...and Think, See, Hear, Say and Feel

We’ve all heard of the expression, “You are what you eat,” meaning our bodies responds to what we put in them, whether positively or negatively. But have we given enough thought to our diet overall?

Part of what we consume also includes the shows we watch, the music we listen to, the books we read, the ideas of people we are with and the chemicals concoctions our bodies feed us when we experience emotions. All sorts of energies stick with us as we consume life through our experience; we have the ability to clean that out of our systems by making conscious choices. Just as we might choose to eat chickpeas instead of chicken, we can make choices about what we let into our energy field and life experience, and what we don’t.

What You’re Consuming

You consume the energy of your environment all day, every day. How are you interacting with the energy of your space at home and at work? Is it supportive of your overall health and well-being? Are the people you surround yourself with uplifting and inspiring?

Being in the right environment is a key aspect of our growth. Yes, we often need to be like the lotus, growing from the depths of the mud upwards to reach the sunlight at the top of the pond; many of us are forced to grow in less than supportive conditions. We persevere like the lotus because we have to, alone and misunderstood, but determined to succeed.

Having a supportive environment means that you can go through any transformation without judgment or fear of what others think. You are free to fully be yourself, raw and real. It’s the times of playing small and hiding our truth that has ill effects on the body, mind and spirit.

Physical clutter can also impair our health, eating up space not only in the corners, closets and under the bed, but in our minds as we ruminate about our woes. Taking some time to physically clean somehow magically frees up space in our minds, while doing some mental cleaning out of our old thought patterns and memories frees up our energy. This all creates the space for what you desire to come to you.

Remember the phrase, “consumed by our thoughts?” Our mental environment may also need a spring cleaning so we’re choosing healthier and more constructive thoughts. Suffice it to say that giving your mental space a once over for cobwebs will offer incredible insights as to what you’ve been holding on to that can now be released. You are a product of your environment, which is a combination of your physical, mental, emotional and social spaces.

Eating Clean

What have you been feeding your mind? What ideas and opinions are you hearing from other people? What do you read, watch and listen to for fun? Does the information align with your values?

When feeding our minds, it’s worth making conscious choices because everything becomes imprinted in our energy field. Whether we know it or not, our subconscious is being programmed all the time (they call them TV programs for a reason) with values, thoughts and beliefs that aren’t ours.

With enough of this “programming,” you can be led to adopt new beliefs, which lead to new thoughts and actions, and this goes both positively and negatively. Some politicians are masters at swaying you to vote for them with the “programming” they provide in their speeches.

Another example is social media. If your feed is nothing but doom and gloom about the world, full of people complaining, arguing and with a general negative outlook on life, you are more apt to feel anxious, depressed, sad, angry, apathetic, fearful and so on in your own life.

On the other hand, should your feed be filled with positive uplifting messages, people who value and inspire you, stories of strength and courage, and maybe some kittens, it will leave you on a very different emotional cloud than the former feed. Have you ever thought about why it’s called your “feed?”

The vast majority of people aren’t “eating clean” when it comes to their mental and emotional diet. While we mostly unconsciously choose our thoughts, we can learn to be in control and not hook into them, as we’re literally feeding them life when we do.

When we get hooked on our emotions, we’re feeding them energy. This keeps them alive and reeling. Ever have a trash morning and then notice the rest of your day was spent thinking about how bad it was and all the things that went wrong? Talking about it nonstop to yourself and anyone who will stand still long enough to listen and commiserate with you? We’ve all done it, and this is a prime example of feeding your (unhelpful) emotions and thoughts.

Now, yes, you do indeed need to feel those less positive emotions fully so they can move through you; make sure you do that before feeding yourself a better feeling thought. This is how we can “eat clean” when it comes to our mental and emotional state by consciously creating the state we would rather be in.

The Conscious Diet

Knowing what you’re consuming—and not just your food—gives you the ability to discern what’s healthy for you and what isn’t. Obviously being around toxic energy that drains or disempowers you would be part of an “unhealthy” diet. We all have our vices, but we also need to get honest with ourselves about what we are willing to indulge in and what really needs to be removed.

We can consciously choose to feed ourselves positive thoughts and words; be around creative, fun, motivated, inspiring people; and listen to podcasts or watch shows that deepen our understanding of the world and ourselves. They all give us a stronger connection to consciousness—or Spirit, God/Goddess, The Universe, The Force—and are tied to a higher power.

A strong relationship with consciousness, yourself and your higher self gives you the ability to be more present. There are less reactive, anxious and stressed moments during the day. You find a deeper sense of peace within yourself and cultivate more acceptance and gratitude for the world and her beings.

Starting a “conscious diet” begins with the simple action of noticing your thoughts. What goes through your mind on a regular basis? Anything play on repeat? Have you paid attention to your thoughts before? How long does it take before unhelpful thoughts creep in?

As you begin to notice your thoughts, can you also notice any feelings or emotions associated with them? You might feel a tightness in your chest when you think about a fight you had with your friend yesterday or a sinking in your stomach when you think about your soul-sucking job.

The thought/emotion connection is extremely strong, needing your attention and energy to survive. This is you feeding those emotions. Part of the conscious diet is to take their power away by taking your attention away, which involves healing the trigger, the memory and the response. Otherwise, you remain exactly what you’ve been “eating” all this time, be it anger, guilt, shame, sadness, fear or something else.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to set yourself free from the projections, programming, conditioning, lies, expectations, ideas and opinions you’ve been fed all your life—especially the ones that offer you poison? Could you imagine creating your own elixir for when you take too big a bite from something that isn’t actually beneficial? Well, a little consciousness can go a long way here.

Take some time to reevaluate your diet. Create some options for yourself when you turn to your “junk food,” and see if you can at least balance out the positive and negative. Tune into your thoughts and body, recognize the supportive environments, and give yourself permission to make a different choice.

Everything is connected, so when pairing the inner work with the actions of eating a healthy diet of food, your body, mind and spirit will function at its best.

Katie Cavenagh is an energy alignment specialist focused on sound healing, channeling and the power of words. Find her at The Red Barn in Durham, CT. Connect at FeelYourLight.com.