By Anne B Parker, MA, MHSA
Miraval Wellness Counselor
Cleanse….to clear away, to purify, or make clean. When I think of cleansing it’s not just about clearing out. It’s also about nourishing and replenishing mind and soul. Spring season doesn't just call for cleasing your home or body, but calls for a full cleanings of your mind and soul. Here are five tips for purging the unnecessary distractions in life for a clear and well conditioned mind and soul.
1. Take regular, conscious deep breaths.
This is very basic and the most important way to support cleansing of mind and soul. The exhale part of the breath cycle literally expels carbon dioxide and other toxins the body doesn’t need. Every time we exhale we are cleansing. Exhaling with intention amplifies the process. Conscious deep breathing also allows the mind to focus and quiet.
2. Make time and space for restful sleep.
The second most basic and important way to cleanse the mind. The nourishing parts of our sleep cycle help clear the brain of “stuff” it took in during the day that it no longer needs and to integrate the neural connections that it needs to keep. The most important habit to support cleansing sleep is to mindfully transition from waking time to sleeping time by refraining from light-emitting devices, caffeine, alcohol, and negative emotional experiences for at least an hour, if not two, before going to bed.
3. Create regular ‘stillness moments’.
In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we spend much of our time and energy in reaction mode. This keeps us in a stress response and inhibits our ability to think clearly, be creative, make connections, and sense our intuitive wisdom. Stillness moments can be created anytime, anywhere when we just stop to tune in and connect with our true self, our inner self. For example, when you arrive at a destination, stay in the car for a moment and feel your center – get grounded before embarking on the next thing to do. Regular moments like these help us stay in touch with what is most vital to our well-being.
4. Let go, let be.
How much of our mental energy gets expended on things we have no ability to control or impact? When we worry and fret, overthink and overanalyze, anticipate only the negative or scary, we create a present experience that not only keeps us in the stress response but ultimately makes us feel ineffective, frustrated and powerless. Let go, let be means choosing what we engage with and how we engage with it. By putting our attention and vitality into the things that we can actually do something about we cleanse ourselves of all that wasted, unproductive energy.
5. Have fun!
Fun is a powerful way to cleanse mind and soul by connecting with and delighting in the experiences that bring joy to our lives and express our own uniqueness. Fun is not frivolous or trivial. Laughter and playfulness are essential to our overall well-being. Fun can also productively distract us from the inner dialogue that weighs us down and congests mind and soul.
