For those who would like to know more about the "healing crisis" I referred to in my last entry (aka: "The Old Ways Aren't Working Anymore"), I decided to share with you an article that was published in the Alive and Well Journal, Spring 2012.
Detoxing our
Bodies and Minds – A Journey of the Soul
By
Bernadette Wesley
It was over
a year ago that I texted my husband from my practitioner’s office, “Cancel our
dinner date for tonight – I won’t be eating anything for a while.” I know that sounds pretty extreme. But at
that point I would have done anything to stop the painful rash that was progressively
covering my face, neck and body.
Through Applied
Kinesiology (muscle testing), I learned that I was reacting to pretty much
everything I ate. I had already
eliminated the big ones – wheat, dairy, corn, and soy. But the rash raged on. If I ate the same food two days in a row, I
would become allergic to that food. My body was on high alert and was basically
reacting to food as though it was the enemy.
For anyone
who has had food sensitivities, or needed to detox, you know the drill: mono-diet. I ate
one type of vegetable per day for one week (as much as I wanted to eat each day
, but only one type of vegetable at a time, rotating so as to not repeat the
same one every day). Each week I added
in one food group, usually meat or fruit and eventually grains. I also took high doses of specific probiotics
as well as powdered medical food supplements to get the necessary nutrients,
reduce inflammation and help the intestinal lining heal.
I remember
carrying in a baggie of organic broccoli to my brother’s house for Christmas
dinner. Rivers of treats lay before me
on the decorated tables, and I felt deprived and alienated from the collective
eating ritual. After only a week,
though, my sugar and carb cravings diminished and I started feeling the benefits. The mono-diet is a great way to detox and
reset the body. For me, however, it
wasn’t the whole picture.
For many of
us with food sensitivities there are underlying root causes that can be very
difficult to uncover. Through Applied
Kinesiology and blood tests, I discovered that I had heavy metal toxicity. Toxins accumulate in the body from childhood
environments as well as current environments, and like a rain barrel that’s
full, one more drop of water causes it to spill over. The toxicity level in my body had accumulated
to the point where I was reacting to everything.
We began
exploring every possible source of the toxicity, and eventually figured out
that I was reacting to the house we were renting! The concern in my two daughters’ eyes turned
to disbelief as we walked through the house testing everything. The message was getting really clear: I had to get out of that house. I immediately reached out to my community of
friends and colleagues to find a place to stay.
Within 24 hours I found myself packing up my suitcase, my laptop and
some groceries, waving goodbye to my family as if I was leaving for
college. It was such a strange feeling,
but we all knew I had to go. We pulled
together and got through the six surreal weeks of living apart while we looked
for a new home.
We discovered
through this process that old linoleum flooring can contain asbestos. We learned that in old houses, even if paint
lead tests show negative, there can still be off-gassing. Carpets and drop ceilings can contain toxic
chemicals. And last but not least, old
basements contain mold. Any one of these
alone might not be an issue, but after six years of this combination, my body’s
toxic levels “spilled over.” In England,
this condition has a clinical name. It’s
called “Sick House Syndrome.”
After months
of physical detoxing, my body is still releasing and healing. Detoxing can occur in layers, and emotional,
psycho-spiritual detoxing is very much part of the process. Like a neon sign with a hidden message, this
rash has led me to discover some core toxic beliefs that have been the bedrock
of my family line for generations. I
have unconsciously built my life on them as well.
When we look
beneath the surface of the elusive “allergic” diagnosis, many practitioners
agree that when the body is in this constant alarm response, there is often a
hidden belief that we are not safe. To
really heal, we must engage in deep self-inquiry and ask ourselves, “In what
ways do I not feel safe in my life or in this world?” Most often these beliefs are held in our
subconscious and we need an “other” to help us lovingly see and move through
our blind spots. With support and powerful
energy medicine tools like Kinesiology, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Homeopathy,
and Qi Gong, I am clearing these deeper levels of toxicity.
In the
bigger picture, why does it seem that so many more of us are reacting to foods
and environments? Yes, there are more
toxins in our environment than ever before, but my experience has led me to
understand that there is more to the story.
I believe that our bodies are changing.
Some would even say evolving.
In this time
of breakdown, we are also at the dawning of expanded human consciousness. This expansion requires a vessel that can
handle more “wattage” (light or energy).
As challenging as it can be at times, detoxing on all levels allows us
to grow and strengthen so that we can live into our soul’s potential and
destiny. I feel like I’m a phoenix
rising from the flames, transforming so completely that I may be wonderfully unrecognizable
on the other side of this amazing journey.
As I sit in
my new toxin-free home, I wish I could tell you that the rash is completely
gone. My skin is still healing, but more
importantly, I feel clear and strong deep in my core. I have been given the gift of feeling truly
beautiful from the inside out.
