Avoiding the Bed Facing Door Position in Feng Shui Design
All feng shui experts discourage the bed facing door position in feng shui design. This rule holds true not just for feng shui design but for many traditional belief paradigms as well. The bed facing door position is not optimal in Islamic design traditions because it is considered rude to sleep with the soles of the feet pointing toward anyone entering the room. This belief is also common in vastu shastra, the ancient Indian science of architecture and design.
Discouraging the bed-facing door position is not just a matter of superstitious belief. Many feng shui practitioners point out that this bed position actually makes you more vulnerable. When your bed directly faces the door, it makes you more defenseless and exposed to threats coming through the door. Beyond actual threat, this positioning creates feelings of susceptibility that might negatively impact the quality and quantity of your sleep.
What is the Bed Facing Door Position?
The bed facing door position is any bed-to-door alignment where the foot, or even the head of the bed, faces the door. This is the position that feng shui designs call the “coffin position” or the “death position” because it was the direction in which people placed their dead in order to be easily carried from the home.
Time and traditions for dealing with the deceased have changed, but feng shui design holds with the importance of symbolism and how these symbols affect the flow of energy in our environment. Feng shui experts believe that the bed facing door position exposes people to the direct flow of energy into a room. This creates discomfort and an unsettledness in a place where you are supposed to be able to rest and rejuvenate. Not being able to relax adequately can lead to negative outcomes for both your mental and physical health.
Implementing the Command Position
Feng shui experts advise placing your bed in a command position over the bed facing door position in a feng shui bedroom design. The command position in the room is reserved for the bed in a bedroom design. A command position allows a clear view of the door without being directly in line with it. This positioning ensures that you have a clear view of threats coming into the room with time to respond. The command position means that you are not in direct line with energy coming into the room, which means that you will not disrupt the energy flow. This creates the most optimal flow of energy throughout the room.
Bed Facing Door Remedies
Sometimes, your bedroom layout will not allow any other position than the bed facing the door. Try these cures to help alleviate the negative effects that this type of placement can cause.
High Footboard
One easy remedy for a bed facing the door position is to use a high and/or sturdy footboard rather than an open-ended bed. This allows you to create a visual barrier between yourself and the door. A visual barrier helps you to feel more secure and safe while providing a sense of containment and grounding. In terms of feng shui energy flow, a footboard will help redirect the flow of onrushing energy around rather than straight toward the bed.
Additional Furniture
Other than a high footboard, you can use an additional piece of furniture to create a barrier between yourself and the entrance. Furniture at the end of the bed can include a bench, a dresser, a chair, a bookcase, or even a room divider. This extra furniture will not just provide a visual separation, but it will disrupt the quick flow of energy from the entrance to the bed.
Canopy
A canopy is a powerful visual tool if your layout forces you into using a bed facing door position. A canopy is not just an elegant decorative feature; it is a way to provide a complete sense of privacy and create a visual barrier. A canopy is a good way to enhance the energy flow around a bed facing the door. The canopy protects the bed and allows energy to be directed around the bed in a more harmonious and balanced way.
Plants
In the same way that furniture provides a visual barrier for a bed, plants can function in the same way. Plants at the end of the bed provide a visual distraction that helps to draw attention away from the bed. This can help the inhabitant of the bed to feel more protected and secure. Plants also help with the purification of the air quality in the room as well as enhance a better energy flow.
Mirrors
You should be careful of mirror usage in feng shui bedroom design, as mirrors are often associated with active and restless energy. Yet, a strategically placed mirror can help to mitigate the energy flow of the room if you have a bed facing the door. Position the mirror in the room so that it reflects the door without reflecting the bed, as mirrors facing the bed are discouraged in feng shui design. This mirror placement can help to redirect the energy coming in from the door.
Rug
A rug is an easy and one of the most cost-effective ways to ground and stabilize your bed space if it has a door facing position. A rug will better define the area of the bed and anchor and secure it. A rug will also help create a more lush and comfortable space where relaxation is possible.
Beneficial Symbols
There are symbols that you can use to help both redirect the flow of energy and create a more secure space. Use strategically positioned crystals and wind chimes to help redirect the energy flowing in the room. Hang a faceted crystal ball or wind chimes between the door and the bed to deflect and dissipate the energy that flows into the room before it reaches the bed. The melodious sound of wind chimes helps to break up negative energy and redirect it in many directions.
You can also use powerful protective symbols in your room to protect you from negative energy. Symbols like dragons and fu dogs help to protect your space. Crystals like black tourmaline will absorb any negative energy that enters the room.