MSM - Me Sharing ME!

I'd like to share a SECRET with you today.  A few years ago, I met a brother in DC who owns a natural health store. He ranted and raved about this product that I had never heard of while I watched quite a few people walk into his store to purchase it.  I like to observe before I plunge into anything - usually.  It took me months or even a year later to actually try this substance called MSM which stands for methylsulfonylmethane. Don't bother trying to pronounce the name. Keep it at the three letters.

I finally picked up a small sample from the Blue Nile on Georgia Avenue.  I tried it for a period of four days and what I experienced was quite astonishing.

I've been having pain and inflammation in my arms (deep through the extensor muscles and tendons) - more so in my right arm - for a few weeks. And I know it was initiated from walking my growing Rottie/Labrador puppy (gosh he's huge), throwing sticks for him to fetch, plus add on carrying heavy grocery bags, lifting, cooking, cleaning, bodywork, crowned by the continual use of the computer. And of course we can't leave out the mental cause which Louise L. Hay suggests as having to do with the capacity and ability to hold the experiences of life. We use our arms to hold and carry.  Most likely I've been rejecting and resisting some lately I admit.

In utilizing the wisdom of being a massage therapist, I am usually able to reach deep into my own tissues or muscles to relieve myself of any stagnation or discomfort that may arise from time to time. It's amazing how the human body craves and needs touch. Discomfort or pain can usually be resolved, relieved or lifted from a simple, gentle loving touch and massage from self or another. Unfortunately, when humans experience painful sensations in their body - for example - tightness in their lower back or stiffness in their wrists, shoulders, legs or even a mild headache, the first thing they reach for is a pain killer rather than being with it for a moment and then slowly move energy in that area. The pain killers create an illusion of relief. Truth is the stagnation, the build up in the cartilage, tissues, muscles etc....is still going on while one settles into thinking that they have resolved the physiological-mental problem.

I felt freer in my joints after taking MSM for those 3- 4 days but life got in the way and I forgot to refill and keep taking it. Guided by my health angels, I came across a few natural solutions and reminders to help me deal with this imbalance in my right arm. What makes it worse is that it is a muscle that I have to use on a daily basis and I am not giving my arm the time and space to heal. I have thought of going to see a doctor but I realize that it would stress me out going through the process of seeing a primary care physician who then would refer me to a specialist. I don't like dealing with medical institutions and my last ordeal has really kept me behind their lines.  I know that they would want to scan my arm with some radioactive machine and prescribe drugs. Though I could really use a slinger or something to support my arm which they have plenty of so that I don't have to use it, I don't want to go through all those hoops.

Besides valerian tincture, ginger roots, cayenne pepper (to mix with olive oil to rub into the area) and kava kava tea, I got me a bottle of MSM on Monday and mixed a tablespoon with orange juice. I woke up the next morning and did the same. Today is day three and I am amazed at the greater freedom I feel in my neck, shoulders, back, etc. I don't usually share all my health secrets on facebook or while blogging because (in the spirit of energy conservation) I know that most people will not read it or even appreciate the time and energy I take to share. And besides, the majority of us humans are just not ready for change and do not easily embrace it even though we say so in lip service. So for those who will be moved by this secret, I share it with you today.

Read on and learn about the wonderful benefits of MSM. Then do more research on your own.  If you suffer from stiffness in your joints and muscles... this may be just what you need to gain greater freedom and flexibility. Remember flexibility in BODY equals flexibility in mind, heart, spirit and LIFE!!

1. MSM helps our bodies absorb more nutrients (vitamins and minerals).
Co-enzyme Q10 locks with MSM, which means that in order for the body to fully utilize this nutrient, it must have MSM(sulfur) with it. Pantothenic acid, Vitamins A, D, and E, inter-enzymes, amino acids, selenium, calcium, germanium, collagnol and dismuzyme are just some of the things we know the body does not utilize properly unless it has MSM to lock with. A lot of the vitamins we take go through the body without being fully used. With more MSM in the body, vitamins can be utilized more effectively and therefore become much more beneficial.


There is a joke that Americans have the most expensive urine in the world because of all the vitamins that go down the drain. Vitamin C does a lot of healing by itself, but without MSM to lock with, it doesn't toughen capillary walls. When MSM is added to the diet and taken with Vitamin C, chronic nosebleeds, easy bruising and varicose veins may be relieved. Vitamin C and MSM work synergistically together. Every body is different, so you would need to find what works for you, but it is important when taking Vitamin C to make certain it has the bioflavinoids with it because it is then a complete food. Nature's vitamins (from fresh food) are the best because they contain the whole complexes without which the body can't do its job, which is to maintain and repair the bodily systems. Without enough MSM, the body can't do its job properly.


2. MSM increases oxygen availability to the body.
There are people who have had emphysema, who used an atomizer for breathing and could hardly get out of the chair to walk across the room, who, after about a week of taking MSM, walked a half mile, rested and then walked another half mile. Now that is not because emphysema had been reversed, but because the MSM detoxifies and increases the blood's circulation of oxygen. MSM helps get oxygen into the blood a lot more efficiently with the same amount of work.

3. MSM helps increase energy.
Energy levels increase with MSM because it helps make the cell walls more permeable. Our cell walls get thicker and more rigid with age; this tends to create a lessening of the amount of nutrients and oxygen that can enter the cell through the cell wall. Also, toxins which get stored in the cell get trapped within the cells because of the lower permeability of the cell wall. When MSM goes into the body the permeability of the cell walls greatly increases, enhancing the absorbtion of nutrients and oxygen and helping release the toxins which were stuck in cells. When these toxins leave the body, it helps to increase our energy.

