How I'm Clearing Clutter & Creating Space
By clearing clutter, we create space.
A few weeks ago, my partner and I decided to clear out the dreaded 'craft closet'. Originally intended to be the home for my many hobbies, this space has been pretty useless since we moved in. Tennis rackets, a dress form, blankets, paperwork, boardgames -- you get the idea.
Organizing this closet has been one of many household projects I've been putting off. You may remember, but one of my goals for 2017 is to curate my apartment, live simply, and embrace a minimalist lifestyle. Its....going? I hate to say this (because it is 100% an excuse), but I've been busy. Switching jobs, working freelance gigs, teaching yoga, managing social media, all while trying to 'work on me'. Yeah, the apartment got left behind.
Finally, an opportunity manifested in the form of a 4 day holiday weekend. Minimalism, here I come!
Unleashing the Clutter
As these things typically go, the mess got a lot worse before it got better. Once the closet was empty, the living room was full. Most of the stuff I was going through, I didn't know what to do with. Which paperwork is important enough to keep? I haven't used my sewing machine since I graduated, but I do have a plan to make a series of intricate animal Christmas ornaments....What about the old cameras and laptops? Seriously, what do people do with those???
Hours later, we had successfully categorized the pile into trash, donate, and keep. Truthfully, we were exhausted.
With 3x5 ft closet now free, we could repurpose the space. Oslo & Little Cat (fur kids) had been inhabiting our small sunporch. We decided to move their supplies to the closet and voila! Cat Dormitory. Now our sunporch can be transformed into...wait for it...a YOGA ROOM!!!!!
We were on such a roll with reorganizing, we even transformed a storage area into a reading nook.
Creating Space in New Ways
Throughout the process, I couldn't help but notice the parallels I see in my yoga practice. The clutter that was tucked out of site for years was suddenly overwhelming. Even hidden in the closet, the burden weighed on me. But by bringing my attention to the mess, we created space where there had been none before. Now I physically have the space to practice what I love.
It is my belief that pain is stored in the body when we do not have the capacity to deal with it. That pain can then manifest externally, into your home, relationships, financial situations, even disease. By addressing the discomfort through meditation, yoga, therapy, nature - whatever does it for you - we can let go of our burdens and heal. We can create the room to breathe.
I'm so energized by this new physical and emotional space. I've been saying for years that my dream home would have a Yoga Room...now I have one and we didn't even have to move. I feel SO MUCH GRATITUDE.
I'd love to read about your experiences with yoga, creating space, minimalism - whatever! Let me know below.
XX
Ellie