The new show “Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo featuring her Konmari method has swept the nation since it hit Netflix back on January 1st. I’ve watched it, my friends have watched it, and even though her book caused ripples a few years ago when it first came out, it seems the show has created a whole new influx of Konmari enthusiasts. You can’t open Facebook, Instagram or Twitter without someone talking about cleaning out their closets, kitchen or decluttering some part of their home. But I want to switch things up and encourage you to Konmari your mind too.
Konmari Your Mind
I realized after I recorded and edited the video that I had a piece of blueberry stuck in my teeth (GAH!). In the spirit of letting things go, I decided not to re-record and leave it as is. I also realized during editing I mispronounced Konmari (I said Konmarie). These are the things that happen when you record off the cuff, haha. And I can live with that 😀
Nobody has ever said to me, “this weekend I’m going through some of my thought patterns and the stories I tell myself to see which ones spark joy, which still serve me, and which I should release.” But honestly, that’s exactly what most of us need to do.
Those who practice yoga, meditation, invest time in therapy and other forms of mental and emotional self-care do take time to organize, purge and properly store their belongings but sadly that means that the bulk of the population is wandering around with the junk they picked up at age 10 in gym class, that terrible thing that happened when they were 15, the insult someone made about their body at 21, and so on and so forth.
These things take physical space in our brains much like your prom dress from 1996 takes space in your closet.
Today I want to challenge you to start to notice these thoughts, memories, and stories you tell yourself. Notice what they are saying, what lesson they were there to teach you and if that lesson and that story is still relevant. If it’s not, just like Marie Kondo tells you to thank your belongings before you release them to the garbage or donation bin, thank that thought or story for the lesson it taught you or the thing you learned from it and begin to let go.
And if you are interested in learning more about yourself and diving deeper into topics like this, check out my Yoga for Wellness membership where we do just that!