Emotional Spring Cleaning: Clear the Clutter, Hit Reset

ground in your inner world. You make space, you soften, and you become ready to plant something new. I'm rather Wukiah and on my podcast A Really Good Cry, we embrace the messy and the beautiful, providing a space for raw, unfiltered conversations that celebrate vulnerability and allow you to tune in to learn, connect and find comfort together. So today's been one of those days where honestly I feel like punging something, but all I think I really need is

to go outside for a really long walk. This week's

episode it's all about spring cleaning, and you know what, I have had the itch to clean, whether it's physically, mentally emotionally, I just feel like this is the season to be light and bright. So people, it is time to let go. You have been holding on to all the things that do not serve you, that are not letting you thrive, and have kept you way down all through winter and honestly maybe even longer than that, and we need to let that go. Okay, because spring is

the season of new beginnings. It's the season of fresh air or vibrancy, of lightness, And how are you gonna have space for any of that if you're still holding on to all of that? The Japanese actually call it ma it's the space between things. Spring invites us to create emotional muh space between people, between thoughts and our roles and responsibilities.

moment wherever you are, whether you're in your car, whether you're at home, whether you're laying down Remember that breath is your anchor that brings your mind back into alignment with your body. So place your hand if you can, hand over your heart and one over your belly, and take a deep inhale and a slow exhale, feeling your body softened with each exhale. Let's take a couple more together, take a deep.

it's actually beautiful. So with your next couple of breath, take a deep breath in and have a humming sound on the way out, and feel the vibration flow through your entire body, feeling all the clean air coming through into your body. If you have an eye shut, keep them shut for a little bit, feel all the vibrations running through your body, and when you're ready, open your eyes. Honestly, I needed that so much like I cannot explain to you how much I needed that and how much those

few breaths changed everything for me. Now, let the noise settle in your mind and let your body know that it is safe and it is time to be open to letting go. I don't know about you, but this

season of my life, I just really wanted to be clean and fresh, with clear energy internally and externally, whether it is with myself or whether it's with other people.

season of spring marks a return to life.

One perspective that has encouraged me to do this is actually constantly seeing my body as a gift. And when you start shifting mindset to that, when you see something as a gift, you look after it so much more. You're more careful with it, you have a deeper appreciation for it. And so these little cleanups that we do, whether it's mentally, physically, or emotionally, are all part of that gratitude gesture back to God, the universe, back to

your body for doing what it does. In traditional Chinese medicine, spring is the season of the liver. That is the organ that's actually responsible for emotional detox and energetic flow. So when the liver is balanced, there is vision and vitality, and when it's blocked, we feel frustrated, irritated, and even hopeless, which is also why doing a physical detox during spring

is really important. I actually spoke about this in a newssetter I did recently, and I talk about how spring, according to Avada, is known as the season we get the most amount of Like, well, the transition between spring and winter is the time period where we get the most amount of mucus. I'm a bit stuffy at the moment. It's a really hard transition for our body to do. It's when there's a lot of kafer in our body. Now,

Kafa is essentially a mixture of earth and water. Those elements rise in our body during that time, and so spring is the end almost of kafer. Season is cool, it's moist, it's heavy, and that actually is mirrored in the qualities of the emotions that we accumulate, whether it's grief or attachment or stagnation, so it will be the antidote. In I Rada, it says that the antidote is always

the opposite. And so if you're feeling stagnant, if you're feeling heavy, if you're feeling down, the antidote is movement and clarity and release. And so it's really beautiful to see how all of these little different cultures, different thought patterns, they all kind of come and say exactly the same thing in a different way, which.

be doing. I always say this that whenever you feel lost in life, whenever you don't know what to be doing, whenever you're confused, look out in nature or tell you what you should be doing, like somewhere somehow it is reflecting what we should be doing for ourselfs. And an emotional sprinkleen doesn't need to be dramatic, like it doesn't have to be extreme, nothing does. It's really about these tiny rituals of clarity and asking the questions that are necessary,

taking time to reflect. We suffer more in our imagination than we do in our reality. We carry all these conversations that never happen, maybe some that did happen that don't need to live in us anymore tension that does not belong to us, taking on other people's pain, other people's drama, and all these ideas of who we should be that actually block who we are trying to become, and sometimes we just get used to living in this way.

We accept the feeling, either because deep down we believe that's what we deserve, maybe it's a hint of self sabotage, or because that's all we've known for too long and it's just become comfortable. It doesn't always have to be big things or huge issues, but we go through so much on a daily basis, physically, mentally, emotionally, and you know, every single thing that we absorb through our senses, whether it's.

