8 Classical Feng Shui Tips For School Success

Good energy in a child's bedroom environment can make it easier to study, learn and grow. Feng Shui principles can be used to nourish your child's health, imagination, confidence and ability to get along with others. In addition, by surrounding children with a general feeling of safety and security, harmonious energy can enhance their well-being and ability to learn. Let's take a look at how Feng Shui can help encourage success at school.

1. Designate a separate space for doing schoolwork. Ideally, your child's bedroom should include a study area equipped with a desk, chair, and a lamp. This sends the message that studying is an integral part of the child's life. If placing a desk in the child's bedroom is not possible, then designate a space in your home specifically for doing homework. You want to avoid the "temporary" feel of working on a dining room table, for instance, where papers and books are constantly being cleared away to make room for "the real purpose" of the room.

2. Place your child's bed correctly. Authentic Feng Shui will place the child's bed in the direction harmonizing his or her energy with the unseen energies in the room. If you don't know this position, a good general rule of thumb is to "ground" the energy of the bed by placing it against a solid wall diagonally opposite the door. Your child's bed should not share a wall with a toilet - this is not good for health. Ideally it is best for the bed to have a solid headboard, and avoid bunk beds that can leave children feeling either pressured or insecure.

3. Watch the clutter. Clutter in a child's room can build very quickly. Clutter vibrates with so much jittery energy that your child may find it hard to sleep or concentrate. This can be particularly troubling if the clutter is shoved under the bed where it can keep the child from resting easily through the night. You must be vigilant about keeping clutter under control. Make it a regular practice to work with your child to weed out old clothes, broken toys, and anything that is outgrown and gathering dust. Tell children that you're making room for new things to flow into their lives and you'll find that room cleaning can become a favorite activity!

4. Use serene colors. Bold, primary colors are fine for toys, but unleash harsh energy in a child's bedroom. Be careful, too, with what you hang on the walls. Avoid posters or images of aggression, violence, or conflict. Images like these can over-stimulate a room's energy, leading to hyperactivity or agitation. Instead, surround children with soft, warm colors and art that is cheerful, calm and inspiring.

5. Remove TVs from children's rooms. The electromagnetic force in a TV can strengthen any unseen energies in a room, creating a negative influence. Plus, with so much violence depicted on TV, it is not a good idea to have a child watching TV in a room and not being monitored. In addition, putting a TV in the bedroom may send the message that watching entertainment is equally important as studying and resting.

6. Cover or remove mirrors. If your child suffers from nightmares or has difficulty sleeping, it could be the mirrors in his bedroom. Some children are very sensitive to mirrors. The effect is intensified if children can see themselves in the mirror when they are lying down in bed. If you have the slightest reason to suspect that mirrors are overly energizing the room, cover or remove them at once.

7. Display works that reflect achievement. When your child looks around her room, make sure she has the satisfaction of seeing that others value her hard work. Academic awards, sports trophies, photos from a recital or drama production, and positive notes from teachers all help your child build strong self-esteem and the confidence to take on new challenges.

8. A place of one's own. You may not be able to give each child his own room, but you should give each child a personal space. In a shared room, for example, each child might have his own bed and his own desk. This helps children develop a "sense of self" and a respect for the property and personal boundaries of others. It also creates a "haven of harmony" so that even if the roommates don't share the same energetic makeup, they can both have a space that supports them.

Remember, we spend a third of our lives sleeping in our bedrooms. Add playtime and study time, and children can spend even more time there! That's why balancing the Feng Shui of your child's bedroom can make such a big difference in making this the most satisfying and successful school year so far!

(c) 2009 Rupal Mehta Turner