The Importance of Cleansing the Soul
Do You Have Soul Sludge?
I spend a lot of time talking about proper food choices and cleaning out the kitchen, but what happens when our bellies are filled with wholesome food, we sleep the recommended 7-9 hours and we include yoga asana (the physical practice) and exercise into our daily lives and we are still off?
What is slowing us down and burning us out? I like to call this soul sludge. This is the hard stuff to face and change. It is what sits stagnate at the bottom of our bellies and our hearts.
Cleaning out the kitchen cabinets is the easy part, cleaning out the junk in our personal trunk is the hard part. Are you ready mentally to face the world and people you have surrounded yourself with and tell them things need to change or it is over? Are you brave enough to do what is best for you and not just what is best for others?
Cleansing the soul doesn’t mean you need to become angry or mean, but rather it means you need to become real, real with yourself and others. When we take the time to self-reflect and determine what we need and where we need to be, we are being honest, brave and ultimately the healthiest we can be.
It is not just about what we eat, it is about what eats at us. Is it a job? Is it a relationship? Is it your friends on social media? What brings you down and what brings you up? When we fill our lives with the positive and start to eliminate the negative, we become stronger, healthier and much more productive. When we drop the dead weight, we have more to give to those who deserve it.
You are not being selfish, you are being the best you can be! When you start to make you the focus, you can love more and give more.
I challenge you to look deep within and be honest. The truth often hurts, but so does living an unfulfilled and unhealthy life. You deserve the best! The journey will be difficult, but the reward will be worth it.
About the Author
Ancient Traditions To Help You Celebrate Summer Solstice
The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, during which the axial tilt of the Earth puts the western hemisphere closest to the Sun. For time immemorial, it has been a day of celebration for many cultures across the world. But if you’re unsure of how to celebrate the summer solstice of 2019, here are some of the ancient rituals and celebrations practiced by our ancestors on the midsummer’s night.
Summer Solstice Meaning
The word solstice comes from the Latin words “sol,” meaning sun, and “stitium” or “sistere,” meaning still or stopped. In ancient times, our ancestors likely used this day as a marker to decide when to plant crops, noticing that the sun switched from a southward to northward trajectory in the sky.
But more importantly, the solstice was a time of celebration and a break from the norm. Many cultures believed that magic took place on the night of the summer solstice, with fairies showing themselves to humans, while evil spirits were dispelled from their lives.
Ancient Festivities on the Summer Solstice
In ancient Greece, the summer solstice marked the start of a new year and the month-long countdown to the Olympics. The Greeks also observed the festival of Kronia, during which they worshipped Cronus, the god of agriculture. At this time slaves were given equal rights to their owners, who allowed them to participate in games and festivities, sometimes even reversing roles and serving them – it was undoubtedly a welcomed holiday.
In ancient Egypt, the summer solstice represented the coming of the brightest star, Sirius. Not long after, the Nile would begin to flood its banks, marking a season of abundance from the land. The Egyptians believed Sirius was responsible for the floods and considered it the start of a new year.
The ancient Romans celebrated the festival of Vestalia, in honor of the goddess of the hearth. Married women brought offerings to the temple of Vesta, hoping the goddess would bestow blessings upon their families. Vesta was the protector of married women and virginity, and was exclusively a goddess for women.
In addition to the offerings made in Vesta’s temple, women would bake a sacred cake, which followed a strict recipe. Water from a sacred spring would be used, and prevented from coming into contact with the Earth, as it was carried in blessed jugs.
