The heart space cleanse

cleanse

  (klĕnz)

tr.v. cleansedcleans·ingcleans·es

a. To free from dirt, contamination, or impurities: cleansed the wound.

b. To treat (the body or an organ) with a regimen intended to remove impurities and promote health: 

drank vegetable juice for a week to cleanse her digestive system.

 

What are you filling your heart with? 

Something I've learned it that your heart is limitless when you fill it with love, gratitude and curiosity. But when it is filled with pain or bitterness it tends to shrink and feel heavy instead of making your everyday life brighter. Before going back to school, I made a small list of things to do every day, to fill my heart space with the right things, from rainbows to rainforests, which I have named the heart space cleanse. I should not let a day go by with a heart that is filled with more pain than love. When life becomes hectic I always find myself giving less priority to the things that makes me happy and as a result my heart turns heavy and my mind blurry, and I think this applies to a lot of people. That is why I wanted to share this cleanse, that focuses on get rid of any toxins that may be blocking your heart, and open it up to the love it is meant to contain.

Day one: Make a list of what is both important to you and brings you joy, and make a list next to it with the things you did today. Reflect on how different or similar those lists are and how you can incorporate more of what you truly think matters into your life.

Day two: Relationships can be toxic, whether it is platonic or romantic, they can be emotionally draining and you may end up feeling like you aren’t good enough. Spend some time re-evaluating your relationships and whether their impact on you are positive or negative. How are you going to eliminate the negativity?

Day three: Is there anything that is currently stressing you out? Most likely it is not as stressful as you make it out to be. Life can be overwhelming but try to break the situation into smaller pieces and put it into perspective.

Day four: Write about your passions. Is there any way that you can make room for doing more of what you are truly passionate about? Is there a particular skill that you would like to learn more about? It might feel like there is a long journey ahead but remember that every step of the way counts. 

Day five: Reflect on your dreams and what is holding you back from making them happen. If you truly want to reach you goal, whether it is working as a yoga instructor in Bali or a visual artist in Paris, keep that dream in mind whenever you make a decision. 

Day six: Try to minimize negative self-talk today by simply being aware of what you are telling yourself throughout the day. How did it make you feel? How can you change your way of thinking to become happier?

Day seven: Write about a person you love. What does this person make you feel like when you are with them? What is this person’s best qualities? 

Day eight: Spending your time helping others, can significantly improve your own happiness while being there for those around you. What can you do that will make somebody else happy or benefit them in any way?

Day nine: Let go of any negative memories that belongs in the past. You don’t necessarily need to forget them entirely, but stop dwelling and accept that they are a part of what has made you into the person you are today. 

Day ten: Forgive someone, especially yourself. Don’t hold grudges, they usually cause you more damage than it affects the person you can’t seem to forgive. Once again, letting go of the negative is important in order to fully move on and feel centered and present. If you somehow blame yourself for something, try to find a way to accept and learn from it instead of beating yourself up.

 

When you have finished your 10 days of cleansing your heart space, it is time to fill your heart with the right emotions and memories, and become aware of some small things you can do every day to prevent your heart from feeling constricted.

 

10 things to do every day: 

-Write down the first thought you have in the morning, and see if you manage to start your day with a more positive perspective as time goes by.

-List three things you are grateful for having in your life. Try to come up with three new things every day.

-Make a tiny list of your goals for the day. Remember to make sure that you include some things that you enjoy spending time doing, and to make the list as realistic as possible. It is of no use if you expect yourself to do more than is possible in a course of a day. By sorting out the things that are most important, you can avoid feeling disappointed at the end of the day.

-Do something creative, whether it is to cook something new, write, paint or knit. 

-Spend time outside, plant something in your garden, go for a walk or do yoga on your terrace.

-Watch either the sunset or sunrise.

-Read a book that you love, listen to music you love or consume art that you love. The things you don’t necessarily need to do but you adore is often energizing. 

-Spend time with people who inspires you.

-Reward yourself for your positive habits. Drink a cup of herbal tea, put on a face mask or compliment yourself.

-Do something you have been putting off.

This article was also published in Halcyon Girls magazine 'Aquamarine', go check it out for more articles, poetry, interviews and more ;)

HealMartine Aamodt HessComment