Every moment is a fresh beginning.
T.S. Eliot
just when we think we’ve got it figured out
You know that feeling when you think you know something, only to discover that you might, in fact, not know at all?
This year in particular has been an ongoing learning experience for me, where I thought I had this whole nutrition and self-care thing under control only to realize that I was not feeling as optimal as one who is so diligent about self-care should feel.
After further inquiry brought about by stubborn eczema and digestion/hormone issues, I discovered Divya Alter‘s Ayurvedic counseling [not to mention her incredible cookbook and restaurant], followed more recently by her mentor Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum.
Dr. Teitelbaum is a wealth of knowledge with many years of study in various fields of medicine under her belt, including Ayurveda, and one of the more surprising lessons most of her patients learn from her – myself included – is the importance of organic milk in the diet.
You read correctly. Milk. As in from the udders of a cow. I was as surprised as you might be right now. After listening to her lectures and consulting with her, however, I am slowly beginning to understand what she is trying to help her patients understand.
What I learned from this lecture, without going into too much detail, is that our cell walls are made of cholesterol [also needed to make vitamin D – which helps prevent autoimmune diseases]; our hormones also need good cholesterol in order to function optimally and absorb nutrients from food.
When consumed properly, organic milk [from non-GMO cows, preferably raw] can provide the nourishment we need – it nourishes the seven tissues within 24 hours [blood plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow, reproductive fluids], whereas other food takes a month to do so.
There are many arguments around this from a vegan and PETA perspective – both of which I understand and can get behind – however Dr. Teitelbaum mentioned several times she had many vegan patients come to her who were sick, even though wellness trends today show people glowing after cutting standard American dairy from their diet.
If someone’s skin temporarily cleared up after going vegan, for example, it may have been because the quality/type of milk they were consuming were aggravating toxins already in the body that were trying to escape through the skin [i.e. cold, processed with hormones, fermented into cheeses that are challenging for the gut, paired with foods that aggravate the system, consumed by someone with sensitive digestion, etc]. When simmered into a warm beverage or boiled to make cheese, and when consumed with spices like turmeric or cardamom to help absorb the fat, milk can be incredibly nutritious.
Dr T says in one of her lectures, “It’s not the food that’s the problem, it’s the gut and the liver rejecting the food.” Gluten and dairy, then, are not necessarily our enemies. This is personally a relief, although investigating the gut provides a whole different set of puzzle pieces to put together.
There are also obviously sustainability issues to consider, although if we do our best to consume as organic and local as possible [like products from this farm], not to mention putting our dollars toward brands that treat their animals fairly, we may be making a difference not only with our health but within the food and dairy industries. And in order to make a difference in our personal lives or within our community, let alone for the people we love, we must be well-fueled.
I have yet to experiment with making Divya’s fresh cheese and warm milk beverages from her beautiful cookbook, but I am certainly willing to try in order to boost my health, and you better believe I will be reporting back.
This experience has certainly, if anything, reminded me of the importance of continually inquiring with an open mind, and returning back to ancient teachings when current trends confuse. There is so much information floating around between food bloggers and wellness brands, it can be challenging to navigate what is “true” and what might work best for our unique bodies.
It feels pretty solid to me personally to put my trust in ancient wisdom – it has, after all, stuck around for centuries for a reason…
Another “aha” moment also came about recently in my asana practice, thanks to the time-honored teachings of Iyengar yoga. My teacher Nikki Costello recently introduced a concept unknown to me that countered my beliefs: I thought it wise to bend the knees if a student could not touch the floor in a forward fold, and she brought up that this can put continuous strain on the hamstrings by constantly pulling at them more so than if the legs were straight and strong.
If we keep the kneecaps supported in forward folds and standing postures by firming the muscles around them in the quads [thighs], we are supporting the length and strength of the leg simultaneously, mitigating hamstring and groin strain [both of which I had been experiencing after months/years of “softening the knees”].
And so, I literally had to re-learn not only how to effectively straighten my legs, but how to teach that concept in class. Yet another belief proven otherwise, courtesy of longtime practice and study. Nikki’s Mentor Practice partner, Iyengar teacher Lara Warren, reminded us last week that there is a beginning to knowledge but no end to it.
When we are forced to reconsider after believing we had things figured out – a rude awakening, if you will – we have no choice but to return back to the state of unknowing.
It may feel like a slap in the face or a kick in the pants, but this alertness – albeit bruising to the ego – ultimately reminds us to stay open and aware, even when we think we have it down. There’s a quote that says, “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill Him.”
Drishti, or a meditative gaze, is a state of embodiment or absorption. When we are guided back to gazing inward and have to take a step [or many steps] back to the time of inquiry, this meditative state of being can typically arrive without trying so hard to achieve it. The curious mind is the ultimate mind for learning, or absorbing information.
It is during these often challenging times of reflection that we might be thoroughly embodied – experiencing and resting in a one pointed concentration, or dharana, that ultimately connects us to our Selves and the present moment.
Even if I think I have things figured out now, I know I will be faced with further questions; it may also take courage to overcome my own ego and comfortability [i.e. the milk thing]. In the meantime, though, I am both nervous and excited; maybe even a little bit more embodied as a result…
What have you had to reconsider, and what reconnects you back to your Self during those times?
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Photo: Arden Point in Garrison, NY.
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