Beauty and Self Acceptance

People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.       ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

The other night after teacher a yoga class, one of the students asked if I could answer a question.  I said sure, I'll try.  Luckily it was an easy question and she knew more than she thought she did and was doubting her own knowledge.  The conversation somehow turned around to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Huh?  I know long reach from yoga to ninja turtles!  Anyway, I said I knew them well because I had three boys.  Another student asked if my boys were still small.  I answered that they were 28, 24 and 22 years old.  She said "Oh my!  I need to do more yoga!  You don't look nearly old enough to have children that old!"  I graciously thanked her and told her that it had made my night.  It had in fact, because I was having a really bad physical self image week.  Feeling old and very unattractive. I shouldn't need that outside reinforcement.  I should be more self accepting, as everyone should, of the wonderful bodies and unique faces we have.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it should never be skin deep.  After all even the most physically beautiful person looks unattractive if her spirit and purpose show ugliness and hate, right?  I'm sure you know what I mean.  Sadly, our society puts so much emphasis on physical beauty and perfection that many/most of us couldn't possibly measure up.  So many woman (and men) turn to eating disorders, drugs, self harm, and other addictions as a way of coping with the self loathing they feel for their bodies that will never be good enough.  Just think of the millions of dollars people spend every year on ways to lose weight! 

After meditating on this, this morning, I've decided to work on a guided meditation for body acceptance and love.  I was so excited about this idea that I'm nearly half way done!  I haven't decided yet on how to make it available.  Here on the blog, as a youtube video or something else all together?  If you have any knowledge or advice in this area I would be very grateful.
 

A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is glad has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears.

~Anne Roiphe 

 

In the meantime, if any of this rings true - close your eyes, take a deep cleansing breath and give thanks for the non-perfect body you have.  The body that has gotten you through your entire life.  Take care of it so it can take care of you.  Be grateful.

Set an Intention and Follow Your Bliss for 2013

I am strictly against new year resolutions. They seem to be a way of positively not getting the result you want.  Intentions, on the other hand, are just that, intentions.  Intentions  leave a little wiggle room for mistakes and still the ability to move forward. It is a way of aiming your thoughts and energy on what you want, desire or intend and making the right choices to see it through. 

Lots of resolutions have to do with quitting a bad habit, such as smoking, or trying to lose  weight or going to the gym. It takes a while to break a bad habit while creating new and better ones, such as quitting smoking and instead having a green smoothie for breakfast every morning. If you say to yourself “as of January 1st I will no longer smoke and I will have a green smoothie everyday” and do not set yourself up for success by planning, and also realizing that it sometimes takes a bit of time and a few set backs to achieve your goals then you have doomed yourself for failure. On the other hand, if you set your intention on becoming a happier and healthier person and making the necessary changes in your life over the next year to reach that goal you may be met with far greater success. 

Prepare - If you know, for better nutrition, you want to add a green smoothie to your morning routine, check out a few recipes online with ingredients that appeal to you , buy the necessary ingredients, be sure your blender is up to speed, so to speak. Don’t forget to allow your self enough time in the morning to prepare it!

Go as slow as necessary - If you want to quit smoking, realize that for many people it doesn’t happen over night. Consider the patch or nicotine gum to help out in the beginning. Be kind to yourself and if you have setbacks, acknowledge them and keep moving forward.

Weight loss- If your goal is to shed those unwanted pounds, eating a nutritious diet of natural whole foods and adding exercise to your day is the best way to achieve this goal.  Fad diets make work in the short term but changing your mind set to know that your body needs fuel and natural whole foods is what it craves. Stay away from artificial and processed “foods” as much as possible. A plant based diet is a great way to lose weight and not be hungry while maintaining an active lifestyle.

Meditation - Adding twenty minutes of meditation to your day can help you attain all of your intentions. It calms the mind and helps to relieve stress and anxiety.  It lets you be alone in the moment with yourself. You may develop a deeper love for yourself which will allow you to stick with what ever intention you set because you know that you are worth it. 

Ultimately know that you are worth whatever intentions you set for yourself. This is your life. It’s up to you to follow your bliss, make every moment count by doing what makes you a healthier and happier person. 

Spring is Almost Here - Time for a Cleanse!

