SCIENTIFIC VASTU | BEDROOM | An Architect Explains

So, is there a way to make the bedroom a comforting, restful place? Well, according to Vastu Shastra, the right placement of the bedroom, the door to the bedroom, furniture, lighting and the colours can ensure that the bedroom becomes a space full of positive energy. To know more about making your Bedroom a vastu compliant space, read on….. 

Listed here, are some Vastu Guidelines for Bedrooms. Since Vastu Shastra is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have explained each of these guidelines rationally and scientifically under the following headings, so that you have a choice and can decide what you want to follow or not instead of looking at Vastu as a superstition:

What are the Vastu guidelines for the shape and size of bedroom?
What are the Vastu guidelines for the location of bedrooms?
What is the ideal location of the master bedroom?
What is the best location of the Children’s bedroom?
What is the right location of the guest bedroom according to Vastu?
What is the best sleeping position in bedrooms according to vastu?
What is the ideal position of the bed in a bedroom?
What is the best position for the door and windows in a bedroom?
What is the ideal location of attached bathrooms in bedrooms according to vastu?
What are the vastu guidelines for furniture in a bedroom?
What should be included in a bedroom?
What should be avoided in a bedroom?
What are the ideal colours in a bedroom for restful sleep?

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE SHAPE AND SIZE OF BEDROOMS?

The best shapes for bedrooms are square or rectangular:  The Scientific Reason – The best shape for efficient placement of furniture is a rectangle followed by a square. Also, the rectangle or square shape is best for placing rectangular cots and other furniture, without wasting any space.

The length to breadth ratio of the bedroom should be less than 2: For example, a bedroom with a length of 16′ must have a minimum breadth of 8′ and not any less. The Scientific Reason- The proportion of a room is very important in the arrangement of furniture and the ambience created. If the bedroom is long but narrow, the furniture will have to be arranged lengthwise like a train. Moreover the ‘feel’ of a long but narrow room is not comfy.

The master bedroom should always be bigger than other rooms of the house: The Scientific Reason- The parent should never feel small in front of anyone else in the house. If he/she stays in a small room while the kids have a big room, psychologically they start feeling that they are compromising and this is a bad example to the kids.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES REGARDING LOCATION OF BEDROOMS?

The main bedrooms should be in the South: The Scientific Reason – The North is meant for the Living room and entertaining guests. Hence a private space like a Bedroom should be located far from the front and ideally, that is the South.

Avoid bedrooms in the North-East: It is meant for deities and prayer. The Scientific Reason – The North-East corner which is engulfed with early morning sunlight, is ideally suited and hence reserved for a meditation room or Puja room.

Avoid bedrooms in the middle of the house: The Scientific Reason – It is obvious that a room in the centre of the house will be used for movement and accessing all the other rooms, and hence a Bedroom that requires privacy and quiet, cannot be placed here.

Avoid bedrooms above the Car porch/Garage : The Scientific Reason – The fumes from the kitchen and the car exhaust that rise up, can be a nuisance and not good for the health of the inmates of the Bedroom.

WHAT IS THE IDEAL LOCATION OF A MASTER BEDROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU?

The Mater bedroom should be in the South-West: This room should never be used as a bedroom for young children, as they will try to dominate. The Scientific Reason – In ancient times, the main wealth of the inmates was agricultural produce and this was stored in granaries behind the house. The ideal location for these granaries was the South-West corner, because the South-West heat and the hot S-W summer wind kept the produce dry and free from moisture. Hence the Master Bedroom was preferred in the South-West, closer to the granaries to guard them from thieves. So also, this was not preferred for a Children’s Bedroom.

If there is more than one floor, the Master Bedroom should be on the upper floor, in the South-West corner. The Scientific Reason – Psychologically one feels suppressed and dominated if one is staying on a lower floor.

Avoid the Master bedroom in the South-East: The Scientific Reason – In the olden days, when the cooking was done on open ovens, and the combustible building materials were prone to catch fire due to the hot S-W summer wind, the kitchen was not allowed in the South-West corner and the North-East corners. Therefore, the South-East corner or North-West corner were reserved for the Kitchen and any other rooms were to be avoided.

WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION OF  A GUEST BEDROOM IN VASTU?

The Guest Bedroom should be in the North-West: This corner represents Vayu or movement which implies that Guests who sleep in this bedroom will not stay for long and get going on their way. The Scientific Reason – A Bedroom in the North side is preferable for guests as it is closer to the living room and the front of the house. At the same time, it is away from the back of the house and the family members have their privacy. The northern Bedrooms also have the advantage of getting constant sunlight from the North.

WHAT IS THE IDEAL LOCATION OF A CHILDREN’S BEDROOM ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA?

The children’s bedroom should be in the East or West side: The Scientific Reason – The West bedroom has the advantage of being bright and well lit in the evenings due to the West sun rays. Hence it is a good location for the Children’s Bedroom because they use it a lot in the evening for their studies after school and play. Similarly, the East bedrooms have the advantage of being well lit in the mornings for their morning studies.

WHAT IS THE BEST DIRECTION FOR SLEEPING IN A BEDROOM, ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA?

Avoid sleeping with head in the North: Otherwise demons will trouble you. In fact only a dead body is kept with the head in the North and the feet pointing towards the South. The Scientific Reason – In the northern hemisphere there is a very strong force of attraction towards the North pole (compared to the force of attraction at the south poles) and this is the reason why the Indian subcontinent is moving northwards at the rate of about 4cm per year.

The blood in the body contains iron, making it magnetic in nature. When we lie down in the horizontal position, there is a tendency for the blood to rush toward the head and this is exacerbated if our head is in the North direction due to the magnetic effect on the blood. If there is too much blood flow, it can cause hemorrhage and even death for people with an underlying problem. Hence one should never sleep with the head in the North direction in the Northern hemisphere. But vice versa is true in the Southern hemisphere.

Admin’s note:  This is the scientific reasoning. But explaining this to the common man becomes difficult. So to make things simple, Vastu shastra likens the human body to a magnet with the head as the North pole and the feet, the South pole. So we have been advised not to sleep with the head in the North as this can cause the two North poles to repel each other causing disturbed sleep and health problems. When it is explained in such simple manner, people find it easy to remember this rule.

However, Vastu allows sleeping with the head in the other three directions. The effects of sleeping with the head in different directions is described below:
Head in the East: East is the direction of knowledge and enlightenment. Sleeping with the head in the East increases knowledge and increases a liking for spiritualism. For this reason, children should always sleep with their head in the east.
Head in the West: Sleeping with one’s head in the West is good for people who do not permanently reside in the house, like guests and married daughters, in their parents’ house.
Head in the South: South is the best direction for sleeping. Sleeping with one’s head in the South brings happiness and sound sleep.

WHAT IS THE IDEAL POSITION OF A BED ACCORDING TO VASTU?

Avoid sleeping under beams or slanted ceilings: The remedy is to create a false ceiling. The Scientific Reason- A beam or slanting roof  above the bed, can  psychologically feel like a weight on you, as you lie down looking up at the ceiling.

Avoid sleeping near sharp corners of columns etc: They should be camouflaged with plants or rounded off. The Scientific Reason – The sharp corners can cause damage to the furniture if accidentally pushed against them. Also they can hurt you when you move around.

Keep the beds 2″ away from the walls: The Scientific Reason – To allow for the free flow of air all around and under the bed, thus creating good ventilation.

Avoid the bed directly opposite the door: But the bed should be placed in a position where the occupants can see anyone coming into the rooms. The Scientific reason – A bed is normally about 6.5-7 feet in length and if placed bang opposite the door, can psychologically appear to be an obstacle as you enter the room.

Beds should not be shaky: The mattress should provide good support to the body while resting. The Scientific Reason – The essential function of the bed is to provide a surface which is neither too hard nor too soft for the back. A shaky bed will creak and disturb others when people turn on the bed.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR ATTACHED BATHROOMS IN BEDROOMS?

