The other day I went to Amazon.com to find the link to give to a person requesting to purchase my book, “The Elemental Cleanse.” I haven’t been there for awhile and was pleased to see nine reviews. Eight of them, I’m proud to say, are exceptional. One, however, left my mouth open…
“Does not help with alleviating back pain and is just a basic diet book. It even states that the real benefit you will get is not from following what is in the book but by learning to meditate and taking hatha yoga classes. Naturally, you can go to the author’s website and pay for a “program” that the book talks about…”
Horror. My first thought was, “Why didn’t it work?” and “What is wrong with the program?” My next thoughts had to do with how I hate diets and I would never write a basic diet book…blah blah blah went the head. My next thought was to reach out to the person and see if they needed one on one coaching which I’m still noodling. I’ve spent the last few days processing and here’s what I know.
First, reading the book will not alleviate back pain. Alleviating back pain requires a complete holistic approach to your health. The Ayurvedic food recommendations in the book will ground the energy of Vata in the body which highly exacerbate back pain. Eating three meals each day of cooked, hot, and spiced food nourishes and heals the body’s nerves and frontal lobe, both depleted from pain. Throw in a consistent lifestyle routine that includes yoga and meditation and now you have gold. Embracing a daily meditation practice of simple breath awareness and mantra is a great start for healing chronic pain. It’s also the simplest method to learn from a book. A daily walk and gentle yoga of not less than 3 – 5 classes a week with all of the above will alleviate back pain. In fact, this is how I cured myself of debilitating back pain. Implementing the book will alleviate back pain.
The book is a simple diet book in many respects. Ayurveda is a philosophy that has a very practical approach to food. First, we must clarify what food is. When you go to the 50,000 square foot grocery store, know that 1,000 square feet is food. Food is anything that is fresh, organic, and not processed. Food is whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, oils, and berries. That’s it and is is elegantly SIMPLE. The solution is not in giving you the knowledge of how to eat, it’s in giving you a methodology to release your attachment to the non-food items so that you can turn simple knowledge into personal wisdom. So, the diet is simple. You will learn a lot of Ayurvedic tricks of the trade to get your digestive fire high. Some of that will be new to you.
Let’s face it. We all know not to choose sugary treats, extra servings, fast foods, and fried foods. We all know not to overeat, overindulge, and be excessive. We all know that caffeine, sugar, smoking, and alcohol are bad for us. Yet, we still consume it. In yoga we call this a crime against the intellect or “pranjnananda.” Knowingly choosing a harmful choice. Why do we do it? That’s what The Elemental Cleanse really gets to. It brings awareness in a very tangible way to the root cause of your suffering. It empowers you to choose the more nourishing choice.
Spirituality is missing from cleanse programs. Most programs are just about food and have you taking supplements and eating shakes and offering that you will be eliminating things stuck in your body. I don’t do that. The only thing stuck in your body is your Soul. How do you bring awareness to your ego of it’s relationship with the Soul? How do you tap in to the qualities that make you shine…that make you a super star…that allow you to realize your life’s purpose and your dreams? The book is all about that.
I do offer lots of other programs and I do teach The Elemental Cleanse in person and as an ecourse. My reason for writing the book was to get the program out there to a larger audience. If you live in Cincinnati and have the time, you can come to my studios and Cleanse with me in person for a full 28 days. It costs $407 and we meet once week for 3 hours for 4 consecutive weeks. I’ve worked with well over 500 people in person now. If you don’t have that kind of money to spend or live elsewhere, but need support, try the ecourse. It’s $169 and includes professionally filmed videos, a community forum, and direct access to me. It’s a great value. There have been a little over 150 people through the ecourse. If you are a self-starter, would like to try it on your own, would like to learn more before you commit to a big purchase, buy the book. It’s less than $12 and you can even download it on your kindle.
Keep the reviews coming. It keeps me on my toes and re-ignites my passion for this lifestyle. Sometimes I need a kick in my buddhi! Om, Pamela
*The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.