Importance of Digestion
Over the past few months, I have come to realize I have a problem with digestion. My symptoms started with a bit of heartburn and it moved on to feel more like someone standing on my chest. My doctor was quick to prescribe a medication that would take away the symptoms. Problem solved!
In August, I had the good fortune to attend a 5-day silent Ignatian retreat in Guelph. Each day, I would be with a spiritual director for a check into. I did not have any challenges being in silence, but what came out in my guided, conversations were my resistance to the word “no”.
Taking time away from my busy life allowed me to step back and notice that I also have a problem with the digestion of my life experiences. My doctor told me to eat smaller meals and slow down when eating so that my body could digest the food. Suddenly, I was aware that I have been filling my life with a multitude of experiences, but not really processing them. It was a spiritual heartburn of sorts and it was of my own doing.
Gurdjieff teaches of the three foods of human life. Actual food, that we absorb nutrients from, Air, that we receive oxygen from, and Impressions, which feeds and grows the Essence of who we are. It is what makes our lives worth living. He goes on to say that we cannot keep taking in impressions without digesting and eliminating what is not needed. Our bodies automatically expel waste from our food, we expel carbon dioxide when we exhale, and we need to consciously eliminate what is not giving us life.
I am slowly learning that by saying “yes” to ALL of life’s many opportunities, I am not able to fully experience the things I love. Just because I can “do” everything, it does not mean I need to. Also, when I do not take the time to honour the great experiences I have been given, I do not grow from them. I just feel bloated and busy, without touching gratitude.
As we all leave our busy summer behind and move into the slower pace of fall, what impressions are we not digesting?
Are we slowing down and taking time to be thankful for the rich summer you have had? Are we finding a way to say “no” to the things that are just not enriching our lives?
The medicine for spiritual heartburn may not be in pill form. It seems like it may be more of a need to slow down.
A need to stop and digest these amazing lives we have been given.
Dale
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