Ahwatukee Living’s Ask the Experts

« Raising Children | Index | May The Force Be With You »

Living Inline Newsletter March 29th, 2005

Approximately 10 years ago on January 1st 1995, I went on a 30 day speaking fast.

This was not a time when I chose to speak rapidly as I was already good at doing that, but rather, it was a time when I actually chose to refrain from saying just about anything at all.

Similar to a fasting in regards to not eating, I went on a communication fast or cleanse if you will.

Now for those of you who know me well, I ask that you hold back your comments and joking as to whether or not I am actually capable of not speaking for a few minutes let alone thirty days and I encourage you to read on.

I attended a seminar towards the end of 1994 in which the presenter evaluated whether or not our speech was congruent with our desires.

I can still remember his face as he had fiery red hair and the most intense blue eyes I have ever seen.

Essentially what he shared was that if every thought we think and word we say was a wish that we cast off into the skies above, would we want the words and thoughts we chose to come true?

Said another way, if every thought we cast out was like a penny thrown into a wishing well, would we like to receive back what we cast out?

He then challenged me personally in front of a small group to take on a challenge.

He challenged me to write down everything that I was going to say out loud onto a small note pad.

Then, if I actually wanted to say out loud what I had written down, he challenged me to write the statement down again to further review it before sharing it.

Now this process was painstakingly slow, and made the task of even buying groceries arduously laborious.

I truly also came to appreciate anyone who has had a physical or health limitation in regards to speaking.

After about 5 days into the speaking fast and when my friends and family were just about to crumple up my little notes of paper, I began to see a very refreshing pattern emerge.

I started to see any negativity lift, and simplicity and ease became my way.

I was so limited as to what I could and could not say that I learned how to speak volumes with a head nod, a smile or a glance.

Furthermore, I started experiencing what true quiet felt like as the pages and pages of chatter faded away.

By day 15, my hand was cramping from writing, but I started to notice that the only things I wrote down were things I deeply desired.

I became a walking affirmation.

An affirmation can be defined as an upbeat statement or phrase that conveys a desire that you may want to realize. Such affirmations for some may sound like

• Today is a good day
• I am healthy
• I am prosperous
• I am grateful

Every day, many use affirmations to reprogram their mind as to what they want to focus on.

For some, this is even an effective way of eliminating self-destructive ways of thinking and being.

For many, writing down everything you think or want to say may be over the top, but there are many ways to transform your thoughts, speaking, and focus.

You can choose to write down a daily focus on a piece of paper, a flash card, or even place a reminder button or small pebble in your pocket.

Others wear a string on their wrist or pinky finger. One friend snaps her wrist with a rubber band every time she doubts herself but we really don’t recommend the punishment route.

Chart your progress with this one and you may start by taking a small nibble by writing down your thoughts for ten minutes a day from perhaps noon to 12:10 PM every day.

We have found that people who are well often times spend a lot of time thinking about their wellness and how happy, blessed or grateful they are or what they feel they are moving towards.

What we say and think affects our cells and replacing destructive thoughts with uplifting ones can actually support our healing and help us to combat illness.

Dr. Gerard Sunner, an associate clinical professor of Psychiatry at New York University-Bellevue Medical Center in New York City shares that we can even enter a –therapeutic trance- in which we enter a special, fully conscious state of mind characterized by feelings of peacefulness and freedom and a sense of being in communication with our body and life-force- almost entering a healthy self hypnotic state.

After day 18 I can honestly say that I felt this well sense of being that Dr.
Sunner speaks of, and I can honestly say that I got to a point where what I thought about and communicated was what I would have wanted to come true.

Writing down what you think and say is an interesting way of viewing the contents of the mind and we invite you to take a bite out of this concept of a speaking fast and we share this with the hopes that all you think and desire becomes manifest as radiantly healthy and true.

We appreciate you!

Drs. Jason, Elissa and Vanda
And
Chanda Schrader the awesome office coordinator!

Living Inline
Experts in Balancing Body, Food, and Mind
4221 E. chandler blvd #114
Phoenix, AZ 85048
480-704-2787
1 block west of the ironwood library
in Ahwatukee

www.livinginline.com

Voted Best of Ahwatukee by the community 5 years in a row.

Posted on April 1, 2005