Meditation Series on Manifesting

In reading the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus, I read how Jesus graduated from being a neophyte in the mysteries to being a Master Mind.

I believe that we are also invited in this journey from neophyte to Master Mind.

Most of us are working to fulfill our dreams and attain the life we desire. I certainly am.

In this we work at the Art of Manifestation.

What we actually strive to manifest is our Self, in all our glory.

Therefore I would like to invite you to journey with me to the road to being a Master Mind in terms of Manifesting.

I invite you to explore with me in a series of seven weekly meditation-meetings. 

Possible topics to cover:

1. The Annunciation – the blinding clarity of your mission
2. The Fiat – saying Yes – surrendering to your success (no more cringing and whining)
3. John 1: the Prologue and Manifesting 
4. The Immaculate Concept
5. Esther Hicks channeling Abraham – the Law of Attraction
a. The Art of Deliberate Creation
b. Prepaving
c. The Art of Allowing
6. Going up to God and Manifesting
7. The Golden Plane of Existence
8. The Akashic Records and your Past, Present, and Future Success
9. The energy of success – what does it feel like – and being the vessel 
10. The birth of the Christ. Fruition: the Promise is come. 

PLACE: Rooftop
TIME: 8 pm
DAY: Saturday evenings 
FOR: Anyone interested in meditations or learning more about manifesting. PM me

The Annunciation

I had no special devotion to Mary. I was skeptical about her so called perpetual virginity, and I disapproved of the Filipino's devotion to Mother Mary such that statues of Mary would sometimes be placed in the middle of the altar, displacing the Cross to some side niche in the Church.

So the first time I did this contemplation, in a silent retreat 20 years ago, and I had no idea what to expect.

I silenced myself, read the Gospel of Luke, closed my eyes and put myself in the scene.

A vast emptiness. A clean space. Nothing in it that the eyes can see except the wooden floor,  bare windows, and a girl kneeling in prayer. But this emptiness was clean. I did not see a beam of light per se but it was full of light.

The only way to describe this is to say its opposite. There was no clutter. There was nothing to hinder. If all my negative emotions and baggage could be gone, all my pettiness and gloominess and worries and spite, my attachments and fears, then I would be like that room – nothing "but breath of the Spirit, blowing in me."

It felt absolutely lovely. The cleanness, the emptiness of that room comprised my whole meditation hour.

In a strange way, I feel like I have been working to achieve that emptiness – what I experienced in that room – ever since.

Last night, I went back to the Annunciation reading. Again I read the passage, put it down, and closed my eyes. I waited for whatever would come.

I felt I was descending from above. I saw the top of Mary's head; she was kneeling in prayer. She was a small speck, then grew larger and larger. I realized I was descending with the Angel, this huge invisible being of light.

The scene unfolded, with Mary receiving the Angel's greeting. But I was with the Angel, and I saw the Angel reach out its hand inside Mary's heart, and give a smart twitch, as if to switch something on. Immediately light flooded Mary's heart and mind. She saw her mission and became absolutely sure of her way.

I saw that she was trained to recognize Inner Guidance.  

Abraham-Hicks talks about this Emotional Guidance System and how this leads us to our bliss, and is also our barometer to know if we are in an Allowing, positive state, or if we are deviating from what the bigger, higher part of us is feeling.

Mary was already an adept at this lesson of Abraham. She could recognize where her Soul's path lay, where her true bliss was. And she knew to follow it. To her, the world, societal conventions, opinions of people were a lesser reality to this inner joy, this inner imperative which she recognized as her soul mission.

I saw Mary's alignment  - a light in the middle of her being connected to up to Heaven and down to Earth, grow bright, wide and strong.

The Angel said, "ok, nothing left to do here," and we left.

Now I understood why the passage said, "and the angel departed from her." It was because once Mary became clear with her mission and her alignment was strong, she already had her Inner Guidance. This would be her light and the arrow that would point her to the right path – she no longer needed anything external.

I asked the Angel, "can't you turn me on as well, so that I would be as clear as Mary?"

"What do you think is happening with the books you are reading? These are already switching on your Internal or Emotional Guidance System!" the Angel sounded amused.

