Getting really Clean … ( 03 / 18 / 2012 )
Getting really Clean … ( 03 / 18 / 2012 )
“ A systemic cleansing is definitely the way to go after each holiday . ” ~ Lee Haney
There are so many ways to cleanse the body & mind . Warm showers , trips to the sauna , brisk walks in fresh air , deep-tissue massage , Tai Chi &/ or fasting are some ways we can cleanse our bodies . Meditation , prayer , visualization , Tai Chi &/ or quietly soaking in the beauty of Nature are a few of the many ways we can cleanse our minds . All of these are fine practices — all of which I have used extensively in my past ( and some of them even in my present ) to great personal benefit .
And yet today I focus on another kind of cleansing : … the Cleansing of the Spirit .
Regardless of your religious beliefs ( indeed , even if you do not have any at all ), there is something within you that can be labeled a “ Soul ”. Maybe you prefer to call it “ conscience ” or “ consciousness ” or “ the True Self ”, but you do have one nonetheless . And even though many self-help books will tell you that the above-mentioned practices ( or others like them ) will cleanse this Soul , it is important to realize that this is actually NOT the case …
You see , your Soul only knows Oneness … It only comprehends Love … Frankly , it doesn ’ t comprehend “ self-help ” at all . As such , the only way to truly cleanse the Soul is to Love others ; to actively and courageously go forth and be Kind to them .
Now I freely admit this is pretty scary stuff , and I also admit that it can be quite uncomfortable when you take that first step towards “ Spiritual Cleanliness ” ( see the photo on the facing page ). And yet , what makes it all so much more than worthwhile is that every act of selfless Love — especially those given in the times we least wish to do so , to the folks we least wish to give them to — cleanses the Soul for the duration of that act .
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