Certain factors that affect the quality of your nighttime sleep may lead to insomnia. The most common ones include your nighttime shutdown routine and gut health. But one that’s often overlooked is your sleep environment. Devices, clutter, and ill-fitting pillows are some items that could cause insomnia.
To sleep better and change your environment, you can turn to the Chinese practice of feng shui. With feng shui, you can create balance in your bedroom. Continue reading to learn more about feng shui and how it can help improve your sleep and well-being.
What Is Feng Shui?
An ancient Chinese practice, feng shui emerged more than 3,000 years ago, with its roots in early Taoism. This term comprises two words, feng and shui, meaning wind and water in Chinese. So, the direct translation of feng shui can be ‘the way of wind and water.’ According to Chinese culture, water and wind are linked with good health.
Feng shui focuses on the interaction between people and the environment. This practice aims to organize objects and buildings in the environment to achieve balance and harmony.
The History Of Feng Shui
The last 30 years have seen feng shui become popular in the American interior design world. Feng shui originates from the Chinese concept of life forces known as Chi, which are evident in everything. This Chi comprises two elements, yin and yang, which are opposing forces.
However, yin and yang still complement each other and can't be separated. The goal instead is to balance these two elements, as this would help boost the flow of positive energies. Increasing the flow of positive energies also helps to keep out negative Chi.
Feng shui aims to boost the flow of Chi and balance yin and yang by arranging buildings, decorations, and furniture in a useful way. At first, the Chinese used feng shui to pinpoint safe places where families could live and flourish. Moreover, this philosophy helped identify ideal burial sites where people would be buried.
As feng shui evolved, it became the guiding principle for building monuments. It was even applied when building grand palaces and creating the layout of whole cities.
Feng shui was later banned in 1949 by the People's Republic of China since it was viewed as a superstition. Despite this, urban planners still use feng shui, as evident by Hong Kong buildings whose designs are based on feng shui.
There are even a lot of schools that teach feng shui, the oldest one dating back to the 1800s. At this school, Yang Yun-sang drafted the first feng shui manual that ended up being the Form School. This guide expounded on the philosophy of feng shui by interpreting energy flow through an examination of the environment.
Feng shui has also crossed the Chinese borders and is now practiced in many parts of the world.
Feng Shui For Better Sleep
Feng shui is a great way to bring harmony back into your life. This is why your bedroom should be the center of feng shui to give it the needed happiness and balance. Plus, feng shui in your bedroom is said to strengthen your bond with your partner and enhance your romantic relationship.
Here are some tips you can follow to feng shui your bedroom for a good night’s rest:
- Position Your Bed Centrally
A cardinal rule of feng shui is to always position your bed at the center of your bedroom since your bed is an essential item. After all, it's in your bed that you'll be spending most of your time.
Note that your bedroom door shouldn't be right in front of you while resting on your bed because it will let in too much energy. Place your bed diagonally from the bedroom door, so you’ll still be in a position to see your door even while in bed.
- Declutter Your Bedroom
Some spaces in your bedroom, such as the area below your bed, seem like convenient storage spots. But having so much clutter will only hinder free energy circulation.
The area under your bed is the first place you should start decluttering. Dispose of or donate the things you no longer need to create a smooth energy flow below your bed and your entire bedroom.
Declutter other areas of your bedroom. Remove items from your nightstand. Recycle or throw them. Sort out items in your nightstand and dresser and put them in a ‘catch-all bin’ and a recycling bin accordingly. Then go over your stuff in the catch-all bin and bring the items back to their proper places.
Get rid of clutter in your closet too. Toss those that you don’t wear anymore. Fold or hang up clothes that are still clean.
- Use Eco-Friendly And Natural Bedding Materials
A feng shui principle you should incorporate in your bedroom is the use of natural and eco-friendly bedding materials. One way to do this is to buy a Japanese buckwheat pillow. You can also invest in a natural cotton or bamboo mattress to lessen your dependence on synthetic material in your bedroom.
Natural and eco-friendly products not only enhance your sleep quality but also do a better job of wicking moisture, making them more effective at regulating temperatures.
- Select Relaxing Paint Colors
Your choice of color impacts your bedroom's overall ambiance. According to the principles of feng shui, you get your personal energy from five elements:
- Earth
- Wood
- Fire
- Water
- Metal
Your choice of colors in your bedroom should represent either of these five elements. Additionally, the color you pick must support your unique personal energy. The best way to do this is to opt for muted, calm, and warm colors, such as:
- Coral
- Beige
- Cream
- Cocoa
- Tan
- Soothing pink
- Peach
- Yellow
- Lavender
- Light blue
- Green
Any of these colors give your bedroom the much-needed feeling of balance, which is a key feng shui element. They create a conducive and relaxing bedroom space that's ideal for getting quality sleep.
- Let The Air Flow Inside Your Bedroom
Since the primary goal of a feng shui bedroom is to maximize energy flow, you need to let in clean air into your space. You can do this by installing adjustable blinds, which will help ensure the air in your bedroom doesn't turn stale.
Another way to maximize airflow in your bedroom is to use an air filter. Opening the windows to let in sunlight will be effective too.
- Select The Right Bed
If your bedroom is big enough, get a king-sized bed. It's best to get a bed that's made of solid wood rather than metal because it emits better energy. Aside from a bed, go for a durable and comfortable mattress.
