When positioning your bed in a room, feng shui offers guidelines and taboos, and one of the taboos concerns placing the headboard against a window. This is called a “floating” position that can adversely affect your sleep patterns and your sense of stability. No feng shui directive is an absolute, however, and you may not have an alternative to this placement, or you may simply prefer it. That isn’t always a problem.
The Gateways of Chi
Feng shui considers the windows and doorways of a bedroom — or any room, for that matter — as its “eyes.” They are the gateways for chi — or energy — to come in and go out, and their size and placement relative to each other matters. Ideally, no window should be in line with the main door, because that allows chi to move in a straight line through the room. Additionally, windows that are too small or poorly situated cause energy to stagnate, and the result is that you feel depressed. You take the best advantage of a good flow of chi through the doors and windows of a bedroom by properly placing the bed.
Being in the Flow Can Be a Bad Thing
Pushing the headboard of the bed up against a window is considered an unfortunate placement, because it exposes you to energies flowing in and out of the bedroom while you’re sleeping; the ones flowing in are often more disturbing. If the bed is in line with the door — which is an absolute no-no — or another window, chi freely flows both ways across your sleeping body. As a result of being near a window, you aren’t likely to have a restful sleep. You may have disturbing dreams or find it hard to stay asleep because you feel an excess of energy.
Choosing the Best Placement
You can place your bed in worse positions than in front of a window. For example, pushing one side against a wall creates a constricted feeling and discourages romance, and aligning the bed with the door can adversely affect your sense of privacy and could even cause related health problems. If your bedroom is small or the windows especially large, placing the headboard against a window may be the best of all your options. If that’s the case, mitigating the possible adverse effects of this placement isn’t as difficult as neutralizing other unfortunate placements.
Regulating the Flow of Chi
Locating the bed against a window may not be a problem if the window opens onto a serene garden or an enclosed yard, but it can be problematic if it faces a neighbor’s house or a roadway. To increase your sense of stability and privacy, your bed should have a large, solid headboard to diminish the movement of chi around your head. You can also block chi by hanging heavy drapes and keeping them closed at night. A third way to reduce the effect of energy movement through the window is to offset the headboard slightly so it isn’t right in the middle of the window.
What “a Bed Under Window” Means
A bed under the window means a bed in which your head is right under the window (when you are lying in bed/sleeping.)?How many times have we been told you cannot put a bed in front of a window? Probably by people in my very own profession too. It’s one of those old school rules that are made to be broken. The bed is the centerpiece and focal point in the bedroom. Here are 50 Ideas for placing the bed in front of a window. Here are several rooms that make a bed and window pairing look not just doable, but desirable.
Practicality of Feng Shui Rules. How to place your bed for good feng shui?
Bed is the important components in the bedroom. A correct placement, positioning and direction of the bed with Feng Shui principle are very important to help you keep health as well as bring success in work and business. Now, let’s take a look at how to place your bed for good Feng Shui.
There are some practical reasons why you want to avoid window bed placements, but sometime you have no choice. If you sleep with your window open and only a window screen separating you and the outside world, you are in a vulnerable position to elements, intruders and even large animals. Another risk is illness from exposure to damp night air or cold winter air from leaky window frames. Before you place your bed underneath or in front of a window, try to find a better placement to ensure you have a restful sleep each night. The headboard that you choose is very important in feng shui bed placement. It should be sturdy. Using no headboard or a shaky headboard will not be conducive to good feng shui.
Whether it’s the only option or just the best one, here’s what to do with a window behind the bed. It’s totally okay to put your bed up against the window.
Proper Feng Shui Bed Placement
“At nighttime your body needs strong support, as well as protection, in order to do its best with the work of regenerating itself. This is the reason a good solid headboard is highly recommended in feng shui. In addition to a good headboard, you always want to have a solid wall behind your bed. When you sleep under the window, your personal energy tends to get weaker in time, as it has neither proper support, nor protection.” – Feng Shui Tips and Solutions for Bed Under Window. Rodika Tchi, Feng Shui Expert.
