Paradigm Shift

Guest post by Trishla Gajwani

May 5, 2017. Human psychology.

The Happy Body is designed by sneaky, smart and savvy people (Jerzy & Aniela!) who clearly understand how to outwit the monkey-mind. The Happy Body succeeds where other wellness systems fail because it is systematically designed to override the all-over-the-place, greedy, unfocused mind.

There are two parts of me: the master (wants to reach my highest potential) and the fatalist (ok with being kind of crappy). If you commit to it, the Happy Body structurally favors the master over the fatalist so you can reach new heights. How?

A clear, mathematical food system. The Happy Body snacks and meals leave little to the imagination. You eat as though you have already attained your optimal body composition – calculated based on your height, age and gender. The grand quantities of vegetables fill you up and boost your overall nutrition intake. The protein quantity is capped and clear so you don’t over stuff yourself. You eat every three hours so you don’t have long gaps without food.

The same exercise routine makes building muscle while reducing fat easy, sustainable and hassle-free. Before Happy Body. “Should I go to yoga today? Let me check the class schedule. Oh no, that timing doesn’t work – let me call and see if I can squeeze into that Soul Cycle class. I’ll have to bring a change of clothes and shower there and head straight to my meeting.” And, now with Happy Body. “Wake up. Do the weights routine in pajamas. Shower. Ready for the day. Or, do the weights while children play Legos. Done and done.”

Five minutes of meditation, paired with lavender oil, becomes a healing treat. One we can’t wait to greet! Meditation for five minutes after the body has gone through the weights routine is a breeze and it’s integrated into our work out seamlessly. It’s short and sweet and highly effective as a “chill pill.”

I know what you’re thinking. And yes, I concede, my own monkey mind still plays tricks on this wonderful system here and there. On monkey days, I cheat, sneak bites or make concessions. And that’s okay. The Happy Body teaches us to relish the Master within us without being too judgmental about the Monkey.

And you’ll see, if you take the long view, year upon year, you will be moving up on the ladder from a sub-optimal body to the happy body. Once you’re on this train, you’re well on your way to self-mastery.

May 4, 2017. Balance.

The thing is, Happy Body isn’t a “diet.” It’s a system of living consciously. If you think of it as a diet, you’re likely to miss the magic. The Happy Body intelligently balances “what goes in” (food, drink, rest) and “what goes out” (movement, exercise, mental effort) holistically. This way, we stop the cycle of waste (over-eating, over-exercising) and solve for long term, sustainable health and happiness.

Before I understood the fine-balance taught in The Happy Body, I treated the two process, “what goes in” and “what goes out,” independently; or at best it was a haphazard, on the fly, calculation: I sweat for an hour at the gym so I can eat a large, nutritious lunch. I would feel so exhausted after a heavy cardio session and scrumptious lunch, I would sleep for an hour before resuming my day. The years went by like this, I tried various diets, new work-outs, fancy gyms and followed trends in health and fitness. Some months I was up (whatever that means for you), some months I was down. But from a bird’s eye view, a decade by decade tabulation, I was left in the same place – slightly chubby, with too little muscle mass, constantly depleted with a volatile self-confidence. So much time, money and energy was spent on this ultimately futile fitness parade.

Put simply, before The Happy Body, my eating, sleeping and exercising needs seemed to be at war with one another and my body always paid the price. Like a diligent financial planner, the Happy Body takes all the ins and outs into account, to balance the body’s checkbook. The Happy Body system is a paradigm shift:

• From overeating and undereating → to eating the right amount, at the right time
• From over-exercising or under-exercising → to a sustainable exercise routine that simultaneously builds muscle and reduces fat deposits
• From resting as a reaction and complete exhaustion → to resting as a conscious habit to treat the body right

The result? My mind and body feel free – I am on the train from chubby, weak and tired to supple, strong and happy. I don’t have to keep second guessing every step; I can stop reading about, talking about the multi-billion dollar fitness industry. My mind is free to pursue other passions. My body is happy.

Waiting for Weights

I really thought I was doing
the best for my body. All these years,
I took it to the gym,
spending two or more hours of the day
getting dressed, driving,
cardio, strength, stretch,
getting showered after, driving again.
Eating lots of ‘nutritious’ food after to
‘re-fuel’ and ‘re-energize.’
I tried all the newest ways
to sculpt, tone, sweat and work-out.
I was thin for weeks, then just weak.
I’d drive my body too hard,
then eat too much to compensate.
Or I’d eat too much, too often,
and my body would pay the price at the gym.
Energy-out. Failure-in. Lasting results-nil.
Working out this way was wasteful.
And my body became
a quickly depreciating asset.
An endless wheel of self-destruction.

And then I met, my angels.
They probed, what if you could age with grace?
What if your most precious asset,
you body could appreciate with age,
like fine wine or masterful painting?
They offered me a way, simple,
no bells or whistles.

Now, I have a goal, crystal clear.
Reduce fat, while getting stronger.
Slow, steady, incremental progress.
I am gentle and kind to my body.
My body knows what to expect.
I eat the right food, in the right amount,
five times a day.
My body trusts me and I trust it.
I exercise using weights in a
strong, poetic meditation.
Inhale, lift, stretch, release, exhale.
It’s a perfect circle, complete and restful.
I do the same movements,
in the same sequence,
everyday,
and my muscles know
what is required of them.
They are not tired,
they are inspired.

I know now,
my beautiful muscles,
growing stronger day by day,
have been waiting for these weights
longer than I have been waiting
for freedom from the shackles of
the go-go-go gym-gym-gym.

With more grace than
I ever imagined possible,
these muscles shall carry me,
holding me steady and strong,
to the end.

A New Birth

It occurs to me that it’s my birthday
on Monday.
What is a ‘birthday’ anyway?
It used to be about the cake,
The focus on me-me-me,
presents and lengthy dinners
with two rounds of dessert.
(Dessert from the fancy restaurant,
plus the old fashioned birthday cake.)
Focusing on ‘me,’
didn’t make me any better.
Birthdays left me tired, and bitter
And fatter and sicker.
Is this the natural aftermath
of true celebration?
What if I could change my birthday
to celebrate the highest
within me? Unwavering.
The wise one. The master.
The one that knows what is enough.
The one that is stronger
than the senses
and the monkeying mind
combined.
It is done.
On this birthday,
and all birthdays to come,
I will thank my parents,
for giving me birth,
and I will thank God for giving me life.
I will smile at my teachers,
for sparking evolution, day by day.
I will bow down to all the challenges
that have made me stronger today.
I will have a hike-party in
a forest of fresh fruits and vegetables.
A dancing buffet,
with all my favorite songs.
“All-you-can-dance,” my card will say.
I will buy myself a present:
a heavier set of dumbbells.
For these weights are my freedom.
I will give my body precisely
what it needs, today of all days.
For this body has carried me
inside it, with so much grace,
All these years I have lived.