Houseplants are more than just pretty. Study after study has shown that they can boost our productivity, clean the air, and help us to have better sleep. There’s more! Did you know that according to the principles of feng shui, they can also attract good fortune and positive energy in your home?
Besides improving the aesthetics of your sleep space, plants invite the energy of nature into your bedroom. According to feng shui principles, houseplants can be nourishing and healing for your personal energy. Of course, these benefits are only attainable if you incorporate plants in the bedroom with feng shui correctly. We’ll help you do just that!
What is Feng Shui?
You’ve no doubt heard of feng shui before. But what exactly is it? It is about more than just moving around furniture or creating a Zen-looking room, though. Feng shui gives you the necessary tools to reduce stress, improve your well-being, and invite joy into your daily life. Plus, it allows your mind to rest and get the deep sleep your body needs each night.
Feng shui is a centuries-old practice that is much more complicated than can be properly explained in a few paragraphs. However, a few basic principles of feng shui for your bedroom include:
- Place your bed in a “commanding position”
- Create equal space on both sides of the bed
- Choose a solid headboard
- Incorporate skin tones and muted colors
- No heavy or sharp-cornered items
- Not too many houseplants
The Feng Shui of Determining Plants in Bedroom
Decorating your bedroom with live, fresh, and thriving houseplants strengthens the energy of one particular feng shui element: wood. Wood is associated with wealth, family, and new beginnings. For homes overfilled with the Metal element, bringing plants into your sleep space can help adjust the balance of the elements. The wood element boosted by plants in the bedroom with feng shui brings vital energy of growth and action into your space. It can also inspire compassion, kindness, and flexibility. Moreover, green, the color of most plants you would consider putting in your bedroom, is associated with healing.
When it comes to houseplants, more isn’t always better- at least according to the principles of feng shui. Feng shui tells us that too many wood elements will stall your thinking process. In order to think and feel clearly, we need other elements in our lives. Don't create a jungle that overrules your room! Feng shui in our bedrooms should be organized in a way that invites you in, while calming you at the same time.
When looking for the right plants to go in your bedroom, the principles of feng shui tell us to look for three categories:
Air Purifying
One of the greatest benefits of keeping plants in the bedroom is that they have the ability to improve indoor air quality. The Areca Palm and Boston Fern are both well known for their abilities to clean the air. They remove harmful toxins and one study even found that the Areca Palm is one of the best plants for removing carbon dioxide from the air.
Protective
Also known as the Snake Plant, Mother-in-Law's Tongue is a great plant for beginners to feng shui and keeping plants alive. Although it might appear sharp, it also has a quality of protective energy.
Money/Luck
Also referred to as a Money Plant, the Jade Succulent features many rounded leaves. This gives the plant a soft, lush appearance. You could also place Bamboo in the room. This plant represents growth and adaptability. In feng shui, the number of bamboo stalks has a symbolic meaning. For instance, two stalks are supposed to nourish areas of your life associated with love, and three stalks nourish your happiness.
Bedroom Plant Placement
Remember, it isn’t just about what you place in your bedroom, but also where. Your home is a reflection of your life, and the “bagua” is one of the tools that feng shui practitioners use to better understand this connection. Each of the areas of the bagua correspond to a particular aspect of your life, such as career, relationships, knowledge, and even your financial prosperity. We could go on for pages about this intricate subject, but we’ll put it as plainly as possible by saying the area of your bedroom in which you place your plants affects the home’s energy. As a quick example, if you’re wanting to improve your financial situation, you would place a plant in the far left corner of your room, which is measured by standing in your doorway leading in.
It’s not all good news, though. There are certain things to avoid as well. Just like there is good energy from well-done feng shui, there is bad energy too! Do not buy dying or sick plants, fake plants, or spikey plants since these plants do not help promote positive energy. Avoid pointy and spiky plants, such as a Cactus.
We spend many hours sleeping in our beds, about ⅓ of our life in fact. By using feng shui in your bedroom structure and décor, you're making sure you begin and end your day in a way that fits in line with this. Your sleep matters, and your bedroom does too!
Your bedroom should be a sleep sanctuary. By incorporating plants in the bedroom with feng shui, you can transform your bedroom into a refreshing place dedicated to rest, centered around a high-quality new mattress, of course. Plants are a great way to turn your bedroom into a healthy slumber oasis! After you outfit your bed with the essentials, like supportive pillows and comfortable sheets, you can get to work making the rest of your room perfect too. You are just a few plants away from finding relaxation in your newly-revamped space!