As you clean your space, you create your own calm.
 
Cleaning is a skill I have been able to learn and practice my entire life. My mom is a neat freak, she is the happiest when the home is spotless. Due to this, my relationship with cleaning was very rocky for most of my life. I found myself cleaning to find a sense of calm, not for myself, but for her.
 
When I moved away for college, I was on my own. To feel “freedom”, I didn’t clean up after myself. And since the mess wasn’t disrupting anyone’s peace, I let it pile up.
 
Funny enough, on days I was stressed, or couldn’t sleep, I found myself cleaning, and re-organizing. It felt like I had control over something in life, and I was working towards becoming a better and more productive me.
 
It took me a couple months to realize this, in fact, it took my mom pointing it out to me for me to see it. I cope with stress the same way she does, by cleaning! We both create our calm by cleaning and organizing our space. She is very specific about her cleaning rituals though, whereas I am more of go with the flow type of gal, who LOVES to declutter.
 
I am in no means an expert, but these are three things I have learned about cleaning:

1. When I feel out of control, cleaning grounds me. The process of cleaning my space makes me feel like my actions can have a positive impact! That being said, I should mention – this isn’t always the case! Sometimes cleaning does feel like a chore, and that is alright. I am a proud work in progress.
2. Cleaning adds movement to my day. Most my day is spent sitting in front of a laptop, so cleaning is the perfect solution to get some clarity and move around!
3. Cleaning is a mood booster! I am a surface level cleaner; I don’t enjoy deep cleaning but lighting the candle after a productive deep clean session is an unmatchable feeling! Knowing that every corner in my home is the cleanest it can be, because I paid attention to detail makes me really proud and happy.

 
Cleaning is something I simply just “do”. I didn’t begin reflecting on my relationship with cleaning until recently when I started working at Dhyana Cleaning. But I hope this read prompts you to think about your relationship with cleaning. Do you enjoy it? Does the process of cleaning help you? Here are three questions to help you thinking:

1. Do I enjoy the process of cleaning or simply a clean space? I should point out that there is no right answer! The process of cleaning is meditative, in fact, many monks practice this every day. That doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with wanting a clean space, you might be someone who practices meditation through a different method and that it totally okay!

2. Do I like certain things better? I enjoy doing the dishes over vacuuming! When I am in the zone, I end up vacuuming, but if there is one thing I could skip out on, it’d be vacuuming – it is boring to me. Similarly, you might enjoy certain aspects of cleaning. I didn’t realize I could simply outsource those tasks until I launched a business! Being a business owner taught me that I can ask others for help on the things I am not good at or enjoy. I ended up creating a plan with my roommate, where I was responsible of making sure the dishes were always clean, and she was responsible for vacuuming the place twice a week.
 
3. What’s the biggest benefit for me?
Like I mentioned, cleaning can add movement to your day, boost your mood, and allow you to feel like you are in control. There are many other benefits as well, cleaning teaches you, humility, it boosts creativity and alertness. Cleaning keeps you organized and provides a sense of accomplishment – and I mean, I can keep going but you get it. So, what is it for you? How do you want to use cleaning to your advantage? This is your sign to set a goal and try something new out to become a better version of yourself. Goodluck!

Cleaning The Internal As Well As The External 
I believe in beauty and have faith in its restorative power. At Dhyana Cleaning, we reveal the beauty of the spaces we clean, but also the beauty within ourselves. And we do this inner cleaning with a variety of tools. A tool that I was particularly inspired by recently is radically transparent and authentic communication. I first read about this concept in Ray Dalio’s book Principles. Ray explains…

“The most meaningful relationships are achieved when you and others can speak openly to each other about everything that’s important, learn together, and understand the need to hold each other accountable to be as excellent as you can be. When you have such relationships with those you work with, you pull each other through challenging times; at the same time, sharing challenging work draws you closer and strengthens your relationships. This self-reinforcing cycle creates the success that allows you to pursue more and more ambitious goals.” - Ray Dalio #principleoftheday

I would add two points to Ray’s amazing insights:

• We all have our own narratives. A critical aspect of being a leader is to recognize this and work towards better understanding our narrative and those we lead. Don’t try to convince others of your narrative, but rather work hard to actively listen to your team’s viewpoints, and in doing so, create the opportunity for growth and deeper connections.
• Its true that radical transparency allows for the attainment of more and more ambitious goals but even more important, is how we approach our relationships and what blossoms as a result. When we approach relationships with an open mind and speak our truth with an open mind to understand the other person’s experience, this deepens the relationship and allows us to grow our interconnectedness. It enables us to further step into our humanity and purpose for being on this planet! And well, I guess when you think about it, this is an ambitious goal in and of itself…right on Ray!

