Okay, am I the only one, or do you too sometimes struggle with letting go of old possessions? Oi vey…I’ve lived in my home for 27 years and have managed to acquire a whole lot of “stuff.” Although I regularly donate and recycle items, it is an ongoing process to downsize possessions and clear old clutter. Whew!
Now, the great thing about this time of the year is that we have an opportunity to do some Spring Cleaning. Yep, there’s something in the air that gives many of us energy to “spring” into action and assess the things that physically inhabit our homes.
Did you know that there is another type of Spring Cleaning beyond the physical? Yep, I call it emotional Spring Cleaning. Emotional Spring Cleaning is what I often do with clients in my private practice—year round. I ask the ones who are seeking tools for stress relief or weight loss, “What are you carrying in your life that feels like a burden?”
Then, our work consists of hoisting the burdens off the client’s shoulders, and onto the floor between us. We metaphorically let the burdens gently spill onto the floor allowing each one to receive some light. From this higher perspective…we now let the “lightening-up” process begin.
We sit patiently together, identifying, sorting, and clarifying what each burden represents in his or her life. “Paths not taken,” is a recurring topic of discussion. Sometimes, even when outwardly a person’s life looks rich and fulfilling, inwardly he or she may be experiencing a sense of emptiness…a proverbial hole in the soul.
Guilt, shame, and regret are commonly uncovered during this inquiry process. For example, painful feelings due to:
- Unrequited love
- Job challenges
- Self neglect
In addition, many clients are carrying emotional burdens for other people—burdens over which they have no control or any power to change. The recently Oscar-nominated German documentary feature film Pina depicts several examples of “burdensome challenges” expressed as dance.
One surrealistic scene shows a woman struggling while carrying a man (dressed in black) on her back. This poignant piece is an excellent literal depiction of “carrying another” or another’s burdens. We watch the woman struggling to move forward, teetering from the weight of the man on her back, as she attempts to walk barefoot across a sandy beach. This unique (and quirky) 3D film, shares snippets of dancer/choreographer Philippina “Pina” Bausch’s colorful life and her fascinating personal perspective on a variety…of joyful and challenging life issues.
For the challenging life issues that are referred to me by doctors and other health-care professionals, I offer numerous tools, including hypnotherapy. The tools I share often assist in lightening emotional loads. The good news is, I see a recurring gift that many clients receive after they’ve gone through this process of sorting through their burdens with me. Once a layer of the emotional Spring Cleaning is complete and they have clarified and compassionately addressed burdens that are not appropriately theirs to bear — a clearing appears. After they’ve created some emotional space and added breathing room, they then have an opportunity to invite more balance into their lives today.
This empowering process can be a great way for each of us to update our “internal environment” and continually address burdens we have no control over. When we dive in to release and renew both physically as well as emotionally, we are honoring who we are in this precious moment—mind, body, and spirit. Finally, from this recharged place we can declare that indeed we’ve accomplished another year of Spring Cleaning…inwardly and outwardly!
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Trina Swerdlow, BFA, CCHT, is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, an artist, and the author of the 2-CD set, Weight Loss: Powerful & Easy-to-Use Tools for Releasing Excess Weight.
She is the author and illustrator of Stress Reduction Journal: Meditate and Journal Your Way to Better Health. Trina has a private practice in downtown Danville. She soulfully shares her creative approach to personal growth and passionately supports her clients in reaching their goals. You can reach her at: (925) 285.5759, or info@TrinaSwerdlow.com.
Certified Clinical Hypnotherapy services in California can be alternative or complementary to licensed healing arts, such as psychotherapy.
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