A good example of this at work shows up in diabetics. When their blood carries sugar to their cells, the sugar cannot be absorbed due to the impermeability of the cell wall. Studies show that when MSM goes into the body it causes the cell wall to be more permeable again. The pancreas (which requires sulfur to make insulin) normalizes because it doesn't work so hard--blood sugar can now be absorbed through the cell walls, helping to balance the blood sugar level. Because sulfur is a component of insulin (the protein hormone secreted by the pancreas that is essential to carbohydrate metabolism), a lack of nutritional sulfur in the diet can result in low insulin production by the pancreas. Thus, for the diabetic individual, MSM is extremely helpful in improving their overall energy levels.

There have been reports of long term diabetics injecting insulin daily for years, who have in five weeks to two months become self-regulating and stopped having mood swings. The blood sugar had stabilized. Studies suggest, in those with diabetes, that the cell wall may be more leathery and thus the absorption of sugar by the cells is greatly reduced.

4. MSM helps the body eliminate toxins including lactic acid build-up from strenuous exercise.
Drinking plenty of water is very important for anyone wishing to have good health. The fact that MSM detoxifies means that you need to keep water moving into the body so that the toxins can be eliminated without stressing other organs of the body, such as the kidneys.

5. MSM helps to dramatically reduces recuperation time from strenuous exercise and long hours of work.

6. MSM helps relieve muscular aches and pains.

7. MSM helps reduce inflammation due to injury or inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
When the water pressure inside a cell is greater than the water pressure on the outside of the cell, there is inflammation and swelling. (The outer and intercellular fluid pressures are not equal.) MSM enhances the permeability of the cell walls, therefore allowing the pressure on both sides of the wall to equalize, thus relieving the inflammation. MSM takes inflammation out of soft tissue and since pain comes from nerves in inflamed soft tissue, there is often relief from the pain of such inflammatory ailments as arthritis, bursitis, rheumatism and hip dysplasia. MSM can help get the flexibility back into the tissues very rapidly. Some people have experienced relief in only 20 minutes! For others, it takes longer.

8. MSM, together with Vitamin C (a free radical scavenger) helps the body build healthy new cells.

9. MSM, along with Vitamin C, helps reduce scar tissue and wrinkles, and helps keep the skin more elastic.

10. MSM, along with Vitamin C, helps the hair and nails grow stronger and faster.

11. MSM has been shown to improve mental alertness.

12. MSM has been proven to help in the reduction and even the total elimination of allergies.
When MSM is added to the diet, anti-allergy medication may be sharply reduced or eliminated.

13. MSM reduces headaches, cramps and muscle pain caused by hormonal imbalances, for example, PMS.
Women who have had monthly menstruation problems often no longer experience the headaches, cramps or muscle plain associated with their periods. Many women have these problems because their hormones are out of balance. The monthly cycle can be a shock to the system. When the hormones are brought into balance, the body functions normally and these painful problems can be vastly reduced or eliminated.
14. MSM helps relieve constipation.
MSM can help control chronic constipation. Many older people seem to have this problem and it can be a real medical concern. Reportedly many people suffering from constipation have had prompt and continuing relief by supplementing their diet with MSM. A good amount of Vitamin C along with the MSM has proven to be helpful for this condition.



15. MSM has been shown to help reduce and even eliminate snoring.

16. MSM helps reduces eye membrane irritation (when MSM in a water solution is applied).
MSM is the 4th most plentiful mineral in the body, and so essential to life that it is found in every cell of virtually every animal and plant.

And MSM helps facilitate a better yoga practice. It makes you more flexible!! YEP!! 

Spirit of the Sea

Whale Medicine

Like the whales each of us has a unique song or gift to offer the world as is meant to be heard by others. 

 Photo by: Rolf Hicker

Native Americans teach us that the Great Spirit speaks to us through our animal brethren. The whale is one animal that we can learn from. Whales have existed for over 50 million years and are considered to be record-keepers who possess knowledge of the past.

It is through the vibrations of their unique sound that they release this ancient wisdom to us. At the same time, their sound carries across such great distances that whales can enter the realm of the future where they can acquire knowledge of what is to come. Every whale sings a song, and they never repeat the same pattern when they sing their song. Since whales must be conscious at all times in order to breathe, they cannot afford to fall into an unconscious state for too long. Never completely asleep, their brain has constant access to the collective unconscious where all answers lie. Whales float peacefully, secure in the ocean environment that supports and sustains them. 

Art by Robert Wyland

You can learn from the wisdom of whales by remembering to express what’s uniquely yours. Each of us has a unique “song” or gift to offer the world. Your song is meant to be sung by you and heard by others. No one else can sing this song but you, and your song is medicine for the healing of the planet. Like whales, you can choose to access information about the future when you go into a meditative state. Whales teach us to look at where we came from and where we are headed. Knowing that our past helps shape our future, we can remember to make positive choices regarding our lives, the environment, and our world. Like whales, we can remember to stay awake and actively engaged in a universe that supports and sustains us. When we express ourselves and share our unique gifts, we add our wisdom and vibration to the planet. 

