Healthy Spring Spruce-Ups!

By Diantha Harris

HOUSE: Spring cleaning always overwhelmed me until I was told to set a timer in a time increment that I could handle. Five minutes, they said, was enough just to begin the process. I’ve since overcome the paralyzing thought of going through my entire house each spring, and instead choose areas and projects throughout the whole year, so that the chore of clearing and cleaning is not so overwhelming. However, I have a friend who relishes the thought of tearing into her spring cleaning with zeal and she even washes her ceilings and walls! Alas, that will never be me, but in Pyramid School Feng Shui we are taught that whatever supports us is good feng shui. My friend has to have her house spic and span once a year and then turns to other projects. I work my spring cleaning and clearing into the whole year as this works for me. So first “rule” is, there are no hard and fast rules. Do clean, do sort, do clear your clutter, but it’s truly ok to take the whole year to do it, if it doesn’t support you to do it all at once! As Jan Deremo Lundy has advised, “BREATHE! It is truly ok to take your time!” A wise woman!

Once you have your plan in place for cleaning and clearing your clutter, the timer is a good tool to use so you don’t get lost in the process. When I tackle a room, I like to stay and finish it, but some people don’t like to work that way and, indeed, love the idea that they are working in small time increments.

For clearing your clutter, separate things into boxes or bags: one for trash, one for giveaways, one for garage sale, if you so choose—one for keeping, one for things that need repairing or replacing, and one for those items you just can’t decide about. Pack all those undecided things away for six months, and if you haven’t missed them, give them away. I take the whole bunch to a charity near me and they LOVE to see us coming. One of the side benefits of giving is that it feeds our soul and feels so good to help others in need!

For the things needing repair or replacing, do this as soon as possible, or again, give them away. In Pyramid School Feng Shui, broken or useless items are not good energy to have around us. They are draining of our personal energy and do not support us.

CAR: Spring is a good time to really clean out the interior of your car, to get rid of the winter salt, sand and general dirt. Give it a good wiping out and be sure to clean the inside of the windows. Adding a spray of your favorite air freshener is a good way to finish the job. Wash the exterior, wax if necessary, and as with your home, repair or replace those things that need it. Driving in a clean car that is in good repair is a subtle way of supporting ourselves and sends a message to our soul that says, “You are so worth this!”

GARDEN: As Mother Earth comes to life again, it’s a great time to start seedlings indoors and be in touch with the soil. As the weather permits, you can begin to till the soil in your gardens and prepare it for receiving the new life about to begin. Peruse gardening catalogs and seed catalogs to get new ideas, and visit your local gardening centers for guidance and information. This is a time of anticipation and excitement as new growth is beginning to show it’s presence again! New growth in the garden inspires new growth in our lives!

SELF: As we clear the clutter in our homes and cars and gardens, it’s also a great time to clear the clutter in our minds. Begin to write down in a journal the limiting beliefs you still cling to. Becoming aware of them is often more than half the job! When they start to come up again, replace them gently with affirmations and a new belief system. For example, I am a middle aged, short round woman who lives in a society that cherishes and demands their women be tall, thin and young. Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés has some great stories in her book about the power and awesomeness of women who are both our elders and round of shape. So when I begin to tell myself negative things about my body, I shift into blessing my body for all of its power and sturdiness and beauty, while giving respect to the wisdom and peace that comes from experience. So, shift your consciousness into seeing the greatness within you, because it is there.

COLOR & SCENT: Green is definitely the color of spring. It represents the notion of new growth, new life, and expansion. The scents of spruce, pine and citrus give us the experience of clean, so using a diffuser with those oils will enhance all your hard work of cleaning and clearing! Besides using green in your environment to anticipate and welcome spring, you can use a touch of red for extra energy, some orange to bring us a sense of community and belonging, some yellow to welcome in the longer days, some blue to support our need for peace, and some purple to represent the renewal and rebirth that is the promise and gift of Spring!

Diantha Harris, ASID, FSII, IACT has been in the world of Interior Design for over 25 years. The author of Simply…Color, she teaches about color on her own, for the Feng Shui Institute of America, and for the International Academy of Colour Therapeutics. To learn more, see her website www.lifepnet.com or email lifepnet@aol.com.