THE SECRET WAY TO FEEL BETTER AFTER OVEREATING

As far back as middle school, I battled with emotional overeating. Sitting on the kitchen floor with a tub full of ice cream before my mom got home to catch me. In my 20’s I would punish myself for this bad habit by restricting food or excessively exercising to try and compensate.

Have you ever punished yourself emotionally or physically? Are you always on the hunt for a “cleanse” to purify yourself after a binge? Well, sweet friend… I have a super power I want to share with you and it doesn’t involve any of the above mentioned.

In my last blog post, I talked about the shame cycle around emotional eating and how this hamster wheel continues unless we change the pattern (see graphic below).

Food for thought; how does a human body properly metabolize food when it is bombarded with guilt and shame?

The cycle has to be broken otherwise it will continue.

The Secret

The miracle that breaks the emotional overeating cycle (or really any negative habit) is flipping the switch from guilt to forgiveness. Yes, you’ll take responsibility but you will also change your internal dialogue, which changes the choices you make in the future. Easier said than done though, ya?

Growing up, forgiving someone always felt elusive to me and I was taught that time heals all things. When it comes to forgiving ourselves, we never get any time away from ourselves (unless you’re a master at meditation) so how in the heck do we forgive ourselves!? I found a method that works 100% of the time, every time.

The Method

The forgiveness practice of Hoʻoponopono (don't worry you don't have to pronounce it) is a Hawaiian tradition that is so powerful, it almost feels like magic. Think of this practice like a juice cleanse for your thoughts and emotions. By removing the toxicity and forgiving yourself, you create space for new subconscious patterns i.e., eating for fuel, vitality and vibrancy.

How does it work?

Morrnah Nalamaku, the founder explains,

“We are the sum total of our experiences, which is to say that we are burdened by our pasts. When we experience stress or fear in our lives, if we would look carefully, we would find that the cause is actually a memory. It is the emotions which are tied to these memories which affect us now. The subconscious associates an action or person in the present with something that happened in the past. When this occurs, emotions are activated and stress is produced (…) The main purpose of this process is to discover the Divinity within oneself. Ho’oponopono is a profound gift which allows one to develop a working relationship with the Divinity within and learn to ask that in each moment, our errors in thought, word, deed or action be cleansed. The process is essentially about freedom, complete freedom from the past.”

If you struggle with emotional eating then the best gift you can give yourself is the ability to forgive yourself so the pattern doesn’t continue.

Ok you’ve read this far, are you ready to cut the cord on guilt and shame and rewire your brain? With repetition, I promise you will remember how to tune into your intuition and make choices that are specific to your body's needs. You’ll take back your power!

Remember, being 100% responsible for actualizing a problem allows you to be 100% responsible for resolving it.

Ho’oponopono consists of four phrases:

“I am sorry.

“Please forgive me.”

“I love you.”

“Thank you.”

Although I rarely struggle with emotional eating anymore, I am regularly working through moments of guilt and shame. Everything from how I parent my young daughter to how I manage my time. I like to find a quiet space, close my eyes and place one hand on my heart and the other on my belly. I take a couple cleansing breaths and repeat this phrase until I feel better. Sometimes it feels amazing to elaborate inbetween the phrases.

I.e., A love letter to your body. “I am sorry that I ate all those cheez-its, please forgive me for not listening when it was time to stop, I love my heart and how it beats for me every second of every day, thank you for being a beautiful vessel for my soul to live in. I’m sorry for choosing a food that didn’t increase my vitality, forgive me, I love you, thank you for metabolizing this food.”

The more you get comfy with this beautiful practice, the more you’ll start to incorporate it into other aspects of your life. It’s normal for this to feel silly in the beginning but recognize that that’s just your ego trying to keep you in your comfort zone, and you’re going to take back your power, right?!

This practice works for e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g and I use it often, even silently in my head when I’m feeling frustrated with something or someone. It has worked miracles for me and I know it will for you too!

This forgiveness method is a great way to rewire your brain. Remember when I said that by removing the toxicity that comes with guilt and shame and forgiving yourself via the Ho’oponopono Method that you create space for new subconscious patterns (like eating for fuel)?

Well the next step in creating new subconscious patterns is by identifying what foods actually fuel vitality and vibrancy and I have just the thing! Oh and it’s free!

When you sign up for The Yoga Standard Email Club you’ll receive a free week of my meal plan that contains anti-inflammatory and immune boosting recipes. Grab it here!

And if you want to go all in and make big changes, you can purchase my 6 week plan- The Sustenance Standard. Grab it here!