Jill Katz, One To Zen Organizing

May 5, 2020

“What is your mantra?” I ask my new client.

Let me back up a minute.

Mantras: An Important Organizing Tool

Namaste

As a mindful organizer, I recognize that I am meeting my clients for the first time when they are anxious. Many of my clients are overwhelmed by clutter and are going through some sort of life transition (new baby, new job, divorce, a death). In addition, I am a stranger coming into their home, their space. So when we first sit down to talk before we officially “begin” our session, I like to offer a breathing exercise to center them in preparation for our time together.

Mantras Are Personal

Before we take a relaxed seat and begin our breathing, I ask my client, “What is your mantra? What will ground you in times of stress and overwhelm.” And they tell me:

“I am going to take it one step at a time”

“I will get through this”

“I am doing the best that I can”

“Omna’ma Shiva’ya” (“I bow to the inner self”)

“I am bigger than this moment”

“This is just a season”

Rachel Henry, my wise yoga instructor at Blue Heron Wellness, shares her take on mantras.

"I believe one of the best ways we can focus our mind and calm our overall state of being is by noticing our breath and it’s unique rhythm...If we add a mantra to the natural, repetitive rhythm of our breath, the experience can be liberating, empowering and soothing."

My Mantra History

As a child, I went through a period when I would faint any time a doctor drew blood or gave me a shot. I became very anxious that I would faint on a daily basis. I would get up too quickly, feel a little dizzy, and have a panic attack thinking “Oh no, I’m going to pass out.”

My Mother taught me to breathe and recite a mantra to calm myself down. I would make a fist and say “I am strong” and the word would translate into a reality. I am strong. I will not faint.

I Am Strong!

A New Session

Fast forward to today. I ask my client to come up with a mantra, or a word or phrase to use when they get anxious.

Then I sit with my client and we practice visualization and breathing for a few minutes as my client recites a mantra to him or herself. We open our eyes, look at one another with a sense of recognition and I say, “OK, now let’s begin…”

What Is Your Mantra?

Do you have a phrase or word that you utter in times of stress? I would love to hear your mantra and your mantra experiences.

For more information about Jill Katz and One To Zen:

Jill Katz, One To Zen Organizing