I have always known that mind, body, and spirit are linked, but I never realized just how connected they really are until I did a detox this past week. Last week I wrote about my goals for doing the detox that I found in the March edition of Natural Health magazine. I wanted to change some habits: Stop snacking on unhealthy foods in the late afternoon and in front of the television after dinner.
Within the first few days of the detox, as my body began to clear itself of the toxins found in damaging foods, such as high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats, and all the other buzz words that nutritionists and fitness professionals talk about, I also found that I didn’t want to eat those foods either.
My mind became clearer as well. After a day or two, I suddenly realized that I wasn’t turning on the television first thing in the morning or checking e-mails every few hours. Actually, I didn’t check my e-mail even once all day yesterday! That’s miraculous for me! Without all of that television and e-mail, I had more time. I read more and had some personal revelations about who I am, my purpose became clearer, my blood sugars were simply fantastic, and I also found myself more present during the day. By Friday, after six days of detox, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t written one personal to-do list all week long! To-do lists have been one of the most consuming habits I have ever had. They have run my life, and I am thrilled that I didn’t write one all week. And I hadn’t even sought to change that habit!!!
I have finished the detox, and I can say that I rid myself of a lot of unhealthy habits. And although I have watched television, checked e-mail, and written a to-do list since, I have not eaten junk food, and I also believe I’m off lethal food additives like: high-fructose corn syrup and trans-fats. I also feel that I am still attuned to my purpose, and I plan to keep it that way!
The question is: Did I detoxify my life from unhealthy foods and habits because of what I ate? Or is it because I set an intention at the beginning of the week to change habits?
I believe it’s a combination of both.
Deepak Chopra wrote about the Law of Intention and Desire in the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: “Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment. And when we introduce an intention in our pure potentiality, we put this infinite organizing power to work for us”.
What this law is saying is that you can change your life for the better if you have the intention to do so, and the whole Universe will conspire to help you out. BUT, you have to also pay attention to the six other spiritual laws of success. Click here for a summary of all seven, and I strongly suggest reading the whole book.
But how is this possible? Okay, now we’re getting into quantum physics a bit, but let me try to explain. The law is based on the fact that energy and information exists everywhere in nature; a flower, a rainbow, a tree, and the human body – when broken down into its components – are all energy and information. The whole Universe is filled with interrelated energy and information. The only difference in the energy and information between humans and a tree or a flower is the content within our respective bodies. We can change the content of the energy and information of our bodies at the atomic level, and then it influences our external bodies, our environment and our world. The quality of the intention will cause things to manifest because it is linked to the energy and information in the entire Universe.
This is worth repeating: You can change your life for the better if you have the intention to do so, and the whole Universe will conspire to help you out as long as it is for the benefit of the entire world.
I chose to change bad habits with my detox, and it worked because I set a quality intention to change it. It cleared my mind, body, and spirit for greater things to enter my life. And, if you intend to detoxify your life from poisonous things, you can do so too. First choose: Do you find anything in your life to be toxic? What is it? Now set an intention to change it. You may want to detoxify from food too and/or make healthier food choices. You can also decide to clean out a cluttered closet, get rid of unhealthy relationships, or clean up your finances. (I am not a doctor or a therapist, simply a blogger who enjoys making my life better, and so I only ask that if you decide to do any detoxifying or decluttering, check with a professional in the chosen field first.)
You can change your life for the better by getting rid of whatever is holding you back. You just have to set the intention to do so, and the Universe will conspire to help you out. It works.
Here’s a list of resources that can help:
*Pema Chodron, Getting Unstuck CD
*Deepak Chopra, Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
*Natural Health, Detox you life (not the detox I did)
*Detox tips on Oprah.com:
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Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Changing habits with a detox: Part 1
I started a detox yesterday that I found in the March 2010 edition of Natural Health magazine. The typical and most obvious reason for doing a detox is to, as the name implies, detoxify the body from pollutants found in food and the atmosphere. You are advised to change the type of foods you eat, and in the detox that I’m doing, the reader is told to meditate, journal, practice light yoga and walking, and go to the sauna during the process.
