19 Apr Spring Cleaning for Your Life (activity and meditation)

012014  

Happy New Year!
Many cultures celebrate New Years closer to spring or in summer for Harvest Season. Modern Western culture on the other hand celebrates our New Years day in the cold of winter. Might have something to do with the modern temperament. I don’t know But it’s Spring so for the purposes of this article and activity we are going to celebrate New Years now.

Celebrations in Sprin

Lunar New Year

Admittedly China, one of the most populated regions celebrates *Lunar New Year* each year in winter as well. It’s actually the largest migration of people and it’s celebrated all over the world and not just in China. The date of Lunar New Year is a fascinating system based mostly on when the first New Moon comes each Spring. It normally falls somewhere between January 21 and February 20 each year. The pring Festicval for Lunar New Year each year is usually dominated with symbols of renion and hope.

Lunar new Year being determined by the first moon of spring clearly also coincides with the agricultural year which naturally starts in Spring when the weather begins to warm. In fact the caledar is believed to go back to prehistory when the tribal cultures were even more tied to the progress of the season and the new begginings possible each spring for liek and family.

Nowruz

Persian New Year known as Nowruz is celebrated in Iran and many Middle Eastern Counries. It occurs each year at Spring Equinox which is March 21. Why spring equinox?…

That’s what you say this time of year if you are Chinese, Persian or part of an old culture like Babylon that worshiped the earth and it’s cycles. Spring officially begins on March 21st and the spring equinox marks beginning of the years life cycle. So this is the New Year folks! Time to celebrate!

The winter cold is over and seeds planted over winter are ready to start their sprouting! Spring is traditionally a time to plant new crops in the earth and we are encouraged to mirror those actions in our personal lives with actions like starting new projects and making new beginnings.

This is the time of year to clear out the dust from last years crops and plant something new! But how do we do that? Where can I start to make a difference in my life? The answer? A little at a time.

The month of Spring is often associated with the element of Fire. Fire here represents the creative spirit that burns down what is overgrown so that new crops can grow, like the fire of the Phoenix. Part of growing is getting rid of what is old and no longer serves your life.

We are going to make our New Years Resolutions Now! The holidays are far to stressful of a time to cleanse and start over. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the Winter. Fire symbolizes creativity and imagination and Spring is a great time of year to get creative! Start an art project! Is there a way you’ve been itching to express your creative side? An art project you need to make space for and start? Is there a project around the house that need to get done? Maybe you need to remodel your bedroom? Is it time to make space to exercise? Spring Cleaning is your opportunity. Your excuse, if you will, to fulfill that deep desire you have to be more whole.

And Don’t forget the Cleaning!

Why do we like to clean in the spring? On the farm people tend to clean the old crops off of the land and dig up the earth in early Spring. This is to prepare the soil for the New Crops. In the same turn we also tend to find it a good time to clean out the rest of our world as well. What I am suggesting in this article is that while we go through the physical motions of cleaning our homes and our gardens it is also an excellent time to do the same for our minds, for our emotions, for our soul. It is a great time to get back on track, eliminate the waste from these parts of our lives.

Your mind is a part of who your are. We cannot separate our mind from our body and it takes maintenance just like everything else in our life. When our mind is cluttered it is much like having a cluttered home. We start to lose things, forget things. What things have been cluttering up your mind lately. Are there old ideas that maybe you should change? What is missing in your mental world? Is there enough imagination in your projects? Are you tackling things that should be tackled by many minds alone?
Think about your mind and it’s health. Do you need cleaning and improvement in your mental world?

Your mind is directly affected by your emotions. It is very important to pay attention to your emotional states and how they affect your mental and physical actions. So you get angry easily? Do you think destructive or violent thoughts? Do you get sad or depressed easily? So what can you do about this and learn from knowing these things about yourself?

In the Article Spring Cleaning for your Mind and Emotions I will discuss more ways to strengthen your mind and live with your emotional dynamics.

Let go of the pain of the past year. Think of new ideas for this coming year. Start experimenting in the yard with that machine you’ve always wanted to build.  We make room for the new crops and the new habits in our lives by sweeping out the cobwebs and rearranging our homes. 

