“Feng shui” is a peculiar and unfamiliar term to some. For interior decorating enthusiasts and buffs, it’s a part of the daily jargon.

The literal translation of “feng shui” is “wind and water;” the term relates to the ancient Chinese art of placement, and its goal is to enhance the flow of “chi” – life force of spiritual energy – to create harmonious environments that support health, beckon wealth, and invite happiness. At the most basic level and from an interior design perspective, “feng shui” is a decorating discipline based on the belief that our surroundings affect us.

“Feng shui” can be applied to any part of the house. Yes, even the bathroom. A person’s bedroom, slightly more important than the bathroom, is their sanctuary and should be a reflection of their personality. I know it sounds a bit strange, but a bedroom is like an extension of a person through objects.

Here’s how to tailor or “feng shui” your bedroom to best fit you:

1. Use welcoming and calming colors
   1. Colors set and affect the mood. Warm, rich earth and skin tones enable a cozy, welcoming atmosphere; soft natural colors like blues, greens, and lavenders provide for a quiet, tranquil vibe and invite healing energy. However, room color is still your choice, so you can choose whatever color you want. Red, black, pink, it doesn’t matter. As long as you like the color and you feel it best fits you.
2. Position your bed with care
   1. “To be safe or to not be safe” is how to look at bed placement. The corner of the room diagonally opposite the door is optimal because it distances you from the door while keeping the bed out of direct alignment with the room’s opening. When the bed is placed correctly it’s conducive to sleep, relaxation, and a healthy “chi.” Even if you place your bed in the middle of your room, as long as you feel comfortable with the placement and can sleep well at night, you still have a healthy “chi.”
3. Clear the clutter
   1. From a “feng shui” perspective, clutter symbolizes unfinished business and stifles forward progress in life. Clutter should be at an all-time minimum in the bedroom, which also means not placing objects under the bed. Objects under the bed create their own energy that hinders the free flow of “chi” around the room. If you’re in need of a space filler, try placing a plant in that space. Of course, it’s your space and you can do as you please with it. However, there is a thin line between hoarding and embracing clutter, so try not to cross it.
4. Shut out the world
   1. The bedroom is a place of solitude; it should be a place of rest, contemplation, and intimacy. Inanimate objects such as exercise gear, a computer, or a desk piled high with bills and paperwork give off and take up a lot of the energy unrelated to the ambience of the bedroom. If these inanimate objects are necessary, have it set it to where you can “shut the door” on it. Like I said before, it’s your space, and you can do as you please with it.
5. Open your eyes to Beauty
   1. Opening your eyes to beauty entails choosing art and other objects that depict things you’d like to manifest in your life. “The last thing you see before you go to sleep and the first thing you see when you open your eyes should be something that makes you feel joyful and inspired.” Art and photos should exclude pictures of family members. The focus of your room should be on yourself. “Whatever tickles your fancy” is what best applies to opening your eyes to beauty, so if it’s a beauty to you, then it should stay.
6. Light it right
   1. Lighting is everything, and not just for snapchat selfies either. Just enough light in the morning can affect your mood tremendously, even to the extent of the difference between a great day and a not-so-great day. The same philosophy applies to the night time. Nothing pitch black, but just enough light to make it relaxing and easier to sleep. This type of lighting can be created with draw curtains or with a variety of artificial lighting items such as wall lights or overhead lights. But hey, if you want to sleep in a black hole, that’s perfectly fine. Light the room that you feel most comfortable sleeping in and waking up to in the morning.
7. Create a sensual haven
   1. Sensual may provoke a negative connotation; however, when I say sensual haven, I mean a sanctuary in which all your senses are activated. Fill your bedroom with things you love to smell, touch, taste, and hear. Of course, make your bedroom look nice, too. Biology is a leading factor in creating a sensual haven. Whatever makes you feel good should be the route to take.

Picture it, smelling the aroma of your room right as you walk through the door. The anticipation built up from the walk from the door to your perfectly placed bed preluding to the moment when you place yourself on your perfectly furnished bed. Effortlessly placing your belongings that have been holding you down all day in their designated spot, before engrossing your body in the bed. The lighting is just right, the mood is just right, the smell is just right, and you easily begin to relax. “Feng shui” doesn’t seem too bad after all, does it?

Feng Shui: How to Tailor Your Bedroom to Best Fit You

Written by Maya Bramletta

September 2016 | Health&Life