The magick of wellness and health
I don’t set New Years’ resolutions. Whenever I did in the past, time after time I would find myself breaking them within a week and then spend the rest of January annoyed at myself for being such a failure. Not the greatest of ways to make a fresh start.
This year, I decided that I need to feel like I’ve achieved something other than just survive another lockdown, so I set a goal. Now I know what some of you are thinking - a goal is no different to a resolution… but trust me, it is!
The Oxford dictionary defines a resolution as “A firm decision to do or not to do something.”, whereas a goal is “The object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.” or “The destination of a journey.”
Goals are less absolute than resolutions. They’re more about the effort than the end result and I get to go on a journey to reach a better place within myself, which is much more enjoyable than just making a decision and sticking to it. Plus, I can’t fail if all I have to do is make an effort – right?!
So, at midnight on New Years’ eve, I set a goal to worship and nourish my body. My soul won’t occupy it forever, and without it I wouldn’t be here, so I thought it’s about time I start honouring it.
By the time this year is out, I thought to myself, I will be proud of the journey I have taken to become a healthier, happier me. No longer will I drink 10 cups of coffee with full fat milk each day. Gone will be the days of eating crisps and chocolate biscuits at 11pm. There will be no more bowls of cereal before bed. I vowed to cherish my human form, to look at myself in the mirror each morning and muse over its creation and growth. I will wonder in awe at the marvel that is my flesh and bones.
I woke up New Years’ day and ate two chocolate Hobnobs for breakfast.
Did I feel guilty? Yes. Did I eat another three more Hobnobs that day? Yes. Did that stop me from carrying on with my journey? Absolutely not.
By setting that goal, I acknowledged that my body is a miracle. I smoked tobacco for 26 years before quitting. I smoked the odd herbal cigarette when I was a teenager and have consumed my fair share of vodka and shots in sweaty nightclubs. I have gone weeks without exercising and have been in situations so distressing that I’ve had to remind myself to breathe on many occasions. I’ve also birthed two children, which as many women will tell you is one of the most traumatic experiences a body can possibly go through.
Despite all that my heart still beats, my lungs still transfer oxygen into my blood supply, my cells still regenerate, and my skins heals itself whenever I have an injury. Hair sprouts from my head out of nothing but a tiny root and my nails continue to grow no matter how often I cut them. My body turns itself off and goes into sleep mode when it needs to recharge, and it communicates with me when it needs more fuel (but not specifically more Hobnobs)… isn’t that incredible! Could I be any more magickal?!
The deeper I thought about how my body works, the more I began to understand the life force that flows through it. Observing my physical attributes, the slightly wobbly belly, the thick thighs and split ends in my hair – it became crystal clear to me that what’s inside really does affect the outside. I am made of energy, and what I put into my body matters. Hobnobs for breakfast don’t make me feel good, inside or out.
I don’t need sugar. I don’t need caffeine. I certainly don’t need pizza and donuts (although they taste sooo good).
Consuming foods that have grown organically from the earth can provide all the nourishment I need and are what my body is naturally designed to eat. Fruits, vegetables and herbs are a natural source of energy containing their own unique life force, and when you really think about it – the earth gives us everything we need to survive and thrive. The earth is the source of all life!
The energy in me, the Magick, is part of the life force that connects all things in the universe, and by investing energy into my own wellness and health, the stronger my magick will be.
I will never set a New Years resolution ever again, but I will put all my efforts into achieving my goal of loving myself. There is no ‘perfect’ body, we come in all different shapes and sizes, but we are all magickal and deserve to give our bodies at least a little bit of appreciation once in a while.