Day 28 - Restore

In the west, we often find ourselves pushing the physical limits of our yoga practice, we want to stretch more, sweat more, hold longer, breathe deeper. We forget that first and foremost we should be listening to our own body, even before we pay attention to the teacher’s queue. Rarely do I allow myself the luxury of a restorative practice, but truthfully it is a great gift you can give to yourself. Restoratives are meditative poses in which the body is supported with props and held for extended periods of time. Both soothing and regenerating, restorative poses help bring balance to our demanding daily lives. Recent neurological research shows that 20 minutes in a well supported restorative pose is equal to 2 hours worth of good sleep in terms of brainwave activity and cell regeneration.

So I'm taking this day to either go to a restorative class or use my bolster at home and do some restoring work. My shoulders have been super tight and I could feel my energy and intention crashing in my thursday evening and in my friday morning class. Clearly, it's time to re-gather my strengths to start strong again on monday and power through for two more weeks!

I also hope to get some sun, visit a farmer's market, meet up with some friends and enjoy life outside the yoga studio for a day.

Day 23 - Fasting/Gorging

As we enter week four of our 40 days, we are encouraged to participate in a 3-day fruit and/or a veggie fast. I will be attempting the fruit fast, which also includes tomatoes, peppers, avocados, and cucumbers and we are allowed vegetable broth and miso. I have been looking forward to this, surprisingly enough, as the bounty of summer fruits is phenomenal right now. So many foods are in season, and fruits are incredibly juicy and perfect, I have been eating some over the sink it’s so messy! I can see why this fast scares some people, but honestly, none of us are about to starve. I almost find it funny that it’s called a fast, because we are at the same time invited to gorge on fruits and eat frequently throughout the day. Here is my menu for day 1.

Breakfast: ½ of a Haogen Melon (picked up at Bi-Rite from a sample tasting and oh dear was this amazing), 1 peach, 1 pear
Lunch: All-Fruit Smoothie from Judahlicious and a avocado and cherry tomato (these are tiny, yellow and so fresh) salad tossed with a simple pesto of basil, parsley and vegetable broth
Dinner: Heirloom tomato and red pepper soup.
Desert: Baked apple with cinnamon

The theme for week four is Restore. We are also recommended to chill down our yoga and take at least two restorative classes (more on this later) throughout the week. They also say that keeping busy with non-food related activites is the best way to get through this. Tonight I will take my yoga class at 8pm (Joe is coming with, BIG YAY!!) and tomorrow I will most likely be visiting Kabuki Springs again.

I invite you all to try a new fruit today!

Day 14 - Gelatinous

And on the 14^th day I finally rested. The fog continues to stay over our heads even when the sun shines in other parts of the city. That was the view I saw today heading home from the Mission and into the dark cloud over the Sunset.

Last night The New Deal brought the house, I mean The Independent, down. It was one of those shows where all the stars and logistics fall into perfect place and the band is so into their set it’s contagious. That was one of the best shows I have been to in a Little While (now if only they had played that song).

Yesterday afternoon I also gifted myself with a Thai Massage. Jehfree Spirit, who is one of our teachers for the 40 days workshop, spent one year in Thailand training the technique. He was amazing and I absolutely recommend him (just call yoga tree to schedule). I have always stuck to standard massages but honestly, this was so much better! A Thai massage is done in yoga clothes and there are no oils. It involves deep stretching and deep tissue work. It was the strangest sensation at times, as if Jehfree was rearranging my muscles and bones into their proper places. You would think doing yoga everyday would adjust most of my kinks, but instead I have new ones! I walked out feeling gelatinous and the feeling lingered for a while… even through dancing and spending most of the night on my feet.

No yoga today, we are allowed a day of rest per week and I finally took it. It was really nice to rest...

Day 10 - Camille, Just Breathe

As with many commitments I have made before, the 10-day mark is usually the point where I start questioning myself and making exceptions. This time I know I am in this for 30 more days and there is nothing to question and no early exit strategy. I woke up early this morning, did my yoga at home and meditated. I thought about giving myself a day of rest (we are allowed one per week and I have not taken it yet) but opted to keep flowing even if it was a short home practice. I remain physically motivated but my mind has rebelled into a negative state and I have caught myself offering self-criticism and self-judgment about my yoga practice and expectations in this program. As in yoga, I suppose this is where I tell myself "Camille, Just Breathe."

In hopes to cleanse a little further and possibly lift my spirits, I will be going to the Communal Baths at Kabuki Springs this evening, one of my favorite spots in the city. Kabuki recreates the great tradition of Japanese public baths, designed to encourage harmony and relaxation. The process starts with a shower, followed by the dry sauna and/or steam room, usually in two ten minute sessions. Follow the sauna or steam room with the invigorating cold pool to stimulate the circulatory system. The final stage is a hot pool, but a resting period is recommended beforehand. In your break time you can always indulge in the bath salts, slices of cucumber and tea. As Joe put it after our last visit, you leave feeling like putty. I can't wait...