SPRING ‘CLEANING’ 

We are finally (in my eyes anyway!) turning the page on winter and welcoming spring. Spring is known for being a time of renewal, but we need to get rid of the old in order to make room for the new. This is true not just for a healthy body but also to keep our mind and environment healthy. If you are feeling stuck or stagnant in your life, try spring-cleaning.  Here are a few simple ideas to get you started.

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, papers and random keepsakes, so do our bodies accumulate old food residues and toxins that need to be released.  Physically cleaning out a closet or even one junk drawer in your kitchen can be so satisfying and create an immediate feeling of lightness.

To spring clean your body, consider giving it a break from rich, heavy 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 ultimately better digestion.

If cleansing or fasting doesn’t work for your lifestyle, consider adding balancing seasonal foods to your diet. Spring is a perfect time of year to eat more salads, packed with leafy greens like arugula and spinach, to eat fruits such as apples and berries.  Lighter grains like quinoa, are ideal for this time of year.  Swapping out on meal for a green smoothie is another option. In general add in foods that are lighter in both texture and taste.

While you’re cleaning out your body and home, don’t forget to spring-clean your heart. Practice letting go of negative thoughts and habits you’ve been harboring that no longer serve you.  A consistent journaling practice can help rid yourself of hidden fears and mind-clutter.  Writing down five things you are thankful for each day, helps train your mind to focus more on what’s going well in your life.  These actions 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.  These cumulative actions can help support you to let go and welcome the new energy of your happy and healthy future.