271 thoughts on “Cleaning my House: A Lesson in Trust and Honouring”

1. What a perfect read to start my day. I have been feeling the pull to go into ‘get it done’ mode all morning. I haven’t done so and not intending to but instead having moments of appreciation of what awareness I now have to move in a way that supports.

2. This is a very helpful blog for me right now as I embark of doing more housework. I often wonder where I will get the time so I love how you describe how little moments present themselves and this is the approach I am now going to take so thank you.

3. Thank you for the reminder that we can apply care to any and every part of life. That and the world doesn’t end when we follow our feelings!

4. Doing things so that they are out of the way never works as it causes great stress on the body and is in no way supportive.

5. Our mind-created schedules operate at the expense of the body. It’s big step to let go of control and surrender to trust – that the body knows exactly what to do, and when.

6. This blog is a great reminder to listen to the wisdom of the body.

7. Cleaning with love is never about ticking boxes , but about the pure joy of ceremony and order.

8. That’s what I call a great name for cleaning the house Johanna, to spread our loveliness around our home. Beautiful and true.

9. Always Love first – Love that Johanna!

10. A clean house feels really beautiful, and it is lovely to be able to enjoy it, I have found if I push my body in order to clean, I’m not really able to enjoy the end result, because my body is feeling the push rather then the gentleness I cleaned in, which I then appreciate.

11. Bringing a quality of consistency to our every movement means we can experience joy in whatever we are doing, whether that be the so called chores in life or those movements we consider are more ‘fun’ or worthwhile. One true movement that we can bring our all to.

12. Love your comment Adam, we get this opportunity every moment to deepen our connection to the quality we bring to all we do. In this sense everything completes in that moment, yet there is no being done and dusted.

13. It can be a very different experience when we do chores or ‘life’ in general from our bodies and not our heads. I also like to shake it up a bit and not stick to any rules and the body does have its natural rhythm with this.

14. ‘My house cleaning chores no longer felt like chores but lovely little moments where I was able to spread my loveliness around our home.’ . . . just by paying attention to different areas of a room the area would come alive and sparkle . This used to amaze me when I first noticed this when I was young . Nowadays I would see this as my energy being reflected back to me. The point is if we are not feeling lovely but instead feeling pressured or rushed for time or wanting to get the housework over and done with, what are we actually spreading around our homes then?

15. I have found lately doing a little of something everyday puts far less strain on the body, and rather than tackling the whole of the house in one go, I have found it easier to do one room at a time spreading it across the week, and if my body feels to do a little more that’s fine. The problem with pushing the body through jobs, is that the body has to recover and if we continue pushing through our body eventually brings us to a stop where we have to look at what and how we do things.

    1. This is a great point Sally. The push and drive then crash and relax way of doing things is not fun or supportive. If we choose consistency we are able to support ourselves consistently.

16. I love how these little moments appeared and allowed you to feel and spread your tenderness as you cleaned, ‘My house cleaning chores no longer felt like chores but lovely little moments where I was able to spread my loveliness around our home.’

17. Thank you for sharing Johanna – a few simple lines resonated me “These beliefs and ideals were in-truth stopping me from trusting and honouring myself and my body completely as the gorgeous and tender woman that I am.” This is beautiful reminder to bring me back and / or create space for that tenderness before there is that hurt running the beliefs and ideals. Also … “I have felt a deeper level of appreciation in my ability to Trust… trust my body, trust my feelings, trust myself and the rest (including cleaning my house!), will fall into place.” That trust will be built solidly when the tenderness in the body is acknowledged and felt.

18. Yes Johanna, it is the letting go of our patterns of control and allowing the flow that we find the hardest to do, but the joy is so worth the leap!

19. Thank you Johanna, this is a great lesson in trusting and honouring ourselves, and not going against our body’s natural rhythm and flow. When we stay with our natural rhythm things are simple and easy to do, it is when we start to go against that rhythm things turn into chores, and we lose the enjoyment of doing them, and complete them half-heartedly.

20. How great that you started to honour your body more, and as you did moments appeared to help you complete your tasks in a natural flow, and with enjoyment and presence.

21. I know this trick very well; set myself up by holding to a plan that keeps me in a momentum far from my stillness. It has been, and still is a consistent observation of myself and how this set up plays out in many areas. Now I observe, see it for the trick it is, and start moving with connection. From there truer movements are made, times expands and connection to my stillness is felt.

22. When I get rid of the pictures in my head about how things should be, life becomes simpler and how I feel takes priority over how much I get done. This is a 180 degree turnaround in terms of how I used to live, where my to-do list was king. Developing a trust in myself and my body has been key, and underpinning that was my acknowledgement of the fact that I matter.

23. This is so true Adam and I had never thought about all life as movement. This just confirms that I can have as much fun doing the dishes, as going for a walk, or taking myself shopping. Its a matter of attitude, not the act itself.

24. I am paying more attention to the intention behind my actions. It makes a huge difference when I am doing something with an intention that is about honouring myself first and that has no push or drive in it.

25. What a great way to see cleaning the house – “my house cleaning chores no longer felt like chores but lovely little moments where I was able to spread my loveliness around our home.” If we were to apply this way of seeing all the things that we do throughout the day we would experience a lot more joy in everything that we do.

26. So perfect to read this on this Saturday morning because it was exactly went through my mind last night. I have a busy weekend planned so I used last night to grocery shop and do some of the food prep to ‘get it out of the way’ and ‘free up some time for the weekend’.

    And while those things are true, my body was also asking for some rest as it was tired and I had pushed it a bit during the week. But I overrode it, to ‘get the jobs out of the way’.

    It’s a big one for me, learning to trust my body and that space will be there for the things that need to be done so your blog is inspiring for me to read today, thank you.

27. So important to break down these ideals, I am playing with what you have described here and are going to be very supported by the enjoying of the task!

28. Listening to the body and deeply appreciating each moment brings us into the flow and things just open up as they are meant to – it is so great exposing the pictures we have that we allow to control our every moment.

29. Getting caught up in chores is such an easy way to get ourselves racy and loose our rhythm. What you have shared here Johanna is a wonderful relationship you have clearly developed with yourself and in the relationship you are now aware of when you are going into that drive to ‘get things done’, very beautiful.

30. There is a rhythm of life that is so powerful and so beautiful, and this pulse is beating through us all… When we feel it, it is undeniable and so strong… the enigma is how it can be so ignored by so many.

31. oh what fun it can be exploring how we can live, without the beliefs we have had for oh so long, and learning to live, and re order the things we do based on whats needed!

32. A beautiful honouring of the communication from your body Johanna – taking true care and self nurturing to a deeper level.

33. Our ability to determine routines that work for us is an ‘essential’ for human life, isn’t it Johanna… What I also find the greatest learning, is that things needing to be done can indeed ‘get done’ – and that maintaining our commitment, along with honouring our bodies and their flow, actually supports the space to open up for what we need to do. And if called for as you’ve shared here, a re-assessment of how things may roll…

34. I can relate to having a ‘rule book’ approach to many things I do. I am opening up to suggestions to try doing things a different way. In the past I have been very resistant to change, but these days I’m finding I am learning much more by being open.

35. The quality I feel in the home is entirely different when I remain connected to my body and allow the space to enjoy the process, but when I rush around to get the cleaning done I am continually walking around in that busy energy I have created in the house, that ends up feeling quite draining on the body.

36. When I approach cleaning feeling like I have to do it, then my body feels tight, hard, tense and awful. But when I approach cleaning with joy it feels entirely different. I feel more energised, I get more done and the space feels amazing.

37. Trust my body, that is huge Johanna, reading this today has clarified my drive to another degree; it’s like I feel I have to push myself because otherwise it just won’t happen but this is just not true, it will happen but maybe not in the way I expect it and if I take my body into the equation, it opens up a space for it to happen in a very different way, one where I might actually enjoy it, not that this is radical! It shouldn’t be I know but in fact it is, so thank you for this very valuable sharing this morning.

38. ‘Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!” Bingo! In the past I too would rush through my my housework, but these days, I follow my impulses when to do clean out the cupboards or to do the hovering and it always feels perfect timing and effortless.

39. Yes, the nervous energy, drive and emotional forays all stem from pictures that we are holding of how the world is ‘supposed’ to be, and how we are supposed to be, so anything that does not live up to our pictures we can then allow to destroy us – understanding that this is a deliberate choice we are making, investing in pictures, is difficult sometimes to navigate but to truly understand is to be able to dissolve the pictures and step into living truly free.

