Spiritual Housecleaning

I thought this book would give me specific instructions for what to do in each room to get it together, and I'd follow them and my house would be a nicer place to live. Ha! She talks about how each room in your house reflects a part of you...when I got to the end of the book and realized that each and every room in my house needed serious attention, I finally woke up and got myself the serious attention I'd been needing for a long time. At the time that I read this book, about 2 years ago, I kinda didn't like it because my house didn't get any cleaner. But now that I look back at how many changes I've made in myself, and how I can keep track of my emotional and even physical trouble spots by how I'm maintaining my house, I realize that reading this book was immeasurably beneficial. And what's funny is that I really hadn't put it together till I started typing this review.

I'm amazed no one has really written a book like this one yet...the idea of spiritual awareness being linked with an organized, peaceful and nurturing home environment seems so commonsense, so obvious But perhaps that is this author's special talent, that she sees beyond the spiritual clutter and detritus of life to the heart of what matters - and that she also realizes how a peaceful soul leads inevitably to a more serene, simplified environment. In short, those of us who find it difficult to keep our homes decluttered may need to look within ourselves first. But don't assume this book is just about spiritual matters or that it omits the how-tos of housecleaning. The author also includes valuable tips such as "Always vacuum and dust your windows when you clean your floor" and even suggests you enlist helpers when tackling larger tasks. Finally, she urges readers to actually make sure they have time to just "putter" or do nothing - so that when they do get back to work, it is with a lightened, refreshed spirit.

Kathryn L. Robyn's book, Spiritual Housecleaning, could be subtitled, "Healing the Space within by Reading about Beautifying the Space Around You." But that would not be Robyn's message. To heal, you have to actually do the work. Somehow she doesn't make it feel like work. The book is so inspiring, I found myself cleaning out the refridgerator and pantry before I even finished it. The book is entertaining, insightful, witty, down to earth, even poignant. Its spiritual ideas span ancient and contemporary philosophies of the East and West alike. As a person in a helping profession, I can attest to its psychological accuracy as well. As creative as it is practical, I have never read a book that combined such welcome simpicity and complexity under one cover. On second thought, I have never read such a book, period. Cudos to Ms. Robyn for a real original.

Kathryn Robyn takes this subject to a whole new level. I'm a big fan of Julie Morgenstern's book about organizing. She explains how "zones" help us stay neat and organized. This book goes yet a step deeper. The author writes about the "emotional zones" of your life and how they relate (or don't) to the home you've created. I had dozens of epiphanies doing the practice pages at the end of each chapter. Yes, my house is cleaner now, thanks to the author, but it's actually my life problems and the solutions to them that are clearer.

When I began reading "Spiritual Housecleaning", my intention was to read the book through; then on second reading I would actually work the book, doing all the exercises and consciously evaluating every room of my home. It can't be coincidental that, by the time I was half way through, I had painted a bedroom, recarpeted my house, and replaced several items in my bathroom that I had avoided focusing on for some time...In this book, Ms. Robyn touches you "where you live" with a delightful sense of humor and a gentle sense of understanding and encouragement. Anyone in any living situation who reads this book will come out the other side with a clearer idea of how their home environment affects them while learning how to create a more healing and "sacred" space for themselves.