I mean, I'll be the first to tell you that I'm pretty cool for a lot of reasons, but I assure you that I could go on for a very long time about my favorite things about my favorite topic (me!!!) and NEVER would bring up my pits. Probably...
It took me a bit, but I eventually got why it was such a great thing. Sweating is one of the body's way of detoxifying - getting out that crap that we take in through our food, water and the air around us. If you look up "Perspiration" on Wikipedia, it's defined as "the production of a fluid consisting primarily of water, as well as various dissolved solids". Yeah...that's gross. But as a fun little tid-bit, sweat isn't why we're stinky. It's the bacteria on our skin. So we're already stinky - sweat just brings it out. :) I know a few people in my world that have a knack at bringing out my stinkiness...
It's a little funny to me that this short interaction came back to me today. I have spent a good portion of the last week cranky (to put it mildly!). Not because of anything specific necessarily - just one of those days where everything anyone says, thinks, does or doesn't do is the most obnoxious event to ever transpire. I'll address the elephant in the room - especially for the guys who have learned by near death experiences to never explicitly ask the question - yes, i'm most likely PMSing. However - there's alot more going on than just that. Given the life I've chosen - my work, my family life, my social life - I operated on a relatively high level of stress. I mean seriously - for FUN I train to be able to RUN for a distance that frustrate people to have to DRIVE! And lately I think all of that just came to a boil.
As an Autism Mom taking my boy through the recovery process, I understand the importance of detoxification. There's just so much stuff going on in his little, conflicted body that needs to get out so that he can heal. And there's so many different areas that need detoxified that the processes need to be done carefully and systemically. There must be an order to the process or it can overcome the body and things will go horribly, horribly wrong. The process of chelation - extracting the heavy metals from the body - has scared me for a long time because children have actually DIED because it was done too quickly for their little bodies to handle. It's not common but it happens if it's not done right. And watching the detoxification process actually work and seeing the changes that come about is just amazing. When I first started AJ on the Gluten & Dairy Free diet, I was skeptical. I mean, sure I'd heard stories and read books and whatever, but seriously - its bread!!! What could possibly happen? And how quickly could it possibly work?
Oh. My. Goodness. Did he show me what a fool I'd been!
Two weeks into the diet, the kids and I were at my chiropractor's office so that I could get an adjustment. The kids usually hang out in the waiting room just outside the adjustment rooms. I was in the adjustment room and AJ walked in. He hopped up on the table next to me, looks me square in the eye with prolonged, intense eye contact and asked me "do you want a cup of water, mom?" Even as I retell this story for the 9 gazillionth time, it brings tears to my eyes. Autistic kids dont make real eye contact - that' like the #1 symptom doctors look for in the diagnosis. And for him to consider that I might be thirsty and want something to drink too just blew me away. It's a seemingly simple conversation, but that day changed everything for me. That could be the most important cup of water I'll ever have.
My relationship with my husband started over a cup of coffee. My relationship with my son changed over a cup of water. :)
The importance of getting the bad stuff out is integral in our well being as a person. It's how we're designed - full of filtration systems and balancing hormones and excretion methods. There's an element of our way of being that drives us to keep away from the bad, but bad happens - sometimes I'll ingest spoiled food, but I'll get that out pretty quickly. Sometimes bad things happen in my world, but it's about extracting those things so it doesn't happen again. Sometimes i'm in a bad mood, but - for me - expressing emotion, talking over solutions with friends, and taking a mental health day can put me right back on track. It's all about not staying STUCK in the bad things, but processing through and getting back into the positive.
I recently learned that a 10 minute argument with a loved one will take the body EIGHT HOURS to get itself back into balance. The flood of hormones will throw the body off for THAT LONG. So if you get in a fight in the morning, it will take an entire work day to get back on track. Assuming no one else does something stupid all day. HAHA! Let me know how that goes. Seriously.
Finding balance in the day is so important. It's long been found that stress is tough on the body. It can result in weight gain, heart disease, high blood pressure, migraines, and a laundry list of other ailments - big and small. And it's GOING to happen. The way the world is set up, stressful encounters are inevidable - cars will break down, spouses will say something stupid, kids will disobey, the weather will not cooperate, computers will continue to not save documents, bosses will be demanding, clients will be frustrating, dogs will eat homework. It's GOING to happen. Sometimes all at once. Sometimes all at once over the course of a week. But that's not the end of the story. There's an old proverb that says "As a man thinkeith in his heart, so he is." And further more - "From an overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." So imagine letting all the crap of the day filling your heart like a bucket. When it gets full, it just comes pouring out through words, insults and general attitude. Im a remarkably expressive, dramatic person by nature. It takes alot of work to keep my sarcasm and cynicism in check. It's a matter of what I choose to fill my love bucket with - will I focus on the jack-bag who cut me off on the way to work or will I focus on the person who held the elevator for me that morning? It's my call - my attitude it 100% my fault, good or bad. And sometimes when I'm not careful, my love bucket becomes a muck bucket (the bucket used to clean out animals stalls... it's not pretty). And when that happens it's my responsibility to approprately detox and dump in a way where no one gets poop on them. It's not easy - and most of the time I'm REALLY not good at it. But this weekend - after days of getting it wrong - I FINALLY go it right.
I started my yesterday with yoga outside by the pool on a beautiful day. My kids joined in some of the exercises, but mostly just played in the backyard. It was a beautiful, south florida spring day. About 75* with a clear, sunny sky and a light breeze. I totally get why trees exude peace - standing in tree pose in the sun with the breeze through your hair is like a tiny slice of heaven, let me tell you. From there, I got a babysitter and hung out with a friend ALL DAY. I had a day of familiars and of firsts - I had lunch at a chain restaurant from home - Skyline Chili WHAT UP! - I learned a new sport (to watch, not to play!), met new friends, went to a new restaurant and tried 2 new drinks. We went to a comedy festival and I laughed ALOT. There was an outdoor show of an orchestra playing across the street, so we stopped in for that. I went to South Beach for the first time - well that was an experience, especially since it's spring break time! It was just such a fun day all the way around. I broke my diet in a HUGE way that day, but it's not the end of the world. Yesterday was a day of detox for me. It was getting away from the stress and just playing for a day. I need that on occasion. And not necessarily getting a sitter and leaving the world behind, but I need play to create that balance in my world.
My world isnt perfect. My world isnt easy all the time. But it's MY world - full of people and activities and things I love. So excuse my muck pile - there's no room for the crap in my bucket.
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