My journey into this holistic world of preventative care began at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. I arrived there broken. I was experiencing chronic incurable pain in my back. I was abusing prescription drugs and alcohol. My perfect life including the doctor husband, 2 kids, golden retriever, mini-van and country club membership was in decay. I felt more than lost and hopeless. I was teetering between staying in this world and leaving this world.
Going to Chopra Center was a big deal. It's expensive. It means leaving your family for a week. It means negotiating with a spouse for permission and understanding. You can imagine when Deepak Chopra takes the stage to talk about healing for his allotted hour or so, your are pretty excited. When he enters the room and makes his approach, you get really excited and happy.
Well, at this particular event, Deepak took the stage and talked for a few minutes. He then opened the floor to participants and a microphone was passed around. Most people had good and interesting questions and Deepak is a master with a crowd, so it was fun. But then....the microphone got passed to this lady. I swear she talked for 20 minutes about her life and all its problems. Now at the time, I wasn't exactly patient or as compassionate as I am now. As she droned on and on, all I could think was, "Shut up. I don't want hear about your stupid life. Pleasssseeee somebody rip the microphone out of her hands and sit her down." I'm looking at Dr. Chopra thinking he is insane. Why on earth is he letting her go on and on? The entire audience of 500 was shifting in their seats and I'm sure having similar (hopefully less vile) thoughts.
After about 20 minutes, the lady took a breath and stopped talking. Dr. Chopra just stared at her. He then ever so slowly took the microphone to his lips, looked her straight in the eyes and said.....
"So?"
Holy crud. So? As in So What? Who Cares? Why are you bitching? So so so so so so.
The entire audience went completely silent. Now Dr. Chopra is not an unkind man. He is overflowing with compassion and of course after the dramatic pause he kindly expounded on her situation. The point, however, was that it doesn't matter what your story is. It's just a story. Everyone has a story. Sitting here in this moment, I have a story. I am not my story. I have a story. I am not my story. It's just a story.
You are sitting in a moment where you have a choice. Are you the story? Are you the next story? Are you the abused child? Are you the alcoholic? Are you the abandoned and betrayed? Are you the chronically injured or ill? Are you cancer? Are you arthritis?
Who are you?
Release your story and write a new one. The past does not matter. It's done and there isn't a thing you can do about it. Right now matters. Your intentions for the future matter. During the Elemental Cleanse we go through a process of releasing the past. It's simple. Journal about all the things in your life that have made you who you think you are. Release them. It's a little more methodical during the Cleanse, but this will get you started until you make the decision that you are ready to Cleanse.
Om Shanti, Pamela
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