Today I am feeling hungover, even though I have not had an alcoholic drink for at least six months. This hangover is the result of my indulgence in cake and coffee after 10pm last night as part of my birthday celebration. Kathleen Maier, Director of Sacred Plant Traditions, purports that the medical traditions recognized hangovers long before the prevalence of alcohol over-consumption. These hangovers, while intensified by a heavy night of alcoholic drinking, can also take place when the liver is simply overtaxed with its job of detoxifying the body.
We constantly tax our livers through our dependence on coffee, processed foods, chemicals in the air we breathe and the water we drink. Some of these we can control by say eliminating coffee or eating only whole organic foods. I believe that it is our duty to take care of the items which we can control and inform ourselves about the dangers that may be lurking in our air or water.
Last night, I had a fabulous dinner of local, seasonal food and I topped the night off with coffee and birthday cake. In fact, we treated ourselves to a chocolate mousse fine european pastry from our incredible local pastry chef. ( He prepared our wedding cake and now we can never go back.) It was absolutely fabulous. But this is part of what we have lost over the course of our evolution. We are constantly overdoing and constantly over-indulging. Everyone hates to hear the word moderation. We want it bigger, faster, hotter, NOW! And as we ALL want that, we will ALL be feeding off of each others' manic energy and need for more. It is a vicious cycle.
I also think my body intuitively knew that it was time for the annual cleanse. Today was the day of renewal and making a change. Like a spoiled child, my body said " I don't want to!" But my liver has had enough and is helping me by releasing some of my accumulated toxins into my colon for elimination. Part of my goal in this whole process is to be gentle with myself. I have one more small slice of this delectable treat that I will enjoy today and one last meal with my family before they leave town on Sunday night. But I have taken the first step on this journey that I hope will change my life for the better as it has so many times in the past.
I do not expect that this process will be easy or comfortable, but I do expect to come out on the other side feeling freer, lighter and more balanced.