Unconditional Love

Together in a packed concert hall, hundreds gathered to wrap their hearts into the sweet sounds, memories and love of recently passed Mr. Haydain Neale from Jacksoul. Surrounded by bodies floating to his melodies and tear soaked shoulders, I closed my eyes and drowned myself in the positive energy that filled the room.

I couldn't help but think about the ways that we deal with loss. Sometimes we lose our appetites unable to digest anything more, while at other times we eat emotionally trying to fill our void's insatiable appetite. While I haven't suffered a loss to this capacity, I have in other ways and I thought I would provide a couple of ways to emotionally eat - the right way.

Repression & Expression

Grief is directly associated with our lungs and when properly expressed, we begin to strengthen our internal basis of health. Repression on the other hand, causes constriction and congestion impacting the lungs paired organ (based on Chinese Medical theory), the large intestine. This is why you'll see many people suffer from constipation due to unresolved grief and their inability to let go. If we can become mindful of our grief, we can begin to transform it. From a food perspective, the outward quality of pungent foods, enters the lungs and may assist in clearing grief. So at this cold time of year when our energies are drawn inwards,we can sit with family and friends and create a pot of soup and add in a little more garlic, ginger, cayenne and onion. One of my favourite comfort foods is my mother's Russian Borscht that perfectly fits the bill.

Healing the Heart

It was said in the Inner Classic of Chinese Medicine that, "When the heart is serene, pain seems negligble." So treating the spirit of the heart by grounding ourselves with whole grains like oats and brown rice will help to centre us. Mushrooms (nearly every form) are also beneficial as they all have cerebral effects. They help to settle nerves, nurture the heart, calm the mind and soothe the spirit. Lastly we can't forget about the power of magnesium and how up to 70% of North Americans are deficient in this crucial mineral. I rant about greens for a reason because magnesium is at the core of every chlorophyll molecule. So by consuming green foods like kale, collard greens and green drinks with E3 Live, we nourish ourselves to our very core. It's maybe one of the reasons why E3 Live has been indicated for issues of depression. Not surprisingly green is a healing colour bringing about peace and harmony. Go figure...

Now I can't promise you that by eating these foods you will be miraculously healed, but I can say that by eating and nourishing our insides, we stand a better chance. If you're like I was back six months ago and completey lose your appetite, then turn to shakes with added greens to get in whatever nutrients you can. Back then, I pushed down grief in an effort not to face it and instead smoked to numb whatever I could. However the more I pushed it back, the more it decided to come to the surface months later to be dealt with. What I realize now is this...

By holding onto grief, we suffer. So instead, we need to celebrate like we did last night and understand that we're all connected and should give and receive what Haydain provided almost effortlessly...unconditional love.

Thank you Haydain for your drive to educate and feed our souls with music. You will be missed.