I had always thought that a detox was not doable for me since I’m diabetic. To me, a detox meant drinking blended spinach drinks and eating grapes. I figured that I would be on the ground in a diabetic coma within one hour with a diet like that. The magazine’s program seems very doable though. As for the food, it advises to: “think fresh, whole, organic foods. Eat plenty of vegetables (choose sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes), fresh fruits, non-gluten grains, beans, legumes, small amounts of nuts, seeds, nut butters, lean, organic poultry and wild fish.” Alas, this detox does not mean starvation. (Disclaimer: I am in no way advising that you do a detox. If you do decide to do so, be sure to read the entire magazine article and check with a doctor first.)
I did not have any goals in mind when I decided to start the detox. It just seemed like a nice idea, a project. But then I slowly formed a goal: Use the detox as a needed push for changing some habits.
I eat healthy most of the time, but I have two weak points during the day: grazing around 4 or 5 pm and late night snacking, after dinner in front of the television. I eat healthy junk, and I weigh and measure it. I don’t feel the guilt inherent in late night snacking because of this. So why stop? Health: Weight loss and better blood sugars. I figured that this detox could train me to stop eating when I’m really not hungry.
Around the same time, I was also listening to a Pema Chodron CD workshop on getting unstuck. Pema Chodron is the first ever female, Western Tibetan Buddhist monk. Pema talks about a Tibetan Buddhist principle called shenpa during the workshop. Shenpa is a feeling which is very hard to define but is translated as attachment. It is like a hook, which you can sometimes feel in your body as tension, and usually occurs as a reaction to something or someone else. And you react to that hook, or attachment, either by going numb, getting aggressive, or having cravings.
Let me give you an example: Someone says something to you that touches a nerve. How do you react? For some, their body gets tense, and they keep their hurt feelings inside and then will talk about the person later, go out for happy hour, or watch television and eat lots of comfort food. Some people will answer with a quick comeback or yell or plead with a statement seeking approval. Some people will drink alcohol or do drugs or completely numb out. That feeling that hooks you is shenpa. Most people seek comfort from shenpa, as I wrote through numbness, aggressiveness, or cravings, but this only brings comfort in that moment. According to Pema, shenpa is the cause of addiction.
I’ve never really thought of myself as having an addictive personality. I hardly drink a whole glass of wine when I do drink. I don’t do drugs or smoke. But I do love watching television. And I love my morning coffee. And I love to snack! Do they bring me comfort? In that moment, they do. But then I’m sorry later. I wind up not losing those pounds that I’m working so hard most of the time to lose, and even worse, my blood sugars wind up being less than ideal.
Pema suggests that the way to get unstuck from shenpa is through the four R’s: recognize, refrain, relax, and resolve. First, become aware – recognize – when shenpa arises. Then, refrain from reacting and as I’m learning, reacting is really quick, momentary comfort seeking. Reacting can mean going numb or craving what you don't have, too, not only yelling or answering back aggressively. So in my case, that would mean refraining from snacking on comfort foods. Relax means to be with the shenpa, with the hook, rather than suppressing it through go-to comforts. Pema suggests breathing with the feeling. It doesn’t go away, but instead of suppressing the hook and possibly causing disease, pain, and anxiety, you are giving it space. Finally, resolve means to accept that shenpa is a part of life, and will continue to arise over and over again. Once you accept it, not pushing it away, you can live life more fully.
After hearing these teachings, I realized that I could use this detox to change some habits and hopefully live a healthier and thus happier life.
Here’s an update from the first day: I noticed that I didn’t feel the need to watch as much television, nor did I check e-mail or visit websites, nearly as much as I typically do. I am finding that I have more time, and so I went for a walk by the river yesterday and have been reading a book for the fun of it. I did watch some TV last night, and found that I began to crave chocolate after viewing a Hershey’s commercial. Otherwise, I hadn’t even thought of eating. I only miss coffee when I think about it.
I hope that by the end of this process I’ll figure out which habits I want to keep and which I will release from my repertoire for the long haul. Stay tuned for "Changing habits with a detox: Part 2" next Monday!
Have you ever done a detox? Tell me all about it! I'd love to hear about the program you did and how it affected you.
