I have a wonderful friend that I lived with in college. About once every other month I would come home and find the apartment freshly cleaned with her numerous crystals soaking in a bowl of salt water by the window. Her door would be closed and I could discern by silence or noise if she was napping or organizing her closet. When she finally emerged, I would always know what was coming. "I'm soul cleansing," she would say with gusto, brandishing her detox tea in one hand, burning sage in the other.
Soul cleansing became an expression that was both code word and inside joke, but it was also a real ritual and I still say it today when I'm taking a day for myself. It's exactly what it sounds like: time spent clearing out the cobwebs that build themselves unconsciously in the corners of our minds. Time spent emptying out old patterns and habits to make room for newer, cleaner, higher energy. Time spent cleaning the spaces we occupy; our homes and our bodies. A literal and figurative cleansing of the soul.
With the spring equinox just a week away, now is the perfect time to plan your own version of a soul cleanse. Your cleansing can be whatever feels right for you. Maybe you want to focus just on your eating habits, perhaps getting back to the gym or an activity you love. I suggest a trio: trying something new, doing something that's been on your mind for awhile, and cleaning something out. As with anything, it's important to follow your own path and do things that are enjoyable and make you feel good.
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What does the word 'listening' mean to you? We have the ability to listen and hear so many different things throughout our day that sometimes we take this beautiful sense for granted. We can listen to the sounds around us, we can hear our own bodies and listen to them internally, and we can listen to the people around us, and to those that we love. Take some extra time today and exercise your auditory range.
Start with a familiar action. Wherever you are right now, take a moment and listen to the sounds around you. Perhaps there is coffee being poured, perhaps birds chirping, planes passing overhead, wind through the trees. Maybe there are voices talking around you, cars driving by, mechanical engines humming. For a few seconds, close your eyes and listen.
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Taking the time to focus only on the sounds around us brings us into the present moment and allows the mental chatter in our minds to quiet down. Notice how you feel after taking the time to listen. Make no judgements about what you've heard, just allow these sounds to be.
Next, focus on the sounds your own body makes. Again, release judgements. Close your eyes and listen to your breath. Inhale. Exhale. Notice the rustle of your clothing, the beating of your heart, the way your shoes land on the pavement, the brush of your hands against an object. For a few moments, listen to your own sounds.
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