5 PHASES

Take, for example, a pencil, ashtray, anything, and holding it before you in both hands, regard it for a while. Forgetting its use and name, yet continuing to regard it, ask yourself seriously, “What is it?”… Cut off from use, relieved of nomenclature, its dimension of wonder opens; for the mystery of the being of that thing is identical with the mystery of the being of the universe - and of yourself.

Joseph Campbell

In order for things to come into our lives, we have to create space for them.

Once you Trust yourself, you have the power to Let Go.

It’s not necessarily that easy, though, right? Some things are incredibly difficult to Let Go of. It requires time & preparation; cycling through, getting deeper and stronger. But, that’s what this process is all about : the process itself.

In Phase Two, we are putting our intention into action. So, in order for your intention to take form, what actions do you need to take? Take inventory. What needs to be weeded out? In shedding, we become more aware of our needs. We begin to peel back the layers, so we can see where things are rooted; what is really going on beneath the surface.

This Phase is aided by the Fire Element. We Let Go and cleanse, in order to clear our path so we can move forward. Fire allows for new growth to take place. The Fire Element supports our legacy. When going through this Phase, ask yourself what it is you want to leave behind. Now, more than ever, it feels essential for our physical mark on this earth to be more gentle. Learn how to move with ease and grace.

Intention + Action.

PLS TRY @ HOME

Go through your home, see what you have and what you can Let Go of. Look through every item of clothing, each drawer and cabinet in the kitchen, bathroom, living room, car, garage. Take everything that lives in that space out while you clear. This is an intensive, deep clean and release. Clean the walls, vacuum the insides of drawers, wipe down shelves, the rods of closets and hangers. The items that you need to get rid of will reveal themselves. Listen to them. Organize as you put everything back together. And, if this already sounds like too much, start small ~ one drawer at a time.

Creating space will immediately bring a shift. You are releasing items that hold energy ~ some might be very emotionally charged. You have to support yourself and rest; this step takes time and energy. It can be tiresome, and you might feel very sensitive. Self~care will be super important during these cleanses ~ see Phase Three. 

This step is complicated ~ move through it carefully. It can be physically and emotionally exhausting depending on different circumstances. It also has an environmental impact. Donate or sell what you can. If it’s possible to avoid putting more things into a landfill, please try. It is very important to understand that donating unwanted items is not the answer every time you get tired of something; that is a complex industry in itself. From this point on, you must buy with integrity. So much of our spending is on items that don’t last, we don’t need or we outgrow after a few months. Stop yourself before purchasing anything new and really consider what you are consuming. We have a responsibility as individuals to practice conscious consumerism. From the clothes we buy to the food we eat ~ where these things come from, how they get to us, what they’re made of and who we are supporting in buying them ~ it all matters! Our actions ripple, and it’s paramount to do your best and recognize your impact.

I recommend going through this step multiple times a year. Ideally, it becomes lighter the more you do it.

*Don’t get stuck on this Phase! You can move onto Phase Three, even if you haven’t gone through all of your belongings ~ you will come to see that all of the Phases are continuous. Each one needs the other in order to keep flowing. Someone might live in a three story home, while another lives in a studio apartment, so obviously this Phase will have a different timeline for each individual.

SUPPORT YOURSELF :

clean your body / go on a walk / smudge your space + yourself / open the windows / eat a nice dinner / turn on some moody tunes / lounge in your cleared space

Notice how your space feels after this Phase. How do you feel?

JOURNAL :

What does Phase Two look like outside of your home environment? Is there something that is no longer serving you, that is standing in the way of your moving forward? What steps can you take in order to Let it Go ~ with grace & ease.

PHASE THREE : HEALING

EARTH ELEMENT

When we are attentive to our actions we are not prisoners to our habits.

T.K.V. Desikachar

Throughout the process we are shown something new each step of the way. What is presenting itself to you?

Healing is in the energy you surround yourself with, that you create, that you control. The Earth Element supports the Self, health & love. In this Phase, your physical being can experience a changing point. So can your life. It gives you an opportunity to look at how you live each day and adjust it to create the life you need.

