While meditating the other day, I asked, “How can I be of more service to others?” What came to me almost immediately was, “Clean and clear the vessel.”

I kind of wanted more detail and specificity, but I have to admit, I knew what it meant. 

I’m an intuitive person and I get accurate and helpful messages all the time. So much so, that’s it’s not strange to me anymore. But I know that my vessel of perception (my body, comprised of an awesome mix of intellect, heart, and spirit) is cloudy. I am fully aware that I don’t eat as well as I know how to, I don’t exercise enough, and I don’t make sure I am getting the mental/emotional healthcare I need to keep my life in balance. 

Cleaning and clearing the vessel would allow me to hear more clearly (literally and figuratively), sleep better, be more available to people (sickness really knocks me out of whack and I can’t help others because I need to help myself get better), and engage deeper. 

My excuse for continuing to eat white/processed sugar is that I have done an amazing thing already by eliminating wheat from my diet and I don’t *have* to let go of sugar. It’s not that bad, I tell myself. But “not that bad” isn’t the way I want to be in the world. And my physical state most definitely affects my mental state. They are inextricably linked. 

I have ideas of what vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free, people are like. Having been one, and hearing some direct feedback, I know that I am self-conscious about what people think about me in that regard. But I’m getting to the point that I need to pay MORE attention to how I want to feel, rather than what sort of feedback I want from people. I felt better with no processed sugar in my diet. I slept better. I thought more clearly. I had more energy. My skin looked better. I got less headaches, etc. 

Similarly, my brain is cluttered with over-processed, nutrient-less ‘junk,’ too. I let thoughts roll around and around, never examining their truth and not finding a more (ful)filling substitution. I don’t think about what kind of thoughts nourish me, or surround myself with healthy options of ways to think and feel. I just inhale whatever is nearby, take a bunch of energy to extract the non-existent fuel (despite my knowledge of this, I STILL do it!), and then wonder why I’m having less than awesome thoughts (and then outcomes) in my life. 

I also spend a lot of time trying to control outcomes without changing my vessel. I keep thinking, eating, doing, and feeling the way I have been, expecting that I can just will (picture me squeezing my eyes tight and hoping *really* hard!) my life to change. But I don’t change the vessel that perceives myself and the world around me, so of course, not much actually changes. 

Rather than exerting additional energy (which always proves to be futile) to try to change the outcomes, why not, use less energy, feel better and get better sleep by cleaning the vessel? Makes perfect logical sense. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t live very logically most of the time. So I need to give myself better structure, to make it easier. Regarding my vision of a clean and clear vessel, what do I imagine?

• I see an energetic body, able to sleep 6-7 hours and wake up easily and feel refreshed.
• Because I know how to care for my mental health, I see myself being able to move through stress and the unexpected with ease and grace.
• I engage with friends and family in present, conscious ways that increase connection and love.
• I eat food that I can taste distinctly (when I ate mostly raw food my taste buds changed and foods that I previously HATED tasted DELICIOUS!), that fills my belly without making me sick, that satisfies my nutritional needs and is pleasurable without being numbing.
• I spend time in silence or meditation for 20 minutes a day, simply going within.
• I give my body a clean and clear space to live in, reducing stress and increasing positive interaction with my family. 
• I use different kinds of movement (walking, dance, play) to stay engaged with my body.

For now, that’s a great vision for me to start with. I can see those things in my mind’s eye. After writing it down, I can now work out a plan for how to bring those visions into being. And from there I can act on them.

What’s your vision of your vessel? What do you see in your heart and mind when you picture your body, heart, and mind being clean and clear? Small steps lead to big outcomes. Tell us what’s true for you.