"It's not so easy you know! To be sure which path to follow! How come Mary knew immediately?"

"Don't you know that she has been preparing her whole life for this, meaning she has been spending her days in regular meditation and prayer, and already knows the Inner Mysteries. She is trained in the Spiritual Life."

I decided to end the contemplation with a colloquy with Mary.  I was humbled to realize that all these things I was trying to learn – listening to my Emotional Guidance System as articulated by Abraham Hicks, having a regular mediation practice – Mary was already an adept at.

I felt my spiritual development was vastly inferior compared to hers.

Mary invited me to look at myself through her eyes. And so I went into her space, and merged with her in our colloquy.

Through her eyes I saw myself, a pink bud opening, so beautiful and full of promise. And she told me that was the reality she saw in me.

I saw this rose bloom inside of me, and my joy rose as well. I was comforted, and I was content.

My vibration rose, and that's how my contemplation ended.

What did I learn from this meditation?

  

To listen to my Inner Guidance. Sensitivity to my Emotiaonl Guidance System would unerringly put me on the right path. Moreover, if I am aware of this, I would know to keep aligned, and to make my feelings move to a higher vibration. 

To faithfully practice my mediation, like Mary.

Now I want to be like Mary, adept at the spiritual life, clear and aligned, sure of what is important to her, never minding what the world says.

How to Pray with Scripture

One of the most marvelous things I learned in my training with Ignatian Spirituality  was how to enter Scripture.

Spiritual Truth

The Scripture is a spiritual book, and while a casual reading might give you some benefit (very little, I would say), it is best approached in a spiritual manner, in meditation or contemplation. The mystery I have found is that the Scripture is something to be experienced. A mere casual reading doesn't really yield much of anything.

Scriptural Prayer

It is very simple to learn to pray with Scripture, with immense benefit.

First, take care of what they call the P's:  set aside the place and time of your prayer – you can start with 15-30 minutes. Make sure you are in a place where you will not be disturbed for the duration of your prayer time. Prepare the scriptural passage you will read. It's best to deal with small chunks, a chapter at a time, or even less. Then in your prayer time, get yourself into a good posture. It's best to have your back straight so you can last thru your prayer time I comfort and ease). Then when you are centered and relaxed, proceed with the steps below:

Meditating the Scripture

1.        State the grace you wish to ask for in your prayer time. For instance, "I ask for the grace to get to know and experience God's love for me."

2.       Open your Bible and read the passage slowly, aloud or silently, savoring the words.

3.       If you experience any special feelings – STOP – savor this special moment – this is Grace, God  speaking to you. You will know when it is time to move on, when the feeling subsides and you feel the moment is over.

4.       You may wish to re-read the passage. If I  still have time in my prayer period, what I sometimes do is to read another related reading.

5.       End with a colloquy or a dialogue. You can imagine yourself sitting across Jesus or Mary. This is your chance to ask them questions and get some answers for your life.

6.       Close with a simple prayer like Our Father, Hail Mary, or Glory Be.

Contemplation with the Scripture

This is done with Scriptural stories, like the birth of Christ, the Annunciation, etc.

1.       State the grace you wish to ask for in your prayer time. For instance, "I ask for the grace to get to know Mary better and to gain clarity on my own Annunciation."

2.       Open your Bible and read the chosen passage completely.

3.       But down your Bible and close your eyes.  Enter the scene that you have just read. Become part of it.

4.       Be sure not to edit or control what you are seeing, hearing, or perceiving. Don't intentionally change the scene or direct it. Allow it to unfold for you.

5.       End with a colloquy or a dialogue. You can imagine yourself sitting across Jesus or Mary. This is your chance to ask them questions and get some answers for your life.

6.       Close with a simple prayer like Our Father, Hail Mary, or Glory Be.

When praying with Scripture, spiritual truths are revealed, and you might feel God is talking to your heart. For me, this is the way to experience Scripture and to have them come alive for you.

In prayer, we are concerned with spiritual truths – something that is particularly for you. So the historical truth (did women then wear veils or not?), or even scholarly debates (was Mary really a virgin?) don't matter at all. In your contemplation you might see the characters wearing jeans and t-shirts. Or desert garb. It doesn't matter. What you will find is what you need at the moment.

