End of My Master Cleanse Experience

That's it! It's over! I made it 7 days on maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt water. Now, almost a week later, I find that I am missing the simplicity and purity of the fast. For the first few days after the experience ended, I was not interested in food. In fact, I barely ate and had no real desire to go back to my "old" habits. Now, however, I am finding that old habits die hard.

I went grocery shopping yesterday. Spending quite a bit of time in the organics section, I found myself seriously considering the type of fuel (food) I want to put into my body. So, I bought lots of fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains. My friend Amy mentioned that dairy products are extremely hard to digest. Unfortunately, I have a HUGE addiction to cheese and whole milk Brown Cow or Stoneyfield Farm yogurt - with cream on top. YUMMY!!! I just can't seem to give up these two simple pleasures!

Chocolate was hard as well, but I had Lent on my side and found that Faith is a pretty strong motivational factor. I'm not quite sure that God cares if I eat or don't eat chocolate, but for me, it is a traditional show of Devotion by staying strong to an ideal. Lent is a time for reflection and growth. A time to purify and reconsider where my path is headed.

I had many people ask if my fast was related to Lent, or religious in nature. While my answer was "no", upon further consideration I think that part of it had to do with strengthening my spirituality and faith. It's funny. I grew up Catholic and find that now I no longer buy into the organization of this particular religion. In fact, I would define myself as a much more spiritual, faith-based person than a religious one. Yet, here I am, following the religious rules, and giving up one of my favorite pleasures - dark chocolate.

Last Sunday I became a member of the Unity Center for Spiritual Growth in Athens. The brief ceremony included picking up a smooth, small pebble and adding it to the path of pebbles which had been created as other people became members. I found the symbolism striking. Here I was, thinking I was alone on my personal journey through life, only to realize that I am one of many unique, beautiful, shiny, individual entities which, when grouped together, form a cohesive and congruent trail. And, no matter how the path bends or the amount of obstacles along the trail, the power of a higher entity assists and leads us all, providing a never-ending flow of Divine wisdom and guidance.