I usually only use this medium to post my BLOGS and today you get a twofer. Along with my musings, I want to share my husband's latest song. Proud wife moment 😊 If you enjoy it, please feel free to share it. Thanks so much for listening! https://pauldillon.bandcamp.com/track/back-up
And now for my weekly thoughts:
It’s not always easy to pick a book for a series and trust that every chapter will be of a spiritual nature. That was the thought I had when I re-read Gateway Three in Dan Millman’s book Everyday Enlightenment.
And then I found this wonderful quote from Ernest Holmes in his book, 10 Ideas That Make A Difference:
“Every time we think of our body, we should think of it as our spiritual body. Think of every organ, action, function of our physical body as being pure and perfect Spirit, and think of God as being in us and around us and through us. Think of every breath we inhale as the breath of Life, and think of the things we eat as spiritual Substance forever nourishing the body. Think of Spirit and our body as being one in perfect harmony, and affirm perfect circulation, perfect assimilation, perfect elimination. We should declare that in pure Spirit there is not stagnation or inaction or overaction or false action. Our body is part of the kingdom of God, therefore there is a spiritual pattern at the center of it.” (p. 15.2)
The Third Gateway – Energize Your Body states the following: “Your body is the only thing you are guaranteed to keep for a lifetime. It forms the foundation of your earthly existence. Energizing your body enriches your life by enhancing every human capacity. If you lack vitality, nothing else really matters; if you have your health anything is possible.”
On Wednesday, before I wrote this BLOG, I met with a group who, like me, had decided to do a Spring Vital 21-day Detox. The facilitator went over what to expect, what we would be releasing, and how the 21 days progressed. I’ll be honest—by the end of the call my head was swimming, and I truly wondered what I had signed up for. And yet that still small voice within me reminded me that 1) it’s only 21 days, and 2) a cleanse/detox is not only good for the body, it revitalizes the soul.
We all know we should eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep. I love that Dan calls this The Holy Trinity of Health.
There are so many different ideas out there around eating. Trust me, I know—I have probably tried them all. From Intermittent Fasting to High Fat/Low Carb, it can make your head spin. And yet regardless of your plan, or what speaks to you, there are some basic guidelines that are good to follow.
I personally love the idea of eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. It gives our body the day to digest everything we put in it, and when you eat lightly at night there is less food to process before you go to bed.
I took a nutrition class once and the instructor told us for the next three months we were only supposed to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. At the time, I hadn’t really paid attention to the fact that all the fresh food is on the outer aisles of the grocery stores. Okay, this might not be true for the big box stores and check out your grocery store next time you shop.
I am not much of a vegetable eater; this may prove problematic over the next 21 days, and I do love my fruit. Eating fresh foods, preferably organic, are not only easier on your internal organs, they provide a lot of the nutrients your body needs.
There are lots of recommendations on how much water to drink. One program I followed for a year had me drinking a gallon of water a day. That may seem excessive, and I love the recommendation of taking your body weight (140 pounds) and dividing it in half (70 pounds); convert that to ounces and that is the amount of water you should drink daily—70 ounces. My commitment is to drink 80 ounces of water daily regardless of how much I weigh. Do what works for you, and remember dehydration is no joke, so drink lots of water.
I highly recommend paying attention to how YOU feel eating and not eating certain foods; it’s your body, so take some time to listen to it.
When someone asks, “Do you exercise regularly?” I immediately think about going to the gym or engaging in some activity. Some people are naturally active, and some people abhor the idea of exercise. I am probably somewhere in between.
I do know some daily activity is better than nothing at all. One easy exercise is to get up from where you’re sitting every hour and move. You can walk around inside or go outside and get some air. It doesn’t have to be a long walk; just move.
In his book, Dan included the following as another “exercise” that can be done at any time:
Stand up, sit down
Now stand up slowly to the count of ten
Feel your body - are you balanced
Now sit down to the count of 10
Now stand up slowly to the count of ten
Feel your body - are you balanced
Now sit down to the count of 10
And if you haven’t done so already, check out The Peaceful Warrior exercise. I highly recommend giving it a try.
Are you getting enough rest? Depending on where you look online, you’ll hear we need 8 hours of sleep. I’ve never slept 8 hours in my life, and staying in bed that long makes my body hurt. You do you, as long as you wake up refreshed, you are getting enough sleep. And rest is more than just sleep.
Be mindful of your movements throughout the day. Choose to make your daily chores a meditation. AND don’t be afraid to take a nap.
Ordinary, everyday practices can energize your body and temper your spirit.
REMEMBER: YOUR BODY, THAT IS THE ONLY HOUSE GOD HAS AS YOU ON THIS REALM.
Blessings on your journey,
Rev. Gayle
Rev. Gayle
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