Food Glorious Food
Is your diet doing you good? Below counsellor and therapist Carin shares her experiences and thoughts on how to nurture healthy, nutritious and delicious well-being.
A question I always ask co-creators in the work I do is ‘Is this doing you good?’, because whatever falls under the umbrella of how you feed and nourish yourself at any and all levels, be that Massage, Yoga, Breathwork, Reiki, Therapy, Reflexology, Spiritual Healing etc., is vitally important in helping you develop fully as a human being and helping you feel more positively about yourself.
My own favourite ‘food’ is a walk I do regularly around the Arne wildlife reserve and along the beaches at Studland. It is interesting that the first time I did it I was not sure exactly which route I would take but the path kind of unfolded before me spontaneously. There is perhaps an energy involved in exploring with an open mind and heart which will set you on the right routes in life. I was transfixed by the beauty and variety of the different landscapes I was walking through and the magnetic pull of the sea. It is still my favourite place on Earth (up until now anyway) because the feelings it evokes in me never waver: awe, peace, a sense of belonging, profound happiness - I also love a good paddle to cool hot feet! I think this should be the compass which steers you in the best direction - that inner feeling of rightness and expansion. I am the proverbial grazer: always looking for more ways to open up to the world and this can come from so many sources as long as you are ‘tuned in’; I often find what I like to call a lightbulb moment, in other words ‘that sounds interesting, I’d love to try that!’, whilst reading the news or listening to a podcast, or perhaps eavesdropping on a conversation! Have you asked yourself how you tune in to what makes you truly happy or what you would like to try to do to deepen your experience of living?
Of course there have been more than a few hiccups along the way - for example please never ask me to put a climbing helmet and harness on ever again. It felt like a good idea BEFORE I started but as I tried to navigate the harness and ended up looking like a trussed-up chicken, I knew inside this was not going to end well. It did not resonate, I felt at odds and out of my depth and alone. It did not land with me, but I did land several times on my trusted gluteus maximus. Not one to normally give up easily, I was guided by that feeling of deflation and frustration to look elsewhere for more joy. Listen to your gut which is related to the solar plexus chakra where you express your authentic self and you will not go far wrong in living your life, your way..
So, how do you feel? If the answer to that is ‘well’, then you are surely on the right path(s) - but there is always room for even more tasty delights! If your reply is ‘could be better’, it may be the moment as Imbolc approaches on the 2nd of February, the time of spring and new beginnings for our ancient ancestors, to explore new ways to make changes happen on a much more permanent basis to bring more happiness and peace into your inner space…
When I first started practising yoga seriously during lockdown, I knew I had found a home of sorts and that led me to reflect on why it seemed so familiar and so right as soon as I laid my body down on the mat. The conclusion I came to was that it so perfectly aligns with the intentions I have for my own life and those people I have the privilege of working with: any regular practice which gives you a non-judgemental space just to BE and to explore who you are physically, mentally and spiritually is, literally, soul food! And the more that is served up, the more discerning your palate becomes. So bring on the next course…
- Written by Carin Hammond