Set an intention. Plan consciously to enjoy your well deserved vacation before the time comes. Tick off the days on your calendar until you leave, talk out loud about how excited you are to be going away, and consciously look forward to a truly restful but fun adventure away from home.

Start packing several days before you leave. Select, fold, and put aside the outfits you plan to wear. Do not wait until the last minute to pack, and do not pack too much! You will likely end up wearing your most comfortable shorts and t-shirt more frequently than you think.

Avoid overextending yourself before vacation. Plan to get several good nights of sleep before leaving. Do not cram in extra-long hours at the office in anticipation of your absence. If you have trouble sleeping, consider Melatonin, an over-the-counter supplement that is most effective on a short term basis for sleeping difficulties due to jet lag. There are several herbs that are helpful for sleep, such as valerian and chamomile, which have a calming effect.

Make your room as familiar and comfortable as your home. Bring your most comfortable pajamas, your own pillow if possible, and relaxing music. Often the front desk can provide a CD player if the room does not already have one.

Be patient and “roll with the punches.” Inevitably, things will happen that may be contrary to your well-laid plans. If there are delays or you have to wait in line, first, accept it as being inevitable and then use the opportunity to do something. Make sure you have a good summer read with you. Welcome unscheduled “downtime” with your family or travel partners as an opportunity to just be.

Spring is a time for renewal, but for people who suffer from seasonal allergies, it can mean renewed suffering due to constant sneezing, a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. Fortunately there are healthy, drug –free alternatives for treating and alleviating these symptoms if you are willing to make changes in your diet, lifestyle and state of mind.

Daily Diligence

• Avoid tobacco smoke and alcohol, which irritate the lungs and eyes. Alcohol increases the production of mucous.
• Spend as little time as possible outdoors and keep windows and doors shut during the day. If you must be outdoors, limit it to the morning and evening rather than midday, when grasses pollinate.
• Upon coming in from outside, shower and wash your clothes to remove pollen.
• Avoid doing yard work; if you do, wear a mask and goggles.
• Avoid hanging laundry outside; pollen gathers on clothing and linens.
• Keep pets inside or outside; they bring pollen indoors with them.
• Buy a good-quality air purifier and filter

Herbal Help

• Place slices of cool cucumber over the eyes to help relieve itchy, red eyes; alternate them with steeped, cooled black tea bags.
• Place eucalyptus oil in a humidifier and inhale its vapor or add it to your bath water to help relieve congestion; the oil is available at health food stores.
• Use a Neti Pot, an Ayurvedic device that helps cleanse allergens from the mucous membranes in the nose, providing relief from sinus congestion. Also available at health food stores.
• Eyebright, yarrow and stinging nettle liquid extracts help relieve hay fever symptoms; 20-30 drops twice daily is recommended.
• Take 1,000 mg of the flavonoids Hesperidin and Quercitin, which provide an antihistamine effect.

Dietary Do’s

• Consume magnesium-rich foods such as bananas, kidney beans, soybeans, almonds and brown rice.
• Horseradish is excellent for a runny nose and congestion. Use it as much as you can stand, as a condiment.
• Eat foods rich in sulphur, such as onions, and garlic, which help thin mucous.
• Consume yogurt. Homemade yogurt is ideal but any soured products consumed three times per week can greatly reduce the incidence of hay fever attacks, particularly those exacerbated my grass pollens.
• Avoid cakes, pies, chocolate, coffee, dairy products, canned or packaged foods, soda pop, sugar, white flour products or any junk food; they suppress the immune system.

As part of my healing journey, I practice clearing my mind and body of clutter and debris – physical, mental and emotional. Keeping my living space clean and clear of clutter is an extension of my success in my daily practice for peace and harmony. For most of us, spring allows us the opportunity to open up the windows cleaning and clearing out the stagnant energy of a long, cold winter to begin anew. I find that I must constantly let go, releasing my attachments to things especially when I realize that they no longer serve me.

So as you begin your Spring Cleaning this year, make it your goal to purposefully and joyfully clean and clear out your home, clutter, dust and all. Take some time during this important ritual to observe yourself and ask questions. What objects are you attached to? What are you keeping that is cluttering not only your living quarters, but your inner life as well, your true self? Why is it so painful to donate that raggedy old doll that you received for your seventh birthday? What part of your past are you holding on to? Why is it so difficult to get rid of the outfit that your mother loves on you, even though you never liked it? Are you still very concerned with other people’s opinions of you? If you can begin to clean and clear the space around you, it may help you clear the space within you, the space in which you truly live.

5 Spring Cleaning Tips

        ·            Set a reasonable time period for Spring Cleaning. Often, it will take you more than a day or a weekend.

        ·            Commit to one room at a time. In the bedroom: dust, vacuum, change the curtains and the bed linens, and exchange your winter and spring wardrobes – then move to another room.

        ·            Observe when you resist letting go of something. Explore your attachment to the object in writing.

        ·            When in doubt, throw it out! If you haven’t used it in a year, it’s probably time to let it go.

        ·            Celebrate at the end of your Spring Cleaning. Congratulate yourself for the dedication it takes to care for your home and yourself in this important way. Play with your children, take a bath, go on a picnic, see a movie – whatever gives you joy!

By: Lauren Larsen