Why You Should ‘Marinate’ Your Minimalism
It’s the slow build that creates a lifestyle.
Marination is a culinary technique. The noun—marinade—is a seasoned liquid solution used to soak meat before cooking. To marinate is to slowly break down the meat, infuse rich flavors and leave it more tender.
Beyond the kitchen, it’s a word I hear yoga instructors use: let yourself marinate in this posture. More often, I hear it during Yin poses, which are held for a minute or more, allowing sensation to slowly develop for a deeper, more restorative result.
Marinate—it can be quite the metaphor, right? I believe there are many things, beyond meat, that become richer through a slow build.
When I say to “marinate your minimalism,” I mean to let it develop over time.
Here’s why.
Purging Over Time Builds Habit
Creating a lifestyle takes a consistent effort, and minimalism is a lifestyle. I love Marie Kondo and her mantra to only keep what “sparks joy,” but her method of one giant purge wouldn’t have worked for me. In the long run, I see minimalism as a set of habits. And it takes weeks, even months, to form a habit.
Being so, instead of one single purge, I removed one item a day for two years. This ranged…
