Time to Clear the Cobwebs—External & Internal!
Michele Lewis, CFSP
March – April 2023 • Vol 4, No 3
After the winter we’ve had, I don’t know a single person who isn’t ready for Spring! Record snowfall and lots of cold temps have certainly made me good and ready. If you’ve waited all year long to clean up and clear out, Spring is the perfect time to break that habit! It is important to do regular purges of those things that don’t mean anything to you anymore, as well as maintaining a level of cleanliness on a daily basis. Let’s address daily dirt first—it’s the little stuff that adds up over a short time that can have a significant impact on the energy in your home.
What starts out as a few dishes in the sink can quickly become mounds of dirty dishes, pots, and pans that seem to emanate “don’t touch us!” All of us have a few plates and bowls that need to go in the dishwasher—it’s the day-old, food-laden dishes that seem to magnetize more of its kind that I’m referring to. While millions of odor-causing bacteria are forming, so is the extreme yin qi that drains you of your energy, leaving you feeling a little lethargic and unmotivated for no apparent reason.
This pattern of allowing negative yin energy to quickly gather by letting dirt and grime accumulate applies to anything that you let “pile up,” such as dirty laundry, trash, and days or weeks of dust. It is worth the time and effort to stay on top of the everyday stuff—but don’t get stressed out if life is temporarily in such high gear that the laundry has to wait.
Spring cleaning… Sounds like a major ordeal, doesn’t it? Many people think they don’t have the time to embark on Herculean cleaning and clearing-out projects. The trick is to pace yourself so that you don’t feel overwhelmed and helpless before all those boxes of junk in the garage or all that stuff that is crammed into your closet.
Start with something that you could reason-ably complete in 15–20 minutes, such as a quick run through the house to get rid of all those cobwebs that accumulated over Winter. Try going through one or two of your drawers or shelves or setting a limit on the number of boxes you’ll tackle at a time. Once you get started and experience how good it feels to clear out old stuff and its accompanying stale qi, you’ll be ready to address the larger projects that await you!
Get rid of things you don’t use or need—they tie up your energy unnecessarily, accumulate stagnant qi, and can block new energy, money, and people from coming into your life.
Use this purge time to get things together for a beginning–of-summer garage sale. It’s a fun way to connect your old things with people who want them and make some dollars in the process. As the saying goes, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure!” The best part of all is you might even meet neighbors you didn’t know you had.
Trained in China and the US, Michele Lewis is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant, has been a Feng Shui professional since 1998, and is available for consultations on-site or via phone. By using the timeless principles of the art and science of Feng Shui, Michele can help you bring balance and beauty to every aspect of your life. She is also a Certified Qigong Instructor of Ling Gui Healing Qigong School. Michele can be reached at (406) 224-0803, or by email at: taodesigns@ymail.com.
