Spring has arrived and we are filled with a sense of lightheartedness and extended possibility.
We take pride in re-ordering our lives to create space for new things to enter and old things that no longer serve us to pass. The very nature of this season gives us a feeling of inward confidence and blesses us with a gesture of greatness. Whether we are clearing out our closets, tending to our garden or feng shui'ng our living room, we are intent on bringing in our most favorite season with abundance and joy.
All of a sudden we pay attention to the language of our environment. The ancient art of feng shui is the method of altering our space to align with our intention for what we want to see arise in our lives.
We spend hours organizing our notes and our documents on our desktop to try and keep order in our lives, but we don't think about how we can create the space within that helps all the other things fall more effortlessly into place.
Focusing on cultivating our "sacred inner living space" might be the most effective solution yet for how we optimize effectiveness in our daily lives. Embracing a new philosophy for living that honors how we renew our inner selves will not only help us "spring clean" our souls this season and beyond, it will also give us renewed insight.
All too often, we move through life sweeping emotional issues under the carpet -- unresolved issues, or emotional baggage as we like to call it, always impacts our lives negatively and too often without us being aware of it.
As creatures of habit, we tend to repeat patterns whether they serve us or not. Insight helps us rid ourselves of the concepts we've accumulated that limit our experience and cloud our ability to see clearly, honestly and without judgment.
Begin by finding ways to escape from energy-draining conversations and devote a few moments every day to silence and stillness, to simply being. Soul cleansing simply means giving our attention to what is occurring inside us.
Our thinking brain-- which is influenced mostly by others' pre-ordained ideas for how we should live our lives -- takes a break, and we are able to distinguish our true thoughts from those that are thoughts of acceptance or judgment influenced by others.
In this process, we nourish those aspects of our inner being that give rise to that small, quiet voice within that is always gently leading us in the direction of our happiness. As we empty the mind of its noise we give space for our intuition to rise and we are more able to live in sync with what destiny has in store for us, without getting in the way...
Our culture has become a mechanical expression of endless functions to satisfy our logic, and yet what we all yearn for is wonder, to be re-enchanted by the world.
In feng shui, one is taught both the importance of visible (yang) elements and invisible (yin) elements. Unless there is a balance of the visible and invisible within our homes, our lives will not enjoy a deeper level of harmony.
When we consciously create our "inner living space," just like we create our lives, we tap into the power of sacredness in our lives and we start to experience more abundance, joy and success.
The benefit of taking a quiet moment out to reconnect and recharge is not small, it opens up our heart in extremely powerful ways and optimizes the potential of our relationships to flourish.
Spring is a time for renewal. A time to celebrate and grow. Just three minutes of mindful breathing every day is a great start to find harmony within and improve our ability to function in the fast paced and ever changing landscape of our lives.
Begin now.
For more by Shelley A. Lewis, click here.
For more on mindfulness, click here.