After a long Maine winter I am so ready for spring. I long for the beautiful colors and my body craves the warmth of spring and summer. Maybe it is my Vata nature but winters are extremely hard for me. I will celebrate the changing of the season in my normal "Spring Equinox Feast" sort of way, but afterwards I will be doing a cleanse. I often like to a cleanse or fast with the changing of the seasons or whenever I feel the need. Sometimes you just feel a little sluggish and out of sorts and, for me at least, a 36 hour or longer fast can can be healing and rejuvenating.

7 Day Spring Cleanse -

This is not a fast. You will eat healthy foods and eliminate foods that can build up toxins in your body. I will list sample meals for a 7 day cleanse but feel free to continue for as long as you feel is necessary.

If you are cleansing for a particular reason, such a heavy metals or liver detox, I will add more information at the bottom of the post.

Basics -
eat organic
8 - 10 glasses of pure water every day
30 or more grams of fiber everyday
onions, garlic and cruciferous veggies are your friends- eat lots
drink fresh juices
no alcohol
avoid the microwave oven
avoid white flour, sugar, processed anything, food additives and preservatives, caffeine, and obviously animal products
avoid chemicals (cleaning products, paint, pesticides, hair spray, etc. )
no drugs unless they are prescribed by your physician


Remember, these are sample meals. You don't have to follow exactly. But they do give you an idea of what you should and shouldn't be eating. With that being said, the morning lemon water and breakfast are the same everyday so try to stay true to that part of the menu. The 7th day is more restrictive, if that doesn't work for you just pick your meals from the previous days. You may stop after seven days or continue on. If you are hungry at any point during the day, you may drink more green juice, eat crudites or a salad with fresh veggies. Fresh raw vegetables are wonderful.
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Day One -

Morning Lemon Water - Glass of warm water with the juice of one organic lemon

Breakfast - Fresh Green Juice or Green Smoothie

Lunch - Large Salad

Snack - Veggie (carrots, peppers, broccoli, celery, etc) with Unsweetened Raw Almond Butter

Dinner - Noodles with Peanut Sauce , Asian Slaw


Day Two -

Morning Lemon Water - Glass of warm water with the juice of one organic lemon

Breakfast - Fresh Green Juice or Green Smoothie

Lunch - Hummus with Collard Leaf Wrap and tons of Veggies

Snack - Fresh Green Juice

Dinner - Stuffed Pepper with Sauteed Kale


Day 3 -

Morning Lemon Water - Glass of warm water with the juice of one organic lemon

Breakfast - Fresh Green Juice or Green Smoothie
Lunch - Veggie Sushi with Miso soup

Snack - Rice cakes with Unsweetened Almond Butter

Dinner - Large Salad with Carrot Pate


Day 4 -

Morning Lemon Water - Glass of warm water with the juice of one organic lemon

Breakfast - Fresh Green Juice or Green Smoothie

Lunch - Tofu Salad Wrap with Collard Leaf and tons of veggies

Snack - Veggies with Hummus

Dinner - Fried Brown Rice and Tofu with Steamed Veggies


Day 5 -

Morning Lemon Water - Glass of warm water with the juice of one organic lemon

Breakfast - Fresh Green Juice or Green Smoothie

Lunch - Large Salad

Snack - Cup of Miso Soup

Dinner - Tempeh Stroganoff with Brown Rice or Sweet Potato Fries


Day 6 -

Morning Lemon Water - Glass of warm water with the juice of one organic lemon

Breakfast - Fresh Green Juice or Green Smoothie

Lunch - Large Kale Salad

Snack - Rice cakes with Unsweetened Almond Butter

Dinner - Kung Pao Tofu with Brown Rice


Day 7 -

Morning Lemon Water - Glass of warm water with the juice of one organic lemon

Breakfast - Fresh Green Juice or Green Smoothie

Lunch - Fresh Green Juice or Green Smoothie

Snack - Fresh Green Juice

Dinner - Large Salad or Fresh Green Juice or Green Smoothie


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Recommendations for particular types of Detoxes -


Heavy Metal -

A cup of miso soup everyday is beneficial as miso helps clean radioactive substances from the body.

2 teaspoons of Cilantro pesto everyday. Cilantro is one of natures best natural chelators.

