"May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food. This food is the gift of the Earth, the sky, numerous living beings and much hard work and loving work." - Thich Nhat Hanh
We have talked about mindful and intuitive eating many times throughout this work. But I am going to focus on a different perspective. Food. I love food. 14 years of anorexia was never about me not liking food, rather the journey I walked with inner soul work and the old stories and lies I told myself that I needed to release. Today we are bombarded regularly with every diet under the sun that is the perfect one for optimal health. We have created ideas around food that are dangerous, and we have taken intuitiveness out of the equation as if we can't trust ourselves. Food is often labeled as good and bad, when it all serves the one purpose to nurture. Are there foods that are more processed than others? Sure. Do we love some of those foods? Absolutely. Will they harm us if we eat them? Realistically, no, not in moderation. The bottom line is that one, we don't know anyone else's financial make up. In the end we are all doing the best we can. It is up to each person to live a journey that feels comfortable for them in their own period. I have seen many walk into what is best for their body and change their food plans more than once. They only got to their place of balance because they walked into it themselves. Not because of endless moments of judgement, berating or labeling what is 'right or wrong' in terms of food. Life is short. Learn to enjoy. Learn to love. Learn to listen to what works for you. How often do you pause to be mindful of the food you are eating? Are you eating breakfast in the car on your way to work? Do you grab lunch at your work desk? Are you taking the time to eat with your loved ones at the dinner table?
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Affirmation!!! Today's reminder is that we are all responsible for our part on the journey! Lifting people up is SO much easier than you think. A compliment to a stranger, leaving a surprise affirmation in unexpected places for one to find to a good deed for no reason other than you can. I could name at least three things in the past week where a stranger made my day, a friend gave me a much needed and unexpected compliment or even just a smile when I really needed it. It is not hard. So, today (and always) try to lift someone up. I would LOVE to hear about it in the comments! Have a wonderful day and keep shining your beautiful LIGHT! Someone needs to feel it. Today I am sharing a very private space of mine. If you have been to any of my workshops or retreats, you have heard me talk about having a sacred space and the importance it adds to one's journey. Over our weekends our space evolves into many different transitions. One's personal space is a bit different. I am going to let this photo speak for itself, but needless to say every single thing you are looking at has a story connected to it that is important to me. This is situated on my desk. Some days are truly harder than others. It just takes one glance over to be reminded of my blessings, my stories and the road I have continued to walk. And when that doesn't work, I appreciate my favorite affirmation card reminder that 'gently' reminds me to get outside! Today I am reminding you to create your sacred space if you haven't already. If you have one, grow it and remember your stories for the steps forward. Everything is a journey not a destination....
Do you welcome sadness or do you fear its unknowing nature?
When people feel sadness, there is an overwhelming sense of doom. Sadness has a preconceived belief that it is not ok. Consider this for a moment. What if you were able to reframe your sadness into that of a gift? Sadness allows us to sit with our emotions, reflecting on the process of feeling those incidents that bring us full circle When we are able allow ourselves these emotions, we are able to be closer to letting go of that which does not serve us well. Sadness thus offers us the ability to see the gift in the story and emotion. I believe there is a gift and lesson in every step we walk in life. How can you reframe, own, and allow your sadness to be a part of your growth? I have been wanting to write a piece on Healing for some time. It is a complex topic. There are so many different views, definitions, and perspectives that people bring to the surface for healing. Today I am coming from a unique perspective. Every year I pick a word at the beginning of the year that symbolizes what I want to focus on for the next 12 months. Last year it was plucky. I love this word. I just wanted to continue to use that word which means ‘showing determined courage in the face of difficulties,’ or what I like to call a ‘just watch me’ attitude. But this year I was really having a challenging time choosing. I do not often enjoy doing those silly social media games or quizzes because they just feel manufactured and I do not presume to know how true they are, right? Well, one late night I just gave in and answered the questions to the quiz offering one’s ‘word.’ The word for me coming up was Healing. I thought about it with my first reaction being that I had this focus my entire life. Though after a few minutes I realized something really big. I have been healing my life for as long as I can remember, from wounds from my upbringing to my younger years, teen years to young adult years; through trauma then to my eating disorder, to abandonment, divorce and single motherhood all issues I have spoken and written about before. So why would Healing be my word now? What did Healing mean for me today? This turned out to be a good question for me. With a little more introspection, I started to really consider the fact that I have two teenagers who are close to heading out to college, one within a year. I have spent the entirety of my life healing and maybe in that healing I had yet to accept I was worthy of healing, worthy of forgiveness, worthy of personal peace within and not define all that my life wasn’t in my wounds or failures, rather all the ways it was unfolding and which I was graced by on the journey. I had yet to embrace and release the Healing for the things that I had no control over and Healing for the life I had thought I wanted but did not receive. And in this introspection, I realized the most important piece. My greatest fault is that I am always assuming my life is almost over. This comes from living through trauma and losing a lot of close people in my life too soon. So, now I am seeing that my life is not over yet; it is about to begin a whole new journey and how do I want to look at my Healing within those roads I have yet to walk? I am someone who always has a lot of dreams and aspirations of what I want to experience. I see now that Healing is always going to be a part of each adventure. The lessons of healing never end. I once saw this as defeating or a negative. Today, I choose to see it as a gift. Healing is not a scarlet letter. Healing is a part of life; a part of our journey that lies within our wounds. And in the healing process, we become who we are meant to be. How are you healing today? |
Next Women's Beach Retreat!Follow USOur YouTube ChannelAuthorAndrea creates, builds, and offers her teachings and hands on life tools based on her journey healing her body image after a 14yr battle and life of trauma. Her vision always is to help others live a full life with the journey they are given. Featured ProductCategories
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