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 SPACE
CLEARING
Have
you noticed that when you’ve cleaned that mess in your
wardrobe or desk that had accumulated for months, you
feel better? Have you felt relaxed and clam after a warm
bath at night, at the end of a long, tiring day? In fact
you must’ve slept better! The reason being, in the
first case, you’ve cleared the clutter that was a sore
eye for you. In the second instance, you had relaxed all
your tense muscles and the feel of clean clothes on your
skin and fragrance of soap calmed your senses and lulled
you to slumber. What you’ve done is cleared your space
and your body.
Space
clearing is another eastern concept that is gaining
popularity in the west. Space clearing simply means
clearing your living space! It is widely practiced in
most eastern countries like India, Burma, Indonesia,
China and Hongkong. Although it can be practiced along
with Chinese Feng Shui, space clearing is not a part of
Feng Shui.
An
aesthetic surrounding with gentle breeze, devoid of
congestion, refreshing colors of green of the grass,
dotted with flowers of myriad hues, with the azure blue
skies above and gentle, meandering river flowing with
its gurgling sound, a majestic range of hills at the
backdrop is a picture perfect vision of beauty and who
wouldn’t dream of abiding in such a place?
However,
with the heart seeking more, a thick population
converging at a given point, nothing but congestion,
clutter, pollution, stress and fatigue prevail. Everyone
wants everything, faster, and none would compromise,
resulting in stress and a constant insecurity that
others would get ahead of us and that time would pass
by. We take on more jobs, more responsibilities, till we
get mounting bills, wardrobes closeted with old clothes,
unread papers and books, a clogged mind and cholesterol
filled heart!
What
is the purpose of space clearing?
Space
clearing comes to the rescue. When you clear your desk
of all the accumulated clutter, you create space for
something new! And that’s what is space clearing. The
main principle of space clearing is clearing clutter.
Wardrobes
overflowing with unused clothes, shelves glutted with
unread books, handbag stuffed with stale cosmetics, a
table piled with files and papers, and your energy level
automatically drops. There’s an energy leak and you
are filled with dread which converts itself as fatigue,
till you feel lethargic and you postpone that clearing
schedule.
But,
if you make a concentrated effort to clear the clutter,
you’ll find the pests and insects crawling out of the
mess, the stink vanishing into thin air and the corners
clean. And you will at the end of the day rest
peacefully!
This
is a promise. When your work for the day is fully done,
you will sleep well in knowledge that you’ve done your
duty. Clutter is one main culprit that causes energy
leak. Thus, world over, people engage in a spring
cleaning ritual. This tidies their living space and
energizes the spirit.
Ring
out the old and ring in the new
When
you clear space, you are allowing space for new things.
Energy flows freely without getting stuck. The old
adage, “Old brooms sweep corners well”, is valid
here, as corners are spaces which are often ignored and
when you turn on the fan, dust form corners can irritate
your nostrils.
Nature
has a natural way of eliminating wastes. Food ingested,
is assimilated into the blood stream and digested and
the waste is thrown out. When food cannot be properly
digested, it causes energy blocks and upsets the
stomach. Your system has their limitations. When the
balance is disturbed, you’d either get a head-ache, or
simply a bad tummy. Because nature has its way of space
clearing. Similarly,
when you clear clutter, you are making space for many
new things that could usher in good cheer. Space
clearing clearly calls for the need to create space for
things new.
Sacred
space
In
countries, like Bali, India etc, a temple is held with
utmost sanctity and a home being a temple, is not only
kept scrupulously clean, but an element of divinity is
maintained as well. And the east believes that only the
natural elements of nature can create sacred space.
Thus, fresh and fragrant flowers, incense sticks, lamp,
clean water or sea-water, salt, bells, cymbals, music,
fire are all used to create sacredness.
It
is believed that whenever you call in nature to bless
your space, you tune in your vibration to the cosmic
force and will feel one with nature. Animal or
artificial products have no place in this sacred space,
for in the end, we want to create space where there’s
no place for guilt caused by harming another living
being!
