Feng Shui Myths – Is a picture of water in the bedroom a problem?

“Marlyna, I am at a loss and wonder if you could give me feedback?”

I got an email from one of my clients last week. She was distressed about something she had been told about the Feng Shui of her bedroom.

“I want to hang a painting with water scenes in my bedroom but was told it was bad Feng Shui. What do I do?”
“Um, that’s not how it works”, I said.

There is more misinformation on Feng Shui out there than truth.  And, I hear about it all the time.

My studies on the subject of Feng Shui over the last 20 years have been largely driven by the need to understand why there is so much misinformation and to know what is real.

I was quick to reassure my client, “Don’t worry. There is absolutely no problem with a picture of water or even the colour blue in your bedroom.”

So, where did this urban Feng Shui “water in the bedroom” myth come from?

I suspect that someone somewhere learned a little bit of Yin and Yang and read that we should not have real water in the bedroom and then interpreted that to include pictures and colour.

Seriously… misinformation like this drives me crazy (even though it is good for business).

Let me clear up this soggy myth and talk about the importance of understanding and balancing Yin and Yang.

The theory of Yin and Yang is used to describe the two primordial forces of energy within the universe and together they blend to form everything in existence. (Feng Shui is the study of energy.)

Here’s a quote from my book, “By nature, Yin is still, passive and receptive, and Yang is active, controlling and circulating.”

For good Feng Shui, we like areas such as bedrooms to be more Yin. The proportion of Yin to Yang affects how well we sleep and rest, which in turn affects our health, relationships and productivity.

When a bedroom is too Yang, this can be a problem. In Feng Shui, water is classified as Yang, so we don’t like water in the bedroom. **Note: this means real water and not just a picture of it!!

And this would have to be a significant amount of real water… like a hot tub full! Flowers in water in a vase or a glass of water by your bed is fine.

Other things that are Yang are TVs, radios, and large windows. These also have an effect on the balance of Yin to Yang in the room.

In general, most bedrooms in North America are too Yang. I see this as a direct correlation to anxiety, depression, unhappiness and ultimately loneliness and divorce.

Remember, there are many contributing factors to achieving balance, harmony, and positive Feng Shui in your home.

If you truly want to understand more about Yin and Yang, I urge you to read my book and attend one of my upcoming classes.

And if you’re serious about helping yourself beyond what I can teach you, contact me for a professional consultation where I can personally help you to balance your house.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more myth-busting tips.