your consciousness. Some are light and easily washed away, others are deep, and embedded and stay with us for years, sometimes lifetimes, as some scara could be a hurtful comment that you've internalized, a moment of joy that has shaped your self worth, or even a recurring passion of fear or comparison. The more we feel or think something, the

deeper that groove becomes. And unless we pause and become aware and lovingly tend to them, these impressions quietly influence every part of our life, how we see the world, how we interact with people, how we relate to other people, and even how we respond to ourself. So we're not just trying to tidy up the surface level feelings here, We're really looking inward and asking these questions. Now, you might want to get your journal out or your pen and paper out for this. I'm going to share some

prompts with you that I use when I'm journaling or trying to release during this time period. So the first one is what impressions am I carrying that are not mine? Which ones are outdated? Which ones am I ready to soften to rewrite to release. The next one is what thoughts, stories, or emotional baggage am I still carrying that I can lovingly lay down that I've had in me for far too long, and with love I let go of because I do not need them anymore. Whose energy am I

holding that isn't mine to carry anymore? What has been taking up unnecessary emotional space in my mind or heart? Maybe that is people pleasing, Maybe it's anxiety about things outside of your control, or maybe it's old wounds you just haven't realized are still bleeding under the surface.

actually in fear. And this actually applies physically too. You know sometimes they say that when you're trying to lose weight, if you end up dieting too hard, your body goes into this panic mode and it actually instead of letting go of things, if you go into too much of a calorie deficit, it actually starts to hold onto fat on your body rather than letting go. And so it's kind of the same in our body and as it is in our mind. You know, there's such a deep

relationship between the two. So when you start trying to let go of things aggressively, your body actually holds onto them tighter. And so with every single thing that we do, just as we see our body as a gift, you have to think, how can I lovingly put this away? How can I lovingly let go of this? Because our bodies used to holding on our mind could be compared

to horders. That's what I think that we are sometimes, whether it's holding onto things because you think it means you when you let go of it, you're letting go of the pain, which means that you're letting go of that person's responsibility or that accountability for it. Or when you let go of something it actually means that you're no longer connected to that person or that thing anymore. You're letting go of a version of yourself that you

were before. You know, there's so many reasons why we hold onto things, and so really breaking this down, what impressions am I carrying that are not mine, which ones are outdated, which ones am I ready to rewrite or release? And I think free writing is really beautiful for this, where you just put pen to paper and you start

thinking and you start writing. It's been such a beautiful thing that I've practiced, and it helped me when I was trying to get into journaling because I used to think, oh, am I going to do dear diary, sitting here writing about my life. But actually, free writing is anything and everything. You can have a prompt like this, and anything and everything that comes into your mind you just put pen to paper. It does not even have to make sense.

You can just keep flowing with the thoughts that come into your mind and eventually it should take you to where you need to be or what you need to release.

Spring is also about planting new seeds. So yes, it's about letting go, But then what are we filling that space with the new space that has opened up for us? So spring is about planting new seeds literally and emotionally. In nature, the soil is soft again, the cold is passed, the light is returning, and honestly, I'm actually in the process right now of planting all my new plants and herbs in my herb garden, planting new flowers and every

single herb under the sun. I've got dill, parsley, cilantro, I'm trying to grow some chilies. I've got a lemon

tree in the back, you know, and all these flowers that I use in my temple area as a form of devotion, we offer flowers, and so I have all these beautiful flowers and also edible flowers. And actually it's so true within us as well. When you clear emotional clutter, when you release all these stagnant feelings and patterns, you create fertile ground in.

leave them. Those seeds need tending to. They need attention and water and sunlight and a whole lot of love, and they need time because please remember that growth is quiet before it's visible. Most people, when you see their flowers, they've been doing all the gra beforehand to get themselves there. So don't be disheartened when you don't see it the next day or the next day or the next day.

Just know that you're taking all these tiny steps towards creating that quality or that intention that you are so beautifully planting, watering and loving, And so you don't need to be something new overnight. You just have to prepare the ground, make it fertile by removing the things that are no longer needed, by removing those weeds, and then nourishing that soil, nourishing that seed so that it can grow slowly and steady. It's oh can you hear the

birds in the background so beautiful. So all of this is just a beautiful reminder that every flower was once.

was reflecting over these past couple of weeks. I started doing a lot of things that were kind of out of my character. If I'm completely honest, not out of my character, I would just say that weren't taking me towards being my higher self, that weren't feeding the seeds, that weren't nourishing the seeds, but probably nourishing more of

the weeds. Whether it was staying up too late where it wasn't nourishing my physical body, whether it was going to environments where it was knowing my consciousness to be honest,

dark environments, love music, you name it. And it's not that I didn't have fun. I had a great time, but I was really I really became aware of energy and how much it can do, not just to your physical body, but to your mental state too. How are the people around you acting, how it can really affect you. And it really is true. The things you surround yourself with, you become, and so I've become. I came out of that. I did a couple of days of it, and I was like, oh, I think this is enough for me.

And now I came back into my spiritual practices on the weekend on Sunday, and it was just so refreshing, Like I slowly felt my consciousness rising, and it was simple things like waking up early again, sitting in my meditation practice, reading a book that that spoke to my higher self and not my lower self, choosing not to turn the TV on and instead sitting outside and listening to the birds and reading a book like these things sound so simple, but when you're stuck in this pattern

of tending to your lower conscious self, it ends up feeling like normality when it really shouldn't. And then when you start trying things that actually are speaking to your higher self. You notice how different it actually feels. And so, yeah, tend to your higher self, not do your lower self. And if you do, do your lower If you do, tend to your lower self. On I said it for a couple of days and then brought yourself out of it, because you'll go through ups and downs of it, you know.

