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Clear It Away — by Connie Habash
It's
been raining in California
quite a bit lately, and
one thing I've noticed is
that the first big rain
of Autumn often floods the
streets - even when it doesn't
seem like a lot of rain.
Why is that? Well, one of
the main reasons is that
the leaves are still all
over the roads and gutters.
The rain can't wash down
the drains properly (you
may have noticed this with
rain gutters on the roof,
also), and so it backs up,
flooding streets, and generally
spreading a mess over everything.
The intended cleansing action
of the rain doesn't seem
to have the desired effect.
You
may have noticed this in
your life, too. Just when
you'd like for new things
to come in, or when you're
wanting to let go of a problem,
things seem stuck. The energy
isn't flowing, and we feel
kind of backed up. You may
feel flooded with overwhelm
- too much to do, too many
things happening.
One
of the possible culprits
behind the back up could
be the literal "stuff"
in your home. Recently,
my husband and I were looking
around the house and realizing
that the stuff has really
backed up. Unimportant stuff.
It lies on our tables, stacks
up on our desks, and it
has been shoved into our
closets. Whether you realize
it or not, it takes up your
personal energy. All those
papers piled on your desk?
You may think you're fine
with them being there, but
every time you're at your
desk, your subconscious
mind notices, and thinks
about it. It's saying to
you, "you really have
to deal with all that."
Those thoughts build up
and weigh on us. When we
have a lot of this clutter
around the home or office,
the personal energy that
gets taken away by it can
be formidable. Then it starts
to make sense when, even
if we're not overly busy,
we still feel overwhelmed.
The backlog of things we
haven't dealt with (whether
they be material or not)
is clogging up our gutters,
waiting to be cleared out.
Even
when it's not just papers,
having more things takes
a lot of energy. Everything
we buy - clothes, electronics,
decorations, toys for our
children, books, etc. -
requires some energy to
take care of. We have to
store it, we have to clean
it, we have to maintain
it. The more stuff we acquire,
the more of our energy is
taken up by those things;
which means we'll have less
for dealing with emotional
stress or upset, challenges
at work, relationship issues,
or even for meditation,
yoga, and spiritual practice.
Have you ever noticed, when
sitting down to meditate
or practice yoga, that it's
much more difficult to do
when you sit in an area
that has a lot of stuff?
The mind is constantly distracted
by the things around it.
That's wasted energy.
Autumn
and Winter are excellent
times to meditate and go
within. You can make it
easier for yourself to clear
up some of the space in
your home. Release and let
go of things that are unnecessary.
Your "junk" can
be a great gift to someone
in need - what an excellent
way to honor the holidays,
by offering it to others.
Take the time to go through
papers and things you've
"put on hold 'til later."
In the Springtime, we can
practice that age-old "Spring
Cleaning" ritual by
releasing some of this excess
from our environment, allowing
ourselves more freedom and
energy to enjoy the liveliness
of the warmer months of
the year. You'll be pleased
with the weight taken off
your mind as you complete,
sort through, file, and
discard those things. Feng
Shui, the Chinese art of
enhancing one's environment
for well-being on all levels,
recommends the regular practice
of clearing away the clutter.
When the unnecessary things
are removed, the energies
we're wanting in our lives
have space to flow in and
be received.
This
can apply just as easily
to non-material items. Any
unresolved issues between
you and a family member?
Are there feelings left
over from a conversation
that need to be expressed?
Something on your mind you
keep worrying about? A health
issue that you've put off?
Dealing with these things
now can make your holiday
time, or any time, more
enjoyable and smoother.
Treat yourself to a special
place in your home for meditation,
yoga, prayer, or just a
nice quiet place to be with
yourself. Clear a spot -
maybe in a corner, or some
other place that's away
from the desk, the tv, and
any other area of high activity
(the bedroom might be a
good choice). Put just a
few simple but beautiful,
soothing, and/or spiritual
items there. One suggestion
is a candle, one object
that's meaningful to you,
and a picture that is inspiring
to you. Spend some time
in this special area in
your home every day. Light
the candle, take deep breaths,
and imagine the unnecessary
in your life being cleared
away, leaving you feeling
free, spacious, and light.
You will find that this
small time you take for
yourself, and the effort
to make your environment
more clear and spacious,
will bring great rewards
- that can't be measured
by the "stuff"
you have.
Recommended reading: "Clear
Your Clutter with Feng Shui",
by Karen Kingston
Copyright 2001 by Constance
L. Habash