“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 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 “the 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 NOT the case.

Your Soul only knows Oneness … It only comprehends Love … Frankly, it doesn’t comprehend “self-help” at all.  As such, the only way to cleanse the Soul  is to Love others; to actively and courageously go forth and be Kind to them — period.

I admit this is pretty scary stuff, and I admit it can be quite uncomfortable when you take that first step towards “Spiritual Cleanliness” (see the photo).  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 — cleanses the Soul for the duration of that act.

Every time you choose to LOVE someone, all your past “sins” and faults and mistakes are washed away.

Every kindness extended to a stranger,

every anonymous good deed done for a friend,

every moment of forgiveness sent to an enemy —

each one of them makes us Whole again.

Each one of them gives us a fresh start …

Each one of them makes us truly clean.
And THAT is a bath well worth soaking in …

“However it is debased or misinterpreted, Love is a redemptive feature.

To focus on one individual so that their desires become superior to yours is a cleansing experience.” ~ Jeanette Winterson

LOVE is a verb …

… got LOVE?

Filed under: Wisdoms from the Journey by Scaughdt