I’ve been cleansing for almost as long as I’ve been meditating, and it has taken different forms… fasting for one day every two weeks based on the cycles of the moon is how it first began. I was told that was a great way to improve the quality of my meditation, and it seemed to work for me.
Until I moved to DC. Then my job and my life became more complex and stressful and fasting went out the window. Thank goodness meditation practice did not, however.
Now I’m a yoga teacher and am immersed daily in practices for health and well-being and my cleansing follows the seasons… in the spring and in the fall and generally in early January after the holidays. Cate Stillman and her Ayurvedic knowledge has been a great help. So this spring, considering all of my cleansing experience, I decided to take the plunge and do the (drumroll please) “Master Cleanse.” Heard of this? Fresh squeezed lemon juice added to water with some maple syrup for sweetener and cayenne pepper. Anything else? Nope. The combination of lemon juice, syrup, and cayenne helps to access and release toxins that may have settled deep into the body’s tissues and it clears out all kinds of congestion too. It may sound like an icky combination, but I actually like it. I’ve always been a fan of lemonade, and this is pretty tasty. The cayenne doesn’t hit you until after you drink. Really.
I won’t go into the details of my gastrointestinal tract, but I’m closing out Day 4 and so far, so good. I want to rest and keep things slower and quieter, but when I have to go do things, my energy is still there. Pretty amazing. My body feels clearer and perhaps a bit lighter. Yoga asana practice is totally fun because I am much more stretchy and bendy, I’m guessing due to a lack of deep-seated congestion and even some release of inflammation.
Meditation practice is fun because I want to sit still and my sleep is so deep I am not remembering my dreams even. This is a bonus considering this year so far has been a challenging one to say the least.
The lack of real food you can chew makes me think about where nourishment actually comes from. Of course we need food to survive and the cleanse is only temporary, but it does have the cool effect of helping me realize all of the other things in life that can offer real nourishment. The sun shining on my skin, a walk in nature (if you are ever in Myrtle Beach, I recommend Brookgreen Gardens), massage therapy, a hot bath, the smell of rosemary, a hug from someone you love. There are lots of things to be thankful for, and lots of things to offer nourishment. When we are so busy and moving so fast these things are difficult to recognize.
If I can figure out how to turn the comments back on, I’d love to hear from you and how you are doing this spring!
Next: Yogi Detox Day 10
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