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I have recently emerged from ten days of silence and continual mediation. It was one of the most intense and valuable things I have ever done. This was NOT part of a spa retreat in a warm, exotic location. There were no beach breaks, fresh coconuts, or yoga classes, just a chilly meditation room in Massachusetts filled with about one hundred people. All of them warriors, brave enough to sit still and go inward.
For ten long days I practiced Vipassana meditation almost non-stop. The structure of the program blocked all forms of distraction. Phones, computers, televisions, music, books, paper, pens, yoga, and anything else that could be used as a diversion was prohibited. Speaking was not allowed, and signs that read, “Course Boundary” marked the surrounding areas. There was no escaping.
On the second day, shock started to set in, as I realized what I had signed up for. The strict rules started to irritate me. The long hours of sitting in meditation made my body feel stiff. During a break I laid flat to stretch my back, and a course assistant walked over and whispered, “You can’t do that here.” The next day there were signs posted saying, “No stretching or yoga in or around the meditation hall.” Before the trip, I bought cute, comfy, Ugg-like slippers to wear in the cold meditation hall. I was whispered at again, “You can’t wear those in here.” It felt like a variation of prison. I would have killed for some way to just take a break and come up for air, to eat something sweet, watch some television, to commiserate or laugh with someone, but the structure of the program sealed off those escapes. There was nowhere to go but inward.
Tears rolled down my face on many of those days as I sat in the dark, chilly, meditation hall with thoughts and feelings I normally like to avoid. Waves of boredom, discomfort, anger, and sadness rolled through me while I sat in silence. I could not get up and let it out, or distract myself from it, so I started to observe it. My courage increased. My focus kicked into high gear. I practiced facing those uncomfortable feelings, and staring them down in silence. I learned to be still and calm, to let them rise up and pass away. They did, and behind them, I found caverns of deep strength and clam inside of myself, and a return of some inner light that had been blocked.
By the fifth day, I dropped into a constant state of meditation. Meditating while walking, meditating while eating, meditating myself to sleep. Without anyone to communicate with, the normal aspects of my personality were deactivated and I sank into the depths of myself and rested there. It was so peaceful. I was finally quiet and receptive. On the short breaks I stepped outside to see the sunrise, or peek at the moon and stars at night. Nature seemed so much more vivid. The changing skies seemed brighter and the trees seemed more alive. The lack of human interaction, invited me to relate to nature more intimately. I felt I was part of it, the eternal energy that runs through everything, held also in my blood and bones. It humbled me. I felt simple like a child again.
Towards the end of those ten days, I was floating. I was resting deep in my inner space, while awake. On the eleventh day the silence was finally broken, and my voice sounded deep, soft, and calm. Sentences weren’t really coming out so smooth at first. It was like a computer loading and rebooting, (with an upgrade and less trash). When I returned to my life in New York City, I felt different. I noticed things that usually bothered me didn’t. I was more accepting, less anxious, positive, happier, and lighter. I was more loving towards everyone and smiled easier. I was lucid.
Those ten days were a microcosm for life. The moments when it was sheer torture, and the moments when it was deeply blissful, were all just passing states. The conditions of our lives, and the thoughts and emotions we have about them are all so temporary. Everything is a sea of rolling fluctuation. Seeing it up close, made it clear that we are not those fluctuations, but the awareness in which they occur. If we muster some courage, breathe deep and stay still, we can be with reality as it is, instead of constantly needing to distract ourselves from it. I saw that buried beneath every scary feeling, is a constant, natural state of peace and that we ARE that natural state of peace.
Currently, I’m meditating for about an hour and a half each day. I’m not sure if I will always have this luxury of time, or this desire, but right now the results of this discipline feel amazing. Meditating makes each day more peaceful, and is changing my life for the better.
The highest form of yoga is in the quality of presence we bring to each pose.
This does not require flexibility.
“I’m the most inflexible person you will ever meet,” is a disclaimer I have heard many times from students and clients. I see people in class straining to touch their toes, or wash over with embarrassment because they cannot bend further. Since yoga has been taken out of its spiritual context and placed in American gyms, it is often approached as a sport or goal. This misunderstanding breaks my heart a little, because the practice of yoga is not about being good at it or doing it right.
Yoga poses, or asanas, are simply positions that create sensations in your body. Practicing them repeatedly can bring your body and mind into balance. Each yoga pose is an opportunity to FEEL something happening. An “inflexible” person has an equal, if not better, opportunity to stay focused in class, because they will experience more sensation. If you concentrate on organizing your body into position, notice the sensations that arise, and stay aware of your breath: you develop the ability to be present. THIS is the point of yoga, not the fact that you have finally touched your toes, (although it may be a fun benefit).
