Digesting Life with Grace, An Interview with Monisha Garner

How many times have you felt butterflies in your stomach or worry in your gut?  How about anxiety bringing you to a point of constipation or inability to control your bowels?  The premise of holistic healing practices is the interconnectedness of the body, mind and soul, as yoga in itself means the practice of “union” of the various aspects of your being.  What we choose to feed ourselves in every way, like the environments we constantly live in, the choices we make daily, the foods we nourish our cells with, the roles we play in our relationships, our perceptions of our selves, what we read or watch and more affect our ability to feel grounded and move with ease in this world. 
 
Digging into a Colon Hydrotherapist’s perspective on digestion as a holistic experience, I interviewed a long-time friend and trusted wellness professional, Monisha Garner:

1. How important is digestion to overall wellness?

Our digestive system is a very simple system of releasing and absorbing.  Without an effective working colon life becomes a little more difficult and disease will not be too far behind.  During the 8th week of pregnancy is when our digestive system starts to form, and around the 13th week it is fully functional.  It is directly connected to our nervous system, so what you hold on to emotionally, physically and spiritually is mirrored in your colon as constipation, diarrhea, inflammation, etc.  If regular bowel movements are not present, the body’s amazing technology will try to reuse the waste that continues to sit and ferment in the colon, creating gas, distention, bad breath, body aches and more.  The problem is that the body cannot reuse trash, so in turn, the person will start to feel sluggish, have a poor complexion and begin facing other health challenges.  The colon is the cornerstone of entire wellness.

2. If you had to narrow down three important tips to optimizing your digestion of food, what would they be?

I would definitely say to eat foods from each color of the rainbow (omitting any foods white or brown in color), add plant based fiber to your daily intake of food and sip warm water with lemon, aloe vera juice and chlorophyll daily.

3. How does the way we digest life’s experience affect our overall wellness?  What would you say is the most essential ingredient or life tool in being able to digest life with grace?    

I absolutely love this question because most people don’t feel that their digestive upset stems from emotional imbalances.  However, it’s a direct result.  Our colon is directly tied to our nervous system.  So large amounts of stress, long-term stress, unnecessary stress, lack of sleep, consuming large amounts of caffeine, sugar, prescription medications, yelling and arguing create the perfect breeding ground for disease to manifest within our body.  Holding onto or forcing the occurrence of events that no longer serve us affects imbalances within our colon.  Not speaking your truth and asking for what you need create imbalances within your colon. 
 
The tool that I use for myself to move through this amazing planet with grace is to give MYSELF grace.  I give myself time and do not overload myself.  I talk to myself in a loving manner and speak to and from my heart space as often as I can.  Change is an inside job.  It starts with you first.  Treat yourself with ease and gentleness, your body will respond with the same, and so will others.
 
This insightful interview with Monisha provides a peek into an important topic we’ll be diving into at our upcoming Digestive Wellness Workshop, Nourish, on November 4: How do you digest life with grace?  We’ll address digestive well being through various angles using yoga, meditation, nutritional cooking, eating mindfully, community discussion and wisdom and practical tools from Paola Cardona, yoga teacher and long-time friend, who holistically healed herself through Stage 3B Colon Cancer.
 
As holistic medicine bases its work on the interconnectedness of your various realms of being, Yoga further rides on the premise that all beings on this planet are interconnected.  Thus, an individual’s wellness and wisdom can ripple empowering healing onto others.  Anita Moorjani, inspiring author of “Dying to Be Me,” wrote about her spontaneous remission from Stage 4 Lymphoma and redefines “remission” as “remembering your mission” in this world, and through self-love, share unconditional love with others. 

Monisha Garner is an Advanced and Clinical Colon Hydrotherapist, Holistic Health Practitioner and Owner of Moya Body Care.  She specializes in digestive wellness, herbs and natural living. She is dedicated to empowering others to find their unique journey towards health and wellness through detoxification and cleansing. She embraces practical techniques and tools that the average person can easily infuse into their daily routine.  Connect with Monisha at: www.moyabodycare.com