Because of how modern homes are built these days with space limitations, it has become a very common sight to see a flurry of beams hanging not just above rooms, but all over the place.
And if you were not observant enough when buying or renting a home, then you might face the feng shui predicament of unknowingly placing the bed under a beam.
Sleeping under a beam is one the most renowned feng shui ailments that has been written and spoke about by practitioners.
Even if you are oriented to a sleeping direction that taps on your favorable direction according to 8 mansions feng shui, a beam hanging above where you sleep can render that practice redundant.
It exerts downward energy pressure on bed occupants.
The irony is that this is an evergreen problem faced by homeowners as builders and developers choose not to hide then during the design and planning phase to save costs.
It must be said that beams play a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity of buildings.
An easy way to spot apartments with little beam problems is to look at the exterior of the building.
If there are visible beams on the exterior, then the odds are that there will be less of them in the interiors. And if the exterior is smooth with no skeletons of the building noticeable, then the odds are overwhelming that residents would find a lot of them on the inside.
So what can one do when he or she is sleeping under a beam?
I’m glad you’ve asked.
1) False wall or ceiling
The most potent way to remedy this once and for all is to build a false ceiling or false wall to effectively “remove” the beam from the room.
You get to sleep peacefully and live happily ever after.
The issue homeowners usually have with such a solution is not just the exuberant prices that contractors might quote. But with the inconvenience that it might cause when works commence.
Even though actual work on it might take a day or two depending on the size of the project, there is this mental block that it is just too much hassle to take on.
On top of that, there is the lingering small of wood, plastic and glue to contend with for days when the job is completed.
Installation of false ceilings or walls is the best and ideal choice to solve this feng shui ailment if it’s a new home and contracting works are already scheduled to be undertaken.
Just be mindful of the grand duke when planning construction works.
2) Move the bed
I’ve seen every type of bed orientation there is in the book practiced in real life.
While I sometimes find it totally ridiculous to position and orient beds in a particular way, I’m aware that different people have different personal preferences and thinking processes.
This is why I don’t judge and just suggest better ideas for bed placement.
Often times, the feng shui problem of sleeping under a beam can be easily and effectively eliminated by the moving of the bed and other furniture like cupboards and tables.
Just shift the bed to a better location.
3) Bed head board
If the beam is just protruding slightly from the ceiling and infringing on the sleeper’s head slightly, then a headboard with a thicker body might just move the bed further from the beam’s downward direction, enough to avoid the person’s head.
Do take note of the alignment of doors as moving the bed can expose it to other sources of sha chi emitting from doors and other protruding corners.
4) Canopy bed
A canopy bed is another creative solution to the beam.
The canopy basically acts as a shield for the bed. It also hide the beam from sight of the sleeper when lying on the bed.
And as with feng shui, what you don’t see will cause little harm.
Just be wary of the framing of such types of beds.
Sometimes the framing can consist of a structure that forms over the bed.
In that case, you would be back to square one and just replacing beams above the bed to poles over the bed.
5) Curtains
Installing curtains behind the bed can also drastically reduce the harmful effects of overhead beams.
They also create the visual effect of a false wall that hide the beam.
The problem with curtain rods is that they might have to be installed above the bed head. Creating an additional feng shui problem.
However, there are curtain rods these days that hold onto both sides of a wall with built-in tension springs.
You can easily affix them right below a beam’s edges and install the curtains within minutes.
It is much cheaper than constructing a false plaster wall or ceiling, but achieve a very comparable effect in regards to sha chi prevention.
6) Crystals
Some types of crystals are primarily used to act as a support for feng shui in a house.
The bigger they are, the stronger they are to provide that support.
Amethyst for example, is commonly used to act as mountains in the home.
Not only will they provide backing support, but can also “hold” up the downward sha chi emitting from a beam.
However, when using amethyst for such purposes, it must be of a significant size with the purple crystals protected within the outer shell.
Think of it like an egg shell that has been cut in half. And the inner shell would contain the beautiful crystals.
If the crystals are exposed and not protected by the rock, then it will not be able to serve the purpose of “blocking” the beam.
Because it is of an earth based element, this acts as a mountain blocking the beam.
