Eat with Your Whole Body
Doesn’t this sound FUN! When I hear the words whole body eating, I envision my whole body enveloping food….quite comical. Whole body eating…what does it mean? How can it help you to reach you goal? How can it help you improve your relationship with food?
As you know, food is a convoluted topic. There are many facets to our relationship to food. It provides nourishment, connection, satisfaction, comfort, and healing. Food is ever-present and is a big part of our life. This makes it imperative that your relationship with food is settled, comfortable, non-judgmental, and satisfactory.
When the body is looked at in an investigative fashion, you see that it gives us signals and is a great source for nutritional information. Do not underestimate the power of the signals. The body tells you when you are hurt…right? Then why wouldn’t the body tell you when a food doesn’t sit right, or when a food makes you feel lethargic, or maybe that it needs more iron rich foods, protein, no grains…etc… The body sends information of what it needs.
Listen closely.
The human tendency is to ignore it, to be stubborn…but then guess what happens? The body will begin to break down. Instead of waiting for a health crisis, take control now. Pay close attention to the body and its signals, it never lies and will not mislead you. Learn to work WITH the body as it’s needs change from day to day.
Nourishing Wisdom, a fantastic book by Marc David, describes that there are 5 steps to Whole Body Eating. I highly recommend this book. It brings a fresh perspective on the body and how to truly nourish it. It’s not just the food…it is so much more! Here are Marc’s 5 Steps:
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Make a conscious choice to eat.
Ask yourself these questions before you eat:
- AM I hungry?
- Will food satisfy my hunger?
- What would truly nourish me in this moment?
- Do I choose to eat?
When you choose to eat, eat without resistance and punishment.
The tendency is to eat on autopilot, when driving, while watching TV, reading a book…you fix a plate of food, take the first bite, then all of a sudden you look down and it’s all gone. Where did it go? Do you remember eating any of it? Do you remember the taste, the feel, the smell? Pay attention to the food and the nourishment it provides; the nutrients, the connection to the earth, the enjoyment and satisfaction of the taste and scent, the decision to choose life, the love that prepared the food, the source of the food, grateful for the provision of food, etc…
2. Ask your body what it wants.
Consciously choose what to eat. Allow yourself to tune into your body and see what it needs. Listen closely and be willing to experiment. Remember that “it isn’t a matter of choosing the “right” food as it is enjoying the food you choose wholeheartedly.”
3. Eat with awareness.
If you don’t quite understand what eating with awareness is, go back and read my blog post on eating with awareness. Engage all your senses into the experience; the ambiance, the conversation, the aromas, the people you chose to eat with. Take it all in!
4. Listen for Feedback.
Take 5-10 minutes at the end of your meal to reflect upon what you have eaten and how you have eaten it. Breathe deeply 5-10 times. Learn from the meal; how is it sitting in the tummy, did it satisfy you, would you eat differently next time…Slower, faster, did you overeat, what would make your meal more complete? Relax and don’t punish yourself if the answer isn’t to your liking, just make note of it.
5. Release the Meal.
Be Free. Engage wholeheartedly in the next activity. Take time to assimilate it by taking deep breaths, listen to music. Have you ever finished a meal and found you self thinking about food and wanting more? You feel food obsessed. Know that you can release food and not think about it anymore.
These steps will help you receive the most from the food you eat. Your relationship with food will begin to repair and once again you will be friends not enemies. Remember, each time you eat, you are choosing to live. So engage yourself in the food choices you make; how you prepare the food and how you eat it. And simply ENJOY!
Choose to Embrace Your Body Now to make lasting changes.
What I want for Christmas
- At December 14, 2017
- By admin
- In awareness, Energy, Holiday, Power, Soulful Time, stress
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How do we stay healthy for Christmas?
What does good health mean to you? What does that entail? Eating “right”? Exercising? Taking supplements? Drinking plenty of water? Getting the right amount of sleep? Stress Management?
These are super important for the CONTINUED health of our body. But one that is talked about and rarely practiced is …..
