"You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present." - Jan Glidewell

It’s fair to say that we all like our “stuff”. We tend to have plenty of it and hold on to things past their expiration, year after year. We save, and even stock up on, things we don’t know what to do with anymore. Perhaps they hold precious memories of days gone by or of our loved ones. Better yet, we think our “stuff” will come in handy one day so we diligently file or pack it away. The thought of parting without these things seems totally out of the question.

Does this sound familiar to you? If so, have you ever heard the saying “you have to get rid of the old to make room for the new.” It can be a daunting task but notice how great you feel after - lighter, clear, more focused and ready to move on. This is not hocus-pocus or mumbo-jumbo;it is based on the law of physics: nature abhors a vacuum. Create a vacuum and the universe will quickly send new things to fill your empty space. So if you are feeling stuck or static in your life, try some spring-cleaning. Throw out some of that stuff, say goodbye to your past and welcome the new energy and healthy future that awaits you.

Spring is about nature’s inherent ability to grow, turn over and start new again. It's evident through the budding flowers and the ubiquitous color of green after a long winter season. Chinese medicine, an ancient medical system, is based on the concept that everything is interrelated. They view the body and mind as one energetic system that cannot be separated, but interconnected systems that work together to keep the body functioning. As such, each season is unique and correlates to different aspects of the body and mind. Spring is all about the liver and is associated with the taste of sour, the emotion of anger, creativity and the color green.

So for good physical and mental health we have more than one house that needs to be spring-cleaned, our dwellings and our physical bodies. Just as we accumulate old clothes, magazines, knick-knacks and keepsakes, our bodies accumulate old debris in the form of old food residues and toxins that need to be cleaned out. To spring clean your body, give it a break from the rich and complex foods by either fasting or cleansing for a period of time. Cleansing simply means paring down your food to simple fruits and vegetables, lots of water and whole grains for a period of time. Fasting means limiting most foods and drinking lots of water, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, teas and soups. Without much energy going towards digestion, more energy is available to the rest of your body and mind. Cleansing and fasting can sharpen your concentration, help you gain insight and promote spiritual awareness. It can also lead to improved immune function, better digestion and for some a difference of a few pounds.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to spring clean your heart too. Throw away negative thoughts and habits that hold you hostage and no longer serve you. A clean heart will allow you to receive all the good that awaits you each and every day. If your heart and mind are cluttered, there is no room for life’s gifts and precious moments to enter in.

Amy Coughlin, a Certified Wellness Coach, educates individuals to make better healthy food and lifestyle choices. By creating awareness and balance, she empowers people to make significant, long-term choices which leads to living an energized and passionate life. Ultimately, her life experiences and education, coupled with her expertise in corporate training and recruitment, has inspired her to coach individuals and corporate groups in wellness education programs.

Amy can be found on fastloop as “ABC815”. Contact her today to get a complimentary health history and to sign up for her monthly newsletter.  www.amysinteriorgardens.com