As we wake up to the fact that this noise and stress is not who we are, we can make different choices that align with how we want to feel.
This interview first appeared at DailyOM here.
Today I’m bringing you an interview I conducted with my friend Stephanie Bennett Vogt about her course A Year to Clear What Is Holding You Back. While reading the interview, you will get a good sense of how Stephanie views this yearlong course and how it can help change your life. Don’t let the year commitment scare you. She really unpacks it for the reader with her unique delivery.
Madisyn Taylor: What does it mean “to clear what is holding you back”? What exactly are we clearing?
Stephanie Bennett Vogt: Like any good idea that gets your attention and won’t let you go, the phrase “a year to clear” popped into my head one day and stuck. That name gave me this course: a yearlong experiential journey of clearing. It is designed to lighten any load you carry by cultivating what I call the “five Ss”: slowing down, simplifying, sensing, surrendering, and self-care. That load we carry, what we are “clearing”, is anything that gets in the way of experiencing your true nature and best life. The issues people wish to clear through this course can range widely. For many it is physical clutter that motivates them: a desire to gain control over a lifelong buildup of stuff; a need to downsize due to an impending move or empty nest; or a yearning to simplify and live in a home that is nurturing. For others the motivation is more emotional: a desire to clear the residue of an ex-husband and heal from a painful divorce; find closure after a death in the family; or press the refresh button following a major life change or career transition. For most, however, stress and overwhelm motivates them to take this course: a hunger to quiet the noise and experience greater ease, balance, and meaning in their lives.
What I find most interesting is how many people sign up for this course to address a specific issue and subsequently come away with more life-changing benefits than they could imagine (or even allow themselves to believe were possible). A loss of excess weight, lower blood pressure, less attachment to things and outcomes, less worry, a new job or promotion, a new love interest, better sleep, a love of putting things away, a home that feels like a sanctuary, the courage to speak up and set clear boundaries with others, increased energy and motivation. These are just some of the shifts people have reported from their experience. You never know what will happen when you give yourself the gift of a year to clear.
MT: You mentioned the “five Ss”: slowing down, simplifying, sensing, surrendering, and self-care. Tell me more about how these steps help people clear what holds them back.
SBV: It took me 20 years to break the code and discover why so many clearing methods, though well-intentioned, do not last. The result is a method I’ve developed that uses, at its core, five practice steps. Integrating all five Ss into a daily routine helps you soften resisting patterns, nurture real ease, and grow new habits that lead to lasting change.
The beauty and magic of this course is that these five Ss are folded into the lessons without your even being aware of them. You are cultivating a practice in slowing down and simplifying, for example, without actually noticing that you’re slowing down and simplifying. You are letting go without being told to let go. You are easing into mindfulness and self-care naturally and organically without feeling like it’s one more thing you need to master in your life.
Together, over time, the five Ss gently work on you to release patterns, resistances, and attachments to anything that holds you back, including some concerns you didn’t even know you had! And the best part is that the day will come when you experience a spaciousness you’ve never experienced before: a calmer nervous system and quieter mind, with more ease, space, light, and joy. This happens thanks to these five Ss and your willingness to participate!
MT: This has been a very popular course, with over 130,000* people signed up. Why do you think it is so popular? [*In 2022 that number is over 170,000 people]
SBV: There are three big reasons why this course is so popular. The first is that this course meets you where you are – dealing with physical clutter that holds you back, emotional overwhelm and stress that causes you pain, or thoughts and belief patterns that keep you stuck in a rut. For many participants it has been a virtual oasis, a place to finally get some rest and feel deeply supported and nourished every day. The second reason is that most of the lessons are short, easy to digest, and build on one another. While my slow-drip program may seem counterintuitive and even frustrating for those chafing to “fix,” “tackle,” or “get rid of” their problems, there’s a reason why this course is designed the way it is. It’s called the human brain! You see, for us to break old habits and rewire new ones in ways that are sustainable and lasting, we need to adopt a gentler approach that bypasses the fight-or-flight triggers in the brain. We cannot release stress and clutter, and the patterns that created them, when we are in a constant state of alert and overwhelm.
