I’m often struck by the practical nature of the principles of Feng Shui. The Feng Shui tenets of safety, comfort and beauty as a way to maintain balance and harmony in our homes make sense in the abstract, but more importantly they make sense in the concrete and tangible world of our spaces.  One of the best ways to make your space safe, comfortable and beautiful is to put everything back in its place after you’ve used it, restoring the balance of the room. This is an easy way to increase the gentle flow of chi, the vital energy that flows through our spaces.   This principle applies – daily —  to your bed!

Did your mom tell you to make your bed every day?

Mine sure did and it’s a habit I’ve maintained my whole life. I don’t think I can leave my house unless my bed is made, it’s that ingrained!  My mother’s reasoning had a lot to do with teaching me to take responsibility for my space, for giving me a sense of order to my day before I left the house, for giving me the gift of a pleasant and orderly room when I returned from school, and probably with her not wanting to do it for me!  All good practical reasons based in the principles of Feng Shui.   Let’s dig deeper:

We know in Feng Shui that everything is alive with energy, everything is connected and everything is constantly changing.  You are connected to all your spaces, but with respect to your bedroom it’s a very great connection indeed – you spend a LOT of time in there (some say we spend 1/3 of entire lives sleeping!).   This is a space where we need to feel safe and comfortable so we can truly relax and deeply rest.  A great change takes place in this space every night when you let your day go, let yourself relax and restore and then, after hours spent in your bed sleeping, you wake again to start over, hopefully transformed by rest to create a wonderful new day. Making your bed every morning is a way of allowing the energy to gently flow through the space again throughout the day without getting stuck in the mess of tangled sheets and blankets.  Making your bed balances the space with order when you leave giving you the gift of your external environment mirroring your internal environment; you’ll feel calmer and ready to start your day.  And, no matter what kind of creative chaos you might face in the morning, your place of rest and restoration – your bedroom and bed — await you like a personal oasis in the evening.  If you create a space where this can happen each night, you’ve done your Feng Shui work.  And it all starts with making your bed.

Mom always did know best.