The MAGIC! is in my Routine…

I’ve been feeling so well this week!

After a recent trip to the UK to celebrate my 50th birthday, I’m back in Spain and getting back into my routine. Although for three weeks I still had an irritating cough left over from one of the worst cases of flu ever, I have been getting up half an hour before dawn and writing my journal, taking some time to meditate for short periods throughout the day, practising yoga and taking a walk. Not pushing it or being too regimented but just giving myself time for self-care.

I’m loving it. I’m in flow!

I am writing and creating programmes and learning new skills to help me get my message out into the world.

Life is good.

My day at work is flowing easier, I seem to have more energy. People are noticing and telling me that I look well again. This makes all of my commitment to health worthwhile. I knew myself well enough to know what needed to be done and I know my worth. I am worthwhile!

Then bang! My husband comes home from what was just supposed to be a trip to the post office with a bag of my favourite things. He calls them goodies. But they’re really not. They are meant to be treat. There’s some artisan crisps in there, some of my favourite 92% dark chocolate with almonds and some fresh bread from the local bakery. But the truth is I really didn’t want them. I hate to seem ungrateful but I hate them being around me. I hadn’t even been thinking about them. And now I’m annoyed! They are taunting me.

Why?

I try my best to explain my lack of appreciation and thanks that he managed to get the chocolate at the bargain price of 50 cents. But I don’t do very well and we end up getting heated. Then something very magical happens. I realise that I’ve unearthed memories from the past. Hauntings from my weight-loss dieting days.

Nightmares in fact!

The memories like where I wake up with a firm intention to diet, only to:

– Have someone stick a cream cake under my nose around 11 a.m saying “One won’t hurt you, it’s my birthday.”

– Forget I have a lunch appointment in a pizza house. When I agreed to the arrangement, I didn’t know that pizza and pasta is really all they do, apart from a really boring salad bar.

– Reserve a vegetarian meal on an 11-hour flight to Mexico only to find that they didn’t receive the request. So I’m faced with either eating nothing (can’t do that!) or eat cheese, crackers, white bread rolls and butter. They don’t have anything else.

This of course is all in the past. This was an emotionally-driven relationship with food. I am able and empowered to say no to food that doesn’t serve my health 90% of the time. It’s actually easy! The other 10% is an informed choice, a special moment or maybe one outside my control. And I’m totally OK with it. There’s no stress, no panic and no feelings of failure. There’s no all-or-nothing about food.

Healthy eating comes naturally but with mindful and spiritual practices to support it. And it is in that practice that I find my strength. You see three weeks without a regular routine to my practice had taken it’s toll. I’d been celebrating my birthday and boy I know how to party! And that’s all OK! It’s not like I do that every weekend or even every month.

But I did party alright. I did it until I dropped. Well, fell down with flu.
It wasn’t all unhealthy. I had exercise and fresh air skiing. I’ve had my smoothies and my salads. Most of my meals have been awesomely healthy. I can honestly say that I didn’t overeat, binge or eat emotionally once. But taking daily time for myself for yoga, meditation and my rituals had largely taken a back seat.

Again, that’s OK.

Back to the Old Routine

I soon got back to my routine. To my altar of wellbeing.

I felt the angels’ presence while I was away. But I’d given little back by caring for my spirit.

Now it is time. It’s only this moment that matters. The only one I can do anything about.

And with that dose of practice back in my life, I don’t freak out at the sight of a chocolate bar!

That is the norm. This is the MAGIC!