40. Today we did some DIY at home that has been waiting for a couple of years to be sorted. Small things like hanging a mirror, so pictures and putting a small cupboard up on the wall above where it had been living on a sideboard since we moved in. It is absolutely extraordinary the amount of space that has been created by doing these few simple things. I don’t mean physical space necessarily, its more a feeling of spaciousness that comes with the harmony and flow we can now feel within our home. It’s really highlighted to me how destructive it is to live in delay, and this lesson is something I can now take with me into all areas of my life.

41. It is amazing how space opens up to take care of what ever is there to be attended to, when the push, must do, etc. are dropped. I love this combination of the magical science of allowing.

42. Isn’t it beautiful to become aware of how many images do we play ball to in so many areas of our life and the extent to which they have a grip on us?

43. the drive and push to get things done according to a schedule is how most of us have learnt to complete tasks and meet deadlines however I am learning that this drive and nervous energy is running a false harming energy, harming not only me but harming of everyone around me and the quality of everything I have done – learning to live from our true quality first takes some practice, but there is nothing to be gained by living without it.

44. Learning that there is a rhythm and flow that is on offer to us each and every day – and we can complete our day in knowing all that was needed to be done was done – not in drive, nervous tension, anxiousness or hardness, but rather in connection with ourselves and the purpose of what is needed in each moment. – this would change our relaitonship completely with work and daily repsonsibilities. . .Seems simple so we need to delve further to uncover why we go to such pains to live the other self-destructive way.

45. One of the reasons why cleaning can seem so burdensome, is because of the amount of ‘stuff’, material possessions ,we amass to excess. Many of us live in homes that feel weighty and heavy because of our consumer junkie habit of buying and stuffing cupboards full of things we don’t need or do not serve us. Paring everything down to the minimum creates a spaciousness that simplifies life and makes our homes a joy to live in and easy to maintain.

46. I loved this sharing Johanna it is a good reminder that we move in moments and if we make all our movements a dance of joy then all our moments will be made of joy.

    1. I love that Kathleen, it’s so simple and full of joy.

47. One of the reasons I delay and dislike hoovering is because the hoover I have is heavy and cumbersome. Much more self-loving is to replace it with one that is light and small. We don’t have to subject ourselves to misery when simple solutions can be found.

48. How we are within affects all that we do. ‘Going through the motions’ or seeing tasks as drudges to be completed quickly is a reflection of how we are in life. Finding a way to bring love and enjoyment to everyday activities, makes life easier for us: our homes love the care and attention we give it and we get to live in a space that is beautifully cared for.

49. This article shares something super sweet, honouring and respectful, and I reckon the world would be a very different place if we applied this approach to everything we do. Thank you.

50. It’s such a great point and awareness Johanna about something you do every week. Rather than rushing through to get things done so you could do something enjoyable, what I got from this is that you made the cleaning enjoyable. And why wouldn’t we be tender and loving in our cleaning just as we may be having a shower or doing something else?

51. Saturday use to be my big day of cleaning and I would push myself through it all so I could have Sunday as my free time day. But when Sunday came around I was exhausted from the day before so it was really not doing me any favours. I now love cleaning through my week and breaking it up into manageable little pockets of play and its a time for me to explore how I move when I clean. I also have much more space on the weekend too.

52. Thank you Johanna , cleaning is as important as listening to your body.

53. What a gorgeous blog Johanna. Thank you for sharing. Chores is a word which we often associate with something burdensome and that we have to do. I love your approach of enjoying them and seeing cleaning as spreading your loveliness around your home. I’m going to try it with my own loveliness 🙂

54. A great learning Johanna. What pressure we put on ourselves sometimes, many of these are old ways of being and ideals and beliefs we may have had for lifetimes!

55. This is a great lesson in moving to an impulse and not from our minds. It’s the difference between control and connection.

56. I’m becoming more aware of when I go into a rigidity or hardness in the way I’m doing things and to remember to make it about the quality of connection that I bring to a task first and foremost and the quality that is therefore also left behind!

57. Reading this is a great reminder that the temptation to checkout and separate from ourselves presents in a million forms, and unless we become super honest, whenever we stop one way, another is introduced that we readily follow. Thanks to the simple tools presented by Universal Medicine life becomes a steady unfolding of awareness and the mastery of staying connected and unaffected by the pressures and spin of a world that wants you to be anything but that.

58. This is something I am still learning how to do, but it makes a world of difference to live from that simple connection and impulse rather than the drive and nervous energy/ stress to force the body to get through the day. I have learned the hard way that this is deeply harming on the body and something we do not really get away with. Far better to lose the investment and live in the presence and true quality of each moment, and needs to be done will be done.

    1. Yes, because the quality of the last moment informs the next: drive and tension begets more drive and tension; tenderness and respect inspires more tenderness and respect.

59. In the quotes at the top of this blog, there is this burdensome quality to them – a quality I know very well because I have lived with these thoughts for so long, and so I know that they do not serve us as people, they do not support us, they in fact only serve to pull us down and to deny the actual love that we have for ourselves and the space we live in.

60. This is lovely Johanna. I too can get fixated with doing things in a certain way and being quite rigid with myself. I am finding that mixing things up a bit and letting go of my tight grip on the reigns is much more fun and things start to flow in a different way. Finishing things in one go is no longer a drive I have.

61. What a beautiful blog to re-vist Johanna –there is a lovely feeling of everything flowing so effortlessly and harmoniously when in alignment with your body as you describe. Developing that deeper level of trust with yourself is so awesome!
    “I have felt a deeper level of appreciation in my ability to Trust… trust my body, trust my feelings, trust myself and the rest (including cleaning my house!), will fall into place”.

62. Indeed we are allowed to enjoy everything that we do, and there is no rule or anything like that that says that we are not allowed to enjoy working, so we have to admit that this thought is something of our own making. If this is so them we can also choose to bring enjoyment in work, and playfully see where it will bring us.

63. ‘Enjoy it’ these are words we rarely think about when we have things that must be done, and yet, these exact words were in my head recently as I went down to the operating theatre for a surgical procedure. Those two words enabled me to reconnect within and feel my body, relax and surrender to what was about to happen. It made a huge difference to my anxiousness and the operation went smoothly.

64. Very true Liane, it’s our moment to moment movements that determine whether we choose to evolve or not, and every moment has an offering.

65. I love the feeling of doing housework after work, it’s the feeling of taking that commitment from your day at work, into your home life and into what truly supports you to go forward into the next day. The rhythm of life is amazing.

66. In a nutshell we have a choice in how we clean (or do anything) we can clean from our head or we can clean from our heart.

67. I’m sure we have all fallen victim to succumbing to ticking boxes in a task orientated fashion and yet in doing so we deny ourselves the opportunity to truly connect and enjoy what we are doing when we do it…. so I just love the concept and how supportive it is to no longer do chores, but embrace instead little moments to spread your loveliness around the home.

68. Being very organised and competent myself, I am good at getting things done. So, doing ‘what is needed’ – but according to what? Is the question I am increasingly becoming aware of lately. Am I connected to the deepest truth I feel inside me, or is it already a pre-conceived image? Being good at ‘doing things’ I feel I have often deceived myself that I am enjoying them.

69. Johanna, I love how the time appears when we surrender to our bodies rhythm.

70. This is inspiring, it is just a choice to make the chore into a joufull celebration of our love. Thank you.

71. I loved what you discovered about doing the cleaning on Friday so you could have the weekend free. I can relate to that and for me it comes with the mentality of going hard to get something done so I can reward myself with time off. This is how most of us work, running around in stress and busyness at work, justifying working in this way, as we can rest when we get home. But this turns home into recuperation/recovery time rather than time to enjoy and connect with family/friends.

72. I remember when I started to find exactly the same thing, that even though I was doing things gently (which does feel amazing) if I wasn’t doing them in their natural timing they didn’t feel right and my body ended up not feeling. Then I have to override my body just to get the job done and tick it off my list. Over and over I find that what seems like the perfect time in my head is not the perfect time for my body. When I trust that, I always find the perfect time does appear when I least expect it.

73. Thank you Johanna. This blog came to visit me today and I knew that there was a direct message for me in here. I find that doing chores makes me feel like a ‘good’ person. Ticking everything off the list regardless of the energy I have used to ‘make it happen’ how lovely to be reminded that we can choose to enjoy ourselves while we clean and appreciate the fact that we are just as lovely whether we ‘get the job done’ or not.

74. I could really feel how the rigidity I hold myself in around tasks means that the activity or chore is not nurturing for me at all, yet as you show in your blog it actually can be. We just need to listen to ourselves, be open to how and when we feel to do things, and allow the full expression of our love to be present in all that we do. Thankyou Johanna.

