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I’ve come to fully appreciate that losing weight and keeping it off is both a body & soul proposition.
“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” ~ Deepak Chopra
For the past several years, I’ve been mostly focused on providing information and recipes to help you nourish your body.
But I think many of us are overfeeding our bodies in an attempt to satisfy hunger deep in our souls.
To help counter this imbalance, I plan on providing more Food for the Soul here on the blog.
I came across this wonderful poem as I was clearing away clutter—disposing of old yoga teacher training materials—and thought it worthy of sharing…
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Let Go Of The Past
By Kathleen O’Brien
Let go of guilt; it’s okay to make the same mistakes again.
Let go of obsessions; they seldom turn out the way you planned.
Let go of hate; it’s a waste of love.
Let go of blaming others; you are responsible for your own destiny.
Let go of fantasies so reality can come true.
Let go of self-pity; someone else may need you.
Let go of wanting; cherish what you have.
Let go of fear; it’s a waste of faith.
Let go of despair; change comes from acceptance and forgiveness.
Let go of the past; the future is here – right now.
What do you need to let go of for lasting weight loss success?
- Obsessive calorie counting?
- Dietary extremes?
- All or nothing thinking?
- Self-hate?
- Overindulgence?
- Starting tomorrow or Monday or someday?
- Giving up?
- The need to be perfect?
- Making excuses?
- Deprivation?
- Putting yourself last?
- Negative self talk?
- Stress?
Need a little help letting go?
The day after I sent out my email and the above poem on letting go for lasting weight loss success, I received an email from one of my favorite yoga teachers providing a specific yoga practice designed to help you relax and let go.
Talk about divine intervention!
As she explains, the mind attains serenity through prolonged exhalation and suspension of breath.
But there is something else that happens when we hold the breath out (comfortably) and linger in that space of stillness between breaths.
It’s a place where there is no need to rush, no need to get somewhere or to do something – it’s just a place to BE.
It is a welcome pause in a life full of activity, and striving, and accomplishing.
It is a doorway to serenity.
The practice in the following yoga video, from Olga Kabel, is a short yoga practice that uses breath and simple movement to help you relax the body, deepen your exhalation and quiet the mind.
It is particularly useful when you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
She calls it the “Doorway to Serenity Yoga Practice.”
Give a try and let me know what you think…
I need to let go of overindulgence. I always want more and give in, but no more. I know that I am worth more and I am learning to eat slower, enjoying my food, and my time.
I feel the same way as Marsha. I’m 62, still self employed working. I am always rushing around, in a hurry etc. Even at the grocery store. My husband says I’m the only shopper that leaves black marks on their floors from pushing my cart so fast .
He’s kidding but you get my point . Why am I so bad about relaxing ?
I need to let go of the stress at work.
I would like to let go of the need to have everything perfect. Things will still get done in a timely manner and most things can be fixed or reworked.
I have let go of the notion that my nutrition needs come after everyone else. I now make and enjoy what is good for ME. If my husband chooses to partake, wonderful; if not, there are lots of choices for him in the fridge. I am happy to say that he has loved almost everything I have made from your site!
I need to let go of dependence on food to relieve stressful situations. I understand it is hurting only me and not those who are causing me stress.
I am learning to savor each and every day that Hod has given to me.
I need to let go of trying to be perfect in my journey. I will make mistakes and that is ok. Remembering that I don’t have to wait until the next day to try again. I can do it now!
I am letting go of worry. Living each day as it unfolds and doing my best in the moment. God takes care of it all. He already knows my future, right?
I need to let go of thinking I’m not good enough/worth it. I need to realize it’s okay to buy some foods or cook a meal that is just for me. That I’m not being selfish by taking care of myself, that I’ll be around for my babies longer if I make healthier decisions now.
I need to let go of people telling me I look good and dont need to lose weight. Only I know what is best for me. It was nice of them to say that but they don’t know what is under these clothes and health problems.