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April showers bring May flowers is what my grandmother use to say to me when I was a little girl. April is a great month as we are blessed with longer, brighter days and we actually feel that spring has finally arrived. Getting to spend more time outdoors, wearing lighter garments and being a witness to the blossoming of the trees and flowers automatically instills in us an uplifting feeling. Spring is symbolic and inspiring as it represents a season of growth, newness, rebirth and light. It is the transition of us parting ways with the darker winter days of hibernation and embracing lighter days filled with movement.
Spring Cleaning is the coined term for the classic chore many of us begin to practise around this time. When we spring clean, we are making a conscious decision to “organize our environment” and the break in the weather gives us that sunshine motivation to do just that. Yes, we need that sunshine motivation because some of us may have a love-hate relationship with decluttering. Although the act of spring cleaning is not a novelty, it is a victim of procrastination and sometimes it is completely avoided. Spring cleaning is not only limited to the physical components of our lives.
Our emotional and physical WellBEing also need to BE decluttered. Are you ready to let go of what you have been holding onto? In this article, I will BE talking about the importance of decluttering and sharing with you a few cleansing activities that I practise to declutter my life physically, emotionally and mentally. My personal practise is called a PAUSE Practise to Create Space and it is a practise in which I find comfort in when any of the 3 aspects of my life feel cluttered. I feel that this topic of decluttering is needed in our lives and I want to inspire you to find your own practise so that you can CREATE SPACE in your body, mind and being so that your actions, thoughts and emotions are a reflection of the LIFE you want to live.
Spring finally feels as though it has arrived and it is a wonderful time for the 3 C’s CLEAN & CLEAR the CLUTTER. From our closet to our pantry, our garage to our shed, from our office to our car, every room and corner. When we go through our belongings and declutter, we take inventory of what we have and can make clear decisions of what to keep and what to let go of.
How many things do you have in your space that just take up space because you haven’t used, worn or touched in years?
Decluttering tangibles gets rid of the unnecessary stuff that we keep for whatever reason that we keep them. Many of us have said, “maybe one day I will need it, or use it” and that day never comes or if it does, the “thing” we kept doesn’t work, or fit anymore ?? The act of cleaning and clearing our physical surroundings allows us to feel organized. It alleviates anxiety and overwhelm and saves us time and frustration. There are an array of reasons why it maybe challenging to let go of tangible belongings and some reasons are linked to us emotionally and mentally.
True Story: I was making a frittata one night for dinner and I decided to use this baking pan I had for years. I laid all the ingredients into the pan and lastly needed to add the whisked eggs. When I added the eggs to the pan the eggs were running from the bottom of the pan all over my counter! I was infuriated, not only with the pan that I kept for far too many years but with myself that I had forgotten that it was broken and kept it taking up space anyway.
In this case, my desire to loose weight and my inability to fit into those jeans were upsetting me year after year. My own holding on was tarnishing my self esteem. No good vibes were being projected by my own actions and all I was feeling was stuck. A good indication that a PAUSE Practise is needed for emotional & mental wellBEing is when we feel stuck. When our focus and our actions are not in alignment and instead serve as roadblocks to living healthier and happier body, mind and being.
True Story: Years back I kept a pair of jeans that had once fit me. My desire was to eventually refit myself into those jeans. Year passed and I never tossed them out because I tried so many ways to get them to fit. One day, I finally came to terms with myself. I was never gonna fit into those jeans again. I then decided that they belonged to someone else who could. That year, I let go of a tangible belonging that was holding me back from being mentally and emotionally accepting of who I had become and the changes that by body had made. When I decided to stop squeezing into my old jeans, I actually started to enjoy fitting into my new styles.