How to do the Master Cleanse

  

The Master Cleanse is simple. You just do these:

·         You eat nothing for ten days (or more!) except for the lemonade juice made from fresh lemons, organic grade B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper (recipe listed below).

·         Every night, you take an herbal laxative tea. Yum!

·         Every morning, you do a salt flush

·         After ten days (or more!) do the ease-in diet for three days

That's it!

Let me take you step by step through the process,  quoting from The Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs, the author of this cleanse. 

Preparing yourself

Be careful to read the entire instructions so that the diet will be of the best benefit to you. First prepare yourself mentally to follow in detail the entire directions and continue as long as is needed to make the necessary changes. One of the best signals of the completed diet is when the formerly coated and fuzzy tongue is clear pink and clean looking. During the diet it becomes very badly coated.

The Night Before starting the diet commence drinking laxative tea.

In the morning take the salt-water (or) laxative tea. This should be done each night and morning during the diet— rare exception— if diarrhea develops. When diarrhea is ended then continue above directions.

– Stanley Burroughs

The lemonade:

Recipe for each glass

2 Tablespoons lemon or limejuice (approx. ½ lemon)

2 Tablespoons genuine maple syrup (Not maple flavored sugar syrup)

1/10 Teaspoon cayenne pepper (red pepper) or to taste

8 oz water, room temperature

Combine the juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in a 10 oz glass jar w/lid and fill with the water.

Shake it up and drink. (Cold water may be used if preferred.)

You will be drinking a minimum of six glasses a day, plus lots of water. Don't worry, this lemonade eases hunger, and gives energy. Therefore you need never go around hungry during the master cleanse, and I found I had a good level of energy throughout.

For on the go – make lemon-maple concentrate

When you are on the go, it is better to bring along a jar of the maple-lemon concentrate with.  The concentrate means that you haven't added water to the mixture, so it's just the maple syrup and the freshly squeezed lemon juice. (You may add the cayenne pepper now or just before drinking it.)

With your jar of maple-lemon concentrate, you will have all the food you need in a day in an easy to carry package. I managed to do the ten day fast with this system, going to the gym, running errands, meeting clients, even going out of town! The concentrate jar is the best help ever!

You will need:

·         Clear glass jar that doesn't spill liquid

·         Dark cloth to wrap around the jar – I used an old black sock. It was clean!!!

·         Jug of pure water – or just get/buy bottled water wherever you are in the day

Ingredients for one day of lemon-maple concentrate:

·         3 lemons

·         12 spoonfuls of maple syrup

·         3/5 teaspoon of cayenne pepper – or just pour some cayenne powder from the shaker

I would squeeze three lemons (that is already six glasses of lemonade), put that in my glass jar, add the maple syrup, and shake in some cayenne pepper powder. Some prefer to put in the pepper only when they drink it, as putting the pepper in the concentrate steeps it, making it more spicy. Since I didn't want to lug along another bottle – the cayenne pepper – I just sprinkled it in my concentrate already. I did not mind the spiciness too much.

Whenever I need to drink my lemonade, I would get a glass of water – usually using my water bottle – and put some of my concentrate there.

Yeah, so this means carrying a glass jar of concentrate in your handbag, and if you're particular, bringing quite a lot of water too. I'm just thankful my handbag is huge. So I put them all in there, and I was all set for the day!

HOW MUCH DOES ONE DRINK?

Take from six to twelve glasses of the lemonade daily during the waking period. As you get hungry just have another glass of lemonade. NO OTHER FOOD SHOULD BE TAKEN DURING THE FULL PERIOD OF THE DIET. As this is a complete balance of minerals and vitamins, one does not suffer the pangs of hunger. Do not use vitamin pills.

For those who are overweight, less maple syrup may be taken. For those underweight, more maple syrup may be taken. For those who are underweight and worried about losing more weight, about six glasses of lemonade a day is enough for those wishing to reduce. Extra water may be taken as desired.

