I'm a little quirky in that I tend to get excited about starting from ground zero. Perhaps it's the freshness, the possibility, of a new start. Regardless, shedding the old and starting anew revs my engine.
After 6 years in the same place, I'm moving and doing a life reboot. The reaction I've gotten from many is, "Wow, sounds scary." I suppose it is -- changing everything you've known and shedding the stuff that you thought you needed can be a bit...disconcerting. Frankly, I love it. I'm finding myself uncomfortable in ways that have clued me into how much I was holding onto things. And in getting a clue, I discovered that I actually need very little. My preferences have gone through an entire revolution -- many have fallen away. Scary? Nah...I'm thinking very cool. It's sort of like one big meditation practice in which you have those beautiful glimpses of clarity and nothingness.
I've given up my beloved chest of yoga props/mats/straps/blocks and have simplified to two yoga mats. I've donated and packed up dozens of yoga books. Paring down the ridiculous number of yoga pants that I have has been a bit more challenging (I justify this by telling myself that I'm actually using them as opposed to them sitting in a drawer), but progress has been made on that front as well.
As I rid myself of the stuff, a funny thing happened -- sort of like in yoga when you open up the physical body the emotional body follows -- my emotions followed suit. I'm feeling a whole heck of a lot lighter these days. And, as an extra added bonus, I'm finding that letting go of old stuff makes more room for me to be me sans the trappings/ideas/constructs of the past. Scary? No way! More like liberating!
I share this because I wish for you this feeling of freedom (and with the new year approaching, the timing seems apropos). No, I'm not suggesting you pack up all of your stuff, move, and start fresh (unless you want to, of course) -- but letting go of what you only think you need might not be a bad idea. Personally, I started small -- I boxed a bunch of yoga books I was so sure that I needed and put them in the basement. I never missed them. That got me thinking about what else I could let go of and never miss. Perhaps you could start with the very same baby step that got me started.
If that's still feeling a bit radical to you, I'll share some cool resources that'll make you feel good without all of the letting go:
- The lovely Kate Moller has written up a lovely blog post that encapsulates the beauty of simplicty and letting go. I can especially relate to her last point -- home is not a place.
- One of my favorite yogis/bloggers, Linda Sama, wrote a wonderful blog post full o' wisdom from one of my other favorite yogis, Mark Whitwell. I just love Mark's advice to stop meditating.
- For those of you who enjoy making New Year's resolutions, check out this video from Susan Piver.
- Looking for a little energy to go with your holiday eggnog? Check out this wonderful video from the folks at YogaMind that includes a vegan eggnog recipe and the energizing Lion's Paw Kriya.
Enjoy the resources and this glorious holiday season.
Namaste!