This ancient practice claims that by following certain placement guidelines, people can bring harmony and balance to their everyday lives and to the environments in which they dwell.

Although the principles of Feng Shui can be implemented throughout your home, the bedroom is thought to be extremely important. According to the philosophies of Feng Shui, it is the most important room in the home. It is where you rest, sleep, love and reenergize for your daily life – it is in fact a place where you will spend approximately one-third of your life.

Feng Shui allows your chi (inner being) to achieve harmony with its environment, promoting a positive energy and a strengthened inner life force. Creating such an atmosphere is said to beckon good things into your life.

Whether you believe in the tenets of Feng Shui or not, much of its practices are simply reflective of a smart style sense. We have compiled the ways you can tap into your chi – release and revive your inner life force – and possibly even heighten the quality of your life. Here’s how to use Feng Shui in your bedroom:

IDEAL COLORS
Since color impacts your mood and inner being, practices of Feng Shui suggest bedrooms should contain calming, warm or natural tones throughout. Colors like light blue, cream, tan, lavender and even terra cotta all coincide with the Feng Shui color pallet. You want the colors you choose to create a warm, welcoming and tranquil atmosphere to enhance the healing energy of the space.

BEDROOM FURNITURE
According to the book Feng Shui: Arranging Your Home to Change Your Life, “the soul leaves the body while we sleep to wander and restore itself.” In order to allow your chi to flow freely and rejuvenate while you slumber, pay close attention to the placement of your bedroom furniture.

Bed: The placement of your bed should always be against a solid wall which symbolizes protection and support. Whenever possible, try not to place your bed under a window as this may allow energy to escape or outside energies to enter in, creating a restless sleep for those in the room. Never have the foot of the bed in direct alignment with the door (this is known as the “death position” and should be avoided at all costs). The ideal placement for bed is diagonally opposite the bedroom’s entrance. If you are married or wanting to have a child, place your bed in the southwest corner of the room, as this is the direction of marriage and motherhood. If you are single but would like to be in a relationship create a space of symmetry. For example, place a nightstands and lamp on each side of the bed – create a space as though two people were there. As for the bed itself, a sturdy headboard is considered good Feng Shui as it is said to provide additional strength and support to the sleeper whereas footboards are thought to block forward progress in your life and should not be used, if possible.

Mirrors: Mirrors should be used sparingly in the bedroom and if used at all, they should never face the bed. When your soul rises at night, if it sees a reflection of itself, it may get startled and possibly disrupt you from your sleep.

Dressers, nightstands and other bedroom furniture: Bedroom furniture should have rounded, not pointed, corners. If pointed edges are unavoidable, position furniture so no point is facing you as you sleep. Pointed edges are said to increase irritability and possibly even be harmful to your health. Keep clutter in the bedroom to a minimum, as it may disrupt the flow of your chi. Clutter also symbolizes unfinished business and is said to limit you from progressing forward. Make every attempt not to store clutter under your bed. Your bed is considered your basis of good health and should not be obstructed. Electronics should also be minimal in the bedroom as they are thought to disturb the tranquility of the space. Move any and all items that have a negative memory associated with them completely out of the room – positive energy needs to be allowed to flourish in this space.