Recently I had the opportunity to be part of a women’s retreat where one of the women was sharing about what was going on astrologically during this month. I’m not going to go into the details because this really isn’t an area I know that much about but essentially she shared that the energy of the most recent solar eclipse is supporting us in healing, clearing out and letting go of old patterns from the past. If you’re interested in more details, check out Virginia’s blog here.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve certainly noticed some old stuff coming up for healing, which isn’t always easy. And if you’re like me, you want some concrete ways for working with and clearing out whatever is coming up. So I’ve gathered tools and practices that focus cleansing and letting go, broken down into specific life areas. And the good news is that all of these areas are inter-related so whatever clearing out work you do in one will have ripple effects on the others. Remember to notice any positive changes after working with any of the areas below–this part is perhaps the most important part so don’t skip it!
Physical Environment: Our physical space often reflects our mental/emotional space so when we can address clutter and let go of things that are no longer serving us in our physical space, it tends to lighten our mental/emotional load. It might be helpful to start with an area where you spent a lot of time like your kitchen, your bedroom, your office/desk, or your living room. Sometimes it can feel super overwhelming to tackle everything at once so choose one thing at a time and start small–like de-cluttering your pantry or your utensils drawer or the top of your desk. Put on some music that gives you energy and allow yourself to let go of anything that doesn’t bring you joy (or that you don’t absolutely need!). If you want a more concrete guide, here’s a link that breaks down decluttering into small concrete steps. Notice how your space feels afterwards–soak up the felt sense of freed up space in your physical environment.
Electronic Space: This isn’t an area of ‘space’ that people often think about but when we think of how much time we spend on our laptops, iphones, or other screens, it makes sense that we would want to be thoughtful and intentional around how we attend to those spaces as well. Take some time to empty out your voicemail and messages, clear out files you no longer need, organize your desktop so that it’s easier to navigate, get rid of contacts you’re no longer connected with, and delete apps you don’t use. You don’t have to tackle this all at once–you can empty your voicemail (for example!) in just a couple of minutes.
Energetic Space: Stagnant energy can build up in both our physical bodies and our environments. Here are a couple of tools that I like to use to clear out stagnant energy: a) Use palo santo or sage to clear your space or yourself–as you’re wafting the smoke around the room or your body, hold the intention of letting go and clearing any energy that’s no longer needed and inviting in positive energy b) This one is a combo of breath work and imagery. Get into a comfortable position and allow yourself to take several deep breaths (all the way into your belly). As you breathe, visualize your breath moving into all parts of your body, cleansing and releasing anything you want to let go of–thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, or patterns. You might notice certain colors, textures, or images as you breathe in whatever you’re wanting to cultivate and breathe out anything that’s no longer needed. Some people like to visualize the breath as water or light. Imagine whatever you’re letting go of riding out with the breath and dissolving into the air or being absorbed into the earth and transformed. Notice and take in any positive changes following this practice. As with any of these areas, let your intuition guide you–you don’t have to stick to my directions or ideas if something else pops up.
Mental Space: Consider the thought patterns that don’t serve you or don’t align with your values. These may be thought patterns about others, the state of the world, or about yourself. Take a few minutes to jot down some of the thoughts you have that you’re wanting to let go of and come up with a reframe for each of these or something you can replace it with that is more aligned with how you want to show up. For example, you might catch yourself thinking ‘I should be able to handle this’ and perhaps you realize this thought actually makes you feel worse (even if it feels accurate!) so you might practice replacing it with the thought ‘It’s okay to feel overwhelmed and need support’ Try playing with just one thought and reframe at a time. Perhaps write the reframe out and put it somewhere you see it regularly to help remind you to let the other thought go.
Relational Space: Ever hear the quote ‘You are the company you keep’? There certainly is something to this. Take some time this month to consider the people you choose to spend time with. How do you feel before, during, and after you see them? Think about the qualities and characteristics you value and aspire to–do the people you surround yourself with share these qualities? I’m not suggesting to break up with all of your friends but simply to be thoughtful and intentional about who you’re choosing to spend time with. Here’s a helpful link to support you with setting boundaries as you become more aware of those who uplift your energy and those who don’t.
Emotional Space: Paradoxically, the best way to clear out and let go of feelings is to allow ourselves to fully feel them. Oftentimes, we resist or avoid feeling intense emotions because we’re worried about losing control or scared of how hard or painful it’ll be to actually feel them (and this avoidance is biologically programmed in us!). So play around with noticing if there’s anything you might be avoiding feeling. And see if you can make space for and offer compassion to this feeling state. If you want a more concrete practice, try placing your hand on your heart and notice the support of your hand, the felt sense of your heartbeat, the warmth, and say to yourself or the feeling “It’s okay to be here” or “It’s okay to feel ____” If this feels too overwhelming or scary to do on your own, reach out for professional support from a therapist or another healing practitioner.
Physical Body: In my opinion, this is one of the most important spaces to keep clear (thought they’re all important!)–and perhaps one of the hardest! When our body is healthy and clear, it’s easily able to process and clear out stuff as it comes because it’s designed this way. There are many things that affect our physical body but for the sake of simplicity, I’m just going to talk about the physical stuff you’re directly putting into it. Spend some time this month thinking about or tracking how various foods, alcohol and other substances affect your body. Make a commitment to eliminate or moderate something that you feel is not serving your physical body. Partner with someone who’s also doing this for extra accountability. Try just committing for the rest of the month and make sure you take time to see what differences you notice, in your physical body, emotions, mental state, relationships–again, it’s all connected!
Habits and other patterns: Take 10-20 minutes to jot down any other patterns that you want to change. This might overlap with some of the above patterns and that’s okay. Here are some ideas to look at: patterns around screen time, sleep, things you talk about/conversations, patterns around time management, anything else that feels like it’s no longer serving you. Below these write ‘I choose to let go of ____ and instead I’ll ____’ Reading these new statements aloud or to a someone you trust can be really powerful and help to further your commitment to letting go.
I hope these ideas and practices have gotten you excited about the idea of clearing out your spaces. Don’t try and tackle all of these areas at one sitting! Take a moment and think about each area of your life, consider the area you’re most drawn to working with or the area that could use the most support and attention and just focus on that one–remember working with one area will have a positive impact on the others. As always, I’d love to hear from you!
Challenge: Choose one of the above life areas and follow through with the practices suggested (or come up with your own). Share with a friend so that you all can support one another. Notice and take in any positive changes in your overall sense of wellbeing!
Affirmation: ‘I choose to let go of all that no longer serves me’
One Comment
Excellently presented.