While growing Dhyana Cleaning, I’ve gotten very familiar with my inner narrative. I’ve learned that dirt is not just external material, it’s also internal material, that accumulates when we are not mindful of our triggers. Recently, I realized that my internal dirt was needing some cleaning and one of the cleaning tools I needed to use was honest, raw communication.

The situation that threw a messy party in my mind last week deeply impacted me; I was in reactive mode, my thoughts ruminating around being offended and not taken seriously…which quickly spiralled into thoughts of not being respected. I made a very harsh decision based on the dirt that was building up inside of me. But before I acted on this decision – one that couldn’t be reversed - I decided to pause and take time to explore where these thoughts were coming from and to open my mind to other possibilities.

And what emerged was a cleansing conversation with the person I was originally offended by. And the results were beautiful. We had the opportunity to understand each others’ point of view; to clarify and gain a clearer path forward. Sometimes relationships need deep cleaning and even though in the moment the work is challenging, the results are more often than not, cleansing. A deeper understanding, connection and clarity. A healthier environment in which to build a meaningful life…. Ultimately, there are times in our lives that are accompanied by total, absolute clarity, uninterrupted by anything other than the experience of the moment. And that’s the power and beauty of inner cleaning and authentic communication. It comes from the heart, with the intention of deeper understanding and connection.

This blog is written by Katie Shulist, the founder of Dhyana Cleaning. Photo by Brodie Vissers from Burst. 

Follow @DhyanaCleaning on Instagram and Facebook for additional all-natural cleaning tips! Have your own eco cleaning solutions? We’d love for you to share them with us!
 
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Who is Nerissa?
For most my story there are two principles that has been my guiding light into business, people and community and that’s always been seeking ways to "Innovate, Solve, Repeat and Punch Above My Weight."
I grew up an only child in the capital city of Georgetown, Guyana, a small city with little technology and not all that much opportunity at first glance, yet, there were two things above all that I learned early on. One: If you're willing to be curious, seek out, innovate, reinvent, perhaps even appear the fool in the process of doing something different, you 'will' find opportunity. And Two: if you're open enough to become a part of the puzzle to what make things function even if it seems a bit intimidating— there is ultimately much to be had. Suffice it to say, my curiosity about our world, how we live and interact has been woven into the fabric of choices I have made after making my home in over seven countries from Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Mexico and throughout the great dominion I call home — Canada.

The experience of my story pulsates into the work I do today, how I lead and what I genuinely care deeply. This being, making the world a better place to live and world.

Outside of my professional life you’ll catch me practising my golf swing whenever I can. I’m a writer, podcast host of mini-motivational talks on Mindset Bootcamp and mother to two which continues to be the ever-teaching, ever-evolving journey of my life.

Describe/define your business in your own words.
I am involved in many ventures and disciplines, but the core of my business is helping people rise to their potential. It has been the nature of what I’ve done for over a decade. Today, this expands through Ignite the Human Spark, an initiative I’ve launched in the middle of March 2020 at the height of a global shutdown. Ignite the Human Spark is also a pledged member of the Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health. The activity under this initiative is highly research driven and aims to reengineer core frameworks of culture, talent, workplace design and employee wellbeing. It is through these pillars that the power of potential and purpose coexist.

What prompted you to leap into this?
I believe there needs to be a greater sense of responsibility to how we live, consume and coexist on an individual level. It is with this sense of responsibility as our world came to a halt in the middle of March 2020 did it become clear to me that the greatest plan, we can ever make, is to be agile enough to withstand change. It was the prompt and realisation that our world is experiencing a great reset and together we have the opportunity to do that too.
 
Personally, I’ve always been a big believer in pushing the limits of our capabilities when times get hard, the tough times, to really get out of our heads and pre-existing conditions to evolve into a line of thought of ‘what else is there that I can do, …where is the need now, how do people feel, and how can I help’? The conversations to date that have evolved since then have taken root in my own identity. My hope is, to ignite the human spark to foster better conversations, business and autonomy of self. To be a part of the solution navigating global change as I use this insight to help others discover, focus and align their resourcefulness.
 
I believe with a greater sense of self-ownership, accountability to our own actions, as well as awareness of our cultural attitudes in how we respond will be a great deal of importance in navigating through a new global order.

