| We are Physical Matter and have a physical
body: What we eat and drink, we
become physically. We are Emotion
and have an emotional body: What
we feel and sense, we are emotionally
We are Mind and have a mental
body: What we think and dwell
upon, we are mentally. Dr. Randolph
Stone Nutrition is not often mentioned
in the field of somatic’s. The
emphasis of somatic work tends
to the energetic, psychological
or structural aspects of the body.
Somatic’s is defined as “the living
body in it’s wholeness,” or mind,
body, and spirit in unity. A holistic
view of the human organism must
include diet and it’s effect for
maximizing our human potential.
I associate the nutritional aspect
of somatic work with the Third
chakra. The third chakra relates
to the element of Fire and the
sense of Vision. The third chakra
is found at the solar plexus,
just beneath the sternum. Its
color is yellow and with the fire
element affects metabolism. The
solar plexus chakra is sometimes
called our seat of personal power.
It’s about self-assertion, courage
or cowardice (in astrology, Leo,
the lion is a fire sign). It relates
to the use or abuse of power.
I think a constant theme of this
century is the balancing of this
ferocious power of fire. Thomas
Edison’s harnessing electricity
for the light bulb and Laser light
used for surgery are beneficial
examples. The ovens of Auschwitz,
the atomic mushroom cloud over
Hiroshima, the clouds of smoke
over the desert of Kuwait and
the burning of the rain-forests
are examples of the extreme abuse
of power this century has seen.
Our sense of vision is also out
of balance with our other senses.
Aries, another fire sign, rules
the eyes (He is also the Roman
god of war). We are a visually
stimulated people. Carolyn Myss
states that 80 % of our daily
decisions are visually motivated.
Terence Mckenna, in his lecture
series History Ends in Green,
suggests an interesting theory
for this preference. Prehistoric
people were nomads that followed
the wild herds of cattle across
the savannas. One of the foods
found near herds of cattle are
the hallucinogenic mushrooms that
grow in their feces. Mckenna asserts
that prehistoric peoples often
ate the mushrooms; which stimulated
the visual centers of the cerebral
cortex. This expanded visual acuity
assisted in hand-eye coordination;
which in turn helped the hunters
in killing their game. The mushrooms
helped the evolution of the species
with better nutrition and by strengthening
the visual centers. As the human
race has become domesticated we
have maintained our dependence
on visual skills. We, now, rely
less on our sense of smell and
hearing and more on our visual
senses. As I begin my discussion
on nutrition let me remind you
of the quote by Carols Chastened:
Look at every path closely and
deliberately. Try it as many times
as you think necessary. Then ask
yourself and yourself alone, one
question…. Does this path have
a heart? If it does, the path
is good. If it doesn’t, it is
of no use. There are many opposing
opinions on how, what and why
to eat. You need only go to the
book or health food store to discern
that. When creating an eating
program you must rely on your
own mind and heart to find the
balance that works for you…and
you alone. I like the example
of Mahatma Gandhi. He experimented
with diet until the time he died.
He believed that your body, including
how you nourish it, should be
your laboratory for your experiments
in self-realization. One of the
primary ways to maximize the natural
vitality, prana or chi of your
life is the consumption of “Live
Foods.” Eating live foods utilizes
the natural energy of enzymes.
Ann Wigmore, founder of the Hippocrates
Institute says, “ You are alive
only because thousands of enzymes
make it possible. Every breath
you take, thought you think, or
sentence you read, is a result
of thousands of complex enzyme
systems and there functions operating
simultaneously…They are the active
construction and demolition teams
that work 24 hours a day to maintain
health and balance in your body.”
Under a microscope an enzyme appears
to be a protein. In reality protein
is not the active agent of enzymes,
but merely the material which
stores the life energy of enzymes,
just as a battery stores energy
to light a flashlight. Technically
enzymes are globular proteins
that promote specific chemical
reactions within the cell. There
are three distinct types of enzymes.
Metabolic enzymes, which run our
bodies; digestive enzymes, which
digest our foods; and food enzymes
from raw food which begin digestion.
No mineral, vitamin, or hormone
can do any work without them.
Enzymes are found in fresh fruits,
vegetables, nut and grains. Sprouted
grains are the most potent with
enzymatic life force as they contain
all the energy a plant will need
to thrive. Each raw food has its
own hermetic seal, such as a peel,
skin or shell, which protects
the fragile enzymes. When the
seal is broken the enzymes begin
to immediately break. All cooked
or processed foods are considered
de-natured which means that all
the enzymes are dead. There may
be vitamins or minerals left for
absorption, but there is no longer
any life force left. The average
American diet is deficient in
enzymes. A diet of “dead” foods
means that our own bodies must
operate on an imbalance of declining
enzyme levels. Decreased enzyme
levels lead to poor digestion,
illness and disease. That’s why
eating a diet rich in raw foods
and high in enzymes is vital.
You absorb the life force of the
plants you eat to maintain your
own vitality. The third chakra
is the energetic correlation to
the endocrine system’s production
of insulin. Insulin affects metabolism
by its conversion of sugars into
available energy for the body.
The Islet’s of Langerhan, which
are found in the pancreas, produce
insulin. Much has been made lately
about the affects of complex carbohydrates
and their effects on diet. The
dietetic emphasis over the past
decade has been on a low fat,
low protein diet with a higher
percentage of complex carbohydrates.
