And Exhale…..
While Mother Nature showed that she is boss this weekend with snow galore, before this weekend it was apparent that the days are getting longer and the flowers are starting to peak their green leaves out of the ground & the trees are beginning to get buds, which means; (thankfully!) it won’t be long until spring is at our door!
Spring is a time of rebirth, a time for a change, a time of renewal, a time of cleansing and the time is quickly upon us. We generally begin to prepare ourselves for spring as the earliest signs begin to show their faces and decide what needs to change in our lives or in our homes; “Out with the old, in with the new.”
Spring “Cleaning” to me is a great form of practicing Aparigraha (Non-grasping), which is the 5th and last of the Yamas as outlined by Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Aparigraha means to take only what is necessary and not to take advantage of a situation or act greedily. Therefore, we should only take what we have earned, so in order to help us with our “non-grapsing” we need to work on the idea of “letting go”. Letting go can be taken into many forms, either material items or feelings but gives us the opportunity to focus on what is really important in our lives.
While emotions can be the hardest thing to “clean” out, sometimes these are the most important. To take a second look at the relationships in our lives that don’t serve us and let them go so that we have the opportunity to cultivate new ones. This letting go of fear, doubt, heartache or whatever it is that you have been hanging onto, can be exactly what spring is, a rebirth for your life.
People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
When we think of spring cleaning we generally think of material items and cleaning the cobwebs out of the corners of the room, which is a fantastic tool to help us feel better and start the new season with a smile. However the task of spring cleaning can be a little daunting, here are a few tips to help you let go;
- Clean out the frost bitten, old food that has consumed your freezer.
If you haven’t eaten it yet, you don’t want to now! - Donate the millions of glasses and mugs that are taking over your cupboards.
Really you don’t need THAT many! - Donate the food, that has taken over your pantry, to the Food Bank.
There are people who can use it now! - Clean out the linen cupboard, get rid of the old tattered sheets, towels and stained dishclothes.
- Hit the bathroom beauty product cupboard, discard all the expired product and the “sample” bottles lying around.
- Clean out your Wardrobe!
Donate the jeans that might fit again “one day” and instead tell yourself when that time comes you will reward yourself with a new pair.
Let go of the shirts and socks and pants that have been lying around with holes in them that you will fix one of these days, you won’t!
Let go of the clothes you have never worn even though they may be perfect for an occasion one day, remembering there are people that can use these things now! - Tackle your Storage Locker;
Let go of the items sitting in boxes upon boxes.
While not only fun to reflect on old photos and letters, it feels great to let go of the ornaments and boxes of old christmas cards, that really why are you saving it? R
Realistically if its in storage and you don’t use it everyday, you probably don’t need it!
There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life. — Author Unknown
While spring cleaning can be a daunting task, what a great way to practice Aparigraha and prepare you for the Spring Solistice which is only a few weeks away. So Take a Deep Breath, LET GO and EXHALE fully!
