STRESS RELIEVING HOUSEWORK RITUAL

• If you are about to clean your kitchen, stand in the center of the room and ground yourself. Spend a few minutes inhaling through your nose; fill your lungs and feel your rib cage expanding. Now slowly exhale through your nose as your rib cage and lungs contract. After a few breaths, visualize roots growing from down your legs and out of your feet, burrowing down through the floor and connecting with Mother Earth. When you feel anchored and calm, you may begin your chores.

• Stand in front of your sink of dirty dishes (or dirty laundry, or in the center of your junky bedroom, etc.). Visualize stress leaving your body and flowing into the dirty room or dishes or laundry. Allow your being to KNOW that, just as the dishes, clothes, room, etc. can be cleaned and made new, so can you.

• Proceed with your chore and feel your stresses washing away as the water rushes over the dishes, laundry, bathroom fixtures, etc. Imagine that with each pass of the vacuum over the carpet, you are sucking up worries and troubles.

• Make sure that you immediately wash your cleaning cloths and dump the vacuum canister outdoors.

• Optional: This could be a good time to diffuse balsam, cypress or fir essential oil. Burning a green-like incense would work as well.