“There is a lot of value in being willing to come apart. We can give up the illusion that everything is okay and that we can control anything, and begin our true spiritual work.”-Baron Baptiste
The Yoga-licious project…
Week one started this Sunday and our theme this week is about presence. As I become more present each and everyday, I almost laugh at times because it definitely makes it a lot harder to hide from my S**t. 🙂 My friend Adrienne and I were joking about it this weekend and saying how being awake and showing up for ourselves can at times feel like a burden…As we joked about this our friend Kai said, “well do you want to go back to sleep???” We both looked at each other, burst into laughter, and realized we wouldn’t have it any other way. I have to say it is pretty awesome to be awake to myself, to fully experience my body, my emotions, Love, Nature, yummy nutritious food, friendships, and the list goes on. Here is a recap of the past 4 days broken down into the different categories:
My Yoga Practice:
I have practiced now a total of 5 days in a row. I have realized that getting back into a routine with my Yoga practice is so essential to my well being. What I have also noticed is how I definitely got lazy over the holidays in my practice, and how sore I have been coming back into it. Although, I know the soreness is just a sign of breaking down the old and breaking through to the new. Every day that I have come to my mat this week, my practice has shown up a little differently. Some days I have been super tired and others I have been super pumped and energized; within this I am working on not judging and comparing my practice to my previous practices and to other peeps in the room. I have also been working on letting myself not be so rigid in my “routine” on the mat and loosening up a little. My boyfriends sense of humor definitely helps me loosen up as well, as I love to have fun but can tend to be super serious at times. 🙂 I am excited to see the evolution of my practice in the weeks to come and at the same time am working on not being attached to an expectation.
My Nutrition:
Let me start off by saying WOOHOO!!!! I have finally gotten back to a routine and healthy eating pattern, and I can feel such a difference mentally and physically. This shows me how essential it is for me to stay consistent with what I am feeding and fueling my body. I am primarily a Vegan and have been fueling my body with lots of yummy fruits and veggies this week from the farmers market. Yesterday I did a juice and smoothie cleanse and let me tell you it was challenging. It definitely brought up old stories for me from my past experiences with Anorexia. I realized how even though I was fueling my body, the act of not eating brought up an old obsessive way of thinking. I was thinking about food constantly which I definitely have gotten away from in the past few years. I even found myself thinking about calories which I haven’t thought much about for years. This made me realize that we are all different and what works for one person may not work for another. In light of these insights, I am still deciding whether I will continue with the juicing once a week or give it a rest. I made a commitment years ago that I would always be mindful and listen to what my body needs. On a lighter note, here are a couple recipes for smoothies that I made yesterday, they were super yum:
Mango Smoothie:
Mango
Banana
Fresh apple juice
Almond Milk
Ginger
Chia Seeds
Cacao is my BFF Smoothie:
Cacao Powder
Cacao Nibs
Coconut Water from a fresh coconut
Banana
A little almond milk
Peanut Butter (Raw)
My meditations:
I have been doing twice a day meditations, one in the morning and one in the evening (each 5 minutes long). At times my mind has been racing like a speed racer on a race track, and other times I have felt calm, grounded, and peaceful. Just like my Yoga practice, I am working on not judging or trying to push away what comes up for me in meditation, but rather sit with it and allowing inquiry and insight to set in.
Stay tuned daily for more insights and awesome recipes. Lots of Love! Melanie
