Feng Shui Your Bedroom

Is your bedroom a peaceful haven you retreat to for rest and romance, and emerge from feeling refreshed and renewed? If not, a little feng shui may be just the thing your room needs.

Feng shui — which literally translates to "wind and water" — is the ancient Chinese art of placement. The goal is to enhance the flow of chi (life force or spiritual energy), and to create harmonious environments that support health, beckon wealth and invite happiness.

In the bedroom, "Feng shui helps you arrange the space to support your best rest and connection with your partner and with yourself," says Los Angeles feng shui consultant Jayme Barrett, author of "Feng Shui Your Life." Follow these simple feng shui strategies that will turn your chaotic, uninspiring bedroom into the serene and sensual sanctuary of your dreams.

Its cultural and spiritual symbolism aside, "There's no doubt that color impacts our psychology and our physiology," says David Daniel Kennedy, a feng shui teacher and consultant in Berkeley, Calif., and author of "Feng Shui for Dummies."

Feng shui practitioners recommend warm, rich earth and skin tones such as terra cotta, copper, coral, cream, peach, tan and cocoa for creating a cozy, welcoming atmosphere in the bedroom. Soft natural colors like light blues, greens and lavenders lend the bedroom a quiet, tranquil vibe and invite healing energy. Bright reds and oranges are typically associated with yang — the masculine half of the yin and yang energy equation — and are too stimulating.

That said, "Pink and red are the colors of romance, and using them in the bedroom can increase the romance in our relationships," David explains. Just limit these passionate hues to accents around the room — in the form of sheets, pillows, throws and other linens. If pink and red aren't your thing, try variations such as burgundy, pomegranate, eggplant and magenta.

In feng shui, the "commanding position" for the bed is as far away from the bedroom door as possible, but in a spot which still allows you to keep an eye on the room's entrance. "This gives you a sense of safety and protection while you rest," says Jayme. The corner of the room diagonally opposite the door is usually best, since it distances you from the door while keeping the bed out of direct alignment with the room's opening, which is conducive to sleep, relaxation and healthy chi.

Headboards, especially solid ones made from wood, are considered good feng shui because they provide additional strength and support behind your head. Footboards, on the other hand, are seen as blocking forward progress in life.