Stress Management…in other words…PEACE.
Those words alone do not feel intriguing….do they?
AND what exactly does that mean? Stress Management?
Plus, how do you manage something that is as elusive as stress?
I am sure if I gave you a list of items, every day happenings or people’s names…you would be able to circle many of them that cause a degree of stress in your life.
But how many times do you write that off to “LIFE”. This is what makes stress so elusive. We are told to manage those items….but how exactly do we do that?
Here are the average stress management steps:
Take note of the item that stresses you.
Can this be eliminated or changed?
If it can be eliminated…then steps are taken to do that….success happens for several weeks….then it is added back in….partly due to behaviors that are embedded in the psyche and partly due to that fact that we feel we deserve it, the stress, pain, anxiety, discomfort…etc.
That sounds harsh…I know. But it is true.
In my desire to release stress from my life. To live free in a body I love. One thing I know for sure is…..old patterns that cause stress are present for a reason. We can’t or don’t let them go because we (humans) don’t feel deserving of that freedom, of FEELING that good.
And that makes the stress hard to eliminate from our life.
The second thing I know for sure is….the old patterns that cause stress, or anything else in your life that causes stress, can SHIFT….shift in a way that releases the burden of stress on the emotional and physical body.
How, especially this time of year….how do we let this go? How can we begin to create a SHIFT in our life that releases this stressful burden?
Well, my loves…. That is my Christmas gift to you this year.
Soulful Time rescued me. Soulful Time has come in different forms throughout my life in practicing to live free from anxiety, fear and stress. And this Christmas, I want to share them with you.
My hope is that you can learn from these different styles and then create the Soulful Time that works best for you.
Stay tuned for the next several emails where I will share my practices with you.
Merry Christmas beautiful soul,
Get a glimpse of what Soulful Time can look like for you here.
Food Quality and Results
- At July 27, 2017
- By admin
- In awareness, Energy, fat vs muscle, Power, Quality of Food
- 0
The Metabolic Power Of Quality
Finding your metabolic power is a process and it doesn’t happen overnight. However, once you find it…you will reach and maintain your body’s natural weight.
I’ve got GREAT NEWS….YOU have the power within you to find it!
NOW GO and CLAIM IT!
The key to finding your metabolic power resides with in you. Last week you learned the first step, Breathing, also referred to as Relaxation…have you been practicing? You will notice that when the breathing technique is applied before, during and after meals that you are not as “stuffed”, the body digests the food more efficiently, and you have increased energy. In a nut shell…you burned more calories!
The next step is Quality
The quality of food you put in your body is so important. The body metabolizes food best when it is wholesome food, food that comes from the ground, flies above the earth, roams the earth or swims in the sea. So, here it is, quick and easy:
Elevate the Quality of your food. Poor food quality INCREASES food QUANTITY. We tend to eat too much food because the food you are eating is nutrient deficient.
Quality Means:
- Real
- Fresh
- Organic
- Gourmet
- Lovingly crafted
- Homemade
- Locally produced
- Heirloom varieties
- Nutrient dense
- Low in human – made toxins
- Grown and marketed with honesty and integrity
- Tasteful
- Filled with true flavor
- Care and consciousness permeate a food and the food itself has a good story to tell
Reduce or Eliminate:
Poor quality fats, sugar, white flour, processed or packaged foods, dairy and meats(these foods SUPPRESS metabolic potential) Please note that I said POOR quality. When including dairy and meat in your eating protocol, go for organic, fresh varieties.
So, what about the “healthy” packaged foods we find at health food stores and markets?
This is a great question.
Here are the best guidelines for those instances:
- Check the ingredient list first
- Check for knowledge of those ingredients – do you know what they are?
- 5 ingredients or less UNLESS all “10” are foods like nuts, seeds, fruits etc…
- Corn products are usually GMO – go for organic varieties.
- Now check out the nutritional label
- Sugar grams – less than 5
- Fiber – up!