75. Yes we may be fulfilling our objectives but where is the joy? And how are we as we do whatever we do? I am forever clocking that my movements could be done with more care and a deeper level of love and when I allow myself to drop to that deeper level the joy is there.

76. Yesterday was one such day for me Johanna, I didn’t have an agenda at all but just went from one task to another, some were not even on my radar to do, like tidying the garden shed or cleaning out the gully trap but as things presented I responded. The one connection I was very aware of throughout was how easily my body was responding, and the joy of simply moving with a flow that was felt and very honouring.

77. Great to re-read your blog Johanna. i used to be so task oriented – believing I needed to get things done – and bashing myself if I didn’t complete my to-do list. ” I have felt a deeper level of appreciation in my ability to Trust… trust my body, trust my feelings, trust myself and the rest (including cleaning my house!), will fall into place.” beautiful. Learning to feel into what my body is telling me – and honouring it, so that enables things to get done at a gentler and more enjoyable pace.

78. It is easy to get on a roll when doing the chores as it feels so great to have everything clean and clear, but if it is at the expense of my body that is not enjoyable. My body always lets me know, and listening is the key.

79. Awesome Johanna! This is so great. I’ve read many examples of people experimenting with this approach and it inspires me everytime. So what stops me from choosing it for myself I wonder?
    I’m so chore driven and I often don’t enjoy what I’m doing, but that little sentence that came to you makes complete and utter sense. If you know you have to do it, why not make it fun! Something for me to ponder on today and every day!!

80. This is a particularly appropriate blog for me to read today. I love how you show Johanna that we live in a way that we think is full or order, but is actually chaos. For we listen to lists and rules, and arbitrary harsh ideals of what we think we must achieve. When in reality there is actually a complete design, a perfect arrangement of things that align. All we need to do is simply listen to our own internal guide instead of petulantly hitting over-ride.

81. Good call – how many of us have felt these things, had those beliefs and images and how many of us felt actually pressured by it?? Well, I guess more then we actually would like to see.. We can also state that many people experience that these pressures are ij more then this cleaning area in life , but maybe more of even all. I have had a lot of ideals,images and beliefs about daily things in life and still I have – finding out that those are actually not true, every single day.. But I had not come to feeling the constant real difference between feelings and ideals,beliefs and images without Serge Benhayon. I would have sensed some feelings I had but they felt most of the time mixed up with those pressures I had towards myself (images,ideals, beliefs etc.etc.). It was simple: since I felt the connection to my body my breath and my heart (feeling a warmth in my chest area) I began to feel all those falls illustrations I had about life and me in it.. This was the moment were I started to expose all the lies that I was living. A beautiful thing. As I begun to feel free,myself and real, and still.. And I know many are doing too since they met Serge Benhayon (through Universal Medicine). So my absolute thanks to Everything that Serge brings to earth.

82. Johanna lovely to read how much more flexible you are now with your chores and not doing them in one go at the expense of your body, but listening to how your body feels and what your body feels capable of doing, when we override our body it isn’t long before we realise that we pushed too hard.

83. When we slow down and spread our chores out, or ask for help from the rest of the family our body is not overloaded on one particular day, and I have found that by asking the rest of the family there is more appreciation and a willingness by everyone to keep the house tidy through the the week.

84. I love reading this blog again. I recently realised I go into a push and drive when I am cleaning so reading this is so supportive for me, “Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!” When I finish cleaning I notice I wasn’t feeling myself, I get grumpy easily and feel tired. So, what I have been learning to do is to check how my body feels, does it feel hard while I am moving around cleaning, what are my thoughts and am I really enjoying and appreciating what I am doing? These simple check in points really supports me to not feel tired or feel disconnected after cleaning. I didn’t realise the energy I chose to clean in was harming my body as well as affecting the energy of my house. It is awesome to be aware of this and allow myself to choose a more loving and gentle way to clean, like you’ve shared, ‘I was able to spread my loveliness around our home’. Amazing and to appreciate what we bring when we clean from a loving energy.

85. I love the practical example of how you can bring trust into your life. It is well worth building that relationship as I am sure it changes how exhausted we feel as we learn not to push against our bodies natural resources

86. A beautiful example of choosing to be with you in whatever you are doing so that it does not matter if you are cleaning the house, brushing your teeth, preparing a meal or going for a walk – even doing the ironing!

87. Thank you Johanna. I have noticed the same pattern of drive present when I go to the gym to exercise. If I push myself to complete a pre set workout program my body winds up feeling very sore and shut down. When I honour what my body truly needs it feels light and expansive.

88. I like this. It’s a great analogy for the whole of life and will bring joy to the most mundane of tasks.

89. Thank you Johanna for showing us that we don’t need to put that level of pressure on ourselves in any area of our lives. To take the time to listen to our bodies and respect the answer is to get the job done without forcing the issue and causing harm and fatigue. Your experience of feeling into your body and doing just what feels right in that moment joyfully, results in that lovely energy within ourselves and our home that we can all feel.

90. The house we live in can at times turn in to a real mess. It seems that no mater how much I tidy and clean there is a gang of children and dogs coming up behind me spreading mess everywhere. At times I can get very frustrated about it because I do not understand why they do it when it will just be them who has to clear it up. But the best part is that I am learning how to bring cleaning in to life so that it is a part of the everyday, not something that defines my worth as a good parent or woman, I just clean as I go. I feels great and has become a marker for my level of awareness, because when the house gets messy again, I know that I am not choosing to be aware of it and so I need to stop and address what is going on.

    1. Awesome Shami. The state of our home is always an indicator of the way that energy is playing out for us. Making cleaning a part of our everyday is a beautiful commitment that allows us to address things before they get out of hand.

91. This is beautiful Johanna, what you share is to me that we can trust on our bodies as it knows exactly how to do things in a rhythm that respects the body and will not allow for any abuse. This is so lovely to read and brings relaxation to my whole body as I have that tendency too to stick to some pre planned activities while at that particular moment it may feel absolutely not appropriate to do for my body.

92. “Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!” A great reminder Johanna to honour ourselves no matter what we are doing and not too rush anything we do or we miss the opportunity altogether.

93. The level of care and attention in every detail is so worthwhile – it makes a massive difference how we approach things, something I am learning in many aspects of life

94. What a great way to reimprint cleaning – I know I tend to be very outcome based with this – rather than gentle and allowing things to unfold without time pressures as my focus. It’s really important that I focus on how I clean, not what I clean, and how worth that fresh open support I am!

95. Our circumstances are always changing so its important to constantly feel what feels right and make changes in accordance to the impulse of the body

96. Johanna I did not realize until I have read your blog on cleaning how I too have changed the way I clean my home. I have taken out the drive and I should do it a certain way in a certain time frame. My style is more how I feel to clean, what and when in respect to me. Everything does feel better, especially myself.

97. “I could see and feel the care and tenderness I had left behind in each room from my loving touch.” This shows so beautifully how the care we bring to ourselves will be then with everything we do and thus leaves it’s trail of care wherever we go.

98. So awesome to read your blog again Johanna. I have always struggled to keep my house clean consistently, I tend to have spurts of cleaning and tidying up, and then I stop because I was making it a chore instead of enjoying it. I realise when I clean I still go into drive and even resentment which stems from my childhood. Realising this has helped me immensely to shift the way I move and to be aware of my thoughts and check in with how my body feels while cleaning. So thank you for reminding me to be loving, gentle and feel the joy in cleaning instead of overwhelm. The key is to stay connected to myself with everything that I do, to not compartmentalize one thing as being more important than another but make every movement an expression of joy.

99. Thank you Johanna, for a very timely blog, I am intending to do some cleaning today, although I am not as driven as I once was, I still loose myself in the task, so today I will be much more aware to feel me and the gentleness I bring to every movement and enjoy being me.

100. Johanna, I must admit to going about the house cleaning in a pretty routine ‘it has to be done’ kind of way but you blog has given me a different outlook on how I could be going about this task in a much gentler way. It’s very easy to see these types of mundane tasks as things to be ‘gotten out of the way’ rather than as opportunities to build an appreciation of ourselves and our environment. I know there are many factors that create the home environment, but I can feel the difference in my own home that cleaning can have so thank you for a reminder to make this task one of an expression of love.

101. Since reading this blog, my approach to cleaning the house has changed. These days I just follow my impulse. I see something needs cleaning and instead of heaving a deep sigh at the thought of it as yet another chore that will now weigh down on me, I just get on and do it then and there. This way things don’t build up into a gargantuan spring clean deal and the house just shows me where, what and when next. It’s been great to break the consciousness of believing cleaning the house has to be an all-encompassing thing, with every room, every surface, nook and cranny requiring attention in the same hit. Following my impulse means I can truly enjoy the process of bringing something back to its sparkly original whilst not dishonouring my body by expecting it to go through a full house-cleaning workout.

