I am ready for a nap!
Our family spends Easter weekend at the beach. Tradition has Saturday night dinner at our
place. Salmon on the grill, ham for the
meat eaters, and plenty of grilled veggies and fresh fruit. Sunday late morning is always brunch at my
sister’s. Baked egg dishes, bagels, dinner
leftovers, lox, fruit and coffee cake. About
half way through the meal I feel it start to creep in. First a simple yawn, which slowly works its
way to multiples as I slide deeper and deeper into the couch, until all I want
to do is lie down on the floor for a quick nap. Maybe no one will notice. Brunch always has that effect on me.
This week in classes we worked with our energy of fire, Manipura
Chakra, our heat, vision and inner strength. Moving toward what it is that we want. But the energy of fire is also our digestion. Agni…..
When our digestive system is strong and functioning at peak
performance, we bring in the food, take from it all that provides nourishment, and
eliminate all that doesn’t serve us….letting it go. All done without a lot of thought. Smoothly, efficiently and consistently. Meal after meal after meal. An
effortless natural flow that leaves us energized and satisfied. Flowing in…..flowing out.
But Agni is not solely about the digestion of food. It is also our digestion of life. Breathing in and receiving life, as it is –
chewing slowly and enjoying each of life’s many flavors. Taking from it all of the things that help
move our soul forward – the enjoyment, the love, the lessons, as well as the
pain. But then just as smoothly, letting
it all go. Bringing each day in as you
live it to the fullest, but then clearing out to make room the for the
next.
We should be just as choosy (if not more) with what we
swallow in the books we read, the tv we watch and the company we keep, as we
are with the foods we eat. Because just as too much caffeine can make our
nights sleepless, so too can searching the web right before heading to bed. Too
much acidic food can cause heartburn but holding onto anger has the same result. Heavy food can make us sluggish and
uninspired while listening too long to the news may leave you feeling that our
world is a mess without much you can do about it. And as I know, eating a lot of carbs in the middle
of the day for me is a sure fire way to send me back to bed….the same result I
get from too much chatting and not enough silence!
Worry can act like processed food, while stress can produce
similar effects to cigarettes. Negativity
and judgment can weigh us down like a very big piece of cake. Not speaking our truths can coat our throats
like too much coke. And sadness can cause us to ‘lose our appetite’.
When our Agni is strong it is like a fire that we have tended
throughout the evening. Keeping it stoked,
steady and bright. Never roaring
uncontrollably, but also never allowed to dwindle to smoldering embers. It means being able to digest everything we
take in through the eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Surrounding ourselves with what nourishes us
and cleaning out the frig of that which tends to get stuck!
And speaking of
digestion…….she’s back!! And she is one
of the best digestive aids that exist. Before
you head out for any weed killer, please re-visit
“Ode to Dandelion”
Absorbing love and eliminating worry,
SARAH
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