- NOTE that saturated fat may be listed high if the item contains nuts and seeds or other essential fats. THAT IS OK! Fat is not the enemy that food companies have touted it to be, as you will see below.
Health Giving Fats:
- Avocado
- Olives – emphasize variety
- Fresh Fish – Ocean or stream caught – not farm raised – variety
- Nuts and seeds – organic
- Nut Butter – peanut butter, almond butter, sesame butter
- Free Range Eggs
- Organic Dairy products
One thing I find interesting is the health issues that are centered around poor nutrition or NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY. For example, look at the list below, do you complain of any of these?
irritability, fatigue, dull and brittle hair, dry skin, redness around the eyes, digestive complaints, constipation, inability to lose weight and mood disorders
Guess what, those are all symptoms of Clinical Fat deficiency! This can be offset by changing your diet to the Health Giving Fats listed above. This is only one example of the effects of poor nutrition, i.e. eating low-end mass processed foods.
It all comes Naturally
Are you one to worry about the percentages of how much protein, fats, carbohydrates, and sugar…etc you need in your daily diet. Wouldn’t it be easy if it came naturally?
Well, put away the calculator….there is not a “perfect” balance of these macro-nutrients known to man. It is just a guesstimate. You know your body better than anyone in the world. So why give those decisions to someone who doesn’t know your body?
The easiest way to start is to include a protein, an essential fat and a carbohydrate (vegetable or fruit form) at every meal or snack.
Your body is speaking to you right now…. letting you know if the position you are in is comfortable. Are you having to move around to find that comfy spot? Are you feeling stiffness creep in to your spine? That is your body telling you to get up and move. It is sending a message. It does the same thing with FOOD. If you eat low quality food….several hours later, you are going to know about it. Watch for the symptoms and the signals your body gives you.
One way to begin “hearing” your body talk is by keeping a journal. Journal the food you eat, the time, your internal rhythm (are you feeling relaxed…or up tight and on the run?), and how you feel after. Make note of physical signs after eating. Learn what foods have a GREAT effect on your body and what foods have a “not” so great effect.
“By getting rid of poor quality foods in your diet, you will curb carbohydrate cravings and discover your body’s natural intelligence in determining portions, percentages, and amounts.”
Do this if you haven’t yet😊
Clean out the low-end mass produced unenlightened food products from your home and replace them with high quality counterparts. Focus on foods from the list above. Hit the target at least 80% if the time. The overall direction of your diet is QUALITY. Need a little help getting started? Download Real Food Meal Planning Guide and Shopping List for guidance to get started eating HIGH quality foods.
If you tend to eat out, then educate yourself on the quality restaurants located in your area.
Make the best choice for your body. It is the only one you’ve got :o) …so, feed it good quality fresh foods and you will be richly rewarded with a body that has energy for all the events and activities you love, one that has staying power in this life.
During this next week continue to relax, practice breathing and slowing down your internal rhythm, PLUS focus on the quality of your food. Kick out the low quality foods and BRING IN THE HIGH QUALITY FOODS!
Enjoy your journey to CLAIMING your Metabolic Power!
Ashly
Holistic Eating & Body Love Coach
References: Marc David, Nutritionist, founder of Institute for the Psychology of Eating, author of the Slow Down Diet
Check out this video for more on Quality
I’ve Got Things to Do, Have Time to Rest
- At June 06, 2017
- By admin
- In awareness, Energy, fat vs muscle, Power, sleep, stress
- 0
I am sure that all of us have thought that at one time or another, especially coming up on this Celebratory time of year. Before the desire to cut out sleep over takes you, I want to share with you WHY you want to sleep. This is a blog post I wrote several years ago that I thought will be perfect for this Holiday season coming up.
We are given the impression early on in life that you can do all and be all. We have a job that we must be responsible to; a family to care for, child’s activities, and church activities…the list goes on. What about Rest? There is a saying…”I’ll sleep when I’m 6 feet under” that is very morbid, I know…and we always laugh it off. However, we really do need REST. In order for our bodies to heal, replenish, grow, build, repair, etc…we must have SLEEP.