From the DailyOm - July 27th, 2011 

 

The Masks and the Full Moon

The MOON is inching into her FULLNESS!! And with her being in CAPRICORN many may be feeling a bit restricted or limited in expressing their FEELINGS! Capricorn makes the moon cool & detached! The CAPRICORN FULL MOON is asking us to REFLECT on WHO and WHAT we give AUTHORITY or CONTROL to in our lives!! ~ Surya Devi

The full moon is always the perfect time for reflecting. And with the moon being that body of divine feminine energy that corresponds with and ignites our emotions and our rhythm since the beginning of time, she can even point the way for us to understand our emotions and internal clock if we tune in and listen to her voice and her sounds.

Capricorn on the other hand is a cardinal, as well as feminine sign. So in a strange way they have something in common, though many astrologers and astrology books may say that it’s not the best place for the moon to be.  If you have a Capricorn moon you spend a lot of time controlling or concealing your emotions and those around you may have hinted on many occassions that you are too cold or too distant. This is unconscious so you can change that and develop more discipline and rhythm around your feelings. Try pulling out your tactile sensual side. You sure have that!!

You simply cannot mention Capricorn without her counterpart Cancer lurking in the dark. They are the signs that sit at that parental axis and if you are alive on this planet you do have a mother and a father. Capricorn usually corresponds with the father and Cancer with the mother with room for any gender that gives or embodies the maternal or paternal qualities or energy. By this I mean your father could have mothered you or your mother could have fathered you. Take a pick.

Capricorn is the sign of the mask we wear when we are fulfilling our public role. Capricorn’s natural home is in the 10^th house of public standing, reputation, career, etc.  These are other words, themes or thoughts associated with Capricorn that may be bubbling in and around you during this full moon transit:  Aging, ambition, parental authority security & control, boundaries & borders, nostalgia, networking, big business, social masks, etc.

Who’s Behind the Mask?

We live in a world of masks.  Many people wear masks to conceal certain facets about themselves that they are not comfortable sharing with others, but with Capricorn it is different.  Capricorn wears a mask as a means to an end.  For example, a salesperson making a sales call may have just had a fight with a spouse or a partner. Yet, during the sales pitch the salesperson is calm, cheerful and optimistic.  It’s not that the salesperson is trying to conceal emotions; she just wants to make a sale and, to do that, she must connect with others in a positive manner. It’s part of the JOB.

Another example is my personal life. My dual identity gradually came to my conscious awareness from the moment the sun entered Cancer where it sits at the crown of my chart – the midheaven- while my Sun sign Capricorn sits at the IC- the bottom of my chart. This creates an inborn opposition between my home/personal and public/business life. With the Sun in my 4^th house of the home, inner life, foundation and the parent that I was raised by – which is my mother – I put a great deal of energy in my personal, inner life and my home.  I have a full facebook page under my creative, spiritual name – “Surya”.  During this transit I was inspired to create a page under my original name “Angelique” so that I could honor that part of me and carve out a space in which I will be able to distinguish both identities (masks) I carry. 

My second page is for people I actually know in real life in some capacity – personal, business or otherwise.   I had become overwhelmed with my creative page where I am able to allow the sensual, tantric, erotically creative aspect of my being to be expressed and shared. Most of my fb friends, I don’t know and even more of them I have nothing in common with or prefer to not have as friends. There was this incredible need to withdraw and to even delete that page, but after a week or so of refreshing my inner world, I realized that you can’t throw out the baby with the bath water.  I needed to shed my mask and merge my two separate identities….. like Spiderman and Peter Parker...not destroy one and only own the other.  

Spiderman is Peter Parker’s crime-fighting alter ego while Peter himself is a gawky, bumbling teenager with a personal life brimming with insecurity and teen angst.  Wearing the mask of Surya, I lure people into the dark unchartered territory of their sexual world; she can help save a marriage that has gone sour due to the dwindling of their sexual fire or she can help a woman find her fertile spirit, and bring it back into her womb so she can bring forth life, with Surya you can dance with the wolves!  

As Angelique, I am a mother, daughter and sister, a longtime friend; a neighbor, a freelance journalist, writer, former broadcaster, a well-known member of my community, a domesticated female goddess that loves to cook, clean, entertain, decorate, garden, spend time alone, write, read; she loves nurturing her family - including her dog – as well as everyone that walks through her door, there she gives and receives plenty of hugs and kisses all while being the CEO of her home.

When the sun hit Cancer last month, I instinctively knew that my task would be to merge both my home life and my public life in a way that they support each other rather than stand against, oppose or suffocate each other. Since then I’ve been able to pour more love and energy into organizing the Urban Eco Goddess Temple: setting up my home yoga/dance studio and treatment room while clearly defining the boundaries between my home and my work space. Now my clients and students can enter the temple through a separate entrance without coming into my personal, home space. It was not that way before. Now I feel more united within and with a more harmonious flow between my home life and my career. This Capricorn Full Moon Is schmoozing with my Capricorn Sun. What a beautiful blend of the masculine sun and the feminine moon.

