The Right Environment

for you to thrive and flourish

I remember this incident when I was around the age of three. I was happily peeling an orange and enjoying each juicy segment, weeding out the seeds skillfully with my tongue, when they made themselves known. One little rascal escaped me. As soon as I realized I swallowed it, fear took over me. I ran to my mother and asked her, “Mom, will the orange seed that I swallowed start growing in me? I don’t want its stem and leaves coming out through my mouth.”

Juicy oranges!

I had some facts written into my gray matter at that young age, and they were right: I knew seeds were capable of growing, and I knew they would grow upwards. But I had no clue about the environment needed for their growth.

The moral of this story: incomplete knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Now, Mom had instilled it into me, even at that young age, that I had to chew my food well. And she was right! If I had only paid more attention to chewing, I might not have let that seed slip down my digestive abyss.

Thinking of digestion, though, I got a few more facts right that could be induced from my panicky question to Mom. Something as tough as a seed could not be digested. And it just slipped down; I did not chew it. So, definitely, it could not be digested.

So, why can’t the seeds that we swallow start growing within us, if they can’t be digested? It’s the environment: it’s just not right.

The environment is so very important when it comes to our lives and how we flourish.

It’s time to examine:

1. The environment in which we:
   

   1. Live: Surroundings that you like, colors that work for you, and an organization of things around you that make you feel at ease are essential.
      

   2. Work: An ergonomically set-up workspace with proper lighting and ventilation, along with an organizational setup that is easy to operate within, is key to productivity.
      

   3. Relax: Having a room with an ambience that promotes ease, without bombardment from too much technology and disturbances from the outside world (this includes light, sound, smells, etc.) is key to relaxation.
      

2. The environment we provide for ourselves:
   

   1. For our bodies: We provide the right environment for what goes on in our bodies by our choices of the food and drink we ingest and the products that we use for personal and household care.
      

   2. For our minds and our emotions:  The mind needs proper input from the environment—in terms of what we see, what we hear, who we interact with, and what we watch or read. Besides, it also needs time to process things, for proper understanding, and for decision-making.
      

      The mind can be easily influenced a lot by what it is fed. So, the right material for consumption, friends and companions with whom we can have fruitful exchanges of thoughts and ideas, and enough time for the mind to relax with soothing activities such as music, and time for it to rejuvenate with proper sleep are critical. Emotions need to be felt and expressed at the proper times and in the right situations. Having a repressive environment either at work or at home can lead to your emotions actually causing you more stress. And stress is the cause of a lot of illnesses.
      

   3. For our soul: We sometimes need quiet time to find a home in ourselves, to examine what’s at our core, and to reflect on ways to refine it. At other times, we need to step out of ourselves to embrace ways to nourish that deep longing for God within us. We need to find that generous love and share it with others by nurturing them, listening to them, lending support, or just being there for them. We need to encourage that pulsing in and out—the rhythm of our souls. And this is important for everything else to fall into place.
      

The Right Environment for the Digestion of Food

Let’s recall pH. It is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a liquid or food is.

You pucker up at the tartness and the acidity of lemons. You feel comfortable with the alkalinity of a ripe banana.

Our digestive systems, which begin at the mouth, maintain different pH levels in different sections. The purpose of this demarcation is for the activation of different enzymes along the length of the digestive tract—specific enzymes, needing a particular pH to work most efficiently.

Now, things that we do or don’t do can throw off this delicate balance in this system that is so critical for our survival.

Keep Your Digestive System Functioning at Its Best

1. Make sure you are hydrated: Drinking enough water as well as maintaining an electrolyte balance is key to helping your digestive system function at its best.
   

2. Eat a balanced diet: Don’t forget to make some dishes with leafy greens and munch on some dried fruits in moderation. Including a variety of foods at every meal, some acidic and some more alkaline-forming, is the key.
   

3. Limit foods that can add to your acidic load: These include sodas and carbonated beverages that can put your digestive system in a tizzy.
   

4. Manage stress: Stress can affect your body’s pH balance.

   1. Try listening to calming music or watching calming videos. Even looking at artistic photography can take you into a different world and relieve stress.

   2. Do some deep breathing.

   3. Try some quiet time of prayer or meditation.

   4. Incorporate some relaxing movements such as slow dancing, gentle yoga, or Tai Chi into your week.
      

An orange seed needs the right type of soil, the right temperature, and the right amount of nutrients and water. So too, the right environment for your body, mind, and soul is the right environment for you to feel vital and flourish with ease.

DISCLAIMER: The content I share is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. If you purchase products linked from these blog posts, I may receive a percentage of the proceeds. These affiliations help support my work.