There are 2 kinds of rest: One is SLEEP the other is RECOVERY
SLEEP
This here will motivate you to get some sleep….Research shows that those who only get a few hours of sleep a night are more likely to become obese. Your body needs to shutdown and repair itself…The only time to do that is at night.
There is also a correlation between sleep and the hormones that influence our eating behaviors. Ghrelin is responsible for feelings of hunger, while Leptin is responsible for letting you know when you are full. When you are sleep deprived production of ghrelin is increased and the production of leptin is decreased. This will make you feel hungry and never feel full. In conjunction with that, poor food choices are made when feeling tired. It is easy to see how these changes can lead to weight gain.
What should you do?? In addition to eating right, breathing deep and exercising….make sure you get 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Don’t short change yourself. This is important for your health!
Remember, when you don’t feel tired, you won’t feel hungry!
Recovery
This is taking time between workouts to rest, or taking time after a BIG weekend to rest. Allow the body to get back in sync with one of these activities:
- deep breathing
- yoga
- meditation
- stretching
- low impact activity that you enjoy and that brings out the “child-like” zest for living
- Tai Chi/ Qi Gong/ Shi Bashi
Recovery is important for muscle development; diminish symptoms of over training, mental and emotional balance. When taken on a regular basis, all you need is 24-48 hours of recovery time.
How can you tell when to take recovery time?? Listen to your body, tune into it. Here are some signs:
- sleep deprivation
- nagging joint pain
- lack of focus during workout
- over eating
- emotional eating
- snappy/irritable
- frequent minor injuries…etc.
If you have any of these symptoms, give yourself 24 hours to recoup and get back to it. You will find that your workouts are more effective when you give your body the proper recovery time.
To sum it up….Get your sleep, allow your body to recover often and the body in turn will work like a fine tuned machine for you!
sources:
2008 IDEA Fitness Journal,
Flier, J. Annals of Internal Medicine, Dec. 7, 2004; vol 141: pp 885-886
Van Cauter, E. Annals of Internal Medicine, Dec. 7, 2004; vol 141: pp 846-850
What’s Keeping You Stuck?
- At May 12, 2017
- By admin
- In awareness, cravings, Energy, fat vs muscle, Power, stress, Uncategorized, water
- 0
This is Star. You have probably seen her around my FaceBook page. Love my Star!
Comfortable Fear
Before you freak out and get all concerned…she is fine! This picture was taken last summer. She had an anxiety attack out in the heat and had to hole up in an oxygen tank for a little while.
It was REALLY scary!
But all is well.
Isn’t that how life happens. We have experiences that make us hole up in safety, in fear for our life. Then we get stuck there. It feels safe, so, we don’t want to leave. But we can’t deny the fact that it is fear that is keeping us there.
Fear gets you stuck …. AND …. Fear keeps you there.
Sometimes I wish I could be more like Star. Once this past…she was great. She got right out of her “stuck-ness” and continued on, as if nothing happened.
What is keeping you stuck?
Stuck-ness happens when we don’t know what step to take next. Whether it is diet related, health related, relationships, business, finances, it all boils down to fear.
I let fear RULE my life for many years…. It is hard to live IN JOY when fear is a part of every fiber of your being.
What is fear?
False Evidence Appearing Real? We make up stories and then live as if they are true. We bring them to life…. for some reason…(human flaw)… this makes us more comfortable. BECAUSE then we know the outcome. No fault can be fall us when we are “right”.
Comfortable. That is a strange word when it is in correlation with FEAR. How can we continue to live in Comfortable Fear? They are opposites and yet we live them together, day in and day out.
I want AND desire to live Comfortable Peace; with food, my body relationship, the relationship I have with myself, my familial relations, my friends, my business, my finances.
How do we make this change? This shift? I think that is the most important question.
AWARENESS is the answer.
Fear is living in a future that doesn’t exist. Awareness is living in the present.