The baggage that we oftentimes pack ourselves are way too heavy for us to carry. We need to unload the rocks so that we can enjoy our journey. True Story: For the past 365+ my internal energy has been trying to find its balance. In 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, I became a mother. I was so upset that this was the way that I had to begin this long anticipated journey. I felt that I was blessed and cursed that the same time. Was this really happening?The reality felt surreal until eventually it transformed into worry, anxiety & fear. I was so overwhelmed that I needed to release the thoughts and emotions that were flooding me. I turned to my Pause Practise for Peace. My Pause Practise focuses on connecting to myself, deciding to engage with actions that instil perspective, positivity and light and give me motivation to continue to share love and kindness with myself and others.
Pause Practise for Peace includes:
Breath work: Yogic 3 Part Breath.
Turning to faith with prayer and meditation.
Energy Balancing with a Session of Self Reiki. Connecting with Nature I have needed to practise my Pause Practise for the wellbeing of my mind and soul because I have felt stuck . PAUSEing helps me reflect & nurture what’s going on on the inside & it gives me comfort to release, renew and revive from the inside.
PAUSE Practise for Creating Space Declutter Physical Spaces Go through your physical spaces and Pause to Clear Space. Get rid of the things you don't need or that you no longer use. Decluttering makes space and the organized spaces save us time and allow us to feel less overwhelmed and anxious.
Declutter Time
Oftentimes our schedules are filled with far too many to do's. Make sure you Pause Doing Nothing. Even in the doing nothing we are doing something, ReNEWing our bodies, Resting our mind and Refreshing our emotions.
Declutter Emotional & Mental Spaces
Life can make us feel feel stuck and in these times, what we need is to release and regain perspective. Pause for Release is a 30-40 min practise that you can do in the moment or on a regular basis. Find a quiet area where you can be alone & where you feel safe. You need a journal and pen however, if writing is not your thing, voice notes are just as effective. The action here is to release from inside. When you talk/ write about something you feel or think, you release it's hold from the core. After you have released your thoughts and emotions regarding something that is causing you distress, engaging in another activity that will help you detach yourself from what you released. Let some time pass, revisit what you released and "see" where your emotions and thoughts stand. Perhaps you have gained a different perspective, perhaps your feelings have deescalated. What you are looking to establish is a happier and healthier course of action that will positively help you cope with the situation.
Sometimes we invest so much of our energy in thoughts and feelings that cause us to feel stuck. Not all things in life will work out the way we want or in the way we planned. Human beings are not perfect and nor will any of our relationships be confrontational free. The world around us spins so fast with diversity that it may not spin ideally as we socially and/or politically would like. The take away here is that the feeling of being stuck emotionally and mentally NEEDs to be addressed and NEVER compromised.
Holding onto inner clutter doesn’t serve us any good especially if we want to live a life of wellBEing. Letting go of what emotionally and mentally no longer serves means that you are rising above what is blocking you from living a fulfilled life.
Cleanse Your Tongue. This simple practice is a direct way of removing toxicity from your physiology. Scraping the tongue daily removes any build-up and by removing this coating you increase your taste reception, not only do you eat less, but you also eliminate the need to add more seasonings that can lead to health issues.
The intercommunication between your body and your mind and its relationship with your food starts with the health of your tongue.
Practise Daily
Cleanse your skin with Dry Brushing. This dry massage practice is a direct way of supporting natural detoxification and overall circulation in the body. It is a powerful way to support the health of your lymphatic & immune system. It improves the texture of your skin and reduces the effects of stress on the body. It promotes weight management by supporting a healthy metabolism, increase muscle tone & stimulates the areas of the body that accumulate cellulite.
Practise 3-4 times per week
Practicing a Pause Practise for Creating Space is decluttering ourselves wholeheartedly in order to create space for newness. Newness that is in alignment with the person that we need to BE today so that we can live happier and healthier tomorrow. BEing willing to “get rid of” what no longer serves us is an important decision only we can make for ourselves. We have the present and the future and a choice of what we are going to hold onto in order to move forward.
Decluttering is truly therapeutic to our physical, emotional and mental wellBEing. Whatever space it is that you choose to declutter, know that there will BE an abundance of positive outcomes that will BE your light so that you may grow.
Namaste
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