Here we are - the big finish of this series and I believe, this is the most powerful principle of them all. (I've included links to the other seven posts below.)
The idea of the sacred holding metabolic power may be a completely new idea to you. I hope not. I hope when you read the title of this post you thought, "Of course! It's about time we got down to where the real power lies." If you didn't, that's understandable.
It's all too easy and common to hold the physical and spiritual worlds in separate spaces. You know, the idea that there's our "spiritual life" - the one where we talk about and reach for God or whatever Higher Power we recognize, and then there's our "real life" - the one where we go to work, do never-ending laundry, deal with rude drivers, all that fun stuff.
The truth is there is no separation.
Our "real life" is our "spiritual life," so it should come as no surprise that spiritual things impact physical things, our bodies included. Because of this, nutritional issues cannot be addressed with food alone.
It's pretty easy to see that this topic is way too big for one blog post to cover, so I'm just going to throw out some ideas for you to stew on.
Idea 1 -
Every food/body/nutritional challenge has a spiritual side.
Idea 2 -
"Look at any challenge society is suffering around the misuse of powerful entities - drugs, alcohol, tobacco, guns - and what you're seeing is the absence of the sacred. Without the intentional invitation of the Divine into the manufacture, growing, handling, preparation, and usage of these substances, their power is transferred to the realm of the profane, which...leads us down a path of destruction and despair." (The Slow Down Diet by Marc David, pg. 173)
Idea 3 -
"Some of the ways that sacred metabolism may be revealed in the body include prayer, fasting, meditation, experiences in nature, sports, yoga, music, dance, a sweat lodge, artistic pursuits, sleeplessness, illness, recovery, near-death experiences, intimacy, stressful events, war, injury, hunting, grief, falling in love, and religious rituals of many varieties.
When the metabolic power of the sacred is activated in the body, a portal is opened to a fantastic assortment of biological empowerments that would otherwise have no entry point." (The Slow Down Diet by Marc David, pg. 160)
Idea 4 -
Whatever our challenge may be - excess weight, low energy, digestive issues, warped body image, illness, injury, to name a few - it is also our gift. There are inherent "soul lessons" offered by each struggle we face. It is completely up to us whether or not we find and embrace those lessons. Seeking out those gifts enriches our lives in ways nothing else can and activates the metabolic power of the sacred.
Idea 5 -
Any time we act with
love truth courage
commitment compassion forgiveness
faith surrender other similar virtues
we engage and gain access to the metabolic power of the sacred.
Karen's Story
Let me share just a part of the story of one of my dearest friends, Karen, which illustrates several of these ideas.
When I first met Karen back in high school she already had high blood pressure and some kidney problems. Her life became a series of which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg illnesses. I always told her she should never bother to write her life story because no one would believe it all happened to one person in one lifetime.
Her high blood pressure/kidney issues led to her first kidney transplant in her late twenties/early thirties. As the years went on she had two very difficult pregnancies which both ended months early with premature babies. She had a second kidney transplant and needed a third one, as well, which she couldn't get since they couldn't identify why she had rejected the previous two. She had brain surgery, congestive heart failure, paralysis, numerous hospital stays, lived for several years on three times a week dialysis treatment, and died at least twice before ultimately passing away in her mid-fifties.
She was told so often that she should be dead by doctors treating whatever her current issue was that she began laughing every subsequent time she heard that. No one expected her to live anywhere near as long as she did. So, what kept her going?
I think I know the answer to that. Karen looked at the spiritual side of everything. She recognized that what she was going through involved more than just her body. She recognized the sacred aspects of her experiences and invited the Divine into her life through her actions - prayer, fasting when possible, religious practices, and so forth. She sought after what she knew her experiences could teach her and was one of the most faithful, courageous, committed people you could ever meet and had the rare gift of wisdom in balancing fighting and surrendering.
This is the same woman who, with some regularity, would call me and say, "You prayed for me today, didn't you? I could feel it." And she was right. Every time.
In short, she embodied the principles of the metabolic power of the sacred.
So, how can we do the same? Here's a good place to start.
PRACTICES -
1 - Pray over our food.
Praying over food invites the Divine into the eating/nourishment arena.
2 - Consider the sacred.
Even simply looking for the sacred, spiritual aspects of eating, weight, body image,
and such will begin or continue your own journey in this powerful realm. Trust
yourself, trust your path, trust the Divine - all three are wiser than we know.