The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over, expecting different results.
I encountered the above axiom in a movie about someone overcoming excessive substance use. It is quite pertinent to the subject of cleansing, especially when improved health is the anticipated outcome.
If you've read all the way through parts 1 & 2 you may be wondering if I'm going to leave the story a cliffhanger. This is the third act, where something unexpected enters the picture: Intuition.
An aside for context. Carolyn Myss was an inspiration for me in the first few years of my Shiatsu practice. She was the first person I encountered (in 2002) who talked matter-of-factly about Energy Medicine, the chakras and the reality that mental/emotional conditioning can cause undiagnosable health concerns. I saw her, a Medical Intuitive, as a spokesperson for the reality I was living. In a 2017 TED talk she acknowledges that there isn't proof that our small daily choices effect our health, but asks the audience to "listen with your heart and your gut, and see if it doesn't settle well there like good chicken soup."
It is the time of year in the Northern Hemisphere for life to cleanse itself, this last installment of Healing & Cleansing is intended to pique the intuition. To call out the deep mammalian sense of knowing that the opportunity to let go of any excess is now, and to trust that the space created in that release will become an avenue for positive change. This is a deliberate shift from healing as the first priority (something has happened to draw complete focus to the health), to cleansing as a method to prevent ineffective habits from building into bigger issues.
Fall Cleansing can be done on any and all levels. Be it literally cleaning house, clearing through mental/emotional turbulence, or switching less nutritious foods for more nutrient dense options. Best to do this well ahead of the holidays/cold season, when the energy of change is all around us. We can move easily in and out of doors to shuttle materials away from and into our homes. And to take some of our mental/emotional conundrums out for fresh air and motion.
Start where you have the most understanding of what will improve your health. Meaning, if it's obvious to you that there is too much sugar and not enough vegetable content in your diet, make a shift in this respect. If you need intellectual proof to help change your thinking, then start a research project. Reach out to a therapist if you know emotions are the hardest barrier. Then find ways to make these changes sustainable. Small and consistent changes give our whole being time to adjust to new experiences.
Acknowledge what you can control now. Because you may not have had complete control over what originally compromised your health. We all make use of strategies to stay intact through potentially damaging times. However these survival tactics need to be reevaluated as soon as danger is passed. In the natural world, our fellow mammals all have methods to shake off trauma and reground themselves. We humans seem to have lost this impulse, but it's still necessary.
Hand-in-hand with this is to admit the truth about strategies that have become bad habits. This may look like statements of ownership such as "I got into the habit of eating convenience foods when I didn't have time to make my own lunch," "I used to let myself overthink situations when I had less security at home," "I let one side-track derail my entire self-care routine," "My thinking became rigid when I was always having to defend my position," etc. This simple act of self-awareness can open a world of new options that would otherwise be unavailable.
Be prepared for the urge to relapse.
- First off, remember that 100% is the easiest choice. This takes all the guess-work and anxiety out of figuring out what is "moderation," especially when choosing better food/drink habits.
- Second, recognize that if a habit has been with you long enough to negatively effect your life, it has it's own routine, and will attempt to reestablish that pattern when you're not paying attention. Similar to what most meditation teachers say, simply notice the deviation and return to your present goal.
- Third, have an Anchor always available for the moments when the body/mind/emotions are throwing the craving code so hard you would abandon all progress for that one indulgent moment. An Anchor can be anything. A fidget toy/worry stone in your pocket, a mantra or affirmation, an essential oil, a book, alarm clock set for an earlier time, a new water bottle, literally anything that keeps you in mind of the new habit you are actively establishing.
- Fourth, when you overcome the urge to relapse, applaud yourself! The accumulation of memories in which you chose a healthier route may some day become your Anchor.
This last installment is the most vague because taking proactive steps for health is a very individual process. Each of us has a unique relationship with our intuition. Indeed, intuition is a "knowing" that will guide us to improved health and connection in life. My suggestions are meant to stimulate your internal awareness. Keep listening to your own instinct for health.
By the way, if you watch only the first 7 minutes of Caroline Myss' TEDx some inspiration will arise.
One final note about proactive health. If we do any cleansing act that endures on any level, it will have a positive effect on all other levels of our being. Just try it, you'll see!
May we all be blessed with the grace and courage to experience life in a healthier way,
Christian
