By Leah Hennen

Is your bedroom a peaceful haven you retreat to for rest and romance, and emerge from feeling refreshed and renewed? If not, a little feng shui may be just the thing your room needs.

Feng shui — which literally translates to "wind and water" — is the ancient Chinese art of placement. The goal is to enhance the flow of chi (life force or spiritual energy), and to create harmonious environments that support health, beckon wealth and invite happiness. At its most basic level, feng shui (pronounced fung shway) is a decorating discipline based on the belief that our surroundings affect us.

In the bedroom, "Feng shui helps you arrange the space to support your best rest and connection with your partner and with yourself," says Los Angeles feng shui consultant Jayme Barrett, author of Feng Shui Your Life. Whether you buy into feng shui's philosophies or not, many of its principles simply make good design sense. Here are nine simple feng shui strategies that will turn your chaotic and uninspiring bedroom into the serene and sensual sanctuary of your dream.