Attached bathroom should be in the East or South-East : The Scientific Reason – Normally the bathroom is used for bath and other activities, early in the morning, and so will be wet after use. If it is placed in the East side, the morning beneficial sunlight will dry up the area and the UV rays will kill all the germs.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE DOOR AND WINDOWS IN A BEDROOM?

The door to the Bedroom  should open 90 degrees and should not creak: A door that cannot open fully will limit the flow of opportunities. The Scientific Reason – Whenever you enter any room, it is important that the door opens wide as otherwise it can be a struggle to get into the room especially if you have a child or something in your hands.

The door should be in the East, West or North: Avoid fixing doors in the South-West of a bedroom. The Scientific Reason – The South-West corner of the bedroom is reserved for the safe and wardrobes. Hence it is better to keep the door away from this corner.

The larger windows should be in the East or North:And smaller windows in the West is ideal. The Scientific Reason – The constant beneficial sunlight from the North and the morning light from the East are very essential to brighten and aerate the bedroom. Smaller windows to the West will allow for cross-ventilation.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU PRINCIPLES FOR ARRANGEMENT OF FURNITURE IN THE BEDROOM?

The dressing table should be in the East or North: The Scientific Reason – The constant sunlight from the North or East will light up your face when sitting in front of the mirror, thus allowing you to dress up well.

Study table should face East, North or North-East: The Scientific Reason – The constant sunlight from the North and the morning sunlight from the East will make reading easy, without  much straining.

The safe should be in the South-West, opening towards North: The Scientific Reason – The heavy stuff is preferred in the South or West sides to serve as a buffer to the hot evening sunlight. Since the constant light is from the North, you can see clearly into the Safe if it opens towards the North.

Computers should be kept in the South-East: The Scientific Reason – The South-East is considered the Aagneya (Fire) corner. The ‘Vastu Pundits’ consider electrical appliances as the equivalent of fire and happily encourage you to keep all electric gadgets in the S-E of every room.

Wardrobes should be in the North-West or South-West: The Scientific Reason – They serve as buffers to the hot evening sunlight coming in from the West.

WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A BEDROOM?

Keep things that make you happy in front of the Bedroom door: The Scientific Reason – Upon entering, your bedroom, the first thing you see should be something that gives you the feeling of peace and serenity such as a photograph, a favorite quote or even flowers that enhance these positive feelings. Keep objects that remind you of unfinished tasks out of the room, or at least out of sight as the bedroom should be a place where you can totally relax.  It is obvious that things that make you happy will give a positive feeling.

Keep some open space in the North-East: The Scientific Reason – The Constant and beneficial sunlight from the East and North should engulf the whole room and not get blocked by heavy furniture.

WHAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN A BEDROOM?

Avoid storing things under the bed: The Reason – The space under the bed gets very dusty and cannot be cleaned often. Hence it is meaningless to store anything there.

Avoid mirror directly opposite the bed: The Scientific Reason – When you wake up in the morning, all untidy and disheveled, it may be a shock when you see yourself in the mirror as you sit up in the bed. Also it makes you self conscious.Avoid religious idols: The Scientific Reason – Many people feel uncomfortable to lie around with their feet pointing towards the religious idols, as they believe it is disrespectful to god.

Avoid Television in the bedroom: If a TV is kept, it should never be directly in front of the bed as it works as a mirror and generates negative energy. It can be kept to the right or left of the bed at an angle for comfortable viewing from bed. The Scientific Reasoning – A T.V.  does not encourage intimacy. In fact it only encourages people to become couch potatoes. Also, the waves from the T.V are not good for your health and so keeping the T.V  far away is always preferable.

Avoid Clutter: It signifies stagnation. The Scientific Reason – When you see clutter you feel helpless about it, and it just keeps accumulating and becomes an irritant in your mind. Removing clutter in your bedroom will help you feel more efficient and function optimally. To tackle clutter, first take on small projects to help you avoid the feelings of being overwhelmed by the task at hand.

WHAT IS THE IDEAL COLOUR FOR BEDROOM WALLS, ACCORDING TO VASTU?

If you want to make the rest of the rooms of your house/apartment also Vastu compliant, then go to:

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