Every Night:  The Herbal Laxative Tea

A laxative herb tea is found to be the best helper for most persons. It is a good practice to take a good laxative herb tea right from the beginning— the last thing at night and first thing in the morning.

To help your elimination, it's good practice to have a laxative herb tea at night, and to do a salt flush in the morning. I believe these are essential to the master cleanse, as you don't want to pile up all the stuff  you are eliminating from your body in your colon!

When you do take the laxative, be prepared to do several rounds of elimination in the morning. For me that meant  I could not schedule any early morning activities. Too bad for my early morning gym sessions! I managed to squeeze in gym time later in the day during this fast.

Cheat tip:

You may also take a mint tea in the evening, says Burroughs.

This was great news for me. This meant I could still go out and relax with some friends in a nice tea house or coffee shop, getting myself some hot peppermint tea.

Every Morning:  The Salt Flush

DIRECTIONS: Prepare a full quart of lukewarm water and add two level (rounded for the Canadian quart) teaspoons of sea salt. Do not use ordinary iodized salt, as it will not work properly. Drink the entire quart of salt and water first thing in the morning. This must be taken on an empty stomach. The salt and water will not separate but will stay intact and quickly and thoroughly wash the entire tract in about one hour. Several eliminations will likely occur. The salt water has the same specific gravity as the blood, hence the kidneys cannot pick up the water and the blood cannot pick up the salt. This may be taken as often as needed for proper washing of the entire digestive system.

If the salt water does not work the first time, try adding a little more or a little less salt until the proper balance is found; or possible take extra water with or without salt. This often increases the activity.

Remember, it can do no harm at any time. The colon needs a good washing, but do it the natural way—the salt water way.

It is quite advisable to take the herb laxative tea at night to loosen, then the salt water each morning to wash it out. If for some reason the salt water cannot be taken in the morning, then the herb laxative tea must be taken night and morning.

This is not so hard to do. I used the one quart glass bottles  fruit juices come in, putting warm water and the sea salt there. I cover, shake it, and drink it up. Sometimes it would take me a while to finish the bottle – my longest time was 30 minutes to finish the bottle of water.

Then prepare to rock! The bathroom, I mean. The movement should begin around 30 minutes after drinking the mixture.

The first few days I had semi solid poop, but in the latter part of the cleanse, I was just discharging light colored liquid, like tea. For me this indicated that my colon had indeed been cleansed. Yay!

Buying the ingredients

Now that you know what to do, it's time to go out and get everything you need:

·         60+ lemons - use fresh (organic) lemons only, never canned lemon nor frozen lemonade or frozen juice, according to Burroughs

·         62 oz of organic grade B maple syrup (NOT maple flavored pancake syrup). I bought 2 of the 32 oz tubs  

·         powdered cayenne pepper (red pepper)

·         pure water (some buy mineral water but I just used our filtered water at home)

Plus:

·         Sea salt for the morning flush – one small pack. I got the non-iodized pack

·         Laxative herbal tea for the evenings – I got a box of Smooth Move (16 tea packs in a box)

You will also need:

·         juicer for the lemons – I found the manual juicer good enough for this task

·         measuring spoons

·         measuring cups

Where to buy?

Almost all the ingredients for the master cleanse, except for the lemons, can be bought from Healthy Options.  They are the only ones I know that stock grade B organic maple syrup.  I bought two big jugs of those maple syrup – the biggest they stock. They are not cheap, but they were for my health, so ok. There I also bought organic cayenne pepper powder, sea salt, and Smooth Move herbal laxative – these are the best tasting laxatives I know.

I actually finished those two jugs in ten days, with some wastage – meaning, I made some lemon-maple concentrate that I wasn't able to drink that day. I wouldn't feel like drinking them the next day so I would make a new batch. As a result, I almost ran out of maple syrup on my last day!

You can also buy herbal laxative teas in the supermarket, I found, as well as ordinary cayenne pepper, for cheaper.

Lemons

The lemons  I used were bought from the Munos palengke. They weren't organic, but this was the most convenient location for me.  Lemons  are also available in the supermarket, though they cost more there.

I probably used more than 60 lemons all in all. The great thing is that lemons don't go bad easily! So you can buy them in bulk, store the lemons in your ref, and just put out the 12 you will use in several days.