This Phase is all about the transitions; the ground that holds you in the spaces between and where that takes you. Healing carries us from one step to another ~ not only physically but mentally, emotionally & spiritually. Maybe you’re not there yet; wherever there is, wherever you think you should be. So, how do you hold yourself throughout your journey, right here & now? What if you never get there? Isn’t this time now just as important?

We are designed to Heal and our bodies are constantly working, trying to do so. How do you facilitate that process? Self~care comes in many forms. I suggest many different ways to integrate these tools. What resonates with you? What doesn’t? Explore it for yourself and use tools that you love. In order for this to work, it has to work for you. So, explore! Elevate the everyday with rituals. How do you make sexy what others might call mundane? Our daily routines can be beautiful, filled with joy, health and radiance at every turn. This is self~care; your tool kit for being. I personally need a lot of support, so I have filled my day with ways I can Heal myself at every turn.

A practice builds the more we tend to it. More Letting Go will happen in this space, and your practices will hold & support you as you continue.

Even when we feel totally overwhelmed and think we know nothing at all, we know how to breathe. So, strengthen that. Start there.

INTENTION : Your goals. Your motives. What is the reasoning behind everything you do? Yes, we did this at the beginning, but I believe that you will come to see these Phases in multiple areas of your life. Cyclical / micro / macro. You can empower all of the steps you take with intention. See your Essence as a through line weaved throughout all you do. The new moon each month is a nice time to write your intentions and reflect on them at the full moon. A support system is built within the cycles of nature that we can work alongside of.

BREATHWORK : Notice your breath. Is it shallow or deep? Take a 4-count in through the nose, pause, 4-count out through the nose. Work your way up, taking longer counts, if available. Pause during the day. Notice your breath. Ideally, you can start & end your day with a simple connection to this force of life within you.

STRETCH : The purpose of yoga is to prepare the body to be able to sit in meditation for extended periods of time. We are setting ourselves up to receive; consistent preparation and adjustments to enable growth. Make this as simple or invigorating as you’d like. If stretching on the floor isn’t accessible, sometimes I envision myself stretching while in a meditation, and it truly has profound benefits on my nervous system.

QUIET THE MIND : Meditation brings harmony to the nervous system. It provides a scope inside and strengthens awareness. We are able to see ourselves more clearly through this practice and come into to the Present moment more often. If this is new for you or if you’re short on time, try 3 minutes a day. Sit up in a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Relax your forehead, your jaw, your tongue. Release your shoulders, tension in the wrists, fingers, hips, all the way down to your toes. Notice your breath, your thoughts. Let them come, then let them go. Come back to your breath.

MOVING MEDITATION : When washing the dishes, notice your thoughts, scrub them and rinse them down the drain. Incorporating meditations into different lenses throughout the day will integrate gratitude and stillness into our hectic lives.

ALTARS : Create sacred space with an intention ~ what does that look like for you? Make the kitchen into an altar of health : local produce in beautiful bowls, beeswax candles, table set before meals, fresh flowers and great music. The front door an altar to comings & goings : a nice dish for your keys, hidden space to place your shoes. The bedroom an altar to love & restoration : soft lighting, natural fabrics on the bed, and clear of clutter.

ALONE TIME : Speaking of sacred space, make room for you. Is there a place in the home that is yours and yours alone? Even if only for 5 minutes a day, claim it. Maybe it’s a meditation pillow on the floor. A blanket to wrap yourself in while you journal. A cup of tea outside with no phone. Get quiet with yourself.

SMOKE CEREMONY : Burn incense, a candle or sage to clear a space + yourself. *Please do so responsibly. If you’re buying these tools, please do so from ethical sources.

FREE WRITE : With a pen and paper. I suggest doing this for 15-30 minutes every day. Do you remember any of your dreams from the night before? How do you speak to yourself and about others? Can you shift the perspective or tone, if it’s at all destructive? Explore in this space.

GET CREATIVE : We are all inherently creative. Expression looks different for every individual. Acknowledge your passions and allow yourself to play!

FOOD : Eat nourishing, local foods that are grown responsibly. Your weekly farmers’ market + Mindful Eating are great places to start.

MOVE YOUR BODY : Every day. However you do it best. Walk around the block, stretch, dance, do anything that moves you. 

GET OUT : Get some fresh air every day.

