Chakra Detox Diet II, Eating with Intention....

Hello friends!

As some of you know I am now a full time Mommy! Life is of course wonderful, and I am very blessed. Being a stay at home Mom is allowing me the freedom to tap into my nurturing, creative and spiritual side, more so then ever before. As some of you know I love being a food-ee and cook bake all the time. It is funny how being a Mom seems to equal FOOD- so much of my life revolves around food. Nursing, Pumping, Bottles, Pureeing baby food, and finding time to cook and eat for my husband and myself. It has all brought me back to thinking how important food is. How crucial it is to who we are.   Food is elemental, and we have all heard “ you are what you eat” before. Well, it holds truth. I have been working on my relationship with food for some time, I would like to go deeper, and was hoping you might want to join me as I learn more about my outer self, my inner self and my relationship to food. Would you like to join me in a….

CHAKRA DETOX- "As above, so below. As within, so without"

chak·ra/ˈCHäkrə (noun) Each of the centers of spiritual power in the human body, usually considered to be seven in number.

 

Chakra’s are our natural energy center or core. We all have them. If you know the rainbow, you know the chakra’s. There is the Root chakra (RED), the sacral chakra (ORANGE), solar plexus chakra (YELLOW), heart chakra (GREEN), throat chakra (BLUE), brow chakra (INDIGO) and crown chakra (VIOLET). Each energy center relates to how we relate to the world, how we act in the world, and how we manifest joy, love, abundance, etc. A while back I was just learning about chakras and felt a natural connection between food and chakras. It was something that I could understand and see and feel.  Last year I took Reiki I and II (a form of energy healing) which deepened my awareness and curiosity of our chakra’s.

So, last year I made my own chakra diet—making it up as I went a long and it was very successful (and difficult) for me! I was not perfect, I messed up a lot, but I learned a lot too. As you know there are 7 chakras, so I did a 7 week chakra diet. It was intense. And it is not just about food, even though that was a big part of it for me. It is about setting the intention on that chakra and learning about it. I wore the color of each chakra for a week, ate food with that color/intent, I studied and learned about each chakra as I went along. Basically I ate, slept, and thought about the chakra I was working on for that week intensely. Some weeks were easier then others. I learned that some chakra’s flow easier for me then for others.   After the chakra cleanse I was able to see where I needed work (simply by what was more challenging for me!) and found a lot of great books and resources on the Internet such as blogs, you tube meditation videos, and articles.

And,

I would like to plan another chakra detox, learning from what I did last time and I hope this cleanse will be even better. But, this time I would like to have with others doing it with me. I will lead the group, share the research and info I found during my last detox and we can have an on-line forum for discussions, (where if you know something you can add to it too). I  can give recipe suggestions and on-the-phone feedback when ever needed. The great thing about this is, you EAT. But is a detox so by the end you are fasting.

I am going to start with a one week crash course chakra detox to get me back into the mindset and Kick start those of you who think 7 weeks is waaaay too much! 

I plan on starting the next chakra detox on the next new moon, which is Saturday July 30th-until Friday August 5th. This is purely for fun and enlightenment! I think we will all teach each other a lot on this journey.

So are you up for a fun challenge??!! If so, let me know! I will send you a starter kit, and create a facebook group for us to chat/share etc. Each day I will email you recipe’s, hints, tips, and tricks on what that chakra IS and how to focus on it as we build up the rainbow starting with ROOT/RED on the 30^th and finish with our CROWN/VIOLET. I like to start on a new moon because it is a great time to start new ventures/projects and set intentions for your future. I call it seed planting time. Every idea or goal is a seed, at the new moon you plant, at the full moon you harvest!

Keep in mind that the last day will be a fast—I suggest tea, water, smoothies, fresh squeeze juice only….if you can. If you have any health problems or have never fasted before, you can modify as you see fit. For example, I will probably do brown rice/bread and liquids, because I am breastfeeding and don’t want to put too much stress on my body.

What you need:

*A full fridge FULL of fresh veggies and fruits! Just buy  A LOT of veggies, try to buy  a RAINBOW arrangement of them! J Think ROYGBIV.

*I start each day with a juice or smoothie, so it would be great if you had a blender or juicer.

*Open attitude and heart, willingness to learn and heal yourself in and out!

*ability to share with others, things you know that might help others, or challenges so others can help you!

After the one week cleanse is over we can move on to a full 7 week challenge in the fall, that one will be much more intense and a big commitment. 

So please let me know if you want to join me!!

