Minimalism – One Aspect of a Spiritual Path:

You have likely heard the trendy term, minimalism. This is not a new concept, but now, this practice has been given a name. Originally practiced mainly by nomadic peoples and monks, whether by physical necessity, or spiritual belief, people for centuries have chosen to travel lightly.

One modern definition of minimalism found online reads; is one that favors restriction.

Let’s first clarify that, if done as a spiritual practice, minimalism should never be viewed through a lens of restriction. To view it this way, would mean you would feel fear, and lack, you may even develop a mindset that you are missing out.

If you view minimalism through a Spiritual Lens of Freedom, you are on the right track. It should indeed be considered that.

This adjustment in perspective might be difficult for those who are very conditioned into the 3rd Density ways of perception. In other words, someone who is completely living through the egoic mind, competition over cooperation, comparing themselves to others, etc.

Physical clutter leads to mental and spiritual clutter. It gives one the feeling that things are incomplete because of the disorganization that results. It’s a nasty physical and mental loop that one easily gets caught up in.

Physical clutter is a sign that the acquisition of new items is not the core issue but rather a symptom of a disease known as materialism, which is often based on emotional dysregulation. They may have the feeling that what they have is never enough, and that, they are not good enough. They harbor some deep feelings of inadequacy, so they set out to acquire more and it does become an addiction.

That mindset is easy to fall into with constant advertising of goods you are told you need, only to buy them and never find time to use them. By accumulating more physical possessions, a person may unconsciously try to fill an emotional void that may have developed somewhere in childhood.

When someone can’t let go of something they haven’t used for 3 years because an old friend gave it to them. It becomes a mental/emotional trap that people create within themselves, albeit often an unconscious one.

A suggestion for a Spiritual way to approach minimalism: Instead of looking at rehoming or disposing of items, as a sacrifice, consider that you are gaining more personal space, more fresh air, and more space for friends to come and visit and most of all, a clearer mental space.

Memories do not belong to objects, the memories belong to the person.

A helpful tool. If you are having trouble releasing an item, try taking a photo of it, thank the item and send it back out into the universe. If that means you re-home the item or recycle it in some other way, so be it.

Don’t be held hostage by the objects that surround you. When your loved ones cross over, after leaving the physical body, material goods do not mean anything to them.

If a spirit is attached to an item, that would mean they are earthbound and have not crossed over yet, in which case all the more reason to learn to let go. It may help some spirits to move on to the fifth dimension, instead of being stuck in the fourth dimension.

Instead of filling your space with the latest gadgets and gizmos, try developing your love of nature. Consider, filling your time with planting fruit-bearing trees, tending to a vegetable garden, consider raising chickens, planting flowers and creating green space, not just for you but your community. And come Autumn Harvest, as the leaves change color and begin to fall onto the ground, you will realize how beautiful it can be to let things go.

Written By Jill Spirithorse