To that end, one of the most significant and hidden teachings of this course that I believe has worked wonders for most participants is based on a profoundly simple Japanese principle called kaizen: the concept of small steps leading to big changes through continuous improvement. As a result, participants are relieved to learn that they don’t have to try so hard to gain results beyond their wildest imaginings. They are pleased to discover that this is not a how-to course in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s a “how to not do” course that allows the emotional stuckness and resisting patterns that are encoded in our “clutter” to soften, bubble up, and release for good.
The third reason why I think this course is so successful is the deep, genuine community support. Whether people choose to participate in the comment thread or not, there is something magical that happens when we share our stories of triumph and challenge. It is a big relief for people to learn that they are not alone and that so many others feel the way they do. It is a beautiful thing to see–no matter if people are on lesson 276 or lesson three–how everyone roots for each other to progress and grow. A rising tide lifts all boats, goes the saying. Witnessing each other in safe and positive ways takes our clearing to a whole, new quantum level. It raises the game for everybody.
MT: This is a 365-day course, which may sound overwhelming to some. Talk to me about how it is delivered and what people can expect in a yearlong course.
SBV: No question, 365 days can feel like an eternity when we’re already so stuck and overwhelmed. Unfortunately, with a lifetime buildup of stress and stuff, there is no secret potion to make it all go away. We cannot rush letting go, which is why what gets delivered are bite-size daily lessons that slowly build, one upon another, on 52 weekly themes. On one day you might receive a tip or a tool, a one-minute practice, occasional audio meditation, video, inspirational quotation, or contemplation. At the end of every week you get a chance to reflect and integrate the previous seven days by completing insightful prompts in your journal. With so much working below the radar in this yearlong program, it can feel like nothing is happening. In fact, everything is happening–you just can’t see it yet. To get the most value from this experience, I invite people to suspend judgment, stick with it, and allow the lessons to quiet the monkey mind and work their magic slowly and gently. If a lesson doesn’t make sense, skip it, keep moving, and come back to it later. Keep a journal and use the open-ended prompts that complete each lesson to help you mark subtle changes you might not otherwise have noticed. Read what others who are ahead of you and behind you on the journey are saying in the community thread as they may offer perspective. Finally, and most important, have fun with this! The experience is ultimately meant to be uplifting and enlivening.
MT: What do you hope people learn from taking your course?
SBV: My hope is that people come away feeling hopeful and empowered in the following four ways: that they become aware of the thoughts and emotions that keep them stuck; adopt new strategies to create change within themselves that are simple and sustainable; discover the joys of taking many small steps that cumulatively lead to big transformations; experience the peace and spaciousness that is hidden underneath their stress and stuff. I’m so pleased to say that many participants and students report that they have learned all this and more.
MT: It seems that clearing has become very popular. Why are people so interested in clearing right now?
SBV: It’s no secret that we live in a culture that is more overwhelmed and disconnected and out of balance than ever before. We are drowning in stuff or swimming in stress, or both. It’s a noisy world and we’re maxed out. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we have a fantastic opportunity to let clutter show us the way out. It is the best teacher! As we wake up to the fact that this noisy, stressful buildup is not who we are, we can make different choices–choices that align with how we want to feel. As I like to say, awareness changes everything.
MT: What surprises people the most when they take this course?
SBV: What surprises people is how simple, nourishing, and transformative it is to go on this journey. They’re also surprised by how quickly the year flies by and that they want to keep on clearing! Some are now on their second, third, and even fourth rounds with this material. If you think about it, how many people do you know who have purposefully spent 365 days doing something nourishing, something just for themselves, with a commitment to mark the changes that arise in their lives? We just don’t know how powerful we can be when we consciously tend to our home and life over an extended time, one day at a time. The only way to know is to actually step onto the path and experience it.
Click HERE to learn more about A Year to Clear What is Holding You Back!
More…
- Q&A – DailyOM interviews Stephanie about her course Clearing Physical and Emotional Clutter
- Q&A – Stephanie answers questions about her journey with clutter, clearing, Marie Kondo, and other things
- “Homes are Like Us” – Stephanie’s shares what home means to her
