Introduction: Your Quick Answer
You've found out you are a Kua number 4 and want to know the best direction for your bed. I'll give you the answer right away. Then we can look at all the helpful details behind it. This guide will give you clear steps you can follow.
The Short Answer
For a Kua number 4, your four good bed directions are North, South, East, and Southeast. Each direction connects to a different type of positive energy to help with a specific part of your life.
North helps with success. South improves health. East strengthens relationships. Southeast supports personal growth. We will explain what this means, which one you should pick based on your goals, and how to use this knowledge in your bedroom.
Why Direction Matters
You spend almost one-third of your life sleeping. During sleep, your body is in a restful state. Feng Shui teaches that placing your bed in your good directions lets you absorb helpful energy for eight hours every night.
This isn't just a list of directions. It's about creating a space that supports your energy. This guide goes beyond ideas and gives you practical solutions to make real changes in your space and life.
First, Let's Confirm
Before you move any furniture, make sure you really are a Kua number 4. A mistake in figuring this out could lead you to use the wrong directions. This step ensures this guide is right for you.
The Ba Zhai School
This method comes from a system called Ba Zhai (八宅), or the "Eight Mansions" school. It's a proven practice that maps eight energy types in a space and matches them with your personal energy, based on your Kua number.
How to Calculate Kua
The calculation is simple but has one detail many people miss. It depends on your birth year and gender.
The Crucial Note: Feng Shui uses the Chinese Solar New Year, which starts on February 4th or 5th each year, not January 1st. If your birthday is between January 1st and February 3rd, you must use the previous year. For example, if you were born on January 20, 1980, you would use 1979.
Here is how to do it:
- Take the last two digits of your birth year (remember the February 4th rule).
- Add these two digits together. If you get a two-digit number, add those digits together to get a single digit. This is 'X'.
- Follow the final step based on your gender.
| Gender | Final Calculation |
|---|---|
| Male | 10 - X = Your Kua Number |
| Female | 5 + X = Your Kua Number |
Note: If the final result is 5, a male becomes Kua 2, and a female becomes Kua 8.
For example, a female born in 1988:
8 + 8 = 16.
1 + 6 = 7 (this is 'X').
5 + 7 = 12.
1 + 2 = 3. Her Kua number is 3.
For a male born in 1980:
8 + 0 = 8 (this is 'X').
10 - 8 = 2. His Kua number is 2.
The Kua 4 Essence
If you've confirmed you are a Kua number 4, you belong to the East Group. Your element is Small Wood, shown by the trigram Xùn (巽).
This connects you to gentle growth, flexibility, intelligence, and planning. Like a plant, you thrive on development and progress. Knowing this helps create a more balanced space.
Your Four Auspicious Directions
Now that you know your Kua number, let's explore your four good directions. Each one offers a unique benefit, so you can choose the one that matches your current goals.
Aligning Your Bed
The rule is simple: your head should point toward your chosen good direction while you sleep. This means your headboard should be against the wall in that direction. For example, to use North, your headboard should be against the North wall of your bedroom.
Your Kua 4 Power Directions
Here is what each of your four good directions can bring into your life:
| Direction | Name (Pinyin) | Primary Benefit | Best For... |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Sheng Qi (生氣) | Prosperity & Success | Career growth, business success, financial gain, vitality, and high energy. This is your best wealth direction. |
| South | Tian Yi (天醫) | Health & Healing | Recovery from illness, better physical and mental health, good sleep, and finding good medical care. |
| East | Yan Nian (延年) | Relationships & Harmony | Better romantic relationships, stronger family bonds, finding a new partner, and improving social and work connections. |
| Southeast | Fu Wei (伏位) | Personal Growth & Stability | Better focus for study or meditation, inner peace, skill development, and mental clarity. |
The Unfavorable Directions
You also have four bad directions. You should avoid pointing your bed toward these.
For Kua number 4, your bad directions are:
* West (Huo Hai - Mishaps)
* Southwest (Jue Ming - Total Loss)
* Northwest (Liu Sha - Six Killings)
* Northeast (Wu Gui - Five Ghosts)
Sleeping in these directions can drain your energy and may cause problems, arguments, illness, or money troubles. Just knowing to avoid them is a good first step.
Beyond Theory: Practical Bed Placement
Knowing your best directions is one thing. Using them in a real bedroom with windows, doors, and closets is another. Let's look at how to do this right.
The Headboard Rule
"Pointing North" means the top of your head aims toward North as you lie in bed. Your headboard should be against the North wall. It's not about where your feet point or which way you face when sitting up.
Golden Rules of Placement
Before thinking about your Kua direction, some basic Feng Shui rules come first. These rules are about safety, security, and energy flow. Your Kua direction should work with these principles.
Use this checklist:
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The Commanding Position: This is the most important rule. Your bed should be placed so you can see the bedroom door without being directly in line with it. This puts you in control and prevents surprises. Avoid the "coffin position," where your feet point directly at the door.
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Solid Headboard Support: Your head needs solid support while you sleep. Your headboard should be against a solid wall. Avoid placing your bed under a window, as this can make you feel insecure and disturb your sleep.
