My hubby went to see a new doctor this week. He was desperate to identify the source of the pain in his back, because in December he pretty much had every test imaginable with no conclusions. He pushed through the pain in January, but I could tell he still hadn’t been fully himself, so we chatted about it, and he decided to try something a little different.
Reinvigorated and full of hope, off to a new practice he went! This particular group focuses on a holistic approach, where they incorporate nutrition, fitness, massage, chiropractic care, as well as a medical doctor. Michael came home super excited, and feeling great with just the first visit. The x-ray showed his back issue right away, and they are working to resolve his pain. He said he feels like a new person.
The beauty of life is that no matter what happens, you can always begin again. Whether it’s a physical ailment, or personal issue, in every moment we have an opportunity to create a new outcome. This is why I love ‘detoxing’ – it is a symbol of cleansing, a commitment to yourself, and a way to begin again, fresh!
Every year I take a couple of weeks or so to “detox”. I began this ritual about thirteen years ago, and I find it to be amazing both inside and out! The idea came to me after my brother turned me on to a food detox, to cleanse my body of impurities, toxins, and so forth that may have contributed to my borderline diabetes (which has since gone away!).
As the years went on, I continued to add to the detox from a general ‘life’ standpoint – this may include cleansing my home, my cabinets, releasing self-limiting beliefs, letting go of the weight of my mind, shoulders, and weight carried on my body. It also has included looking at priorities, time vacuums, and cleansing of my schedule as well when necessary. Sometimes it includes eliminating electronics entirely for a period just to relish in the simplicity of life, creativity, and connecting.
I realized all of this equated to ‘Letting Go’ in a sense. And, I find it very powerful to choose what you want to let go in order to become the person you were born to be. So, Letting Go became a technique I use for myself, and teach in my workshops. I think it’s important to take some time on a somewhat regular basis (whatever makes sense to you as an individual personally) to clear away debris that may be building up in our lives. This can feel liberating and exciting. It’s a chance to eliminate what’s no longer serving a purpose or what’s simply not serving you well and what doesn’t align with your core values; to begin fresh. It’s a technique you can use throughout your daily life, but it’s especially important to create a ritual around it as well, because we all know how the speed of life can increase without our realizing it, and when we blink, it’s years gone by!
Choosing to turn the technique of Letting Go into a detox can keep you feeling in balance even when life is crazy, stressful, and bring you back to your ‘center’ when you haven’t properly nurtured yourself well.
So, in the ‘detox’ form, it is my ‘annual ritual’, and of course, in an ‘everyday mode’ the more in-tune and aware I am, the more simply choosing what to ‘let go’ happens naturally on a regular basis as well. The beauty of it is there really are no rules, just the ones I design based on my life in that moment – often with a bit of help from God telling me what to let go of and release ;)!
It dawned on me that it has been a few months past my annual detox time, I typically like to do it in September. But, this September was more crazed than usual: my father was admitted into the hospital and stayed there for almost 3 months, my book writing/editing was in full swing and my workshops were filling up, and my little LuLu started kindergarten so add in homework, social gatherings, and a change in schedule…yes fall turned to winter without a proper annual detox in 2011!
I have to admit, I felt it yesterday when I opened my closet and practically an avalanche of clothing fell from the top shelf. Did it really pile up that badly? I always stack it neatly, but I didn’t store away my fall clothes at the change of seasons, so voila, just like that – sweaters, long sleeve tees, and ponchos were pouring down on me!
Let the cleansing detox ritual begin! I will post daily so you can see what I’ve done to detox over the next 2 weeks. Last night, I…
* organized my dresser drawers and jewelry box
* drank 74 oz. of water with lemon and chose not to drink my usual iced coffee
* closed one of my email accounts that was just receiving junk mail – even though I don’t read the junk mail, just seeing the number of messages was feeling heavy
* released with my hubby- we talked about the weight on our minds, and it felt so good to acknowledge it together – I felt more clarity almost immediately after
More later!
What do you need to release, let go of, cleanse from your life?
