Feng Shui for Children with Special Needs
How You Can Achieve More Harmony For Your Child
Sep 10, 2008
According to the Autism Society of America, autism strikes one in 150 births. Autism, being the fastest growing developmental disability, encompasses a wide range of disabilities, from ADHD to OCD and more severe types of autism. As any parent of a child with autism knows, any additional stress on their child or them is intolerable.
Feng Shui Reduces Stress
Feng Shui is about how we feel in our environment. As an ancient art and science, the goal of Feng Shui has always been to restore balance and harmony. But in these modern times, Feng Shui has even greater importance: reduce stress! Through the arrangement of objects, use of color, shapes, textures, and some common sense, Feng Shui helps to remove environmental stress.
Ways to Incorporate Feng Shui
There are several ways you can make simple changes to improve the energy flow in your home:
Clutter - Most importantly, clutter obstructs your physical movement within a space. In doing so, clutter also affects the nervous system and creates additional stress in your life. Enlist your family this weekend to go through each public room (living room, family room, kitchen, dining room, etc) with three boxes: one for "throw-out" items, one for "misplaced items" and one for "items to sell/giveaway." You will immediately feel the positive energy that this task brings!
Your Child's RoomColor – Paint the room a calming color. Light colors are best for young children. Teenagers can have deeper, more mature colors, but watch that they aren’t too depressing (dark browns and blacks are not recommended!).
Bed position – It’s very important to have the bed positioned so that the child can easily see the bedroom door, without straining his/her head. Also, be sure that the bed is not directly in line with the door. Poor bed positioning can lead to a feeling of vulnerability and contribute to poor sleep, illness and stress. Young children can have one of their bed sides along a wall, to give them extra comfort and support. However, teenagers should have only their headboard along the wall. This placement represents taking on more responsibility.
Desk position – This is the same as bed positioning: it’s best for your child to have full view of the bedroom door, but not directly in line with it.
Size of furniture – If they have a tall armoire or other large piece of furniture, be careful not to place near the head of the bed. This can have an oppressive effect on the child and may lead to nightmares and disturbed sleep.
Slanted ceilings – Slanted ceilings, popular in Cape Cod-style homes, can lead to oppressive energy. If you must place a bed beneath such a feature, paint this section the same color as the ceiling (rather than the wall). There are some transcendental cures a Feng Shui consultant can provide for this as well.
Minimize electronics – EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) are emitted even when the appliance is turned off. Be sure to minimize the electronics in your child’s room (computer and accessories, television, game system, VCR, air conditioner, fan, even an alarm clock), and pull the plugs out when not in use. Electromagnetic radiation exposure is a lead contributor to health problems. According to the Institute of Building Biology “these manmade energies have become part of our lives and as such are superimposed to our subtle body energies. The result of this development seems to be an increase in certain illnesses that have been unknown or at least rare before the electricity age.”
Storage under bed – It is most beneficial to have a free flow of air and energy around your child’s bed. In addition, items stored there can preoccupy the child while trying to sleep. Clean out any items stored under the bed, but if you must, limit items to linens.
Quality of Air and Light – Of course, fresh air and natural light is imperative in your child’s room. Limit air conditioning to those unbearable nights. Otherwise, keep windows open for fresh air flow and curtains pulled back.
Bagua positioning – Just as with your home, the Bagua represents nine areas of life in your child’s bedroom. Using the Bagua, you can determine where the Knowledge corner is. While standing in the doorway facing into the room, it should be the corner to your left. You can enhance your child’s studies through a number of ways, some of which are placing books in this location or enhancing the Earth element (which represents Knowledge) through the use of earth tones, furnishing with a low table, or adding a crystal.
So, by making some, mostly simple, adjustments to your child's bedroom you will help reduce stress and improve the way they feel and perform.
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