As quite a few of you know, I just moved into a new house after 18 years of living in the same house. Boy was it an adventure and continues to be so as I’m slowly unpacking and sorting through things. I knew I had a lot in the house but, it has become very evident over the last month that what one owns that is hidden way in shelves or storage areas is kind of odd when you step back and short through things or move. I had 5 boxes of hair supplies, soap, lotion, makeup and basic first aid type items. I had become so complacent in the space I had that I didn’t realize I had 5 containers of the same deodorant. Let’s just say I definitely won’t be running out anytime soon. I know this sounds funny and believe me I laughed too but, in reality it is not funny. I found myself being reminded of a yoga Yama called Aparigraha.
Aparigraha is one of the 5 Yamas. It eventually means non-possessiveness and non-grasping. In other words, it means being greedy or hording on to things. We have all been there but, we tend to forget that with this greed, hording and wanting to possess things, we are doing two things.
- Taking away materials/possessions from others that may need it more, and
- Taking on more possessions that we have to manage and maintain.
The first item is fairly clear. If we buy something up that we truly do not need, we are taking away from others that may have a greater need. We see this during Black Friday and Holiday sales. We have all seen how bad this can get.
The second item is the one most of us find ourselves having happen and what I’ve fallen into. We collect without realizing it. We like something and buy it just so we won’t run out. I find myself doing this with food and now with the move, I’ve discovered it with bathroom supplies, lawn supplies, clothes, shoes and of all things wine. We can also find ourselves falling into this area of Aparigraha when we hold on to items like childhood items, t-shirts of events, awards, items a family member has given us or items with sentimental value.
So, why is this form of Aparigraha so bad, well it comes down to the fact that with too many possessions, we have to manage them and they can weigh down on our lives in ways that are not so clearly evident. With too much comes the lack of space for what you desire. There is the extra added work to maintain what you have in respects to cleaning and storing of the items. There is also an aspect of this that people rarely talk about and if we hold on to things, they will hold us back from being who we are meant to be. I’ve seen this with those who have made life changes but, still hold on to something from the past that really doesn’t serve them and is a reminder of a past that they would rather release and let go of. The only way to truly release and let go is to let whatever possession one still has go so they can truly be free of the reminder. This is more of what I like to call a spiritual release to make way for new.
The fall and spring are always good times to step back and assess our possessions. I would like to encourage you to take just one room/area of the house and do so. Like me, you will be making space and lightening up your load both physically and mentally. Once you get the bug, it feels quite freeing like a weight on your life has been released.