CLEARING WITH AWARENESS

The busy mind is so grateful to stop and taste eternity.

—Joan Borysenko

While I waited, bleary eyed and cranky, I proceeded to do what I always do whilethe coffee brews: I took the clean dishes out of the drainer, one at a time, andput them away.

On this particular morning, I experienced something I had never consciouslyobserved before: In the sixty seconds that it took me to stack the last of thepots and pans, I noticed that the cobwebs in my head had cleared, and my moodwas better. A lot better. The fog that I was carrying—and my spirits—had lifted.

What is this? I haven't even had my cup of coffee!

There it was: a spacious infusion resulting from a housekeeping ritual that I'verepeated every day for most of my adult life; an experience realized andharnessed by simply being aware.

The truth is, I experience a swell of spaciousness every time I put the dishesaway or hang the laundry up to dry or fold it. I feel the shift when I gatherthe empty cups and glasses in my living room or on my desk at the end of theday. Or when I address an annoying toleration, like replacing a light bulb orsewing a button or fixing the squeak in the door. I've devoted hours to writingabout how simple actions can transform the energy in our living spaces, ourlives, and our world.

I notice that every time I create an experience for my students to try at homeor blog about ways to cultivate a clear home and spacious life, I myself amaffected by the elegant simplicity of the practices I'm writing and teachingabout.

What I didn't expect as I got deeper into my writing is that I would beresponding to something more urgent: a distress call from people—women mostly—yearningto relieve the stress they feel; hungering to connect with somethingdeeper and more meaningful.

Everywhere I go I see a longing for simplicity but a loss of where to begin; adesire for balance and nourishing self-care but no idea how to cultivate it.There is no time to juggle it all, let alone clear the things and thoughts thatcaused us to feel so overwhelmed in the first place! The chorus of unease thatI'm hearing is a series of notes that sounds a lot like this:

* I'm overwhelmed. I have no time. I can't see straight or hear myself think.

* I'm so envious of people who are able to get things done.

* I have no idea what I love anymore.

* Slow down? You've got to be kidding.

* Where do I begin?

It's no surprise that our fast-paced lifestyles pack a wallop to the system.Technologies evolving at lightning speeds are making it possible for us tocommunicate as never before. We are assaulted by information all the time andhave limited time to process even a fraction of it. Ironically, the very systemsthat are designed to simplify our lives seem to complicate them even more.

Add the noise swirling "out there" to the internal, chaotic struggles going onwithin, and you get fried circuits, a constant triggering of the fight or flightresponse, and a cascade of stress chemicals coursing through the system.

I wanted to write a book that cuts through the noise; one that could charm thepart of the mind that is spinning out of control somewhere in "overwhelm La-laLand"; a book that creates the tiniest peephole of quiet, yummy spaciousnessthat not only expands with our awareness but can be felt—at the deepest level; abook that delivers a palpable experience of ease in one minute flat.

Your Spacious Self is that book.

Whether you are a superorganized neatnik, a hopeless clutterbug, a nonstopmultitasker, a cautious beginner, an experienced professional, or a curiousbystander—welcome! This book is for you.

IT'S A JUNGLE ... IN HERE

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.

—Henry David Thoreau

Here's what I'm wondering:

Are you wearing something right now that you don't love, doesn't flatter you, ordoesn't fit perfectly (yes, including underwear)? Do you groan or cringe everytime you walk into your home or office? Do you wake up in the morning worryingabout something? Do you feel guilty when you take time to do something foryourself?

That was just the warm up. Here's what I really want to know: Did any of thesequestions elicit a physical sensation of any kind? An eyebrow raise? Constrictedbreathing? A gulp or a nervous laugh? An impulse to cringe, manage thesituation, or bolt?

Were you aware of a change in your energy level? Were you aware of how the roomfeels? Were you aware of yourself being aware?

Welcome to my world of clearing!

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE STRESS OR THE STUFF

No one would argue that most of us do too much or have more possessions than weneed. Or both. With our lives swept up in a swirl of attachments, worry, andendless, mechanical "doing," our minds become fuzzy on what stays and what goes,what matters and what doesn't. As humans, it is in our nature to experienceclarity and spaciousness all the time. The problem is that we lose focus, getoff balance, and forget how.

So how do we dial it back or even begin to reduce the noise, release the stuffthat doesn't serve and support us, and connect with that which makes our heartssing?

One minute at a time. In present time.

No matter how minuscule the task or effort, the fact is that clearing anythingconsciously...