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Maya's Fruit Tapas
sunmaiden:
Hi Maia,
Nice to see you back around here! :) <3 How wonderful to be dancing again, it sounds very joyful! Looking forward to hearing more!
love,
<3 <3 <3
Sunmaiden
newstance:
Oh Sunmaiden, Thank you!
I never meant to disappear. I was sorry to be out of touch with you. But so happy to be reunited! smitten.gif (love this new emoticon)
And I loved that last post you sent me with your elaboration on "lifearian" and the middle road. I was talking with a fellow Ashtanga colleague of mine, we were talking in a similar way as you and I have been talking and he reminded me about the Buddist's emphasis of the middle way. But then, he said the problem is that most people take the middle way too soon.
<3
You see.... I've been having this experience lately, this experience of life that has come forth out of a recent path of sooo much sacrifice and so much austerity. I just got to a point were I realized that there was no more to give up! That in fact, I may need to take some things back. This path of Yoga that I have been on, it really IS a good one. I love that all it is meant to do is lead us to truth, that it will reveal for us the truth of who we are. Yoga will help us to realize our purpose. Yes, a path of self realization! Anyway, I have found SO much happiness in my asana practice. As well, I have found so much happiness in the fruit diet! I am an individual has always understood who I am, more or less, and what I am here to do. I really didn't need a Yoga practice to give me answers to those questions. But I didn't have the strength to do it (all that I am meant to do) and my practice has given me that strength. In these last six months, I found myself at the end of a road, so to speak, were if I did not feel happy, I couldn't just turn to asana or fruit, that was not going to do it, not going to fulfill me. I had to turn to life, I had to live more fully as who I am in order to be happy. So I started dancing, and as this became my priority (with my path of Yoga as the spearhead of this journey), I found myself living differently. And it was OK. I recognized that I needed more strength and more inspiration to be a better dancer, so I put myself in different social situations, I went to different events, I went to NY, I traveled to the Bay Area to see some friends who were on tour there who dance for a famous dance co, I ate, I ate and danced and danced and ate and I did this without any rules, I just followed my intuition. I began to eat more grains, usually wheat as a flour of some sort. I ate socially in some situations, but only in inspiring situations with inspiring people. And I noticed that I digested everything very well and I became stronger. My jumping and leaping got better-- I feel that the grains gave me an explosive energy that I needed to connect with-- that I needed to connect with for what I do, who I am and what I am here to do.
This is my story of the middle path. That I gave it all up and in doing so, realized the things that are inextricably part of my experience on this planet in this lifetime at this particular time, and I took them back so that they could be of service to me. I have understood that the practice of "non-attachment" is not just an act of giving things up and doing without, but that it is simply doing or imbibing without attachment or without it being merely a habit. Now I feel that I know this on a deeper level.
I think that the modern processed foods, and in saying this I include simple cooked foods, are potentially habit forming. i do think that people often eat just out of habit. I was trained in these habits during my lifetime. And then I have also taken a lot of time and energy to break the habits. I have been following a path of Yoga that requires and renders a very pure body. But I have understood that being pure is not the aim, only a means to the aim. This is now something that I know at a deeper level as well.
All these different foods that we humans eat, they are a part of our culture and our own process of evolution as a species. From my perspective, I notice that each different food fuels a unique kind of energy. I also believe that we each have a unique connection with our foods and the energies they impart that is connected to the unique roll we play as part of this organism we call the human species. If we are not awake to it, we will eat and live in a way that is merely constructed by our culture and society that is most readily available to us and we will miss the realization of who we really are and will miss out in our fulfillment of that. But at the same time, I believe it to be possible that, in the name of purity/purification and fear of attachment, we could reject our societies and cultures around us to such a degree that we miss the point of our existence! So this has been my experience of the middle road.
All that said, "I LOVE FRUIT!"!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 And a fruit diet is such a beacon for me, it is a kind of a guide for me. I am so happy that this site is named I <3 Fruit. It really resonates with me... I do, I do <3 fruit.
So let me now say that though I believe that there are certain kinds of energy in non fruit foods that I have found key for me lately, I do not believe that it is necessary that those foods be eaten to attain that energy. No, I believe the energy can be found by the right mind/body or mind/spirit connection and I have even known from personal experience and practice for this to be true. But I recognize that until that connection or meditation is found, then the foods can be helpful or perhaps even crucial depending on the specific situation.
So what now? Well, as for me... I think I have just given an example of my "karma with foods" story I kept bringing up before. But aside from benefiting from a little bit of grain energy to help me understand how to be a bit more *explosive* in my movement, when I need to, I feel that I have another karma that is unique to me. That is the karma of an individual who is a hatha yogi and a meditator and who understands fruit to be an Ahimsic food source, so if there is a way to be explosive as a dancer with just a fruit diet then I will seek it out. (Just not with any sacrifice to my artistic spirit and soul and in whatever time frame required.) Ah this is just the kind of mastery that appeals to me. And thus my journey here, with all of you other <3 ing Fruit people continues...
