A valuable lesson has been learned yesterday. You see, for the past 11 days, I have been actively cleansing. I have been cleansing the body, using the guidelines set out by Cathy Freston's book The Quantum Wellness Cleanse. At the same time, I have been participating in Baron Baptiste's "Digital 40 Days to Personal Revolution" programme. I decided to start both at the same time. This was to solidify my commitment to growth and renewal.
So... What has happened? I will tell you this, a lot. For the Quantum Wellness Cleanse, I am required to consume meals that are vegan, caffeine-free, sugar-free, alcohol-free, and gluten-free. I have completed this cleanse successfully in the past and I will say this - it is very intuitive. My past account can be viewed here.
For the 40 Days to Personal Revolution, a lot of the Baptiste Methodology is really emphasised. The greatest one is the Techniques and Practices which include Meditation, Inquiry, and Asana. All participants commit to meditating twice a day, completing an asana practise six times a week with a rest on the seventh day, and to read the materials supplied and delve into the questions which brings you to a state of self-inquiry. Baron also focuses on shifting the diet as well. I have completed this programme at Power Yoga Canada several times and decided to give the digital version a try for a different perspective.
So far, I have managed to hit my mat six times a week. I have introduced meditation into my daily routine in the office every morning at the same time and am pleased to note that I have been sticking to it. Eventually, we will have to do 30 minutes a day but due to time constraints, I can only max out at 15 minutes (pending boardroom availability at this time). I will have to schedule 30 minutes on my own time at least once a day. I have also been supplementing my self-inquiry practise by reading Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life. My diet has also been going well considering that I am on this cleanse and I am proud to report that my cravings have been kept to a minimum.
Here is what I have overlooked - the Healing Crisis. This is where negative reactions to cleansing are felt, making it feel like the cleanse is not working the way it should. There are physical reactions such as feelings of illness, skin reactions such as rashes and acne, and digestive ailments. There are also mental reactions. This is the part I totally missed. For the past couple of weeks, I was really depressed. It got to the point where I started to disconnect from my friends who genuinely wanted to help me. I was feeling really low and really heavy. I hit my mat, assisted and taught classes, but I felt disconnected. I attributed it to lack of sunshine which gives me the Winter Blues but it felt like so much more. Past stories came to the surface and threatened to take me out and I was starting to get really frustrated...
So how did I overcome this part of the healing crisis? While I'm sure there will be more to come as I progress through this journey, a major breakthrough happened yesterday. It all came down to physically releasing what was building up inside me. The catalyst for this release came by the way of what I ended up consuming - a little too much fiber along with a little bit of spice. During this release, I started to feel ill and thought I wouldn't be able to get through the afternoon - let alone a 90 minute Ashtanga practise. I am pleased to report that after staying with my commitment to my yoga practise, along with some rest afterwards, I am feeling so much lighter. With this release, I have gained clarity and am recommitting to my goals, my core values, and my purpose.
The lesson that I have learned in all of this is that our minds and our bodies are truly connected. Neglect one, and the other suffers. It took a deep cleanse like this to really presence myself to what is happening in my body, my spirit, and in my mind. While I still have a ways to go with totally letting go of the pent up emotional energy, I have now found what works for me and what does not.
Onwards and upwards now!
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