A tip I learned was to roll the lemon in the counter before cutting it, to make it easier to juice.

Manual Juicer

I bought a manual juicer from Save More supermarket at the Mezza.  Strangely enough, SM department store did not carry manual juicers, but there's a section in Save More that does, in the non-food area (in Mezza it's on the leftmost side when you enter the store.) They also have measuring spoons and cups there, and I bought myself a set of those as well.

Water

Pure water is recommended. Our water at home uses a pretty high standard filter, and so I felt comfortable using that. I know some people buy bottled water for this cleanse, which is probably fine. Some prefer distilled water, but Burroughs does not recommend it, saying it's dead water, devoid of any minerals and life.

After the Cleanse:  The Ease Off

Breaking the diet: Be absolutely sure you follow the directions very carefully to prepare your body for normal eating. Do not over eat or eat too soon. Serious problems (nausea) can occur if detailed directions are not followed.

HOW TO BREAK THE LEMONADE DIET

Coming off the lemonade diet properly is highly important— please follow the directions very carefully.

FIRST DAY:

Several 8 oz. Glasses of fresh orange juice as desired during the day. Drink it slowly.

Some still use maple syrup on this day for calories. Since I had run out of maple syrup at this time, I just drank pure orange.

Warning: DO NOT eat the pulp of the orange. The flesh colored covering of the orange contains good fiber, and I normally eat it. But at this time – your stomach may not yet be up to the hard task of digesting tough fiber! This could result in nausea, which was exactly what happened to me.

In desperation I did a salt flush in the middle of the night and threw up the orange pulp peel almost undigested. So this was what caused me such a tummy ache!

Second warning:  DO NOT order soup, even clear soup, from a commercial establishment. They usually put MSG and what not in their foods, and your stomach may not be able to handle this right after a very pure diet. This was another one of my mistake, and I immediately experienced headache after eating a few spoonfuls of clear soup from a restaurant.

Cheat tip: if you can't control yourself and take in a very little bite of food, make sure to chew it thoroughly. Your stomach cannot handle solid foods! But in my experience, a very tiny bite of home cooked food, chewed so thoroughly that it was almost liquid, did not cause me any trouble.

SECOND DAY:

Drink several 8 oz. Glasses of orange juice during the day— with extra water, if needed. Some time during the afternoon, prepare a vegetable soup (no canned soup) as follows:

RECIPE FOR VEGETABLE SOUP

Use several kinds of vegetables, perhaps one or two kinds of legumes, potatoes, celery, carrots, green vegetable tops, onion, etc. Dehydrated vegetables or vegetable soup powders may be added for extra flavor. Okra or okra powder, chili, curry, cayenne (red pepper), tomatoes, green peppers, and zucchini squash may be included to good advantage. Brown rice may be used, but no meat or meat stock. Other spices may be added (delicately) for flavor. Use salt delicately as a limited amount of salt is necessary.

Learn to enjoy the natural flavor of the vegetables. The less cooking the better.

Have this soup for the evening meal using the broth mostly, although some of the vegetables may be eaten. Rye wafers may be eaten sparingly with the soup, but no bread or crackers.

I really liked the vegetable soup prepared in our house, with okra and other vegetables. Thankfully, when I mentioned vegetable soup, and some of the listed ingredients, our cook knew just what to do.

THIRD DAY:

Drink orange juice in the morning. At noon have more soup: enough may be made the night before and put in the refrigerator. For the evening meal eat whatever is desired in the form of vegetables, salads, or fruit. No meat, fish, or eggs; no bread, pastries, tea coffee, or milk. Milk is highly mucus forming and tends to develop toxins throughout the body.

(Milk, being a predigested food, has been known to cause various complications in the stomach and colon, such as cramps and convulsions. The calcium in milk is difficult to assimilate and may cause toxins in the form of rheumatic fever, arthritis, neuritis, and bursitis. The resulting lack of proper digestion and assimilation of the calcium allows it to go into the blood stream in a free form and it is deposited in the tissues, cells, and joints where it can cause intense pain and suffering.)

