Transform Your Bedroom Into a Sanctuary | An Interview with Suzy Brockmann of Pan Natural Goods

It all started a little over ten years ago when I started helping people organize, clean out their closets, and get rid of their unwanted clothes. I found that I enjoyed doing it for friends and babysitting clients, so then I moved to organizing other parts of the house and that grew. When I was doing it, it was so meaningful and made such an impact— not only on the clients but on me as well, seeing how much it positively affected them. Their kids were better behaved because things were more tidy and organized— it brought peace into the home, which I was able to firsthand experience when I was babysitting the kids.

I started to research and look for deeper meaning within the realm of the home, organizing, and the space. I stumbled upon a book called The Natural House Book by David Pearson. My interest was sparked— enter the word “feng shui.” My mom has always talked about the principles of feng shui— as it is a Chinese art-form—but we never called it that. The books came as second nature, so fluid and natural— and everything made sense when I was reading these books. I was drawn to the idea that your life is energetically ruled by parts of your house. Like I had unveiled this secret— an ancient modality that had been around forever.

I didn’t want to go into interior design, that was different than what I was interested in. I was seeking something deeper, to improve life without thinking about taste or style.

I wanted to get certified to do feng shui consultations, and I found a program by Erica Saffrina— a feng shui consultant— and I enrolled and started to study feng shui. I would mail my assignments to her as I would complete them, we had phone meetings, I had to feng shui my current home AND a friend’s home. I felt like I had found my calling, and I felt so happy and involved doing it. When I finished the course, I had so much other stuff going on— like Dune (my daughter) and Pan [Natural Goods]— so I didn’t start a career in it. Now, I’m at a point where I want to go after it in a more serious way. 

Feng shui is a deep and complex study of space and environment and energy, and how we interact with that space. It takes a lifetime or more to truly grasp it— the certification I have is basically a feng shui for Western clients, obviously because we live in America. We would tie in feng shui to compliment an American lifestyle. It was easy to integrate feng shui principles in my clients’ houses, organizing but implementing feng shui through energy work. I would like to, as a goal for my practice, set that apart with what I do through feng shui. My take on feng shui uses traditional aspects of it to make a person’s home situation the best it can be. There are no rules in feng shui, so I can adapt it to my clients. It’s really all about bringing in peace and nourishment to make up for traditional “no-no’s” in typical feng shui. I don’t know if I’d call my work “feng shui,” necessarily. It’s more in the realm of professional organizing, but with feng shui ideology—  I use it a la carte, when it makes sense, not forcing it. Working with energy is the basis of feng shui, so I only do what feels natural. We’re all natural human beings, on this natural earth, so I only create spaces that feel natural. When we’re talking about a bedroom, how do we bring the natural world into the “box” of the home? In nature, things are organically shaped, unlike the four walls which traditionally make a room. Similarly, color palettes aren’t bright white or polished pink— they're earthy and complex. Silk comes in as a natural fiber that feels good on our skin. Polyester feels icky. I think it’s in our DNA to reject cheaper materials. This is why we’re drawn to silk— it’s natural. Especially the plant dyes— they’re so harmonious with feng shui because they’re all natural. You can see the imprint of nature on each piece. 

Silk will never constrict you, be too tight— it honors nature and the body. Wear clothes that drape, rather than being too fitted— like a kimono. Bringing in natural fibers and textures is so important for feng shui in the bedroom.

With the bedroom, it’s fun to treat it as a sanctuary of sorts. Even if you’re single, not looking for partnership— an adult bedroom should have the intention of a space to be enjoyed by two people. Honoring a pair, a partnership— this act opens up the opportunity for a potential partnership to find you (whether it be romantic, platonic, even a business relationship).

With that in mind, in traditional feng shui you would never push a bed against one side of a wall— it removes a possibility of having someone enter the bed from another side. Opening this up opens up your energy and honors nature. It gives each person equal value, helping the relationship and evening things out. You can enter/leave as you please with ease. The space, thus, is energetically changed, and so is the energy of the people (or person) within the space.

I like to incorporate the element of fire in the bedroom. Anything from an animal is fire— hides, sheepskin rugs, feather pillows. It brings a luxurious but natural element. Having two nightstands, two light sources. Light, another form of fire, is highly suggested in the bedroom. Specifically, light from a candle as it’s natural, it’s clearing (it helps to decalcify your penal gland, aka your third eye). It’s also a form of light that’s non-stimulating, contributing to a more restful sleep. Removing lamps from the bedroom, only using candles for light, is an interesting change. Removing the non-natural light, honoring what will nourish you, and removing what is only there because it’s “practical" will invoke big changes in your space (both energetically and physically). Anything electrical in the bedroom should be thought through. Both people should agree that the electrical item needs to be in the bedroom (such as a baby monitor or noise machine). Keep electronics limited in any room that's meant for rest and relaxation. Anything plugged in creates a negative energy that is unnecessary— a TV in the bedroom, a cell phone charger, laptops, etc. The electromagnetic frequencies are bad for energy and disrupt your natural sleep cycle. 

Life happens, of course, and we can’t live in a perfect feng shui world. When I was pregnant, I moved the TV in to the bedroom because I was so exhausted, I just rested in bed all day. I draped a scarf over the TV to make it more beautiful, to attempt to serve the space. We removed it right after Dune was born. Attempting to find ways to hide or divert attention from the “plug-ins” is helpful— a scarf, a vase, etc.

Windows in the bedroom promote air flow, which helps to move energy in the room. Keeping things organized, tidy, and clean also helps to keep energy flowing. Where there is clutter, lies stagnancy. This harbors sickness and negativity. Regularly, find areas that are cluttered or where dust hides and remove it or clean it to maintain the energy of the space. 

The natural world is always changing, in flux. Refreshing the space is important, especially as you shift perspective. Feng shui is about beautifying the journey, making it inspiring— not overwhelming. Occasionally updating, rearranging, adding, and subtracting from your space is a wonderful way to promote energy flow and keep your space feeling fresh. Taking your shoes off before you enter your home, changing out of your outside clothing and into something that aligns with the space— like a kimono, a robe, or anything non-constricting—are all ways to incorporate elements of feng shui into your life and honor nature.