Life is good in Koh Phangan. Sunshine, coconut water and dancing keep my soul afloat.
Since being here, I've been working diligently on my next business venture: an in-person yoga retreat called "The Course of Transformation."
I'm happy to say that it is now live! Expect a formal announcement via email this week, but consider this message as an informal invitation to join me and my soul sister (Gabriella) in Portugal next July.
From 2016 to 2022, I struggled with constipation, sometimes going 72 hours without a bowel movement (and relying on coffee to induce one).
Since following Medical Medium protocols, though, my constipation has all-but disappeared, and I now have regular bowel movements without stimulants.
Here are the top reasons for constipation, according to the Medical Medium.
Pathogens and Toxins: Constipation can result from the presence of pathogens (like harmful bacteria and viruses) in the intestines, as well as toxins like heavy metals, pesticides, and food additives. These disrupt the gut’s natural function.
Low-Grade Inflammation: Chronic inflammation in the digestive tract, often due to hidden pathogens like Epstein-Barr Virus or streptococcus, can impair bowel function and lead to constipation.
Liver Health: The liver plays a crucial role in detoxification. When it is overburdened with toxins, it may produce less bile, which can slow digestion and contribute to constipation.
Nervous System Issues: Stress, adrenaline surges, and an overactive or depleted nervous system can interfere with the signals that prompt regular bowel movements.
Diet and Hydration: While it’s important to consume plenty of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and staying hydrated, it’s also necessary to avoid foods that feed pathogens (such as dairy, gluten, eggs, and processed foods).
Practice
And these are some steps I took to remedy my situation:
Healing Foods: Eating a lot of living foods like apples, pears, and papayas, leafy greens, celery juice, and aloe vera to support digestion and flush toxins.
Hydration: Drinking enough water, including lemon water, coconut water and cucumber juice, helps with hydration and bowel regularity.
Supplements: Magnesium, particularly magnesium glycinate, can aid with regularity (I use https://vimergy.com).
Avoid Trigger Foods: Eliminating dairy, gluten, and eggs, which feed pathogens and contribute to sluggish digestion. Similarly, I cut down on fats will help your body cut down on processing time, so that it can clear your intestines.
Stress Management: Practicing mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing to reduce the impact of stress on the gut.
Deep, sustainable productivity is not a matter of pushing harder — it’s a matter of listening to (and riding upon) the waves of your energy and inspiration.
In other words, productivity will naturally emerge once you take time to step back, slow down, and recenter yourself.
Start with your breath. When the mind races with potentials, a few moments of pranayama (conscious breathing) recalibrates your nervous system. Try inhaling for four counts, holding for a time, and exhaling for six. This practice will shift you out of “reactionary mode” and into “responsive mode”, aligning your choices and actions.
Yoga postures, especially grounding ones like child’s pose or forward folds, can also help. When the body softens, the mind softens, and when the mind softens, ideas flow more freely.
Meditation, too — even just five minutes — allows you to pause, observe your thoughts, and ask: What’s one thing that matters right now? Taking your answer seriously can make the difference when it comes to focus and concentration.
I’ll give you more tools next week, but in the meantime, keep in mind that the deeper gift of yoga and meditation isn’t increased productivity: it’s the realization that your worth isn’t tied to how much you get done.
So, yes, use yoga and meditation to focus your energy, but also let them help you simply to sit, to savor, and to be.
Ascension is a heroic human journey, best traveled with good friends who know The Way ahead.” — Kaia Ra
The spiritual journey is often painted as a solitary pursuit: the abandoned seeker striving for enlightenment; the forgotten soul turning inwards to face the shadows alone.
While this is absolutely true on the level of the deluded, separate self, it has no basis in Reality.
You have never been alone, nor will you ever be alone. The whole Universe — and all its participants — are at your back: watching, waiting, and cheering you on.
Remember, ascension or transcendence is only possible because others have done so. The mentors, Masters and “Way-showers” sing the song of freedom so that you may learn the words, just as their guides once did for them.
You are part of an unbroken chain of seekers and finders, each one lifting the next generation, each one sharing the light that makes the journey possible.