April is synonymous with spring cleaning to me. Clearing the clutter that invariably accumulates over the long winter months. This tradition is especially therapeutic to me as a mother of 4. My physical environment seems to strongly correlate with my mental and emotional state, which might also be why I prefer a more minimalist environment.
Less clutter in my surroundings = less clutter in my mind. Or at least that is the goal. :). It’s also why our studio has very little visual clutter (plants being the exception!).
In yoga philosophy, the 8-limbed pathway is a guide for living harmoniously in the world. The first pathway is the Yamas, which are guidelines for living peacefully. Aparigraha, the 5th Yama, is the Sanskrit word for non-attachment, non-possessiveness, non-greed.
Reducing our attachment to material things allows us to be more discerning about what we bring into our spaces. It’s naturally eco-friendly to consider what items serve a purpose or bring us joy.
Yet aparigraha goes much deeper than material items. It can represent anything we grasp onto (usually long past its expiration date) that perhaps no longer serves us such as limiting thoughts or beliefs, habits, goals, careers, outcomes.
We are often so attached to the end result that we forget to enjoy the journey. Simply put, we are not present in the moment. In the tradition of yoga, this attachment is said to be a cause of our suffering.
Yoga invites us into the present moment. It asks us to focus on the journey rather than the destination. Every time we come to the mat is an opportunity to practice this Yama. Perhaps that means letting go of an attachment to “attaining” a certain pose and instead enjoy the building blocks of the pose; releasing the need to always go to the deepest version of a posture; not comparing ourselves to others in class; letting go of competition.
It could mean releasing the attachment we might have to a time when our body moved with more ease. Not clinging to the way things were, but rather working with what is now.
Understanding the impermanence of it all.
Letting go of these attachments is liberating. It creates more freedom and space to explore our body, mind, thoughts, breath – both on and off the mat. It helps to reduce the clutter of the mind, allowing us to be truly present in the moment and simply honour what is.