Gratitude
How many times have you looked in the mirror and decided your physical form was less than desirable? In this image-driven culture, bombarding us with examples of how our bodies “should” look, it’s no wonder we are self- critical. But when did we become so complacent to allow random, unfounded beliefs to dictate our perceptions of the human form? Even more alarming than the messages of perfection are the magazine covers at the grocery store check-out lines showcasing skeletal celebrities that have fallen victim to the “thin is in” mantra. This raises many questions as to our awareness of the body’s true purpose. A Course in Miracles states, “the body is a learning device for the mind”- A wondrous vessel containing the radiant energy of the soul. Whether you are wheel chair bound or a tri-athlete, your body is simply a vehicle carrying you through this physical plane to express your soul’s purpose; to flex your spiritual muscles in the manifestation of a human body. The form your spirit chose before incarnating to Earth is exactly as it should be- perfectly suited to orchestrate the most superior experience for the soul’s growth and expansion. You may have certain disabilities or an illness that limits your physical capabilities, but the soul knows no boundaries. It has a mission to accomplish and holds no partiality to what the ego considers attractive or ugly. The body is a conduit for spiritual emergence into our physical universe and, when treated with loving kindness and gratitude, it will perform the earthly functions required in the most perfect way.
Let’s also look at how beauty is defined in different cultures. In the west, a fit, slim, muscularly defined body is en vogue. The media dictates what is beautiful and what is unacceptable. This summation leads many people into painful surgeries and a misguided identification of natural beauty. You are unique, bound by the genetic soup that makes up your lineage creating the most exquisitely perfect ‘You’. It is insane to believe that we should all fit comfortably into this generalized image presented to us. I found an interesting contrast to our western perception of beauty while living in India. On the street, you see the starving masses everywhere. They are thin, hungry and dirty. Because India’s cultural foundation is caste-based, the higher classes consider ‘thin’ to be undesirable. “Thin” represents the lower castes living in poverty and starvation, therefore, the higher classed women purposely wrap their saris to accentuate the fleshy folds of fat cascading down their backs. This is a cultural means of demonstrating their income and the ability to eat enough to create excess weight. Becoming pleasantly plump is a visual affirmation of wealth and status. Another interesting cultural perception there is skin color. Here in the states, people seek a sun-kissed glow and find dark, sultry skin to be highly valued. We buy passes to the tanning salons or vacation in sunny regions to bask in the sun and deepen our complexion. In India, to be naturally fair is yet another symbol of status and is highly coveted. Seeking “beauty” at all costs, they slather skin bleach all over their doe-colored complexions hoping to garner more social respect and elevate their status.
How does this relate to gratitude? I’d like you to consider that no matter what your definition of beauty is, your body is ‘aware’ of the signals you send it via your feelings, thoughts and words. Keep reading…
In yoga class, we talk about the mind-body connection. This simply means that the mind and body are interrelated. That they are not separate entities, but masterfully inter-twined. To support this scientifically, in the book, “Your Body Speaks Your Mind”, the author explains the roll of neuropeptides. These ‘messengers’ deliver information from the brain to the cells of the body creating a physical response. If you’re sad, tears are secreted. If you’re nervous, your palms sweat. If you’re angry, your heart rate increases. Basically, our emotions translate into chemicals triggering a somatic response within the body. The author concludes that “Neuropeptides provide the link between perception, feelings, and thought, on the one hand…with the brain, hormonal secretions (such as adrenaline), and every cell of the body, including the immune system on the other hand, thereby creating a single, whole-body communications system. In other words, each part or system of your body is listening and responding to your mental chatter- your every thought and feeling.”
