Feng Shui (pron. fung schway) is the 4000 year old Chinese Art of Placement & Interior Design. Feng Shui literally means: "wind, water" representing the way energy flows in the environment. Feng Shui, the 3000 year old Chinese art of placement and interior design, offers many insights into how to bring our life into harmony with the energies of the universe. It is an intricate study of how our subconscious reacts to the images around us. This oriental study of life observed many millennia ago that the human brain sees the outline before it sees the content. This is demonstrated in identifying a good friend walking toward you but who is still too far away to see their features clearly. We identify them by their form.

Dear Dr. Feng Shui : I read recently that the position of the bed is important. Given the configuration of my bedroom, what position would be best for me? -- Betty from Riverside

Dear Betty from Riverside: The purpose of the bedroom is described by the Three Rs: rest, rejuvenation and romance. According to the configuration of your bedroom, there is no "right" position. Only the best possible position. Fortunately each problem present in your bedroom has a solution.

1) The first option to eliminate is having any part of your bed facing directly toward the doorway or having doorways directly to the left or right of the bed. Imagine a train coming through your bedroom or master bathroom door and running straight over your body. Though this is never likely to happen, your sleep will be disturbed in anticipation of "something" coming through the door. As a result you will not sleep very deeply and not receive the benefits from the first two Rs of the bedroom: rest and rejuvenation. Furthermore, the area of your body in the way of the energy flow from a doorway to the left or right of the bed will be tense and weakened becoming more prone to injury or succumbing to a serious health crises. A shortened life is even more likely if your bed is positioned with your feet pointing at the door and the train of energy flows over your whole body. In fact, Feng Shui masters of old call this the Coffin Position as this is the way they will carry you out.

2) Next we consider the windows positioned on two of the walls of your room. Ideally, you do not want to have your bed situated under a window. This also leaves you exposed to the influx of excessive energy making it difficult to rest. In situations like this there is a subconscious sense of danger as the subconscious is constantly considering "what if?...what if the window breaks?...what if someone comes in from behind me?...what if this and what if that?" One of the guiding principles of Feng Shui is to relax this subconscious anticipation of the worst by giving oneself the optimum positioning. Therefore the text book position of the bed recommends a solid wall behind the bed to provide support and a sense of security.

3) Your third wall is mostly closet doors making this an impractical choice as you need to get in and out of your closets. This leaves the only other option which is the wall that has the door to the bedroom in it. Ideally you want to be able to see the door to the room you use whether it is a bedroom or an office. This arrangement is referred to as the Command Position. This ideal often can not be fulfilled. The result is a feeling of vulnerability - of not being able to take immediate action in a situation of danger. Or just not knowing what might be going on "behind your back." This results in unrest along with chronic neck and shoulder pain from subconsciously trying to look at the door while the conscious mind continues to look straight ahead or down at a book.

The Rearview Mirror Solution

However, of all the walls this is still the best choice as the solution to this problem should be easy to apply. The solution is to position a mirror on the wall opposite your bed allowing you to see the doorway and anyone whom might enter. Instead of a mirror, a framed picture with a glass covering will be adequate if it clearly reflects the entrance way. Of course like all mirrors positioned anywhere in the home, it should be hung high enough not to decapitate any member of the household who might walk by. Mirrors also should be of good quality so as not to give a funny house distortion which will result in a distorted view of reality.

By placing your bed on the same wall as the doorway into the room and applying the "rear view mirror solution" you will enjoy the benefits of two of the Three Rs of the bedroom - rest and rejuvenation. The success of the third R - romance - will depend on how you decorate and how you arrange your romantic images. We'll answer that question next time.