Placement of it should be somewhere above the bed head and below the beam.
Clear quartz bars can also be used. Just note that for them to be effective for this purpose, they should be in a length of at least 12 inches.
It must be said however, that powerful crystals with a strong energy presence are best left out of bedrooms unless under exceptional circumstances.
7) Landscape painting of mountain
While crystals can act as mountains to “hold up” beams overhead as mentioned previously, paintings of real mountains can do the job just as well.
Landscape paintings of mountains and streams is a long-time favorite of feng shui practitioners.
When hung at a position situated under the beam, it effectively resolves the harmful energy emanating from it.
When beams are above the sofa in the living room, they can be very appropriate.
But like crystals, it is not recommended to have them in bed rooms unless guided by a master.
8) Hulu aka wu luo
We are now moving into the realms of symbolic feng shui.
The hulu is basically a feng shui gourd that is commonly used to “heal” sha chi.
During ancient China, gourds are used to store medicine. Thus, it’s association with healing.
It is common practice for feng shui masters in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong to recommend household residents to hang gourds on exposed beams to dissolve the negative energy created by beams and pillars.
They should come with a cap to be effective for this purpose.
The thing with hu lu is that they are available in many varieties these days.
If you can get your hands on a regular old-fashioned gourd, then it will do the job perfectly.
However, if you bought one that is made of metal like brass or copper, then it needs to be filled up to about 70%-80% with crystals chips in 5 different colors representing the 5 different elements.
For example, rose quartz for red representing fire, citrine for yellow representing earth, clear quartz for white representing metal, aquamarine for blue representing water, and jade for green representing wood.
9) 5 emperor coins
The 5 Emperor coins (五帝钱) refer to coins from the era of the 5 Qing Emperors during the Qing dynasty.
When the coins are displayed together, it is said that they have the ability to attract good luck and comprehensively ward off negative energy.
Thus, is it commonly used as a convenient remedy to sha chi originating from exposed pillars and beams.
Paste them below the beam.
10) Flute
Together with the hulu, the bamboo flute is also a popular sha chi management feng shui tool.
The main reason why it is so widely used is that the Mandarin word for flute is written as 箫. It is pronounced as xiao which is a hynonym for 消, which is translated as dissolve.
Therefore, hanging them on a beam would dissolve the beam’s sha qi.
Take note that they should be hung with the mouthpiece end lower than the foot end.
11) Chi lin (qi lin)
Another symbolic feng shui item capable of dissolving sha chi from protruding beams comes in celestial form.
It’s the majestic guardian, chi lin.
They are most suitable if there are spaces above the beam for their placement.
Otherwise, chi lins should not be placed as hanging them from strings like the flute can be a painful and horrible experience to put the poor creatures through no matter how celestial they are.
Assuming there is standing space for them on top of the beam, place two of them, one on each end of the beam. And have them face each other.
12) Laughing buddha
While we probably don’t need to be reminded that feng shui has nothing to do with religion or superstition, I am aware that there are some very well-known feng shui masters who sometimes suggest the placement of the laughing buddha under the beam as remedy.
I’ve actually witnessed it myself.
Not just any laughing buddha will do. The Buddha has to be in the striking the famous pose of reaching his hands up as if supporting something… like a beam.
Placing it under the beam would give it the task of supporting the beam like a mountain.
It sure looks like this task is too easy for the laughing Buddha judging from the way he is smiling.
The best cure
I’ve said it previously, and would mention it again.
The best way to remove feng shui beam problems once and for all is to construct false ceilings or walls.
While there are able substitute remedies as listed here, they are not going to be as comprehensively dealt with as the false wall.
With this in mind, if you are seeking a new house to purchase, do be mindful of there the beams are in a bedroom and consider how you would layout the bedroom furniture beforehand.
Finally, don’t place the bed in a floating position just to avoid a beam above.
To float means to place the bed away from aligning with walls. This is not a good configuration as there is no support for the sleeper and puts him or her in a vulnerable position.
Placing odd furniture like cupboards or book shelves behind the bed head board so as to move the bed away from beams is also not a good long term solution.
Other than sleeping under beams, there are other feng shui bed placement rules to follow.
