Falling Palm
As I was walking down the street this misty Santa Monica morning, I was noticing pieces of palm tree debris all over the sidewalk and street. It was during this rather peaceful moment that a rabid squirrel jumped down from the tree and attacked my head as I was walking!
It took a minor heart attack, lunging to the side, and of course a loud yelp to realize that it wasn’t a blood thirsty squirrel, but a piece of palm debris.
This debris peppers our west side streets with its rich, brown, and chocolate hues. 
It represents not just the season of Winter,(and reminds me of chocolate), but also the continuous shedding that takes place in all living things. From reptiles to humans, dolphins to Palm trees, this shedding allows our healthy inner layers to take over the function of our skin, hair, intestinal wall, and in this case, Palm leaves. We lose more than a POUND of skin cells each year, replacing our outer epidermal surface every month, and our blood cells every week. Our stomach lining replaces itself 
every 7-9 days, similar to lung tissue keeping digestive function and oxygen absorption high. It’s like a renewal; to sustain not only our healthy outer glow, but keep our inner cellular function at an optimum.
Interesting to think, wouldn’t it be great if we could shed EMOTIONALLY? Keep our EMOTIONAL function at an optimum??
Shed our judgmental conceptions so we can optimize healthy relations? The ruminating thoughts, self-doubt , and insecurities could slough off daily like dead skin. The inner layers of strength, confidence, and peace would shine through grudges and anger, revealing a calmer and more capable body. One that could resume activity without being hindered with doubt ("because 2 months ago it didn’t work out"), or disabled by fear ("because last time He didn’t call"). Wouldn’t it be 
freeing to have daily judgments on ourselves and others pile up in the drain like dead hair after a shower??
One physically exfoliating ritual I partake in monthly is at the Korean Spa. After a series of contrast hot/cold hydrotherapy dips, my body is exfoliated with a gentle salt mixture. I always marvel how light I feel post-Spa, understanding that along with the 1/4lbs. of dead skin that I most likely shed, I am also letting go of some stressful and hindering emotional baggage. It’s harder to access than my more available knee caps and elbows, but after a minute or two in 100 degree water 
even my frozen grudges melt. And that's just it- we promote physical shedding with lotions, spa treatments, daily rituals, but how do we emotionally exfoliate?
All our daily moods, reactions, and inner dialogues need to be shed, or else they block up our sentimental pores and prevent true clarity. Personality pimples! Our skin needs to shed to breathe and renew, and our emotions need to shed likewise, to move on and continue evolving!
Daily Meditation, exercise, Acupuncture, mindful venting and reflection can dispose of this heavy emotional baggage, freeing up space for an inspiring new dialogue and attitude.
Like an old weathered palm leaf may we live through, process, and shed the emotions of yesterday... And last week. And come on, for all of 2015 ....... hopefully with less drama then the rabid squirrel.
