by Kathryn Weber
The command position is often referred to in feng shui to explain the positioning of a bed or desk, and even then, it’s usually the bedroom. What it means is that the bed or desk is placed on a wall opposite the entrance or door to the room, and that from this position you have the widest view of the room.
In Western movie parlance, the command position could also be called the “Six Shooter Position.” This is the seat that every cowpoke with a Smith & Wesson wanted to be seated at in the saloon. The old saying of “always sit with your back to the wall” is just as true at the OK Corral as it is in your office or bedroom.
But the command position doesn’t just apply to beds and desks. That would be feng shui short-sightedness! The idea is that the command position puts you in the position of being able to be in control of what’s happening around you and able to respond – wherever you sit.
However, there’s another important aspect to the command position you rarely hear about. When a bed is placed on the same wall as the door, it’s hard to see who’s entering the room. The same is true if your desk is positioned against a wall. Not only do you lack support, when a desk faces a wall, you have no bright hall, or open space in front of you.
Bright hall is an important concept in feng shui that gets little attention. Yet, at its heart, that’s one of the key elements of the command position – to create open space in front of the desk — because this is where opportunities come. When there’s no bright hall, opportunities are hard to come by and growth can stagnate.
Command position trade off
Often there’s one other direction that gets the attention. And it leads to the question about how to use the command position and still use your kua number directions. Too often the focus on sleeping and working goes toward trying to position the bed in a way that taps a beneficial direction for wealth or romance according to your kua number. However, in feng shui, your kua directions are lower on the order of priority than the command position. That’s because it’s always better for your bed or desk to be in the command position rather than awkwardly placed in order to sleep or face in your wealth direction, for example.
Read these tips about the command position to make sure you’re always in command!
1. Keep kids in command
Too many times childrens’ bedroom don’t observe command position guidelines. Kids’ beds are often pushed into a corner of the room (which is a defensive position) or they’re placed against a wall opposite the door so parents can peek in on them. It’s vital, especially for kids today who may not always feel secure, to always have a feeling of security and feeling in command especially when they’re in their own beds. Arrange beds and cribs the same way you would an adult bed, centered on the wall opposite the door and in the proper command position.
2. In charge at work
When desks are pushed against a wall and you can’t see the door, unpleasant surprises can happen. Make sure that you have open space in front of your desk and that you have your desk turned so that you can see the door. If you’re in a cubicle, just turn your computer so that you can turn your head to the left or right to see who is entering.
3. Sleeping securely
The bed is critical in feng shui. This is the area where you are most vulnerable and why you need to be in the command position. Try to place your bed on the wall opposite the door, taking care that the bed is not in line with the door. Usually, there are two walls that you can place the bed and see the door easily. This is what’s most important. Beds that share the same wall as the door mean unpleasant surprises and lack of support in life.
4. Dining command
If possible, try to eat with the head of the table in the command position. Most feng shui experts will tell you to work and sleep in the command position are the most important, but it’s also important that it’s observed while dining too. The head of the house should dine at the head of the table and be in command. This is also a way of exerting parental authority.
A client of mine with two sons in their early 20’s brought to me to consult on her house. These two boys didn’t work, go to school or do anything productive and smoked cigarettes all day. My client was at her wit’s end. These boys also sat in the command position at the dining table, putting the parents with their backs to the door.
The mother was obviously frustrated by her lack of control over these two sons, so I suggested that she and her husband take the command position at the dining room table instead of the boys. Soon after both boys moved out. One went to college and the other joined the military, and the woman and the husband felt in command of their lives once more.
5. Living in command
Another common command position is the way a living room is arranged. Homes that have the sofa with its back toward the room opening or door are uncomfortable to sit in. It can create arguments and a lack of conviviality. Always arrange living spaces so that the you can see the opening to the room and feel in command of the space even if you’re just watching TV.
