Supercharge Your Dreams!
We all accept the fact that the lighter the backpack, the
easier and quicker the climb to the top of the mountain. We
all understand that the lighter the load on an airplane, the
higher and faster it can fly. We pay extra for high octane
fuel so our car will operate more efficiently. Then why don't
we apply the same wisdom to our bodies and our dreams?
The Need for Speed
We know that the cleaner the gasoline we feed our car, the
faster, further and longer our car will run-and with less wear
and tear. Gee, what would our Earth adventure be like if we
tried this same approach with our personal lives?
Clean, Lean Energy Machine
When we feed our bodies and goals with clean, lean fuel, we
have the strength and stamina to create our dreams with ease,
speed and longevity-and look good doing it to boot!
Shamanize Your Life
A shaman eats to live, rather than living to eat. A shamaness
uses food to fuel her dream, rather than to be her dream. A
shaman knows that the true purpose of food is to give us the
energy to express our unique spirit fully and gracefully.
Food is Not Only Physical
I'm not talking only about the eating of physical food.
Everything we take into our energy field is food-for our body
and for our soul. Every thought, conversation and activity
either gives us energy, or takes energy away from us.
Self-loving people only eat-take in-those interactions and
pursuits that nourish them and increase their level of
aliveness. When a relationship, job or belief leaves you
drained, tired or confused, that fuel is not nurturing. But
when you have a friend who inspires, encourages and validates
you, you prosper by hanging out with that person. When you go
to a livelihood each day that allows you to fully express your
true spirit, you're enriched by that calling. When you have a
conviction that bears beauty and bounty in your life, you're
served well by that point of view.
Eat What is Most Digestible
Take in those foods, people and endeavors that you most easily
digest, assimilate and integrate. The less energy it takes to
absorb a certain fare, personality or enterprise, the more
energy you are ultimately going to get out of it. This is the
good judgment of choosing "low maintenance" lovers and friends
versus the "high maintenance" of demanding, discontented
partners.
Eat Only What's Necessary
Take in only the amount of worldly nourishment, resources and
social exchange that is ideal for peak performance. When Jesus
advises us to "fast from the world," he's not suggesting we
refrain from eating altogether, or cease interacting with the
world totally. The savvy sage uses the word "fast" to mean
"fast from excess." Eat only the amount of physical fuel you
need for optimal efficiency of your body. Interact with the
turbulence of social affairs only to the degree necessary to
accomplish your goals. Lean and clean.
This is the strategy shamans refer to as "touching the world
lightly." Be involved with cultural conventions only to the
degree necessary to function socially. Overeating physical
food can cause sluggishness, nausea and constipation. Over-
absorption with the limitations and contradictions of cultural
mores can cause you to get confused, drained, overwhelmed,
emotionally backed up-and, consequently, very ineffective and
unhappy. Be in the world, but not "of it."
Go to Bed Empty
Go to sleep with an empty stomach, clear mind, and peaceful
heart, so that your body and being have the greatest
opportunity to rest and recharge. When the body has to spend
the night digesting a stomach full of food, then it doesn't
have the time or energy to heal and balance. When we go to bed
with a troubled mind or heart, we have a shallow, unrestful
sleep with many fitful dreams or nightmares. And our spirit
has no time to connect with its highest self and intuit
creative solutions to our worldly challenges.
Eat Only from True Hunger
Our physical body has biological needs that food can satisfy.
Our emotional and spiritual bodies have emotional and
spiritual needs that food can never gratify. When choosing
what to eat, it's helpful to be able to distinguish the
difference between true hunger (physical need) and "false"
hunger (emotional and spiritual need).
When you learn to discern emotional and spiritual hunger
(emptiness) from physical hunger, you can then adopt the
attitude and actions to attract the right people and
activities that will truly fill the hole of soul emptiness.
Chew Life Well before Swallowing
An astute Eastern adage suggests: "Chew your liquid and drink
your food." The guidance is to chew your beverages so that
your liquids mix well with saliva and, therefore, are
predigested by digestive enzymes in your saliva before you
swallow. In the same manner, chew your solid food until it
breaks down into a consistency that it can be drunk as a
liquid. This chewing mixes your food with the same helpful
saliva pre-digestive juices-and saves your stomach the chore
of breaking down chunks of food.
Chewing your liquid and food well leads to good digestion by
making your body's job easier. The less energy the body needs
to expend to digest, absorb and utilize your food and liquids,
the more energy you have available to create, play and enjoy
life!
In the same manner, the recommendation is to chew or
contemplate well any experience or information before you
swallow or believe it-that is, take it in as part of you. With
this approach you're intuitively prescreening ideas,
interactions and events before you allow them to become part
of your belief system-and, therefore, part of your personal
reality!
Yummy in Your Tummy
Only eat foods and hang with people and pursuits that excite
you!
The insightful Japanese observe, "Digestion begins with the
eyes." When a meal is attractively presented in a way that
makes us excited to eat it, the energy activated by the
excitement will actually help the body to digest the meal more
efficiently. In the same respect, when you choose the kinds of
foods that excite you, you'll digest and absorb these foods
more easily. Yummy looking and tasting meals yield a net
increase of energy for you.
The same principle applies to your choice of people, career
and life ventures. The more exhilarating your friends and
endeavors, the more flowing and full-filling your
relationships and pursuits will be. Joy in, joy out!
It's Your Party!
You may not be experiencing life as a party. Perhaps because
you're not living your own life in your own way, according to
your unique nature and spirit.
Whether you're aware of this truth or not, life is your show.
It's your body and your dream-to do with as you choose. You
have a right to manage who, what, where and how your energy
field is entered and affected. Steer clear of any person or
philosophy that does not honor that right. You'll be the
healthier and happier for it.
If you don't steward your energy well, what will you have
available to share with others?
Drink in the nourishment of each moment! It's your party!
(c)2004, Keith Varnum. All rights in all media reserved.
Drawing from the wisdom of native and ancient spiritual
traditions, Keith Varnum shares his 30 years of practical
success as an author, personal coach, acupuncturist,
filmmaker, radio host, restaurateur, vision quest guide and
international seminar leader with "The Dream Workshops." Keith
helps people get the love, money and health they want with his
free Prosperity Ezine, free Empowerment Tape and free Coaching
at http://www.TheDream.com
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