“The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning”, Margreta Magnusson – is about de-cluttering, organising and letting go on all levels as we age. It involves thoughtfully sorting through all our possessions and deciding what to keep, what to give away or donate, and what to recycle if possible. It spares loved ones the burden of the task of clearing up after you die. It is a really cathartic practice on all levels, but not an easy one, as we reflect on the joys and sorrows of our lives.
“Death cleaning is certainly not just about things. If it was, it would not be so difficult.” Margareta Magnusson
We all learn the art of living in the world, but we also need to learn the art of leaving this world. Letting go of attachment to possessions, relationships, desires and goals. Having met our obligations to our dependents and as working members of society, we can begin the task of unlearning a lifetime of dependency on these attachments, deliberately creating unencumbered time to turn our focus within.
There is a big difference between contemplating death as an abstract concept and facing our own, or someone else’s, mortality. Truly acknowledging the inevitable aging, decline and eventual shedding of our physical bodies before we’re faced with the reality of death is a wise practice. Western culture tends to be ‘death phobic’, so we need to actively cultivate our relationship with death as a natural part of life.
“These bodies are known to have an end. The Dweller within is eternal, imperishable, infinite.” Bhagavad Gita, Verse 18.11
By acknowledging and accepting the symbolic deaths and griefs throughout life, we see that death is an intrinsic part of life. Some are small – moving house, changing school or job; some are profound - death of a child or spouse, divorce, bankruptcy. Whether big or small, often we don’t fully experience these losses, because our lives are so busy and grief is so painful. As we reflect on our emotional lives, grief also needs to be acknowledged and experienced before we can let it go.
In the end, every one of us must let go of everything.
Letting go is the essence of Yoga Nidra practice, which is available to all - no previous experience of yoga is needed. As long as you are warm and breathing you can do it. Highly recommended at any age, the practice is particularly relevant as we reflect on our lives and release any unprocessed griefs, resentments, regrets and so on. The practice allows unresolved issues to arise from a place of deep relaxation, where memory traces, or samskaras, are observed without the emotional charge they normally activate. This helps us to live, and to die, with a clearer conscience and a peaceful heart, as we come to terms with emotional baggage and let it go.
'My next great adventure at 90 is dying' Jane Goodall