How to turn your dream zone into a dream temple with a little Feng Shui

There are absolutely no worldly circumstances, under which you can’t or shouldn’t be making the very best of things.

-TUT (Mike Dooley)

Is your bedroom an obstacle course of laundry piles, credit card slips, and mismatched socks and shoes? Does your nightstand threaten to topple over like the Leaning Tower of Pisa with magazines, books, newspaper clippings, water bottles, tissue and and cough drops? Have the dust bunnies beneath your bed become so big that they’ve grown teeth?

While most of us can probably see a clear(ish) path from our bed to the bedroom door, I’d bet our sleep zones (aka our bedrooms) wouldn’t make it on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens bedroom edition either. In other words, we’ve got room for improvement in the most important room in the house (in my opinion): our bedroom (aka our dream zone).

When we realize that a cluttered dream zone equals cluttered dreams…when we realize how much a sweet sleep environment contributes to sweet dreams…and when we realize how much a delicious night’s sleep directly affects our ability to wake up on the right side of the bed and be delicious the next day, we might be inspired to make a few basic steps toward Feng Shui-ing our dream zone.

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of harmonious flow. According to Feng Shui, a dream sanctuary is one in which there is nourishing and sensual energy. It lures you in while evoking a peaceful-feeling tone of joyous well-being. In a dream sanctuary you feel nurtured, replenished and safe enough to let your guard down all the way, whether for a cat nap, a full-night’s sleep, or for passion beneath the sheets.

Don’t worry! This can be done with just a few simple adjustments. As my friend ⁷Marie Diamond, the world famous Feng Shui expert, featured in the movie, The Secret says, “33% of our experience is affected by our physical surroundings. It is a lot easier to hang a photo on a wall than it is to change your mental programming.”

To create a dream sanctuary use your five senses as your guide as you use the following simple Feng Shui tips:

Sight

• To ensure a nourishing flow of energy, make sure your bed is in the commanding position in your room (an indirect view of the bedroom door from a reclining position where you sleep) and can easily be approached from both sides.
• For a sense of safety and deep ease, ensure there isn’t anything heavy hanging on the wall over your head or on the wall behind you while you sleep (i.e., a large mirror, framed piece of art or hanging plant.) If there is, relocate it, or get rid of it!
• To support a peaceful feeling of relaxation, remove any electronic appliances like a TV, stereo, workout equipment or computers.) If you must have them in the bedroom, then cover them with a swatch of attractive fabric or a room divider when not in use.
• To promote balance, have bedside nightstands or small tables on each side of the bed.
• For a sense of calm and order, keep bedroom doors closed at night as well as the doors to an adjoining bathroom, closets and drawers.
• To create a warm, sensual environment, dim lighting in the bedroom or use candles to create a dreamy, inviting mood. If possible use a dimmer switch to adjust the glow.
• To achieve a sense of balance, use soothing colors in your bedroom, such as “skin tones” to achieve a feeling of peace and calm. These colors range from pale white to rich chocolate brown—whichever feels most soothing, nourishing, and/or nurturing to you.

Sound

• To block out jarring or distracting sounds that might interrupt your dreams or your sleep, I recommend that you create white noise, such as a fan or air purifier.
• To empower you on a conscious and subconscious level, if you feel that you must listen to the radio or watch a television program, make sure that it is calming and empowering. Remember, the moments before you fall asleep are “prime real-estate.” The words you hear and the sounds you take in as you drift off to sleep are very important and influential to your dreams (and the hard drive of your mind’s computer.)

Smell

• To keep fresh air flowing in your dream sanctuary, open the windows and draw the shades during the day. If you are unable to open the windows, then get an air-purifier to keep the air fresh. According to scientist, Boris Stuck, from University Hospital Mannheim in Germany, the quality of air in your bedroom is very important and has a great deal to do with your ability to have sweet dreams or not.
• For a pleasant scent in the air, use essential oils and (non-toxic) candles.

• To enhance sweet dreams, lavender, jasmine, mugwort aromatherapy or potpourri stimulate the mind/body connection, as well as reduces stress levels, thereby releasing positive energy and healing.

Touch

• For a secure feeling as you sleep, make sure your bed has a good mattress, with a solid headboard and high quality sheets from natural fibers that feel soft, fuzzy, or silky to the touch.
• To promote maximum comfort, adjust the temperature in the room (with additional blankets if it tends to be chilly or a fan if it tends to be too warm or stuffy) to make sure the air temperature is just right for you.

Taste

• To keep your breath as fresh as possible, make sure to brush your teeth before bedtime and use mouthwash if you get up in the night—especially after a midnight snack. If possible, stay away from drinking fruit juice in the middle of the night, as the sugar creates an unpleasant aftertaste that will affect your dreams.
• To quench your thirst in the middle of the night, make sure to have a glass or bottle of water by your bedside.

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As the saying goes, “As above, so below; as within, so without.” If you follow these simple suggestions (or even just a few of them) in your outer world you will no doubt experience an improvement in your inner world. Even if your bedroom never gets invited to be the cover of Better Homes & Gardens, you and your non-existent dust bunnies will feel so good you won’t care!

What is the first thing you will do to shift your dream zone into a dream sanctuary?

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Excerpted from It’s All In Your Dreams (Conari Press). Once you buy your copy, click here to receive $4,000 worth of *free dreamy gifts throughout the month of May.

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