From our very earliest experiences of this life we exist within the container of our families, and those can be some of our most rewarding and challenging relationships. Just like the physical heirlooms that get passed down through the family, the beliefs, behaviors and life choices that we inherit from family includes both treasures and junk. On some level, who’s to judge?

Before my mother took it upon herself to help my grandmother clean out her house, that place was full of treasures that were once “good stuff” but had suffered from decades of Florida heat, humidity, bugs, and Grandma’s cigarette smoking. Time and technology made some of it obsolete. Kids grew up and grew out of the things they left behind when they moved out of their childhood home. And Grandma was holding onto it all, to the point that tradesmen couldn’t access parts of the house that needed to be fixed.

If my life, my consciousness can be likened to my grandmother’s house, then it is time to take my mother’s cue, get in and clean out all the good stuff that no longer serves me, patch up the things that need to be fixed or healed, and move into the future with a greater sense of ease, confidence, and openness. Time to honor the past while creating space for something new.

We’ve got plenty of opportunities for this kind of spiritual housecleaning this month:

March 9 (Anchorage), Heather/Narayanjot will be offering a spring cleaning healing workshop. Heal yourself, your loved ones, and enjoy tea with your fellow yogis!

March 14 – 17 (Homer) and March 21-23 (Anchorage), please join us for a weekend of spiritual housecleaning with Hargopal, who will be visiting from Los Angeles to offer Family Constellation workshop and individual sessions. These classes and consultations will offer the opportunity for us to deeply explore our family of origin, identify and let go of family dynamics that are holding us back from living to the fullest.

More weekly classes in Juneau, Homer, Fairbanks and Anchorage (including classes in Fairbanks and a new Thursday night class in Anchorage!).

For your home practice, Sodarshan Chakra Kriya is probably the king of kriyas for this kind of work. If you’re not used to it, start with just 3 minutes, and then work your way to longer periods of time. Especially if you are developing a daily personal practice, it’s great to start small (with something you have no excuse not to do) and go from there. Just like cleaning our physical space, a little bit here and there can add up to a huge impact as the rooms are tidied, the floors swept, the shelves dusted… and then suddenly it feels like a whole new place!