So take the pressure off, there are no yoga trophies, competitions, or awards ceremonies. The real measure of success is how present you are in each pose in each moment, not about how far you can stretch, or what it looks like. Your internal experience is what counts, and this can never be judged or enjoyed by anyone else but you.
Eat in harmony with the seasons.
At the start of a new year, many people refocus on health by eating lighter. One common dieting strategy is to have a salad for lunch. This may work great in the hot summer months, but can work against you in the dead of winter.
Eating summer foods like lettuce, tomatoes, or cucumbers can make your body work harder to stay warm in winter. Lettuce grows in spring and summer. It’s meant to be eaten when the body needs a cooling, light food. Tropical fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and bananas, also work against your body in winter. For example, oranges grow in warm and sunny climates. When you eat them you send your body the signal that you are in a warm, sunny environment where your skin can easily absorb and manufacture vitamin D. Your body responds by slowing down vitamin D production, which is interestingly linked to seasonal affective disorder, (SAD).
In these cold winter months, try choosing heartier foods like animal proteins, stews, grains, and beans. Eating foods when they are in season puts your body in harmony with nature. This will help strengthen your immune system and bolster your energy. There are many websites that list seasonal foods. Click HERE for an example.
When the seasons change, it’s a great time to make changes in our health, home, or personal lives…
Right now the warm, active, summer energy is disappearing and the cooler more inward energy of fall is arriving. We will begin to spend less time outdoors, and more time inside. The shift in nature can provide us with a good opportunity to reflect and evaluate, and make positive changes in our health and lives.
Here are some areas to think about:
- What unhealthy foods can I eliminate from my diet this fall?
- What clothes or clutter can I get rid of to make more space in my home?
- Are there any people in my life that I need to forgive, or communicate with on some matter, that I have ignored?
- Can I reduce the amount of television or online media I take in, to make more time for people I love, and for unique ideas to emerge?
Giving up something, big or small, creates more space for possibility to take root and flourish. As the summer leaves are falling off of the trees, we can be in harmony with this, ‘letting go,’ by releasing what no longer serves us to create space for new growth and more vibrant health.
Happy fall!
Floss for your heart.
Gum disease and heart disease are related! Flossing your teeth can dramatically reduce inflammation in your body. This is important because, inflammation in your body sets the stage for all sorts of different diseases, including cardiac disease. When you floss you remove bacteria and tiny food particles that a toothbrush can’t get at. If you skip the flossing and just brush, bacteria from the mouth may enter the bloodstream and contribute to inflammation, and artery clogging.
The most imporant time to floss is at night before you go to bed. This way your body deosn’t have to work at clearing bacteria in your mouth while you are asleep. Plus, it feels good to go to bed with a clean mouth. Pick a floss that you like, and make it a ritual.
—Why do you want to be healthy? This seems like a strange question, but many people never stop to clarify this. When you take the time to specify your reason for wanting good health, you transform your desire into reality. Any goal you set out to achieve is much more powerful when there is a specific reason behind it. It’s much easier to make a healthy choice when you know why you are doing it.
I want to be healthy so I can spend more time in the space of love. To me, this means that I can keep engaging in the things that I am passionate about, like travel, education, and dance. It also means that I can live a life that allows me to share that passion and love with the people around me. I believe this is why we are here. I believe that we came here to be happy and to do what sets our souls on fire. There is nothing more loving you can do for your friends and family than to be ecstatic in your life, and follow your bliss. There is nothing more loving you can do for the planet! Health in its highest form is love, and love in one of its many forms is medicine, prevention,… and immunity.
Many of us are inhaling our food, and skipping a major step.
Digestion begins in the mouth, not in the stomach. Your saliva contains enzymes that break down food and prepare it for the next phase of digestion. Food needs to be mixed with pure saliva and ground into a smooth texture to move on to the next phase of digestion. Washing it down with a drink doesn’t cut it because sloshing liquid into the mix only dilutes your saliva and compromises this first phase of digestion. This puts greater stress on the rest of the pipleline, like the pancreas and stomach, and can make you feel bloated.
When you chew thoroughly you make it easier for your body to process and utilize the calories. You have more energy after eating, feel lighter, and experience mental clarity instead of a food comma. Chewing well also makes you more conscious about what you eat. When you really chew, you really taste what you’re eatting. You may even become more aware of when you are full, and stop eating sooner.
Each bite of food should be chewed at least 50 times, (I know, it sounds crazy). Start with 25 chews per mouth full. See what it feels like. When you do this a few times you will experience the texture of what properly chewed food is. It should be ground into the consistency of a thick smoothie. Once you get the feel for it, then you can aim to recreate that same texture without having to count.