     1. What a great way to approach cleaning. I have started to do the same and found it works so well. As soon as I see or feel something needs attention and I do it without hesitation and things gets done in no time.

     2. “It’s been great to break the consciousness of believing cleaning the house has to be an all-encompassing thing, with every room, every surface, nook and cranny requiring attention in the same hit.” Yes, this is a massive breakthrough. I too used to think housecleaning had to be done in one go to the littlest detail and even though I had always liked cleaning I so often ended up feeling overwhelmed as I had this picture in my head how I had to go about it. And this applies to so many thing in life, we have a picture we want to fulfil instead of living by the natural rhythms and flow of our bodies.

102. Its true …! I actually enjoy cleaning at home now, what was once a chore that would be put of as often as possible , is now something that I know helps me reconnect to my inner self … what a turnaround.

103. Annelies when I read your comment here I felt a deep appreciation for you and the impact that such love and attention to your space has, not only on you as you live in it, but it leaves an imprint for me and everyone to feel and mark. Thank you.

104. ‘Time to ignite a culture that first honours the being and the wisdom of the body before and while learning the practicalities of life.’ When I read these words Alex I could feel my body release; as if it was welcomed home!

     1. And the harvest benefits All when life is lived understanding that we are of the All and returning to our true place with the All, not playing separate to it!

105. Wise words Leonne Sharkey. When we are aware that every movement is a chosen quality, no activity can be enjoyed or not enjoyed for it’s own sake. It is a choice! This is incredibly empowering.

106. How exquisite Johanna to spread our loveliness around our homes as we clean for everyone to feel as they enter.

107. Great blog Johanna – how often we fall into sorting our lives into compartments when in truth we bring our fullness to all we are and live. Time to make the choice to make it simple and claim the steadiness and holding we are all able to bring and make this our commitment to life.

108. ‘I began to question the way of thinking that I had adopted and the beliefs I had around chores and cleaning my house… who would have thought that we could have so many ideals and beliefs about cleaning?’ Johanna I love the way you have spread out your chores to a more manageable time frame rather than trying to do them all on one day.

109. I could sense the integrity and care you applied in cleaning your house Johanna, it didn’t sound like a chore and I would imagine it was a beautiful space you created for yourself

110. There is a lot our bodies can show us if we take our minds out of the driving seat. To take our time and be present in what we are doing is a very natural way for the body to be, and it is only the mind that blocks this. What we have here – in knowing this, is an opportunity to live in a different way, and this example of cleaning the house is a great one – to not see it as a task to do, but rather as a movement of our bodies.

111. ‘My house cleaning chores no longer felt like chores but lovely little moments where I was able to spread my loveliness around our home.’ Thank you Johanna this is such a beautiful reminder to appreciate myself in all I do and let go of the energy of needing to get something done.

112. Thank you Johanna, I really loved reading your blog to day as I am considering doing some cleaning, I am inspired by your words, to enjoy and trust my body as I go about my cleaning “Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!” I have felt a deeper level of appreciation in my ability to Trust… trust my body, trust my feelings, trust myself and the rest (including cleaning my house!), will fall into place.”

113. When we focus on ticking a box or completion to get an ‘end result’ it is a great indication that we are missing the simple pleasure of enjoying us in what we do. There is nothing it seems we cannot apply this insight to. Thank you Johanna.

     1. Yes Joseph great reminder to enjoy the simple pleasure of being with ourselves whatever we are doing.

114. This is an absolute perfect blog for me to read this morning, I can relate to so much of what you say. Today is my usual clean the flat day and I can feel the ‘need’ to get it done and dusted out of the way, yet your blog has reminded me of the importance of actually enjoying it, being with me and appreciating the task. Thank you Johanna I will approach this a whole lot differently now.

115. “Slow down, you have to do it so you might as well enjoy it!” I love this Johanna. How many tedious jobs have I rushed to get through in order to do something else! So completely checking out from the present….. Choosing to stay with myself regardless of whatever I need to do now has added impetus from re-reading your blog. Thankyou.

116. Thank you Johanna, for a great blog, I just realise now how the word chore feels to me, it feels like something I have to get done, something to cross off my list. Like you, I have started to clean here and there as the moment presents itself, instead of working through a major clean, leaving me tired and exhausted. I love these words ” I have felt a deeper level of appreciation in my ability to Trust… trust my body, trust my feelings, trust myself and the rest (including cleaning my house!), will fall into place.”

117. Great blog Johanna, what an awesome way to clean, work and do our chores, with awareness, love and care. I too often clean or garden with a mission to get it done and forget to check in with my body how it feels and how hard I was using my body. Your blog is a great reminder for me to be gentle and loving in every way I move.

118. I love the simplicity and wisdom shared in this blog Johanna, when we bring joy to anything we do the quality of our movements are beautiful and makes any chore more enjoyable.

119. Yes SImonwilliams8, ditto. I’m not there yet with enjoying the process. I have a preset idea in my head that cleaning is a chore and so therefore not something to be enjoyed. I might experiment with that today.

120. Christmas is coming and I am on holiday. There are many cleaning chores I have left till now because of having such a busy work schedule. Doing the whole house feels too big and so I have not made a start. Reading your blog this morning Johanna has encouraged me to focus on doing one small task at a time. Of course I don’t have to do it all in one go. Why do I put myself under such pressure? Inspired by your blog, this is an old habit and one I can focus on replacing.

     1. I am the same Debra. I have a massive task ahead to clean. What I am realising is that this is reflecting to me how I put this off due to my lack of self-worth and not prioritising to focus on this area of my life. It also reflects to me the disregard I have for myself and my space, so by healing and working on my lack of self-worth, I know I will then make time to create an environment that reflects who I am and where I am at. This blog is a great reminder to take it a step at a time and not get overwhelmed but do it lovingly and gently.

121. Moving house and cleaning – big lesson this week and how the body does not like to be pushed into that stress of getting everything done all in one go and at the same time, leaving things in boxes and ‘putting it off for later’ is equally unsupportive! What this last week has shown me is that it is far more supportive to accept that we can’t do everything all in one go, order takes time and is a constant cycle and flow. Living life and in a home as ‘clean’ or ‘dirty feels very jerky and rigid and stressful as we go from one state to the other. The body knows this flow and is accepting of it and when I choose to let go of that push to get everything done I can join in on the acceptance which feels so much lighter than the tension of getting it all done to achieve the picture of ‘clean and tidy’.

122. ‘It does take a deep trust in yourself to know that what needs to get done will get done’. These too are words of wisdom that I couldn’t agree more with. It’s the foundation to all we do including our house work.

     1. Agree Kimweston2, I think I may have been thinking about housework when I was writing that ;). Among other things…

123. I had an extremely busy week last week, I could feel how if I didn’t observe myself I would go into stress mode to try and achieve goals that I had set up for myself, about my house work and keeping it in a state that I felt supportive. Instead I stayed aware of my usual tendencies, stayed with my body remembering that my movement was the only way to prevent the stress mode from entering. I kept a close on myself, if I noticed a goal being set I’d check whether it was realistic or necessary. I manage to get through the week with no stress mode, set a new maker for how I function in terms of my week and break my own illusion that I need to do all these thing as fast as I can just to get them done.

     1. Brilliant kimweston2, this is the key to reducing stress from what you’ve shared. By bringing awareness to how we move and our thoughts, helps us connect to our body. When we are connected to our body and by feeling our every move, being consciously present, the quality of what we do is incredible. Stress cannot enter when we are connected to our body and by gently and lovingly carrying out our tasks.

     2. Gorgeous kimwesteon2. I love those times when I connect to my body as my guide and especially if I can feel a tendency to become anxious or stressed. I don’t always stay with my body however I am so much more aware of the tool that it is to support me.

124. “Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!” – I love it. I have experienced trying to get things done as quickly as possible especially when I don’t really like what I am supposed to do, and it actually adds even more stress and I am likely to overlook some details and have to revisit it again later.

     1. I love this part you highlighted Fumiyo. I agree, I notice I make a lot more mistakes when I am under stress and trying to do things fast but the quality is not present. It feels awful to function this way and we seem to leave quality and integrity behind when we are driven to just get the job done love-lessly.

125. Such a simple expression… starting to enjoy something that has always been a chore or a drudge, and yet so much is revealed in this and this alone can be an inspiration for so many people.

126. I was recently given some great advice, which was to do one thing at a time, and this made me realise how often I was rushing one thing to get on to the next, when I did concentrate on doing one thing, it created space for the next.