FOURTH DAY:

Normal eating may be resumed, but best health will be retained if the morning meal consists of our type of lemonade or fruit juice: and, of course, if a strictly fruit, vegetable, seed and berry diet is followed. If, after eating is resumed, distress or gas occurs, it is suggested that the lemonade diet be continued for several more days until the system is ready for food.

Congratulations! You can now eat normally!

Benefits:

During and after the diet, my stomach was so flat that it was a real joy to look at myself in the mirror! Flat, without any gassiness too! And I felt so light in my movement – I could really tell the difference during my gym classes. I loved it! In those moments, I felt that the master cleanse was truly, absolutely worth it!

Also, when I stuck out my tongue and looked at it in the mirror, it was a beautiful, healthy pink, without any whitishness on top. So healthy! :)

Master Cleanse Day 13

For breakfast, for lunch, I had tinola - mostly the soup. While I know Burroughs cautioned against meat, I also know that chicken soups are one of the most soothing to the stomach. In fact, meat (including chicken) broth are healing to the gut lining. That's from the book GAPS diet. So I was confident in what I was doing. For dinner, I had a salad (lettuce, cucumber, mangoes, grapes with vinaigrette). And a little bit of brown rice with chicken adobo. ;)

I must admit that while I was cautious, I also experimented a little bit. I let myself taste the food in our house - being sure there would be no MSG and other harmful stuff! - but made sure to chew carefully and fully before swallowing. Seeing the almost whole stuff I puked out certainly taught me a lesson!

I also programmed my digestive system to wake up and start working, programming that what I took in would be harmonious with me, that my stomach could and would produce the right amount of hydrochloric acid and pepsin, that my duodenum would produce the right amount of secretin and cholesystokenin, and that my pancreas (all of which I blessed) would produce the right amount of enzymes. Seems to have worked! I had no more problems with my stomach. Success!

Throughout the day, I had energy - being able to go to the gym (but just one class) and felt lively and well. All good! End of the ease out! What an adventure it has been! Still, all's well that ends well. And I certainly feel well. Not just well, but extremely happy with my body. The master cleanse - with all its attendant hardships - was worth it!!!

Master Cleanse Day 12

I was more cautious now - just orange juice (without the fibrous coverings and all!), and vegetable soup. I still hadn't had a movement, which worried me some. So I used my super powers, aka Theta healing skills, to download myself the Creator's definition of a good poop. Wow it worked! In a few minutes, the movement came. Oh happy day!

Master Cleanse Day 11

Glorious morning! I skipped out of bed, drank my orange juice, and not without the salt flush, I made it to my Zumba class! I had not one but two intense workouts! Still, now that it's over, I must say that I'm so very happy with the results! I love my new body! My stomach is flatter than in has been in years! And as I skip, jump, and twirl in the gym, I feel like my body is so light to carry and full of energy! 

In the last days of the cleanse, all that was coming out of me was clear yellow liquid compared to he other days when there was still dark stuff. I take that to mean that my colon is cleansed! I feel like i have been given a chance to start a new life and to populate my stomach with good stuff!

My weight (fully clothed and shoed in the gym) was 119 lbs. Wow! I reached my goal! Finally my body is commensurate with my mental image of myself. Ahaha!

After the workouts, my legs were cramping and I felt really hungry. I should really eat, I thought. First mistake! Instead of harking home, I ate out. There was no orange juice so I took a fresh avocado shake. So far so good. But because of my hunger I ordered a clear wanton soup. Second mistake! After a few spoonfuls, my head began to ache. Oh no! Must be the MSG in the soup! So I stopped eating it and went home. I made myself an orange juice, and out of a whim, ate the fibrous stuff from the orange on top of my manual juicer. Third mistake! I was still hungry so I recklessly ate some pancit. Fourth mistake!

Alas! The dreaded pain had started. At the end of the day my head was pounding, I was nauseous, weak, and prayed that sleep would help me. I woke at 1:30 a.m., head still pounding. This must be what a hangover feels like, I thought. Out of desperation (or divine inspiration), I made myself the salt flush. For the first time, I could barely take it in. I was less than halfway through the quart bottle when my mouth began to fill with saliva - the prelude to throwing up, which I did. Out they all came - the salt water, the orange skin and fibers (lots of those - i think this may have been the main culprit of my indigestion),  and the taste of the wanton soup, which started it all.

