Spiritual Spring Cleaning: Find Sacredness in Houskeeping
When you whip out the mop to clean the floors, do you sense something spiritual? When you’re shining up your windows to free them of their grime, do you feel more connected to your soul? We’ve covered different spiritual beliefs that require cleansing, from a Feng Shui ritual to purifying one’s aura. However, viewing the physical act of cleaning your house as something spiritual is an entirely new perspective. But when you look at various spiritual traditions, from Buddhism to Feng Shui, it’s very apparent: cleanliness is next to godliness.
This is confirmed by Mr. Tolulope Ilesanmi, who founded a company based on workers approaching the task of cleaning as a spiritual venture. It’s called Zenith Cleaners. As a child, Ilesanmi discovered the therapeutic and meditative qualities of cleaning, and thinks of cleaning as a practice in loving, caring, and making a difference. “Cleaning is the process of removing dirt from any space, surface, object, or subject, thereby exposing beauty, potential, truth, and sacredness,” he says. It may be difficult to see it for ourselves, however, so Ilesanmi has a few tips for connecting with this overlooked spiritual aspect of our lives.
1. Change the Internal Dialogue
Changing your attitude, from “Yuck” to “Yay!”, is absolutely critical. It is essential to rewrite our internal dialogue for before, during, and after the act of cleaning. Take an internal look at your reaction to cleaning time. You may be resistant, reluctantly dragging your feet, but take a deep breath and refocus yourself on not only the grime of your house, but the beauty your actions are instilling. Think of the clear benefits this action gives you, from moving our bodies and exercising to generating creativity in how we deal with the situation. You can even choose a mantra during the act of cleaning, to further fixate your heart on the joy and beauty available to us and rewire the way we think of this act that appears boring and mundane. Make it a point of satisfaction in your life. Note the things of beauty, from the love you are pouring out (whether or not you have a family, you are loving the space in which you live and thereby yourself) to the way you are subtly changing your own perspective.
2. Be Present
Being fully present in the here and now, whether or not you are doing something fun, is also a key facet of the cleaning process. Think of the words of Ram Dass: Be Here Now. Let your cleaning be a meditation in itself and release your grip on the worries of the past and the grasping for the unknown of the future. Instead, let yourself slide into the current moment and focus on the beauty of the task at hand as you transform your home from dirty to clean.
3. Let the Literal Be Metaphorical
Speaking of transformation, you’ll be amazed at how the state of your house can often reflect the state of your heart. We all have internal, metaphorical messes that need our attention in our lives. Ilesanmi encourages, “By periodically engaging in physical cleaning, we can learn to clean the more significant intangible dirt we all face. It is not pleasant to unearth and confront thorny issues at home or at work, yet they must be dealt with. Our approach to physical dirt trains us to bravely deal with non-physical dirt at every level.” So get cleaning, starting with the outside and working your way in. When your housecleaning is a focused meditation session, it’s impressive how much spiritual cleaning you can get done, as well!
About the Author
When you whip out the mop to clean the floors, do you sense something spiritual? When you’re shining up your windows to free them of their grime, do you feel more connected to your soul? We’ve covered different spiritual beliefs that require cleansing, from a Feng Shui ritual to purifying one’s aura. However, viewing the physical act of cleaning your house as something spiritual is an entirely new perspective. But when you look at various spiritual traditions, from Buddhism to Feng Shui, it’s very apparent: cleanliness is next to godliness.
This is confirmed by Mr. Tolulope Ilesanmi, who founded a company based on workers approaching the task of cleaning as a spiritual venture. It’s called Zenith Cleaners. As a child, Ilesanmi discovered the therapeutic and meditative qualities of cleaning, and thinks of cleaning as a practice in loving, caring, and making a difference. “Cleaning is the process of removing dirt from any space, surface, object, or subject, thereby exposing beauty, potential, truth, and sacredness,” he says. It may be difficult to see it for ourselves, however, so Ilesanmi has a few tips for connecting with this overlooked spiritual aspect of our lives.
1. Change the Internal Dialogue
Changing your attitude, from “Yuck” to “Yay!”, is absolutely critical. It is essential to rewrite our internal dialogue for before, during, and after the act of cleaning. Take an internal look at your reaction to cleaning time. You may be resistant, reluctantly dragging your feet, but take a deep breath and refocus yourself on not only the grime of your house, but the beauty your actions are instilling. Think of the clear benefits this action gives you, from moving our bodies and exercising to generating creativity in how we deal with the situation. You can even choose a mantra during the act of cleaning, to further fixate your heart on the joy and beauty available to us and rewire the way we think of this act that appears boring and mundane. Make it a point of satisfaction in your life. Note the things of beauty, from the love you are pouring out (whether or not you have a family, you are loving the space in which you live and thereby yourself) to the way you are subtly changing your own perspective.
2. Be Present
Being fully present in the here and now, whether or not you are doing something fun, is also a key facet of the cleaning process. Think of the words of Ram Dass: Be Here Now. Let your cleaning be a meditation in itself and release your grip on the worries of the past and the grasping for the unknown of the future. Instead, let yourself slide into the current moment and focus on the beauty of the task at hand as you transform your home from dirty to clean.
3. Let the Literal Be Metaphorical
Speaking of transformation, you’ll be amazed at how the state of your house can often reflect the state of your heart. We all have internal, metaphorical messes that need our attention in our lives. Ilesanmi encourages, “By periodically engaging in physical cleaning, we can learn to clean the more significant intangible dirt we all face. It is not pleasant to unearth and confront thorny issues at home or at work, yet they must be dealt with. Our approach to physical dirt trains us to bravely deal with non-physical dirt at every level.” So get cleaning, starting with the outside and working your way in. When your housecleaning is a focused meditation session, it’s impressive how much spiritual cleaning you can get done, as well!
