About seven years ago, I met a dear friend for lunch in New York. He had always been a man who loved food, delighting in good meals and warm conversation. When I arrived, he had already thoughtfully ordered a portion of my favourite buffalo chicken wings.
As we sat together, I noticed his plate remained empty. When I asked why he wasn’t having anything, his eyes lowered with a sad look. He explained that following surgeries for colon cancer, large portions of his intestines had been removed and closed off. He could not eat even a single morsel, because the food would have nowhere to go.
His words struck me hard. To sit across from someone who loved food so much, yet could no longer take in nourishment, was a sobering moment. A few months later, he passed away, leaving a lasting impression on my heart.
Recently, that memory returned when I spoke with a woman undergoing dialysis for chronic kidney problems. She shared how difficult it was simply to pass urine, living with the quiet reality of an uncertain future.
Hearing her story made me reflect on how easily we take our bodies for granted.
Every single day, an intricate process happens within us without our conscious effort. We enjoy our meals, our bodies absorb the nutrients, and with quiet precision, they work to eliminate waste—both liquid and solid. Yet society often views this natural process with disdain and discomfort. We speak of bodily waste with vulgarity, forgetting a simple truth: if our bodies could not cleanse themselves, none of us would be alive.
This natural discharge is not dirty or shameful; it is a life-saving function.
In our fast-paced world, it is so easy to drift away from listening to our physical selves. With screens always within arm’s reach, many of us naturally bring our phones along even into the bathroom, missing out on the quiet, vital work occurring within us.
As a scientist, I realized years ago the direct link between our thoughts, attitudes, and bodily function. What we think and how we feel has a direct influence on our physical rhythms. When we view a natural function with disgust or stress, the body tends to respond with tension.
The human body is constantly responding to the messages we send it.
I used this important fundamental truth to transform my own wellbeing. Rather than bringing outside distractions into those moments, I sit in quiet presence, focusing inward and engaging with my body in deep gratitude while it cleanses itself. I encourage it, thank it, and give it the peaceful space it deserves. By shifting from tension to appreciation, my digestive and constipation issues naturally resolved.
When you sit down for your next meal, enjoy it. And when your body quietly removes what it no longer needs, appreciate it. Replace disdain with respect, and impatience with quiet thanks.
Every meal, every breath, and every moment of natural cleansing is a miracle keeping us alive.©️ Amyn Dahya
Have a blessed week ahead, my dear friends, graced with peace, happiness, and good health.
Amyn Dahya