Beam over the bed: feng shui remedies
Exposed beams are beautiful, until one runs right over your pillow. Traditional feng shui treats that as oppressive energy pressing down while you sleep.
Avoid sleeping directly under a beam, especially one crossing the bed at head or chest height. Move the bed so the beam isn’t overhead, or soften it with fabric, a canopy or a painted ceiling colour.
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Why beams are an issue
In the tradition, a heavy beam concentrates downward pressure on whatever sits beneath it. Beams running across the bed (rather than along it) are considered the most intrusive, as if they “cut” the sleeper in two. Many people also find a low beam overhead physically oppressive, which is reason enough to act.
Remedies
- Move the bed so the beam runs beside it rather than above.
- Paint the beam the ceiling colour so it visually recedes.
- Add a canopy or fabric drape between the bed and the beam.
- Uplight the beam to lift it visually.
Is a beam pressing on your bed?
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Questions people ask
What about a sloped ceiling?
A steep slope over the head of the bed is treated similarly. Put the headboard on the tallest wall if you can.
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