But thank God! Throwing up relieved me and gave a respite on the headache. I went back to bed.

Master Cleanse Day 10

Final day! Oh happy day! I am at the end of my master cleanse! Finally this day has come, how glad I am!!!

I was also able to go to the late morning Zumba class despite having to run to the bathroom several times (thank you, salt flush!) I am loving my new body! It's so light and flexible I feel like I can fly! I just love the physical effects of the master cleanse!

I am so looking forward to easing in to foods tomorrow!

Master Cleanse Day 9

I am almost at the finish line! I am so looking forward to tomorrow, to the last day of this cleanse. Yes! Then I can eat again! And I would have succeeded in finishing it!!!

To take stock: the benefits are that my stomach has never been flatter. And it's flat with no gassiness! I know sometimes we skip a meal to have a flatter stomach but the bloating makes it worse instead of better. With this cleanse, there is none of that! Also, even though I haven't been eating solid foods, I don't stay hungry, especially if I drink the lemonade in good time (which I don't always do). Plus I have energy - I can go to the gym, I can go out, etc. I never felt lethargic or weak anything like that, which I sometimes feel in my ordinary diet or when I skip meals! This means this is not a hard diet at all. I did not really have difficulty with the detox - I didn't really experience  bad side effects. Except being tempted by delicious food all around me. Argh!!!

As for the negatives perhaps my blood pressure seemed higher. I read in some forums this also happened to others mainly due to the salt water flush. Also, my morning activities were curtailed as I had to be ready to pop into the bathroom - or to stay in the bathroom - for some time in the morning as the salt flush would take effect. 

Regarding my period, it was easy. The only thing I noticed was that my period was lighter in the beginning and consequently lasted longer, compared to my usual heavy and fast periods. Looking back, I actually had an easier time. No cramps. Very much less PMS and almost negligible headache. Wow! This cleanse is really good for the cessation of menstrual symptoms!

Recommendation to those wanting to do this: I think it's good to do it with an intention, and also to connect with the Creator especially throughout the cleanse. I believe this will also infer some kind of protection for the whole cleanse. Also, bless the lemonade you drink. AND drink lots of water! This was my mistake the first day - i was treating the lemonade as my water and wondered why I was feeling dehydrated, with dry eyes...then I realized I still needed to drink water aside from the lemonade. When I did, problem was solved!

Lemons 3.5

Master Cleanse Day 8

I woke up refreshed, not hungry, and feeling renewed determination. The doubts of last night seemed far away. I wanted to go on with the cleanse and finish what I started.

I put on my small clothes – you know, the ones you can't wear when you've gained weight. Wow! They fit! I'd actually meant to give those away - good think I haven't yet! So happy with my lighter body!

I went up, and the Creator said that continuing meant my will over my body. It has become an exercise of will then, aside from the continued physical cleansing.

"But would I harm my body with this, Creator?"

"No," the Creator said with a smile, "Ten days of not eating won't do much harm." So I blessed my body with the Creator's light and filled every cell with the Creator's love, and sent the Creator's love to Zamboanga, Fukushima, to people needing it, to people I loved, and was content.

Lemons - 4

Master Cleanse Day 7

Yesterday I went to  mystical place named Cuidad Verdaderoin Quezon. I thought I would find it easy, in terms of my cleanse, being outside and distracted by our activities. But no. How was I to know that Lukban was known for good food and famous for it pancit? And that our activities and surroundings would make me extremely hungry? 

I had my bottle of concentrate with me, and my own water, and I proudly explained to those who asked about my master cleanse. But it wasn't easy seeing all the food those around me were consuming,especially when I wanted a taste too! Starting in the van food was being passed around, and I was getting tempted. But I easily resisted. Then we passed by a fruit stand with rambutan, marang, mangosteen, and which incidentally sold an extremely delicious and crunchy chicharon (according to the others). Well I couldno longer resist! I just had a taste. I did not eat, per se, but just let a bit melt on my tongue. It was good indeed!