So what is your task or better yet, what is your dance…during this Capricorn full moon? It would help if you knew where Capricorn lies in your astrology chart.  If you are in tune with your feelings and with the spinning of your own internal and external emotional wheel then it would be easy to see the symbols, signs and manifestation of these full moon energies around you and through your interactions and the places you move through.  Today, I finally reached a goddess friend who I had told I would call between specific hours earlier this week.  I couldn't! But whenever I was able to call her, I would reach her answering machine. I finally did today and the first thing she said - in her mothering, authoritative voice - was… "You were supposed to call me at a certain time, on a certain day and you didn’t…blah blah blah.  I responded, with a chuckle and said…..”Diva Goddess…..and life is still beautiful!  I can certainly hear the Capricorn full moon speaking through you today." With another burst of laughter, I added…. "All is as should be!! "

For an astrology consultation you may reach me at ecosensualliving@gmail.com or call me on my skype line at 301-637-6SEX

HAPPY FULL MOON!

Yoga & Pluto in Capricorn

Pluto - that small but powerful, intense planet is already leaving its mark while it dances in the Capricorn zone. It's an exciting time for me personally since Pluto is moving like a snail in my sun sign while destroying and uprooting the old like a wild fire and tsumani. Pluto says, if its old, rotting and stinking then its time for it to die. And I can feel this so deeply -that part of me that knows its time to change my own diapers while that other side of me utters, wait, wait!! hehehe!!

I just got the latest email from the Yoga Alliance! I am on their mailing list from my attempts to renew or rejoin. I joined them at their start up when it was free membership. They have since grown and monopolized the yoga market and community. Its funny how I see that I am a junior member in their database, which leaves me a bit confused and even puzzled. Somehow, I was not motivated nor moved to join. That's the spirit of my individuality which discerns and scrutunizes institutions and organizations that utilize the element of control, manipulation and power to achieve their own goals. I am not totally knocking up the YA but I am not totally embracing them either.

So the discussion on whether or not there should be a standardized test or exam to categorize yoga teachers came about. And I joined in on the discussion leaving my point of view....

While each of you raise points valid to your own experience and life path, I am one of those with concerns over not only the intellectual & so-called elite components that has been inserted into the yoga spirit but also one who has eyed the growing yoga community with their commercialism and profit making drive for decades loosing the true essence of this beautiful art. I've been a yoga teacher for about18 years and at that time yoga was scare and unpopular. My experience with yoga has been life transforming and healing thus enabling me to bring forth my greatest gift -a child. Thus from my own personal journey, I've helped hundreds of people particularly women and couples with infertility issues and barriers to child conception and birthing. It has been my joy and responsibility to share my gifts and blessings with others.

It is sad that YOGA has even come this far in this manner. But leave it to the west- Americans to be specific and they will turn it upside down and drain it of its beauty and sacredness - like anything else. I embrace yoga as a lifestyle, a sacred and personal practice that I honor as a significant part of my life and my spirtual path. I don't know what I'll do without it. Yet, I do not see nor feel the true spirit of yoga here in the US and like many other entities, it has become a divide and conquer quest for many, a fad, a fashion to be worn or carried out.

Yoga means "union" and I have yet to see any efforts to live and practice the true yoga spirit here in the US. Well, I take that back, there are the few select who are changing lives that the Yoga Alliance will never know about. There is the gender, racial and demographic divide that can not be missed by those who are truly conscious. And though the Yoga Alliance has done plenty of work to carry out its own purpose and mission regardless of whether it truly benefits all, I only see it as another institution that has integrated the elements of CONTROL, MANIPULATION and POWER over an ancient practice designed by nature to be - first and foremost a spiritual practice. Institutions set their guidelines and rules for membership and decide who they will admit into their circle. YA is no different as I recall being a member at the start and seen it go into a profit making company. I do not embrace this when it comes to the sacred ancient art and science of yoga. Though I do not disrespect it in any way.

Having said that, regardless of your attempts and even successes in creating a standardized test or some process to sift out the unwanted, I am still stuck at the door of whether or not I want to be a member of the Yoga Alliance or if it at all is suitable for me. Given my free and creative spirit, I doubt it.

(And with Pluto in Capricorn until around 2024 - the prediction is...the normal social hierarchies will be upended; there will be an eruption of the id; powerful hypocrites, accustomed to being able to control and conceal will be exposed; institutions and corporations will be broken down and leveled; there will be a great urge to shed masks, to be authentic, much of which is already happening.) - Translation... there will soon come a time when entities such as YA will be a thing of the past.

My personal philosophy around teaching yoga is to guide and support my students in listening to the wisdom of their body and to be guided by it. And my practice continues to evolve creatively as I discover new ways of living in my body and listening to its wisdom. Only those who attempt to be flashy and acrobatic with outrageous postures that only discourages those who are babies to yoga can eventually HURT someone, including myself. Otherwise, I am always saddened by those who pull out the FEAR card before anyone can even have a chance at it. Yoga is a practice that is meant to be as gentle as a butterfly, transcending all superficiality & artificiality.

 

 

 

How will Pluto in Capricorn affect the yoga world?  It will change the way those who are the leading faces in power carry out this ancient structure. It will break down the hiercharies that have been developed around this unifying and humbling practice, exposing those who's intentions are not aligned with the purpose of yoga; people will begin to create new ways around practicing yoga like, perhaps.... doing yoga in high heels or naked and barefooted on the earth. hehehe! We will see - as I am implementing - a green face to yoga and its partnership with eco sensiible living; people will prefer to do it their way rather than abide by the rules that have been created here in the west around this ancient practice, thus restricting its true essence. Senior citizens will find it instrumental in healing and bringing about their youthful spirit, while kids will take a more serious role; and yoga will become a leading remedy for infertility and sexual issues. But above all... yoga will be transformed here in the west to its rightful place and realm of SPIRITUALITY! It will loose the dominant physical form and stardom its acquired here and return to its original spiritual essence.