Social Impact
What does social impact mean to you?
Our daily actions - what we give a voice to or not, how we consume, respond, all, fundamentally shape the quality of conversations we have on a myriad of issues facing our world today with direct impacts on the lives of the many and the health of the planet. Social impact to me isn’t a you or me issue or to a select few but a ‘we’ conversation, responsibility, and accountability of both negative and positive. It isn’t black and white but lively and colourful and must be focused along the idea of ‘becoming solutions and becoming the change we seek to make the world a better place to live and work.’ As well as, sharply questioning the values and principles we endorse that frame how we think, learn, and listen to drive positive change in business and society. Today, there is a great deal of rise and activism on issues that impact every corner of our lives. This makes it even more important for us to pause, reflect and go inward in order to activate positive change in the world- together.

What does being a leader mean to you?
In its simplest form, being a leader is a guide along a pathway of purpose. The skillsets of leaders vary from person to person, and while there is much data and talk surrounding what a leader should look, sound and act like, in my opinion and experience of working with some of the best - leaders are people who show up, genuinely care and treat people like people.
​
What's been the biggest lesson you've learned so far as a leader?
You have to give your people the space, trust and support to challenge themselves and get to know what they are made of.
Teams large and small all carry their own strengths and weaknesses bearing many opportunities to cultivate togetherness, success and purpose. —The greatest tragedy is believing there’s only one best way to get the job done. Trust is a core component to achieving this
 
Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you a better leader? Who is a leader that inspires you?
I’ve been blessed growing up with strong women around me and of the lot I’d have to say my grandmother. She was a leader at heart, though passed now, is someone whose memory inspires me to this day and has played a big role in the openness of thought and strength I channel and lead with today.
When I think of the challenges, experiences, paths crossed over the length of my career — they’ve been many. Yet there’s one that stands out. I’m going to take you back to a time living in the Maldives, and a conversation with a young woman working there at the time. In absolute defeat, she was in tears by how her employer had treated her: public humiliation, berating, a bully of a personality. Today we’ve become much more vocal on behaviours and cultures that encapsulate these unfortunate ways but at that time, not so much.
In the moments after listening to her story, I felt an immediate need to do something. I began reaching out to friends and alliances who could be of help to her situation. I then decided to look inward at the company I worked, the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and found what became the next chapter into a career she leads strongly to this day.
What I’ve realized most from that moment is this: listening to her story could have been one of many. Listening, empathizing and then we move on, as many encounters often do. This became an enlightened moment for me, an ‘ah-ha’ moment of sorts. When we decide to do something, get involved and extend ourselves with purpose; we are participating in changing the cycle of how things ordinarily work. We begin to change the typically accepted behaviours, attitudes, and cultures on what it means to care, help and bring about something better.
Now, more than a decade later of making my home in several countries across continents, I’ve found myself at the boundary of igniting the human spark through all that I do. This is fundamentally ingrained into how I lead.

Advice
What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
Hum…what would I tell myself? I think as young girls growing up, we aren’t often taught to lead fearlessly. And by taught I don’t only mean what we read and express in school but in our community and homes. There is a double standard with who is seen better equipped to be fearless or take bigger risks. Yes, you are capable of living fearlessly and yes you are capable of taking risks and managing risks and yes it will be alright.
​
What is a mantra you live by?
Call me a dreamer, but this would be ‘Becoming Better Humans.’ If we become more invested in becoming better humans, I believe we have a real shot at creating a better world. Integrating a universal culture of hope, care and responsibility to stimulate attitudes linked through mindfulness, accountability and greater self-ownership. Areas that have been widely unrealized yet tested us the most since the beginning of the pandemic.

The blog is written by Nerissa J. Persaud, the founder of Ignite the Human Spark. Find Nerissa on: Linkedin, Website, Podcast. 

Follow @DhyanaCleaning on Instagram and Facebook for additional all-natural cleaning tips! Have your own eco cleaning solutions? We’d love for you to share them with us!
 
Join our Mindful Cleaning Movement! Click here for Emails that #RevealBeauty
Looking for a professional green cleaning service in Toronto? Contact our team for a free estimate.

Last week Sucheta and I decided we want to lean into sharing our experiences growing Dhyana Cleaning – from our hearts. One of our core values at Dhyana Cleaning is being Courageously Curious, which is just a way of practicing authenticity.
​
So here goes…my first post #fromtheheart
I think saying YES to life means saying yes to a world of possibilities. Saying yes tells the universe you’re open to its continuous flow of experiences, the good AND the bad! The interesting thing is, even the bad experiences have nuggets of opportunity; opportunities to self-reflect and gain more awareness or to open to an opportunity that is more in alignment with your soul’s purpose. Its true that when one door closes another one opens!

