This is a bit different kind of ‘food’ post because it actually has to do with not eating food. At this point hopefully I didnt lose you already! I just wanted to share a pretty amazing personal experience I have had with NOT eating…and before I go any farther I just want to say that I think it is very important that before anyone experiments with not eating for any length of time more than a few waking hours it is very important that you seek the guidance of a health professional.

Just a quick note on my history of eating, I LOVE food. I love the the look, the taste, the aromas, the textures, I love food shopping, cooking and eating out. I love thinking about the energy and health of the food as I am chewing it and visualizing the vitamins and all around good things it is bringing to my body.

So, please know that not eating, and doing a cleanse of any kind feels like a tremendous sacrifice before I start it, which I think it would be to most people. However, I have done it not to punish myself or try to hinder one of life’s greatest pleasures but just the opposite. I have found that this type of conscious effort actually increases my enjoyment, appreciation and love of food. A quick note on my cleansing history: I have done several cleanses, from herbal teas, juice and just overall not eating anything but I have always had WATER and lots of it, and think that is a very integral piece to having a successful cleanse experience.

After the holidays I had felt very ‘over-full’ of rich, heavy, sweet, spicy meaty foods. I decided I was going to do a cleanse and as I started my research I kept coming across the ‘Master Cleanse’, which in all honesty I first heard about over 10 years ago while going to holistic college in San Diego. I thought it was pretty ridiculous back then even though people I knew and respected thought well of it. I’d like to think I have matured quite a bit and I have a much more open mind since those days! As I took a closer look at it, and I read the testimonials that are all over the web (btw, just google ‘master cleanse’) I was impressed with how many people talked about the amazing results that they had experienced, such as increased energy, feeling lighter, more alive, healthier and not hungry believe or not!

Well I must admit after following it for 4 days, I have had a very similar experience. However I had some other experiences that I am going to share, but before I get ahead of myself I want to share what I drank each day. I started the day off with 25 oz of salt water, and then throughout the day I drank the concoction of maple syrup, lemon and cayenne pepper (if you try this go light on the cayenne until you get used to it, its HOT!) I had about 60-80 oz of this per day along with my weight in oz’s of water and without going details was about 200 ounces per day! At night I also had some smooth move tea and that was what I consumed everyday for over 80+ hours. On the 4th day I had some vegetable broth and an orange at night and then came back the 5th day with some organic multi grain bread to warm my belly up and lots more fruit and broth.

I had not gone on any sort of real cleanse or fast in about 6 years, the experience for me is always one of trepidation and at times actual fear. The food addictions in me are so strong to meat, eggs, cheese and of course my cookies and milk at night! (No wonder I am 200+ lbs on a 5′ 10″ frame!) However, that is just the experience leading up to the cleanse, not the actual doing of it. During the actual doing of this cleanse I was happy as a clam(pun intended)! I was shocked by how much TIME I had, not thinking, planning meals, shopping, making lists of food, spending time at restaurants, eating at a family member or friends house……There was an absolute abundance of TIME, and that is a very precious commodity as I think we can probably all agree on. With that time I also was able to add in things that I love to do such as being grateful, writing, meditating, yoga, chi kung, reading Rumi, Hafiz, Eckhart Tolle, Emmet Fox, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, and watching great movies such as Ben Hur. It was as if all of sudden I added about 6-8 hours in my day, oh yeah thats because I had!

As some of my friends would be happy to attest to (shut up, Lenn), I do eat abnormally slow, but that taken account I really did have much more time than usual on the wknd and during the morning and evening after work. I was thinking I need to do this more often just for the time it creates alone! I also saved a bunch of money, my wife joined me on this adventure and we marveled at how little $ it took to ‘feed’ us on this cleanse. $6 on organic maple syrup, $11 on a case of spring water, $8 on organic lemons, cayenne we already had, but even so its like $4, uniodized salt we already had too but its really just a few cents worth really and smooth move tea another $4, so you can live on this cleanse for 4 days for only $33 for 2 people! Hey its a great way to do some quick saving in a crunch, haha.

Another piece of this adventure I found so interesting was the absolute lack of refuse we had. I looked in the garbage can after 2 days and I couldn’t believe how little trash we had accumulated. So even beyond the health benefits there were some other great lessons in this cleanse for me, not to mention I noticed I could see more clearly and hear more acutely, not sure what that is connected to but it was quite evident to me. Would love to hear any thoughts, ideas or responses you may have as well as any cleansing/fasting experiences you would be interested to share. Happy Cleansing!

This past Thursday we held the 2nd canvas Open Mic Night. It was a grand success in many ways. We had a really nice turnout over 40 people coming to have good times, listen to great music from our featured performers Electra Jacobs, Glenn Roethel and Joe Iadanza and others and spoken word led by Vik Rajan, Neil Fruchtman and Marcy Neuman and of course to taste delicious scones, muffins, cookies, coffee and tea provided by Whole Foods Market. Tom(Publisher of canvas) and I started the afternoon looking for a rug. It took us some time but we finally found one we thought would work well. It is truly amazing how a concrete floor can be transformed by an inexpensive throw rug! Then the clearing of the desks and chairs to create as best we can an open mic atmosphere in our offices here at Footprint Media. The night began with my wife Tara working the front door and getting our sponsor and their representative Loni from Integrative Healthcare Solutions set up to give chair massages. With no prompting at all Joe, Glenn and a great musician named Stu hopped up on stage and started a jam session. I intro’d a quick welcome on the mic and the night was off an running. One of the things that made this event a success for me was when I saw my good friend Harlan friedman come through the door with his girlfriend Lauren. He and I have known eachother for over 25 years and its always a good time when he is in the house. Another great thing was something Joe said inbtwn playing which was that he is accepting donations to produce his next album and he is putting everyones name in the album that helps him out. If you havent heard his music or if you have and you want to hear more go to: www.joeiadanza.com However, the absolute best part of the night for me was when it was over and immediately Joe, Glenn and I did some spontaneous high fiving and looking at the joy on the peoples faces that attended, played or spoke. The energy in the room was some of the purest I have felt in some time. I did not see one person that didnt seem to be enjoying themselves and for me personally that was extremely rewarding because that is one of our goals with canvas :to create the space for people to build community and ENJOY themselves in a healthy, wholesome, accepting and welcoming environment. Open Mic Mission: SUCCESSFUL

