Basic Principles for Bed Placement:
① Avoid positioning the bed directly facing the door. If unavoidable due to room layout, place a screen between the door and bed to block the line of sight.
② The foot of the bed should not face a wardrobe or wardrobe door, as this symbolizes “entering the coffin.”
③ The foot of the bed should not face doors or windows. In some southern regions of China, it is believed that only the feet of the deceased are positioned toward doors or windows.
④ The bed should not be placed under a beam, as this is said to cause recurring nightmares. Additionally, the bed should not be positioned along the line connecting the Geng and Kun mountains (the Ghost Gate Line), as this invites “ghosts into the home.”
⑤ The bed should be placed in one of the three auspicious directions corresponding to one’s natal chart: Vital Energy, Longevity, or Heavenly Physician. If placement in an auspicious direction is impossible, orienting the headboard toward an auspicious direction is acceptable.
⑥ One should not rigidly adhere to the auspicious and inauspicious directions dictated by natal charts or birth dates. Consider the actual layout of the bedroom. Any theory divorced from practicality is mere empty talk and should not be treated as superstition.
Regarding the Selection of Dates for Bed Placement:
Traditionally, bed placement dates are chosen based on the season’s most auspicious days. For instance, in spring, days like Jia, Yi, Yin, or Mao are selected—such as Jia Yin, Jia Zi, Ren Yin, and so forth. However, the author believes this method of date selection has numerous issues and should not be taken lightly.
When selecting a date for bed placement, one should first consider the Five Elements of the dwelling, also known as the Primary Five Elements. This means avoiding dates, months, and hours that clash with the house’s facing mountain. For instance, a house facing the Rat direction should avoid the Horse day; a house facing the Rabbit direction should avoid the Rooster day, and so on. Additionally, one should avoid dates, months, and hours that clash with the bedroom’s orientation. Furthermore, dates, months, and hours that clash with the zodiac sign of the house owner—especially the occupant of that bedroom—should also be avoided. All such combinations are inauspicious. Other factors are not restricted.
Date selection is quite troublesome, as ancient theories were complex and rife with taboos. Based on my experience, for selecting dates for Yang dwellings, it suffices to use the Five Elements of the dwelling to choose dates—that is, avoid months, days, and hours that clash with the dwelling. Otherwise, if one fears this and that, nothing can ever be accomplished.
General Principles of Bed Placement Auspiciousness:
If the bed rests with its right side against the wall, it forms the “White Tiger Pressing the Body” configuration (as shown in Figure 1). Feng shui principles dictate that the Dragon side should be elevated while the Tiger side should be lower; the Dragon side should be dynamic while the Tiger side should be tranquil. These principles equally apply to indoor feng shui layout and adjustments.
In the先天卦 (Xiantian Gua), the White Tiger corresponds to the Kan Gua, symbolizing danger, ditches, concealment, mental afflictions, and blood-related ailments. In the后天卦 (Houtian Gua), it aligns with the Dui Gua, representing verbal disputes and destruction. Thus, the White Tiger side must not be violated; it should be kept distant, tranquil, and low to ensure peace. The Azure Dragon corresponds to the Li hexagram in the Primordial Trigrams, representing fire, the sun, lightning, armor, and weapons. In the Post-Heaven Trigrams, it aligns with the Zhen hexagram, symbolizing dragons, the mysterious yellow, and great pathways. Thus, the Azure Dragon direction should be dynamic and elevated.
The ancient concepts of “Green Dragon” and “White Tiger” in feng shui represent the circulation and exchange of primordial and post-heavenly energies; they do not refer to literal dragons or tigers. This is akin to the human left and right hands. Most people find their right hand more agile for tasks, while the left is clumsier. This imbalance is actually detrimental. Consequently, left-handed individuals are often more intelligent and suffer less from cardiovascular diseases.
Therefore, to achieve health, one must consciously train their left hand to surpass the right in dexterity and strength—or at least achieve balance between both hands—to attain greater well-being.
The human body is thus, and so is the environment. The small environments we inhabit—our homes, even our bedrooms—are no exception. If the layout of your bedroom positions the bed with its right side (as determined when lying down) against the wall, this is known as the “White Tiger Pressing the Body.” This arrangement is detrimental to the occupants. If the bed is shared by a married couple, it adversely affects the wife, who may suffer from frequent illnesses and restlessness. If the bed is occupied by a child, it negatively impacts the child’s mental balance, leading to defiance and resistance to discipline.
At least one-third of a person’s life is spent in bed, often even longer. The bed serves as the body’s “recharger,” exerting profound influence. This bed configuration can cause mental turmoil within the household, strain family relationships, and lead to physical and psychological issues among family members—all without their awareness. The only remedy is to reposition the bed according to auspicious principles.
Remedy:
Align the bed so its Green Dragon side is elevated based on the house orientation and door/window configurations (as shown in Figure 2). Note: This method is not rigidly fixed. When arranging bedroom furniture, conduct careful assessments and apply the principles flexibly.
Below is a summary of auspicious bed placement feng shui configurations illustrated in diagrams:
① Diagram 3 depicts a powerful Azure Dragon layout. When lying in bed, the wardrobe should be positioned on the left Azure Dragon side, not the right White Tiger side, and kept farther from the White Tiger wall. The bedroom door should also be on the left Azure Dragon side without any door-to-door clash, making this bed placement highly auspicious.
② In the layout of Figure 4, although the bedroom door is positioned on the right-hand White Tiger side, the bed is placed against the Green Dragon side, forming a “Green Dragon with Strength” configuration. Although the door opens toward the Tiger side, the bed does not clash with the bedroom door and is situated at a considerable distance. It is suppressed by the Green Dragon, making this bed arrangement highly auspicious.
③ The bed configuration shown in Figure 5 represents a common layout for bathrooms within the apartment’s interior. This layout strongly discourages the bathroom door directly facing the bed. If compounded by the “White Tiger Pressing the Body” effect, it becomes doubly inauspicious. Therefore, when arranging the bed in such a bedroom, utmost caution is essential.
Sometimes this may require relocating the door or even more complex renovations. Do not skimp on these expenses at the outset of your renovation. I can assure you that every penny spent will be well worth it! As shown in the following diagram, Bed Layout 2 avoids door conflicts. The bed is positioned near the “Green Dragon” side, making this arrangement highly auspicious.
④ The bed configuration in Figure 6, while not as favorable as Figure 5 from a feng shui perspective, still adheres to the principles of feng shui layout. The bed avoids any conflicting elements and demonstrates thoughtful consideration, thus it is deemed quite auspicious.
⑤ Figure 7 summarizes various “White Tiger Pressing the Body” bed configurations. You should avoid these layouts at all costs; never arrange your bed in such a manner, lest you invite endless trouble.
⑥ Figure 8 summarizes the auspicious bed configuration known as “The Azure Dragon’s Power,” presented below for your reference. Those who can apply my method are both destined and blessed.
When arranging the bed placement for your own or others’ bedrooms, you must also fully consider the palace positions of the bedroom within the Yang residence, the location of the bedroom door, and the position of the windows. If the bathroom is inside the bedroom suite, you must also fully consider the direction of the bathroom door, walls, toilet, and water heater. After comprehensively considering all the above factors, adopt the bed placement layout discussed in this article: “A strong Green Dragon is auspicious, while a White Tiger pressing close is inauspicious.”
This concludes the fundamental principles of bed placement layout covered in this article.