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Let go of what has passed.
Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don’t try to figure anything out. Don’t try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest. Tilopa (989 – 1069)
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I don’t relax as deeply as usual if my home is untidy” admits writer Ann Lynch from west Wales “It’s as if something inside won’t rest until everything is in its place.” Many spiritual teachings, including Christianity and shamanism, say ‘as within, so without.’ But what if the reverse was also true? What if our physical environment has a direct impact on our spiritual growth? A spiritual spring clean means decluttering both physically and psychically – inside and out. We live in a physical world. Or it may be more true to say we are spiritual beings bound in flesh to learn the lessons this plane has to teach us about balance. One of the best ways of achieving peace, meaning and clarity is to purify –in all areas of our lives. Learning to ‘spring clean’ our environments and our minds makes room for new experiences and insights, and can be of great benefit. Take a look at your surroundings – are they tidy and well cared for? Does it feel like home? If not, what do feel you could change? Try to look with a feeling of gratitude for the roof over your head, then sincerely ask yourself: how am I caring for my things? It’s very beneficial to have our surroundings feel good and filled with only the things that uplift and nourish us. The more consciously we care for the beauty of our surroundings, the more attuned we may become to the peace and guidance of our inner ‘home.’ As ancient Egyptian mystic Hermes Trismegistus put it: ‘As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul.’ THE LOUNGE Many of us spend most of our time at home in our lounge, relaxing, organizing our lives and socialising. It goes without saying that is a very important space to ‘get right.’ Spread the love It’s great to make your lounge as comfortable as possible, so you can all relax and enjoy each other’s company time and again. Where there’s room, consider a L- or U-shape sofa so that there’s space for everyone to really stretch out and have their space. Light up your world As weather-obsessed Britons, we’re keenly aware what strong an effect light has on our mood. If you can, put your lights on a dimmer switch for an instantly relaxing atmosphere for a movie night or romantic dinner. Candles, too, are a simple way of creating a peaceful atmosphere that relaxes the eyes and calms the mind. THE KITCHEN The kitchen represents your physical body – after all you are what you eat. Most of us already understand the benefits of an organic diet, and many more are coming to realise that a meat-based diet is unhealthy, inhumane and unsustainable from a planetary perspective. Harness plant power Whatever your current standpoint on vegetarianism, everyone can do their best to become more compassionate. Harmlessness, it is said, is the acme of spirituality. Participating in the popular Meat-Free Monday movement started by the McCartney family (meatfreemondays.com) could be a fun way to try new recipes and kick-start a healthier, kinder way of life. Get connected Whether you live with your family or just like to entertain, it’s lovely to have a solid dining table for everyone to sit at and talk. Mealtimes are an important chance to ‘feed’ our relationships. Eating and relating harmoniously will strengthen the bonds between you, and raise your levels of health and happiness. Get organised Do you have a spare wall? Put up a pin board and a calendar. Being organised means you’re less likely to worry about forgetting things, leaving your mind calmer. THE BEDROOM Think of your bedroom as a sacred space – a sanctuary in which to rest, rejuvenate and enjoy cuddles with loves ones and pets. Keep things sweet If you like to watch TV or DVDs here, pick only the ones that you find funny, romantic or uplifting. What we absorb – psychically even more than physically – affects the way we think and feel, and in turn determines the kind of energy we ‘give out’. To enjoy restful sleep, it’s helpful to not pollute our mind and close our hearts with things that make us negative. Put friendship in the frame The bedroom is a very good place to have framed pictures of loved ones and/or peaceful scenes. We often carry images from our day-to-day life into the dream state. This state is significant on several levels – it both helps to regenerate us and widen our consciousness to attune with higher guiding forces. So who and what we carry with us into this state significantly effects both what we dream about and our state of mind in waking life. Be neutral Neutral colours such as white, cream and sand are ideal in this room. They have a calming influence and will help you rest and relax. THE BATHROOM Unlikely as it may seem, the bathroom is one of the most powerful rooms in the house. In a way it reflects our outer appearance and how we feel about ourselves. After all, it’s where we wash, clean our teeth and usually take care of our physical appearance. What does your bathroom say about how you feel about yourself? Keep it clean Invest in organic and eco-friendly products that are kind to your skin and the environment. The more respect and care we show to all Life, the more spiritual we’re being. Make things all white If your toilet has been there for a while, you may want to replace the seat, ideally with a new white one (white is symbolic of purity and divinity – think of doves and angels). Sit back and meditate The bathroom is an excellent place to meditate. Water is one of the most spiritual and transformative elements in nature. It both cleanses and heals. Lie upright and comfy in a warm bath. Start to rhythmically deepen your breathing as you close your eyes and relax deeper into the soft warmth of the water enveloping you all around. Focus on your heart space and keep your attention here, breathing slowly. Allow an image of yourself meditating inside a beautiful ‘ball’ of pure white light to appear. Keep your focus on this peaceful, blissful scene for as long as you wish. When you’re ready to end, deepen your breathing, bring your attention back to the bath and – feeling cleansed, loving and restored – open your eyes. CHECKLIST: YEAR-ROUND ESSENTIALS FOR A HAPPY HOME
Offer this prayer to boost the positive energy surrounding you and make your home a true haven. Close your eyes, breathe slowly, send your focus high up like a beam through the sky and repeat internally to yourself: May Divine light shine on this space And bring the joy of love to my face. Thank you, Universe, for guiding me To make this home a peaceful place to be. BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CLEANSING THE MIND Light a candle and stare gently, patiently, into the flame. Imagine immersing your whole being in a feeling of gentle loving peacefulness and breath deeply and evenly. Now close your eyes. Every time your monkey mind begins to chatter, gently open your eyes look back at the flame and let go of that thought. Do your best try to sit in this state for five minutes. ADVANCED PRACTICE Go the extra mile by keeping your home free of psychic ‘dirt’ such as complaining, criticising and shouting. It takes great inner strength to overcome our habit of being negative. Do your best. All efforts made to ‘clean up’ your life and be more loving will be rewarded.  Next time you find yourself belly laughing, notice how you don’t have any thoughts… Nature is very precise; be tickled pink. Or think. You can’t do both. In knee-slapping, tear-wiping laughter, the thinking mind disappears. Howling is neither part of mind or the heart but comes from somewhere beautiful beyond the two; your core, your being. Only man can laugh; no other species. So laugh! Laugh like a loon as often as you can and you may, by and by, move into meditation. Seriousness will loosen its grip on you. Its fatal disease will start retreating from your core. Seriousness kills creativity, innocence, passion, potential, wisdom, joy… If you can find something funny, if you can let in the light of humour in even the darkest place, then you’re free. Laughter is music to God’s ears “If you are possessed by laughter, thinking stops. And if you know a few moments of no-mind, those glimpses will promise you many more rewards that are going to come. You just have to become more and more of the sort, of the quality, of no-mind. More and more, thinking has to be dropped. Laughter can be a beautiful introduction to a non-thinking state.” Osho |
