Spring Cleaning for Better Health

I don't know about you, but I tend to accumulate a lot of "stuff."  We save and stock up on things that we don’t know what to do with anymore. Maybe we keep things because they hold precious memories of days gone by, or they remind us of our parents, grandparents, past loves or childhood.  We save magazines, catalogues, even old textbooks, because we are afraid we just might need something in them someday.  

To part with these precious possessions seems out of the question. But to hold on to all the "stuff" can block our progress.  There is a saying that goes, “You have to get rid of the old to make way for the new.”  If you are feeling stuck or stagnant in your life, try spring-cleaning. Throw out some of that stuff, say goodbye to your past and welcome the new energy of your happy, healthy future.

Try these ideas:

• Look around and notice if there is an area, drawer, or corner that could use some de-cluttering.  Try throwing out more than feels comfortable.  You will probably find out that your mind starts to become clearer, your mood lifts, and you feel more energized and motivated to tackle a new project.

• For good mental and physical health, we actually have two “houses” that need to be spring-cleaned: our physical homes and our physical bodies. Just as we accumulate “stuff” in the form of outgrown clothes, magazines, rusty bicycles, tools and random keepsakes, so do our bodies accumulate old food residues and toxins that need to be cleaned out.

• To spring clean your body, give it a break from rich and complicated foods by either cleansing or fasting for a short period of time. Cleansing means paring down your food to just simple fruits and vegetables, lots of water and perhaps whole grains. Fasting means limiting most foods and drinking lots of water, fresh vegetable and fruit juices, teas and soups. Without much energy going toward digestion, more energy is available to the rest of your body and mind. Cleansing and fasting can sharpen your concentration, help you gain insight and promote spiritual awareness. It can also bring improved immune function and better digestion.

• While you’re cleaning out your body and home, don’t forget to spring-clean your heart. Throw away negative thoughts and habits you’ve been harboring that no longer serve you. A clean, open heart will allow you to receive all the good that awaits you each and every day. If your heart and mind are cluttered, there is no room for life’s gifts and surprises to enter.

Do you have Spring Cleaning rituals?  I'd love to hear about them - drop a line in the comments box below!