With New Year’s eve quickly approaching, the time of “fresh starts” and “resolutions” leads many to consider starting a new diet.
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Every year, it begins the same way, weight slowly accumulating during the lead up to holiday indulgence. A scenario is created where people over indulge under the pretense that come the new year, they are going to be on a diet anyway. A great plan, except for the reality that few, if any, accomplish weight loss goals set for the New Year, and most diets will fail by the second week into the new year. The whole premise may have been flawed to begin with.
The entire concept of a diet often ends up being an exercise in self punishment tinged with a lot of self judgment and criticism. The harsh self criticism is bound up in feelings of diminished self worth, and a bit of regret. That is not to say people cannot loose weight by eating well, but if any aspect of this new plan has emotionally charged restrictions—negative self talk, or judgmental self-evaluations—the plan will eventually unravel.
Good new beginnings, which can last and grow to create other new beginnings, are best generated out of lots of love, some well placed forgiveness, and compassionate understanding. Weight loss is no different. We gain weight because of a disconnection, it may be the result of ingesting too much food; although in my experience that is rarely the actual issue.
Sometimes the issue is tied to food quality, damage to the endocrine system, and/or weight gain as a protection from emotional insults both real and perceived. In my experience, all of these factors play a part in almost every case of significant weight gain. Continually trying to starve yourself or restrict your diet to solve an emotional problem, a toxicity problem, or a poor food quality problem will have very little actual success over the long term.
No matter what the cause, we must first establish a tangible emotional connection to whatever system has been damaged/ignored to allow healing potential to enter our cells. In the simplest manner, this is accomplished by talking to the system/cell/issue, it may sound something like:
“Hey, I don’t think I have been paying attention, I think much of my attention has been focused on how I don’t look like I want, or feel like I want, or all the things I have to get done, and I don’t think I have ever stopped to think about the stress all of this, plus the demands of my life have put on you (the cells in my body)”
Now, you have opened the dialogue, in Qi Gong, we say, where your mind goes, your Qi goes. Now, your Qi(awareness/focus/mind) can orient itself on your cells, or your DNA, on your muscles, on any part of your body you specifically talk to. Once aware, try this exercise with strong intent to begin to heal what is lodged in your body.
I love you
I am sorry
Please forgive me
Thank You
With feel each emotional statement honestly with all possibilities within these emotions. Sorry for excess stress, for getting so easily angered by ridiculous drivers, by nasty emails, or difficult co-workers, for not resting when you knew it was needed, for not listening to a desire for more water, less fried food, more exercise, a deeper breath, or a day off. And thank you for still persisting, despite all of the challenges, for allowing your body to move through each day, to experience life and for trying even when there was no reciprocal gratitude being expressed.
Beginning here and now for any challenging relationships, those with ourselves or those with others, creates a place where tangible change can be experienced. In this new year, as you consider things you would like to experience differently, give consideration and attention to them in a new way. Begin the conversation in a spirit of compassionate understanding, awareness, forgiveness, and gratitude.
Originally posted on SevenDirections