"Being Overweight is a spiritual issue"

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Happyoceangirl
Happyoceangirl Posts: 1,993 Member
in Motivation and Support
There's an article in O Magazine - the Favorite Things (December?) issue titled "A Weight Off Your Mind". I stumbled across it yesterday and thought it was worth mentioning here. It includes an exploration of the spiritual side of weight issues, as well as some advice for calling a truce with "Not-Thin You"... not a truce to accept what you don't like, but to learn to work with, rather than against yourself.

Some highlights....

"Imagine your excess weight as a brick wall built by your subconscious to separate you from other people and from life itself" -

"The weight you are seeking to let go of was added to your consciousness before it was added to your body. Your body is merely a screen onto which your thoughts are projected, included unprocessed feelings, negative ideas or fear-based attitudes and personality traits."

"Everyone has negative emotions. For whatever reasons, yours have become frozen within you and are not being processed properly. Instead of handling sadness by going through it and letting it pass, your sadness gets stuck in your mind, then your body. You are failing to assimilate an experience and let it go. But our systems must process waste emotionally and mentally, just as they do physically. Painful experiences are not meant to linger. They are meant to teach us what they need to teach us and then dissolve into soft-focus memory. Eve bitterness in our past can transform into peaceful acceptance.

"Until you accept the magnitude of your function, your unconscious mind will sabotage any attempt to show your full magnificence. Your self concept has to match your manifestation or else the manifestation is doomed. In fact, fi you diet and lose weight, your mind will either put the weight back on or trip up in some other area. In order to lose weight on a permanent basis, you want a shift in your core belief about who and what you are. This is the miracle you seek. ." (A letter from Marianne Williiamson to Oprah)

Replies

  • npryor100
    npryor100 Posts: 99 Member
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    Thanks for sharing! Although some of weight loss is a no-brainer (less calories consumed than calories burned), the reasons WHY we gained the weight in the first place are emotional and mental. The quotes you shared were beautfully written.
  • glennora
    glennora Posts: 4
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    Thanks for posting this. I agree with this article, 100%, at least as it pertains to my present state. I've realized for a while that my weight has so much to do with my state of mind, my feelings of unhappiness. Today was what will hopefully be my first day back on track after abandoning over 2 months ago(and re-gaining the 10 lbs I worked so hard to lose). Thanks, again!:smile:
  • mamayoga
    mamayoga Posts: 43
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    Yes, also see Geneen Roth's book and writings (also available on Oprah's website).
  • Happyoceangirl
    Happyoceangirl Posts: 1,993 Member
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    Yes, also see Geneen Roth's book and writings (also available on Oprah's website).

    I'll have to google Geneen Roth - not familiar with her. Thanks for commenting and bringing this back up... It was good for me to re-read those quotes.
  • fmktjod
    fmktjod Posts: 49 Member
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    Love the discussion of spirituality and how it effects all areas of our lives. I'm working to bring my concept of God (spiritual not religious) into the area of body consciousness, food consumption and self image. I've aligned my self this way in so many other areas of my life and it's about time I partnered with God here! I pray before I eat, placing one hand over my food and the other over my heart asking that the foods nutrients be absorbed to fuel my body and giving thanks for everything in my life. I rely on this spiritual connection in all my decisions and trust the results given are the results meant for my greatest good.

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