Feng Shui (or Wind and Water)

Feng Shui (or Wind and Water) is the practice of arranging your environment so that energy flows gently and smoothly through your home or business environment. In this way your space just feels good – and supports what you want out of life whether it’s a better career, new romance, improved health, or more income. Feng Shui is not a meditation practice, a religion, or a New Age cult. It is based on the concept that everything in your environment has a life force or energy called “Chi.” Just as Chi flows through your body, it also flows through your living environment. When the energy flow is stagnant (think clutter and overflowing closets), moves too quickly (think long dark hallways, stairs, and straight shots through the home), or is obstructed (think walls, trees, or even cars in the wrong place), the unbalanced Chi may lead to ill health, domestic strife, or financial concerns.

Feng Shui adjustments can help you make sure that this Chi energy flow is just right so that everything in your environment supports your wish for good luck, good health, harmonious relationships, and prosperity. To make Feng Shui more accessible to Western society, the spiritual leader Grand Master Lin Yun developed a Western form of Feng Shui that has removed the complex formulas of traditional Feng Shui and the strict adherence to Chinese cultural elements. He incorporated spiritual practices from around the world and was the first to focus on how one’s intentions can impact the physical environment and energize the nine specific areas of each home. Grand Master Lin Yun introduced this Western form of Feng Shui to the United States in the 1970s.As people in the United States (and Europe) also started experiencing the benefits of arranging their homes and businesses according to Feng Shui principles, Feng Shui has moved into the cultural main stream.

Now most Americans have at least heard of Feng Shui, and many are using the practice to arrange their homes for good luck and prosperity. Even the British Royal family is rumored to use Feng Shui principles.Businesses, from Citicorp to Donald Trump’s companies, are integrating Feng Shui principles into their business practices. There is more than one school of thought in regards to Feng Shui, and also one can go for the rules of The position of the bed relative to the door, The distance from the bed to the door, The sleeper’s scope of vision, The visibility of the bedroom door, The direct line from the door and The direction of your bed or your head when you sleep. So let’s brake this down: The position of the bed relative to the door

The first Commanding Position principle states that the position of the bed relative to the bedroom door rates more importantly than the compass direction the bed faces. That is, you don’t analyze whether your bed faces east, west, north, or south.You can rest easy and position the bed according to the way it best relates to the other main feature of the room — the door. The distance from the bed to the door The second Commanding Position principle holds that the bed should sit as far from the bedroom door as possible. If the door is on the left, the best position is the far right corner of the room; if the door is on the right, the best bed location is the far left of the room; and if the door is the center, the best location is either the far right or far left corner of the room.(See Figure) The farther your bed sits from the door, the more control you can feel over your space and your life. You aren’t startled easily, and you have plenty of time to prepare for events as they unfold.

The sleeper’s scope of vision The third Commanding Position principle asserts that the bed position should allow the sleeper the widest possible scope of the room.A diminished range of sight within the room can restrict the sleeper’s chi and his or her life vision. The larger the space in front of your bed, the more your life expands, breathes, and improves. For this reason, Feng Shui cautions against placing the foot of the bed against a wall, which can block your career and cause foot and ankle problems. In addition, placing your bed directly against a side wall (with no space between the side of your bed and the wall) can make you feel cramped, stifled, and less flexible in life. The visibility of the bedroom door The fourth Commanding Position principle states that you should clearly see the bedroom door from the bed. This concept means that when lying on your back in bed — that is, in the center of the bed (if you sleep alone) or on your side of the bed (if sleeping with a partner) — you can open your eyes and immediately see the door of the room without repositioning your body.If you have to perform gymnastics or create new yoga positions to see who or what’s coming in the door, your bed position does not meet this principle.

Not seeing who’s approaching can keep you uncertain and on edge. Even if you think that you’re accustomed to not seeing the door, you still likely experience ongoing subconscious stress, which can create imbalance and frustration. The possibility of always being startled can keep you on edge, and over time, the continual tension and unrest can cause an imbalance in the nervous system. Results can include nervous problems, arrhythmia, and heart palpitations. In addition, repeatedly twisting the body to see whether someone’s coming can cause neck and spinal problems in the long run.If your bed position doesn’t allow you to see the door and you can’t move the bed, you can place a sizable mirror opposite the bed that allows you to easily see the door. If you need to angle the mirror to show the door, use a standing mirror angled to the appropriate position.

The direct line from the door The fifth Commanding Position principle holds that the bed should not sit in the direct line of the path of the doorway. If your bed does sit in the direct line of the door, the chi of the door runs directly and too powerfully up the middle of the bed. This factor can create diseases along the midline of the body. The farther you sleep from the door and the more of the room you see while in bed, the more you can feel in control of your environment and, therefore, your life. Seeing the door to your bedroom symbolizes that you know what life is bringing and feel prepared to deal with whatever comes. You’re in command, and the results manifest positively in many areas of your life. When following the Commanding Position principle, you can choose from three alternatives for good bed placement.(See Figure)

Choices 1-b and 1-c are both excellent; just be sure, if possible, to leave enough room on the side closest to the wall for your partner (or yourself) to get into bed. Position 1-a (the bed angled in the corner) is the strongest choice of all; it gains support from two walls rather than one wall. If you choose this position, then your bed should feature a solid headboard. Make sure the corners of the bed firmly touch the walls. You can strengthen this bed position by placing a plant and a light behind the headboard. (A real or an artificial plant works for this cure, and the light should be in good working order but doesn’t need to be on at all. The direction of your bed Depending on which direction you position the bed, you will have various other advantages through Feng Shui.For example, you can place your bed either facing East, South East, West, North West or South West for best results.

West: When you face your bed west, you create the best conditions for a good night’s sleep. West is contentment. However contentment can also bring with it laziness and low motivation, so starting a new career while your bed is facing this direction might not be the best idea. This is ideal for people who already have a good career going.

East: Eastern positioning of your bed will make you feel that every day is a new day indeed. If you are young, just starting out, this is the perfect way to sleep. This brings out in any person feelings of ambition and growth and it easily promotes career expansion. South East: This is for people who have trouble communicating as it promotes good communication, an enhanced creativity and a rather active life. South West: If you are rather restless, facing your bed the South West direction will calm you down and make you feel at peace with all there is. You will also have a feeling of being more settled in your life and relationship. What you should avoid instead is placing your sleeping quarters in bad positions for Feng Shui, such as North, North East and South.

North: North can increase various sleep disorders such as insomnia and make you rather lethargic in your life. This position is often called the ‘death position’. If you are an older person, such as a senior citizen, this position might be good for you as it really promotes a calmness and tranquility that you can mostly benefit from. North East: This can easily give nightmares to a person and make one feel at edge at all times. It brings out strong emotions.

South: South is really bad for sleep as the energy surrounding it is rather high.If you find yourself in many heated arguments in your relationship, one way to minimize those is to change the direction of your sleeping quarters..