by
Ralph & Lahni DeAmicis
Getting
a good night's sleep should be as easy as lying down and closing your
eyes. Yet that deeply restful state eludes many people night after night.
What can Feng Shui do to move you more easily into dreamland? Quite
a lot if you address these important questions. First and most simple,
does your bed position command the door? Sleep as far from the entrance
as possible with a good visual perspective of the door.
If
your sleeping body doesn't feel safe you'll stay tense and that feeling
will permeate your bed. Buffer your self from the energy stream that
pours through the door. Chi enters a room veers left and flows around
the space clockwise. Sleeping too close to that energy pathway may stop
you from dozing and will probably give you a stiff neck.
That's
why a bed along the far wall is so desirable since the Chi is diffused
before reaching you. Second question, what compass direction does your
sleeping head point? Your body is magnetic and your head is the point
of the needle. It wants to point north. Your body's energy flows from
your head down over your chest to your feet.
The
Earth's energy flows from the North Pole down to the South. When you
sleep you want these two currents to align. Ideally between three and
five in the morning (the hours of the Tiger), you roll onto your back
so your lungs and aura can expand and recharge (Chi means breath). During
this time the Earth's southern flowing Chi brushes your aura from head
to toe helping to restore and align your chakras.
If
instead your feet point north the Earth's Chi brushes against the natural
flow of your aura and you feel like a cat that's been stroked the wrong
way, grumpy. Pushing the energies of the lower body up onto the heart
and thymus sometimes results in anxiety attacks. While pointing the
head of the bed north is ideal, generally sixty degrees to either side
of north (north east to north west) works well. In a pinch point it
east or west, but avoid anything in the southern quadrants.
One
problem with northern facing houses; keeping beds away from noisy streets
often places their head against the back wall, facing south. We've seen
many houses where the south wall was the only place the bed would fit.
When you pick your next house bring a compass.
Sometimes
aligning the bed with the north puts it in a poor command position.
When sleep is the issue the practical solution is to align the bed and
then place a reflective surface to enhance your view of the door. If
this places the bed uncomfortably close to the stream then insulate
yourself from it. Our favorite method is with a large piece of rose
quartz placed on the bed stand between you and the door. It projects
a calming energy that diverts the stream.
Cleanse
the stone periodically by soaking it in sunlight or saltwater for a
day. A palm-sized piece under the pillow turns off a troubled mind and
opens the doorway to relaxation. The third and most complex question,
how much light and electricity pollutes your bedroom? Asleep you are
thousands of times more sensitive to these subtle elements than while
awake. Light sensitive people often need to eliminate all artificial
light sources from their bedrooms; i.e. clock faces, VCR and TV displays,
and streetlights.
People
born with strong Gemini, Libra and Aquarius in their western astrological
charts, or those born in the hours of the Tiger (3 AM-5AM), Horse (11AM-1PM)
and Dog (7PM-9PM) are inclined to this sensitivity. Many people's sleep
deprivation began with the advent of the illuminated dial clock radio
with its powerful Alternating Current electromagnetic field, and the
light-leaking mini blind.
A
battery-operated clock (batteries use a gentle Direct Current) and a
set of window darkening shades can affect a big improvement. The human
body has a Direct Current nervous system just like the Earth. The graceful
movements of Tai Chi emulates that smooth flow encouraging our energy
to move gently and effortlessly.
For
economic reasons modern homes are wired with Alternating Current that
changes directions continuously. Imagine doing Tai Chi to rap music.
Alternating Current makes your nerves chatter. AC electricity running
through walls near your sleeping body causes disruption. Installing
a switch to turn off the electricity in the bedroom walls while you
sleep is a simple solution that can dramatically improve sleep. Initially
replacing the clock and moving the bed a few feet away from the wall
is a good start.
Supplementing
with the relaxing mineral magnesium and large amounts of essential fatty
acids found in olive and flax seed oils will help you compensate for
the over electrified environments called the modern home. They restore
the soul and smooth the pathway to the good night's sleep we all deserve.
Any reflective surface in the bedroom, whether it's a mirror, TV screen,
or glass fronted picture becomes an obstruction to sleep if it does
one of three things.
First,
it uncomfortably increases light levels. Second, you see your reflection
when sitting in bed (this "spooks" the sleeping body). Third, it pushes
the Chi in the wrong direction. What's the wrong direction? Against
the natural flow of the body and the room! Reflective surfaces work
best when they move Chi clockwise around the room. A large mirror pushing
counter-clockwise can actually reverse the flow, which in turn can reverse
the flow of the sleeper's field.
Generally
hang no reflective surface facing the bed lower than three feet above
the height of the mattress. This avoids over stimulating the aura layers
close to the body. Don't place them at the foot of your bed since that
pushes the lower parts of your aura towards the higher. Here's an exception,
placing a reflective surface on the wall three to four feet above the
head of your bed can be useful since it simulates energy flowing from
the North.
If
the head has to point south this can help. Finally here are a couple
of valuable secrets. Never ever wear out door shoes into your bedroom.
Ignoring this can cause nightmares. Look under the beds of folks who
can never seem to get away from work and you'll find their office shoes
tossed underneath.
Imagine
Chi flowing in your bedroom door as a pure stream of water. Then here
come your work shoes caked with the stressful yuck of your day. They
muddy up that pristine stream and during the night your sleeping body
soaks in that stress-filled information. Second secret. There are two
places that are critical for promoting sleep. The east by north east
section of the house and bedroom. Also the near left hand wall of your
bedroom as seen from the door.
Both
areas relate to the dream state. Clear them of any disruptive debris
that might interfere with your ability to create a sleepy haven. Third
secret. Make sure your feet are warm. They relate to your dreams and
if they're cold you're less inclined to tip toe easily into dreamland.
As you solve these problems think creatively. Maybe you're trying to
sleep in the wrong bedroom, or in the wrong direction, so move things
around. Every improvement requires change, so innovate and create a
haven that supports your dreams.
Drs.
Ralph and Lahni DeAmicis were directors of one of America's largest
and most modern professional Feng Shui practitioner programs, based
in Philadelphia. Their books Feng Shui and the Tango, Happiness
Lessons and Prosperity Lessons, from the Feng Shui Fuzion
Series are transforming the practical applications of environmental
design in America. For a complete directory of their articles and a
catalog of their books and other products, visit www.SpaceAndTime.com.
Copyright 2002 Ralph and Lahni DeAmicis
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