Vastu Shastra Bedroom Design Tips

Vastu shastra definition:

Vastu Shastra is a Sanskrit term that translates to the “science of architecture.” It incorporates many architectural design ideas, such as space, arrangement, layout and measurements.

Source: Yogapedia

The layout of your bedroom is important when you’re creating a relaxing room for sleep. If you’re looking for ideas to help make your bedroom, guest room or child’s bedroom a restful sleep space, why not try the principles of Vastu Shastra?

What is Vastu Shastra?

Vastu Shastra translates as “science of architecture” and is a practice based on texts about this traditional Indian system . Similar to the principles of Feng Shui, the Vastu Shastra texts can help you plan your home using principles of design, layout, space arrangement, spatial geometry and ground preparation.

The practice of Vastu Shastra is based around powerful cosmic energies. It recommends best practices on the placement of objects – always with the goal of improving energy flow within a room or space. The philosophy of Shastra is based around the flow of Prana (life) in Hindu culture.

Vastu Shastra for the bedroom

If you’re looking to create the ideal sleep space, Vastu Shastra can help. From where you place your bed to the positioning of mirrors and plants, this traditional Hindu system of architecture offers guidance on how to organise your sleeping space. The following principles can help you create the perfect sleep sanctuary:

1. Bedroom direction

The direction that your bedroom faces is an important part of Vastu and the way a room faces can dictate who the bedroom should be used by:

North bedroom: a bedroom in the north of the house is generally a good choice for anyone. This direction is especially good for young students who have completed their studies and are now looking for a job, or those that are looking for business opportunities.

East bedroom: a bedroom in the east is ruled by the Lord Surya (Sun) and is a good choice for those that are currently studying. In Vastu beliefs, a bedroom facing east will help with intellect and therefore your studies.

South bedroom: south is the direction of relaxation in Vastu, so it’s perfect for a bedroom as it can help you achieve peaceful sleep. Having the master bedroom in the south of the house is a good choice.Southwest bedroom: a southwest bedroom is also ideal for the master bedroom, as it is meant for the head of the family. This direction is linked to good health, prosperity and longevity.

Northwest bedroom: this direction is a great option for a guest bedroom or a children’s bedroom. A northwest bedroom is especially good for guests, as the direction is best for people looking to change their location, so it could stop your guests from overstaying their welcome!

Southeast and northeast: neither of these directions are suited to bedrooms. Having a bedroom facing the southeast can cause quarrels between a couple, whereas the northeast can supposedly cause health issues.

2. Bed positioning

When deciding on where to position a bed in the bedroom with Vastu Shastra, the flow of the earth’s magnetic currents is a key factor. This flow goes from northeast to southwest.The best position for a bed is to have the sleeper’s head in the south. This allows the electromagnetic currents to bypass your head, making it the most restful direction and the best for promoting sleep.

On the contrary, never sleep with your head in the north, as the electromagnetic currents can cause dizziness and headaches. If you can’t have your head to the south, east is also a good direction.

West is not a good option (although it can be fine for a guest bedroom). If the choice is between north or west, go with west. Vastu states that your head should never face north when you sleep.

When you’re deciding on your bed’s positioning, avoid placing your bed too close to the wall, as there must be enough space to access the bed from both sides. Try not to place the bed under a beam – if you can’t avoid this you could get a false ceiling to mitigate the negative effects. Another consideration is not putting the bed in the corner of the room, as this stops positive energy from flowing freely.

3. Bedroom furniture

Positioning your furniture can also have an effect on how relaxing your bedroom is, as it affects the energy flow in the room. According to Vastu, heavy pieces of furniture such as the wardrobe should be placed in the south or southwestern direction.

Keeping your bedroom free from clutter is also important in Vastu, so plenty of storage is key. If you’re short on space and need to clear your clutter, consider a storage bed.

4. Mirrors

Mirrors and their placement are important aspects of Vastu Shastra, as they’re believed to bounce energy around. It can cause restless nights and increases worries if the mirror is in the incorrect spot.To ensure you get a good night’s sleep, avoid placing a mirror opposite your bed. If you have a dresser with a mirror, place this next to the bed so you don’t have the mirror bouncing energy towards you during the night.

If you can’t avoid a mirror facing the bed, Vastu principles recommend placing a cloth over it when you’re not using it.

5. Electronics

Vastu recommends that electronics like TVs are kept out of the bedroom, as they send out energies that can disturb your sleep.

If you can’t avoid keeping TVs or other electronic devices in the bedroom, make sure they’re in the southeast of the room, and at a reasonable distance from the bed. If a TV screen faces the bed, cover it with a cloth as it can also act as a mirror.

6. Colours in the bedroom

Colours play a vital role when it comes to Vastu Shastra in the bedroom, and there’s a lot to think about. As a general rule of thumb, use light shades to decorate your bedroom, as dark colours can disturb the mind. This is also true when it comes to bed linen, as dark colours can heat up energies around the bed.It is also said that a newly married couple should have pink, blue or a soothing yellow in the bedroom. Red should be avoided as it symbolises fire and could cause conflict. For children green (for growth) or yellow (for happiness) are good choices.

The direction of your room should also inform your colour choice:

Greys, white, blues and greens are good for a north bedroom.
Greys, silvers and golds are best for west bedrooms.
A bedroom in the south should be decorated in pinks, oranges, maroons and browns.
Beige, greens and browns are best for an east bedroom.

7. Decorations

As clutter is a no-no in Vastu, keeping your decorations minimal is important. But this doesn’t mean avoiding them altogether.If you like paintings and sculptures, feel free to have these in the bedroom, but choose them wisely. Your décor will govern your thoughts and mood, so when you’re selecting paintings or sculptures, think about what emotion they evoke and only go for those that convey relaxing feelings in the bedroom.

Avoid excess pillows on the bed as they signal there’s no room for anyone to join.

8. Flowers and plants

Fresh flowers and live plants are highly recommended in Vastu. Avoid artificial flowers as they dampen spirits and energies. Once again, colour is important here, not just for the flowers but also for the vase. Red vases can help to increase warmth in a relationship, so are great for a couple’s bedroom. Yellow is a good colour for students’ vases, as it’s the colour of wisdom and knowledge.