Whenever I book a hotel room, I find out whether I can get a room with a bathtub. If I can’t, I choose another place. Maybe it’s the moon in Pisces in my astrologic chart, maybe it’s just the soothing power of water. All I know is my day isn’t complete until I immerse myself in water at the end of it, before bedtime.

On those rare occasions where I find that I’ve been booked into a hotel room without a tub (for example the Club Quarters in New York City, which I’ve stayed in when its booked by a TV show), it just doesn’t feel right. A shower isn’t the same thing. It doesn’t offer the cleansing of my aura that water immersion offers. Okay—I can’t see auras. Never have. And wouldn’t know if mine were cleansed or not. All I do know for sure is that I crave a soak in a tub each evening. Because I travel so much, I have found that the stoppers in many tubs don’t work, even in really high-end hotels. (Most people don’t care because they are shower people, so this little maintenance problem escapes notice far too often.) Hence I travel with a flat, rubber, all-purpose stopper from our local hardware store. It works almost every time.

I’m in the midst of planning a master bath renovation in my home. I’m doubling the size of my existing bath and creating a real spa, complete with everything I’ve ever dreamed about in a bathing sanctuary—including a tile medallion with a dolphin pattern that looks like its straight out of an old Roman villa. Making a bathroom sanctuary makes perfect sense given the amount of time I spend in there at the end of each day. My old claw footed cast iron tub serves as the space in which I routinely read, write, stretch, dream, think, study old journals, listen to CD’s, and do Divine Love meditations. I even go to my inner “Magic Garden” to do the healing work recommended by my good friend Doris Cohen, Ph.D., and her incomparable Angels and Guides. (To learn more go to www.healingrepetition.com.)

Today, as part of the planning process, I went to a bathroom showroom and sat in a bunch of tubs. I want one that can accommodate two people (yes—I have a rich fantasy life). I know full well that for the vast majority of the time, I will be the only one in the tub. But I’m in the “If you build it, he will come” mind set.

One of the most delightful things about visiting a bath showroom is the utter clarity with which I approached the task. I’m no stranger to renovations. My former husband and I added on to my house several times. But in the past, I was just too busy to care much about how things looked. Besides, my husband had very firm ideas about what he liked. So firm, in fact, that I didn’t have the energy or desire to add my own two cents. He had it handled. And he had good taste, though it tended toward Spartan with a touch of Shaker thrown in. But I’m a different person now. Somewhere around the age of 50, I discovered that I actually do know what colors and styles I like. So I don’t waste any time looking at things (or doing activities) that don’t appeal to me. This is one of the real gifts of the second half of your life.

I can also get really specific. I want a classic two-person soaking tub, preferably cast iron, with the faucet and drain in the center. It needs to have rounded edges. I’m not sure if I’ll end up with a free standing tub or a set in. A set in would give me lots more space for books, candles, journals, etc., and there wouldn’t be so many books on my bookshelf that have crinkly pages from taking quick dips in the tub.

I also know that I want a lot of mirrors and natural light. I dress in the bathroom and have to see if the outfits work or not. In fact, I tend to sort through where I am in life by trying on “new identities.” I do this by trying on different outfits, an activity that sometimes goes on until 2:00 am or so. This may or may not be therapeutic on some deep psychological levels. At the very least it allows me to see what clothes and accessories I have and recycle those I haven’t worn for several years.

So, as you can tell, the tub decision is major. But here’s the thing. As I was hopping in and out of bathtubs in the showroom today, I was fully aware of how clear I had become and how swiftly I made my decisions. The experience was exhilarating. And in such sharp contrast to the approach I took in the past. My decision making process for these kinds of things were at first: “Wake me up when this is over,” followed by: “I’m sure you know better than I do so you go ahead.” That’s how I ended up with kitchen cupboards that don’t hold a standard size plate when I embarked on my very first solo renovation—much like Meryl Streep in “It’s Complicated.”

As I’ve often said, women dream of houses. And the house is a symbol for the self. As I renovate my physical home yet again, I’m aware that for the very first time, I’m actually enjoying the process of morphing my space to suit my needs and desires. And I have also attracted exactly the right people to assist me in this joyous manifestation. Ahhhhhhh.

As I write this, I’m sitting in an apartment addition to my house that was added on in 1983, the year that I gave birth to my second daughter, who is now 28. Hence I am living with obsolete lighting and dingy paint colors, including woodwork that needs to be brightened up. Luckily, there’s a very good woodstove that keeps me cozy in the winter chill, and the rugs and furniture are nice. I’ve also managed to get my high definition television hooked up. It’s one of the very first models on the market so it, too, is out-of-date. It’s huge and heavy, but it works. 

In the meantime, over at the main part of the house, the family room, master bedroom, and bath are all undergoing renovation. It’s down to the studs. Earlier this fall, even the roof came off! It looked like the house had been bombed. Saturn (growth through restriction and limitation) is transiting through the 4th house of the astrologic chart (home and roots). That’s the macrocosmic view. But back here at home, all the things that were in those rooms are piled in closets and boxes in the basement and garage. 

What that means is that when I move back in, I’m going to have to unload a whole heap of stuff. Because I want the new space to be organized and functional from here on out, I am turning to the work of my friend and colleague Terah Kathryn Collins, author of many books on feng shui and also the founder of the Western School of Feng Shui.

