Sometimes our meditations can be in the midst of ordinary days, doing ordinary things. I realized this as I was in the middle of my house cleaning that usually occurs on Sunday morning. After a long work week I like to take Saturday as a day for other tasks and self-care, and do the house cleaning on Sunday mornings as a way to start the new week fresh. Most Sunday evenings we have family and friends over for dinner so the house is clean to welcome them and share our hospitality.

This weekend, it struck me that the hour (or more) that I spend cleaning is also a time for me to clear my head. While vacuuming and mopping I am also wiping away some of the everyday frustrations that can get in the way of my being my best self. There is also laundry to be done, and those towels, warm and fresh from the dryer, are another reminder that Sunday is a fresh start. I have also discovered that it is a pretty good physical workout, so I try to make the best of it by adding in a few extra squats or bends, and know that I am also cleaning, from the inside out, some of the toxins from the past week. It ends with a nice long shower that adds to the feeling of a new beginning.

I was reminded of a quote from Gunilla Norris, who in her collection called Being Home says, “Prayer and housekeeping – they go together. They have always gone together. We simply know that our daily round is how we live. When we clean and order our homes, we are somehow cleaning and ordering ourselves.”

I am ready for another week.

until next time…