Winter's frost is leaving our bodies and as we shake away its chills, we welcome with gratitude the season of new growth, new life and new opportunities into our lives. Now is the perfect time to become aware of what is filling our lives, what we can release and where we can liberate more space for life to bloom.
Honouring Winter
While Winter brings with it a cold death and release, underneath the surface it is nourishing that which will emerge in Spring. The release of the old is absolutely essential for the coming of the new. Take a moment to reflect on your Winter. Journaling is an excellent way to access our deepest feelings and uncover our own revelations. How did I feel this Winter? What has died for me during this time - ideas, relationships, dreams, possessions, opportunities - what have been my endings? And though I may be holding on, what do I need to let die, in order to make space for Spring? What seeds do I intuitively feel have been nourished this Winter below the surface?
Taking an honest audit
How we spend our time, where we focus our attention, and the accumulation of our daily habits make up our beautiful messy human lives. Take time to reflect on all the aspects of your life - from relationships, to food, sex, sleep, work, technology, possessions, time in nature and time to play. With discernment and compassion, listen to how you feel about these areas of your life and notice what you can let go of to open to more space.
Letting go
The creation of space, the opening, is a consequence of releasing the old. We cannot just simply create more time and space, we need to actually let go of things, habits and even relationships. Practicing minimalism is a great way not only to de-clutter practically, but also to acknowledge what actually brings value to our lives. When looking at what you want to release, ask yourself "does this bring value to my life?" or "does this drain me or sustain me?". What we include in our lives can be carefully selected on their ability to offer great value, whilst having little impact on the lightness of our spirit.
Treasure what is
When we have released the old we are left with the bare bones of Winter, the bare bones of our life, after shedding all that is no longer needed. We're left with the possessions, habits, people, opportunities and rituals that actually bring value to our lives, freeing ourselves from the heavy weight of the unnecessary. It's time to take this skeleton and infuse love deep into its bones. Take a moment to practice gratitude for the ability to release, for each and every piece that remains, and the gift of space it brings.
You are enough
Brené Brown writes that we live in a culture of scarcity. Our accumulation of possessions, work loads, and relationships may be a reflection of this feeling that we never have enough. In her book Daring Greatly, Brené shares that the opposite of scarcity is not abundance, but enough. When we fill our lives with too many things, even the beautiful things will be lost amongst the chaos of a jam packed existence. Truly believing that what we have is enough is one way to make peace with having this new open space, and help us avoid simply filling it straight away with new things. When the impulse to fill the open space with habitual patterns arises, try repeating this affirmation:
"I have enough
I do enough
I am enough."
The time you take
Whilst a big de-clutter can feel incredibly liberating, taking an audit of our lives can be overwhelming and time consuming if we are trying to do it all at once. Your time, energy and space is precious. Honour where you are at, and how you want to go about your spring cleanse. It could all be done in one day, or perhaps you want to look at a different aspect of your life each day, or only on weekends. You can also practice small acts of daily cleansing. For example, remove all the contents of your bag before leaving the house in the morning and place inside only what you need for that day. A simple act like this can reveal just how much extra "stuff" we accumulate, in our lives, without even realising it.
Opening to receptivity
Changes come when there is space for them to move into. One way to avoid filling your new space as quickly as you made it, is by focusing on being open to receptivity. You might like to make a vision board, piecing together a collage with images of the sights, colours, relationships and feelings you want to receive in this space. Or you may like to simply rest, in this new found space you have so deservedly created for yourself. The kind of space that allows you to feel more fully the exquisitely simple yet wondrous moments of your life.
Words by Kirilly Dawn, for Silatha.