Thinking about these things should have given you a lot more ideas for your list!

This is the first of my upcoming articles on cleansing and getting healthy. This first article is the planning stage focused on getting us in the frame of mind to have a great year. We are also literally going to clean out our house. If you don’t live in a house, your apartment, van, campsite will do fine. Just associate each room in the house during the meditation with the space and organization of the same purpose. Ie Kitchen is your cooking/food preparation center. 

After we do a good evaluation of what we want to change this year we can get on to clearing out and activating the different parts of our life. Future articles will focus on cleansing, re-evaluating, and rebuilding your health: body, mind, and soul.

You can start this process anytime, it doesn’t have to be in spring. I recommend you make a tradition of it (do it each year) every spring. This is also a good first step to paying attention to the natural cycles of the Earth. There will also be more articles soon on strengthening our connection to the earth. This way we can mirror natures cycles and as a result be in better harmony with the Earth. 

OK
We are going to clean the house! Hopefully it doesn’t look as bad as my friends!

Cleaning is a great way to get the ball rolling. Things in your home that are a mess may remind you of other parts of your life. Often a messy area in your house is directly connected to something going on in your life! I find it really helpful to keep lists and write down your ideas. It’s a good idea to keep different list for different time periods and goals. We aren’t just cleaning the house here, we are activating the whole life process of getting things done and if you’re like me you will start having a lot of new ideas as you begin thinking about your goals. 

The first step is to sit down and clear you head. You might have a lot to clean up in your life and that can be overwhelming. So just make an appointment with yourself. Set aside half a day or more is ideal but at least three hours or so to start.

The day before you can start writing down a list as things that you need to clean in your house. Keep it broad, you will probably also think about other things in your life you want to change. Write them down too.

What is a burden to you in your life? 
What obstacles do you want to overcome? 
What do you need to let go of?
What needs to be fixed? What is lacking?
Ask your self the same questions about the state of your home. 

So today is the day to clean! Let’s tart by doing a quick 20 minute meditation. Be sure to eat well that day and shower and use the bathroom before your meditation. This will make you more comfortable and it easier to sit for a long period. It’s probably a good time to start your cleanse and diet changes.  (see Spring Cleaning for the Body)

BODY-HOME MEDITATION

Before the meditation look at the list that you have created. On a piece of paper write out your name on both sides and on one side write down the one or two things that stick out the most. On the other side write one or two goals.

Put the paper near you and sit in a comfortable pose in your home. Close your eyes and begin to take calm deep breaths, each time filling your lungs and pausing slightly before releasing the air to relax. Breath slowly paying attention to your breath and making sure that your breath is slow and relaxed.

Imagine yourself sitting in your home and let yourself imagine the different rooms of your home,

One by One. The Room you are in, The bedroom, The Bathroom, Your Garden or Yard, The Kitchen, The Office, The Living Room

Imagine the eagles eye view of your home. Think about the different parts of your home and how these rooms relate to the different parts of your life and your body.

Start by imagining the entrance to your home. Imagine standing at the door. Look around, is there anything that is out of place? Anything you should get rid of? Is there anything you want to add. What would make your doorway more inviting? 

This is the entrance to the next year of your life. It is a good idea to think of something that your could change to invite yourself and everyone you love into your plans for this year. Add a plant? Some Flowers? Paint? What would be a good symbol for your intentions this year?

Doorway

Lift your hand, and open the door. 

Body Home

You are now entering the doorway of your home. Your home and your body are mirror images of each other. You have a room in each house which connects with each part of your body somehow. As you move through your home feel the connection that each place has to your body, your mind, and your emotions.

Imagine your root chakra.. This is the part of your body that is below your naval. IT represents your deep grounding in the soils of the earth. It is represented by a deep earthy red color. In many ways your root chakra is connected to the bathroom in your house. Imagine your home filling with this deep red as you enter your bathroom.

What is the state of your bathroom? What does this say about your life?

