Feelings About The Cleanse

Sparkle Cleanse Day 3 - Treat Yo Self Day 42

6 Steps to Sparkle

Inspired by Kris Carr., (2011) Crazy Sexy Diet. CT: Globe Pequot Press

1. Inspiration: "You may have hit your first real wall today. Brava! Hit it and then climb it, champ. It's really just a speed bump. You may feel some physical detox symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, a foggy brain, skin rashes and muscle weakness. That's okay; it's normal. Your body will jump at the opportunity to remove stored toxins. This is training wheels week, so stay where you are and grin and bear it."
2. Focus: "In your mind's eye, imagine how good it feels to start something new and see it to completion. For a minute or two, while closing your eyes and picture a colorful calendar. Watch as you check off each day of the cleanse with a green marker. Let the joy wash over you as you usher your accomplishment into your tissues. You did it! Now open your eyes and know that you will do it, to the best of your ability at this time. The only failure is inaction."
3. Prayer: "Allow me to let go of the restraints and get out of my own way. I am as free as I will let myself be, and I could really use a gentle reminder (and perhaps a flick on the butt."
   
4. Affirmation: "I am so frickin' cool and delicious and pretty and witty and sharp! I love every inch of me! Who wouldn't?"
5. Body Movin': "Work it, girl, work it! Your lymph system needs you.  Hey, cutie, this is also a great day to play with your neti pot. Your sinuses and lungs will bow to you."
6. Tip: "If you're jonesing for a frappuccino or Cinnabon, refer to tips for cutting cravings down in chapter 3. Remember sugar taxes your immune system and is highly addictive."

My Reflection:

      After the awareness I had with the bite of Halloween candy yesterday, beaming with pride, my heart sings as I've fine tuned my body and mind towards food. As I continue with my cleanse, I am able to know what is and isn't good for my body. 

      As I lunched with a new coworker today, I sat drinking my shake and we reflected on what was happening in our lives. As I spoke about my Treat Yo Self Cleanse he asked me, "how I felt about what I'm doing and the transformations I've created." It took me a moment and I said, "awesome". And he looked at me politely, with support and said, "Awesome is a concept, Jan. How do you FEEL?" I paused. 

How do I feel about what I've been doing? 

      Honestly, I needed to take time with this. There was a part of me that knew how I felt: elated, grateful, joyous, connected and yet there was another part that didn't want to acknowledge these feelings. Somewhere in my life, I felt the strong need to avoid my feelings, never allowing them to fully blossom. That my feelings (whatever they were) were unsafe to acknowledge. That it was easier for me to ignore them or stuff them down with food, than actually experiencing the breathe of my feelings.
      Fortunately Dr. Margaret at Traditional Healing Arts is aware of this tendency and has been working with me to feel all my feelings. With initial resistance, I knew there were painful memories and feelings buried beneath the layers. And how could I actually feel them, wouldn't it hurt and wouldn't something bad happen? With Dr. Margaret's continue support and patience, I willingly come to her space with a desire to understand why I do this. I've begun to open up, to feel my feelings and to know it's OK.
      The words above were written by Dr. Margaret on an ordinary piece of paper. But when I saw them, I was relieved grateful. The piece of paper is now displayed next to my night stand as a continual reminder before I sleep and when I wake that "I can feel my feelings." I'm ready to explore how I feel and with a list of words describing emotions I am eager to connect fully with myself.