Coming Back to YOU!

BONUS DAY!

This is a paragraph excerpted from the current book I am reading that I found to profound:

"When we walk the labyrinth of our soul out from the center and back into the world, the key is to slow down and observe our minds, observe every single one of our decisions, observe what we say yes to and what we say no to, observe what we give our energy to. It is by slowing down that we become aware of how deep certain patterns have run and are able to steer our course in accordance with our newly established beliefs, with what we have come to know about ourselves. By slowing down we can build our inner clarity and strength to find our way out, leaving the shattered remains of our discarded path behind us."  From Heart of the Labyrinth by Nicole Schwab, WomanCraft Publishing.

I share this here as we move into the holiday season. Why you ask? Because so many of us give in to the indulgences of the holidays, the constant buffets of not so healthy foods, excess sweet treats, and alcohol flowing freely. We set out with good intentions; plans to feed our body cells for health and healing, but something seems to get in the way.

When we open to soul, our inner light, grabbing at every treat offered no longer pulls at our reserves. When we align with spirit, our spirit, making choices based upon our wellness needs becomes second nature. No guilt, no feelings of deprivation, just blissful peace.

Question to ask yourself to bring peace when making holiday food & drink choices:

"Is this best for my wellness, will this best feed my body cells for health and healing?"

I wish you peace on your journey.

PS Don't forget about the FREE Holiday, Pamper Yourself Gifts!

This year I'm delighted to extend a personal invitation to you to join me and several healer women colleagues from around the globe, offering our most special and treasured tools, programs, and supports to help you stay feeling nourished, grounded, and energized throughout the holiday season.

The Happy Healthy Holiday Hamper is your very own store for everything you could possibly desire to support you this December. And the best part is, all of the programs, recordings, e-books, and workbooks we've collected are yours for free.

Receive all of your free holiday hamper gifts here: www.tinyurl.com/holidayhamper

Sacred Eating

Sacred Eating:  Meal Time as a Spiritual Time

In Eastern Indian  culture, eating is a spiritual experience. Truly, living is a spiritual experience and they recognize this. Native Americans always gave thanks to all the spirits of the food they ate, be it plant or animal based food. Eating was always viewed as sacred in our culture.   People were grateful to the earth and all beings involved in providing the food that graced our tables.

In comes modern living and people with way too busy lives who have learned to gobble food while on the run.  Smoothies to chug while racing about the house getting tasks accomplished, omelets being eaten in the car with disastrous results  (Yes, I had one lady tell me a funny "omelet in the car story" and how she reserves omelets for weekend breakfasts only.  I have had equally disastrous results with grated beet salad in the car.  Not a good idea; beets stain everything), and far too many drive through eateries dot our landscapes making eating a mindless commodity for the run, run, run of life.

We have lost the art of mindfulness around that which feeds our each and every body cell; not to mention feeds our minds and souls.

When I was a kid (Oh no, groan... here come the stories of "barefoot to school, uphill both ways!"), I had an internal time clock. I just knew I had to be home at 5 PM for family dinner time.  No watch or cell phone in my pocket to remind me; we were just very aware, on an unconscious level that we needed to scramble home at 4:55 PM.  I am not certain of the consequences of a missed dinner.  I never stepped over that line.  Family dinner time, eating the evening meal together, was an unspoken sacred family time.

Take a moment and think about how you can slow down your daily life to incorporate peace around meals.  Meals where you actually sit at the table instead of finding yourself running out the door, food in hand, to eat in your car  on your way to work or some evening activity.

Sit and be still.  Sit at the table with loved ones (your precious pets count here) and experience the scents, colors, flavors, and textures of your food. Food is a very sensual experience and, yet, most of us skip right over this blessing of sensuality. 

When we take the time to give thanks for all it took to bring this food to our plate and relax and chew it slowly and thoroughly, we perform an amazing healing service to body, mind, and soul.

And, a bonus here, every extra chew means more flavor burst in our mouths, more food broken down for ease of digestion and absorption to feed every one of our beautiful body's cells... does all this not seem worthy of our time and attention?  

When we express and experience gratitude for the food on our plates and gratitude to all who made the meal possible, a ripple of healing effects roll through our body.  This literally creates healthier body cells, a healthier you through better digestion and absorption of nutrients, better sleep quality as your body is less stressed, and an all around better quality of life.

And, on a bigger level, it sends a healing ripple of positive energy out into the world.  Eating peaceful meals has a powerful global effect.  

Can you think of one small step you can take today to make meal time a more leisurely and sacred time in your daily life?  As you contemplate change, remember that no one is perfect.  I was standing at the kitchen counter, eating a "quick" snack when the thoughts for this post raced through my head.  There I stood, eating and scribbling notes before those notes became lost in the recesses of my mind and the rest of my day's activities.

Bottom line:  Eating is a spiritual experience: we are spiritual beings in a physical body.  All of our Earthly experiences are spiritual, divine.  When we treat food preparation and eating from this space, we better care for our bodies.  Choosing whole foods to nourish ourselves, right down to each and every physical body cell, is a choice we can make from a space of wellness and deep nourishment of our body, mind, and spirit.

When we approach all life choices in this manner, making choices for wellness seems like the only way to go. It is pure loving kindness.

You owe it to yourself:  slow down, relax, and enjoy your food.  Discover eating again for the sacred experience it truly is.

Native American Gratitude Prayer

We thank Great Spirit for the resources that made this food possible;

We thank the Earth Mother for producing it, and 

We thank all those who labored to bring it to us.

May the wholesomeness of the food before us, bring out the wholeness of the Spirit within us.