* I mentioned earlier that I am a certified reiki practitioner, having completed Reiki I & II in NYC. I hope to receive my final attunement (master) in the fall. If you would like to receive reiki before or after the detox let me know. I can do it, or I can suggest MY TEACHER, Natalie Berthold from www.sproutinglove.com

***I would like more practice in giving Reiki healing before my attunement and would like to ask if you or anyone you know anyone who would like to receive Reiki to please let me know.  As I am a stay at home Mom, for in person healing it would need to be evenings/weekends and in the Greenwich/Stamford, CT area where I am based. (As I do not have an office, I was thinking in home healing sessions.)  Distant healings of course could be anytime/anywhere.

In person healings-$40 for one hour session or 4 for $140.00

Distant healings-$20 for one hour session or 4 for $70.00

(*Payments can be made to my paypal account via staigepatchy@yahoo.com)

Please feel free to offer advice/spread the word.

Thank You,

PS: I have a lot of other workshops and projects that I keep thinking of, and I will want to share them with you-- my fellow friends on this spiritual journey and invite you to perhaps join me on my path for a bit while I dig deeper and follow my highest path! So I will keep you posted, but here is a quick glimpse, let me know if any sound really cool to you…

A MASK MAKING & HEALING WORKSHOP—I make masks. I often make my masks from shredded journals or notes, a great way to turn negative into positive and nurture your creative self!!

IMPROV(e) YOUR LIFE WORKSHOP—I am a graduate of the People’s Improv Theater in NYC. I love being silly and having fun, laughter IS good for the soul. This workshop is looking at comedy and improv from a healing perspective. A great way to be silly and say YES to your divine path and YES to your inner child.

What Dreams may come...

I have friend who writes and AMAZING Blog, it has definitely become a favorite of mine. Being a busy Mom and a woman who wants to focus on her spiritual center, this blog has turned into on of my best kept secrets. You see, I can go to her blog pick and exercise or visualization she has channeled and work on it while baby sleeps. Check it out at http://www.nurturingtheshift.blogspot.com/

. So today I worked on her

Divine Love: Exercise 6.4

 And WOW. Good stuff for me. You see, I have a lot of dreams, and A LOT of things I want to accomplish, Dreams and Goals that could be enough for about 8 lifetimes. But, I have only this one here and now so I get distracted and end up with not a lot gets done, especially because I add more and more of my to do's each day it seems....So if you are like me with LOTS to do and not sure HOW....check out her blog!

My chakra's are blossoming....

My chakra's are blossoming....
In meditation, I asked for a visual of my chakra's. Flowers came to mind and soon each chakra had it's own flower, some were in full blossom, others were buds just beginning to emerge.

Root: Dogwood
Sacral: Sunflower
Solar Plexus: Forsythia
Heart: Rose (white rose bud)
Throat: Lavender
Third Eye: White Violet
Crown: Marigold

Marigold
The marigold is symbolic of loving sacrifice. It reminds us of the sacrifice parents make for their children and that we should remember and thank our parents for theirs.


Violet 
Modesty and Simplicity


Lavender
Lavender is symbolic of magic, love, protection, healing, and vision. It reminds us to believe in the impossible but more than anything it reminds us of the power and beauty of love.


Rose
The rose is symbolic of love, strength through silence, and passion. It reminds us to savor the beauty in silence and to gain the wisdom it has to offer.

Forsythia 

Anticipation

Sunflower
The sunflower is symbolic of opportunities and happiness. It reminds us to remain a child at heart. It also reminds us to take advantage of opportunities as they come our way. We only live once and we only have one chance to grasp them before they pass us by


Dogwood
Durability

A new chapter.

A lot of my family is upset with me right now, or at least confused. I recently completed my rite of election into the Catholic Church. At the Easter vigil, I was baptized and confirmed. This past weekend my daughter received her baptism as well. No one but my Sister came to my daughters baptism. That made me very sad. For those that know me in different chapters of my life, they see this as shocking. A Catholic? But to me it all makes sense. First of all, as a Mother I want to be able to be a part of my daughters spiritual journey. My husbands faith tradition is Catholicism. He told me over and over I did not have to become Catholic, or that we had to raise our daughter as Catholic. But, I was without a spiritual foundation, which in some regards was very liberating, but often lonely and sad. As a Mother, I want a tradition of faith as a foundation. I knew I wanted to raise my daughter with some church, I was just not sure which. I went shopping for a church. I found a Catholic parish that was so welcoming and felt connected to it, when in their bulletin last Easter they mentioned Eostre (Ostara) and the pagan foundation for the festivities that the non-secular world participates in freely. (Spring, Easter Bunny, etc). I joined their RCIA class. I challenged and questioned these little 'ole ladies within an inch of themselves. They challenged me back too. They made me reflect and meditate and evaluate a lot of my belief systems. Sometimes we agreed. Sometimes not. I loved it. My husband went to every class with me, at home the discussions were lively and exciting. It helped us really get on the same page spiritually for our daughter. As a family, we were really melding. This exploration was truly a gift for us as new-to-be parents.