Recent studies show that complex
carbohydrates like pasta, bread,
potatoes, peas and bananas create
a surplus imbalance of insulin
in the blood stream. This insulin
imbalance adversely affects the
body by im-balancing the rest
of the hormonal system. Surplus
insulin also distorts energy levels
and directs the body to store
extra glucose as fat rather than
burn it for fuel. Dr. Barry Sears,
author of The Zone, has done excellent
research on balancing the insulin/hormonal
system through food. He says,
“Food is far more important than
just something you eat for pleasure
or to appease your hunger. Rather,
it is a potent drug that you’ll
take for the rest of your life.
Once food is broken down into
its basic components (glucose,
amino acids, and fatty acids)
and sent into the bloodstream,
it has a more powerful impact
on your body—and your health—than
any drug your doctor could ever
prescribe.” Drinking coffee is
another food factor that imbalances
the hormonal system. Uptown Health
& Spirit recently printed a report
from a Duke University Medical
Center study of 72 habitual coffee
drinkers. Participants produced
more adrenaline and noradrenalin
on days they drank coffee than
days when they abstained. The
study states, “People who drink
four to five cups of coffee throughout
the morning have slightly elevated
blood pressure and higher levels
of stress hormones all day into
the evening, creating a scenario
in which the body acts like it
is continually under stress.”
James Lane, associate research
professor of psychiatry at Duke
says, “If you combine the effects
of real stress with the artificial
boost in stress from caffeine,
then you have compounded the effects
considerably. The increase in
blood pressure and stress hormones
is elevated till bedtime even
if coffee consumption stops at
1 p.m..” Drinking sufficient water
is another component of maintaining
maximum health. Water is the single
most abundant substance in your
body: 70 to 90% of each cell’s
weight is water. The average adult
loses 2500 ml, or 76 ounces, of
water each day through urination,
feces, sweat and respiration.
Your daily intake of water must
equal your daily output. You must
drink approximately 45 ounces
of water. The balance of your
daily requirement comes from eating
moist foods and the metabolism
of various nutrients within the
body. It is important to drink
pure, filtered water for the body’s
use. Most public drinking water
carries contaminants, heavy metals,
and unhealthy bacteria. It is
important to refrain from drinking
much liquid during meals. The
extra fluid decreases the effect
of the digestive enzymes and hydrocloric
acid of the stomach. It is also
suggested to never take iced drinks
during meals as the stomach works
at !05 degrees F. The cold liquid
lowers the temperature and slows
digestion. Personally, eating
is the one area of somatic work
that poses the most difficulty
for me. Body weight and image
is something I’ve struggled with
as long as I can remember. I use
the metaphor of meditation as
my guide for eating. In meditation
I know to focus on the breath.
As human beings we loose focus
and begin to think, and think,
and think. The skill of meditation
is to come back to the breath.
Come back over and over again.
Then the skill becomes a pattern
and eventually a way of life.
There are times when my eating
program is better than others.
I just regain my focus and come
back to the eating principals
that I know deliver the most benefit
to me. PRACTICES FOR THE 3RD CHAKRA:
The Hindi Squat—Dr. Stone writes,
“This posture is ideal for the
release of gases, constipation,
excessive abdominal fat, and toning
the walls of the abdomen by the
muscular exertion and squeezing
of the thighs.” Relax, standing
straight with the feet about hip’s
width apart (or a little more
for comfort). Relax the neck and
allow the chin to gently drop
to the chest. Slowly let gravity
pull your head down towards the
floor, one vertebra at a time.
When you are bent over at the
waist, gently rock front to back
and side to side to relax the
shoulders and neck. Pause and
take a deep breath. Bend the knees
and slowly drop into a squat.
The feet should remain flat on
the floor, pointing forwards for
the best results. If this is not
possible, you may use a small
pillow under the heels until you
master this posture. Bring your
elbows to the inside of the knees.
Bring your hands together in prayer
position over the heart. The pressure
on the knees will stretch them
out. Rock gently from front and
back and side to side. Relax and
take a deep breath. To stand back
up, place your hands upon your
knees. Get a sense of your tailbone
pointing backwards. Press the
tailbone up first as you come
to standing. Pause, take a deep
breath and notice the sensations
of your body. The Fire Breath—Sit
comfortably cross-legged on the
floor. The spine is straight,
the body relaxed. This breath
is done through both nostrils.
One breath, or round, is a relaxed
inhalation with a forced exhalation.
A slow pace is 60 rounds per minute;
a moderate pace is 120 rounds
a minute; a rapid pace is 240
rounds a minute. If you are a
beginner, stay with a slow breath.
This breath over oxygenates the
body, reduces carbon dioxide and
encourages energy flow through
the chakras. This is a very invigorating
breath. Aromatherapy Bath— 1 cup
Dead Sea mineral salts 1 cup baking
soda ½ cup apple cider vinegar
20 drops total of any of these
essential oils: juniper, vetiver,
rosemary, sage, lemon, clove,
peppermint, spearmints. All of
these oils support self-esteem
and self-confidence. They inspire
making decisions and taking action.
A word of caution: don’t use rosemary,
peppermint or spearmint before
bed as they are energizing oils.
Alan Davidson is the co-author
of Healing the Heart of the World
with Prince Charles, Carolyn Myss,
John Gray, and Neal Donald Walsch.
Alan, a Registered Massage Therapist
since 1988, is the owner and director
of Essential Touch Therapies in
Houston, Texas. He has a B.S.
from University of Houston, Downtown,
with an emphasis on psychology,
sociology, philosophy, and religion.
Alan is fascinated with the intersection
of bodywork, psychology, ritual,
and spiritual practice. Having
taught massage, meditation, yoga,
and human transformation since
1990 he is currently on the teaching
staff at NiaMoves Studio. Alan
wholeheartedly believes, “Life
is for the fun of it!” You can
reach Alan at http://www.throughyourbody.com
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