Imagine yourself sitting in your bathroom. Your bathroom is where you take care of some of your more base needs for life. Your body gets rid of waste here and you clean yourself and groom yourself here. It is a very important part of who you are. Imagine what you would be like if you could not clean and you could not bury the waste of your body deep in the earth?
Is your bathroom clean? How has your personal hygiene been lately? Is there something about your bathroom you could improve? Would you be a cleaner or a more comfortable person if you made some improvement to your bathroom? Where does it need cleaning?

Next imagine the light moving up your body into your naval chakra as you leave your bathroom and walk into your bedroom. Your naval chakra is important for you physical comforts, your sleep, your sexual activity, you self expression. In many ways these elements are mirrored in the state of your bedroom. What is the current state of your bedroom? Is it organized? Is it comfortable? What does it say about your love life? Your stress level?
Imagine yourself sitting on your bed and looking about your room. Your bedroom is closely aligned with your sacral charka. It is a place for self expression, lovemaking, comfort. What does the state of your bedroom say about these parts of your life?
Think about how changing this room might make it better reflect your self-expression. How could you make your time here more comfortable for you and your lover(s)? Could you add some art which better expresses who you are? This is your private space, you should remind yourself what makes you unique and sexy. Try to keep your bed clean and free of clutter. This is not a place for the rest of your life projects. Keep your bedroom free.

The light now moves from your naval to your solar-plex and turns to a bright yellow. This is the place of the sun and light in your life. It guides you to your true will. Exit your bedroom to your garden or yard. Hopefully there is a way to go right there from the bedroom. Otherwise just walk through the wall. It’s a meditation! You can do that!. If you do not have a garden of a yard, do you have plants in your home? What is your home exudes life and your unique character? The garden and the lighting in your home is closely aligned with the solar plexus, your true will, true nature. This is also your place to connect to nature and the natural world. This has to do with your individuality. What do you do when you leave home? How is your recreation area organized?
What would be really exciting to do out here? Let yourself feel free to have any playful ideas right now? What would be really cool to do that you have been putting off? If you lack a yard what could you do to bring more life, activity and nature to your home? Maybe even just make the lighting better?
How does your light and your life in your home represent your feeling and you energy? Does the lighting in your house drag you down? Maybe if you improve this you will fee less depression in your life?

Let the light move from your solar-plex to your heart area. As it approaches your heart is becomes a brilliant loving emerald green. Let yourself move from your garden to your kitchen. Your heart is very closely aligned with the kitchen. What you eat also highly affects the health of your heart. Keep this in mind when you fill your kitchen with food. Bring some food from your garden into your kitchen, it is the best for you body and heart. 

The kitchen is the place where you prepare the nutrition for your body. Your heart (kitchen) and your solar plexus (garden) are your energy center for your body. This is how you love your self is through the food you eat. 
Open your fridge. What is in the refrigerator? What is in your cupboards? What have you been putting into your body? How much of your food do you prepare yourself? Why? Could you do something to your kitchen to improve your health?
Do you excursive anywhere in your house? Maybe it si time to make a place? Is there something you could improve in your house that would make it easier for you to get some exercise?

Let the light move from your heart up towards your throat. As it moves it becomes blue like the sky. As you leave the smells of your kitchen make your way to your study, your office, or your library. Maybe it’s your computer room or you have a study area in your bedroom. Maybe it’s your office. These areas are all closely aligned with the Throat Chakra. This is how you communicate and learn.
Look around. What have you been studying lately? Anything that is stimulating you? Are you learning new things? What have you been missing? Is there a book you’ve been meaning to read or music you have yet to listen to?
What would make this are more productive for you? Are you able to get your tasks done here? What holds you back?

Maybe somewhere close to your study you have an altar, or a shrine to your favorite comedian. What inspires you, makes you feel in tune with your surroundings? How do you approach reality?

Let the light move from your throat up to your third eye. This is the area of yoru brain and your higher thought. As the light moves into this area it turns into a brilliant purple. If you don’t have an altar maybe you should consider building one somewhere in your home. It doesn’t have to be anything religious. Just maybe a way you can ground yourself on a higher level.
Are there any ideas that are important to you? Maybe you should add these things to you altar, or put up a poster of your favorite quote. Remember to express yourself on higher level a little bit here and there. This is mostly about being in deeper tune with yourself.