So the Question.. WHY A Catholic? Yes. And why not. I love the Holy Spirit. I love God. I love Jesus. I love incense, and candles, and  ceremony. I love Angels, Saints and Guides. I pray to my Arch Angels daily. I feel their presence and blessing in my life. I feel energy, spirits, guides. I have chosen my patron saint as Arch Angel Gabriel. I am a reiki practioner. I believe I can channel the healing energy of God through me to others. Why then not see a priest as able to turn bread into Christ? When I receive the Eucharist, I feel blessings and the energy of Grace. I meditate and use affirmations, this is what the rosary is! I love the history of the church, in that I see tradition. History. 2,000 years back hand to hand in a line that literally touches Jesus and the original disciples. In the ceremony and pageantry I see a Unity, a coming together of other faiths blending into one to make a brilliant tapestry of spiritual journey. I can revel in the beauty, the sights, the smells, the words, the energy, the blessings at each Mass.  I see the Catholic Church as a perfect fit for me. For my new family. A foundation and a beginning for my child. I have no doubt that some Catholics might not want me. I am sure if the Pope and I sat down our politics would differ a great deal. I look forward to someday going to Rome. :)

My life is profoundly different. I am a Mom. The birth, the breath, the life of my little girl is awe inspiring. I do not see how anyone who is a parent, but especially a Mother, can doubt the presence of God. I do not care how one defines God-LOVE, ENERGY, UNIVERSE, BIG DUDE IN THE SKY, all I know with conviction-is that there is a higher power.  For me, God is evident in each heart beat of my child, from the miracle of conception to right now as I watch her sleep--with each breath, each smile, every laugh orgiggle, and with each milestone--I know God is in our life. I have become to find that Motherhood in itself is a meditation in God's wisdom. Our children are so much closer to the source of heaven then we. They are our teachers. Yes, we may teach them 1,2,3 and what is cow and what is dog, and how to cross the street. But if we take a step back, we can learn so much about God, about the beauty of life from them. I see too often parents snuffing out the cosmic light that shines in a child. Trying to enforce our rules, ideas, vision on them. But, if we just take a step back. Look at life from a child's eye, you will see the beauty, the mystery, the joy of this life.

I see my spiritual journey as a never ending path.  I know I am in a very profound phase of my journey just beginning as a new Mother, a new Catholic. 

Reiki Detox Day 8-15

This week was really an inner focus week, even the blog was too much. I really really went in. I feel like I am making great strides not only in inner healing but outer as well. Each day  I  say my mantra, over and over. I have come across moments of anger, worry and frustration, and used the mantra to calm me down and help me look at the situation from another persepective.
 Just for today...
I will not anger.
I will not worry.
I will love honestly.
I will respect the oneness of all life.
I will be kind to everyone I meet.
I will be thankful for my many blessings
~Amen.

I feel like I am making great disocveries of self with my reiki selh healing. It feels so good to focus on my self, to give love, energy and attention to me.

I feel very conected with everything. Life is beatuiful. I just had my 31st birthday. And, on my birthday I did a 20 minute reiki meditation near the ocean. It was beautiful. I felt so clear and pure.

Reiki Detox Day 16

Well, I have not been very good at writing in the blog, but I have been good about my detox, I have been working on the mantra, the self healing, and my diet. Each day I wear something that reminds me of the chakra I am working on, today I am wearing a beautiful orange shirt. I had to go to the store and buy more yellow and green, I realized I have a lot of red and blue, some lavender, but little to no yellow! Ahh, something to be aware of! I have been doing a little reiki on others, my husband, my cat, my shower, my food. I can feel my heart beat in my palms, deep...when I focus on the energy I can feel it. I am so blessed.I missed the Reiki 3 class, because I was on a birthday getaway in cape-cod. But look forward to taking the next step. I will continue to do the healing, and prayer, and the self reiki no matter what.

Day 7 Reiki Detox

Today my husband and Father-in-law who is here for a visit went to church. After church my husband made made me a lovely meal. Organic eggs, grass-fed local bacon, organic local home-made rye bread, fresh local melon, blueberries and decaf coffee. After brunch we went to the beach. I was laying out in the beautiful sun, and did my reiki there on the beach.  After the beach I came home and prepped food for next week. Zuchinni, Summer squash "summer" casserole. Lamb stew. BLT sandwiches for lunch tomorrow. Now I am watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Then I will read. Then bed.