All of the emotional, physical, and mental unweaving and clearing we
do can be boiled down to one focus: by clearing out what we are not,
we create space for the Divine to enter us and remind us who we are.
The more space we have internally the easier it is to listen and tap
into Spirit's wisdom and clarity.
When I worked with don Miguel our Toltec community did a physical
cleanse once a year for Lent (about a month and 1/2 between Ash
Wednesday and Easter). This was always a sacred time for me, and a
time of huge growth.
A few years ago we started a new tradition by setting intent for a
community cleansing time from Candlemas (also known as Imbolc) on
February 2nd to the Spring Equinox (also known as Eostar) on March
20th. We affectionally call this period "Lense" a combo of the words Lent
and cleanse.
Candlemas is a cross-quarter day that marks the mid-point
between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, and is a time of taking
stock. For our ancestors who lived by the cycles of the land Candlemas
was a time to feel into how much longer the winter was going to be,
and how much grain and provisions needed to be saved to get through
the final stretch. The light is returning, but we are still in winter,
waiting for the shoots and buds of spring to appear. We can use this
time of year to gently release what no longer serves us and gather our
energy and focus as we prepare for a rebirth at Spring Equinox.
There are many ways to work with the energy of this time of year to
create space and healing. The focus is to lovingly break up old
routines and remove distractions that keep you separated from Spirit.
Make sure as you form your own individual focus that the container is
one of heart and desire for more space for Spirit, rather than a
subtle punishment or creation out of frustration, judgment, or
self-punishment. This commitment is to yourself and is a prayer and
offering, a sacred gift to clean your temple to receive more of the
gracious presence of the Divine in your being.
Here are some ideas for your cleanse. Make sure to work with your
coach to come up with a solid focus that takes into account where you
are on your path. You want to make sure to not overload yourself. And
also step up! What I have experienced is that the strong energy of the
community carried me along in beautiful ways, beyond what I thought
was possible.
MENTAL CLEANSE
• Opinion fast
Refrain from sharing any opinion you have with others. This is
especially useful for controllers. Start by defining what is an
opinion, and have a focus for what you are going to do instead of
sharing your opinion. Where you are moving towards is not even having
the opinion arise in your mind.
• Silence
Partial or Full Silence: Pick one day a week to be in silence, or go
into silence for the entire time period. It is possible to continue to
work and interact in silence, it just takes creativity. Read more
about my 40 days of silence at:
http://www.spiritualintegrity.com/content/the-power-of-silence
• Mindfulness practice
Pick a place where you tend to go unconscious and create a mindfulness
practice, such as saying a prayer before eating and giving your food
your full attention, staying conscious of your breath throughout the
day, sitting quietly instead of reading or watching TV.
EMOTIONAL CLEANSE
• Repression fast
If you tend to bottle up your emotions this is a good cleanse to take
on. The fast is from any type of repression of your emotions, which
means you consciously express any emotions that arise in the moment.
• Expression fast
If you tend to cycle emotions or stories an expression fast invites
you to pick one emotion/state (anger, victim, fear) and consciously
choose not to express. You will need to give yourself a focus for what
you will do instead of expressing that emotion or story.
• Distraction fast
Pick your favorite distraction (TV, video games, alcohol, looking in
the mirror) and stop doing it! What will you replace it with….
PHYSICAL CLEANSE
• Refraining
Pick one food and stop eating it. Practice staying open-hearted and
soft around the item, not closing to it. Example: if you pick
chocolate after a week or so put yourself around chocolate or people
eating chocolate and watch what arises when you refrain. Be curious
about its purpose and effects in your life.
• Partial Cleanse
Choose a category of food to refrain from: sugar, bread, coffee, etc.
See notes above for staying open-hearted.
• Full Cleanse
Commit to a thorough cleansing program and stick to it. We recommend
Arise and Shine www.ariseandshine.com, which is the best cleansing
program we have found. For this cleanse you will probably need to
start now to get your body alkalized. For any full cleanse make sure
you start slow so the detox process is gentle. Educate yourself first!
All of these cleanses, from mental to emotional to physical, are
interwoven. When you do a mental cleanse you will also have the
opportunity to cleanse your emotional body. When you do a physical
cleanse you will get to find loving discipline with your mind.
Whichever cleanse you choose, from the most simple to the most
challenging, be conscious about how you set it into motion. Plan a
ceremony to initiate yourself into your commitment sometime in early February.
Talk your commitment over with a friend
and then write it up to share what
you will be cleansing. Feel free to add you intent as a comment, or on our Toltec Center Facebook Page. This way we will all share in each other's
commitments. And watch how you think and talk about your cleanse;
remember it is a joy to make more space, not a chore! Enjoy!