​Saying yes expands the possibility that more opportunities will show up and unfold into a cascade of other possibilities, giving you another chance to say yes.

It was around this time last year that I decided it was time to open up my world of possibilities. I was feeling overwhelmed and isolated as we rounded the corner of month three into the pandemic. I had come across a Facebook post that was very unique – it was asking for people to join a community based on authentic friendships called Kinnd. The premise was to make friends based on what one was looking for as well as what one had to offer. To me, this was the universe tapping me on the shoulder, presenting the perfect opportunity to step into possibilities. How could I not say YES!

I immediately joined Kinnd and posted my first ask/offer. I could never have imagined what I was in for! Joining Kinnd lead me down a meandering path of beautiful experiences.

I never imagined that I would find an Operations Manager who would help us solve some challenges that were holding us back and hurting our growth. 

I never imagined that Operations Manager would become a friend for life! She is like a sister to me!

I never imagined I would join Kinnd as a moderator and have the opportunity to witness beautifully authentic friendships unfolding and blossoming beyond borders, ethnicity and gender.

I never imagined a Kinnd member’s negative experience with cleaning would propel me into developing a course on teaching people to see cleaning as a mindfulness mediation practice.

I never imagined a suggestion from Kinnd’s founder to find a mentor would lead me to reconnect with a mentor I lost touch with, who’s support these past 8 months has opened my mind to even more possibilities!
​
I never imagined Dhyana Cleaning would be featured in BlogTO for our work building Clear Mind (our mindfulness cleaning course)

And the biggest shock happened this past week. I never imagined I would be a part of a CBC television series on the pandemic and the positive impact its had in people’s lives. 

I can’t imagine where I would be today if I didn’t say yes to joining Kinnd. All of these experiences wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t say yes and take consistent action and I’m over the moon excited to imagine where I’ll be this time next year! The possibilities are limitless!
​
OK over to you – what have you said YES to and how has it changed your life? 

 The blog is written by Katie Shulist, the founder of Dhyana Cleaning. Image: Laura (the founder of Kinnd) and Katie– meeting for the first time in person, after our CBC interview and a year of meeting via Zoom. Laura can be found here and to join the Kinnd facebook page, click here.

Follow @DhyanaCleaning on Instagram and Facebook for additional all-natural cleaning tips! Have your own eco cleaning solutions? We’d love for you to share them with us!
 
Join our Mindful Cleaning Movement! Click here for Emails that #RevealBeauty
Looking for a professional green cleaning service in Toronto? Contact our team for a free estimate.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, its thinking of yourself less.” - C.S Lewis

Humility is being in service towards others and thinking of their needs before our own. As kids, we are taught to “treat others the way we want to be treated” and though this is considered a great way to practice humility – it combats the true meaning of putting other’s needs before your own. Humility is about reframing the intentions behind your actions and switching your mindset from “what’s in it for me” to “how can I help”.

Have you ever felt defeated or upset when someone didn’t clean up after themselves? What about when your colleague provided criticism on the work you spent hours completing? Well, it’s time to take a step back and reflect. Why do you feel attacked, discouraged, or simply under-appreciated when you have to take the lead to clean up after someone or edit the work according to the feedback provided?

The humble person is not continually concerned with self, their own ways, and wishes. They are willing to put themself in second place and submit themself to achieve what is good for others. Humility is the opposite of self-will, self-interest, and self-assertiveness. This is not a sign of weakness of character, but of strength. It requires great self-control to submit to others.

Humility is closely linked with appreciation. To be able to appreciate life, we must set our egos aside and try to see otherwise ‘aggravating’ instances as opportunities to support others. Once we can do so, we tend to appreciate life more and enjoy what is in front of us. Without humility and appreciation, we run the risk of being overtaken by endless selfish desire and aversion.

It is important to consciously choose your perception of a situation. I say this because, humility is a skill you must practice. Consciously choosing will allow you to avoid your ego to get the best of you and become defensive.

How to use humility to be a better leader?
Step 1: Get out of your own head
You are important, and your opinions are valid. As a leader, you have the ability to put your foot down at any time, and this is a fact. But leadership isn't about you, your opinions, or your wishes, it's about supporting other team members on their journey of success.

