically and horizontally. draw an “x” in the center of the crease.
Step 3a: If your house is not a perfect square or rectangle, you will need to fill in the missing space. do this by folding the sheet in half vertically. if there are rooms that take up more than 50 percent of the wall it’s on, draw a dotted line extending from its corner to make up for the missing space.
step 4: take your compass and walk to the true center of your home where you drew the “x”.
step 5: place your floor plan on the “x” in the room, then place the compass on top of the floor plan.
step 6: begin marking your life aspiration areas, starting at 0° and labeling as follows: 0° – north 45° – northeast 90° – east 135° – southeast 180° – south 225° – southwest 270° – west 315° – northwest
Step 7: Once this is done, use a ruler to draw dashed lines from the center out in each direction on the floor plan.
step 8: label each direction with its corresponding life aspiration area.
feng shui bedroom colors
Before you move that heavy heirloom closet, consider the colors in your master bedroom and how they impact your mood. There is no wrong way to decorate your bedroom, and ultimately you should paint your room however you see fit, but feng shui can help guide color application.
each feng shui element comes with matching colors. however, it is important to note that simply painting a room a certain color will not reinforce the living aspiration areas. it is much more effective to have physical manifestations of the element (for example, a small decorative waterfall over painting your room blue).
if you are looking for the colors to support or suppress a different element, use the following:
- fire colors: red and purple
- earth colors: yellow and orange
- metal colors: white and silver
- aqua colors: blue and black
- wood colors: green and brown
conclusion
With this guide in hand, you’re ready to not only recreate your bedroom, but also design your new feng shui home. Although feng shui comes with many rules, that doesn’t mean you can’t be creative. make your bedroom feel more like your own with personalized home decor like fleece throws, cushions, and canvas prints.
source: mccandles, c. (2011). feng shui that makes sense. minneapolis, mn: two-port press.
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