There was a time when I didn’t think it was possible for me to love and be loved so easily, yet, my story carries no more weight than anyone’s story:  grief from loved ones lost, heartache, perceived failure and missed opportunity, stress and dissatisfaction.  I’ve had enough heartache to earn a lifetime of sorrow and it’s taken me time and effort to pull myself to a place of peace.  However, it all started with one simple step…finding a little bit of  peace.

I was just speaking with a patient today about my meditation practice and why it’s called a ‘practice’ for a reason.  If the goal was to sit in quiet contemplation and achieve nirvana, it wouldn’t be called a practice at all!  When I sit and close my eyes, I know that 34 years of conditioning and hard-wiring of my brain is set to automatic and ready to repeat it’s programmed message over and over and over.   In the beginning, there was little I could do to stop the influx of thoughts that happened, I could focus on my breath, I could repeat a mantra, I could listen to the sounds surrounding me and feel my body position but inevitably my mind would wander and lead to worry.  Now, after little bits of practice, not very long but almost everyday, I can feel the calm, I can hear the quiet, I can sense the peace.  It doesn’t happen every time I sit (though I wish it would), but this encourages me to continue practicing.

Now, after little bits of practice, I can feel the calm, I can hear the quiet, I can sense the peace.

What I love about meditation is that it belongs solely to you and no one else. You can shape your practice to your needs.  It can be very physical: slowing the breath, releasing muscle tension, lowering the heart rate.  It can attend to the mind: redirecting thoughts, quieting the mind, practicing attention and focus.  It can be very spiritual: practice prayer, focus on religious belief, connect with the universal flow of energy.

With a little time and attention to yourself, you could be love and be loved.

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I know that what I choose to put in my mouth today predetermines my health 10 years from now.

In no way, do I want to be that woman who never indulges in life’s culinary deliciousness, but my health is important to me.  I know my family’s healthy history and I know that what I choose to put in my mouth today predetermines my health 10 years from now.  It used to be a lot easier to avoid unhealthful eating, but this was before my time and most likely, before your time as well.   There was a time when we ate food when it was available and in season, meat consumption was low and it was usually caught in the wild, we hadn’t heard of genetically modified crops, our canning process didn’t involve Bisphenol A, we didn’t use chemical in our foods to enhance flavor, make it more colorful, or insect and pest resistant, and sugar was a rare and special treat not a daily food group.

I’m so grateful that we live in a country where I have the freedom of choice and the availability goods to make the best choices for my diet.  It is a conscious choice, a decision to be made every day, every meal, every bite to choose my health.  If I’ve fallen off the wagon, the next opportunity to brush myself off and jump back on is mere moments away.

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