Remember, the final outcome reflects who you are as a leader. So, get out of your own head and invest your time to understand the perspective of others. Go a step beyond supervision, and do the work along with your team, and take responsibility when an error occurs. Lead with humility, and lead by demonstrating the behaviors you expect to see in others.

Step 2: Be present
What is going on around you? Once you put your own concerns aside, you can truly be there for the other person. Practice active listening, and analyzing the situation. For instance, if an employee mentions that they are stuck on a task you assigned, go beyond explaining the task again. As a leader, you need to help the other individual understand how to think, not what to think. It is easy to provide someone a solution and get the task out of the way. However, to enhance their decision-making, and leadership skills, provide the individual with support while they make the decisions. If they are still stuck, ask them how they would approach the situation and work through their logic together to collaboratively finish the task together. This practice in self-awareness is the first step in becoming an emotionally intelligent leader at any organization.

Step 3: Look at the bigger picture
Being a leader means being an actively forward thinker. Savoring the moment is important indeed, but, so is establishing an understanding of the bigger picture. There is beauty in both the positive moments in life and the challenges! Humble your ego by reflecting on the past to see how it has affected the present and how it could affect the future.

As you shift your mindset to look at the bigger picture, you will realize - we grow throughout life. This means people need space to grow, learn and push their limits. The ultimate goal is to make a long-lasting impact with the work you and your team do. However, you will only achieve this as you periodically push your team. Similar to a plant, provide your team members with support and give them the time, space, and respect to bloom on their own.

Takeaway: Change takes time and as I mentioned, we need time and space to grow. Let's focus on one act together, shall we?

1. Where do you hold a leadership role? At work? or home? Pick one!
2. Who do you lead? Have a team or specific individual in mind?
3. Simply ask this individual "how can I help?"

It is important to actively listen here - don't jump in right away with a solution. Let the other person express themselves. Fight your ego and devote yourself to the task. You'll become a stronger leader in the process.

​

Sucheta Khurana is the Co-founder of Arise N' Go, a healthy snack startup and also part of Dhyana's Marketing team. She can be found on LinkedIn .

Follow @DhyanaCleaning on Instagram and Facebook for additional all-natural cleaning tips! Have your own eco cleaning solutions? We’d love for you to share them with us!
 
Join our Mindful Cleaning Movement! Click here for Emails that #RevealBeauty
Looking for a professional green cleaning service in Toronto? Contact our team for a free estimate.


References
Dhyana Cleaning Vision and Culture, Read more on our about us page. 
Osincup , P. (2020, September 21). The Art of Humility in Leadership. Whil. https://www.whil.com/insights/article/the-art-of-humility-in-leadership. 
Spencer, A. (2020, April 16). All About Others: Servant Leadership in the Modern Workplace. BizLibrary. https://www.bizlibrary.com/blog/leadership/servant-leadership/.

Happy Science: Finding Meaning to Find Happiness

In the growing field of the science of happiness, sometimes referred to as Happiness Studies, there are countless books, journals, articles, and websites dedicated to the question of how to be happy in life. Even as much as 75 years ago, Viktor Frankl, founder of logotherapy and Holocaust survivor, gave some professional and personal insights on the question of how to be happy in his book Man’s Search for Meaning.

Frankl, who was an innovator in the fields of psychiatry and neurology, developed a method that was relatively straightforward: “happiness cannot be pursued, it must ensue” (Frankl, 1946). Essentially, Frankl wrote that when you find meaning in your life, happiness will follow.

This is a deceptively simple imperative. Many people find it hard to develop a sense of meaning and purpose with all the requirements of work and responsibilities related to everyday life. Add in all the changes required to navigate the restrictions and realities of COVID-19, and many people are left depleted, overwhelmed and without the energy to take on anything new.


Cleaning and Mindfulness: Finding Meaning in Everyday Activities

One option to help manage the overwhelm and add a sense of spaciousness is to include a mindfulness practice and make it part of a daily routine. Practicing mindfulness might include a sitting practice, but it doesn’t have to be restricted to the traditional image of a meditator sitting on a cushion with their eyes closed.

Some people use movement as meditation, including walking or engaging in a series of yoga postures. Many athletes report entering a meditative state when they are truly engaged in their sport. In some traditions, meditators are instructed on being mindful and aware in the present moment, and then to apply that present-centred attention to everyday tasks such as cleaning. Katie Shulist does just that with her Mindful Cleaning Method and Clear Mind course.

