'Beautiful' is not
What you become, it's what you
Learn you've always been.
-Danial Orange
The above is a haiku written by one of my dearest and oldest friends. I felt that it describes perfectly my day and my week.
Today I went to one of my student's homes to lead a meditation session followed by a potluck lunch. It was wonderful! We did some gentle Yoga poses to create a bit of heat in the body, then nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) to bring balance to the energy flow and breath, beginning to calm the mind. After the breathing we did picchu with Yoga nidra for meditation.
Picchu is placing an oil-soaked cloth on the forehead at the location of the sixth chakra. The oil nourishes the body from the skin all the way to the bone and nerve tissue, deepening relaxation and giving mental clarity.
Yoga nidra is literally "yogic sleep", which is a meditative state between being awake and asleep. This state is induced by the formula of the meditation, which is guided by a practitioner. The meditators follow the voice and guided imagery of the facilitator and usually some fall asleep. The effect of Yoga nidra is refreshing, like having a very good nap. Yoga nidra is an incredible way to calm stressed nerves.
Today we had a variety of oils to choose from, so everyone picked the one that smelled relaxing to them. They all lay down on the floor in comfortable positions and I put the cloth on their foreheads for picchu. I then led everyone through a Yoga nidra practice. Afterwards I felt such warmth and happiness from everyone who told me how relaxed they were!
After Yoga nidra, we all ate the amazingly delicious foods that everyone had generously brought with them. We all talked together and laughed. Not all of the foods were part of my cleansing diet, but they were prepared with love by people who welcomed me into their lives, so I ate a little bit of all the vegetarian dishes and enjoyed the amazing flavors of the foods.
Since that gathering I have felt energized and happy all day, my mind at peace knowing that I am truly at my happiest when I help others.
I drank my 8 teaspoons of ghee today, so tonight I will do a final flush of all the toxins pulled out of my body this week. I will take an Epsom salt bath, do abhyanga and picchu, and take castor oil in juice for purgation. Tomorrow I will write about how my cleanse affected me overall and talk about my rejuvenation plan, which is actually part 2 of any good cleanse.
Please, all of you reading this and thinking that you need a cleanse, know that you should never cleanse when pregnant, almost never when breast feeding, and not during the winter. Cleansing pulls toxins from fat and metals from the bone, so it is important to take mineral supplements during cleansing and to be supervised by a practitioner who can help you to avoid unintentionally endangering yourself by making up your own cleanse.
Below is the recipe that I made to take with me to the potluck today. It is a pudding made from chia seeds that is naturally sweet and delicious. It can be eaten warm (or cold in the summer) and makes a filling breakfast. Chia seeds have protein to keep you satisfied and less hungry, as well as being loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and decreasing inflammation.
Michelle's Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients:
-One bag of chia seeds from tjs or 1/2 bag from whole foods
-One box of vanilla coconut milk (32 oz.)
-Dried cranberries
-Roasted sliced almonds
-Shredded coconut
Mix entire bag of chia seeds and whole container of coconut milk in a large bowl. Stir to saturate seeds. Stir in cranberries, almonds, and coconut by handfuls according to personal preference. Cover and store in fridge overnight. Will be ready in the morning. Enjoy!