As I look back on 2017, I clearly see the theme for me was “detox”. This year wasn't my first round of intentional detox. About 10 years ago, shortly after becoming vegan, I did the Master Cleanse for 10 days. A couple of months later I went for a series of colonics, going once a week for 6 weeks. I wanted to get those old meat bits out of my colon! The first couple of years being vegan, I was figuring things out, what could I eat? This was 10 years ago and veganism was not nearly as popular as it is today. I didn't find it difficult though. Along with more veggies, beans and quinoa, I tried seitan sausages and tofu scramble. I liked the alternative meats, cheese and eggs pretty well, but they weren't staples in my diet. Over the years up until today, my food choices have gotten healthier, slowly but surely. I'll admit, I still love a vegan donut from time to time!
2017, mid January, began with 2 semi-short juice fasts, 9 days, then 11 days about a week and a half later. Amazing releases occurred, including a visible unloading of parasites (ew, I know). Then I decided I wanted to go for 40 days, juice only, with some activated charcoal, herbal tinctures and tea. I dropped some temporary weight, along with about 10 pounds that remains off today, 10 pounds of old gunk in my colon that is! Not just physical gunk and goo, but emotional as well. A few of the most noticeable physical changes that occurred within me- my hair doesn’t get oily as quickly as before. I used to have to wash it every day, otherwise I’d feel gross, because it looked kinda gross to me and would end up itching a bit. Now, I go 3 days (sometimes 4) easily without needing to. Also, during my period, my cramps have gone from a pain scale overall of about 7-8, to a 0-1. Seriously! I used to have to take about 12-15 over-the-counter pain pills each month. Now I sometimes take zero, sometimes I still need a couple. Amazing!!! Perhaps the most powerful shift that occured is the chronic lower back pain I had suffered from since I was a teenager has dramatically decreased. Before, my back would occasionaly go "out", or at least have enough pain to limit and stress my normal movements and activities. I can still remember the feeling of freedom that came over me when the pain faded away during this first juice fast and I could get up off the floor quickly and with ease!
In addition, all of my senses were amplified. I was much more in tune with my body awareness. Clarity and emotional awareness were through the roof!
Our summertime 3 week road trip to the Woodstock Fruit Festival was the next significant experience. I had been learning more and more about raw vegan eating and fruitarianism over the past couple of years, and shifting my lifestyle in that direction. A week at this festival was truly one of the best weeks of my life! David and I learned more about the healing that can come from fruit. We ate as much delicious tropical fruit as we wanted and some raw veggies/salads for an entire week, and connected with many beautiful people, all in gorgeous upstate New York. We left renewed and inspired and have already signed up for 2018!
Then in the fall, I got the mercury fillings in my mouth removed. I'd been wanting to do this as soon as I learned the harmful effects (about 7 years ago) of the heavy metal poisoning from these amalgam fillings, which I had gotten one in each quadrant as a child in the 80's. If this could help with my lifelong focusing challenges and tendency towards anxiety, then I had to try, and it turns out the cost wasn't even as high as I had thought. Detox effects preceeding this procedure were mild but included foggy-brain, light-headedness, extra kooky dreams and some depression. As I write this, it’s been several weeks since the mercury has been out of my mouth and I really think I’m starting to feel different! Like, more focused…? My questioning this is because I’ve struggled with focusing most of my life, so at this point it’s hard to imagine that a switch could be flipped just like that. Though I actually DO believe in instant healing/transformations. Well, we shall see over the next several weeks I suppose, if it is just a phase, the way the stars are aligned, mercury retrograde so to speak LOL! Though I’ve had a sense about my 44th year (2018) being a powerfully transformative time for me. I feel I’ve been building up to it.
Why am I detoxing? There are a few fairly minor physical imbalances going on with me that I'd like to release before they may turn into something more detrimental. Of course along with the physical plane comes the other levels, emotional and mental health. I'm transforming it all! I want more clarity, focus and a body free of pain every day, always and forever, and I believe keeping my diet pure and simple is key to that.
I'd say detox work isn't just on the physical plane. All of the emotional and Spiritual Self-Love work out there, such as yoga, meditation & Reiki, is for removing old energy out of our system, as well as bringing in fresh new light. The old programming, limiting beliefs etc. that may serve us well for a while but often become harmful over time.
If you're considering doing a fast of some sort, do plenty of research to find what is best for you. I like Dr Robert Morse for learning about fasting and fruitarianism, look him up on YouTube if you wish. Fasting can be intense and I'm not necessarily advising anyone to do it. I had to mentally prepare before going into it. It can seem like a crazy and very difficult thing to attempt, but that's really only a belief, right?
Did your 2017 have a theme?
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