Feng shui MM Yin and yang for the young
Developed thousands of years ago in China, feng shui is an ancient science that teaches how to balance the energies in any given space. Feng shui practitioner Edel Cleary (
fengshuidesign.ie) tells MM how to use it in your baby’s nursery…
When it comes to a baby or young toddler’s nursery, the advice I would give is very much the same as I would use for all of our bedrooms! I think, however, that, as a child’s first ‘room of its own’, it’s even more important to get the energy right here so that he or she feels safe and secure enough to relax and drift off into restful sleep. Here are my tips for creating the perfect, peaceful nursery for your child…
• Nurseries shouldn’t resemble playrooms with primary colours and stimulating imagery. In general, soft neutral colours and muted accent tones work best in nurseries, so avoid busy patterns and full chroma/primary colours as they are stimulating and don’t allow the eyes to rest. Fortunately, there are many babies’ wallpapers and paints available in muted shades of lemon, cream, pink and blue, so it’s best to opt for one of these.
• If a nursery is to be used as a playroom during the day for a toddler, make sure that there is adequate storage so that toys can be tidied away at night and the space given a more restful atmosphere.
• Try to reinforce the sense of tranquility in a nursery by eliminating distractions such
as televisions, computer games or too many toys.
• For best effect, don’t have mirrors in children’s bedrooms. If you do feel the need to have a mirror, then restrict it to just one, if possible, but ensure that it’s not visible to your child from their bed.
• Your child’s bed should be positioned with a commanding view of the door but not in line with it, as this can stimulate their chi or energy, which can lead to poor sleep and disharmony.
• Ideally the head of the bed needs to be backed up by a solid wall and not placed with the bedhead to the window which can, again, be stimulating and counterproductive to restful sleep.
• Bunk beds and beds elevated over desks aren’t ideal for children as they restrict the energy above the bed and can restrict your child’s potential.
• Don’t have baby monitors within six feet of your baby’s cot or toddler’s bed. Instead, place them just outside the room, if possible.
• Lighting should be subdued and gentle, so, where possible, employ black-out
curtains or blinds on windows so that the room can be darkened. This will trigger your child’s natural circadian rhythm for sleep.
• To enhance family solidarity, place a plant in the family area of the bedroom and rotate this between your children’s bedroom. Plants have the ability to ‘clean’ the air, thereby reducing indoor pollution and also adding moisture to the air, which is excellent for balancing negative ions.
• Use a cold air aromatherapy diffuser to diffuse essential oils for 20 minutes before your child goes to sleep. This scent then becomes a trigger to encourage an atmosphere of calm, which is conducive to them drifting off to sleep. Lavender is particularly good as it creates a sense of peace and harmony, balances the chakras and activates the crown chakra and the connection with spirit. Lavender is also said to release negativity and calms and stabilises the chi of the heart. Chamomile is also soothing and calming, and is particularly helpful in situations where a child may be anxious or fretful as it helps to smooth the flow of the body’s chi energy. Its warm, apple-like fragrance imparts a well-known calming effect.
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