Then we had lunch at this place with authentic local dishes and there was lechon manok which looked good to me for being so native and not commercial - it wasn't an artificially plump chicken but a small flat yellowish looking thing that looked like it was just walking  few hour ago. It smelled really good too and was served with vinegar. Well I just had to taste a little bit too, making sure to chew that little bit extremely well, so that it would become just so much liquid paste. So the day went, with the cleanse becoming harder and harder to keep as the rigors of the trip spiked my stress and hunger. On the other hand, I happened to glance at the mirror in the bathroom and really liked what I saw! I was slim, and in a tight way! Of course during the trip we took lots of pictures. And when I looked at them I really liked the way I looked. I would love to retain this body that I have now!

There was a lot to see in Lukban - old churches, small eateries,quaint coffee places served under the trees…and Ciudad Verdadero truly was mystical.

It was drizzling when we proceeded down to the grotto by the lake,and to me that just added to the atmosphere of magic. I was glad our facilitator Pheonyx insisted on us going down there together despite the rains.I could sense the magic around me and my joy was increased by having my son with me on the trip. While the others were in the Chapel, my son and I went up to the big stone paved labyrinth and traversed the path together. Issues rose up in me and I released them as we wound in and out again and exited the labyrinth. 

In the sharing, led by the wonderful Pheonyx, there were many tears (from the others. Joshua kept laughing and inviting me to sing and I kept trying to quiet him.) Finally hugs went all around. It was a good day, but notso good for the cleanse! I might not have set a very good example to my wonderful companions. Sorry guys you're not supposed to taste food while on the master cleanse! 

When I got home, it was late, I was very tired, and quite hungry despite the lemonade. Maybe my "tastings" had activated my stomach acid and my stomach was wanting more. When I asked Creator that best thing for me He said, "eat." 

Not that I'm using God to justify quitting, but as I did a scan of my body, I heard my intestines telling me to eat. When I asked if they would last for three more days, they flatly said "no."

I ask myself why am I  doing this then? Actually I want to continue just to finish it. But for what? To cleanse, to detoxify, to achieve a physical transformation. But if I am no longer detoxifying, does it then become a meaningless exercise?

On that thought, and with my stomach feeling quite empty, I fell asleep.

Total lemons 5

Master Cleanse Day 6

Day 6

Yesterday, I was really tempted to quit. Since I wasn't really detoxing I  thought maybe my body didn't really need this cleanse. Or maybe what I had asked the Creator had come to pass, and thiscleans was harmonious with me and I could do it with grace and ease(physically, at least, barring food temptation. Now I realize my frustrations have been coming up!)

But now I have another request to the Creator. I want to be able to finish this cleanse with joy, and not for my days to be filled with frustration and impatience.

It seemed I could hear the Creators answer in my head."Then look at the positive aspects and not the negative ones. Think of  all the gains you have and not the losses. I will help you."

"One more thing I ask, Creator. Though I am afraid You might make life difficult for me if I do."

"State your request as you want it then."

"Creator of All That Is, it I commanded that I am always connected with You..."

"You are," Creator interrupted.

"...that this cleanse and everything I do strengthens that connection, and that this is done in joy and peace and blessings." (And not thru pain, I silently added.)

"You want only the good things in life," the Creator noted drily. "But don't you know that pain is a great instructor? Have you learned already from pain?"

"Yes!" (And don't you think I've earned it, a good time I mean, a less evolved part of me demanded. But I already know I do not need to earn this.)

"What have you learned?"

"To draw to You for happiness. To draw to You for instruction. I have already learned what I need from pain. Can I not connect with You with the joy and happiness of my life, in blessings and peace?"

"Yes, of course you can. You have learned. It is given you!"

I felt  jolt of energy in my stomach. I began to go through my body in a scan but this time it was different. It wasn't the beam of light that I usually saw. I was gently in the body, like mist, and I heard the body singing. We sing of the greatness of God;and his wonderful ways.

It was beautiful hearing the song of my body and I was filled with joy. I cleared what no longer served me in the stomach and heard a re-invigorated sound. It was great!