Pure Intention : Be a Warrior !

As promised, here’s the program for Winter 2023 Detox Cleanse.

I strongly urge you to challenge yourself. Commitment is a scary word for some but I guarantee, you won’t regret it!

The basic structure of your day will be the same throughout the 3 day period but you have the choice to switch it up nutrition wise.

February 6-8

Here are a few things to try if you’re not already doing so…

Morning

Aim to wake by 6am.

• open your eyes but do not reach for your cellular device * easier said than done I know but you can do it!!

I. Breathe

This is an easy exercise to get you started. It’s called the Complete Belly Breath. the-importance-of-a-morning-breathing-practice

1. Place one hand on your belly, relax the abdominal muscles.
2. Slowly inhale through the nose, drawing the air into the bottom of your lungs. You should feel the abdomen rise.
3. On the same inhale, feel the rib cage expand outward as the breath move upward until the collar bones rise.
4. Pause for a moment, then exhale out the mouth gently from the top of your lungs toward the bottom.
5. At the end of the exhalation, draw your belly button toward your spine, pushing any residual air out of the bottom of the lungs.

“Including a regular breathing practice as part of your morning routine is one of the easiest and effective tools you have to improve your health and well-being. At first it may feel uncomfortable or awkward, and that is perfectly fine. Like anything new, give it some time and pretty soon it will become like second nature.”Chopra – the importance of a morning breathing practice ( see link above)

This is an excellent door way into meditation.

II. Practice Meditation, even if it’s only for 5 minutes! There are plenty of tools out there to choose from. I subscribed to Calm.com and Chopra Meditation and Well Being App. Both are worth the investment of approximately 75.00 per year. If you are serious about learning to meditate, I would totally recommend. Chopra is my favourite of the two.

People tell me the hardest part about meditation is to stop the constant train of thoughts in our mind that just don’t want to go away! I can totally relate to how that feels but, I also know that if you persevere, eventually you will be able to let them go. You will no longer be caught in the grip of thought and it feels amazing.

Here’s a trick from Eckhart Tolle on how to take your attention away from your thoughts. Spotify Eckhart Tolle Essential Teachings – Discovering Our True Identity – January 26, 2023

According to Tolle, “Thoughts have a magnetic pull” – it certainly feels that way right ?

The best way to stop the thoughts is to connect with the inner energy of the body.

How do you do that?

Body Awareness and Awareness of your Breathing

Place your attention on your inner body (body awareness) and your breathing. When you do this, your attention is directed away from your thoughts.

You can do it!

The easiest place to start for body awareness is your hands.

Sit or lie comfortably and start to focus your attention on your hands. Like really focus. Can you feel the energy? If not, keep trying. It will happen.

Can you feel the energy in my hands ? While you feel the aliveness in your hands, thinking has subsided. You cannot feel the aliveness in your hands and think at the same time.

When you focus on your breathing, it makes the feeling of your inner body more intense.

The thing is, “if your are feeling the inner body, you are not thinking. Immediately you sense a liberation from the mind and a heightened sense of aliveness pervading your entire being.” Eckhart Tolle

You haven’t tried to stop thought, you have simply placed your attention elsewhere. I love that !!

In the space of 5 minutes you have gone from being totally immersed in useless thinking to feeling this wonderful aliveness that is within you.

Some thoughts may come in again.

Notice the thought and let it go.

Go back to focusing your attention on your inner body and your breathing.

Baby steps. I can now meditate for 30 minutes. I do it when I wake in the morning. I still have thoughts that come and go, especially when I first start. I can slip into the gap. It’s like I’m asleep but I’m not. It’s wild.There are lots of benefits to meditating that I will share with you one day. All I want you to do is try it!

* Now you can take a look at your phone if you absolutely have to ( ie work related responsibilities ) but social media is off limits to all. Please refrain from using your cellular to scroll through social media etc. If you are tempted throughout the day, be mindful and remember your commitment ! It gets easier as the days go by. Trust me!

III. Breakfast – you should aim to eat before 9:00am

Start your day with a cup of Lemon Tea – canarino ( lemon rind soaked in boiling water ) According to Goop Clean Beauty ( sorry Nat ), “it’s always a good idea to start with canarino while detoxing” and guess what? It’s delicious “) *don’t forget to buy some organic lemons !

Remember to drink Golden Milk instead of coffee and enjoy a bowl of Simple Oats.

During the day, be sure to drink plenty of warm water, herbal tea (CCF is a good option) and broth if you get hungry in-between meals!

IV. Lunch – You should eat between 12noon and 12:30pm

Menu

Broth

Soup and side

Tiny piece of protein bar if you’ve made some 🙂

Afternoon – if you can get outdoors for a walk that’s fabulous

V. Practice Meditation – create space for stillness between 4:30pm and 6:00pm. Again, 5 minutes if you’re new to this concept.

Evening

VI. Supper – You should eat by 6:00pm

Menu

Broth

Kitchari of choice !

After your meal

-Take a short walk

–Golden Milk tastes great at this tie of the day

–Practice Yin Yoga by candlelight ! There are tons of YouTube videos for beginners. More on Yin later 🙂 So many benefits to this practice !

-Take a hot bath and listen to soft music

– Do some journaling and reflect on your day. How did you do? What worked well ? what did you struggle most with? Practice gratitude and write down at least 3 things that you are grateful for 🙂

Aim to be in bed by 10:00pm – Remember….no social media, no Netflix….none of that my friends….you’ve got this!! !!

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When I look at this I’m thinking to myself this may be way too much for some of you to do all at once. No worries – I totally get that!

If this is too overwhelming for you, pick at least one thing that you want to explore in addition to the no alcohol, no caffeine and healthy diet 🙂 Meditation, yin yoga, journaling, letting go of social media/Netflix ???

Good luck with your prep tomorrow 🙂

K

PS *Please note that all recipes have been shared in previous posts!