PRIME LIVING
Solace and simplicity Most of us have already tidied our closets thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced us into the house and made us live in our self-created chaos 24/7. Deborah A llard Dion
If you haven’t de-junked the drawer in the kitchen or the scary, overflowing garage, the New Year is a great time to declutter. But, don’t forget the mind, which can be an even messier place that no amount of disinfectant can render spic-and-span. Christina Dobyna of the Sisters of Solace – Holistic Healing Center, 700 American Legion Highway, Westport, has offered guidance in the area of decluttering, both the physical and the mental, for 2021. “There’s just stuff – always so much stuff,” said Dobyna, who runs the center along with her sister Dora Kirby. “This year, it’s emotional clutter. “I’d rather see somebody who has a clear head than a clean house,” Dobyna said. Dobyna, a Reiki master/teacher, angel therapy healer, card reader, author, and motivational speaker, has spent the last 15 years offering guidance, meditations, and spiritual healing. The sisters also run the shop and offer massage, reflexology and a host of other services. When dealing with clutter, there’s a difference between the physical and emotional. Physical clutter is what we see in our surroundings, Dobyna explained, but it “depletes our energy” and can exacerbate emotional clutter. It can make our energy “feel off.” She said we often have an attachment to
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S ou th C oast P r ime T imes
things that we feel we must keep because they remind us of a certain time in our lives. But, sometimes hanging onto things whether clothing or mementos from high school or loved ones has the opposite effect. “It sits on you like heavy energy.” Cleaning up and cleaning out can lift that feeling and make you feel energized. “It’s time to purge – let go of what no longer suits you.”
Mental and emotional clutter can wreak havoc in one’s life, even more than household clutter She recalled cleaning out her parents’ house after they passed on and keeping only significant items, rather than containers filled with “stuff.” “They’re here. They’re in my heart,” Dobyna said. “They’re in my memories.” Clutter, she said, “is not useful. Let go. It’s not easy. It’s a process.” Having too much clutter in the home can create an energy that leads to anxious feelings. “Notice how you feel when your house is tidy,” she said.
J a nuary /F ebruary 2021
Mental and emotional clutter can wreak havoc in one’s life, even more than household clutter. It’s the stuff that makes us feel anxious, tired, negative, upset, and can decrease our productivity and quality of life. But, there are ways to clear that clutter that are akin to sweeping the dirt into the dust pan.
ONE Manifest what you need in life Stop doubting yourself. Tell the universe what you need and want and take steps to achieve your goals. Some may create a vision board that outlines their goals, or meditate to focus in on what exactly they want. It can be the first step in believing and working toward those goals. “Decide what you need, spell it out, and manifest it. Trust and believe that it will be out there,” Dobyna said.”
TWO Write it down Dobyna suggests daily journaling as a way to manifest what you need in your future “Journal it, say it, think it.” She said a journal can help create a place to write about your day and what went well or poorly, your goals, intentions, worries and frustrations, and anything else that comes to mind. It needn’t be pages and pages of feelings, just a few paragraphs each day. “Get it out, whatever you’re feeling,”
