Releasing unwanted energy with de-cluttering

Your material things hold emotions. By letting go of items that no longer serve you, you can let go of the emotions connected with them.

by Susan Webber — 

Many of us start each year with a commitment to clearing out overstuffed drawers, closets, garages and storage units. This is commonly called de-cluttering. You go through your closet trying to decide if that blouse, shirt, dress or jacket will stay there another year, or if you will toss it on a pile to donate or trash.

So what happens when you pull out that box of old love letters, your old journals (possibly filled with angst) or even the jewelry box containing pieces from past relationships? This is what I call “new relationship repellent.” It is not about the paper that the letter or journal is written on, but the emotional energy it represents.

Your material things hold emotions. By letting go of items that no longer serve you, you can let go of the emotions connected with them. We often cannot let go of these items out of fear and sadness. You may ask, “What if I need it after it is gone?” When you embrace this low-level vibration, it prevents you from embodying the vibration of abundance or from an ideal relationship entering your life.

Is there any area of your home that you want anchored in the past? Our surroundings have a profound effect on our moods and emotions. Candles or flowers can energize or inspire us, but other items can sap our energy and affect our thinking. As long as you are holding onto things through fear or sadness, you keep the energy of those emotions locked inside your body, and they determine what you attract into your life — like attracts like. It can show up as excess weight, anxiety, illness, depression, chronic pain or another dysfunctional relationship.

What are you willing to let go of in order to make room for something or someone else? Some of those “things” may even be a source of resentment. Releasing resentment is the means through which many have recovered from fibromyalgia or other chronic illnesses.

Yet this task of letting go can often be emotionally challenging. Sitting in a therapist’s office and talking about a failed relationship is no match for releasing the things you are still holding onto related to that relationship.

You will discover what is holding you back (physically and emotionally) from opening the space for someone new and ideal to enter your life. One very quick and powerful way to get rid of the mind clutter is to release the material things that the emotions are attached to.

You will become aware of the emotions attached to the items and be able to let them go. Feel what you need to feel. Know you are releasing emotions that have been stopping you from being fully in the present, possibly for many years. You will learn to notice and celebrate the positive shifts you are making.

During the process of releasing your material and mental clutter, you will stir up a ton of wasteful, stagnant and low-level energy. A gradual release will allow your space and your psyche to adjust to the new energy flow. It is important to do an emotional cleansing, and smudge each room when completed. Then rest a little and start a new corner or a new room. Bring only meaningful items into your space. Do not buy cheap trinkets. Notice how different you feel once this is complete.

Another important point is to let your space tell you which items to release. Do not assume anything. You may start releasing in one room, but there may be a force pulling you to another room instead. Do not resist that force. Believe it or not, your home is a living, breathing entity with its own vibration and energy.

As you go through the items from your past, some of the questions you may ask are:

• Do I love this?
• Does it bring me joy and comfort?
• Does it make my heart sing?
• Does it speak to my soul?
• Is it moving me toward an inspiring future?

If you respond “no” to any of these questions, send those items off to another home with your blessing. Move them out of your past and into the hands of someone who will find joy and purpose in them.

Celebrate these emotional releases as you move toward who you truly are. Create a path of purpose rather than one of spontaneous combustion.

A basic principle of the Chinese art of feng shui is that when we release the clutter in our lives, positive things will move in to fill the space. Notice what shows up. This is also true of healing the empty spaces in your heart.

Susan Webber is certified as a clinical hypnotherapist, life performance coach and NLP practitioner with a private practice inside Your Family Wellness Center, in Glendale, Ariz. 623-298-3017 or www.nextlevelcoaching-wellness.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 30, Number 1, Feb/Mar 2011.