Don’t put mirrors in front of your front door; it’ll keep good luck from coming in. Don’t let the foot of your bed face the toilet; this will flush out all your energies. Believers of feng shui always have precautions such as these. But what’s behind these beliefs anyway?

        Taoism believes that all matter is composed of a flowing energy called the ch’i. Feng shui is a Chinese art that facilitates the flow of ch’i in order to create harmony between people and their environment.

        In these chaotic times, we surely need some harmony and balance in our lives. And since our bedrooms are usually our sanctuaries –or Happy Places, if you will—here are some tips on how to apply feng shui in your bedroom.

Arranging the General Area

Susan Levitt’s Teen Feng Shui offers an easy way to map out one’s bedroom. So if you’re in the mood to give your room a makeover, Feng Shui style, then follow these easy steps:

1. Take a piece of paper and draw a square outline of your bedroom. Make sure that the entrance to your room is in the lower line of the square.

2. Divide the square into nine equal squares, making a 3x3 grid. Each square corresponds to a certain aspect of life:

3. Fill up your room with objects that will best work with these corresponding spaces. Teen Feng Shui suggests the following:

Knowledge: Bookshelves, books, tools for self-development.

Career: Mirrors or water-related items, images to support career goals.

Helpful People/Travel: pictures of your helpers

Family/Health: Family photos, heirlooms, plants.

Creativity/Children: Art supplies, artwork, computer.

Wealth: Money, jewelry, fish, fountains, anything red, purple, or gold.

Fame/Reputation: Candles, awards, plants, anything red, orange, or purple.

Relationships/Romance: Round or oval mirrors, anything pink, pictures of loved ones, paired objects (like two candlesticks or two crystals).

Now that you’ve fixed the layout of your room, here are tips on how to make your room conducive to both studying and sleeping:

The Bed Area

-     Put the head of your bed against a wall. This provides support.

-     Avoid putting the head of your bed against the window. The ch’i will flow out the window as you sleep, and you will awaken feeling even more tired.

-     Do not align your bed to the door, but make sure that the door is within sight, so much that you can see who is entering. This gives you a sense of security (“You can’t see me, but I see you!”).

-     Keep the space under your bed clean. Not only does this allow the ch’i to flow unobstructed, but it also discourages becoming a pack rat.

-     Do not put lights and fans directly above your bed. Putting them directly overhead creates the feeling that something is always about to fall. You wouldn’t want to sleep in a bed with the fear of waking up decapitated, would you?

-     Avoid sleeping with a mirror at the foot of your bed. You wouldn’t want to wake up seeing the Bride of Frankenstein first thing in the morning.

The Study Area

-     Put something eye-catching on your desk, something that is visible from the door. This will make you gravitate to your desk rather than to your bed.

-     Have a proper place for everything. Not only will you stop having to dig through piles and piles of paper just for that ballpen, a clean desk also reflects the orderliness and peace in your life.

For feng shui to work in your room, it must be free of mess and clutter. So say goodbye to your organized mess and pack rat tendencies. If you want to achieve some balance and harmony in your life, try starting with your bedroom. Let that ch’i flow through your room unobstructed and give your room the feng shui makeover it badly needs!