Now that you have traveled all around your home let the light move all over your body. It becomes a brilliant diamond white. Let yourself move to the closest approximation to the center of you home. Think of you home as a whole. Think of all the rooms forming one giant rainbow. See how all the part of your life and your home work together to make you the person that you are. What would you do without one of the rooms? What would you do without part of your life? What have you been neglecting? What have you been focusing on too much? Try to make a well balanced plan for your year so that you can grow in all directions. 
Are there any major changes and shifts that need to happen in your home? In your life? Please think of these as you make your plans and move things around your house. 

Think of yourself in your home, surrounded by a pyramid of light. Think of all the colors of the chakras and of the different parts of your life like they are rainbow ribbons penetrating the pyramid around your home. As these colors bounce around all around you think about how the elements of you life inter we weave. 

Stand up and walk out the door of you home. 
Take three deep breaths. 
Open you eyes. 

END of Meditation

——

After your meditation you probably have a lot of ideas about what you want to do with your house and with your life. This si your brainstorming time. Hopefully you feel a little inspired! Write everything down no matter how silly it seems. Go back through the parts of your meditation and write down anything that you remember. Anything that stands out is good. Separate them into a few categories.

What stuff do you want to get rid of?
What stuff do you want to rearrange?
What are you lacking? What do you want to add to your home?

If you didn’t notice these three questions could also apply to your life and your plans for the next year.  

CLEANING YOUR HOUSE

So lets start by getting rid of stuff. Go through your house and pull out everything that you don’t need anymore. Take out the trash and pull out the furniture so that you can get anything that is hidden behind. 

As you are doing this think about your life. What have you been doing that is not good for you? What simple things could you get rid of and free up more time for yourself? 

Now that you have gotten rid of the junk there is probably a lots that can get moved around. Maybe things fit in better places now?

Now that you have eliminated the stuff you don’t need and thought about what you do need it’s time to reorganize. You can clean a little as you go. But now is the time to make real changes to your home. 
Maybe it’s time to rearrange the furniture. Or separate the spice cabinet into it’s own box. An important part of Spring Cleaning is reorganizing. THink about how this also relates to the rest of your life. As you let go of old emotions that don’t serve you and as you let go of projects that are taking too much time you also free your time up for new things. It seems less of a burden to start a new project when the space for it is already cleared.

While you do this you should be looking at all your lists of things you want and don’t want and think about what is important to your life. There is really nothing you can’t let go of for a period either is there? You can always come back to a project later. Today is a day for letting go of the old project and letting yourself start something new.

Is there a general theme here? Can a few of these things be part of one project? How should I organize the things I want to do with my year? Is it too much? Should I put something off. Is it too little? Am I forgetting to travel or do something important? Is there a new habit I need to start like Yoga and will it help me with my goal of losing weight? Try to make a plan of all these ideas. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. That’s why architects write down their plans. So they can remember all the complex details without thinking about them all the time!

So now that you have made new space in your home and gotten rid of junk. Is there stuff you have to replace? Did you decide to get a new blender? Or better yet is there a new project you can do to improve your home?

Now it’s time to do some polishing. Hopefully your in a new home and have some new goals for life. Now lets make it comfortable. Get out the cleaner and clean out all the dirt. The whole works. You should have some new places to clean where the old stuff used to be and you should be careful to clean under everything as well. First get out all your cleaning tools and cleaners.

CLEAN THE HOUSE

Your ideas and plans might need some polishing too. Try writing your thoughts in a journal and write down some details. This might show you a flaw in your plan. You can’t do everything at once . The key is to be fluid, don’t be bogged down by excess. Stay light and plan on changing your plan. 

After you have cleaned your house and thought a lot about the coming year it is time to create your resolutions. These are not resolutions that you cannot break, in fact you will not be perfect. Plan on it! Write a list of the things that you believe you can accomplish this year. Add a few things to work towards that you can’t accomplish this year. Write down what you are going to accomplish this month, this week, today. If there is one big goal that overpowers all the others. Write it really BIG! You can make this into an art piece or just a simple list. It’s up to you but be sure to put both your mind and your emotions into your goals. Try to accomplish a well rounded year. 