How
is space clearing done?
Clear
clutter
The
first step is naturally to create space and this is done
only by clearing clutter. If you pause and look around,
you could find numerous little things that you don’t
need, but occupy your space and block the space that
could accommodate things you need. So banish all old
newspapers, old clothes, junk including electronic
goods, old books, old pieces of broken jewelry, cracked
tea cups, old shoes, unpaid and paid bills, things you
feel you will need in future and have been storing for
the past 5 years!
When
was the last time you spring cleaned your house? Despite
your aching back, you might’ve certainly felt relaxed
and calm after the clean-up. Not only your physical
space, but also your mental space would’ve felt
lighter. And
one of the most valuable things you gain after space
cleaning is a heightened energy level! Clutter causes
your energy to leak, blocks clarity, as each time you
try to concentrate on work, pending work is at the back
of your mind, causing energy leak.
Space
clearing should have an intention
It’s
not uncommon that within a few days of your clearing
clutter, you’ll find yourself accumulating more of the
things you threw! Thus, you should firmly intent to
create space only for those things that you need.
Amongst the many beautiful things anyone will need, is
peace!
Ring
out the old and ring in the new. Yes, by all means, do
display all the beautiful curios that you painstakingly
bought from distant lands, but also make space for love,
peace and happiness. If you wonder how this can be
achieved, then remember not to display too many precious
and costly items, that you have to constantly worry that
a child or wind could drop them and shatter them to
pieces. Perhaps, you could keep rotating them on your
shelves and create a different look every 6 months! This way, you will be inviting more peace. With peace, your
worries dissipate and love takes their space! When love
enters your space, can health be far behind? And
definitely, health makes wealth!
Spell
your intentions
State
clearly to the universe what you actually want. The
universe responds to your intentions. Start from
gratitude. Be grateful to the space that has provided
you shelter. It may not be the best place in the world,
it may have flaws according to Feng Shui, but as long as
you live, treat your space well and it will give you
manifold good returns.
Ask
for peace of mind, happiness, understanding and health.
When there’s understanding between family members,
co-operation soon follows. Even in the absence of real
wealth, intangible gains will be felt. Ask for
trustworthy, reliable and good-natured and jovial
friends. Ask for a happy relationship, ask for good,
filial children, seek wisdom, and even fame. The
universe will respond and give you all that you seek.
A
traditional ritual of space clearing is done by a
professional who has been trained in the field. However,
a simple technique can be done yourself too. Things you
may require are rock salt, clean water, bells, cymbals,
fragrant flowers, candle, incense sticks.
First
and foremost, unlike your usual spring cleaning ritual,
here you must have a proper bath. Sprinkle a handful of
rock salt in your bathwater and take a warm bath. Rock
salt has properties that can not only cleanse the body,
but also lift your energy levels. Menstruating women
should not undertake space clearing on those particular
days. People under medication too should avoid this.
Your bowels should be cleared and avoid eating meat,
non-vegetarian food and wine at that time. Eat a
well-balanced food, rich in greens, proteins etc. Drink
plenty of water.
Wear
clean and comfortable clothes. You may even wear
pendants of rose quartz, crystals etc.
Clear
clutter from every nook and cranny of your house. Throw
away things not needed. At night, sprinkle rock salt
near the walls and corners of your entire house, before
going to bed.
Next
morning, again bathing in water sprinkled with rock
salt, wear clean clothes and sweep off the salt from the
house. Throw the salt into the river or other water body
or simply flush it down your toilet.
Take
pure, clean water to which rock salt and rose petals or
your favorite essence has been added and pass your hands
over it, affirming the intention you want.
Say a simple prayer that your abode be filled
with peace, prosperity, health and wisdom. Seek whatever
else you wish into your life-love, knowledge, wealth,
career etc. Now, sprinkle the same water all over and
dry it with a new cloth. Seek health.
Your
whole house will now exude your favorite fragrance.
