Be Empty

This time of year we become inundated with things to fill us up-the Thanksgiving feast, Black Friday sales, Cyber Monday, holiday parties, gift giving and spending and so many social engagements rushing us toward a new year. It can all seem a bit much and it's little wonder that we'll stumble into the new year feeling like we need to "detox" from the holidays. So in order to avoid the ever tempting opportunities to overdo the holidays, my thought for the week has been to "be empty". That's right...NOW is the time to take the time to clear out the clutter to avoid the somewhat inevitable overload.

Clearing the clutter can be quite literal. The recent long Thanksgiving weekend I was fortunate to have a four day "staycation". Not only was I able to see a movie, go on long bicycle rides and a couple of hikes with family and friends, I took some time to load up three boxes of donation items for one of our local charities. In preparation for the Thanksgiving meal, I was searching for placemats, serving bowls and napkins and, in doing so, realized how much stuff I hadn't used since the last Thanksgiving three years ago. If I hadn't used it...it went into the box. This rippled out to clearing out some dresser drawers and clothes in my closet. It felt enormously gratifying to be rid of these things. My thought was that it's time for them to find a new home and be loved by someone who will actually appreciate them.

And so began this weeks teaching of emptying out. And the thing is, I could turn around after such a cleanse and realize I could do it all again many times over. When we let go, we have the tendency to refill again. 

When we empty out, we dump things not only from our physical space but from our psyche. When we become empty vessels, we remember the deeper essence of who we are and why we are here. If we keep adding to the physical and emotional clutter, we can easily get distracted from what matters most. One way I practice being empty is through a daily meditation practice. Each morning I have sacred time dedicated to checking in and clearing out. This practice definitely sets the timbre of the day. It's as if each day begins again from a clear perspective of what's possible and what matters.

We can also "be empty" through the use of our breath and visualization. We can breathe into the inner borders of our body as though we are offering ourselves more and more space on each inhale and we can empty out whatever has arisen on each exhale. And just as things empty, then tend to come back in...just like the ebb and flow of the ocean. If we can regularly practice emptying out, we are freer in each moment. Instead of dust gathering on the mirror of who we are and altering the our true reflection, we gain clarity by clearing.

So perhaps begin this holiday season by giving yourself the gift of a feather duster, an empty box and some time to let stuff go. Less clutter equals more clarity both at home and in the heart.

Breathe in and let go...