And you know, I was thinking about fire rituals. I have this practice. Every single morning, we light a candle. It's called THEA. So we light Yeah, I guess the candle. It's made from cotton wool. You dip it in some sort of usually traditionally it's ghee or.

grew up doing this tradition of lighting this THEA.

I really enjoy this process of the fire ceremonies. If you think about it, fire is transformative. It turns dense into light, It turns physical into ether. It turns the old into ash and an emotional spring clean. We can kind of borrow this wisdom symbolically or physically, and you don't need a grand ceremony. But all you need is a single candle that can be sacred. Or you can write down your emotions or your patterns, or the questions

that we just spoke about. You could write your answers down and when you're ready to release it, you can just set it on fire in a safe environment. Whether it's the stories that keep you small, the weight you're tired of carrying around, you can rip it, you can burn it. It does not need to be dramatic. It can be if you want it to be, it just needs to be done with deep desire to let go and give it up to the fire.

But also it says in our practice that when the physical body is burnt, it actually releases that person's attachment to this physical world so that they can hopefully go into the spiritual world. It releases all the last physical attachments, and that's what fire does. It tends everything, even the body, into ashes. I kind of went off topic there, but I thought that was it really symbolizes what it can do for us in this moment in time where we're trying to release and let go, let the flame be

the line between what was and what's next. A few more questions to reflect on if you want to get even deeper, is what do I want to feel more of this season? So whether it's peace, freedom, clarity, joy, confidence, lightness. I encourage you to use more words than just happy, like what does that mean for you? Break it down? What does the word happy mean to you? What does the word peace mean to you? And dissect those emotions so you can make it into a reality.

could mean waking up and not reaching for my phone straight away in anxiety. What does that peace look like for you? And if you do end up clearing out what you don't need, what are you trying to call in? So that's the other question, what are you trying to call in? Once you've done the clearing out and once you name those feelings, ask yourself what can I do

more of to support the emotions? And so you're identifying what it is you want, you're defining it, and then you are creating the path, the root, the process of how I'm going to actually make these true, make this happen for myself. So think habits, think boundaries, think new ways of thinking, or simply it might just be rest. Another question that actually can get quite emotional when you're answering it, but I think it's very necessary is if

my heart could speak, what would it say today? And that won't change every single day, and so it's actually a beautiful prompt to use every day. If my heart could speak, what would it say today? Is it feeling heavy? Is it feeling light? Is it feeling suffocated? Is it feeling lost? Like, what is your heart feeling? If it could speak, what would it say? What is it holding? What is it craving? What is it desiring? And a big part of emotional detoxing is also boundaries, not just

with others, but also with our own mind. You are allowed, just in case you need permission, which you don't from me for sure, but just in case you need a reminder, You're allowed to not answer that text. You're allowed to stop replaying those conversations over and over again. You're allowed to move on from the past. You're allowed to not carry what isn't yours. You're allowed to literally say no without a huge explanation or justification. That last one was

aimed at myself, because I really struggle with that. I feel like I have to give a whole flipping paragraph

every single time I'm trying to.

fuel me in a way that I really need. And so that's something that I'm committing to you could do something for your emotion, for your physical body, I recommend doing something for your emotion. And for me, it was

something I felt really empty about. I really was craving learning more, and so it fuels me emotionally, physically and mentally. But what are you going to do for your emotional rehennewal this spring that you are going to commit to what.

wasn't part of the plan. We're like, oh my gosh,

I just feel empty. Oh my gosh, I don't feel good about myself. But you know what, as soon as you see it as part of the process, this thing that we see nature do where it hibernates in winter, then in spring it starts coming to life. Then it's summer, it's in full bloom. Then in autu it slowly starts to slow down, goes back into hibernation, starts to change colors, starts to change shape and the way that we see it.

And then in winter it goes back into hibernation. And so in that same cycle, we have that in us too, And so how bizarre would it be if we didn't have these different seasons of life. So when you think about why am I going through this? Why is this a difficult time? Why do I feel lost? Why don't I feel like myself? Know it's part of the seasonal change. Know that it is part of our life seasons that we are meant to go through. Don't see it as something that is odd or that makes you feel abnormal.

See it as part of normality. And it makes life feel so much better and more manageable and helps you to understand the phases that you go through in life. So I'd love to end this with a visualization that often helps me. So if you're not driving, close your eyes, and if you are, you can probably still do this while you've got your eyes open to picture the emotion or thought that you want to release as a stone

in your hand. So, whether it's anger, jealousy, remorse, guilt, sadness, grief, name that emotion in your mind, the one that comes to.

the bottom of your stomach, You get that lump in your throat, you get that feeling of don't talk to me about this, otherwise it's going to make me cry.

hear it. Say this, I let go of what no longer serves me, and I what nourishes me.