Nothing but fruits, nuts and grains, not to mention juice, fish and of course, a little red wine has passed through my lips en route to my stomach the past eight days.
Do I feel better?
Yes. More energy. No more indigestion.
But is it just because of a new diet? Maybe, maybe not.
You see, I have gotten back into swimming, doing half-mile jaunts as I count 36 laps in a pool at the LA Fitness club in Andorra Shopping Center, Philadelphia, PA. I also meditate while submerged in a whirlpool or hot tub, and then it’s on to sweating out some toxins in a sauna. Could the return to an exercise regiment have something to do with my new reserves? Endorphins pumping up my energy level? Could be.
But I became energized while attending a workshop for PTSD veterans at the Omega Institute last week. Walking was the only excercise I did while at the Hudson River Valley in New York State. Did not touch meat or fish. Lots of green stuff as well as beans and soup were slowly added as fuel for my engine. I refused to take in the Tofu. Boy, I remember trying that some 30 years ago and felt like I ate melted cardboard — I mean, there was NO taste whatsoever.
Yeah, yeah, they told me a chef could make it taste a lot better today. but once bitten . . . .
How long will I stick with this new arrangement in my life is anybody’s guess. I’ve tried diets before that lasted all of two weeks. No staying power.
But this might be different. I mean, I simply eat stuff other than pizzas, hot dogs and hamburgers, and I’m halfway there!
The worst, however, is what am I going to do with the frozen foods I have stocked in the freezer, not to mention the cans of chili, meat ravioli and that good old Summer Sausage stick. Hate to see it go to waste. Maybe I can feed it to some chickens, who usually eat anything tossed their way. Maybe I can give some to Goodwill or . . . come up with some other excuse this mind of mine will try to use to steer me away from a more Buddhist way of living. Who said meditation was going to be easy? Who said it would be simple to become enlightened about eating a certain way? Is this what Nirvana is leading me to do?
Oh well, this practice does call for some discipline. Let’s see how much I got to stay on or, at least, stay near this new path.
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