127. Love this! I’m inspired to experiment with what I normally hold out as a gargantuan task to do the whole house in one morning and instead break it into tender moments where I can ‘spread my loveliness around’ rather than putting my body into an ‘outcome-based drivenness’. I notice that I tend to follow my impulse anyway, cleaning certain areas of the house when I feel it’s needed. When I do it this way, it’s always a gentler experience, one where I feel I’ve really nurtured the space and where my body feels just as energised when I’ve finished as when I started. So maybe my body’s trying to tell me something…

     1. So true Cathy and where does the belief come from that we need to have it all done at one time? Just so we can take a big sigh and say ‘That’s done for another week!’

128. I get too eager sometimes to get other people to understand how amazing it is to ‘develop a quality in being in what we are doing’. I realise that when this happens my own quality of being drops and that focusing on whatever I do and however I choose to do it will naturally effect others.

     1. Great point and as Alex follows up ” real learning only happens through reflection” is true wisdom. When our reflection simply comes from our loving dedication and commitment to ourselves, then everyone benefits.

129. Johanna, what you have shared is making me ponder on my Friday nights routine and where they are coming from. I tend to have list to do on Friday night so I am “free” in the weekend. I am going to do this differently this week and totally be with me , feeling my body as I go. I love the way opportunities opened up for you during the day to allow you to complete what was needed- magical moments!

130. Johanna you make some great points, when we don’t enjoy something we are doing, we are cleaning in resentment or frustration and we leave that imprint all round the house. I have found when I break the chores down they fall into my natural rhythm and it’s no big deal, and by doing small bits throughout the week, I’m not left with the whole thing to do on any one day. It feels so much more self loving, for me and the house.

131. It would and is something I’ve yet to master. I’m glad I’m aware of it.

     I guess it comes close to the saying “make lemons into lemonade”. However I’ve become one to eat the lemon whole and enjoy it 😉

132. What a gorgeous blog Johanna. I feel inspired to do a spot of cleaning now!

133. Trying to get everything done in the set time we have placed onto it sometimes can feel like a huge pressure. That ‘I have to get everything done right now!’ mentality feels horrible. But coming back to the body I am learning that it knows how to prioritise and I find that when I focus on my body and the quality of what I am doing there are less mistakes or delays, I feel sharper and more focused and tasks get done quicker which opens up the space for other tasks to be completed. Whereas trying to multitask and cram all my chores into a tight gap just doesn’t work. I loved how you took to your dusting by focusing on enjoying it Johanna, something I am going to play with today at work! Thank you.

     1. I like your comment Leigh reading it I could feel how we fill the space with stress and function and leave no room for flow, trust and enjoyment.

        1. Exactly Kim and when our space is full of stress it’s like nothing gets done, even if we push ourselves into overdrive. Yes we can get a lot done but in those instances I have always felt like nothing has been done and the to-do list is even bigger than before!

        2. That is my experience to Leigh, once we allow that energy in it finds many things that ‘need’ doing and pushes us in to overdrive.

134. I really enjoyed reading this blog as it was a reminder for me to feel from my body what needs to be done in any moment. This has been a difficult concept for me as in the past I was always thinking about what I needed to do, with total disregard for my body. Just trusting in myself that I will feel when the right moment is to do things has been a big step. Once we connect to our bodies and trust in what we feel can we then let go of our beliefs and expectations around tasks that need to be done.

135. I had a day off today and I mowed the lawn and did my washing in the tender and caring way you have described Johanna, it feels awesome

136. “Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!” I have to admit over the last few years I have increasingly resented cleaning my home. It just seemed to be an endless and thankless activity that as soon as it was done, needed doing again. Of course with this mindset there was the inevitable barrier of procrastination that was thwarting me from even starting the process with the quality it deserved – the old I’ll do it tomorrow game plan. But when that tomorrow came and I did start cleaning, I would rush the whole process with a speedy gonzales tick box mentality just to try and get it over with. I am well aware my actual ticks could have been done with alittle bit more attention to quality and the boxes definitely could of done with an extra dose of love and care. A beautiful blog Johanna that has inspired me to polish up how I clean. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

137. By applying so much pressure upon ourselves into getting jobs done in the pursuit of trying to find time to do other things or simply rest and be still. I remember well getting a little heavy with the seriousness of spreading myself so thinly into getting everything done to only find more jobs presented themselves and get in the way of completing said first job. Putting so much pressure upon myself. It is truly a time to celebrate when chores seem no longer like a chore but a gentle flow to a part of our day and as you share Johanna to trust and honour what our bodies tell us so clearly – appreciation soon follows.

138. ““Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!”” I love this Johanna. As someone who has a tendency to do things quickly, slowing down to appreciate all I am doing in the moment has become very important for me. I still have a tendency to get chores done so I can get onto ‘more important’ things. What an illusion – as everything we do – and the quality in which we do – is important.

139. I have found that when I don’t push through or hurry, space definitely opens up to complete all that is necessary – and it feels lovely. Great sharing, Johanna.

140. And what an amazing lesson to learn 🙂 it’s very empowering to know that every choice we make affects not just one person but everyone.

141. Andrew – for me too – the word ‘chore’ immediately brings up a feeling of resistance in me, and it becomes something I HAVE to do, rather than something I’d LOVE to do. And keeping your house clean and tidy is really a lovely thing to do.

142. Wow this was gorgeous to read and so beautiful to feel. Our way of being in the world is something we get to choose every moment of the day, and yes its not about what we do but how we do it, then nothing needs to be drag or a burden anymore but a pleasure, a pleasure to be who we are.

143. ‘trust my body, trust my feelings, trust myself and the rest (including cleaning my house!), will fall into place.’ – so true Johanna. I can relate to the drive that comes with thinking the when you get this done or that done then I will be able to relax and be me. It really does not feel great. When in fact, as you have beautifully shared, we can be with ourselves with all that we do and enjoy spreading our loveliness around.

144. It’s a huge shift in thinking, from considering cleaning the house a chore, to seeing it as part of looking after yourself.

     1. Yeah…! Opportunity is a great way to put it, everything we do is an opportunity, even things that could be considered dull like getting ready.

145. Yeah – when I read your comment I could feel how often I think one person won’t make a difference, or will this really have an impact, how crazy when one person can inspire many.

146. It feels really lovely Johanna in the way you integrated your chores into your routine throughout the weekend. I can feel how they became a part of everyday life and something to enjoy rather than rushing to get things done in order to then get on with the things we’d ‘prefer’ to be doing.

     1. It feels like there is an important shift between thinking of chores, as something additional we have to do, and considering them a Joyfull part of every day life.

        1. I agree Meg – it’s a very important and almost imperceptible shift in the way we go about the “doing” as it’s about how we are in the doing that makes it so profound.

147. Thank you for sharing, our routines can have such a restricting effect sometimes on how we are with ourself and with the task at hand. Leaving the space for change and let everything fall into place at the right time, makes every chore a joyful happening.

148. “My house cleaning chores no longer felt like chores but lovely little moments when I was able to spread my loveliness around our home”. It is so easy to get caught up in having to get things done and disregarding ourselves in the process. Thank-you Johanna for sharing the difference there is when we choose to do our housework from self honouring what we feel and not from what we think we ‘should’ do.

     1. Deidre it is great to read that you share your house chores as “lovely little moments”. Johanna has shared a great point that it doesn’t all need to be done at once. This has made a huge difference in how I clean my home. Actioning the small amounts of clean all adds up to less cleaning at the end of the week.

149. It is the opposite of what we have been shown and taught to do as chidden, for example, at schools in the UK there is a real drive to get kids to attend 100% of the time, and a lot of pressure on the kids to meet this expectation. I can’t understand as why would you want someone who is sick to come into school? I can understand asking for them to be on time as it is disruptive to come in late to the whole. The message is very clear, do not listen to your body, go into denial, bury, do not feel. So when we grow up we have very little relationship to ourselves other than what we are told we should be doing.

     1. Very true Vanessa we all got the wrong message while growing up with devastating consequences.

150. Johanna I’ve been feeling recently times when I am “torn” between wanting to get something done because then its complete and I am onto the next thing and allowing things to be done in the time and at the time that is actually needed and truly supportive. Whilst thats not directly about cleaning I’m finding a very similar situation to your example and how this affects every aspect of life. I can see that when I am invested in getting something completed that I put undue strain on myself and my sleep or quality in being suffers – the choice is therefore one that is becoming clearer and clearer to make. Bringing this honouring and trust into each are of life will certainly change the picture quite dramatically.

