MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE CLEAN SLATE CLEANSE – EPISODE 1

I have done a LOT of work on myself in the last 5 years. But I can tell you – one area I have avoided has been my relationship with food…sugar in particular. I couldn’t even tell you why….well, that was until I did an Aroma Freedom Technique (AFT) with Lindsey Elmore yesterday. Before I get into that I have to tell you how much care, time, and attention to detail Lindsey has put into this group cleanse. It has everything you need to be successful: intentionality, community, connection, accountability, recipes, shopping lists, journaling, and a thorough and intentional emotional component….which leads me back to that Aroma Freedom Technique Clearing we did before we officially began today.

Let me walk you through my experience.

Step 1 of AFT is to set your intention. “I keep my promises to myself” came up right away (influenced by Rachel Hollis’ Girl Wash Your Face)…and that was the first indication to me that this was about to get REAL. Next, you rate your intention for how possible it FEELS. I gave mine a 3 out of 10…because I quit on myself ALL OF THE TIME. You…I will fight for you till the death, but me. Not so much.

Step 2: You hand the microphone over to the negative voice that pops up EVERY TIME you create an intention, goal or dream. Mine was QUICK to say, “You always let yourself down.” It was stated calmly and succinctly- like it was truth.

Step 3: You tap in to how you feel about what that negative voice is saying. Spoiler alert: I almost ALWAYS feel shame. UGH! SHAME IS SO LAME!!!!

Step 4: You sit with that and check in to where you are feeling this in your body. Spoiler alert: I almost ALWAYS feel shame in my heart (and now you know why I have a “Wholehearted” tattoo where I can be reminded of it every time I look in the mirror).

Step 5: You drift back to an earlier time when you felt the same way. A very painful movie started playing of a time when I was in college. I’ll leave it at that for now…another blog…for another time.

Step 6: ENTER YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS: You smell the “Memory Release Blend” which is equal parts Lavender, Stress Away, and Frankincense (these oils have research based evidence for having a direct and profound affect on the emotional center of the brain). I cupped my hands over my nose and took MANY deep, restorative breaths. I breathe into the movie playing in my mind, I breathe into the shame lodged in my heart, I breathe into the voice telling me I am going to let myself down. I breathe and I breathe and I breathe.

Step 7: I breathe until I notice any changes. I felt lighter but not a huge shift.

Step 8: You see if a new belief or mindset emerged: The movie played in fast forward and I heard a still, small voice that said, “Do not isolate yourself, ask for help when you need it.”

Step 9: You go back to your original intention and start again at step 1 giving it another rating on a scale of 0-10.

Let me fast forward through the rest of my steps – because they sure did reveal a lot. I heard “Self Control is too hard for you.” Felt more shame. Again in my heart. What came up next was a bit intense. I saw myself sneaking sugary treats from a VERY young age. Then it jumped to me stealing money so I could buy treats at school. I grabbed Forgiveness Essential Oil first because the shame was so intense. My emotions were escalating and I heard some pretty horrible things. So I grabbed Inner Child Essential Oil and really focused on my breathing. I was watching my life from above and I got an understanding that this was my way of gaining control of my life. I could control what I put in my mouth and sugar always tasted so good. It literally brought sweetness into my life. I kept breathing and I heard “You have better tools now. You can choose better now.”

I shifted to step 10: Create an affirmation. I chose to keep my intention and add the gifts that came in during this clearing.

I keep my promises to myself. I have the tools I need to succeed. I choose life.

I am repeating this while huffing Transformation at least twice a day for the next three days.

I reached out to my friend Aspen Robinson to do an Emotion Code session on me to remove the gunk that has been trapped inside (My way of reaching out and asking for help STAT). She pulled 64 different emotions from my body related to THIS! Friends! How crazy is that?!? But after getting a sneak peek into how big and heavy this was I called in reinforcements. LOL! Learn more about Emotion Code here .

I shared with David what came up for me so he could be supportive and encouraging and have an understanding of how big this is going to be for me.

I pulled out the bags and bags of food I purchased and began to prep so I would have no excuses when I started the next day (it’s important to get tangible action steps started when you do emotional work like this).

I soaked in a detox Essential Oil bath (Release with epsom salts and baking soda) to begin the process.

I spent some time in prayer recalling the truths I know about me: I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am made in God’s image. I have the Holy Spirit in me. He has given me the the fruit of Self Control. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I have a supportive community voting for my victory. I keep my promises to myself. I have the tools I need to succeed. I choose life.

Lindsey was not messing around when she called this the CLEAN SLATE CLEANSE. I will be cleansing #allthethings If you are ready to do some REAL work and press reset on your relationship with food click here to join in Clean Slate Cleanse