Let’s apply this to over-eating. That is a very common struggle among the women and men that I work with.
Over-eating evolves from tight control or lack of control, it is really a fear that I won’t be able to stop eating. “I’ve got to have the whole thing…it tastes so good and I may not have the opportunity to eat it again any time soon.”
It is also the fear of being present…not wanting to acknowledge that you are eating so you don’t have to “count” it as eating.
You are exactly right…. The physical body or more specifically the digestive system doesn’t know food is being eaten when you are CHECKED OUT. Food isn’t registered by the head brain OR the gut brain. Overeating, a belly ache, and increased body weight are the results.
The typical response to this is a sense of failure and “why even try” attitude (Comfortable Fear)
That is a lie. We tell ourselves a lie because we are IN fear. Fear that “what if we are right” “What if I can NEVER stop eating too much, what if I go on a diet to only gain it back, What if, What if, What if.” We could “what if” ourselves to death. We might as well go ahead and admit it, right?
What if we applied this same line of thinking with relationships. What is keeping you stuck in your relationships? Fear of being accepted for who you really are? For standing in confidence on an important issue when others look at you like you are crazy? So you withdraw and turn inward for self-preservation? Which keeps you alone. And proves you right (Comfortable Fear).
So why get out there and pursue a healthy relationship with food or people? Comfortable Fear is …. comfortable…. safe…. easy…. and sad to say but USEFUL.
It provides the excuse of WHY maintaining a healthy body weight is unsuccessful, or WHY nourishing friendships or business or finances are stunted in growth.
Comfortable Fear is something we CREATE and utilize to keep us from living the life we were intended to live in a body we love…. because Comfortable Peace is too hard…it requires too much.
So, let me ask the question again:
What is keeping you stuck?
I’m going to be honest and in “in your face” for a moment.
It is…..
Y-O-U
You and the Comfortable Fear YOU CREATE. DO you LIKE it? Do you like living this way?
Is it giving you EXACTLY what you have dreamed of?
So, what is it going to be?
Do you want to CREATE a lovely life living in a lovely body?
Then CHOOSE Comfortable Peace.
Comfortable Peace is:
Standing firm in your own footprint
Operating with ease and grace – with the choices you make around food, your body and your life.
Appreciating your OWN uniqueness
Believing in WHO you are and what you provide to this world
Living in a state of gratitude…with EVERYTHING – even the challenges – There is a valuable message in all experiences.
Living in AWARENESS – being present in the here and now.
BE-ing in alignment with your Truth
You know what to do next. You simply take the next step into Comfortable Peace.
Because Comfortable Fear hasn’t brought life’s desires to you. Why not try something new?
Comfortable Peace
Ashly Torian is an expert in the fields of eating psychology, mind body nutrition and fitness. She serves women and men that struggle with food and body issues. She holds the key that unlocks the cage and opens the doorway to freedom from these struggles so they never have to experience them again.
If you want to know more about living in Comfortable Peace, visit my website or contact me directly.
Living in Comfortable Peace
Help! My hand is stuck in the cookie jar
Sometimes we just need permission!
Women come to me for the answer of how to stop eating “bad” foods. How to stay on course and not get swept off track with the next round of emotional eating.
The big question is “Why do I give in? What gave these foods this much power over me?” “Why can’t I eat ‘perfectly’?”
That is what it feels like, isn’t? The food is lording over you and telling you to eat or else….!!!
Think back to when you were a young child and you would ask your mama if you could have a cookie from the cookie jar and she said “no, not right now” what happens with your desire for that cookie? It increases doesn’t it. The desire and the need are so great that you think you might die if you don’t get it right now.
So what do you do as that young child. You find every possible way and reason to pass through the kitchen without mom hearing you, lifting the lid off the cookie jar as quietly as possible and then eat that cookie as fast as you can so no one sees; but then you want another and another because you didn’t enjoy it like you thought you would. You need more to fulfill that desire you had for the cookie.
