Body Temple

[Sydney]

Day 23

As of today, I am no longer living in, at times overfeeding, battling with, frustrated by, grieving the aging of, struggling to cope with my body. I now CHOOSE, better! I ACCEPT my body as my TEMPLE. This term, while I've heard it before, has come into my awareness several times this last weekend, and I AM LISTENING!!!

Rev MIchael Beckwith spoke about it at the lecture I attended on Sat morning. He talked about care of the body in detail, mainly through 4X year detoxes of some kind (of body and mind, during equinoxes and solstices), nutrirtion, exercise, elimination, and rest.

I am studying Myrtle Fillmore for a class paper and she apparently healed herself from working with an affirmation for two years while working with other mental healing techniques and went on to live a full life -- 40 years longer than expected.

Though I am not a bible quoter, I came across a quote from Paul: "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you , which you have from God (creator, the source, spirit, goddess.... whatever works for you).... Glorify that spirit, glorify the God in you".

If indeed our bodies are the soul's vehicles to travel on earth and participate in the lessons and joys here, it's suggested that we should prayerfully seek the understanding of the soul's need and bring ourselves into harmony with that, from our role as co-creators.

There areas are on my front burner:
* Weight -- how it relates to preserving Health
* Loss of identity and grief through waning fitness and the ability to do what I used to do physically,
* Loss of identity and grief due to my changing looks -- face/skin/hair/muscle tone. Seeking and feeling a failure at doing this gracefully

And how this all affects my health at midlife, when so much is changing in my body. THIS is the time of life to make permanent, healthful changes in all those little ways that I still have not ACTED in harmony with what I KNOW and DESIRE.

SO -- Here are my intentions in affirmative language for how I see myself caring for my body as my TEMPLE.

Physical Therapy
I am 10 months into a year long quest to find out what happened to me and do what I could to regenerate myself.
It's been a very SLOW process, but I've learned a lot, and have improved incrementally. Here are those positives:

1. FINALLY have a generous team who are skilled, communicates with each other and are committed to me. BONUS: I really like them as people.

2. I am less in the dark about what is going on and this has given me hope! I can now describe what has been happening to myself and others -- HUGE. The work is to get my body flexible enough where it's been tight, and strong enough where it's atrophied WHILE I work on breaking my former physicality and relearn how to walk, sit, stand, sit, get up, open doors, life things, and do all my daily activities. I do this with a clear sense of purpose. I am very encouraged that I am learning what to do. I am PATIENT with the process and the timeline. Every Day is The Way!

3. I am SO grateful that I'm no longer a beginner in pilates. I was lost for a long time on even the most basic concepts. This is one way I will get stronger and reinforce correct posture and movement.

4. I devote hours every day to this process, which includes writing, meditation, visualization and affirmation for awareness, focus and continued commitment.

Eliminate MIndless Eating, Take a Moment to Bless Everything You Put In Your Mouth.
I bless my food EACH TIME I prepare it and certainly before I put it in my mouth -- even if I am on the run. This creates a pause, creates awareness that I AM eating, and with that awareness I may likely choose not to put that third card candy in my mouth, or the extra almonds when I've already had a dozen which should do the trick to nourish me. It also honors that food is fuel, as well as for pleasure and even comforting emotions....but randomly eating so many times to stuff feelings and quell anxiety, or because rest is what I need instead is not a respect of my temple, let alone my goals for myself. Vanity aside, it overloads all my systems and organs jobs. The body should not overeat or eat junk, except as a treat. Everything in moderation in a LIFESTYLE of health and balance is the key, the Truth, and simple. We all KNOW it. How do we BE it? LIVE it?

Choose The Right Fuel For Your Temple
LESS STARCHES: Instead of no starches (unhelpful carbs), I commit to eating none after 3:00 PM. This allows me to eat the oatmeal or Fiber One that I need to for other health reasons, but early enough to burn them off during the day. LESS SUGAR --I stopped the chocolate habit and now have stopped the yoghurt rasin/pretzel habit I substituted. LESS SALT: I don't salt til I eat or don't salt at all. NO WHEAT - apparently this will do something to help me so I am just trying out spelt bread and pretzles and rice cookies, crackers and noodles to see.

GOAL: Learn to make a tofu dish that's delish to eliminate one meat meal a week. Ditto Miso soup.

Hydration
I figured 2 liters a day and got a 2 liter bottle. I make it part of my morning or evening routine to fill it and drink it through the day, finishing by dinner if possible. My tea counts, sparkling mineral water counts. I drink before, during and after exercise.

Take Fighting Cholesterol with Food/Exercise To The Next Level
This morning I took the 30+ minutes to prepare steel cut oatmeal, and grind flaxseed fresh to add to it. I am also drinking decaf Green Tea daily with fat burning spices like cloves, cinnamon and cardimum. I will increase my green tea intake daily to positively affect my cholesterol.

While I am following my physical therapy plan says to not walk right now due to tight hips, I must get in regular exercise each day. 30-35 minutes weighted walking in the pool 3X a week and on other days, at least a fast 20 minute walk, preferable 30 -- after fully stretching before. Cool down after.

(Allergic to fish/shellfish, I must get omega's by other sources, and so far I need to be more effective in it doing good things for my naturally light HDL's). Read on Dr. Weil, Wed MD, Christianne Northrup, other books I have

Look into red rice yeast as a natural Aid.

THE LOOKS DEPARTMENT
I reclaim my beauty, for this age and time and place in my life, RIGHT NOW. This is something I will write about privately. But for me, much of the above is the foundation for this area. Some is about grooming and redefining personal style to suit where I'm at now -- age, city, weather, current body, lifestyle -- while health (good food, rest, hydration) and exercise also aids how I carry myself, with grace, confidence, and sensuality. But a huge amount is about where my head is at with it.

I'd love to find others here who are working on this and support each other. If you're out there, please write to me!

[AndreasE]

:) have fun anyway

[Sydney]

LOL, yes, simple! But it helps me very much to work to that place by thinking it out the way I have above. I will utilize your first line, thank you! Congratulations on your success!

[AndreasE]

just beleive that your body is at its ideal state, and respect it .. the rest follows, its working with me, cant say much, however, I lost 12 kilos of unnessessary weight, im as fit as i could be, blood pressure just disappeared:),... i faithfully do my morning 2k run up a mountain in my area and enjoy it .. justl let things to happen and they do .. god bless Andreas