151. What a difference it makes to do things in a self honouring manner. “My house cleaning chores no longer felt like a chore but lovely little moments where I was able to spread my loveliness around our house.” What a beautiful energy you will be spreading around the house.

152. I just so loved this blog Johanna, thank you for inspiring me to clean my house in a self honouring way leaving it lovingly imprinted.

153. I also used to feel a certain ‘grimness’ about cleaning, in that it have to be done, so just put your head down and do it… Now cleaning for me serves many purposes… And not just getting the place nice. When I have a sense of purpose, cleaning actually helps me to realign myself, it brings me into focus, it is the means, not the end. What a transformation.

154. I agree Lee, connecting deeply with the love we are to ensure the clean is deep and true, brings the truth to light that cleaning is not just cleaning the dirt off the surface but all that has energetically lied beneath.

155. Beautiful Thomas, living with trust in our lives is living with more space and time.

156. Johanna this is something I’ve been playing with for quite some time. I clean house’s as a profession and have come to an amazing space and stillness while cleaning other peoples house’s, but, it’s not the same in mine. This has brought up the question for me of why? Something that came from this is that I give more to others than I do myself. I find it difficult to stay with my stillness while cleaning my home, why? What am I allowing to throw me off? Why do I feel that I’m not deserving of my gentle present touch? As you can read it has brought up a lot for me to work with. I now stay more present and with my stillness while cleaning my home, give myself what I was only giving to others. I try to listen to my body and have trust that time and space will arise, which it does. This is a constant work in progress. Now I feel I’m worth every bit of my amazingness, I’m working at clearing what’s in the way from me giving it.

157. In reading this blog I got a sense that I still have too much clutter in my home – just like I can have more than I need in my body or my head. I had been clearing things every day for a while but the last week, having people staying, I had let go of this part of my daily round and I am now seeing how vital it is for me to stay with it for the time being – it not only allows me more space and freedom but it keeps me feeling lighter and choosing lighter foods even!

158. Awesome. ‘feels nice to be in a clean and organised space.’!! That it does, it feels so lovely. Your cleaning routine is a tad inspiring Johanna. Taking the time and care to clean your space each week is really lovely. I think I have to get less caught up in life and take time to take care of mine after reading this !

159. Johanna I love how you have turned your chores into moments where you have spread your loveliness throughout your home. Now that is something for you, and everyone who is in your home, to enjoy.

160. Johanna this is enjoyable to read, cleaning the home with enjoyment (!) When it becomes a task then it removes the joy, when it becomes an honouring of oneself and feeling this as the activity takes place, it feel completely awesome, fresh, clean and fragrantly zesty. In the zesty fragrant honouring of our home, we so too honour ourselves with fragrant zest.

161. Wow Johanna, I can relate. It is like this thinking is “if I can just get this out of the way… then I can get on with X”. But in this way what ‘gets out of the way’ is life! Beautiful how you saw past rigidity and rules to honour what feels right.

     1. Spot on Joseph, you have described exactly what process I can get stuck in. By striving to get the ever existing X out of the way it takes me out of the way also.

162. This is great Johanna, I can relate to getting stuck in the ‘have-to-do-this’ mode and putting this huge pressure on myself to get a certain amount of work done in a certain amount of time – and all supposedly to look after myself. In that I forget to check in with my body and also forget to enjoy whatever it is I am doing, and it turns out that I am not looking after myself at all! Thanks for this awesome reminder 🙂

163. “Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!” – I love this sentence, I will take this into my workplace and apply it to what needs doing. And also “What if I used the lovely gift of ‘self talk’, appreciating myself as I clean with how I am cleaning, and how lovely I am re-arranging the things on the tabletops?” – I realise the self-talk I use at times is berating and focusing on the pain I am feeling in my body but knowing I have to get the job done and so pushing through. I am inspired by your blog to be more appreciative with my self-talk, thank you Johanna.

164. Such a supportive blog Johanna to trust and let go of ideals and beliefs. Thank you.

165. Cleaning is not usually on my list of fun things to do! So I have been doing it with a ‘get it done’ attitude. When I have taken the time to focus on the way that I clean i actually enjoy it.

     1. That’s a great recipe for all those out there that find it somewhat a struggle getting on with the cleaning business. I love feeling how the room feels, how the furniture and everything else feels together and then it’s more fun and inspiring to make it all a constellation I feel they, and I deserve. And just feeling how the floor feels after I’ve hoovered it not to mention the windows after having my delicate touch.

166. Such a beautiful revelation Johanna. Thank you for sharing it.

167. You’ve definitely found a healthy rhythm here, listening when things are ready to be done. Cannot help imagining all those things that needs to be reorganised, perhaps put away, be cleaned, they might have a life of their own and doesn’t want to be disturbed sometimes. You know like in the movies where things come alive when we don’t watch.

     1. Very true. It is possible to incorporate chores into a rhythm so that it is no longer a chore but a task that is performed with the entirety of one’s being.

168. That sounds like a beautiful way to clean a house.. by feeling how tender you are and putting in the effort to actually enjoy it. It would definitely be harder to enjoy cleaning if you were pushing yourself through it when you are tired on that Friday evening.

169. I too have been doing the chores around the house whilst adding the ingredients of love and tenderness, thus the work no longer feels like a chore and doesn’t take as long to get done because I am no longer dragging my feet but enjoying those loving moments. Thank you Johanna great blog.

170. Wow, this is a perfect blog for me to feel in to and ponder on. I too clean like you used to. I will now work on a more supportive rhythm during cleaning. Thank you.

171. Johanna I love what you have shared here, using your chores as an opportunity to deeply connect with you. Yes, you are right, the chores have to get done, so why not enjoy them. We could stay in a drudge of ‘having to get on with it’ or choose to use this as an opportunity to be with your body. This takes the ‘bore’ our of our ‘chores’.

172. Your expression here Johanna is a timely reminder to listen deeply to our bodies rather than respond to the ideals and beliefs we have absorb.
     “I have felt a deeper level of appreciation in my ability to Trust… trust my body, trust my feelings, trust myself and the rest (including cleaning my house!), will fall into place”
     I really enjoyed reading your inspirational blog, thank you.

173. I enjoyed reading your blog Johanna Fredericks. The question comes up to me why our chores should be a nuisance because when we do them with the attention you describe so beautiful they are supportive and nurturing to us and are actually an act of self love.
     Could it be that we do not appreciate what the chores in life actually presenting to us, that they invite us to accept life in full and to appreciate ourselves in everything that we do, to love ourselves of who we truly are?

174. Beautiful Johanna! So lovely to read you! Your notes were very inspiring. After reading your article, I looked around the house and decided that it was a good time to make some mopping and cleaning happening!

175. Thank you Johanna – what a joy to read how you cleaned your house with such presence and tenderness.

176. Amazing Johanna, I am totally inspired to clean my house in this way, I am even excited, to clean, Wow! Thank you.

177. It sure is beautiful Johanna to put trust in what our body is telling us and honouring that and the space that is necessary to do what is required then always presents itself. I loved returning to read this, especially this line that shone out to me as a true way to be in all we do. ‘My house cleaning chores no longer felt like chores but lovely little moments where I was able to spread my loveliness around our home.’

178. i enjoyed rereading this blog as it is so easy to fall back into the ‘getting things out of the way” modus. But we cannot get life out of the way, there are always things to be done and the to do list will never be empty. I feel in wanting to get things out of the way im never fully present in the moment and with myself as part of my attention isin the next moment, or with the to do list. I am realising this more and more and am learning to not get anything out of the way but to simply be fully present with myself and the task at hand.

     1. Great point Carolienbraakenburg, I can relate to a lack of presence when trying to get things done quickly as I’m already thinking about what is next or what I’d rather be doing! A great reminder to stay with myself, no matter what it is I am doing.

     2. What I also realised is that the trick about the ‘getting things out of the way’ is that I was waiting for this moment where there would be nothing more to be done. It exposes the energy in which I was approaching life, as a task as something unpleasant that once out of the way would leave room for pleasant things. Another exposure of not being with me when doing this as if i am with me in full every single task, how pleasant it is.

179. I can really relate to this, Johanna. I did have a set cleaning routine (like you did) and persisted to keep it. But, as you wrote, once I realize that how “cemented” I was in that routine, I stopped persisting and let changes come in and ever since, it just flows (as in this article). And it is so much better! It helped me to look at other things (or areas) in my life that if I have been “cemented” in. Thank you Johanna for writing this.

180. Thanks Johanna for a simple and reflective blog. I enjoy cleaning my house more than every now as I have realised that what needs to be cleaned is completed at the right moment and is not a chore.