 

I share this because I have struggled for years with the way I've seen yoga transpire and infiltrate the American life and the western ways.With its aggressive commercialism and profit driven, stardom edge, it nauseated me. I went from becoming angry and withdrawn - because I saw no real UNION - to simply dismissing it and going into a shell, refusing to even teach. I saw no real racial integraton through yoga but more so I saw a divide. Newstands, supermarket lines laced with yoga magazines that pop up ever so often - with images of whites lacing the covers while people of color conclude that its not for them.  It stirred up deep sensitivity from within me.  When I was teaching back in the days, my people were laughing at me and my classes were laced with little or no people of color. Today, in the wisdom of my soul, I am moving deeper into a renewed yoga space and clearing the emotional rubbish I've accumulated over the years around this ancient art and science which is also my private joy and secret - YOGA!!

 

 

 

Bird Mama Fever

I've had glorious and wonder filled occasions that took me into the soul and rhythm of nature as a spectator with a front row seat right in my backyard.  I watched a mother bird build and nest her eggs over a period of time.  Perhaps  my maternal instinct is so elevated this month - with the sun traveling in the mothering sign of Cancer –but I am rather troubled that I no longer see her nesting her eggs.   And I certainly can’t seem to shake this feeling as I bring it up over and over in conversations with my son.  She is nowhere to be found.

I and a friend who is an occasional overnight  guest at my home would sit on the back deck in the cool early hours of the morning simply..... bird watching.  We would watch her sit quietly and calmly on her eggs.  It was a sight to behold. No movement or noise from the chaos of urban living around her would disturb her mothering meditation moments which created a similar space for me. There would be fleeting times when she flew away from her nest, usually not far. Other times, I observed her landing on the ground or a nearby tree.  Mother bird would return not long after.  It’s been about a week now and I haven't seen her. I am now concerned about her and her unborn babies. Where are they? How are they? Did they make it through the incubation stage? Did the chaos of metropolitan vibes ruin her rhytm? I saw no traces of egg shells on the ground. The nest still sits there on my garage.  And I dare not try to climb up to peek in and see.

I was looking forward to hearing the cry of her new born baby birds and observing them leave their nest but now I don’t believe I’ll ever get to see and experience those beautiful moments  since I no longer see Mama bird.  I read that some birds take weeks to leave the nest while others take days. I am not sure what kind of bird she is or was. She was, however, blue with some orange on her breast and neck, a rather small bird in size. I am sure she is a one of the various species of birds that navigate through Washington, DC and in my back yard.

Besides the creative essence of birds, one of the behaviors I observed in the bird culture while mama bird nested her eggs was the spirit team play. One day I saw her leave her nest and another bird immediately came after her peeking in the nest.   I learned that it must have been the father bird.  Could that be true? He quickly checked in on the eggs and made room for mama bird to come back and sit. I was impressed. And I thought, we humans can learn a whole lot from animals.

Whatever happened to the mother bird and her eggs, still remains a mystery.  My heart goes out to her, as the mother in me honors the mother in her.



Water Fast Day 4 - The Final Day?

It's Day 4 and I had to get out of the house for an appointment I had at 9:00am and return to work after the long holiday weekend. I only did so because it was mandatory that I attend this meeting. I was feeling not only low energied but somehow I felt off and misaligned. After my appointment and on my way back home, I began to experience the acid reflux again. When I got home, I drank another cup of warm distilled water and laid down for about an hour before leaving for work.

Today was the toughest day so far. After my first day back to work, I see that I can not continue on my water fast while working. My emotions are swinging back and forth. I am easily irritated and I know that I am responding to all the energies of the people and places around me. My assessment.... I will never do a water fast when I have to work and go about my regular routine that requires a lot of energy. It was gentle when I was at home, in my personal space with all that I needed around me. I decided to take a walk during my lunch break and I thought I was going to pass out on the street. I called my son and told him the address to the park in which I barely made it to and that if I didn't return to work by a certain time he should call my job and tell them where they can find me, perhaps passed out, LOL But seriously, I read a testimony in which a woman worked during her fast and at around day 21 she passed out in from of her boss.

It's easy to begin a fast - with all good intentions - but breaking a fast is the most important thing. I do not feel like eating and the acid reflux made it even worse. I shall now transition to a green juice fast by tomorrow morning. I have no desire to eat solid foods so I will juice for as long as I can and return slowly back to solid foods. What I do know is that I have a whole new outlook and feelings towards food. Before plunging into this short water fast, I began to detest food through my unusual scrutiny of the foods that I saw and people eating. I am a food lover. But I know that I eat for mostly emotional reasons. Prior to the water fast, I began reading and doing the exercises in a book called The Food and Feelings Workbook: A Full Course Meal on Emotional Health and it began to bring so much clarity to the times I ate and the reasons I ate, but more so it began to connect me deeper with my feelings, emotions and the ability to recognize and distinguish what I am feeling at any given time.


