Inner Guide

One of my all-time favorite books is Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford. It is a 600+ page book with spiritual and physical wisdom. The author draws on observation, zen training, and Oriental traditions to explain the "nature of everything." It is truly amazing. I've been revisiting it lately and will post about some of the pieces that have stood out to me the most. This morning I read that the purpose of the book is to help everyone "follow their inner guide with diet and all other aspects of life." This is excellent advice for at least two reasons. First, every BODY is different. What works for one may not work for all. Second, following your inner guide clears up a lot of confusion as we are bombarded with advice from others constantly. I think the more we allow ourselves to listen to our inner voice, the stronger that voice will become. Here are some things my inner voice says to me:
balance work with rest, feel your spirit, if you eat dairy you will catch a cold, go outside, stay at home, too much cardio exercise breaks down your body, treat others with kindness, treat yourself with kindness, indulgences (like coffee, sugar, and alcohol) are delightful when used rarely and sickening when used in excess.

This inner voice stuff isn't something crazy and mystical. A lot of it comes from our own experiences or even our own common sense. The wisdom of the heart is here, now. It has always been here and it is never too late to find. The Hindus tell a story of the god Rama. He had a gift to give to the people, but he was a little upset with them. The people who were madly running around looking for answers and perfection. He decided instead to hide the gift. Rama asked a friend where to hide the gift. "On the top of the highest mountain," his friend suggested. No, they will climb the highest mountain looking for it. "Deep under the sea," said the friend. No, humans will go to the depths of the sea to get it. "In the wind," said the friend. No, people will go chasing after the wind. Finally, Rama decided to hide the divine gift within each person because "they'll never think to look there."