In Masaru Emoto’s fascinating book, “The True Power of Water”, the author explains how he successfully froze water and photographed the resulting crystals. He used specialized photography equipment and lighting to capture the crystals that formed as the ice began to melt. These crystals, resembling jewel-like shapes, unfolded in front of the camera like delicately blooming flowers, each one opening into a unique multidimensional design. How does this relate to our subject of gratitude? Emoto labeled the glasses of water with words such as “thank you” or “love and gratitude”. He also experimented with negative words such as “hate you” and “you fool”. Guess what? The crystals labeled with positive words responded by opening up into beautifully balanced crystals. The water with the negative words either did not form crystals at all, or formed ugly, disproportionate globules. They took the experiment further and played symphonies by Mozart, Bach and other classical and modern masters. They prayed over the water. Each time the information was of a positive nature, the water responded by forming gem-like crystals, all radiating the ‘feeling’ of the information being transmitted to it. In like response, water that ‘heard’ heavy metal or song lyrics of an explicit or violent nature responded with broken or erratic formations, appearing extremely disturbed. Cell phones, microwaves and lap top computers had a similar, negative affect. They also experimented on jars of rice labeling them with “thank you” and “you fool”. A third jar was left unlabeled and ignored. The jars sat for a month. The “thank you” rice turned yellow with a mellow, malty odor. The rice labeled “you fool” turned black and rotted. The rice that was ignored actually rotted and blackened before the “you fool” rice, sending us another possible message. Often we ignore our bodies when they are communicating by means of symptoms. Many times, we deny our pain, whether it’s physical or even emotional, until illness or disease sets in forcing us to listen and take action. Because the ‘language’ of the body is felt rather than heard, bringing your awareness into your body is very beneficial to your health and well being. Meditation and yoga function as tools to do just that.
How does all this relate to our subject? Our adult bodies are seventy percent water. Infants are eighty percent water. Those neuropeptides we learned of earlier carry their information via bodily fluids. So, do our thoughts, words and emotions affect our bodies? You bet. Let’s go back to my original question. When you look in the mirror at the image staring back at you, what do you think, or even say to it? Do you berate it or criticize? Punish or abuse it? Do you feed it compliments, nutritious foods, exercise it gently and praise it? No doubt, whatever the message, your body is listening. Thoughts and words are pure energy and vibration. We send out this energy like a radio wave via electrical brainwaves. Your body is innately connected and tuned into this frequency. Becoming aware of this can mean the difference between illness and balanced health.
Your body is a temple to your soul and deeply connected to the interplay of thoughts and emotions within the mind. It’s time we become aware and reconnect with our chosen form of spiritual transportation. This is where visualization and meditation come into the picture. Meditation is soothing to the nervous system and is scientifically proven to reduce stress and support the immune system. Visualization is a form of meditation allowing you to relax and focus on positive mental images that heal and support your body. Mr. Emoto noted that the most dazzling crystals formed under the words “love and gratitude”. Keeping that in mind, I’m offering you an easy meditation to send gratitude to your body. Try it. You can actually feel the body’s endorphin response as you thank the different organs and cells. You can do this meditation in bed before going to sleep or upon waking in the morning. Click on “pages and links” to access the guided meditation.
Also, let me share something with you that I tried recently. My entire family was ill with a nasty stomach bug during these past two weeks. Even my “I never get sick” husband fell prey to it. I was caring for my little ones throughout, cleaning up messes (if you know what I mean) and tentatively accepting slobbery kisses from my little toddler all along. Needless to say, I was exposed in a major way to this bad bug that put my daughter in the hospital but I never got sick. And stomach bugs love me. I’m like a gut bug magnet. Why didn’t I get sick? I’m pretty convinced its because I labeled a piece of paper with “love and gratitude”, “strong immunity”, and “good health”, then rubber banded it to a glass of water. Sound crazy? I drank from it everyday, religiously. I was determined to stay well. Sometimes I charged it with a silent prayer for healing and health. By doing this, I was communicating to my body and sending it powerful armor through my thoughts, and into my subconscious mind keeping that virus at bay.
My next article will be on the benefits of a vegetarian and/or vegan diet. Prepare for some surprising information that may change the way you look at your food. I’ll also include some of my favorite, super easy recipes and a short list of cookbooks that support a meat-free lifestyle.
Until next time,
Namaste