Life happens, and we can’t always eat perfect foods in the perfect way. However, if you make an effort to slow down and chew well when you eat, you will be more present in this area of your health, and the bigger issues like diet and weight loss will take care of themselves.
Replace sugary drinks with water.
We all know soda is loaded with sugar and harmful to your health, but some of the alternatives can be equally harmful. Juices, flavored water, sports drinks, and even teas, contain various forms of well disguised sugar and toxic chemicals. Marketing companies have mastered the art of making you think these drinks are good for you. Drinks like Propel, “Fitness Flavored Water,” or Vitamin Water, “Packed with Vitamins,” are just two examples of well disguised sugar and chemicals. Nature packs vitamins and minerals into food, not bottles. If you need something sweet and juicy, have an apple. If you need to rehydrate, drink water. You’re always better off with the real thing.
Meditation is not as mysterious as some might think. Most of us already do meditate, we just don’t realize it. When you relax and focus on a single point, you are present. This state can arise during complex activities that require focus, like shooting a basketball through a hoop, or very simple tasks, like washing a dish. Your mind is quiet, but you are awake and aware. That’s all meditation is.
To begin a regular meditation practice all you need to do is take that quality of relaxed focus, and bring it to a seated position. Start with five minutes a day. Just commit to sitting quietly without getting up to do something else. Use a clock to time yourself. If your mind needs a job, tether it to your breath. The more antsy this makes you feel, the more you need it.
Some days that five minutes will feel like five hours. Thoughts that range from, “I hate my neighbor’s dog,” to, “Am I doing this right?,” will pass through your mind. It’s normal. You may also experience some uncomfortable emotions like, anger, sadness, or boredom. The practice of meditation is to be with what is. So be with that discomfort. It will pass.
Remember that you have not failed if you didn’t levitate or find lasting inner peace. This simple practice of sitting still for five minutes a day will counteract stress, strengthen your ability to focus, and being to awaken a deeper presence inside of you.
Spring is here and magazine covers are sure to start featuring detox diets. You might hear about friends doing the classic, maple syrup and cayenne pepper master cleanse, or others who paid x amount of dollars to have raw juices delivered to their homes. In the past few years detoxing has become very trendy.
It’s true that spring is a good time to re-boot your system. However, detoxing should not be mistaken for a quick way to lose weight. When you deprive your body of food you send it the starvation signal. Your body can’t tell the difference between a fad diet and real deprivation. It reacts by slowing your metabolism and kindly clinging to as much fat as possible. Going without food can also cause headaches, sleep issues, fatigue and mood swings. It’s likely you will feel awful in one way or another. When it’s all over, your body will try to regain what it’s lost.
You can still recharge your system this spring without shocking it. Eliminating processed, chemicalized foods that sludge up your system, creates more energy for you body to rid itself of toxins. Here are some options for a gentler detox diet:
Level 1 Detox:
Eliminate 1 or 2 processed foods from your diet for 3 or more days.
Eliminating dairy products, sugar or refined white flour for three or more days will help your digestive system run faster and cleaner. Just three days may leave you with clearer skin, a flatter stomach, and more energy.
Pick one or more of these, or select your own:
Dairy (cheese, yogurt, milk, butter, whey, etc.)
Sugar (desserts, fruit juices, pastries, condiments, etc.)
Refined White Flour (bagels, pasta, muffins, bread, etc.)
Level 2 Detox:
Eat only natural, whole foods for 3 or more days.
This means no “healthy” power bars, protein shakes, or preserved juices. Eat foods in their natural, unprocessed form. This level of detoxing allows you to eat normal amounts, but cuts out the processed foods.
Here is a sample day:
Breakfast: plain or vegetable omelet
Lunch: brown rice and vegetables
Snack: an apple with almonds
Dinner: fish, chicken, or meat and a steamed vegetable
Level 3 Deotx:
Brown rice and vegetables for 2 or more days.
If you are really ready for a detox, try eating only brown rice and vegetables for two or more days. You can add clear vegetable broth, switch from a variety of roasted, raw, grilled or sauteed vegetables, and add or skip the brown rice. Simplifying your food intake in this way, can really help clear your system.
Here is a sample day:
Breakfast: brown rice and steamed bok choy
Lunch: vegetable broth, brown rice, and steamed broccoli
Dinner: brown rice, grilled zucchini, and sauteed kale
Note: If this seems extreme, compare it to starving yourself.
All of these ligher forms of detoxing should include lots of water and rest. Be prepared for mood swings or fatigue to occure while your body releases toxins. Try to ease up on work or activity during your detox. Give your body the rest it needs to recalibrate itself. It’s worth the temporary sacrifice to recharge your health this spring.
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