Thanks everyone here :) ;)
sunmaiden:
OMG Maia, this is such a beautiful and inspiring post! Just what I needed to hear, and said in such a sensible balanced way, I couldn't agree more! I'm so glad that you have figured out what works for you to get to a new level of using your body and performing! I've been finding the same thing with some non-fruit foods, and also that great love of fruit! <3 The middle path indeed brings the acceptance of recognizing what IS, as opposed to what we fantasize as wanting life to be. It shows us the truth and that the truth is always there, its just whether or not we see it, and how we see it. I too have felt deeply that it is not what we imbibe, but how we live. I also feel that when we have the inner strength in a particular area then we need a different kind of fuel, but it can't be forced, it has to be right and true for us. If we aren't getting what we need, then we surely have to adjust accordingly! I also have had so many thoughts recently of the purity of a yogic body, but also the deep sense that we can not make ourselves less pure than we are by either being in "dirty" surroundings or by ingesting less than ideal food :)
I've kept up w/ my yoga practice of surya namaskaras, and have recently added some strength work by really slowing down and holding the poses on days when I don't have time to do the full series. I'm enjoying it so very much and appreciate all the guidance you gave last year! I'm still feeling very much to be a beginner, but I feel so happy after every practice, like all is right in my body and the world!
Take care, and its SO great to hear about your journey! Hurray for living your dreams and dancing! smitten.gif
love,
<3 <3 <3
Sunmaiden
fruitbat:
Dear Maia <3
It is Beautiful to read your entries and have your presence here again <3
I very much enjoyed reading of your experiences.
I feel that one of the things I like best about this forum, is that I get a chance to share in the experiences of other people who love fruit, and because we are all unique individuals there is a wealth of very unique and special experiences and ideas.
And, I feel these heartfelt experiences and personal contributions can be of great use and inspiration to other people, as well as ourselves.
It is great to hear that you have had such a Wonderful experience with your dancing and your intuition <3
I found your explanation of "non-attachment" very lucid. Thank you <3
Wishing you a very Beautiful Day <3
Love and Peaches,
from Anne XX <3
newstance:
Dear Sunmaiden and Fruitbat! <3
So special to have your appreciation of moving with intuition and following dreams... Thank you. I feel fortunate to be here with such lovely and wise people.
Sunmaiden, so happy to hear you are keeping up and enjoying your Yoga practice. What kind of postures are you doing the long holds with? How long is "long"? Just curious.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
I have for some time now been maintaining a "non forcing it" attitude with my dietary practices. In moments, when I seem to get some kind of wild hare to cleanse, fast, mono, etc., I soon realize that that is not the way for me now, that I just need to take it easy and do what comes naturally.
I think that when I moved into raw food eating, I had to make some experiments in order to discover what worked for me. So I made experiments. One cannot be halfway with an experiment, if you really want to be scientific about it, you have to put your feelings aside and go for it. If you want to see what it is like to just eat grapes for three days, you can't just eat grapes for one day and imagine the rest. Anyhow, you get the idea... some amount and some kind of force is required to do the necessary investigations. I am so grateful for all of the experiments and investigations that I have made, they have really enabled me with knowledge about what works and what does not work for me, and how things work with me.
So, more recently, with my "non forcing it" attitude, I feel like I have been just simply living and working with this knowledge. And as I have mentioned in my last posts, I have been allowing the artist in me to lead the way. When I have gotten the occasional wild hare to cleanse/fast/mono, etc., I have let it go with realization that that is not the way for me right now.
And things have been working... the dancing, the diet, the life... But most recently, I have felt that I am at an impasse.
An impasse!
?
Ha. Yes, an impasse. That is the word that pops in to my head. Quite strong. I have been reflecting on this feeling I have been having.
There has been a lot of things in my life in the process of a change for me since the fall. I have moved out of where I was living for 6 years, but not yet moved in to a new place, the dancing, the balancing of life in the world with the spiritual. I have been leaving things quite open so that questions of where do I really want to be, who do I really want to be, could arise and be entertained without an imposed situation to describe the answer.
My feeling of reaching the impasse coincides with my finding my new living space and a new working space as well. So, I take note of this.
The "impasse" is mostly something I feel with my dancing. But I notice that it makes that hare jump at me that wants to fast and cleanse and deepen. But I still really really can't force it. I just can't. I've done a few days at a time with a little bit of juice cleansing, mono eating etc., but that's all I am able to do before it feels like I would have to be forceful.
Ok, so here's where things get interesting...
I think I am beginning to experience a longing/true desire to move into a deeper place and find myself with a willingness to force that to happen, like I am actually desiring some force in this way. I mean I have been after all, sort of forcing myself to dance really hard everyday, one does not just lightly skip one's way through serious ballet training. I just have NOT been forcing dietary strictness.
I sometimes feel like I am juggling plates (not balls, because balls don't break if you drop them ;) ). Anyhow, I think I might have the purification plate in my hand and be ready to throw it in the air. Like it has cycled around again.
Having finally found my new living place... I am anticipating or prediction or maybe even invoking a move into a purification process once I get into my new routine.
I'm excited!
I'll let you know how it all turns out. But, I think that what I will see happening, is that by sometime next week after I move into my new little apartment, I may begin some purification practices, like an orange juice diet for a while perhaps. I may use some herbs at first or other juices. We'll see... because I'm sure I won't have "forcing it" as the spirit that moves me into this, but it will be just really desiring greater purity. I suspect that this will be the beautiful way that I can address the "impasse" I feel in my dancing. That I will be excited about challenging myself to find the explosiveness in my dance with fruit as the fuel. That I will be leaner and softer and lighter. So exciting! That I will become more ME as a dancer.
I LOVE the non forcing it thing. But what I feel is that if I just focus a little on it, I will go deeper and be able to sustain without force in a deeper place.
I'll be in touch as I make my move and I'll let you know what happens.......
Thanks so much for your support and companionship on this journey. <3
All my love,
Maia
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