Oh well, that's it for the water fast. If the need arises to do this again, I'll make sure that I am in an environment and around people that will support my effort. For now, my body tells me to take it easy and not beat it up. Again I did NOT initiate this fast for weight loss reasons, although I have lost a few pounds. Do not know exactly how much since I do not own a scale at home. My primary reason was SPIRITUAL. You have to know when to stop anything and my body has given me enough warnings outside of the normal side effects of water fasting. I have to say, its a bit extreme and harsh. Perhaps that's what my inner child and divine self was telling me during the first dream night of my fast when there were military people outside of my house and then later on inside. (Scroll down for that entry). I appreciate the 4 days of thriving on only water as well as the wealth of information I've come across. I shall never be the same. I have no regrets at all. I know that my body has done a good deal of detoxing and that I can help it continue down that road in more gentle and loving terms and conditions.
It's funny how I felt that way before water fasting when I saw a few people embark upon on that path. I thought... isn't that a bit harsh, especially when one goes for an extended period of time. Perhaps some really need to detox for that long because of their current health conditions, but I am not that broken.

Thank you for stopping by and for following me. Do let me know your thoughts! :-) 

The Water Fast Day 3

Day 3 of my fast laid me down to sleep.  I was overwhelmingly fatigue. I felt rather cloudy in my head and had no energy or desire to do anything.  I honored my body and slept most all of the day. I did sit on the back deck on two occasions to get some fresh air. Later on in the early evening I began to experience persistent acid reflux (gastritis).  It was horrible. I’ve never had such reaction during normal eating activities. It was so bad that with the urge to regurgitate with a little support from myself.  I felt much better thereafter. However at night I had to sleep with my head and chest propped up because lying down only makes it worse.  I wondered if it was from lying down all day Sunday that instigated the acid reflux; I even wondered if it was the food that I ate the day before my fast that was now coming up because it couldn’t go out of my bowels?

Then I did my research and food that this is common. I even read testimonies that days and weeks into the water fast some experienced acid reflux.  I did not experience this during my lemonade diet fast which lasted for 21 days. In fact, I had more energy than I do now.

The First Night & Day of My S Journey!

"I often observe in the fasting participants that by four days of fasting, concentration seems to improve, creative thinking expands, depression lifts, insomnia stops, anxieties fade, the mind becomes more tranquil and a natural joy begins to appear. It is my hypothesis that when the physical toxins are cleared from the brain cells, mind-brain function automatically and significantly improves and spiritual capacities expands."
- Gabriel Cousins, M.D. (psychiatry)

YEEAAAAAH!! I made it through the first 24 hours! My dreams last night and this morning were vivid and multiple. The first dream was a shocker when I walked into my bedroom to see my ex-boyfriend curled up in my bed. He had returned. I was actually happy to see him and jumped in the bed giving him a kiss and a hug. I thought I was over this dude? What the hell's going on? It's been a year now since we broke up dramatically.

In another dream, I gifted a sistah friend with a beautiful pair of African earrings after she explained that she was trying to get a new cell phone but both her cards were not accepted.  One of my older sisters appeared in the next dream along with another friend who was my 1st grade King and I his Queen; followed by another one with an army of soldiers outside my home who later appeared in the bedroom of my son in a lineup. Okay, by now you're thinking what's with the dreams?

Dreams are a portal to our underground world where the unfinished and unprocessed workings of our being are stored away by our unconscious mind. The message from the higher realm sometimes come through the images and symbols of our dreams. And our inner child is the gatekeeper as well as the messenger of the divine realm.  When we are unable to see clearly or completely resolve certain experiences in our conscious life, our dreams can point us towards resolution and completion.  Upon awakening, this morning, I wrote down each dream and reflected on them and what messages they bring to me. And without having to go into details here, they were all eye openers and the messages came clear to me.  I love it when I recall my dreams! It shows me that I am once again connected with my inner child. It shows that she is not upset or have been ignored. When she is not cared for and loved, she shuts down and blurs the lines to the dream world.  My dreams will guide me along the path of this spiritual journey and water detox; and to begin with a series is something for me to cheer about.

I woke up this morning with tightness and discomfort in my lower back and abdominal area. This usually happens when I have gone over the top with eating and the pressure from the fullness weighs down on the organs in my core.   It can sometimes be an indication of built up sexual energy.  My right arm and right shoulder were still sore. I somehow pulled the muscles between my wrist and my elbow and now my right deltoid muscle tissues are sore after waking up a couple of days ago. All on the right side - which is our male/masculine side.  Overexerted? Breathing, stretching and drinking three glasses of water and then having a bowel movement brought considerable relief. A walk with the dog, followed by an hour of dancing and a series of sun salutations, plus self energy work completely whipped out the uncomfortable sensations in my lower back and core region and brought about ease and movement.

I also did a great deal of reading today. A book on my shelf called  Using Energy to Heal by Wendell H. Hoffman caught my attention and so I began reading it this morning. It goes without saying that it was just what the universe ordered. It is a powerful old book that transcends time. Here's a hint, get rid of all aluminum in your kitchen and home. Throw them away. Here are a couple of catch words..... Broadcasting....Projection Healing.

