Pat Taub
Spring is typically the time when we tidy up our living spaces by washing windows, sorting kitchen cupboards, and getting rid of clothes we no longer wear. What if we applied this same thinking to our interior lives?
What if we engaged in spring-cleaning for the soul? What would that look like?
It might involve reworking the formula in Marie Kondo’s bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, where you think soulfully instead of practically. For example, think in terms of your soulful/spiritual life when Kondo recommends that you get rid of personal items that no longer “spark joy.”
A woman contemplating a soulful spring cleaning
For starters, do an inventory of those relatives and friends that no longer spark joy.
While you can’t readily get rid of relatives (unless you’re in the Mafia), you can eliminate the discomfort they cause. The most effective way to do this through the path of forgiveness. Once you learn to forgive someone, they no longer have the power to hurt you.
The hurtful individuals in question didn’t set out to hurt you. The hurtful behavior is more about them than you. As they say in 12 Step Programs, “People who hurt, hurt.” Try to imagine what their interior life might be like. I have a cousin who routinely delivers snarky remarks to me. I’ve been able to see his behavior as a function of his unhappiness, which led to me forgiving him.
Practicing forgiveness, through understanding, as a way to step out of conflict with another
Friends who have become negative can be draining. While you can make excuses for not getting together with them, the honest path is to say something like, “I’m sorry but our connection is no longer working for me.” It’s important that you use an “I statement,” rather than being accusatory, like calling them “self-centered.”
Forgiveness also involves forgiving yourself.
Stop chastising yourself for your perceived shortcomings. Be kind to yourself. Imagine yourself being gently held by a great spirit who looks lovingly on those aspects of yourself you dislike. This spirit, whether it’s the Great Mother, God, or your spirit guides, wants you to feel supported in your changes, but not to feel like you must develop new habits overnight.
Agnes Varda, the late French film director, who embodied self-love and a love of life
Because your soul needs replenishing, adopt a mediative practice, where you sit quietly for 20-30 minutes each day. After a week of meditating, you will feel calmer, more centered, and more connected to your soul. Meditative walks, preferably in the solitude of the country, are another way to feed your soul. Think in terms of the Japanese practice of “Forest Bathing.”
A dream journal is another way to connect with your soul. Dreams send spiritual messages to us when we’re asleep, when our guard is down. Keep a journal on your nightstand so you can jot down your dreams first thing upon awakening.
For a while I had a reoccurring dream of being lost in a large home, where I couldn’t find my way out. Every door I tried led to a dead end. My dream was telling me that being trapped, without an exit, meant that I needed to find a new creative/spiritual path.
Invest in soulful people that energize and inspire you—people who laugh a lot, see beauty where others don’t and are caring. Find a way to spend more time with them. Invite them to lunch or have a gathering at your home of these shining souls.
Adelaide and Connie, who personify shining souls
Kondo recommends transforming your home into “a sacred space.”
More and more women, and some men, are creating home altars in their workspaces or in a room given over to meditation. Typically, home altars hold images of the Buddha or the Sacred Feminine. along with photos of relatives and friends close to your heart. Many Mainers adorn their altars with beautiful beach rocks.
A simple home altar with lit candles for meditation
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up concludes with the advice: “Pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy.”
It might be a creative endeavor, like writing or painting, working for climate change or world peace, or befriending acquaintances who are isolated. Try to make this mission central to your life.
The big reward of soulful spring-cleaning is that it offers the potential for a happier life and a life where magic has room to appear. Who doesn’t want more magic in their lives?