It is one of those sayings that have always struck a chord in me (pun intended for those who can get it). Lots of people say “stay in touch”, “keep in touch”, “are you in touch with him or her?” I have always wondered what is really behind that ‘in touch’? Because we usually do not mean actually touch someone even though the old saying from the 80’s was something like “Reach out and touch someone” and then they would show a son or daughter calling their parents or grandparents.

As a lot of us know, marketing has a lot to do with stirring up emotion and giving the idea of the possibility of healing an emotional pain or feeling of lack. However, there is no denying that they were on to something—look at the Internet. It’s just one big universe based solely on communication of information of every shape, color and size from the profane to the divine and everything in between. Communications and communication is something we do all day long, in person, in phone conversations, emails, faxes, and of course blog posts! The simplest definition of the word “Touch” seems to be: “To be in contact with.” That makes sense but doesn’t necessarily help me really understand what “Being in Touch” really means. In contact with what? When we say that about another person, does that mean in person, does that mean their body, their voice, their email, their cell phone voicemail, or perhaps their soul?

Well for me personally there are two reasons I find this interesting and I believe it to be important.

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As the holidays approached, I found my stress level increasing with each day that came and went. I also found that as my stress level increased my criticism of life, issues and people. The things I read about in the news, the war in Iraq, media issues here on LI that I wish were different. I found myself focusing more on the things I didn’t like than things I did like. Around the same time, I was asked to supply a blog entry for canvasli.com, so in my mind all I could think of was what I didn’t like, what made me frustrated and what I wanted to be different.

My intuition told me not to write it so I procrastinated writing the entry, all the while with this nagging feeling that I just didn’t have the right topic yet. While contemplating the different subjects I could choose to focus on, I heard a small quiet voice: “Be in Praise of Praise.” This was a quote I have heard from a wise old man and mentor of mine many, many times. When I first heard him utter that saying, I had no real idea what he was talking about but it came from a man who has dedicated his life to personal introspection, and when he says something, I have learned to listen.

Over time it worked its way deep into my being. I was reminded of it many months ago when my business partner and publisher of canvas said: “Matt, I am not sure how you used to do things, but when reviewing a process, I like to focus on what went well first and then move on to the areas that can be improved.” It hit me hard and I knew in that moment, that he was someone whom I could work with and trust. He was focused on the good first and foremost. I was very impressed all those months ago, and even happier to adopt the same practice and to see that it wasn’t a one time experience; Tom invokes that standard for every review process of the business. So as I contemplated my subject dilemma, and with it being Christmas Eve, and the with the New Year around the corner, I asked myself: Do I want to be critical of others during the holidays? And do I want this to be how I start my New Year? The answer was a definite: No! I want to be Grateful, and I want to be I praise of praise.

Yoga, meditation and exercising every morning usually keeps me feeling energized and ready for the day. However, it only helped so much to stave off the dark moods of those dark early mornings. It was actually another practice that helped bring me back into balance as the winter solstice drew closer. As each dark morning was a challenge for me to dig down deep inside and literally force my self to smile and start the practice of being grateful. I knew that after December 21, the days would be become brighter, that it would get just a little bit easier to get up at 5:30 a.m. and go outside for my morning walk.

This was practicing gratitude and being in praise of praise. Being thankful that I am alive, that I am breathing. Being thankful for the simple things in life, like the trees, the birds, the rain, fresh water to drink, healthy delicious food to eat. For the wonderfully aromatic smells of the earth after a heavy rain, the bubbling giggle of child. That, I don’t live in a war zone, that I am able to walk, talk, think, care, wish, and pray. I am so thankful for all that has been given to me, what I have worked hard for, and what I have been able to give. I am thankful for the people in my life that support me and are loving, caring human beings. I would chant these mantras as I would walk or jog, and the feeling that would be built up inside my chest as I repeated these mantras was/is Absolutely Magnificent. The energy that was created was self-sustaining, it was like a force field of joy and appreciation for life. As things came up throughout my day I was able to meet them with more patience, more compassion, and more clarity. Repeating this cycle day after day, every morning for weeks was very helpful to my peace of mind.

Because of this, I wanted my first blog on the canvas site to be something that felt good. Something I am just simply happy about–like being alive. I am writing this on Christmas Eve, and as I move closer to the new year, my aim is to live more in alignment with and acknowledge more often what is good in my life, rather than to note so quickly what is wrong, or what I can criticize.

Like all human beings, I know I have the need to analyze and regroup and strive to do more and be more, but it’s also been a good practice for me to balance that out with working to just be, and be grateful.