A Reflection on Moving: The Inner Renewal that Comes from Remembering, Reflecting, and Releasing
What’s in our homes is linked to what’s inside of us
My wife, Lisa, and I are in the process of moving to Sicily and Scotland for the next 3-5 years. We’re literally going to get paid to live our bucket list. We couldn’t be more stoked! And, quite a lot goes into preparing for a move like this. Over the last couple of weeks—for instance—I’ve been in the thick of sorting through all the things in our house, to prepare for the movers. As I went through boxes, cabinets, drawers, bookshelves, closets, and so on, I asked myself:
Do we really need or use this?
If not, can I donate or give it away, or do I need to recycle or trash it?
And most meaningfully: What memories, seasons, and relationships does this conjure up?
I think my favorite moment of remembrance was when I came across this cool gift my, now, adult child Kato made for Lisa and my wedding.
Isn’t this fabulous?
Moving, spring cleaning, or cleansing are simultaneously trips down memory lane, an opportunity to reflect on what matters most in life, and a beautiful chance to free yourself of weights, clutter, and excess. And, while I’m certainly talking about sorting through physical things, I’m also talking about sorting through and cleansing yourself on the inside.
Part of the beauty of this endeavor is, going through your household items, quite naturally ends up bringing you through your inner inventory—because everything’s connected.
While my sorting and shedding took a lot of time, in the end it feels SOOO good! It’s physically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically freeing. At a visceral level, I feel renewed from the inside out. Like I’ve shed layers and layers of old things I’ve been dragging around for no reason—without realizing it!
Going through our DVDs was one especially sweet moment of remembering and releasing. As I went through them, I was reminded of movies I love that I haven’t thought about for a good while. I was taken back to fond memories of the loved ones I enjoyed the movies with. Occasionally, I was like: Why do we have this? And, after that time of reflection was over, it felt really freeing to cleanse ourselves of two entertainment center cupboards worth of what had become clutter!
Going through my clothes was another such moment, only different. For me, there’s more of an intimacy to the items we wear, than the DVDs we play. How about you? I came across several shirts that were either from, or were a part of the life I had with an ex. As I reflected, and held these clothes with the stories embedded in them up to the light, I realized: These are keeping me connected to her in ways I want to be free from. It was a powerful time of letting go of her, again.
Realizing this kind of deep renewal has happened every time I’ve moved is inspiring me to do it more often … albeit, in smaller doses! I think a quarterly room cleansing would be easily doable, and quite life-giving. When it comes to my insides, I’ve had many practices over the years—journaling and therapy for instance. These days, Lisa and I take time most every day to unpack our insides with one another; and I find that, along with my regular yoga practice, keeps me well renewed spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
There’s something about going through what’s inside our homes, lives, and selves, and holding it up to the light—that’s deeply cleansing, healing, and renewing. I’m curious, what’s your experience of, practices for, and future hopes for this?
Hugs & Love,
Lang (aka“Dr. Love”)