I've been alone with the dog since my son is with his Dad.  For most of the day, I've been in silence or in a one-way conversation with "Midnite" (our puppy).  I spent some time sitting in the sun to absorb its solar power.  It's pretty energizing. The question that came up for me today was: "WHERE DO I BELONG?"  A perfect question that frames a longing, yearning and desire to be with kindred spirits and evolved souls and to be at home with my earthly spiritual family. Most times I feel as though I am from another planet, displaced and out of touch, most likely wasting my time and energy with people that do not particularly add value to my life. It brought to light the frustration and boredom with the many facebook statuses, comments and images that line up in the home page when I log on.  I was reminded of the disgust with the way of life in America and how people of color have a long way to go beyond the chains of slavery.  Imagine turning on the TV and scrolling to see "Basketball Wives for the first time - a couple of days ago - only to be totally sad and disappointed of such garbage being fed to those who look at themselves.  Or again for the first time skipping to "Baisden After Dark" to find him sitting with a glass of wine and a liquor bar as a prop on his set. Are you serious?  Or as I scroll through my old phone book, I am not the least excited about calling or receiving a call from anyone in it.  I definitely do not desire any "small talk" during this S journey. Gosh "ST" can be draining. Somehow, I need more, somehow much of what I see is not feeding my soul at all.  Where are my true spiritual family I ask? They are out there somewhere and I open up to receive them in my life.  I call on my TRUE TRIBE!!

It was later on that I began to think of food when I entered the kitchen. I allowed those sensations to simply pass by. Then my son calls to check in on me only to add descriptions of some of my favorite foods to tease me. LOL! Gosh this is tough! Without food and eating, there is more time, space and energy to do otherwise. Damn... we spend a lot of time eating or thinking about, talking about food and eating or shopping for it.  Life in the west revolves around food. It's the core of socialization, the professional life, the family, relationships and life in general.  The plate of food or buffet always stands or sits between two or more people like a center piece - whether it's a date, a business meeting at a restaurant, a conference, friends or family gather together,  an evening out - you name it. People eat when they are bored, they eat when they are emotional. Truth is food runs our lives and we eat too damn much.  And  of course corporations are profiting off our  addictions to food while keeping humans sick. So here I am with no food and plenty of time.

I took a couple of nice long naps today, which is a life saver. I haven't enjoyed such in a while. After moments of a self-pleasuring meditation I relaxed into sleep land where I didn't have to think about food or eating. In one of my dreams a friend - who in waking life is not a very good influence food wise (the buster has a horrible diet) - was looking for a place to eat and then I went back home with food on mind, suddenly remembering that I was on a water fast. LOL!!

I have been consuming lots of water.  I psyched myself to see water as food. When I feel hungry or think of food, I pour myself a glass of water and drink at least two in a row to get that feeling I would usually have in my belly after eating. Water is now my food during this journey. So I bless it and drink it. I've already had a gallon and a half and I know that I'll finish the other half gallon before I retire this evening.

I also practiced the inner smile from the Tao tradition as well as the micro cosmic orbit introduced to me by Mantak Chia and taught during a Healing Love Summer Retreat I attended 2 years ago in the Appalaccian mountains with Michael Winn who co-authored the popular book Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energies. I found myself intermittently repeating my simple affirmation "I love myself" through out the day.

A few inches have already melted from my belly area and I feel lighter and see the difference. I am also remembering to salivate. The saliva is a powerful healing fluid that we already carry in our body as mentioned in  The Sexual Teachings of the White Tigress which delves into the micronutrients and health benefits of both saliva and semen. Salivating also helps to dissolve the feelings of hunger in the mouth and breaks down toxic in the body while keeping your vagina lubricated.

Before I sign off, I'd like to emphasize the importance of drinking an abundance of water during a water fast. If you do not normally drink a lot of water or find it hard to do, you will have a rough time with a water fast. If you fall in that category, I strongly advise you to begin a practice of drinking plenty of water during the prep stage for fasting. Begin to flush your body with more water than you usually do so that once you begin your fast it will not be a shock to you and your system. I consider myself very fortunate since I am the water goddess (sometimes water police) hehehe! I normally drink lots of water anyway, so this lightens things up a bit for me during a fast. Don't go for more than two hours without drinking. Plus if you have an animal based diet you are likely to encounter a lot of the pain and agony of your body working so hard to break down and release the toxins and poisons you put into it over time. I have a dairy & meat free diet (I do eat seafood -wild salmon mostly- from time to time) and I do not indulge in artificial, sodas, junk foods with preservatives and therefore, day one was not as bad for me as it would be for a meat eater. My issue is that I love eating so what I do have in my diet I consume a lot of. As an African woman, I eat a lot of rice so I have carbohydrate cravings that I am now trying to shake.  Oh one more thing, it is also wise to eat raw foods during the prep stage for your fast. Try not to go on a binge the day and night before because it is a recipe for pain and agony the first 2 or 3 days of your water fast.

Remember if you become friends with water before your fast, it will be your best friend and companion during your fast.  See you later!!

The COUNT DOWN to a SPIRITUAL JOURNEY!

            I declare this day, Saturday, July 2nd, 2011 as the day of initiation into an Aqua Fast! 

At first, I resisted the idea. My ego whipped up excuses, disregarded others efforts to do this and even tried to get out of it by trying to come up with another avenue that was different. My higher self prevailed while my ancestors spoke to me saying "...this is an ancient phenomenon and you are an ancient soul who needs to remember who you are."  So I finally surrendered and for the last few days I've been prepping mind, heart and soul to begin at 6pm this evening under the New Moon. My dreams have already been powerfully vivid as I stand to take this plunge and accept this challenge.

I am not doing this fast to loose weight. Although from my before pictures (taken yesterday in the nude), I can see that I can benefit from a few inches off my belly, waist and thighs. I don't normally obsess about weight and always love and accept my body just as it is because it has been nothing but good to me with its wisdom and ability to guide, protect and warn me as needed. I can now serve my own body by working for and with it and not against it.

