If you’ve explored yoga at all, you’re probably at least a little familiar with the chakras. These are seven energy centers located along the spinal column beginning around the tail bone and ending at the crown of the head. Each is associated with different qualities and one of the focuses of a yoga practice is to keep them unblocked and spinning (thus the name chakra, which means, “wheel” in Sanskrit) so that energy flows freely throughout the body. Since so many of my clients practice yoga, I’ve been thinking about ways to reframe organizing as a helpful tool for understanding the chakras and making it a little more creative and fun.

The first chakra, known as the root, is located around the tailbone. When working with this chakra, which is all about elimination and security, it is the perfect time for a big purge. Getting control of basements and things that symbolize foundation could symbolically represent the first chakra. Anything on the floor of the home or office that needs handling would be a good thing to tackle. Lift everything off the floor, sort it out and have a clean sweep. And don’t forget the bathrooms—orderly bathrooms make everything run more smoothly.

The second chakra, at the level of the sexual organs, not only represents sexuality but also creativity. If you’re working with this chakra, you might want to start in the bedrooms or the linen closet. Clean out your underwear drawer and organize all of your arts and crafts supplies.

Since our wardrobes can be a symbol of our creativity and add to our sexual attractiveness (or cover it up), cleaning out the clothes closets and dressers is a good thing to do when thinking about aligning the second chakra.

The third chakra, at the level of the solar plexus, represents your drive and energy. It’s near the area of digestion, so focus on cleaning up your dietary habits, organizing the kitchen, cleaning out the refrigerator. Get into the garage and organize the sporting goods—competition and physical energy relate to this chakra.

If you’re working on unblocking the heart chakra, you might be ready to tackle a tough area like memorabilia. It’s always better to purge and organize keepsakes when we are feeling good about relationships past and present. Right in the middle of a big fight with a parent or significant other is not the time to burn all of their photographs—that’s a recipe for regret. When we have an open heart and are feeling centered is the when we make the best decisions about what we want to hold on to either to share with someone else or look back on ourselves later in life.

The fifth chakra, at the throat, is all about communication and expression. While considering this chakra it might be a great time to organize your music, books and especially, your files. It could be a perfect time to reread old journals and letters and check out how much you’ve grown and how differently you may express yourself now.

The sixth chakra is right between the eyebrows. If you have a place in the home like an altar of some sort, give it a once over to determine if everything on it still carries meaning for you. Items that used to mean a lot may have lost their resonance. Candles, incense and matches may need replacing and restocking. You might want to try a new essential oil or replace your old smudge stick. Since this chakra is associated with intuition and wisdom, it is also a good one for sorting through your books and other items of inspiration.

The seventh chakra, at the crown of the head, represents nirvana and spiritual enlightenment. Doing any organizational task has its opportunities to make us feel more grounded and peaceful, so take on anything that’s left to do. The color associated with this chakra is white, which represents purity and elimination of extraneous stuff, but is also the color that contains all other colors. I recommend looking at the literal illumination around the house. Are all the lamps working and is the lightbulb wattage sufficient for the tasks each light fixture is meant to illuminate? Do the exterior walkways offer enough light so that guests can safely find their way to your door?

When you’ve finished doing your chakra organizing, or even after simply imagining what you might organize to represent each chakra, you should feel a clean line of energy from your tailbone to the crown of your head. I hope trying this practice appeals to you and has you looking around to see what else you can do to lift your spirits in 2023.