The same is true as we age into adult-hood. When we are told, we can’t have something, or better yet, when a diet restricts or you hear repeatedly how “bad” a food is for you, YOU WANT MORE OF IT, don’t you?
I have a solution for you that is so easy to say but difficult to do. But first I want to clarify something that is extremely important, especially if you will receive the suggestion I have regarding the power of the cookie jar.
Here it is: there is not a food on planet earth that is “bad”, or a diet that is “perfect”, food has no moral value, right? The food you are eating is not bad…it is just less nutrient dense than what you prefer or what the eating protocol you are on is asking for. Let that sink in for a moment. No food is bad. Food is Food.
Secondly, food has no power except the power we give it. This power comes from lack of awareness for the body, for digestion and really a lack of consideration, compassion and care for one self.
Once you can wrap your brain around those two, now you are ready for the cookie jar solution.
Here it is: Give yourself permission.
Sounds too easy?
Hang with me for a minute….
If someone gave you permission to eat a whole jar of cookies, would you do it? NO, you wouldn’t. Why? The resistance is taken away. When resistance is present, it creates a desire for the forbidden.
This resistance goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve didn’t think about not being able to eat from the tree of knowledge, they were perfectly happy eating from the other trees that provided nourishment until it was pointed out, evilly I might add, that this tree was forbidden. It was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey. That is when resistance kicked in and they wanted more.
When told that getting a cookie from the cookie jar is forbidden…the desire for it becomes that much stronger.
Instead, give yourself permission to eat the “forbidden” food occasionally. The time frame is strictly up to you, based on your health needs and the needs of your body.
Next, use my favorite food permission quote, “I can have it anytime I want, I just don’t want it right now.”
This frees you to make a nourishing choice for mealtime or snack time instead of reacting to an emotional need in the moment. That sidesteps you away from your good intentions; the reaction to the emotional need in the moment. Whereas, when you give yourself permission to have it anytime you want, self-love and compassion included, the reaction to the emotion won’t lead to food. In fact, if you allow that need to roll through you…just sit with the emotion for a moment, be present filled, the desire for the food has a better chance of passing you right by.
Now, wouldn’t that be wonderful?
It is only a shift in your perception and belief about food. One, it isn’t ‘bad’, it is just food. Two, simply give yourself permission AND/OR feel the emotion. Both will allow the moment to pass without partaking in an emotional binge or unaware eating.
If this philosophy resonates with you..check out my other blogs AND join us for Engage and Experience Freedom Group Coaching Program.
The 1 Thing You Can Do to Get Your Energy Back
- At January 17, 2017
- By admin
- In awareness, Energy, Power, Uncategorized
- 0
Would you LOVE to have all the energy you need to get EVERYTHING done that you want to get done? YES! Me Too! Today’s blog is on this topic of eating and dieting and what we do that comes natural and steals our energy from the important things in our life. What comes natural to us is to attack weight loss in the form of restriction, going on a diet that requires weighing or measuring food, logging details of what you eat so you get an instant read on if you are doing “good” or “bad”.
How are you doing so far, this year?
This process is crazy, really.
When you think about it,
Every waking moment is centered around food
How much
What kind
Ooh that’s too much…
Ohh I’m still so hungry!
When is the next time I get to eat?
I wonder if it will really make a difference if I eat this cookie…
…or 3 or …….
I will just have to run (bike or drill myself to death) to burn them off
I will be ok
I still have 6 weeks…
I’ve got plenty of time.
YIKES!
Does this sound familiar?
Why do we spend so much energy around what, when, how much and so on?
Total WASTE of energy.
And to take this to the next level…
Why do you think most people “cheat” on a “diet”?
ENERGY…the lack of it.
Really, it truly does.
There is a ton of evidence out there that tells us the decisions that we make are directly affected by our level of stress and exhaustion.
The human brain expends so much energy trying to help you logically deal with this issue of food, the brain gets tired, you get emotionally drained from all the toxic thought backwash and this sends you packing for “other” food that will help you to feel better or give you much needed energy to finish out your day.
