The thought of this topic was inspired by an article “Fill your life, Clean your life, heal your life”. The previous blog talked about “Fill your life” and today is an attempt to share what “Clean your life” means to me.
The first thought is to physically declutter. As Lao Tzu says, “The more frugal you are, the more generous you become”. I have an amazing feeling when I give things away. I feel release and I feel I don’t have to depend on things to make me happy. I had penned additional thoughts on this in an earlier blog “Empty the boat”. I clean my clutter, I clean my possessions and I clean my life!
Clean your life – it means I need to be healthy and pure. I need to keep my body, my mind and my soul clean. For the body, I kick out bad habits and focus on being healthy. Reason being, its easier to be centered when we are healthy else the mind constantly focusses on the pain or hurt. I clean my body and I clean my life!
For the mind, I will surround myself with thoughts and people who inspire and uplift me. Energy is contagious. Just like a bad mango can affect the surrounding good mangoes, so can bad company cover the mind with negative thoughts. I set an intention to clean my mind and I clean my life!
For the soul, I will push to understand the mystery of the eternal truth. I will clean my soul of attachments and impressions and I will make it pure to host the creator. Tagore captures this beautifully in Gitanjali
Life of my life, I shall ever try to keep my body pure, knowing that thy living touch is upon all my limbs.
I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts, knowing that thou art that truth which has kindled the light of reason in my mind.
I shall ever try to drive all evils away from my heart and keep my love in flower, knowing that thou hast thy seat in the inmost shrine of my heart.
And it shall be my endeavor to reveal thee in my actions, knowing it is thy power gives me strength to act.
In the spiritual practice, I follow a principle called ‘Apras’ which expresses super clean. It implies we get clean and pure before we go in front of God. Interestingly it talks about not just physical purity but of the mind and soul too. So, if I get angry or frustrated, I am required to go clean up again.
I am sure my husband Pranav will love this. I tease him and call him a cleanliness freak around the home though I have seen many worse than him! So much for delegate and Clean your life :). Honestly it’s a blessing as he reminds me of this principle while having a clean home.
The purest of the pure
How can I carry you
In my tainted heart?
And yet its your flame
That will burn these evils
And release my soul….
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