Select a fragrance that will clam you like rose,
juniper, pine, rosemary, lavender or chamomile. Ask for
peace.
Traditional
practitioners will go around clapping their hands around
the house, especially in the corners to free the stuck
energies there. You may take your bell and go ringing
the bell all around, especially in the corners. If using
cymbals, then go up and down the walls as the cymbals
reverberate. Pray for clarity of thought, asking nature
to remove doubts, suspicions and fears.
8.
Light a new candle or lamp at the family altar. The
candle and lamp both should be unused. You may use the
family lamp, but clean it the previous day. The wick and
oil should be new. Light incense sticks too. Now, pray
again and walk the house with the illuminated lamp. Pray
for enlightenment and wisdom.
In
a brass tray, carry pebbles you’ve picked from the
sea, your incense sticks, lamp, bells and walk around
the house. Let the fragrance of the incense purify the
entire house. Let the light of the lamp illuminate the
house with wisdom, you may place flower petals too in
the house. Let the tone of the bells and cymbals fill
the house with new energy. You may in the end, put on
some truly calm music.
When
should space clearing be done?
1.
When you move
You
could do it whenever you wish. But usually, it is done
when you start living in a new house. You could either
try to clear your new space off the energies of the
previous members or try to fill the brand new energies
with whatever intentions you want.
2.
When someone has been sick
The
smell of medicine, injections and spirit can make all a
trifle nervous, as these are quite foreboding. So,
during the person’s recovery, shift him to a
comfortable place, open all the windows, letting in
natural light and air and then carry these.
When
someone has passed away
The
Hindus usually consecrate the entire house, including
people a fortnight after some family member has passed
away. Each time a Hindu has visited the cremation
ground; he has a bath and usually shaves off his beard
and head. This actually destroys the germs of the ground
that may be trapped in the hair. Space clearing in such
a home thus destroys germs, the odor of medicines, and
sanctifies the stale energy.
After
an argument
This
may seem irrational, as every other day you and your
partner or children could be having an argument. Well,
do space clearing only after a particularly bad one.
Gifted psychics can actually feel stuck up energy after
an argument and not clearing that can cause the
recycling of energies!
After
birth
In
olden days, women usually gave birth at home. Women in
such a state are known to carry the residue of the womb
and menstruate to cleanse the residue. This is known to
be harmful. The baby too is known to carry these germs,
and hence a house is sanctified. However, today, with
births occurring in hospitals and with better
sanitation, one doesn’t have to worry about germs.
A
haunted house!
If
you feel your space has been invaded by alien spirits,
you must engage in this ritual, but Note, an expert
should be hired. The expert will be trained in the field
and will deal with your fears. If none is available, you
could seek a priest’s help or firmly ask the entity to
politely leave your space, as you’ve nothing
worthwhile to offer. Be polite and that’s enough.
For
those who don’t believe in spirits, ghosts and spirits
are the fears and guilt feeling stored in your mind,
attracting negative energy. Undo whatever mistakes you
might’ve done and seek forgiveness.
You
want to create space for something new
When
you want a change of your space, you could do space
clearing along with shifting your furniture around.
Throw some new cushions, carpets etc to give the home an
image work-over! And along with that, do it
intently.
What
is the frequency?
A
thorough round of space clearing should be done twice in
a year within 6 months of the earlier one. Once in a
year ritual should suffice too.
Space
clearing when done for your body, today is known as
detoxifying your internal system. You could do that for
people too, along with clearing the aura and chakra
cleansing. Chakra cleansing opens the energy fields in
your body, releasing blocked energy. Colon hydrotherapy
is also akin to detoxifying.
When
you recover from an attack of cold, for the next few
weeks, your nasal passage being clear, you will be
breathing clearly; your voice is devoid of phlegm and
your head devoid of sinus. So you could combine deep
breathing exercise too.
If
you examine, space clearing is akin to detoxifying your
system, balancing your aura and chakras, or going for a
spa therapy, except here, that it’s done for your
living space and you are ushering in divine energies.
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