So, you can begin anew tomorrow.
Do you see the cycle?
One of the health models I coach my clients is the Energy Gainer and Drainer activity.
From this activity, you will get a clear picture of what excites you and what is pulling much needed energy from you.
The relationship, or rather, HOW a person does food, is typically at the top of the list. One of the top reasons women come to work with me is because they want to stop thinking about food all the time.
Once you commit to a diet, there are 2 things you can bet on, 1) you will think about food ALL the time, 2) if you lose the weight you want…it is going to come back.
You may be thinking… “that is an awful thing to say.”
Yes…. but a true one.
Studies show that only 2% of those that go on a diet to lose weight keep the weight off after 2 years. AFTER 2 years.
Take a deep breath and recall the reason you want to lose weight.
Is it because you want to experience this same process again and again?
I don’t think so.
There are several ways to ensure success with weight loss or loving your body. ENERGY, and your management of it, is one of those keys. The human body is given a certain amount of energy each day. Since, energy cannot be created…we can only manage it. Good management leads to much energy to fulfill your goals and dreams.
There are certain foods that will give you energy and some that will take it away. Same goes with every other aspect of your life. Everyone is different, so your list will not be the same as your friends. We are unique and incredibly intelligent beings. Our body knows exactly what will fill us up with energy…we have only to observe and listen.
Here is step #1 for you. Go through this process of Energy Gainer and Drainer Activity and see what comes up for you.
Once you complete this exercise, fill your life with what brings you energy and do what you can to eliminate as much of the energy drainers from your life as possible. These energy drainers are one of the things that is keeping you from your success. AND the bonus is….this activity is easy to implement.
You will feel lighter just by getting it all on a piece of paper.
I would love to know how it turns out. Please leave your comment below.
love & hugs, Ashly
ENGAGE 2017 LIVE Group Coaching begins January 24th. Don’t delay in signing up. I will help you reach your desire for 2017! Join us here!
The Power of Your Desire
As I am writing this blog post, I am fortunate and blessed to be sitting on the ABB Fun House Patio. It is absolutely a beautiful day and one filled with inspiration that I would like to pass on to you. This is the final month of the year, which means that goal setting is right around the corner. So here is my message for you.
Instead of goal setting why not tap into The Power of Your Desire…. which leads you to reaching your goals. 
When you desire something, you are filled with an inner power.
What determines how much inner power you have is how badly you DESIRE “IT”
AND most importantly, the drive behind it.
Meaning, the desire that you have for something needs to be driven by what you are most passionate about. For example: If you desire to end over-eating and lose weight, there needs to be a powerful reason to get you to do that, but, most importantly, a reason to maintain these changes for a life-time.
I hate to say this, but, the reduction in the number on the scale is not going to do that for you. It will motivate you for a short while, but it will not last.
It hasn’t yet? Has it?
BUT
When your desire for this comes from or is driven by your inspiration in life, your passion, your reason for being, you have just tapped into your inner power.
To explain this difference further, here are a few examples of motivators. Motivators are temporary measures, the passion behind them comes to an end. And soon you are left with the poor behaviors that got you where you are in the first place.
- To see the number on the scale drop
- My husband wants me to…..
- I have a reunion this summer…
- I just want to feel better
Now, to get lifestyle changes to stick…there needs to be a life-shift. One that inspires you for the long term. A life shift causes a physiological shift which enhances your metabolic power. Here is a list of inspirations or passions:
- My spiritual gift requires me to be healthy and mobile. If I want to do mission work and serve others in foreign countries, then I am inspired to change my habits.
- I want to be an example for….. (this one can be tricky and one that I would guide you on)
- My 3 strengths are Honesty, Love and Spirituality. If I want to live in accordance with my strengths, then I can utilize them to get real with my healthful intentions and stick to them.
- Mountain climbing is a passion – I will use this as my focus to maintain my intention to achieve my goals.
Goal setting is not meant to be superficial. Goal Setting calls on the Power of YOUR Desire. Increase your level of desire and you will increase your ability to achieve your goals.
