For many years I was a self proclaimed vegetarian. I gradually stopped eating red meat and then fowl and then fish, as I discovered the world of vegetarianism. My overall lack of vitality is what drove me to this diet. For a while, I didn't eat eggs , dairy, sugar or wheat either, so I suppose I was a self proclaimed gluten free vegan, before eating that way was really popular. In my exploration of this "new to me" way of eating, I read lots of books and discovered many new foods that I didn't know existed. I became really good at substituting ingredients for recipes that included foods that were "Not good for me", thus off my list. I enjoyed the discovery process, but my kids would likely have a thing or two to say about the changes to their well loved cookies, cakes and muffins, as well as my substitution of their Halloween candy for healthy treats.
These dietary changes were well overdue at that time. I was still eating Froot Loops as a staple well after I was a married woman. However, I found that the changes in my health were marginal. Well into my gluten free vegetarianism, I had multiple dreams that I was eating a juicy red steak. Ignoring what I would now consider a plea from my body for much needed nutrients , I stuck to my strategy. If nothing else, I was dedicated. It was not until years later that I realised my body was talking to me. Through the assistance of my mentor, mastery teacher and friend William Linville, I began dialoguing with my body to find out what it needed rather than relying on a book, a model, a concept or my intellect to guide me. William is a Walk In who is a clear conduit to creator consciousness. For those who are not familiar with this terminology, William is an enlightened being connected to vast universal intelligence and is here to help. The first time I heard him in a radio show with my friend Jennifer Hough, I thought, "who is this very odd little man?". Within minutes, I felt my entire constitution right itself and come into equilibrium. In other words, I felt amazing and I knew that Will would be a wonderful guide for me . He is funny , odd and unusual thus the perfect mentor for me. His antidocts and intentional verbal play constantly make me laugh.
Getting back to food, I hear so many people saying this or that is "good for you'. What I have discovered is that nothing is entirely "good for you" and nothing is entirely " bad for you. There are no rules. The best to way to know what your body needs is to ask it. This requires stepping away from a model that insists that gluten free, sugar free, wheat free and meat free is the best choice. That broccoli is good and kikat bars are bad. That quinoa is more nourishing than wheat. For some, it may be the best choice and for others it will simply be a starvation diet. Giving broccoli to a body that feels deprived on a pleasure level, is not a step toward vibrancy. Foods like chocolate, have the capacity to activate the pleasure centres of the brain and create an overall sense of well being when taken in the amount asked for by the body. If the body asks for a glass of wine and it is given the entire bottle, this will not compliment it either. Given any sustenance that it asks for in the amount requested, will always create vitality. It is the same for exercise. I went to yoga classes for 13 years until one day I heard my body say very clearly, "I HATE YOGA". I remember saying to myself, "really but I though it was good for me?"At that point my body spoke volumes, I heard what it said and switched to NIA which is a form of dance that incorporates yoga, marshall arts and enough of a dose of playfulness make it enjoyable for me. This move improved my vitality and overall joy of life. So giving a body a 60 min spin class when it needs a gentle walk on the beach will simply lead to exhaustion because it reverses the polarities of the body and causes a state of deprivation. The body may be requesting a spin class once a month, followed by 3 gentle yoga classes. For other people gentle yoga classes are not the recipe when the body is asking for 10 spin classes or a session of hot yoga. There is no overall good or bad for you in anything. We have been taught to give our knowing away to a model that requires everyone to respond to the same medicine, creating the illusion that one thing is good and another is s bad, when in fact, neither is true. The KEY is to dialogue with our own unique instruments called a body and begin to know ourselves. It's a beautiful dance between the body as a vehicle to move us around the planet and our higher levels that hold the intelligence of our own unique life stream and is connected to the very source of all life.
Learning how to tune into the body and be friends takes a wee bit of time to cultivate but is a worth while investment. Before I get up out of bed in the morning, I ask my body, "what would you like today my good friend?. This morning, I heard, "I would kill for a yoga class and I would like to lay down on the sand at the beach ." I had discovered a few years ago that my body does not entirely hate yoga, but it only benefits from it when it asks for it. When I give it a calss that it wants, it feels heavenly. Every stretch is like a mini orgasm. The enjoyment is supreme and my mind has nothing to share asbout being bored. This week my body also requested 2 massages,10 days apart and then no more until requested. It has asked for celery and carrots and beets on other days. Sometimes glocosamine and trace minerals for a month and then be done with it. On other occasions the request is for kitkat bars or mint chocolat smoothies and a hamburger. Although red meat and fowl are not requested often, I most definitely will eat that hamburger when my body asks for it and it is always finger lickin good. In fact, it tastes so good that I want to eat the wrapper it came in too and then no more until and if it is needed. It also works the other way around too. At Christmas, I really enjoy eating a turkey and so I will dialogue with my body and inform it that I will be enjoying a turkey dinner with som extra feasting and would it please simply open and allow the indulgence and eliminate what it does not need, The answer is usually "sure go for it but pease drink plenty of water to flush it out easier."
I will admit that sometimes, I am unclear as to what is needed . When I am not hearing my body's request for one reason or another, I sometime receive hints from the world around me. A few days ago while grocery shopping, a older man leaned over and said, "you know brussel sprouts are great for allergies. I am not sure what prompted him to share this with me in that moment, but I heard him say, "hey Kiala, you might want to consider eating some brussel sprouts because they would compliment your body at this time." The same day, another woman said to me, " you know yogurt is bad for your sinuses." Although I do not hold this to be a rule, I knew that it was another message for me. I had been requesting that my body bump up the information it had to share and here it was coming in rapid fire. The next day, a good friend said, "Kefir is good for you." I heard," Kefir would be a better choice for you than yogurt because it is full of probiotics and will more easily digest and fill your intestinal track with yummy bacteria that will help your overall vitality." Will I stop eating yogurt entirely for my whole life and eat brussel sprouts every day, unlikely , but for this week and maybe the next, it will be good medicine and what my body is asking for so that it can move through this phase of celluar change and integration.
Next time you go grocery shopping, experiment with letting the body lead. Ask what it needs and let it inform you. If you feel drawn towards a certain food, it is likely something that will be perfect for you. Not good, not bad but perfect. If you are not sure if it is the mind or body that is requesting the food, you can use what I call the human pendulum to test. Just put the food up to your chest and stand still. If you sway forward it's a yes and if you sway back it's a no. It's fun and you will look ridiculous!!
Island View Beach near Sidney BC on Vancouver island Nov 28th, 2013
I am constantly growing and opening into listening to my body. We are becoming better friends after years of separation. If I had to give a word to describe my relationship with food and movement, I would call myself a "BODY atarian". A co creative friendship of body and spirit for optimal enjoyment of life.
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