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.

Blessings

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I have been thinking a lot lately about all of the AMAZING blessings in my life including my family, friends, my dog, my home...the list is endless. Every morning, as soon as I roll out of bed, I give thanks for life, for Earth, for the amazing plants, animals, and humans that exist in harmony. For each breath I take and the multitude of opportunities that continue to surface.

Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, the resounding message in our home was always count your blessings. Be thankful for what you have. Yet, it seems as we grow into adulthood, and become purportedly wiser, we tend to forget this simple precept. Somehow the day-to-day encounters of our lives engross and capture us so much, we have a tendency to postpone gratitude.

Why do we do that when it is so EASY to take a moment and REFLECT in the SILENCE? How often do we complain about the chaos in our lives and never take a moment to silence it? How often do we forget to hear and see God in this chaos and give thanks because it is the chaos that keeps our lives moving?

Blessings are abundant and they are powerful. They give us reason to pause and reflect on our true purpose in life. From each breath that we breathe to each color we see, from our feet that keep us moving on our different journeys to the laughter that brings us together, all of life's blessings provide balance and solidarity.

Nothing is accidental. It is all dependent upon what one asks for, how one asks for it, and, really, what one is open to receiving. We are all blessed, in so many unique and individual ways. It is up to each one of us to honor that, respect that, and remain open to the idea that our blessings are meant to touch others, as theirs are meant to impact us.

We are not a solitary species. We must work together to raise peaceful balance on individual, local and global levels. Start simple. Take a moment to breathe. Take a moment to truly reflect in the silence and offer thanks, to whatever higher power you believe in, for the breath that enters your body, the positive energy it produces, and the amazing contribution YOU can make to your life and the world at large.