I had always thought that a detox was not doable for me since I’m diabetic. To me, a detox meant drinking blended spinach drinks and eating grapes. I figured that I would be on the ground in a diabetic coma within one hour with a diet like that. The magazine’s program seems very doable though. As for the food, it advises to: “think fresh, whole, organic foods. Eat plenty of vegetables (choose sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes), fresh fruits, non-gluten grains, beans, legumes, small amounts of nuts, seeds, nut butters, lean, organic poultry and wild fish.” Alas, this detox does not mean starvation. (Disclaimer: I am in no way advising that you do a detox. If you do decide to do so, be sure to read the entire magazine article and check with a doctor first.)
I did not have any goals in mind when I decided to start the detox. It just seemed like a nice idea, a project. But then I slowly formed a goal: Use the detox as a needed push for changing some habits.
I eat healthy most of the time, but I have two weak points during the day: grazing around 4 or 5 pm and late night snacking, after dinner in front of the television. I eat healthy junk, and I weigh and measure it. I don’t feel the guilt inherent in late night snacking because of this. So why stop? Health: Weight loss and better blood sugars. I figured that this detox could train me to stop eating when I’m really not hungry.
Around the same time, I was also listening to a Pema Chodron CD workshop on getting unstuck. Pema Chodron is the first ever female, Western Tibetan Buddhist monk. Pema talks about a Tibetan Buddhist principle called shenpa during the workshop. Shenpa is a feeling which is very hard to define but is translated as attachment. It is like a hook, which you can sometimes feel in your body as tension, and usually occurs as a reaction to something or someone else. And you react to that hook, or attachment, either by going numb, getting aggressive, or having cravings.
Let me give you an example: Someone says something to you that touches a nerve. How do you react? For some, their body gets tense, and they keep their hurt feelings inside and then will talk about the person later, go out for happy hour, or watch television and eat lots of comfort food. Some people will answer with a quick comeback or yell or plead with a statement seeking approval. Some people will drink alcohol or do drugs or completely numb out. That feeling that hooks you is shenpa. Most people seek comfort from shenpa, as I wrote through numbness, aggressiveness, or cravings, but this only brings comfort in that moment. According to Pema, shenpa is the cause of addiction.
I’ve never really thought of myself as having an addictive personality. I hardly drink a whole glass of wine when I do drink. I don’t do drugs or smoke. But I do love watching television. And I love my morning coffee. And I love to snack! Do they bring me comfort? In that moment, they do. But then I’m sorry later. I wind up not losing those pounds that I’m working so hard most of the time to lose, and even worse, my blood sugars wind up being less than ideal.
Pema suggests that the way to get unstuck from shenpa is through the four R’s: recognize, refrain, relax, and resolve. First, become aware – recognize – when shenpa arises. Then, refrain from reacting and as I’m learning, reacting is really quick, momentary comfort seeking. Reacting can mean going numb or craving what you don't have, too, not only yelling or answering back aggressively. So in my case, that would mean refraining from snacking on comfort foods. Relax means to be with the shenpa, with the hook, rather than suppressing it through go-to comforts. Pema suggests breathing with the feeling. It doesn’t go away, but instead of suppressing the hook and possibly causing disease, pain, and anxiety, you are giving it space. Finally, resolve means to accept that shenpa is a part of life, and will continue to arise over and over again. Once you accept it, not pushing it away, you can live life more fully.
After hearing these teachings, I realized that I could use this detox to change some habits and hopefully live a healthier and thus happier life.
Here’s an update from the first day: I noticed that I didn’t feel the need to watch as much television, nor did I check e-mail or visit websites, nearly as much as I typically do. I am finding that I have more time, and so I went for a walk by the river yesterday and have been reading a book for the fun of it. I did watch some TV last night, and found that I began to crave chocolate after viewing a Hershey’s commercial. Otherwise, I hadn’t even thought of eating. I only miss coffee when I think about it.
I hope that by the end of this process I’ll figure out which habits I want to keep and which I will release from my repertoire for the long haul. Stay tuned for "Changing habits with a detox: Part 2" next Monday!
Have you ever done a detox? Tell me all about it! I'd love to hear about the program you did and how it affected you.
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