Started the seasonable transition cleanse Monday and I am on Day 7. What does it look like? No it’s not one of those all juice & smoothie diet but a very approachable real life program anyone with the right guidance can undertake. In other words, it’s not a diet – it’s a cleanse:
- Daily Yoga – yoga ultimately is about a cleanse – a de-cluttering of the mind; to strengthen our muscles, lubricate the joints, spur bone growth, stretch and elongate to release tension, tightness, unravel the knots … to distill the essence of life so we can bottoms up the nectar of the sweetest life ever. In our busy lives, weaving in tidbits can work with the right intention – warm up and stretches for injury free heated practice in the mornings; cooling lunar practices in the evenings – this can be as short as 10 minutes or a full blown 60-90 min. class if manageable, scattered throughout the week. If you have a protocol designed by your Yoga Therapist for your home practice, even better. Group class just for the vibe but rest done at home, all good.
- Daily Meditation – self-guided or guided meditation with Visionary Yoga I love.
- No refined or any kind of sugar – zero, nada.
- No processed foods
- Primarily plant based diet primarily vegan with the exception of eggs. No honey – replaced by mashed dates to sweeten chai.
- Maximize sleep – ideally 8 hours a night or min. 7 hours. & makeup allowable deficits with restorative yoga or yoga nidra – Read up “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, Director of UC Berkeley’s Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab.
May I just say – thank goodness to local Farmers Market. I am not starving myself at all as the photos that follows will indicate:) The menu is blend of Macrobiotics, Japanese cuisine inspired by Shinobeu of Wanowa, and Ayurvedic cooking learned from Jyoti Jain of Palo Alto + some Californian/Italian recipes from Chez Panisse – yes:) It’s a melting pot plant based menu embedded with legumes, and grain based nourishment. It’s not for losing weight (though that may just happen naturally – 2 lbs in a week – very gradual) but to spur the cleansing of excesses, quiet the inflammations, exit the gook and toxins from our system to better welcome the seasonable transition. It’s the kind of foods that’s light and kinder to our intestinal tract that balances the gut flora to boost our immune system to prepare for the flue season – if flue shot misses the exact strain of the virus, this kind of eating will still protect you from seasonal fluctuations. It’s kind of food that’s simple, lush, fragrant and vibrant. Not in a manic but in a steady, stable way, It’s … energizing !
******************************************
Came across BK Bose’s quote … while their latest mission to address the needs of school-aged youth is so admirable, Niroga’s Yoga Therapy Advance study course will be so missed . The faculty that included the best in the field of yoga therapy led by BK was exceptional, the cohort’s passion for this study was … infectious. They are all sure to make even better teachers than they already are:
“This is not some feel good, foo-foo practice from the Himalayas. This is based in cutting edge neuroscience, trauma research, and in somatic psychology. This is vital to ensure our well-being, and to our economy. Let’s come together under the banner of transformative practices, and put forward the essence of yoga, not the hype. This is simple. Anyone can do this, anytime, anywhere. If you can move, if you can breathe, then you can do the practice.”
-BK Bose, Founder, Niroga Institute
