Feng Shui and Meditation

by Momentum Feng Shui | Feng Shui

Feng Shui is a philosophy developed in ancient China that outlines positive ways in which to organize yourself in your environment. Meditation is a practice in which you can learn to become familiar with your inner landscape. Both Feng Shui and Meditation are used to generate harmony and peace within our lives. Loosely translated, Feng Shui means the art of living in harmony with our environment. We’re the product of our environment and what we inherited from our parents (nature) along with the people we come in contact and our physical environment (nurture). These begin to mold our perceptions of the world and affect our reactions to it.

Our daily lives are full of time-sensitive duties along with high-stress careers that require us to maintain our overall health in order to prevent exhaustion and fatigue. Adopting an exercise regimen and healthy eating habits are well-known to benefit both body and mind, but there are other practices out there that can add more depth to a self-care plan – including Meditation and Feng Shui.

Feng Shui Bed Placement

In the bedroom, Feng Shui’s bed direction is essential. Feng Shui principles have proven that everything is ultimately energy; it makes sense that your bed’s position is part of bedroom Feng Shui. The bed should be placed relative to the door and allow the sleeper the broadest possible scope of the room. A restricted range of sight within the room can restrict the person’s Chi and their life vision. The larger the space in front of your bed, the more your life expands, breathes, and improves.

Avoid placing your bed in a corner because you or your partner may feel trapped. Both sides of the bed should be easily accessible so that one partner doesn’t have to climb over the other to get out of bed. In that case, the person who is sleeping facing the wall could feel deprived of freedom, restricted, or stuck in the relationship. If your bed position doesn’t allow you to see the door and you can’t move the bed, place a sizable mirror that easily allows you to see the door. If you need to angle the mirror to show the door, use a standing mirror angled to the appropriate position.

Dedicate a Space

Let’s use Feng Shui to create a sacred space in which to meditate that can support and improve the meditation practice.

It is okay if you cannot find a perfectly quiet spot. Life is full of distraction, and part of meditation is to learn to accept the interruptions. Select a dedicated space that you can routinely go back to for your meditation practice. It can be a room in your home or a place outside in your backyard.

But don’t forget the other Feng Shui principles that determine the optimum energy movement in the space. During meditation, it is better to face one of your favorable directions. Thanks to this, the flow of the positive chi energy will move towards you and your meditation will be successful. Do not sit facing any of your bad directions. To learn about your lucky directions, consult a Classical Feng Shui Master. It’s better if the room is not directly above or below a kitchen, bathroom or close to a massive piece of furniture. Locate the Pooja or Alter away from the bathroom and on the ground floor, not in the basement. Overhead beams can block or cut the energy in the room, and you should avoid placing your meditation seat under one. Mitigate the sharp energy of a beam by painting it to match the ceiling. Arrange the meditation cushions or chairs to face the altar, without turning their backs to the door. From the point of view of Feng Shui, it is a very uncomfortable position. Colors, materials, gemstones, and even open doorways can affect energy flow, and careful attention to Feng Shui makes your meditation space both enlivened and serene.

You can further differentiate your space by sitting on a cushion or blanket to define your place. Some use Zafu Cushions specifically designed for meditation, preferably yellow, maroon or earth-colored natural fabric so you feel grounded. Always use the same cushion for meditation, the energy collects in it and makes your meditation more powerful. This can help you to dedicate and define your special “spot.” Do not use your meditation room for other purposes otherwise, the energy will get confused.

Whatever your religion is, meditation in front of a sacred object, be it a statue of Christ or Buddha, will bring peace to your mind. The meditation altar and statue should be a comfortable viewing height, not too far above your head when you are seated, but not below your feet, because this is a mark of disrespect. Any murti, statue or large crystal should be centered in the middle of the altar, the section for well-being. Place only undamaged statues on the Alter. Dispose of any damaged or broken statues/murtis by immersing them in a body of flowing water, such as a river. A few simple items surround the statue or spirit object, such as a vase of flowers or a small green plant; a candle or tea light; an incense holder; and a beautiful object from nature such as smooth river stone, feather or pine cone.

There should only be a few things in the meditation room. External emptiness attracts inner emptiness which is the purpose of meditation. Emptying of thoughts, and emptying of mind results in inner peace.

On a deeper level, if your room is not organized, all the energy inside it changes. When there is a mess in the room, this means that something is wrong in your life. You can completely change the energy of the room by placing objects in a certain way.

Clearing the Space

After you have selected your meditation space and defined it physically, it is of utter importance to clear and dedicate the area energetically. Space clearing dedicates the invisible energy of space so you can start fresh and set your intention for the space, that particular moment and for your life.

Clear everything out of the room; clean it until it sparkles and then clean the space spiritually with a sage smudge, flowers, holy water or a sacred bell. You may want to engage a professional space clearer to help release old energies from the room. Paint the walls a light, calming shade such as antique white, or blush pink, violet to invite gentle energy into the cleaned and cleared space. Cooler Purple is also more attractive for meditation space because it’s calmer and the color associated with the higher chakra centers for intuition and enlightenment. The best location is the northeast corner of the house, an auspicious direction. If the Knowledge or Creativity areas are not practical or possible, note the qualities associated with the altar location and reinforce them with your decor.

In Feng Shui, Oranges represent vibrant, life-affirming energy. Orange essence is refreshing, happy and contributes positive, fresh and brightening energy to our inner and outer environment. I personally use few drops of orange essential oil in a diffuser or infuse my meditation room with my favorite Joe Malone candle in Orange Blossom scent.

It is important to create a sanctuary at home, as self-care is critical to maintaining health, preventing burnout, avoiding feelings of resentment and preventing illness.