I have finally admitted to myself that I am a food addict. (Exhale!) Foods had become my cushion, my refuge, my barrier to feeling my emotions, a distraction from the truth. I observed just how tired I was today and the resistance around simply letting go and taking a nap. Instead, got on the internet, browsed facebook, then  made my way to the fridge and consumed a bowl of watermelon and then some okra and rice. I saw myself in motion and realized that I even eat when I am tired to avoid resting. (smh) 

My purpose for this journey is primarily SPIRITUAL, as I see it as a way to reconnect with my true divine self that sits under all the layers I've accumulated. I seek to plunge into the depth of my WOMB through this fast. I seek its authentic wisdom and powers - much of which is clouded; I seek to move through this gateway of LIFE.  I also seek MENTAL CLARITY since the colon is the second mind and I have become mentally congested from life and its demands, social networking, excess information, emails, the human experience and everyone trying to market some product or promote themselves as something they most likely may not be but strive for the attainment of money and recognition. It has all taken a toll on me as a sensitive being. As the days go by I am already discovering that there are other hidden reasons I am engaging and embarking upon this Journey with a promise that more will be revealed. And although I am not including my son this time around, I am also doing this water fast for HIM.

I just started an evening job and was concerned about it being an issue, but it's an easy job where I don't exert much energy and am blessed with the space and time to write.  It is my opportunity to learn how to better conserve my energy and I will remember to always put an extra shield of light around me to protect me everywhere I go.

I have done other methods of detoxification in the past. From the lemonade diet,  juicing, raw food detox, no water ~ no food fasting, salt water fast, to lemon and water fast. I’ve even done a sex fast, mental fast, voice fast and human fast. This time I am combining the wisdom of the past while allowing myself to be guided by divine wisdom and the love & light of my ancestors. Since this is long weekend for me, it allows the perfect start up which is usually the toughest point of a complete fast. I will be able to transition back to the work week with the hardest days behind me. 

Some of the nurturing activities I have lined up for this journey are:

            ~ Daily dry brushing and sea salt baths

            ~ Daily meditation and prayers

            ~ A daily routine of dance and yoga

            ~ Daily sun bathing

            ~ Daily walks with the dog (Midnite)

            ~ Doses of laughter (jokes and humorous stories from friends,  videos, movies, etc.)

            ~ Daily journaling and documentation of this journey
            ~ Outreach to others that are fasting

Based on the findings and wisdom of my research, I will not be using toothpaste, nor will I be adding lemon or salt to my water. I wanted to do this initially but I understand that since the mind Is the starting point for digestion, then my mind would alert my body in a way that says I am consuming food and my body will act accordingly. The idea is to not confuse nor bring about disparity between my body and mind. They need to work together harmoniously – with none fooling the other.

 I will also talk far less during this fast because from my experience talking and even thinking requires energy and effort. I will be learning and practicing energy conservation within and around me.  There are also other tools that I will integrate into my daily routine:

            ~ White sage - daily smudging

            ~ Glass candles on my altar and tea-light candles through out my home

            ~ Incense

            ~ Create my own spritz (will use this to refresh my face and body during the day.)

            ~ A lavender sache to carry in my purse for aroma-therapeutic boosting moments

           

Being that 2011 is my numerological 7 year. It is a year of deep reflection and reception. I am truly in a divine feminine space this year and it has been rather challenging maintaining that space with so many externals and distractions. Nature has consistently reminded me and provided the time and space to be  more in a yin state. I am now being guided to take it to a whole new level.  The clearing of my heart and mind are leading dimensions of this journey. I am not challenged health wise. I had a complete physical and gynecological check up early spring and the results were great. I did however, experience intermittent pains under my left arm pit area. I had a screening that was a nightmare in itself as I felt assaulted by the medical industrial complex and their procedures for scanning women for breast cancer. I declined their suggestions for a biopsy and ignored all their phone calls and letters. Instead, I  turned to the wisdom of my own body to hear what it was trying to communicate to me through the sensations under my left arm. It spoke to me and I followed its instructions to restore balance and understood the heart of the message in those pains. I no longer have the pains under my arms because I followed the source and began resolving it. This aqua detox and journey will finalize that ordeal once and for all. And later on in my journey I will share what I did and how women can prevent breast cancer by developing a deeper relationship with their body and taking back their power.  

Cancer is not contagious and it can not be contracted through water, humans interaction or otherwise.  It is a dark seed planted by self that grows in its infested ways. There shall NEVER ever be an actual CURE for cancer. Campaigns which has been going on for decades are all LIES. Each woman has the answer within her that sits behind her breasts. Until she looks inside her HEART she will forever be subjected to chemical abuse, misinformation, blindings and manmade medical tortures while she misses the beauty and message that her body brings and the opportunity to access her own divine feminine wisdom. Perhaps Cancer is not an enemy to fight after all, but the dark mother within knocking on the heart of your door and trying to get you to honor and recognize its place.

I welcome the love and support of my family, friends, loved ones and social network. To those who are inspired to follow me, I say welcome aboard. I hope that you will gain much from this journey as I am about to.

Your comments, questions, suggestions, sharing are already appreciated and accepted.  You can reach me via email @ ecosensualliving@gmail.com As well, I invite you to follow my blog. Just scroll down to the bottom of my blog and click on Follow!  

I thank you in the spirit of wellness!!!