When it comes to weight loss and choosing a program to aid in that endeavor, please remember that:
You are not the Problem!
The problem is assuming FOOD is the problem.
….that your relationship with it…is not a living, breathing thing.
The belief that structure is going to “fix” it
…that it is even something that needs to be “fixed”
My goal…is to see people healthier, living with vitality and love. Living on a diet or always stressing about the ‘need’ to lose weight…isn’t healthy and not living with vitality and love.
Obsessing over food is not healthy and not living with vitality and love.
The Problem is FOCUS
What we put our focus on. Is both the problem and the solution?
Marc David states “What you think and feel is directly related to the chemistry of the body.
Stressing over food …..you become a dieting monger. On the flip side, having your focus on what inspires and drives you…completely changes the chemistry of the body, one of stress chemistry where cortisol is flying around wreaking havoc, to one of love chemistry where endorphins are leading the way to fulfillment and purpose.
Looking back over your life…is this really where you wanted your attention and focus? On your body and how much you weigh?
How much more could you have achieved/accomplished if your focus had been on something that has purpose instead of obsession with food?
What could we put our focus on that would benefit us body and soul?
This is the missing ingredient to dieting program. The way to maintain forward momentum is to seek that which you want to attain.
Weighing yourself every morning brings your focus to something that will pull you off track.
Instead, have what you want to attain right out in front of you. Each morning ‘meditate’ on that for 5 min, breathing it in, affirming your direction and point of focus. Visualize. Step in to it. Shape-Shift into it.
BE what you want to become.
In other words… Your Desire is your point of focus.
Utilize that which inspires you to be your focal point to nourishing your body in a way that enables you to live the life you desire.
For more information on how to live per your Desire, contact me for a discovery session. We will find your point of focus so you live Inspired, Healthy and Free! info@ashlytorian.com
Who’s coming to dinner?
- At July 24, 2014
- By admin
- In awareness, Energy, Power, stress, Uncategorized
- 1
Who is eating your meal? Is it the capable adult that you truly are or your alter ego? More times than not it is our alter ego, also known as Archetypes. We are all made up of various archetypes, some are strong and capable while others hold us back. Which ones are leading your life? Which one is at the table with you more times than you care to admit?
Caroline Myss, in her book Archetypes, states that archetypes “are impersonal patterns of consciousness that form the essence of human nature.” Meaning, our experiences and moods create a response in our soul (mind-heart-emotions) which results in a particular behavior.
The events of the day can lead to eating irresponsibly. The boost into princess or prince archetype, the ones that say “this is what I want and I want it now”, could be caused by an upsetting conversation or not feeling like you performed your best in your presentation. It could be any experience that caused injury to your ego. The alter-ego can also show up under different moods. When feeling depressed, the ego tends to say “so what, who cares, it doesn’t matter.”
Well, it does matter. It matters because in that one moment, that one, very short moment, all the hard work and good intentions in reaching what you want to attain were just set aside because of the Queen/King. The responsible adult in you decided not to stand up and step in; the princess/prince won that battle. How many times will you let the princess/prince win before you say “I’m done?”
The question is, how do you use this information for weight loss?
Simple.
Every time before you begin to eat, ask yourself the question, “Who is eating?” Slow down enough to care what answer is revealed. Breathe in the acknowledgement of who it is, and if it is an archetype that isn’t serving you, release the experience that triggered the archetype to show up in the first place.
Sit there and breathe for several breaths until the stressed feeling that the experience brought on dissipates. It may take several minutes until the responsible adult shows up at the table. Be patient. Once you get the hang of this, the body is capable of switching gears in 60 seconds, it takes practice but it is doable.
Archetypes are fun and a great way to get to know “you” a little bit better; see who shows up during your day, during your various experiences. Practice when you are at the table by putting the empowered adult who is responsible for their actions in charge of the meal.
For more information on these personas and how they affect eating and living behaviors, check out Ashly’s group programs.
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