Fran

Vanessa Smith

Twentynine Palms, CA, USA

Turn cleaning into a mindful ritual using mantras and sensory awareness to renew your home and inner peace.

English

Cleaning your home or workspace can often feel overwhelming, but it can also be a powerful practice to empower you to let go of what no longer serves you to make space for more freedom and clarity. In this extended guided cleaning meditation, you'll be guided through a simple yet effective process of mindfully cleaning your home or workspace. 
You'll welcome clarity, freedom, and ease.

Cleaning Meditation For Clarity, Freedom & Ease (45 Min)

 Welcome to this mindful cleaning meditation for clarity, renewal, and a feeling of freedom. Find a comfortable position either sitting or standing, and let's take a moment to settle into this present moment. Cleaning, just like doing the dishes, offers us an opportunity to step back from our busy lives and rest in present time awareness. Instead of approaching cleaning with resistance or a lack of enthusiasm, let's embrace this cleaning as a chance to care for ourselves and cultivate mindfulness. In this practice, we will specifically focus on the activity of cleaning. You can apply the same principles of mindful cleaning to any specific household chore – dusting, vacuuming, mopping, wiping down surfaces, or any other task. Begin your practice by gathering your cleaning supplies. Notice the sensation of your feet moving across the floor as you walk towards your cleaning tools. Be fully present in the experience, feeling the contact between your feet and the surface beneath you. As you pick up your mop, vacuum cleaner, duster, or any other cleaning instrument, guide your awareness to your sense of touch. Notice the texture, weight, and shape of this object in your hands. Remember, the purpose of this practice is to cultivate mindfulness and bring clarity to your experience. Cleaning tasks can sometimes feel repetitive, leading to a sense of boredom or annoyance. To help you stay anchored in the present moment, try incorporating a mantra or a simple noticing phrase. One of my favorite mantras, which I got from my mother, is, I love my home, which stems from the belief that cleaning is a way we can show love and gladness, gratitude for our homes, which keep us safe and sheltered. As you engage in the cleaning activity, you may wish to repeat your mantra, or perhaps you can silently repeat phrases like left, right, left, right, left, right, to synchronize your movements with your breath. Alternatively, you can use a phrase of loving-kindness, such as, may I live with ease, to infuse your cleaning practice with positive intentions. Or you might choose a word for how you want to feel as you are cleaning. Perhaps you'd like to be playfully vacuuming, joyfully mopping, or lovingly dusting your home. Let's now get ready to embark on your cleaning activity. As you clean, pay attention to any sounds your cleaning instrument produces, any sensations or vibrations in your hands, and the movements of your body. Notice the patterns created by your cleaning tool, and the cleanliness that emerges in its path. Allow yourself to fully immerse in the present moment, surrendering to the act of cleaning fully. Notice any thoughts or emotions that may arise during your practice. You might notice boredom, frustration, or other emotions arising. If and when that happens, first acknowledge them, and then allow these emotions to pass through your awareness, like clouds floating in and out of the clear blue sky. And after you do so, return to your mantra, which could be, I love my home, or perhaps may I live with ease. Embrace this mindful cleaning meditation as an opportunity for clarity, renewal, and freedom. Recognize that as you clean your external environment, you are also cleaning your internal space, creating a sense of spaciousness and calm within. Take a few more moments to continue your cleaning, remaining fully present as you move your cleaning tool, or as you engage in your chosen cleaning task. When you're ready, slowly transition out of this mindful cleaning meditation. Guide your awareness back. Carry the sense of clarity, renewal, and freedom that you've cultivated during your mindful cleaning meditation into the rest of your day, infusing all of your actions with presence and intention. Remember that every moment, however mundane or everyday, offers an opportunity for mindfulness. Embrace the practice of mindful cleaning as a way to cultivate clarity, renew your energy, and experience a greater sense of freedom in your life.