- Avoid Using Gadgets
Using gadgets like your computer and smartphone in your bedroom brings unhealthy energy and leads to restlessness. Blue light produced by your smartphone reduces the production of melatonin, the hormone that influences your sleep-wake cycle. When there’s less melatonin, you struggle to fall asleep even more. So, avoid using electronic devices at least 30 minutes before turning in.
- Place Bedside Tables On Both Sides Of Your Bed
Placing a bedside table on each side of your bed helps achieve balance and harmony. Put plants on your bedside tables to add tranquility and a touch of nature.
- Get A Solid Headboard
The headboard, according to feng shui, is a symbol of support and stability. Pick a solid wood headboard that doesn't have separations or bars. The headboard should also match your bedroom décor.
- Add A Touch Of Nature
Spending time in nature helps you relax and ease your mind from stress. Adding plants to your bedroom is a great way to help you remain connected to nature, even indoors. This tranquility in your bedroom makes it much simpler to fall asleep and have quality sleep.
Plants, such as snake plants, Tulsi, aloe vera, and spider plants, absorb carbon dioxide at night and release oxygen. Including them in your bedroom helps boost oxygen and air quality. What’s more, you’ll get to sleep tight and wake up the next day, feeling rejuvenated.
- Use Soft Lighting
Your choice of lighting in the bedroom can affect the quality of sleep and overall well-being. This is why you should opt for soft lighting produced by desk and table lamps. The Himalayan salt lamp is a great example. Its bulbs emit low heat that warms salt, triggering the release of negative ions. This presence of negative ions in your bedroom cleans the air, which promotes the release of positive feng shui energy and fosters healing.
You can also let in natural lighting, which is better than artificial lighting, by opening the curtains and shades during the day.
- Move Your Bookshelf Out Of Your Bedroom
If you’re an avid reader, the idea of moving your bookshelf out of your bedroom probably won’t appeal to you. But don't shoot down this idea just yet. Books are actually a source of distraction when you're trying to sleep. And over time, books collect dust, affecting the air quality in your bedroom. All this interferes with your bedroom's feng shui balance.
So, consider transferring your bookshelf to a different room. Ideally, the book you have in your bedroom should be the one you're currently reading.
- Carefully Consider Mirror Placement
For most people, having mirrors in the bedroom is a necessary addition. But feng shui greatly discourages you from placing mirrors in your bedroom. This is because mirrors reflect light, which activates the energies in your bedroom. Increased energy in your bedroom will only make it harder for you to fall asleep long after you’ve switched off the lights.
But if you must have a mirror in your bedroom, place it in a suitable area. One example is hanging up the mirror on a wall that doesn’t face your bed. Another placement to consider is along the side of your bed. If your bed takes the correct commanding position, facing the door, you can put the mirror beside your bed.
It’s best to avoid placing your mirror in the following positions:
- Opposite the bed
Since mirrors represent the element of water, they reflect and intensify energy. And mirror facing the bed is said to promote infidelity.
- Above the bed
The mirror’s weight not only interrupts your sleep but also makes it hard for you to feel safe with a heavy object hanging above your head.
- Facing the windows
A mirror facing the windows isn’t a good idea either because it could attract negative energy from outside. Your bedroom is a place of rest, so it’s best to shut out the outdoors.
- Get Inspiring Artwork
Your artwork choice can also affect your bedroom's feng shui balance. Placing artwork with the wrong colors and materials can interfere with the energy flow needed to enjoy quality sleep. Invest in artwork that evokes tranquility and relaxation, such as insightful quotes, peaceful scenes, or nature.
Viewing inspiring artwork in your bedroom helps get rid of any negative emotions you might have. It replaces negative emotions with feelings of happiness and confidence.
Just like mirror placement, the position of your artwork matters as well. Display your artwork somewhere high above you, so you won’t feel as if you’re being dragged down.
Feng Shui For Overall Well-Being
Aside from the quality of sleep, feng shui positively impacts your overall well-being.
- Reduced Stress
Many people today deal with stress because of the busy life they live. Too much stress can lead to mental and physical health issues if left unchecked.
Geopathic stress is one such type of stress resulting from the earth's electromagnetic field. It leads to the release of radiation that later affects your physical health. Some factors that cause this stress include:
- Utility lines
- Pipe sewers
- Mineral deposits
- Tunnels
- Underground water supplies
- Geographic faults
Applying feng shui principles in your bedroom can be an effective approach to lower geopathic stress levels. According to researchers, lower geopathic stress levels prevent mental health issues, such as nervousness, fatigue, and depression.
- Improved Mood
A positive mood is necessary to stay productive and get along with others. Usually, having enough sleep improves your mood. But if you suffer from chronic sleep problems, you’re likely to experience mood disorders like anxiety and depression.
Practicing yoga with a meditation pillow can help you enjoy a restful sleep and reach a positive mood state. But so does applying feng shui principles, like sleeping with your head pointing southward and keeping mirrors out of your bed's line of sight.
- Better Quality Of Life
Following feng shui principles discussed above will help create a safe and supportive space for you and your loved ones. As a result, you'll live a better life.
Takeaway
Your bedroom's décor might be the reason for your sleepless nights. But you can resolve this issue by practicing feng shui. When you're fully rested, you feel happier and stay more productive.
