It is all about slowing down, taking time for yourself and establishing new habits that will last a lifetime.
Theme: Breathing in Calm
The focus this week was to use mindful breathing as a tool for clearing.
"Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile."--Thich Nhat Hanh
Sometimes in this yearly course there are little gems which I would like to commit to the depths of my psyche and undertake as part of my everyday life. This is one of them. I already use it a lot and in loads of situations. It helps me to relax for sleep, to calm heart palpitations, to clear my mind and I do it sometimes simply because it makes me feel good.
Since starting this course I have a three-question approach to clearing everything.
- Do I really need it? (Answer: If yes then it stays)
- Does it have any value (practical or sentimental) for me to have it around?
- Would my children want to keep it when I’m gone?
I am no longer caught in the sentimentality trap, and although there are still certain things I would never part with I am no longer hanging on to anything trivial. I simply close my eyes, think about the item, take a deep breath in and if there is no reaction to it then it is gone.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have far too much clutter for my nearest-and=dearest to have to sift through … but it is getting better, well a little anyway.