Book 2 Post 2
As I have continued reading In Deep Shift by Valerie Gauges, I have gained a whole new perspective on the novel. As I mentioned in my first post, I chose to read this novel because I have been going through some significant changes and shifts in my life, and the summary of the novel is a mentor to my stressors. Since I have completed the novel, my hypothesis that the novel would help guide me during this stressful time is accurate.
I enjoyed the second part of the novel when it discussed meditation and the importance of food. I am a spiritual person and conscious of what fuels my body. The book mentions treating your body like a temple, a well-known tacky phrase. However, I do find it to be true. Since I have a lot of family, friends, school, and career stressors, I have had an extremely difficult time sleeping. I have never had a hard time sleeping in my life until these past couple of months. That being said, Gauges proclaims that not sleeping is the main sign that you are in a "Deep Shift" and going through many vital changes in your life. Overall, going through part 2, I wanted to incorporate meditation into my daily morning routine since that helped the author get out of her no-sleep phase.
On top of the mediation advice, I also enjoyed the food advice. As someone who appreciates and craves change with stress, this subject was important advice for me to learn. Gauges claimed that foods that are rich in magnesium have been found to have calming effects when people are struggling with anxiety. Examples are leafy greens (spinach), Swiss Chard (I never had tried this), legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Knowing this, I will tune in to my body's needs while undergoing a "Deep Shift". I highly recommend this book for people seeking guidance during times of change. I am finding coping mechanisms for how my mind and body can go through large amounts of change in a healing way. I am excited to incorporate my learning into my daily life.
Great work, Alex! I can definitely agree with you, I feel like I am in a phase of shifting in my life. My interests have definitely began to change and I feel like I am already anticipating the transition from college to full time life. I should definitely check this book out!
ReplyDeleteAlex, I love your reflection on this book and how it relates to your own life! Like you said, I think it is important to make sure we are properly fueling and prioritizing our body, even and especially in the most stressful times. Taking a few minutes for yourself each morning to meditate sounds like a great way to start the day off on a good note!
ReplyDeleteit's great that you're incorporating meditation and paying attention to your diet. Your insights about magnesium-rich foods and treating your body well are really helpful. Sounds like the book offers practical advice for coping with big changes.
ReplyDeleteReally appreciated this, Alex. I am a culprit of not valuing my own body so it was nice to hear a little conversation about how important that is and the steps that you can take to take care of yourself. The idea of meditation was also very interesting to me and one that I have thought about a lot. It seems that I don't have much patience for it though!!
ReplyDeleteHi Alex, I also read this book. I loved all the advice she provided. Like you mentioned with food, I grew up with parents that were not too concerned about health however, I always gravitated to healthy food. In the book she mentions how our body will naturally just reject unhealthy food and I feel as though this was the case for me. I also recommend this book and have already had a friend be interested.
ReplyDeleteHi Alex, it was very interesting reading your insight on the book. It looks like you really enjoyed reading it. I thought the section at the end on the foods rich with magnesium was a neat addition, and something that I want to look into more.
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