What if we told you that the position of your bed and where you sleep each night has a great effect on your life, your health and your disposition? Hundreds of cases of “proof” have been documented that there is something to this. Bed positioning is extremely important in feng shui. No matter what school of feng shui you follow, it’s a foundational aspect of the philosophy, as it has a relationship to how you position yourself in life, which in turn has an effect on how empowered you are and, to a degree, how successful you are.
Gangsters and animals know positioning
The next time you watch a movie that shows a head mob guy sitting in a restaurant, notice that he’s always sitting in what is known in feng shui as the “power position”. He is far from the door, usually in the far corner, facing the door, so that no one can surprise attack him from behind, and he can see who comes in the door.
In the same way, animals position themselves to face the door so that all they need to do is open one eye to see who is approaching.
Empowered bed positioning
Feng shui uses the same concept in bed positioning. If you put yourself in an empowering position you create a better energy for you to be empowered. Here are the “power position” guidelines:
Be able to see the door from the bed.
This means that when you are lying in bed, you need only open your eyes to see the door; you don’t have to turn your head or crane your neck. At our deepest level, we feel most secure in this position.
Be as far from the door as possible.
There is likely more than one place to put your bed, and if you have a choice and it is aesthetically pleasing to you, place your bed as far from the door as possible. The best position for your head is in the corner farthest from the door.
The further from the door you are, the more empowered the position is. In the gangster example, the further he is from the door, the safer he is. He has more time to prepare himself to fight any “enemies” who might walk through the door.
Avoid situating your bed in the direct path of the doorway.
Stand at the entrance of your bedroom and imagine a light the width of the door shining into the room. Anywhere the light hits is considered the “path of the doorway”. This path is like a strong windy tunnel of unseen, fast-moving energy. When you sleep in the path of the doorway, you have to work to “fend off” this strong flow, thereby losing personal energy while you’re sleeping. It’s energetically calmer to sleep anywhere in the room other than in this pathway.
A common misconception is that sleeping with your feet pointing at the door is “bad”. This is a problem only if your feet are pointing at the door while you are sleeping in the path of the door.
If you have no choice but to position yourself in the path of the door, with feet pointing at the door, place a small table at the foot of your bed with a plant or large crystal that will buffer some of the energy so you don’t have to process it all.
Avoid having the wall to the bathroom behind your head.
The bathroom consists of many drains, so the energy of the bathroom is draining. When you sleep with your head against the wall of the bathroom, it “pulls away” some of your body’s energy. The most energetically draining wall is the one with the toilet attached to it.
If you have no other choice but to keep your bed in this position, place a small mirror on the headboard, or on the wall just below the top of the mattress, in the approximate area where you lay your head, with the mirror side facing the bathroom. You can purchase a four to six inch diameter mirror at a craft store and use double-stick mirror tape to attach it.
This will energetically serve to deflect the draining energy of the bathroom. Hold this as your intention when you are installing the mirror.
Consider the bigger picture
Some people position their beds against a solid wall because they have read that it is “bad” feng shui to have your head under a window. Although having your head under a window is not as favorable as a solid wall, it’s far better than to sleep in a position where you cannot see the door. If you have a window above your head, close the curtains or shades at night to cover up the “hole” in the wall to be energetically protected.
Use your down time for support
By sleeping in an empowered position, you can use the “down” time while you are sleeping to your utmost advantage – not only get more peaceful rest but to give yourself an opportunity to be your best self each day!
Alice Inoue is a life guide that uses the modalities of feng shui, astrology and spirituality in her work. Her offerings include award-winning, mind-body-spirit themed books, as well as a series of feng shui instructional DVD’s. For more information visit www.aliceinspired.com.