I recently wrote about spring cleaning at home and its relation to our ability to shift and grow and change. Once a year we all need to do a deep clean to purge our home from extra accumulated junk and allow for new growth and for energy to flow smoothly. A trend that echoes this that I’ve been hearing a lot about lately (possibly indicative of the crowd of people I hang out with) is “the cleanse” or “the detox.” It’s pretty common these days to do some sort 3-10 day diet-change to feel lighter and healthier and people are often very interested in doing so in the spring. The question usually seems to be which cleanse and for how long.

What I find interesting is how my own heritage includes these concepts in its spring rituals and holidays. Passover which is all about liberation and the movement from slavery to freedom, involves an intense week-long dietary shift. During the holiday, not only are Jews supposed to abstain from eating any leavened bread, but we aren’t even allowed to own “chametz.” Many sects of Judaism also abstain from legumes and all grains. There are two primary symbols intrinsic to not eating leavened bread. The mythical idea is that while fleeing Egypt We did not have time to let their bread rise, in fact, some of it was basically baking on our backs under the desert sun. The spiritual symbolism (and the one I personally find more meaningful), is in the idea of what it means to rise and to be puffed up like bread. According to Chassidic thought, leavened foods are symbolic of the ego, which enslaves our deeper truer selves. By disciplining ourselves and changing our diet we work to break free from the captivity of the ego.

I’m about the embark on a week-long journey of cleansing my physical body and hopefully along with it my mind and spirit. I’m doing this with a community of people to help the process; we can support each other through the rough patches and celebrate our successes. Hopefully, We find ourselves a week from now that much closer to true Freedom.

This isn’t the blog-post I was hoping to write. I have many more thoughts and feelings to share and those that I’ve shared here I feel lack an eloquence I strive for, but the sun is setting and it’s time for me to disconnect from the electronic world. I will let go of self-judgment here (at least for now) and embrace honest imperfection.

I look forward to sharing more and to hearing people’s responses.

Until then, blessings for Freedom world-wide. For each and every one of us to find the strength within and from family, friends, and our great world to break free for any shackles holding us back physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual, it’s all one. And let this Spring be a time of growth, healing, and transformation.