181. I love this approach Johanna, it feels loving, honouring and I could feel a real joy in the way you expressed. I feel quite inspired to take more time to be with me as I clean, as when I do I find I really enjoy it. I like how you expressed that you cleaned with tenderness, what a gorgeous imprint this would have left in your home and what a way to really love yourself back!

182. Johanna I can feel the loveliness of your home when you clean it with tenderness and care.
     ‘My house cleaning chores no longer felt like chores but lovely little moments where I was able to spread my loveliness around our home.’
     The rules seem to fade away when the quality of love is felt in every movement. ✨

183. If I don’t get caught up in ideas of having to do something and I commit to doing activities with my mind on the task at hand, while feeling the movements of my body, I find any activity enjoyable, after all I am doing it with me.

184. I love this Johanna, it is so easy to get caught up and ‘getting things out of the way’ which then makes us focus only on the doing and not on the quality or if this feels right in the moment. I went through a period in my life where I had to learn to listen to my body and at times this meant only mopping half the floor. It is about letting go of control and trusting that it will get done in the right time. But when I do things in this way they are simple, easy and feel lowly every time.

185. This is lovely to reread Johanna, if we can trust our bodies then we are able to bring so much of ourselves to the tasks we ‘think’ are mundane, yet are little opportunities to spread a whole lot of love.

186. Thank you Johanna, I really enjoyed reading your blog, and your playful words are inspiring me to also have more awareness of “lovely little moments where I was able to spread my lovliness around our home”.

187. Thanks Johanna. One of the things that stands out for me is that the loving imprint left after choosing to bring your presence to your cleaning of your home has meant more honest support and nurturing for you. It is subtle – getting the cleaning done by being driven to achieve an end without the love, and feeling what is really going on and choosing to honor yourself in that.

188. Thank you Johanna, as I read your article I am reminded of my own relationship with my house and the cleaning of it, and I realise that this relationship is a reflection of the relationship I have with myself and then the world. How, if I allow small pockets of chaos to happen as piles of clothes in my bedroom, or stacks of dishes in the kitchen, then this is showing me where I am less committed to being all of me in the world, that I am perhaps choosing to not see or feel a hurt or I am withdrawn from stepping up and letting my full expression out in some area of my life both within and outside of the family home. Therefore, cleaning and tidying is a way to take responsibility for how I am, both with myself and in relationship with life as a whole.

189. I love to clean my house, and I love to rearrange my cupboards and my furniture on a regular basis. I like to have things in the place they should be in, bringing order and a feeling of space. I like to move things to another space, and play with this; I watched my mother do this when she was cleaning, which I have called; ‘the art of placement’. I feel a clean organised, clutter free house really supports me giving me more clarity and stillness because my house is clear and still.

190. This is a great blog Johanna. I can relate to what you are saying as only just yesterday after work, I sat down at my desk, and spontaneously began looking through my file that has all my tax information for this year. I had thought, it was all ready to go to the accountant, but noticed it needed re organising… more order etc.. With the ‘Dinner time’ pressure breathing down my neck (as if someone was literally behind me and telling me to stop what I was doing – there was no-one behind me just this expectation and belief!) I took a moment to let myself feel how good it felt to go through this paper work and collate it. And so I continued with sorting the paperwork. In fact it lead onto sorting out another file, and when I had finished, I sat back and it – well I felt amazing… not only had my focus been precise with the detail of organising the paperwork, the sense of completing something and not leaving it ’til later was gorgeous. And needless to say, dinner time flowed on effortlessly… As I felt so complete, and organised, this feeling flowed through dinner. It goes to show how listening to your body, how it feels is a great gauge to live your day by.

191. I am realizing it is about trust, trusting ourselves, trusting that the cleaning will get done and there is no hurry even when you are about to have visitors! How many of us rally round tidying up before they arrive completely ignoring our bodies? The pressure we put on ourselves is huge. Johanna, you present us another way and so beautifully.

192. I never thought it was possible to appreciate myself while doing the housework and cleaning. I have held the belief that housework was not important, something that was done and placed others and what they did as greater, hence giving my power away. I loved reading ”appreciating myself as I clean with how I am cleaning.” Inspirational. Thank you.

193. There are so many ideals and beliefs around cleaning. I used to clean a room at a time and was not happy until I finished it. I paid very little attention to how I was feeling, pushing my way through what I saw as chores but recently I have been asking myself ‘how about if I did a little of the housework when I felt to and not the whole room’! This is so timely for me. Thank you for a simple yet powerful piece of writing giving me an opportunity to go deeper.

194. Johanna I laughed when I read this as I find myself into the same routine of ticking lists to get things done as somehow doing them will make everything better. I enjoyed reading about how you re-approached cleaning with joy I had a similar experience at the weekend when I did things as I felt to do them instead of trying to cram everything in, it felt far more relaxing in my body and I ended up with far more free time than when I have tried to ‘get through my lists’.

195. It seems letting go of household chores is very challenging. I still find myself at times slipping back to the list and then the judging myself if I didn’t get it done. So I find your experiences very inspiring as I know that I can and do at times approach the things that have to be done just like this and it feels so very lovely, in my body and my home. The reflection of bringing all of me to each job is a blessing for everyone in the house.

196. Johanna, I loved reading your blog, I could feel the tenderness of your touch as I read it. Reading it has actually exposed in me something that it is now time to address. I too have begun to clean my house with much more care, however I can feel that the tenderness that I actually am has been missing as I have been cleaning. There is for me still an element of wanting it to look like I have cleaned, instead of enjoying myself as I clean.
     A big thank you to you for exposing this pattern in me.

197. I can relate to this article as I have totally changed how I do chores around the house and sometimes I don’t even get to them which would have been unheard of in the past.

198. Some great gentle reminders here Johanna thank you – In the past I’ve pushed myself to complete domestic chores and certainly over ruled my body’s signals to stop or slow down. I was always too tired (or in pain) to appreciate the results. Through making more self loving choices, I made gradual changes – what a difference. Asking family members to help was a great start. Just slowing down and being more aware of the way I moved, what or how I lifted things. It feels more like a hobby now, not a chore. Letting my body show me, not my head rule me.

199. Thank you Johanna for reminding us that we need to check in with how our bodies are feeling before we start going into a routine of ‘I need to do this on a certain day by a certain time so I can tick it off my to do list’. As you said there were more days in the weekend to be able to complete these tasks in a way that was enjoyable and in sync with your bodies natural rhythm, rather than pushing it to complete it in a set amount of time because your head was saying so.

200. Thank you for the reminder that my body is very clear in its knowing how how it feels to flow throughout the day. Often I find if I drive myself to get all my tasks done I am slower and a feeling of drudgery comes over me, but if I choose to do them in a certain quality my tasks get done faster and I enjoy them more.

201. This is so lovely to read Johanna, ‘My house cleaning chores no longer felt like chores but lovely little moments where I was able to spread my loveliness around our home.’ I can really relate to what you have written here, I felt unwell and fragile yesterday and so I was moving much more slowly, I felt to clean the fridge and became aware of how I usually cleaned with a drive, trying to get things done asap, yesterday I kept coming back back to cleaning gently and being present and this felt lovely, I really enjoyed carefully and playfully putting everything back into the fridge and it felt amazing to clean in this way, I actually enjoyed it.

202. It’s great to hear about different ways from different people, about how to complete daily tasks all in accordance to how our bodies feel compared to the task at hand. It’s all still a bit of a learning curve for me.

203. This is great Johanna, thank you for sharing the joy and fun in doing cleaning – and anything in gentleness and honouring of your body and how it feels. I also find this brings such an appreciation and satisfaction in myself and that time seems to expand and makes room for more. It is also great exercise and movement if appreciated this way.

204. Great illustration Johanna, that when we listen to our bodies natural rhythm and follow that instead of the mind-created agenda or plans and outcomes. Things just seem to flow better in the day and we can feel much less anxious and tired.

     1. Indeed, the energy wasted trying to juggle many balls at once often outweighs the energy taken in completing the task. The key is learning to stay present with yourself in each moment and prepare yourself so that you are supported to address everything that comes your way.

205. I love what you are presenting here, especially the bit about spreading your loveliness around the house – cleaning can be seen as such a chore, and something we have to do rather than something we want to do. I know I have had that feeling so many times – it has to do done – rather than think of it as a moment to connect more with me and to truly enjoy caring for our home.

206. A great article. The routine tasks I complete are only a chore if that is what I make them. I go for a walk every day and it is never a chore because I enjoy it, so I can bring this enjoyment into everything I do.