Mindful cleaning serves as a vehicle to mindfulness, the practice of which has many benefits. As mindfulness and its benefits to both physical and mental health continue to be explored by researchers in a variety of fields, perhaps most specifically psychology and neuroscience, an interesting theory has emerged—the Mindfulness to Meaning Theory, or MMT.

“Mindfulness facilitates flexible attentional selection of previously unattended contextual information, promoting the ability to see alternate perspectives and thereby fluidly reconstruct meaning from the encounter with life” (Garland et al, 2015). Mindfulness serves as a tool to help a person create deeper meaning in their lives, to “fluidly reconstruct” everyday experiences to help gain a better understanding of themselves and the world around them.


Mindful Cleaning: In the Words of Professional Cleaners

At Katie’s green cleaning company, Dhyana Cleaning, she instructs her professional cleaners in her Mindful Cleaning Method. It was here that she realized that the benefits of mindful cleaning didn’t need to pertain only to professional cleaners—they were principles that anyone could access, perhaps with just a bit of guidance and change of mindset.

Natasha Agius, a professional cleaner who works for Katie at Dhyana Cleaning says, “finding Katie at Dhyana cleaning was a beautiful gift. She understands that cleaning is a moving meditation, a means to focus in and yet get a physical, satisfying outcome.”

In addition, Natasha said that in the past, she had used cleaning as a way to escape her “thoughts and anxiousness” and that Katie’s mindful cleaning method had helped her to “grow and find [her] true self within the boundaries of self love and integrity” and that the method could easily be accessed by all.

Natasha became interested in yoga as a teen and how it could help “slow the mind” and “understand [her] self talk.” As mindful cleaning is a moving meditation, it serves as an extension of Natasha’s commitment to deepening her connection with both work and life outside of work as well as coming to know herself more clearly.

Stefan Lovecchio, also a professional cleaner working at Dhyana Cleaning, says that he “gains satisfaction in seeing a space transform; cleaning is an art form, in that sense.” In addition, one of the benefits of cleaning mindfully allows Stefan to develop insights that offer a thoughtful understanding of the work and services he provides as a professional cleaner. “A clear space allows an individual to have a much cleaner focus on their personal goals.”


Fluidly Reconstructing Experiences through Mindful Cleaning

This is the kind of ‘fluid reconstruction of meaning from the encounter with life’ referred to in the Mindfulness to Meaning Theory. By slowing down and attending to our own thoughts, sensations and experiences, we begin to connect more meaningfully with whatever it is we are focusing on.

In this way, cleaning becomes a tool through which we learn about the human condition from our immediate experiences and also how those experiences exist in relation to the experiences of others.

Like Stefan and Natasha, if we can find meaning in the work that we do, perhaps this is one of the ways we may find happiness to ensue from our own best efforts. Rather than searching for happiness, as Viktor Frankl reminded us so long ago, we can look to ways we can fluidly reconstruct our experiences to develop a sense of meaning in whatever tasks we find ourselves engaged in, and as a result may find happiness waits for us there.

Adrienne Kitchin is a freelance health and education writer as well as a Liberal Studies and Anthropology Professor at Humber College in Toronto, Canada. She can be found on LinkedIn .

In our multi-tasking, fast paced world, it would probably be difficult to find someone who doesn’t juggle a multitude of things to get done while doing other things. There is perhaps a time for this sort of scattered attention: cooking dinner while putting dishes away and helping a child with homework is a common experience—there are only so many hours in a day.

That coupled with the COVID-19 restrictions that have forced so many to wear different hats at the same time in the same space: boss, parent, employee, partner, spouse, friend, and so many more, it is no wonder that we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed and like there is still so much more to do.


Mindfully Avoiding Burnout

Katie Shulist, founder and CEO of Dhyana Cleaning, a successful and sought-after green cleaning services provider in Toronto, Ontario says that by using her mindful cleaning method, one can manage their energy, not just their time and move towards a more fulfilling life. This is done in part by becoming more skillful in the cleaning process, but also by using cleaning as an opportunity to be grounded in the present moment.

Over Katie’s almost 2 decades of experience as a social entrepreneur and a professional cleaner, she has developed some important insights regarding the many opportunities cleaning provides for developing mindful attention to one’s thoughts, ego, and physicality. Reading about Buddhist and Yogic philosophy led Katie to realize that she was doing the same sorts of introspection and mindful attention when she was working as a cleaning professional.

This inspired Katie to develop a program that could help others access the kind of mindful cleaning practice she knows is accessible to all of us. Katie says, “it is within our practice that we come to realize our boundaries are self-imposed, that anything is possible with the right mindset.”