KINDNESS : Be gentle with yourself and others. We can never fully understand someone else’s experience. It’s hard to understand our own. Take a step back ~ observe and create awareness around the situation. How can you respond from a place of love, instead of reacting out of fear or judgement?

LIBATIONS : Drink plenty of water. Indulge in your coffee or tea ceremony ~ these are very important anchors in one's day! Drink from beautiful cups / buy organic beans / teas / herbs / milks.

THERAPY : We don’t have to do the work alone. Talk with a licensed therapist that you trust who can support you in your process, if you need outside counsel.

DISCONNECT : Once everyone is safely home for the night, I put my phone on airplane mode. If this isn’t available to you, find intentional time in your day to be away from your devices.

MILK BATH : Draw a warm bath. Add two cups milk, a spoonful of honey & some flowers. Light a beeswax candle. 

SLEEP : Child's pose before bed for a deep slumber : hold for 3+ minutes. No need for a timer ~ do it until you drop in, feel a shift. Prop a pillow between your knees and under your head for extra support. Once you get that down, do it first thing in the morning, too. If stretching isn’t available to you, try the warm bath, a calming tea or meditation.

PLS TRY @ HOME

JOURNAL :

Write down everything that fills your day. Be as specific as possible. Can you circle back to Phase Two to see where you can Let Go to create more space for Healing?

INTEGRATE :

Choose 5 Healing practices that speak to you from Phase Three. If the above suggestions don’t resonate, use 5 of your own. Over the next month, incorporate these 5 practices at least once a week.

PHASE FOUR : RECEIVE

METAL ELEMENT

Beauty is an involuntary response to a high-order pattern recognition. Perhaps it is even a glimpse into our mind’s underlying perceptual architecture. As such, beauty is a kind of “enlightenment” that reveals something fundamental about the way in which the world appears to us.

Wabi Sabi : Further Thoughts by Leonard Koren 

It is time to Receive what you have been preparing for.

Remember what I said in Phase Three about the purpose of yoga? The purpose of yoga is to prepare the body to be able to sit in meditation. Throughout this process, you have been preparing yourself to Receive.

Notice. What is being communicated to you? Is it something different than when you first started? Does it look different than you thought it would? There are many ways to Receive information. Find yours and gather it. In the Unseen is an energy that can be subtle & perhaps difficult to decipher. But, there is much to discover here. Simplicity leads the way. Just as information comes in many forms, so does beauty. The seemingly mundane holds a significant amount of power and is all around us, at every moment. Awareness. Presence. Connection. They live here. Tap in.

The Metal Element supports joy, communication, helpful people, children, expansion & creativity. It is reflective. This Phase is one of introspection. Here, we can really experience the connections with ourselves and the outside world.

Our awareness deepens, as we have been continuously creating space for information to come through. And, not only creating space, but then nourishing that space with our Healing practices so when we Receive something, we have the capacity to hold it.

INVESTIGATE : Look at your home. Do a full walkthrough. Is your address easily legible? Is your path clear or do you always bump into something? Create ease and working order. Look underneath it all to figure out what’s really going on. Where do you stuff unwanted items? Is there a part of your home that you avoid? Spend time in each room. Sit in it and play around.

OPENING & CLOSING : Notice how you start & end your day with yourself + your home. Draw the curtains, open the windows, make the bed, brush your teeth, stretch, drink tea, journal ~ whatever you do. Make it your own, filled with things you love, so you can truly enjoy the acts of getting up and winding down. I try my best to avoid looking at my phone first thing; ideally, I’ve had coffee, food and gotten some fresh air before I’ve opened my phone.

MAKE THE BED : An easy accomplishment to start the day.

ENTERING YOUR HOME : Notice how you walk into your space. Communication is interactive. It goes both ways. You will start to see how the home speaks to you depending on how you treat it. So, if when you enter, there are shoes, bags and jackets all in disarray, notice how that makes you feel. There is an interaction happening, and you are taking notice.

SHOES OFF : There is a lot of grime on the bottom of our shoes. Set up a place in your entry to Receive them.

BATHROOM DOOR CLOSED + TOILET SEAT SHUT : Bathrooms are draining, and they hold waste. Keep these energies contained.

EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE : If something doesn’t have a home, create one. This will streamline your cleaning system and make you more aware when things are out of whack.

WORKING FROM HOME : Create a system so you can put work away at the end of each day to separate work and home life.

