Doing Things A Little Different........
......which may or may not be such a good thing.
I have noticed that most people are really focusing the pre-cleanse portion on the food.....but I haven't. It has had significant improvement but I am cyclical anyway when it comes to my eating habits (It really gets bad when me or my husband are traveling). My pre-cleanse routine has been increasing my practice days. I have been to the mat everyday since the meeting - even if it was only for 30 minutes - just to get my body used to the idea.
For the first cleanse, I did the food portion of the pre-cleanse to the letter and did just fine with the restrictions, etc., and felt fantastic. The second cleanse I did nothing to prepare and just jumped in with both feet on that Monday (granted, I hadn't had coffee in six months). Again, I did fine but was a little lackluster about the overall results the cleanse brought (I felt sullen and moody the whole week). I wasn't sure if it was the time of year, something different with my home/work life, or what. The same foods that were appealing to me during the spring cleanse were not appetizing at all and that may have contributed to my less than normal happy self. I think I was disappointed that it wasn't the same.
Since I have really gotten off to a good start on the asana portion of the pre-cleanse, I think it is time to get down to business on the food portion. Caffeine and sugar aren't a problem but being mindful about what I sample when cooking for others or what I grab as a snack in the afternoon - those are the sticking places for me. I need to do what is more healthful and not what is easier.
Hats off to all of you that are following the pre-cleanse agenda (or trying to :) - it's not easy but it is so worth it.
To all my new kula friends - I look forward to meeting you again next week.
To all my old kula friends - be prepared for some serious huggin' cuz I have missed you all alot!
Becky
posted by John and Becky Genge @ 9:06 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
The Immersion & Cleanse are such fantastic teachers and Becky illustrates here how their teachings are not limited to your diet or physical health. The Fall cleanse was a teacher of one of the kleshas, or hindrances, to our awakening: attachment. When something is really fun and amazing and wow (like the Spring cleanse), we want the next one to be just like it! So we develop attachment and are dissapointed when it's not. And this is a hindrance because it often occludes our ability to learn something else, that just may not be coming in such a lovely and fun package.
I want to reiterate the importance of pre-cleansing, even though Becky writes about how she didn't the second time around and "did fine". If you have not started pre-cleansing yet, I don't want you to find comfort/justification in that! And if you've been pre-cleansing and are finding it difficult, please don't think this is license to stop! We (especially including me) often believe we can WILL ourselves to do anything. And, fortunately or unfortunately, it might work a lot of the time. I tried to explain in the kickoff meeting that the body and mind respond best (and more lastingly) to gradual change. It's important to nurture your body through this slowly and gradually as a show of RESPECT for your body. Assuming you can just will yourself to do it starting Monday is putting the mind above the body, again. It's the act of showing respect that is important and instructive here. In other words, it's important for us to experience the offering of respect for the body and that's a lot of what the pre-cleanse is about. So please, indulge in respect and learn to love this beautiful instrument that enables us to do so much!
And bravo to all of you that are equally focusing on your asana practice - placing BOTH your diet and asana practice higher up your importance scale is a big step in this crazy, busy world!
Gina is absolutely correct about sticking to the pre-cleanse. I may been fine but I truly believe now that it was a detriment to my experience.
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