Mastering Mindset

If we want to become more efficient and focused, we can do so by creating the right mindset, which can often be honed through meditation practice. Neuroscientists who study the effects of meditation on the brain have found that meditation not only affects change at the behavioural level, but at the level of brain functioning as well. In a 2018 study conducted by Benjamin Schöne et al, they found “that mindful breath awareness meditation may lead to refinements of attention networks, enabling more efficient use of attentional resources.”

​In a social world where multitasking is not only valued, but often a sought-after skill in various forms of employment, learning to have more efficient use of our attentional resources may look differently than we think. Rather than becoming improved multitaskers, we are better able to begin a task and see it through to its end with more accuracy and focus (Adler & Benbunan-Fich, 2012).

More than rushing through the cleaning process to simply get it done, Katie’s mindful cleaning is one that engages body, mind, and spirit. Cleaning is a physical task, one that is bolstered by using “effective and efficient systems to clean skillfully.” Next, says Katie, we shape our experiences with our attitude and mindset. The mental experience of the cleaning process is very important. If we look at cleaning as a menial task that is somehow beneath us, it will not serve our mental states.

But if we look at cleaning as an opportunity to come back to the body, to breathe with awareness, to have concern for the products we use for our own health and that of the environment and we see cleaning as an opportunity to check in, to be real with our emotional and physical states, we can begin to see it in a different light. And that different light is one of having a spirit open to providing service, whether just for yourself or for all beings that live in your home.


Fine Tuning Attention

In a study done by Kathleen G. Burger et al (2017) mindfulness meditation was shown to improve executive attention “which is the type of cognitive processing required under technically difficult conditions involving critical decision making, trouble shooting, and prioritizing one's attention among competing stimuli” (Burger et al, 2017).

Mindful cleaning, like mindful walking or mindful movement is a practice that can help to develop such focus (Crivelli et al. 2019). Given all the many competing items for our attention, especially since the COVID-19 restrictions, a practice that can support prioritizing attention in a skillful manner can be quite beneficial.


Many Benefits of a Mindful Cleaning Practice

Many people are interested in meditation for a variety of reasons, not the least of which include gaining a deeper sense of self-awareness and emotional resilience to help avoid burnout. Through Katie’s practice of mindful cleaning, there are the overlapping benefits of positively affecting your space by creating a clean and ordered environment alongside a deepening of our self-awareness.

As Katie says, “my aim is to create an environment that enables you to deepen your connection to all of life, and open to transformation within yourself.” By using Katie’s mindful cleaning principles as outlined in her Clear Mind course, we learn to transform the world around us by transforming the world within. Want to try Katie’s course? Contact her at katie@dhyanacleaning.com.

Green Cleaning for Healthy Spaces, Minds and Bodies

As awareness of the impact of chemical cleaners on personal and environmental health grows, more people are turning to the benefits of green cleaning products and services to help them with their cleaning needs and goals.

When Katie Shulist, founder and CEO of Dhyana Cleaning, Toronto’s premier provider of green cleaning services was asked to weigh in on what green cleaning is, here’s what she said:

“Green cleaning isn’t just cleaning for appearance. It’s cleaning for health, so the outcome is different.”

While of course green cleaning takes appearance into consideration, it’s a holistic process that also considers human, animal and environmental health. For Katie, green cleaning principles inform “the products that we use, the processes that we follow and the tools as well.”

Kicking VOCs Out and Inviting Cleaning for Health In

The products Dhyana Cleaning uses are those that have low or no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which are, says Katie, “damaging to the planet and to people’s health. They not only damage the environment—they can damage the air in our homes.”

VOCs have been linked to cancers, birth defects, hormone disruptions, and neurological disorders (Bably & Arif, 2019, McDonald et al 2018)). Katie says the use of harsh chemicals goes against green cleaning principles which are “to remove germs and bacteria to create a space that’s healthy so that you can thrive.”

From Thriving to Dhyana Cleaning’s Mindful Cleaning Movement

It’s that thriving element that has really driven Katie to become one of Toronto’s foremost providers of eco-friendly, green cleaning services. She is passionate about what it means to truly thrive, and how she can help her clients and her employees develop opportunities for personal growth. Enter Dhyana Cleaning’s Mindful Cleaning Movement.

After reading a book on Buddhism back in 2005, Katie remembers thinking that she was learning to apply the same kinds of teachings she was reading about in her daily work as a cleaner.