FRAMING : Beauty lies in the Unseen just as much as the seen. Take a look at your home from different angles ~ what’s in your line of sight? Sit in a chair you usually avoid. If you have one, sleep in the guest bedroom one night. Get creative on how you can hide exposed plugs & cords, the trash can, appliances that are on the kitchen counter (do they have to be on the counter at all times?). What if every glance were one of beauty : everything in its place, thoughtful and there for a reason. Inspect through a curious lens, and see what you see.

SYSTEMS : Safety first! Have your checklist in case of emergencies. Then, the staples: clean the kitchen after every meal; stock your pantry; put your clothes away after changing. If everything in the home has a place where it lives, your systems become like second nature. Feel it out and put things in motion, so your home begins to work for you, as you do the same for it. If you have systems in place, the home will communicate when they’re coming off track, need replenishing or adjusting.

CLEANLINESS IS GODLINESS : Love on your space. Take care of it, so it can support you. To me, living in a clean, beautiful environment has the same benefits that exercise, showering and fresh air do. It is incredibly rewarding.

PLS TRY @ HOME

JOURNAL :

How does your space feel? Happy? Energetic? Sluggish? Unorganized? Does something need adjusting? Feel it out. Talk to it. If you want to rearrange furniture, draw it first and play around with the placement.

Take note of your routines & systems; are they in working motion? How is it going since you integrated 5 Healing practices from Phase Three? The more we practice something, the stronger it becomes; understand what you are practicing & what you Receive from it.

EXPERIMENT :

Move some artwork & objects around, playing with their placement. These things will communicate very clearly with you when they are happy in their space or not. For example, when an art piece is hanging crooked, it feels off. So, you adjust it back into alignment. Notice how this feels inside your body and how you communicate with things in your home + how they Communicate with you.

Go for a walk outside. Does the Universe communicate with you through any reoccurring signs? Animals, white feathers and numbers are common ways people experience signs. Take note of what speaks to you, and start developing some of your own language with it. For me, signs are a loving reminder of the support I have from the Universe, passed loved ones, and Nature. Building this practice helps you understand your connection and communication on a much deeper level.

PHASE FIVE : WHOLENESS

WATER ELEMENT

Emptiness is not a state but a way… To experience emptiness is not a descent into an abyss of nothingness nor an ascent into a separate realm. It is a recovery of freedom to configure oneself as an intentional, unimpeded trajectory through the shifting, ambiguous sands of life. To recognize this emptiness is not a negation of life : it gives us a glimpse of what enables anything to happen at all.

Verses from the Center by Stephen Batchelor

Wholeness is you. You have everything you need within yourself. Sometimes, we only need to remember that. And in remembering, we are shown our next step, in order to guide us further on our Path.

It’s a cycle. A process. A death & re~birth.

Creation & dissolution.

This Phase is represented by the Water Element, supporting purpose & clarity. Your life path. In this Phase, there is a death that occurs, which I don’t say to scare you or for you to take lightly. Death happens every day and comes in different forms, as well. I think it’s important to understand that this is part of the process. It allows for the Whole process to exist.

What does being Whole mean to you? How do you show up authentically as your Self? How do you maintain your Being? When things become imbalanced, what are your most supportive tools? The further along we get, the more we understand how to sustain ourselves and our Presence for longer periods of time.

Wholeness is what this process is all about. I believe that being Present is Wholeness, because it allows for acceptance in simply Being. All parts of you. All stages of life.

We cycle through again & again.

Creation & dissolution.

PLS TRY @ HOME

JOURNAL :

Explore what you’ve learned. Free write. Breathe. Go for a walk. Allow yourself to Be and know that is enough. Simplicity is key.

HOUSE PLAY

INTENTION + ACTION

From all this, my friends, there arises an insight which the poet must learn through other people. There is no insurmountable solitude. All paths lead to the same goal : to convey to others what we are. And we must pass through solitude and difficulty, isolation and silence, in order to reach forth to the enchanted place where we can dance our clumsy dance and sing our sorrowful song—but in this dance or in this song there are fulfilled the most ancient rites of our conscience in the awareness of being human and of believing in a common destiny.

Toward the Splendid City: Nobel Lecture by Pablo Neruda