Spring Cleaning: an annual purging many participate in to clear out belongings we no longer need, clothes we no longer wear, and things we no longer use. But what else does Spring Cleaning do for us? It’s not just a physical purge of items sitting in the back of your closet or under your bed for the last serval months; it is also a moment to energetically cleanse yourself of things that no longer fit the sentiment of who you are. When you clean a space, you’re also cleaning out items and things that are a subtle nod to the chaos in your life. Clutter creates chaos. Although physical chaos is different from emotional, the two coincide and correlate. So when you cleanse one, you’re naturally cleansing another.

The things we choose to keep around in our lives—physical memories, the things that decorate our home, our clothes—they all say something about us. And when we find the message is no longer fitting the person, we feel the need to remove it from our lives. But sometimes, there can be strong resistance to cleansing those things. We feel that although they may not fit who we are now, they once did. And that connection, although likely not as strong, is still there. We’re often scared to cleanse ourselves of these things because we feel that, metaphorically, it’s like we’re saying goodbye to our past self. This is entirely untrue.

An intentional Spring Cleaning can only do one thing for you: assist you in releasing the things (and their subsequent energy) that are no longer serving you, while holding a space of gratitude for these momentos and what they represented in your life.

A Spring Cleaning Energy Cleanse

When we Spring Clean, we are clearing energy that no longer belongs in our lives to create space for new things and new energy that fits the mold of who were are now. We cannot receive new things and new energy if our physical and energetic spaces are cluttered with the chaos of who we used to be. To receive, we must be open to experiencing new things and creating new memories. We cannot do this if our physical and emotional presence are stuck on past memories or experiences. So this isn’t just about Marie Kondo-ing your space to optimally organize your closet or the drawers in your kitchen. It’s about cleaning the chaos and clearing past versions of yourself to move forward, receive, and heal. A great friend of mine uses this expression, “To surge forward, we must first pull back.”

To surge forward in our lives, we must first pull back to what is keeping us stuck. This isn’t always about what mindset blocks we’re facing that keeps us stuck. But, what in our physical space potentially represents those blocks that are encouraging a “stuck” feeling. Everything in our life (meaning our manifested physical reality) not only represents us, but our energy. So ask yourself, “what does the energy or presence of that shirt sitting in the back of my closet from ten years ago represent about my energy and who I am?” We tell ourselves it’s the memories we have in that shirt. But, it is actually a representation of who you used to be wearing that shirt and a fear to let that version of yourself go.

The Energetic Cleanse

So why do we hold on to things that no longer represent who we are? We’re scared to let go of parts of ourselves that haven’t yet received the healing they need. And we think that if we keep physical things from the moments we were experiencing those difficult times, we believe that somehow we’re moving on when in reality, they’re just making us more stuck. An energetic cleanse that comes from cleaning and purging a space allows you to recognize what may need more healing. Often when we’re clearing a space, we recognize past memories and emotions that are potential triggers. For example, when clearing out a space, it might not be that one t-shirt that triggers a specific memory. But instead, what you may feel is a plethora of emotions coming up from the clearing itself.

The clearing calls back memories of times in your life when you may not have been in a good place. But, by clearing the physical items that cause triggers, you’re opening yourself up to do more inner healing around those emotions.

The Physical Cleanse

Most of the chaos we experience in our lives is just an emotion being reflected to us in the outside world. When our mindset feels chaotic, that becomes our manifested reality; things feel less put together, and we begin to see the energetic chaos we feel appearing in things like our work or home. Cleansing is a beautiful way to realign yourself and show appreciation for your space and mind, two things that support the reality you’ve manifested. When chaos is ensuing, physically and energetically, cleanse your space. And ask yourself, “Where can I de-escalate the chaos in my life?” Spring Cleaning is almost like the catalyst for this type of cleansing. It’s one big, metaphorical sweeping of physical and energetic chaos.

A part of intentional living is providing yourself not just with a clean and well-put-together space but with a space that calms you—one that feels healing, safe, and supportive. You cannot have this while holding on to things that no longer serve you. To feel inspired each day, we have to create and hold a space for that inspiration.

Cleansing

I encourage you to dive into your Spring Cleaning with an open mind and a willingness to receive. Go in with compassion and joy towards your past self while maintaining some level of accountability to purge the things you no longer need. And if you’re having difficulty deciding on something, consider: Does this represent who I am today?

I encourage you to go to the previous week’s topic on “Energy We Must SURGE Towards, or PURGE,” on the blog and podcast.