What we are going to do is take these goals and put them on the wall. Put them somewhere where you will see them every day in the morning. Next to the list of goals we are going to write a phrase about how we are going to accomplish them. 

Creating Confidence to Accomplish your Goals

I’m going to share Napolean Hill’s seven-part self-confidence chart from his book Napoleon Hill’s Golden Rules. And I’m going to show you how it relates to your journey in life.

Hill recommends that you repeat each of the seven points out loud several times a day. Stand in front of a mirror as you read them, look yourself square in the eye, and speak with enthusiasm. And if you ever get the feeling that the person in the mirror lacks courage, shake your fist at that person until you arouse a reaction. This is important! If you don’t say things with emotion your subconscious will not believe you. It’s a scientific fact!

Affirmations like this work because repeating them makes your mind accept them as being true. They have the power to change the way you think and feel about yourself by replacing negative beliefs with positive ones.

Hill’s Seven Steps to Self-Confidence:

1. I know that I have the ability to accomplish all that I undertake. I know that to succeed, I have only to establish this belief in myself and follow it with vigorous, aggressive action. I will establish it.(Note: It’s important to make every day of your freelance career a success. Here, Hill is reinforcing the importance of believing in yourself.)
2. I realize that my thoughts eventually reproduce themselves in material form and substance and become real in the physical state. Therefore, I will concentrate upon the daily task of thinking of the person I intend to be and of drawing a mental picture of this person and of transforming this picture into reality.(Note: Here, Hill says to describe in detail your “chief aim” or the life work you have selected. This is what your list is for.)
3. I am studying with the firm intention of mastering the fundamental principles through which I may attract to me the desirable things of life. Through this study, I am becoming more self-reliant and more cheerful. I am developing more sympathy for my fellow man, and I am becoming stronger, both mentally and physically. I am learning to smile that smile that plays upon the heart as well as on the lips.(Note: Mastering our life is an ongoing journey. That journey is a lot easier if you do so with a smile on your face.)
4. I am mastering and overpowering the habit of starting something that I do not finish. From this time forward, I will first plan all that I wish to do, making a clear mental picture of it, and then I will let nothing interfere with my plans until I have developed them into realities.(Note: A simple but sometimes hard lesson to follow: make plans and don’t give up until you’ve accomplished your goal. For anyone who wants success in life, this is critical.)
5. I have clearly mapped out and planned the work that I intend to follow for the ensuing five years. I have set a price upon my services for each of the five years, a price that I intend to command through strict application of the principle of efficient, satisfactory service!(Note: What do you want to be doing five years from now?  Plan out where you want to be and how much money you want to make over the next five or 10 years.)
6. I fully realize that genuine success will come only through strict application of the “Golden Rule” principles. I will, therefore, engage in no transaction which does not benefit alike all who participate in it. I will succeed by attracting to me the forces that I wish to use. I will induce others to serve me because of my willingness to serve them. I will gain the friendship of my fellow men because of my kindness and my willingness to be a friend. I will eliminate from my mind fear by developing in its place courage. I will eliminate skepticism by developing faith. I will eliminate hatred and cynicism by developing love for humanity.(Note: Treat others as you want to be treated yourself.)
7. I will learn to stand upon my feet and express myself in clear, concise, and simple language, and to speak with force and enthusiasm, in a matter that will carry conviction. I will cause others to become interested in me, because I will first become interested in them. I will eliminate selfishness and develop in its place the spirit of service.(Note: Speak with clarity and enthusiasm when you talk to prospects, clients, and others. Ask questions and listen. Take a genuine interest in helping others.)

Hill says you don’t have to follow the above seven points word for word. In fact, he says you can write an entirely new version if you prefer. Think of the above as a blueprint of the person you intend to be. Write your own phrase and edit it whenever you feel it needs to change. Your life is ever changing.

