Focus:
Being open to expansion in our journey.
Repetition:
I love my body and will keep my mind focused on what it needs.
I am open to expansion.
Remember that expansion is not a rejection of what you have done up until now.
We are incredibly grateful for learning new things that will only help us.
Approaching Your One-Year Anniversary
Guys and gals!!! We are about to celebrate your 1-year anniversary with ARP! This is so incredibly amazing. I am so ridiculously proud of you all, and I want you to plan something special for yourself.
If you are feeling great, maybe you plan your first three-day fast and spend the time in prayer and meditation, digging deep into the places that need some special attention. Perhaps you can plan a special camping trip with family or friends, or treat yourself to a trip to spend time in community. If you are still feeling as if you need to be more gentle, create a cozy event at home with family or invite a few friends over. Whatever you decide to do, know that it is a true celebration of how hard you have worked and how far you have come!
If you are not in remission yet, take heart! It is coming! You will get there — trust the path to reveal what it is you are missing in time. Until then, know you are doing all the right things for your holistic self. We are doing this to live in the moment, remember how to be human, and watch the story of our lives unfold as it should.
How to Know When You Are in Remission
You no longer have daily symptoms. You are not reactive to any of the healing foods. Your mood is stable, and you have appropriate emotional responses. You believe you are safe. You are enjoying work, socials, play, and rest. You are sleeping well at night, and you have energy to do what you need to and want to during the day. You rest when needed without “pushing through.” You are mostly peaceful and joyful. And this continues for three months.
If you have a short-term issue — a reaction to overworking, an environment you have travelled to, or a few nights of not-so-great sleep — this does not mean you are moving backward or that something is wrong again. It is good to remember that sensitivity is not a bad thing, and to thank your body for reminding you that it needs some extra support temporarily. We have learned how to find out what our body needs and offer it! You can still say you are in remission!
We will have an “In Remission” recipe package on the way, as my anniversary gift to you — I have been collecting them all year!
Life in Remission
You can trim down your morning and evening routines if you like once you’re in remission. I would personally always keep some kind of morning and evening routine for life. You can begin to explore more intense movement, but expand very slowly — try five minutes and stay there for a week. Add five more minutes the next week, and repeat until you are feeling good and energized from the movement.
Please consider that running and intense cardio or lifting are not the way an ancestral person would have moved their body. You can dance instead of run — this only communicates safety, not fear. You can lift moderately and naturally, and lifting is best done with gender in mind. Ladies, try to mimic the weight and movement of children, water containers, bushels of food, and goods. Men can handle more weight more often, and bonus points if you create an “outside gym” with rocks, logs, and chopping wood, and mimic dragging food home — bonus bonus if done with other men! Walking once in remission is wonderful and, of course, best done in any sort of nature available to you.
Slow expansion is a great way to approach life in remission. Try a new food with a bite only, and save the rest for the next day. If the food is high in plant toxins or is ultra-processed, do not be disheartened if you have a reaction like nausea or loose stools — your body is letting you know this is not a food for you.
If you are ready to go back to work or start a home-based business, start slow and part-time. Basically, we want to introduce new things slowly and gently every time, respecting our body’s right to refusal.
If you think you may want to start an ARP Integration Group, let me know via email.
You are stepping into year two of a new you — literally, you have rebuilt your body with new materials! — and changing the world!