Deep Nourishment: What step will you take?

I just spent a lovely evening at the Anne Arundel Co. meeting of On Purpose Networking for Women. In my 5 minute presentation, I did an abbreviated Raisin Meditation and talked about getting pleasure from food and--even more importantly--from non-food sources. In a culture that's overfed and undernourished physically, I say there's also a deeper malnutrition on the soul level.

For years, I suppressed who I really was in order to please others and meet unreasonable expectations--both theirs and mine. I was numb to my feelings, cut off from my true self, and living by the "shoulds." It's been an interesting journey over the past decade, of learning how to nourish myself on all levels. I've slowly been waking up, breaking free from all that oppressed and suppressed my unique voice, and learning to savor the sacredness in everything. An amazing adventure, really, that I will be on for the rest of my life.

How might your life (and specifically your relationship with food) be different if you slowed down to savor each bite of food, and nourished yourself deeply in non-food ways. Here's the question I left the group with tonight, and I ask it of you as well: What step will you take to break free from the "shoulds" and deeply nourish yourself in the next 24 hours?

Honor what comes up for you, even if you or others might perceive it as a little "upside-down." For me, after a 12-hour work day today, it just might be a nap in the middle of the day tomorrow (when I "should" be working).

I'd love to hear about what you did and how it affected you, and look forward to reading your comments!