HOUSE PLAY
a study in the mundane / by paige harte-rivera VOL. 2 | SPACE 2021
INTENTION
We live in a world of impermanence. Things will come and go as they please - some of which we have no control over. What we can command is our response when these instances occur. We create space, so we have room to deal with the circumstance at hand. Space gives us the capacity to see the situation, get to know it, and respond from a place of stillness - rather than impulsively reacting because we have no room to comprehend what we are experiencing.
Whether in the home, mind or body, clutter is stagnant energy. We can fester in cycles that keep us stuck. If we are living in stagnation, there is no place for anything new to come in, and energy has no clear direction of where to go. If we are harboring on thought, we are distanced from the present moment. If we don’t move our bodies, we aren’t allowing ourselves the ability to process and then clear out toxins, whether physical or emotional. We create space so we can greet life with more grace and clarity. We are signaling that we are ready for something new. And, as an added bonus, we can live in a clean home, with peace of mind and a healthy body.
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
NEW BEGINNINGS / WOOD
Dawn. Spring. Origins. Wood Element. Family. Lively.
A new season. We’re bursting at the seams. Ready to get out there. Is your path clear? Is there ample room for you to begin?
Wood breaks through the earth. We have to let go of what no longer serves us, so we have strength for the journey.
Take inventory - in the home & in life.
Every day, multiple times a day, we are given choices. If something needs to change, what agency do you have in the matter? Give yourself permission to start over or try a different direction. New beginnings are there whenever you need them.
And so, I invite you to create your space - clean it & claim it, so you can grow into it. With intention, pave your way.
PLS TRY @ HOME
CONTAINMENT : Always close the toilet seat cover + bathroom door. This prevents waste & draining energy from escaping into the rest of the house.
SACRED SPACE : Do you have a space that is sacred to you? That is yours alone, even if only for 5 minutes a day. Create one. This could be a journal, a cup of tea, the shelf that holds your toiletries, a meditation pillow + beeswax candle. Designate it as a personal altar to your self-care and activate it with joy - maybe that means you clean your shelf and organize it, so it looks super fresh; or get a tiny bud vase for your bedside table, and replace it with a new flower each week.
PALATE CLEANSER : Choose a recipe you want to make, but only use produce you find at the farmers’ market. Are there any spring vegetables showing up? *Kindly ask growers if they use any chemical sprays - just because they are at the farmers’ market doesn’t make it organic.
WOOD ELEMENT
New Beginnings. Growth. Abundance.
In the home, the wood element is represented by “growing” wood / plants. Shades of green & purple. Rectangular shapes. Wood supports family, money & beginning again.
LET GO
In VOL. 1, MUD SEASON, we talked about trust. We need this in order to let go. Trust gives us something to hold onto. If you were stripped away of everything, what would be left? It’s just you.
Once you build trust within yourself, you have the power to surrender; give in to the unknown. Faith that once you release whatever it is that’s holding you back, you will be shown your next step. After you have taken inventory, what needs to be weeded out?
INNER-WORK-OUT
Go to your kitchen sink. What color is your sponge? Is your dish soap the same color as it? Bright blue or yellow & green?
Let’s make washing the dishes a bit more elegant.
Upgrade to a biodegradable sponge in pretty, earthy tones. I suggest getting quite a few of these, as you’ll go through them faster. Get a clean, organic dish soap that will be gentle on your hands and on our waterways. Find a sleek dry rack that you love looking at.
Try a moving meditation for your dishwashing pleasure. Focus your attention on cleaning the dishes. When a thought comes into your head, notice it. Then visualize it washing away as you scrub and rinse.