The Zen of Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning is more that just a term used to inspire movement and to get things done. This purification ritual has roots traced back to Ancient times. The origins of Spring Cleaning and practices were often in preparation for religious/spiritual practices.

Historically, the “airing” out the house, beating rugs and cleaning soot from walls and ceilings from the buildup of winter months continues to be a time honored tradition. Regardless of the history, it is a global connection of feeling good, springing into a fresh start and new begins.

As the ice begins to break, cactus begin to bloom, rain freshens the air, spring greens and splashes of color begin to arise, trees bud and grasses pop-up, we find ourselves breathing a little deeper, gazing to the sun and with a long awaited sigh say, “Ahhh...Spring is here.”

The embracing of the spring season may be more than just the meditative sound of winter melting off. There is a physical and even hormonal change that occurs within the body rhythm. This begins in the Autumn and really sets in during the winter season. As the days become shorter, and there is less sunlight the body innately will begin to produce more melatonin (the only light sensitive hormone we produce and nicknamed as the sleep hormone or dark hormone). In a way, this is a sort of hibernation humans go through. Our energy levels drop, we have a greater desire to relax, sleep more and our moods become subdue. As we find ourselves snuggling up inside, curling up like cats and settling in for the season. Something interesting happens when we produce melatonin, it detoxes the brain. The regenerative state of sleep is a very detoxing and the cleansing rate of the brain almost doubled during sleep. The winter is a time of restoration.

As the season goes on and slowly the days become longer, we feel inspired to engage and start moving. This results in the desire to clean our space for more of an airy way to breeze through our home space. We begin to think and plan our next steps of garage sales, deep cleaning and ways to lessening our load, create space and have a sense of renewed energy.

During this time, more changes begin to occur in our bodies. Along with more sunlight we begin to produce more serotonin, the precursor hormone to melatonin. We produce the most serotonin while fully awake during the daytime. It is known as the happiness molecule and production of it can elevate our mood. This could play a major role while tied to fresh, crisp spring air the motivation to get up and beat those rugs clean!

Bottom line, cleaning and clearing our surrounding space make us feel better. There is less chaos, more freshness and harmony. Spring cleaning season is the perfect opportunity to clear your thoughts and offer fresh new happy thoughts and a lighter way of being.

Clear Your Head Space

Springtime presents a perfect opportunity for a fresh start for clearing out our heads before taking on the tasks of the house. There are many upsides to spring cleaning your brain after the winter season, not only will you be able to think clearer so you can make better decisions and do so with more confidence and ease but you’ll actually look younger and more radiant! This is because our brain impacts our mood and physical appearance. Micro-facial expressions mirror the chemical activities of the brain or a reflection of our thoughts we wear on our face. When our brain is functioning the best, we not only feel better but we actually look better and even younger! The light bulb going off in your brain could create an outward glow. Pair this with a natural products containing grapefruit essential oil and not only will the scent of grapefruit make you appear younger but the fresh scent will elevate your mood.

Get Moving, Get Outside

Hitting your local Farmer's Market is a great way to embrace the spring season. Not only will you be outside which elevates you but making your brisk walk on the way to market a ritual. You may find you have more spring in your step as your body bathed in vitamin D, and the blood gets pumping creating those healthy, youthful Rosie cheeks. Additionally, physical activity makes your brain happy too. A happy brain creates healthy, happy thoughts. Walking through the market, enjoy the bounty and rainbow of those beautiful springtime fruits and veggies full of antioxidants to enhance your health but beautifying phytonutrients that also enhances our memory. Adding the fresh fruits and veggies also acts as a natural purifier to your body adding fiber to help cleanse and spring clean your digestive tract.

Clear out the Hoarder in Your Mind

Our memories can become lies we tell ourselves. When we think too much or obsess on old memories it becomes an unreliable source of information because overtime we simply don’t remember things or events as they actually occurred. So by replaying a broken record over and over, not only is the memory no longer true, but its energy and thought power we are spending in the past while robbing us of the now and hindering moving forward into the future. One of the best ways to rid the hoarding of living in false memories is to engage in a practice of meditation and mindfulness while becoming present in ourselves, mind and life. Meditation cleans out unnecessary chatter in our mind so we can move forward into a clear mindset.

Procrastination Can Become Dusty Old History

Procrastination just like putting off dusting a table, can lead to an unhealthy environment and habit. It actually becomes more time consuming as a daunting thought of “I have to" rather than just getting it done. Regardless if it’s taking out the trash or organizing your receipts, just do it and stop thinking about it so you can free up your time, mind and create thought freedom for more productive or fun ventures.

Out of the Dark into the Light

Our body and mind health is a reflection of thoughts its essential to become mindful of our sources of entertainment. All brains react differently in processing the content in movies and music can have beautiful stimuli or calming effects on the brain. The brain does enjoy stimuli and learning. With so much beauty in the world to behold this is an opportunity for creating space of allowance of beauty images and music to fill our heads while clearing out violent content from my mind space. Listening to songs about heartbreak can stir up old memories of sadness we have experienced when a relationship we had hoped for didn’t turn out to our ideas or expectations. This makes our feeling heavy and less than happy thoughts. It feels better to move on and clean the old ideas and thoughts while transcending into happier, lighter thoughts and new beginnings. With all the beauty in the world and time fleeting, engaging entertainment that is uplifting can create a peaceful mindset. Your brain and body will be happy as a result, and don’t forget how what you think about, physically manifests in your appearance.

Spring Renewal

This Spring Cleaning season, make it a spring renewal of the mind and sprit. Come out of your slumber by engaging an awaking mind and body with clean, clear thoughts, creating a space of fresh ideas, motivation and less clutter. This in part allows for you to show up at your best and rejuvenated not only for yourself but for your loved ones and in your professional obligations.

Here is to your clean sweep!