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No "Sha Qi" (Poison Arrows): Make sure no sharp corners from furniture or walls point directly at you while you sleep. These create harsh energy.
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Avoid Beams Overhead: Don't sleep under an exposed ceiling beam, a soffit, or a ceiling fan. These create heavy energy that can cause headaches and pressure.
Step-by-Step: Find Your Direction
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Get a Compass: Use a reliable compass or a trusted compass app on your phone. Avoid apps with lots of ads, as they might be less accurate.
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Stand in the Center: To get a good reading, stand in the middle of your bedroom. Hold the compass flat and wait for it to settle.
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Identify Your Walls: Figure out which walls face North, South, East, and Southeast. These are your options for headboard placement.
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Map it Out: Draw a simple sketch of your room. Mark the doors and windows, then label the walls with their directions. This will help you see your options.
Help! My Best Direction Is Impossible
This is a common problem. You might find that your best wealth direction (North) puts your bed under a window, or your health direction (South) places you in line with the door. Don't worry. Feng Shui is about finding the best solution within what's possible.
Prioritizing the Rules
When rules conflict, you need to know which ones matter most:
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Rule #1 Priority: Health and Security. Your safety comes first. Always have a solid wall behind your head and be in the Commanding Position (seeing the door, but not in line with it). These are must-haves for good sleep.
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Rule #2 Priority: Your Auspicious Kua Directions. Once safety rules are met, try to use one of your four good directions.
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The Hierarchy of Choice: If your best direction (like North for success) forces you into a poor placement, move to your next-best option. It's better to use your "good" South or East direction that respects the Commanding Position than to force your "best" North direction into a bad spot.
Scenario-Based Solutions
Let's solve the most common problems:
| Problem / Scenario | Expert Solution |
|---|---|
| "My best direction (North) has a window." | Option 1 (Best): Use your next best direction that has a solid wall (e.g., South for health or East for relationships). Option 2 (Compromise): If all four good directions have issues, use the best one available (North) but install a solid headboard and heavy, blackout curtains. Keep the curtains closed at night to create a feeling of a solid wall. |
| "My only option is a bad direction (e.g., West)." | This is a last resort. First, check if you can rearrange furniture to create a new option. If not, you must use this placement but apply a Feng Shui "cure" to reduce the negative energy. We'll discuss this in the next section. Your goal is to lessen the negative impact. |
| "My partner has a different Kua number (e.g., a West Group person)." | Option 1 (Standard Practice): Prioritize the Kua number of the family's main breadwinner. Option 2 (Relationship Harmony): Use the Yan Nian (Relationship) direction for one of the partners. For a Kua 4, this is East. Check if East is a good direction for your partner. Option 3 (Compromise): Find a direction that is at least neutral or not the worst direction for either person. |
Enhancing Your Space and Curing Placements
Once your bed is in the best position, you can add another layer of support by using Feng Shui elements to improve the room's energy.
Activate with the Wood Element
As a Kua number 4, your element is Wood. Surrounding yourself with Wood and its supportive element (Water) can strengthen your energy.
- Colors: Use shades of green (from light mint to deep forest) and brown. These colors represent Wood and promote growth and vitality.
- Materials: Use natural wood furniture, healthy live plants (avoid spiky ones like cacti), and cotton textiles. These bring Wood energy into your space.
- Supporting Element (Water): Water helps Wood grow. Use blue and black as accent colors. Pictures of gentle, flowing water (like a river, not a stormy sea) can be good. A small, quiet tabletop fountain can work, but only if the sound of water helps you sleep.
A Cure for Bad Placements
If you must sleep in one of your bad directions, you can use a Feng Shui cure to help absorb the negative energy.
One effective cure is the Hulu (also known as a Wu Lou or bottle gourd). This dried gourd is a symbol of health and can absorb negative energy. I had a client who had to sleep in a 'Wu Gui' (Five Ghosts) placement. They felt anxious and slept poorly. After placing small, natural Hulu on their nightstands, they felt the room's energy improve and slept better.
General Bedroom Best Practices
These universal Feng Shui principles will support any bed placement:
- Declutter your room, especially under the bed. Clutter creates stuck energy that disturbs rest.
- Create balance by having a nightstand and lamp on both sides of the bed if possible.
- Avoid mirrors that directly reflect you while you sleep.
- Keep electronics out of the bedroom, or at least far from the bed.
Conclusion: Taking Control
You now know how to identify your best directions, use them in real life, and solve common problems. This turns Feng Shui from an interesting idea into something you can actually use.
Your Key Takeaways
Remember the main points. Your four good directions as a Kua number 4 are North, South, East, and Southeast. First, focus on good basic Feng Shui—like the Commanding Position and solid headboard support. Then, align this with the best Kua direction your room allows.
Start Small, Feel the Difference
Don't try to do everything at once. Choose one change—perhaps moving your bed to your "Tian Yi" health direction (South). Try it for a few weeks. Notice how you feel and how well you sleep. Feng Shui is about experience, and the goal is to create a bedroom that feels restful and supportive to you.