Cilantro Pesto
1 clove garlic
½ cup raw almonds, cashews, or other nuts
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons olive or flaxseed oil
sea salt to taste

Put the cilantro and oil in blender and process until the cilantro is chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients and process to a lumpy paste. (You may need to add a touch of hot water and scrape the sides of the blender.) You can change the consistency by altering the amount of olive oil and lemon juice, but keep the 3:1 ratio of oil to juice. (It freezes well, so you can make several batches at once.)

Blood and Lymphatic -
Lemon water every morning (don't skip this), also beet juice, carrot juice and dandelion tea, lots of raw veggies as often as possible, and small portions of sea vegetables every day. Adding a cup of miso soup everyday is very beneficial as miso alkalanizes the blood. Burdock Root also is a good blood cleanser. It is alkalanizing and highly mineralized. You can add cook it like carrots in soups or stews or make a tea ( 1-3 times a week)

Liver and Kidney -

Some of the herbs that are beneficial for the liver and kidneys are - Milk Thistle, Burdock Root, Dandelion Root, Turmeric, Parsley. There are companies that make teas with these particular herbal blends to aid in detoxing the liver and kidneys.
umeboshi plums also help to detoxify the liver. Use it as a condiment or add a bit of umeboshi paste to warm water and drink as a tea.

Fat Disolving -
Eat plenty of radishes, daikon radishes, turnips, onions, green onions, leeks and shitake mushrooms.
Daikon Condiment

Grate 1 T fresh raw daikon, sprinkle with a bit of tamari or braggs liquid aminos. Serve as condiment with meals.

Anti-Cancer -
Dietary fat should be less than 15% (shouldn't be an issue in this cleanse but good to know as a general rule)
50 to 85% percent raw foods
Juices made from fresh pineapple, papaya, beets, carrots, cabbage, grapes, asparagus, black cherry, apples, and black currants should be consumed every day.
Do not take an iron supplement. Your body naturally withholds iron from cancer cells to inhibit growth.

Remember -
During this cleanse try and focus on yourself. Be kind and compassionate with yourself every step of the way. If you slip up or don't last as long as you planned, just begin again or end the cleanse...do not beat yourself up. Your body will tell you how long is long enough. Meditation or prayer is very helpful during this time and so is yoga. They all allow you to be totally present and that is where you want to be during any type of cleanse or fast. Focus on how you feel physically, emotionally and spiritually. I always feel much more spiritual during a cleanse or fast. It seems to allow me to be so open and free. Be in nature everyday. Try to spend at least a small amount of time outside. Go for walks, meditate or practice yoga in the fresh air. You will be amazed at how much this can improve your mood. Write in a journal about your cleanse experience. It is very interesting to look back on and gives you great insight as to where you've been and how far you've come. You will learn about yourself in an entirely new way. Most importantly, listen to your body and enjoy yourself. Really.

This Mercury retrograde stuff is playing with my sanity.

This vegan goddess is worn out. Things have gotten a bit crazy in my personal life and it is taking a toll on every other aspect of my life. I don't usually get too personal on this blog and I am not going to start now. I just wanted put it out there that I am in fact human and can only be pushed so far before I, in the words of my darling husband, come unspun. Be warned...it ain't pretty. Meditation is my best friend lately as I search for quiet contentment and an inner peace. I am strong and full of love ...I will speak my truth and let the rest happen.


I am moving on and will focus on other things today. The first is....Mojito cupcakes. The second is a garden fresh summer lasagna. Seriously, how could that not put a smile on your face? I will be picking up the fresh mint, and rum for the cupcakes while I am out and about today. The ingredients for the lasagna will come fresh from the garden. Both are new recipes so I will post them, along with pictures after we taste test them.

Ps...it is August and obviously still summer but it is so cold. I woke up this morning to a temperature, inside my house, of 62 degrees! It was in the forties outside! I adore Autumn...truly adore it. The wonderful smells, the beautiful colors, the warm and comforting foods and clothes..it is a season I can't imagine living without. That being said, I don't really want it sneaking in on my summer!

What a great idea for the middle of the day blahs....

If you have to be sitting in front of it, why not use your computer as a form of stress relief? It makes sense to me.

Meditation Rooms

If you like it, why not bookmark the page for those times when you feeling like climbing the walls or worse.