For the best feng shui bed placement, the wall you put your bed on must be a solid wall, meaning without windows. If it is impossible to place your bed on a solid wall and it must be on a wall with a window, then the window covering must be solid so that light from outdoors cannot be seen in the bedroom as you sleep as this will have an unsettling effect on your body rhythms.
“When a bed is placed under a window, it brings in negative chi to the occupant’s health. The window brings in rushing energy that flows through and causes one to be restless. In addition, the negative chi may impact one’s financial situation.1” – Is It Bad Luck to Place My Bed Under a Window. Patty Tran, Feng Shui Writer, and Author
Remedies for Bed Underneath Window
If you have no choice and must place your bed underneath a window or in front of it, there are several things you can do to reduce the effects of the chi energy moving in and out of the window. Symmetry is key here, so make sure if you are going to put your bed in front of a window or windows that it lines up in pleasing, balanced way. Proper feng shui bed placement is essential in creating a restful, peaceful, sensual and happy bedroom. There are few important things to consider.
1. Cover Window with Heavy Draperies
Cover window with thick heavy draperies that completely cover the window and block any light. With a colorful or strong choice of curtains framing the bed, the window, the curtains and everything in between become one big and bold visual focal point. You can open the draperies during the day to let in positive chi energy, but when you sleep, make sure the draperies are pulled tightly closed. This will in effect block the chi energy from rushing over your bed while you sleep.
2. Use shutters
If your interior bedroom has shutters, keep the lower portions closed. Same applies for any bottom-up blinds. It will help give a solid visual barrier for your bed to be placed in front of.
Some feng shui practitioners recommend installing blinds and then position the slats in an upward position to redirect the chi energy. Roman blinds in the bedroom – the best option for those who wish to install a bed headboard to the window
3. Headboards Create a Wall Effect
You can use a headboard to offer an effect of having a wall between you and the window. There are two things you must consider when taking this approach.
Substantial headboard: Make sure your headboard is sturdy, strong and high. A heavy headboard that is very high can offer you the protection of a wall. Pay extra attention to accessories and art; consider them when planning that wall’s entire composition.
Allow space between wall and window: You need to make sure that you leave enough space between the wall and headboard so the chi energy can still flow within your room. The rule of thumb is to leave enough space so you can walk behind the bed.
4. Keep your bed clean.
Be sure not to store anything underneath your bed. Clean under your bed for dust and debris which will be sure to collect. Do this on a regular basis. A clean bedroom is conducive to a good night’s sleep.
Best advice: Implement these feng shui steps in order to protect your health and well-being, but also see how can you change your circumstances for better in the future. Don’t worry about any rules. You ideally know what looks right in your space, so if you’ve found a bed-in front-of-a-window solution that works for you, go for it!
Do you have your bed placed in front of a window? How have you made it work? Do you have advice for those looking to rearrange their bedroom this way?
Other Dont’s for Bed Feng Shui Placement With Solutions
Ideally, you should avoid or remedy the following placements, as well.
- Don’t hang a mirror on the opposite wall reflecting the bed. It’s believed that the soul leaves the body during sleep and upon rising might see its reflection with unsettling results. You can resolve this placement by removing any mirror facing the bed.
- Don’t place the mattress on the floor. Always use a bed frame.
- Don’t place the bed beneath a bathroom, especially a toilet. If your bedroom is underneath an upstairs bathroom, try to minimize the use of that bathroom and make sure the bed placement is in a part of the room that is not under the toilet.
- Don’t set your bed above the kitchen. If you have no choice, make sure your bed is not located over the stove.
- Don’t situate your bed opposite open shelving. These are poison arrows. If you have open shelving you may wish to replace it with an armoire or cabinet. You could also add doors and transform it into a bookcase or cabinet.
Planning a Feng Shui Bedroom and the Bed’s Direction
To discover other poor feng shui choices for your bed placement, draw a layout of your home. Note which rooms share your bedroom walls. Be mindful of the functions taking place on the other side of the wall. For example, if there is a toilet on the other side of the wall you shouldn’t place your bed against it.
Bed Placement Can Ensure Restful Sleep
Take time to work with your bedroom furniture placement to provide the optimum feng shui bed positioning. This is one of the most important rooms in your home and following feng shui principles can mean the difference between a restful night and a fitful sleep.