pain

There are often parts of our lives that we dislike and events that take place that we wish did not happen. Anything that causes pain or discomfort — whether it be physical, emotional, or energetic — is something that we as humans generally try to avoid as much as we possibly can. And this is perfectly natural, logical, and reasonable –  for who wants to invite pain and suffering into their world? And yet, pain is a natural part of living. We suffer in order to grow, and we learn from the many unpleasant happenings and interactions that take place in our lives.

Picture a scantily attired competitor performing a series of stunts on a spotlighted stage at the Westin Los Angeles. Two billboard-sized screens broadcast every miniscule muscle twitch to a room of more than a thousand spectators, who are silent except for the MCs commentating between performances. A row of scrutinizing judges award points for each maneuver based on its difficulty and the skill and grace with which it’s executed.

It might be tempting to pop a Tylenol, Aleve, or an even more potent, potentially prescriptive drug to relieve pain, but the side effects and risks might not be worth it. If natural alternatives are available–that don’t cause side effects like nausea, stomach pain, rashes, headaches, heartburn, and rare conditions like anemia, bleeding of the stomach, chronic heart failure, and depression–what's there to lose? 

According to the spiritual philosophy I ascribe to, we are all moving from imperfection to perfection. That means we are all growing, changing, developing. We are progressing from crude to subtle, culminating in merger with the subtlest entity of them all: The source of all creation.

Seven - it seems like a consistent, magical, cosmic number. The same number of days it supposedly took to form the earth, the number of main chakras in the body, days of the week, and the main levels of tissue formed in the body...all counted by sevens. What nurtures one doesn't always nurture all, but when the foods which can nourish the whole are recognized, eating healthy takes on a whole new meaning.