Choosing a Healthy Habit and Making It Happen
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit
Aristotle
We all create habits that can make us sick or make us healthier It's clear as in any other chronic disease that poor choices have been made since we are all responsible for the diseases we create for ourselves
But what makes a healthy choice and what makes an unhealthy choice? That my dear reader is the essence of a health system based on a philosophy(energy science discipline) versus a system created by one that doesn't have one(matter science) If our choices are based on a system that bases its choices on a philosophical relationship with Nature Herself not only are the recommendations always rock solid and something that we can count on but there is a weaving of the recommendations such that all support one another in the pursuit of better health
So we create better habits when we are aligned with Nature Herself These will always be the correct choices And when we practice them they become stronger habits that over time will create physiologic movement toward better health Habits are lifestyle behavior patterns that either create health or move us away from it So let's assume that we have identified a habit like kevala(sesame oil swish aka oil pulling) that is worthwhile promoting in our lives
Formation of a Habit Like Kevala
For some swishing oil around the oral cavity is repulsive so there is resistance But we understand that doing it from an Ayurvedic point of view is energetically valuable since it pulls Kapha from the oral cavity So we decide to try it First of all we have to have the unrefined sesame oil near the sink because, and this is important, we want to put this habit in our morning routine We also have to find a receptacle for getting rid of it after we have done the swish Does it go down the sink?(not a good idea) Does it get flushed down the toilet?(acceptable as long as we're not on a septic system...if septic we should have a container under the sink to spit it into once done)
So as we can see there are some steps for us to do in order to set the stage for doing kevala to begin with Now we're ready to do kevala....but there's this resistance about the whole thing That's OK Let's just give the mindbody a chance to settle in and do it BUT every morning we're at the sink thinking about doing kevala Not yet, not today, maybe tomorrow But every morning there's a dialogue going on about whether to do kevala or not
We've got everything set up and then one day, the mindbody is ready to DO it We take a swig of oil run it around the mouth and spit it out WE DID IT Voila! the first step of a habit has been created We actually did it Now it's all down hill We repeat it over and over again and a habit has been born Notice what has happened There was a particular cue or situation that occurred to remind us that the kevala needed to be done...the morning routine But before we even did it we needed to have all the proper materials and thinking about beginning the habit that needed to be done We needed to prepare the mindbody
Refining Habits: The Journey to Better Health
The best thing about habits going forward is that there are made to be modified Oh maybe we'll do the kevala before brushing the teeth After trying it that way for a while we might try it after brushing the teeth Or maybe we'll try doing some gum massage with the fingers while we swish the oil around the mouth Hey this oil isn't as bad as we thought! Maybe we'll try using the tongue to massage the oil around on the gums while we have it in the mouth
We get the idea that once an identifiable healthy habit is formed that playing with it in a creative way can not only enhance it but also begin engaging ourselves in the health benefits of it We begin to notice that when we spit the oil into the toilet bowl that we notice that the longer we hold the oil orally we see that it's broken down into smaller and finer droplets until it's a fine well digested solution This my friend is a remarkable energy science observation that shows that the agni is strong and well supported in the oral cavity
This happens with all positive health promoting habits that we cultivate in our lives All we have to do is remain observant
And lastly if we want to replace a bad habit with a new healthy one....we follow the same kevala steps