Terah reminds us that our things “talk to us” energetically. Do you have furniture that you’ve inherited from a parent that is dark, old, and depressing, but you keep it because it’s been in the family forever? Do you like what it’s saying to you? Listen closely. One of my friends had an old dining room set that constantly reminded her of the family dinners she had as a child when everyone yelled at each other. She realized that keeping it and eating her meals there was not very nourishing. All the old vibes and conflict seemed to live on in that table. Another friend of mine gave away nearly all of her old clothing and jewelry after her husband died. She was in her 40’s then and felt the need to shed the trappings associated with a difficult time in her life.

How do you know what to hold on to and when it’s time to let go? Terah suggests when looking at an item, whether furniture, a book, or clothing, ask yourself the following questions: 

1. Do I love it? If not, don’t keep it!
2. Do I need it?
3. Does it reflect who I am now in my life and who I want to be in the future?
4. Does it act as an environmental affirmation for me? For example, do I feel uplifted and energized when I look at it? Or does it make me feel sad and depressed?
5. What positive or negative emotions do I associate with it?
6. Does it need to be fixed or repaired, and if so, am I willing to do so?
7. If I were to move tomorrow, would I take it with me?

Letting go is not easy. We tend to cling to the old. But few things are as therapeutic as creating new, clear space—even if it’s just in your sock drawer.

I suggest that you copy the list above and keep it handy to help you decide what to keep and what to throw away. Better yet, get a friend or professional organizer to assist you and keep you on track. You’ll be so glad that you did.

I’ve been renovating my home for a number of months. I moved out of my main living space to a 600 square foot apartment that’s attached to my house. It has everything you need in a tiny footprint, and I’ve gotten used to living with less. In fact, I really liked it. As it became time to move back into my house, I realized that I had been living with a lot of stuff and that piles of it had accumulated in different corners of the house.

You know how it is. At first you see it, but after a while it’s just part of the background. Then something causes you to see it with fresh eyes—perhaps an upcoming visit from your obsessive-compulsive mother-in-law—and you go into a panic. If you’re like a lot of people, you need a plan before you can even begin. If you don’t have a plan, you’re likely to feel overwhelmed and tired before you’ve even done anything.

If you don’t know what I mean, take a second to look under your kitchen sink. You’ll be shaking your head, too, wondering how it’s possible that you’ve held onto decrepit looking cleaning products longer than some of your favorite outfits.

You may not know that there’s a connection between good Feng Shui design and de-cluttering. Feng Shui is the placement of furniture and belongings in a way that supports your lifestyle. Sometimes it supports the life you’re trying to move towards as well. For example, you can change things to welcome more romance, strengthen your finances, improve your health—you name it.

I’ve been a fan of Feng Shui for many years and enjoy getting my home just so. Two of my favorite Feng Shui authors are Terah Kathryn Collins, who wrote The Western Guide to Feng Shui, and Karen Kingston, who wrote Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui is highly motivational, and it’s fun. One thing you learn is that clutter has no place to hide in Feng Shui. Even crammed in a closet, the chi or life’s energy that exists all around you and in your home can get stuck, causing areas of your life to stagnate. If a Feng Shui expert visits your house, he or she can tell you what areas of your life are likely to be stagnant and problematic just by looking around your house.

So I’m no stranger to de-cluttering and I know it has benefits. My ritual usually involves releasing things I want to banish from my life, including relationships, possessions, and cluttered thoughts, which no longer serve. But with the renovation deadline at hand, I needed a little help, a little inspiration, to get my home organized for the next phase.

I found that help by way of the Fly Lady (Marla Cilley) at http://www.flylady.net/. I got this song on her Web site, and it’s a great inspiration. I’ve loved her advice about a shiny sink being a good place to end each day and set the stage for the next! Check this story out on her Web site.

Marla’s advice (and de-cluttering system) is great for anytime, but especially for spring. There’s something about this time of year that makes us want to start fresh, with a clean slate. (I learned a most fascinating tidbit about this today. A massage therapist colleague, who does colonics, said she can always tell it’s spring—the number of people who schedule colonics increases dramatically. Happens every year. Talk about deep cleaning.) It doesn’t matter where you start, whether inside your body or outside—they’re related. But I recommend that you chose one area and spend just 15 minutes on it.

Marla points out that most of us who accumulate clutter are actually perfectionists. We don’t get to the cleaning that needs to be done because we don’t have enough time to do it “perfectionly.” So, we don’t do it at all! The answer is baby steps. Just 15 minutes per day. And a shiny sink. This approach is contagious. Neatness and a shiny sink breed more neatness and more shiny surfaces over time. The Fly Lady system for creating order works even if you have young children. Peace eventually replaces the stress of clutter as you get systems in place that really work. Don’t get discouraged.

If the spring’s energy isn’t enough to motivate you, know that clearing your clutter can also save you money, lower your stress level, and may even help you lose weight! People who live in messy spaces end up going to the store to replace something that’s not used up, but rather lost in their own home. When I was de-cluttering my bathroom, I found eight new toothbrushes and four packages of cotton balls I didn’t know I had.

Your living space is a reflection of your inner self. If you’re living in clutter and chaos, don’t be surprised if you have trouble making decisions, have more aches and pains, and are more lethargic than usual. To be healthy, that chi has to circulate, and when it doesn’t circulate freely in your home or in your body—your health can suffer. You become stagnant and stuck.

So clear a little clutter. Just one space that would make your life easier. Then write me and tell me if you notice any changes in your physical body, like weight loss or more energy. I’d also like to know how making changes in your environment contributes to healthier emotions and greater mental clarity. Of course there’s also the fact that when you remove clutter, you allow exciting, new, fresh things to come into your life automatically! Very exciting stuff. Watch for this to happen. It’s amazing.