Easter, adopting bunnies, fire marshal, and the yoga biz.
I had this crazy idea - again probably from a cleansed mind - to teach an easter class with bunnies. Yes, real live ones. My thought is to ask the local SPCA to come down to the studio and do an adoption event. While in yoga class, we’d have all these furry, sweet bunnies hopping around us. It’s a take off from the goat yoga craze in Oregon. Well, the fire marshal or health department might have an issue or someone might complain and ruin it for everyone else. So a no go, unfortunately…
I’m ten days in and I’m tired. You’d probably think the opposite. I woke up at 4:52am and didn’t go back to sleep. I’m reminded of the Persian poet Rumi who says, “The breezes at dawn has secrets to tell. Don’t go back to sleep.” Karma Yoga says, “Waking up 2 1/2 hours before sunrise is the most potent time to connect with the higher realms. Known as the Amrit Vela, or the period when the veil is the thinnest to the Divine, this time is precious. The sun is at a 60-degree angle to Earth, so you are picking up the solar wave as it’s rising. Anything you do during those 2½ hours is 40x more powerful.” Before I know it, it’s 5:44am. I was surprised to have meditated for an hour and I didn't fall asleep! I walked out of my meditation feeling motivated and confident to reach the end of this cleanse. These healthy habits are starting to stick. I still crave a hot cup of coffee and the headaches still come and go but this has been a profound experience. Do what you are afraid to do. Take the courageous steps to clear, cleanse, and clean up your life.
We are asked at this point in the cleanse to visualize ourselves at the end and the intention we started with. My goal from day one was to illuminate my mind, rejuvenate my spirit, and purify my body. I didn’t know I’d be making serious business decisions in the process. Part of me wanted to know if I could really do it. If I could persevere through 14 days of no sugar, no wheat, no dairy, no gluten and no alcohol. I mean come on, I’m a passionate yoga teacher; I eat organic food, I practice yoga daily, I meditate, and I love to drink alcohol, stay up late, curse, watch movies, drink three cups of coffee a day, and snack on dark chocolate. Along with this experience, I’ve learned it takes an incredible amount of courage to wake up, tap into your pure potential, and show up to the world fully, again and again.
My meals; AM I made ‘The Morning Glory Smoothie’ with 1 banana, 1 cup frozen peaches, 1 cup kale, 1 date, and 2 cups of almond milk. My son, Graham gave it “the Fonz” two thumbs up!Later I made simple breakfast porridge with 2 cups of brown rice (soaked first, then cooked in a rice cooker with veggie broth, and a pinch of sea salt). Once cooked, I made a bowl of warm gloppy rice and added 1 tsp. maple syrup, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and a dash of sea salt. It was actually warm, sweet, and filling. For lunch I ate roasted beets, rice, and avocado with a dab of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. For dinner I ate more beets with sautéed kale, carrots, and mushrooms.
After my cleanse, which ends on Sunday, March 26th, a new eight week journey begins. It is extremely outside of my comfort zone but I’m ready to take the next steps into the world of my yoga business. These steps demand courage, confidence, and passion. I welcome the next challenge.
"Don't waste your time in the race looking back to see what the other guy is doing. It's not about the other guy. It's about what can you do. You just need to run that race as hard as you can. You need to give it everything you've got, all the time, for yourself." — Oprah
Namaste~