207. What a wonderful and cute way to discover more about yourself through the simple process of cleaning your house. Some might even say these stop being chores and become moments of slowing down. Having just moved house myself and not listened to my body at all I can now feel the tension rippling through me as it is clear I have “pressed on” to complete the tasks… amazing learnings through shared experiences

208. “This took a huge pressure off me because I was no longer putting an expectation on myself that would cause me to potentially put my body into an outcome based driven-ness. I said to myself that I was going to wipe all the surfaces and mirrors in each room tenderly, then replace everything lovingly”. This is so beautiful Johanna – together with your comment to slow down and enjoy whatever you’re doing, because you are going to be doing it anyway – so why not enjoy it?! Makes great sense to me!

209. Mary this is true for me too, I can very easily slip into getting it done, resenting the repetition of the chores and there is not enough time – but what if I started them a little earlier and only completed what I felt to do in that moment; how much more enjoyable the tasks would be!

210. ‘Each movement and moment felt complete within itself because I was in connection with myself as I moved.’ I love what you have presented here. There does not need to be a start or a finish point each element can be a whole within itself.

211. What a lovely and beautifully simple presentation about cleaning which of course could be applied to any aspect of our apparently busy hectic lives. Do they really have to be busy, driven, anxious and hectic roller coaster rides or races with time? NO! I have often found myself rushing or resenting cleaning or doing routine admin or maintenance tasks thinking they were less important menial things that were getting in the way of other bigger more important stuff. But what if it was all important stuff equally? What if our bodies saw every single thing we do as the same and it is only our minds that put more priority on some things over others? Why not take the time to enjoy every moment no matter what we are doing?

212. I love this last line Johanna: ‘I have felt a deeper level of appreciation in my ability to Trust… trust my body, trust my feelings, trust myself and the rest (including cleaning my house!), will fall into place.’ Trusting and honouring ourselves and our feelings and listening to our bodies is our own personal saviour. My strength and trust of myself is deepening everyday by approaching life with this philosophy.

213. Thanks for this blog Johanna. You explain how we don’t have to stick to the rules we have been given or even make for ourselves about how and when things should be done. I like the line “Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!” That is something I am going to say to myself the next time I have to do the cleaning.

214. Thank you Johanna for bringing to attention this important awareness around cleaning. I have noticed that if I slip into “get-it-done-mode” my neck starts to hurt and my arm instantly feels fatigued; and when I pause, choose to be gentle and enjoy where I’m at, the discomfort vanishes. Thank you body!

215. Why do I think some things are more important to do than others? I am working on just doing everything with gentleness and not thinking about what is next.. Thank you Universal Medicine for inspiring me to have more awareness in my life, so I can ask these questions.

216. Thank you Johanna, I love how you showed that just by taking the rigidity out of how you thought you had to get things done it provided the opening for a different much more enjoyable way of doing the cleaning!

217. I love this blog Johanna, what an education on how to be with my body in everything I do and enjoy it! Thank you

218. What a gorgeous way to clean your home. I have recently realised that I can actually have fun and feel sexy doing anything! I had a exercise session with Danielle Pirera from Re-Connect Exercise, and she inspired me to have fun with my exercise routine, and to actually be sexy with it! I had never considered this in my exercise routine, it was something I felt I needed to do to feel good, it was a bit flat and I certainly didn’t feel sexy. Now I am bringing a natural playful sweetness to it, and I actually enjoy the whole thing so much more. And of course I can clean in the same way, I usually do a lot of singing when cleaning, but there is a lot of movement involved, so it is a great way to experiment with feeling your body.

     1. I love this Laura! It breaks the mould of different ways we think we should hold ourselves when doing different things, be they exercise, cleaning, working, etc. We immediately hold our body in a certain way for these tasks, which potentially restricts the true expression of who we naturally are. It’s lovely to honour yourself and give yourself the time and space to play with these expressions.

     2. Thanks for sharing this, Laura, Inspiring!

     3. Having also started exercise sessions with Danielle Pirera, I experimented with moving my body in different ways. However until now I never considered that experimentation could be done in other areas too such as cleaning! (Or possibly other areas of my life as well) Thank you.

219. My favourite part is when you describe how you spread your loveliness around your home. Very inspiring, Thankyou.

220. ”Slow down – you have to do it, so you might as well enjoy it!”
     It is so simple, yet in the past I have been able to relate to all the ‘Must get this done or the world will end’ nonsense thoughts my mind has come up with. I have found that when I clean in the ‘get it over and done with’ manner I feel awful afterwards but hold onto the ‘Well at least I did it!’ thought to justify the exhaustion. I now feel inspired to keep it simple and enjoy what I am doing rather then rushing through it to move onto the next thing to rush through. Thank you.

     1. Hi leighoflight, I can relate to the ‘get it over and done with’ attitude. From this blog and all the comments I am beginning to see I can choose to slow down and the world will still turn, and that it’s possible to have fun doing the chores.

221. Great article Johanna. I have done this also with housework, it can be really enjoyable . I never imagined cleaning a kitchen could be so much fun and the outcome is amazing. It may not look much cleaner but feels a lot better and people do notice that. At work, the more I am with myself and the more I honour myself, the more I enjoy it. Without rushing to get things done I generally get more time.

     1. That is so strange Kevin, not rushing to get things done leaves you with more time… surely not, but I have experienced this too, if I focus on doing one thing with care, and not everything at once. I also feel less frazzled.

222. How lovely to allow ourselves to simply “enjoy” our cleaning. The word “chores” simply disappears and we can bring more love into our home.

223. So simple, yet so true. We often turn things into “chores” and lose the opportunity to be and spread more love absolutely everywhere. Cleaning is a perfect example of this, but as you have shown – it too can be fun and loving.

224. Thank you Johanna, how freeing and lovely that you allowed that inner voice to be heard. How divine to feel cleaning as an opportunity to spread your loveliness around home! This has supported me to connect more and use cleaning as an opportunity to be more gentle with myself.

225. Great piece Johanna. I love it when we shift chores etc. to things we do in a loving way to honour, and support of, ourselves.

226. Thank you Johanna. My mantra had been “I will be gentle with myself after I have done my chores” – a reward for doing what had to be done. No wonder my body felt hard during and after doing the cleaning. Your blog has given me permission to enjoy and be gentle in the doing!

227. I too have found that I can use activities in which I physically move my body, as moments to build tenderness within myself and appreciate all that comes from this. Cleaning to me is an activity I enjoy, because of how I choose to do it and the reflection of Love that is offered back to me, all week, as I walk into a room.

     1. I agree and understand what you’re saying here Toni, I revel in the feeling of a gently cleaned room or a lovingly folded garment – it’s well worth the commitment to connect and place our love in all we do.

     2. That is inspiring Toni – I have always found cleaning an effort, time to appreciate doing it and appreciate what comes from it.

        1. And appreciate the movement of your body while cleaning, as you have highlighted James, there is so much to appreciate when it comes to the activity of cleaning. Cleaning the toilet becomes something to look forward to.

        2. It is funny Toni I do fully understand where you are coming from as it does feel great, say cleaning the toilet, but I can often feel so much resistance to stop me from doing it. As soon as I say yes and do it then I feel the huge support it is offering me, before that I often have allowed thoughts to stop me from doing it!

        3. I totally understand this feeling of hesitation when it comes to doing something I know will support me but I’m struggling to take that first step. Which is crazy because like you say James when I just get into it, it is easy. It is all the thoughts and feelings that get in the way. I find these thoughts are much more likely to occur with something I am not yet confident in doing, slowly I am learning to not get too caught up in the thoughts about it and just make a start, then it becomes quite simple for me to keep going. I completely get what you’re saying James, as you can tell I have had the same experience.

        4. It’s so true Toni when we start something after deferring it can happen so quickly but how much time do we waste dithering? I also find that often the most resistance comes up for me when I am going to do something really loving for myself, that I know will support me.

        5. Yes I agree James, the more self-loving or needing something is, the more the feeling of resistance can come up. I am slowly learning it is at these times that I need to remind myself that to be feeling so much resistance is a simple signal that I really need to just take a step and get moving on it, as it is of real importance.

        6. Well said Toni – “just take a step and get moving on it”. Otherwise we can spend our whole lives in a state of procrastination!!

        7. So very true James, and this creates a constant undercurrent of tension and nervous energy that we carry around with us until we stop procrastinating and get on with it. Yuck! Yet so simple to avoid….

228. Awesome Johanna. Great to knock out those beliefs around a time for cleaning and shopping etc. It’s amazing how we get into almost a habit of doing things regularly and fall into not stopping and asking ourselves why? or how do I feel about doing this now? Thank you for sharing.

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