Spring Tonics for Cleansing Body, Mind and Soul
By Georgene Lockwood -page 5 -

favor of lighter fabrics that let both air and light into their homes. They even rolled up the rugs and took them outside for a beating, after which they were stored until the Fall rolled around again.

Everything in the house was scrubbed from top to bottom. Now, we may not want to go quite this far, but perhaps a good clutter removal session and a lighter decorating touch has some merit, as well as a good cleaning with some essential oils in the mix. I like to do regular de-cluttering and keep up with cleaning on a monthly basis, so there�s no heavy spring cleaning necessary, but I also find a special ritual cleaning in honor of spring does us all good. I buy several bunches of daffodils, throw open the windows, put Schumann's Spring Symphony or The Rites of Spring on the stereo louder than usual and shake my bootie! This is the time to do the special chores like polishing the furniture, washing the windows or having the carpets cleaned. This year I�m scouring my books and formulas for all homemade potions.

Even the houseplants get the special treatment. At our house, the end of April is when all the houseplants go outside on the front porch. They get a good washing, watering, fertilizing and trimming. Repotting is done at this time if necessary. Perhaps your green indoor friends need a spring cleaning and a face lift, too?

After you're done, find a nice spot in the garden or go to a local park and find a place you can sit undisturbed. I have a regular "sit spot" in my yard that I visit every day or whenever I need some quiet time. Be still and give your mind over to the spirit of spring. What new beginnings would you like to make? What ideas or projects are you sitting on that are waiting to hatch? Are you keeping them warm and are you prepared to feed them well when they finally break out? Did you make any New Year�s resolutions? It's not too late to re-energize your goals or move on to some new ones. Giving yourself over to spring might just give you the "oomph" you need!

Georgene is the author of several books including "The Complete Idiots Guide to Simple Living", The Complete Idiots Guide to Organizing Your Life. She has been studying herbalism for 3 years, has converted to an almost all herbal household (very few commercial cleaning or personal care products or even medicines) and is working on a book about herbal home keeping. She is studying with Jeanne Rose and a local master herbalist who specializes in native Southwestern herbalism. You can contact her at [email protected]

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