“It opened up a world of non-judgement for me because I saw our universal, shared humanity. Going into other people’s private spaces, you see their struggles. You see their wins and their losses.”

Noticing all of this gave Katie the opportunity to relate to her clients and their cleaning goals on a deeper level. Reflecting on those early days she says, “I think that shared humanity is the first lesson cleaners learn.”

Katie’s expertise in green cleaning led her to seek out a path that most resembled how she felt about the cleaning process itself. Mindful cleaning is “a way to get in touch with how you’re feeling in the present moment,” she says, and it offers “a practice to build present moment awareness. Once you become aware of what is coming up inside, you can choose to put those thoughts aside, in service for the person you are serving, as well as for yourself. It’s a practice in humility.”

Ultimately, mindful cleaning is “a practice to build loving kindness for yourself and also to build that for the people you’re cleaning for.”

And if all that weren’t enough, Katie Shulist’s Mindful Cleaning Movement is one that offers “a practice to become more self-aware, which is so important for well-being.”

Research into the positive effects of mindfulness meditation are numerous, and studies show benefits such as decreasing anxiety, improving emotional regulation, improving attention regulation, and positive change on perspective of the self (Holzel, et al 2011, Hulsheger et al 2013, Davis & Hayes, 2011).

Revealing the Beauty of a Space to Reveal the Beauty Within

Katie was inspired to create a way for people to learn about these principles, whether they practiced mindfulness or not. She developed #revealbeauty to help her employees, clients, and those using the green cleaning resources on her website as a way to begin to develop the self-awareness that mindful cleaning can offer.

Katie’s #revealbeauty reflects her philosophy that through mindful cleaning, as you “reveal the beauty in your space, you become more spacious in yourself, thereby revealing the beauty within.”

Katie’s vision includes all people who are engaging in the cleaning process, whether they are a professional, like her employees, or someone cleaning their own space.

In fact, gaining such expansive personal growth opportunities from her own commitment to mindful cleaning and revealing beauty was what motivated Katie to expand her company. Dhyana Cleaning also invests in their employees by offering them learning and development opportunities and supporting them to develop the unique strengths within themselves.

Katie is committed to providing green cleaning services and helping others learn to clean mindfully as an opportunity to develop self-growth and awareness. She’s also aware of the powerful mental-health benefits of a clean and organized space where “not only germs and bacteria are being removed, but by organizing, the visual aspect of order helps to lower stress.”

Katie’s experiences and understandings of how a clean, organized space can lower stress echo recent scientific studies that saw a direct correlation between higher reported stress levels and clutter (Arnold et al, 2012, Roster et al, 2016).

“It was from that awareness and that practice that I thought ‘this is what I want to teach other people. This is what I want other cleaners to experience.’”
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Katie has most recently been inspired to help people reveal beauty in their homes and in themselves by how much the current COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions have added to their stress and anxiety.

While mindful cleaning can benefit everyone, it can be particularly helpful when transitioning from work mode to home mode. This is especially true when so many people are missing the physical division of these spaces.
There’s no longer that separation between work and home, Katie says, and a 20-minute round of mindful cleaning at the beginning and end of the workday can help. This provides a way for those working from home to check in with themselves, slow down, and be more completely present when it’s time to shut the computer off.

Given the complexities of our current times, a practice that can help deepen self- awareness, lower stress and anxiety, and help get the house in order sounds like just the thing. Katie’s Clear Mind program is one that offers immersive training in how to begin and then continue a practice of mindful cleaning. In the meantime, Katie says anyone can become more mindful when cleaning with her 5 easy tips.

Katie’s 5 Easy Tips to Practice Mindful Cleaning

1. Set your intention (for example, do you want to increase your energy or learn to become more patient?)
2. Make it easy to get started by committing to a small task for 1-5 minutes. Starting is the most challenging part!
3. Make a plan. This creates an efficiency-mindset while conserving energy and making the best use of your time. (Stay tuned for the next post that covers this tip in more detail!).
4. Focus on your environment. Appreciate what you have and what you are cleaning. Are the items in your space gifts from a loved one? What about the care that was taken by all of the people who made the products in your home? This teaches us about our interconnectedness.
5. Set a timer and get as much done as possible within the time frame and without judgement. This helps you to drop into focus – focus on the next immediate step – not too far into the future, just moment to moment awareness of revealing the beauty of your space and within.

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Adrienne Kitchin is a freelance health and education writer as well as a Liberal Studies and Anthropology Professor at Humber College in Toronto, Canada. She can be found on LinkedIn .