Write your phrase very carefully on a piece of paper and think about every word as you write it. Make sure you are using the right words. If you don’t know the right word, look up a few in the dictionary. Looking up words is a good way to clarify not only our thoughts but how we express our thoughts. It is very important to have a clear expression of an idea if you really expect to accomplish it. When you have completed you phrase put it on the wall next to your goals.

Every morning for the next 21 days and every morning after that that you feel demotivated or that you feel motivated or inspired or let down. Whenever you feel emotional. Go to the wall and read the phrase. Three times read it out loud and MEAN IT! Say it with feeling. These are your dreams! Your goals! Do they mean something to you? If not tear them apart and make new goals and a new phrase but this is very important stuff. It is you putting effort into a decision to be what you want to be and to accomplish what you want to. Every time I have used this method I have accomplished everything I wanted to! Everything!

ENDING MEDITATION

Creative Visualization is a very powerful tool used by therapists and motivational workers or all types. It is important to do this often. You can sit and think about your goals whenever you feel frustrated. Remember how many goals you have, often you might be thinking too much about how something in your life is holding back one of your goals. Forget about that, look at your other goals, chances are that situation is helping you accomplish something that you hadn’t even looked at. Every situation in your life gets you through your problems by taking you closer to them. You can’t get through a problem until you approach it and life has a wonderful way of helping you to do just that.

Now that we have our plan for the year and we have cleared out a lot of the junk from our past and the home is clean and well organized you should feel great! You have done so much. What we are going to do right now is take advantage of that. If you feel to tired now, take a nap and when you feel that little bit of excitement about your home and your plans, sit down in your home in a comfortable position. Take your goals from you wall and your phrase and set them in front of you. Look at your goals and as you look at each one, visualize yourself accomplishing the goal. After you have visualize your goals, read your phrase three time aloud with emotion and meaning. Close you eyes and visualize your goals and think about yourself accomplishing them.

Think about all the details, where will you be. What will you be wearing. Imagine the big smile on your face and IMAGINE how you will feel when you have accomplished your goal! Think about it. Think about the expression on your face, joy in your heart the next step you will take!

Think about how accomplishing this goal will change your life and how that process of change is already happening as you are working towards you goal. Think of tomorrow and how your attitude towards your new goal is going to affect who you are tomorrow.

We are all changing beings. Who you are now will be different tomorrow. Will be different the next time you make a choice to do something rather than another thing. Each moment you are becoming a new person. Visualize yourself and your body now as you sit and meditate. Visualize how your mind and your body is changing, how your cells are learning to think in new ways to accomplish your goal. Your new goals are changing you, visualize this change, it is happening right now.

Now visualize this subtle change in your self right now moving you towards that changed person that you were imagining a moment ago. Bridge the gaps in thought between you now, the changing you now and the change you want to accomplish. Realize also that that future you will also be changing towards a new goal and that the you that you are visualizing now will change tomorrow when you have changed.

Realize that your plan for yourself is not the ultimate. You are visualizing your future self now, but the real future you will be much different than what you visualize.

Change is compound. Do you know about compound interest? That is when you put money in a the bank and you earn interest but the interest then also begins to earn interest. That is what compound interest is. The interest that earned even more interest. Well you are going to change in this way as well. The changes you make today are going to make other changes that compound on your plans and your entire process of becoming a new person is always going to be folding in on itself.

You are going to change faster than you can plan and you should be prepared for that. Part of changing and growing is that you will also change who you want to become as you change. You will modify your plans, make them better.

Don’t spend too much time sticking to old plans. Go with the change inside of you, you are the best judge of where you should be going. Your plans are there to burn and make new anytime you want. I try to do it often. 

For now we are going to open our eyes and look again at our goals. Has something changed?

Feel free to edit your goals or your phrase if something doesn’t sit right for you. 
Feel free to return to this meditation and do it again anytime you seem stuck and not making any progress in your plans. 

Are you planning on becoming more spiritual this year? Smarter and more aware? Or just want to get in shape? Soon I’ll be posting an article on each one. Spring Cleaning for the Body, Mind and Soul.

Perfect Frame of Mind