Feng Shui Sleep
USING FENG SHUI TO PROMOTE
A GREAT NIGHT’S SLEEP
People long for a restful night’s sleep, yet unfortunately, for many, restful sleep can be elusive. You may sleep for awhile and wake up in a panic wondering if you overslept, or did you forget something for that presentation or did you remember to make that appointment? Or you slept through the night but sometimes wake up groggy and grumpy. If you suffer from a physical condition that robs you of restful sleep, it is advisable to seek medical attention for that. But if all is physically well and you just can’t get catch those Zzzs, then you need to look critically at your bedroom, for most likely, that is where the problem lies.
As a Certified Feng Shui Consultant, when a client complains to me about consistently experiencing a lousy night’s sleep, my first thought is to ask them about the condition of their bedroom. Most people think it doesn’t make any difference—after all, it’s just the place where they go to bed.
Their eyes are closed so who cares what it looks like? The connection is not made between a good night’s sleep and one’s surroundings.
If you’re looking for ways to make Bedrooms evoke many images depending on your particular place in life. For a child, a bedroom is not only a place to sleep but very often, a place to play.
Teenagers coming of age use their bedrooms to depict their personalities and interests. It is often their personal sanctuary, removed from the common areas of their home and they use it to express themselves in addition to sleeping.
A single person may not give any thought to their room because they are not sharing it with anyone. If they are looking for a relationship, they may not realize that their bedroom could be an avenue where they can attract a mate or obstruct that process. And if one is part of a couple, the room should be used to support and nurture that relationship, for it is critical for good relationships to have the bedroom’s energy be balanced.
Regardless of your status in life, balanced bedroom energy is so important, not just for the nurturing and support of relationships, but for nurturing and supporting you as an individual. Your personal sense of well being can be supported (or not) by the energy flow created in your bedroom. And if the flow of positive energy is thwarted or obstructed, you’ll feel it in the quality of your sleep and relationships. You need to feel peaceful and comforted in your room in order to promote good sleep. Feng Shui enables one to achieve this and in turn, that encourages the promotion of your personal sense of well being.
WHERE TO BEGIN?
The master bedroom of any home is the first place to start. The master bedroom nourishes the Qi of the adults who live there who in turn nurture the children’s energy. Therefore, a good master bedroom is good for the whole household. Fortunately, there are various ways in which we can make the master bedroom conducive to good restful sleep and at the same time, provide support for nurturing your relationship.
In Feng Shui, when it comes to attracting positive Qi and dispelling negative Qi, there is a very specific, Number 1 Rule. In fact, it’s non-negotiable. If you want good, positive energy flow, you must first declutter! Most of us don’t realize how much stuff we pack away in our homes and especially our bedrooms. Too much stuff clogs energy pathways. And worse, in addition to blocking pathways for positive energy to enter, we also create avenues for negative energy to accumulate and get stuck. The first step to this is to throw out anything that you consider garbage. If you absolutely love what’s left after purging, and you have to keep it, make sure there’s a place for it. If not, you need to create storage space for what you have kept, which should be items that have meaning and you hold dear.
There is nothing wrong with holding on to keepsakes and mementos, but there must be a place for them. Neat storage (think organized bins or cabinets) is OK, but if you don’t have room for the bins themselves, then consider renting a storage unit.You may chuckle if you look at this picture and are reminded of your room. Just remember that a room like this invites negative energy to take hold and stay, making the attraction of positive energy difficult, if not impossible. Clear the clutter!
The next rule I’m going to sharewith you is likely to make you unhappy. It seems very un-21st Century for me to even suggest it. But for restful sleep and positive energy flow, Rule Number 2 is: Remove your electronics and your TV from your bedroom. TVs and home offices rob your master bedroom of the ability to promote restful, peaceful, positive energy which serves to nurture you and your relationship. And it robs you of good sleep. Many of us find removing the bedroom TV to be an impossibility. It’s up to you. But doing so promotes positive energy flow and helps to support and nurture you while you sleep. If the TV must stay, then cover it with a sheet or towel while you sleep.
There are cases where a home office must be put in the master bedroom and by now you know that to do so is not ideal. However, if there is no choice in the matter, it is imperative to create some sort of delineation between your work space and your sleeping space. That delineation is necessary in order for you to mentally break away from work in order to sleep peacefully.
This setup, although quite attractive, is less than ideal for good restful sleep. I would remove the TV and look for an attractive screen to delineate the work space from the sleeping area. If this depicts a guestroom in your home, then it would be acceptable since sleeping here for a night or two wouldn’t overwhelm a guest. But if it is one’s permanent sleeping arrangement, modifications need to be made.
This room is really well done, not just esthetically, but from a Feng Shui perspective as well. The bed has a strong headboard (crucial for relationship support), the color palette is soothing and everything is balanced. The room promotes “couples” everywhere. The bed is placed between two dressers. There are two lamps, one on each side of the bed. The mattress and box springs are off the ground allowing air flow all around and under the bed and there are two of chairs. When you promote pairs in a master bedroom, you create an atmosphere that is conducive to couples which in turn nurtures relationships.
Rule Number 3 for the master bedroom is to keep it clean. Be sure to regularly dust, vacuum and clean under the bed. In addition, using the space under the bed for storing items is not recommended in Feng Shui. Energy needs to be able to flow freely around and under the bed. Blocking air flow by storing items under the bed can be favorable for negative energy to accumulate.
Also, be aware of any allergens in your room. Do you need organic cotton sheets, blankets and pillows? Do you need an air filter? If so, invest. The initial output of money spent for these items is inconsequential when you consider the benefits of their use for many years to come. And you’ll sleep better for it.
There are many other useful tools for creating a space conducive to restful sleep and a nurturing environment in your master bedroom. Bed placement, window placement, bathroom proximity and wall color come to mind. I’ve given you three of the most urgent areas to address when it comes to creating a sanctuary for you to sleep in. We can to address the others in future posts.
I hope you’ll take the time to try these suggestions. You’ll feel the difference and you’ll be glad you did! And of course, if you need help with any of your Feng Shui projects, just give me a call. In the meantime, I wish you all Peace, Balance and Abundance!
Red Ribbon Member
