breaking the master cleanse and the transition

Wednesday was the last day of my cleanse. If you read the earlier post you'll see that I had planned to start drinking some oj on Monday. However, I woke on Monday and was feeling soooo very good. I decided not to ruin a good thing and decided to complete the 10 days. So glad I did. I think that if I had started having oj, I would have just given the whole thing up. Sometimes I'm an all or nothing kidnda gal. Can certainly see how this needed to be an "all" sorta time.

On Tuesday my sweet friend Shelli came for a special visit to accompany me to Whole Foods to shop for healthy vegetarian staples to have in the pantry. I've been vegetarian for over four years now, but I still don't have a good handle on it all. I needed some help and I knew that Shelli was just the gal.

So with a good friend and a healthy list on hand we maneuvered the aisles buying all sorts of grains, pastas, beans, canned items, breads, condiments, sauces, spices and so forth. It was so much fun!
I was quite proud of the fact that I was able to be at the grocery store, see and small all the goodness and continue to contentedly sip the maple juice. Shelli and I even walked to Main & Maple where she had lunch and coffee, and I continued to contentedly sip the maple juice. ;)

Now I'm armed with the healthy vegetarian go to staples, a couple new vegetarian cookbooks, and a willing partner to help cook on the nights I get home late. Should be the recipe that we need for a lil healthier eating at Casa Tessandori.

I also timed the cleanse strategically. I tried to schedule when I didn't have a lot going on (although I still added to do's to my calendar). Now I'll have another week to eat healthy wholesome foods, then I'll be jettin' off to Maya Tulum where the food doesn't get any healthier or more delicious.

I've planned it to give my body at least a month of eating mostly wholesome, non processed crap. I did however have a latte from Starbucks this morning on the way to my health fair. I'm ok with this. Moderation is a grand thing.

Food is tasting mighty fine these days. I'm finding that I'm full more quickly, not eating mindlessly, and being much more mindful about what I eat. Good stuff. For sure.

hitting the reset button...part 2

I'm into day 8 of the cleanse. I do however believe that I will start drinking orange juice. Do believe that I need to start breaking the cleanse which will require several more days until I go back to "eating".

I did have a moment Saturday night when I almost broke down. Andy was gone to the UK football game. I was home alone. And doing the one thing that I don't even love to do so much....watching TV. I got bored. Started thinking of food.

Specifically those darn honey bbq chips. It was as if the angel and devil were on my shoulder. "What the hell are you thinking Sharon. You've been at this for nearly a week." (of course the angel wouldn't say hell, but she is now). And the lil' devil is saying, "You've done so well. Just have one...or two."

I looked in the pantry and there the bag sat. I picked up the bag and lucky for me (and my intestines) the bag was pretty much empty. Thank you Andy for doing the deed and finishing them off for me. ;)

So there I go again. Eating out of boredom. Clearly I still have a little bit of work to be done in this area.

Now looking at the reasons for doing the cleanse:

I was in a funny phase leading up to this cleanse. I've had a very busy year feeling like I was moving from one training/workshop/retreat/class to another with little true rest in between.

As a result I've been eating foods that aren't the most healthy. And sometimes I've just eaten downright horrible.

I do believe that the body is the very best compass of all. And mine was telling me that I was nearly lost.

I needed to do this cleanse and rid my body of the crap that I've been filling it with. I needed to tend to myself, to nurture myself in a way that didn't include food. I needed to get quiet. And slow down. See if my mind could clear and I could regain some focus.

I am feeling reeaallly good in my body. I'm excited about planning and preparing healthy, wholesome meals for myself and Andy. Yay for a little bit of discipline and a lot of listening!

Have a super Monday.....

*Tomorrow I'll write about making the transition to food and planning for a healthier eating transition*

hitting the reset button...part 1

I'm moving into day six of a cleanse. And not just any cleanse. Not like cleanses before in which I juiced and had some fruit, or cut out caffeine and sugar. No, no, no. I haven't eaten a meal since Sunday night. Yep, Sunday night. The last supper was veggie sushi and honey bbq chips (don't ask). Not even a Diet Dr Pepper (they were all gone). No Starbucks for the day. I resisted. No Blue Moon as the above pic shows me happily gulping....I mean sipping. :)

Then I embarked on days will filling myself with lukewarm salt water and what I'm now referring to as "the maple juice" which consists of 10 oz of water, two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, two tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and some cayenne pepper. Yum-O..... And I can't forget the herbal laxative tea that sits here by my laptop and I am choking, uhhhh I mean gulping down.

So briefly my reasons, partial curiosity (do I really have the will-power to pull this off), partial spirituality (and if so what if anything will be awakened), partial vanity (I'm going to Mexico in two weeks which means I'll be in a bathing suit). Mostly I need to hit the reset button.

I must say that's it's been way easier than I expected. Well maybe I use the word easy loosely. I've been a lot less hungry than I expected. Somehow the maple juice does the drink. When I start to feel hunger coming on I grab and take a few swigs. I'm like a baby with their sippy cup. On the night of day two I had a headache and an upset stomach. But that's really been the worst physical effects. I even made it through a couple of hours of jivamukti yoga today in Cincy with David and Sharon.

I feel like it's mostly psychological now. It's not that I'm necessarily hungry. Ijust want to feel food in my mouth. Could it be possible that I've forgotten how to chew? The crazy thing is, I don't want a bunch of crap food (although I do open the pantry and see those honey bbq chips staring back at me). I'm craving a delicious salad. And soup.

Enough about food. I must go and drink my herbal tea. I'm rising early for a health fair tomorrow. ~Nite Lovies~

To Be Continued.....
(that's so fun!)

i've been everywhere...

This time last week I was in FL with my BFF....you know, Liz. We had such a great time! We packed a lot of fun into our 2.5 days at the beach. A little trip to St. Petersburg to an artfest and the Pier, a great little aquarium in Clearwater, took five miles walks on the beach two days in a row...so what if one of the trips was up to a great doughnut shop that has the yummiest key lime doughnuts....yes I said key lime and they are delisch! We laid by the pool which we had all to ourselves, dipped in the ocean, ate many wonderful meals, read magazines, drank mojitos and margaritas, but mostly we relaxed and reconnected. Which was the best gift of all.

I also got to spend some time with Andy upon returning from FL. He's been off on fall break. We had a little work to do at the studio. First I have to ask, have you used the magic eraser?! I had my first experience and was quite amazed. I know at some point I need to re-do the bathrooms at the studio. But I'm not quite ready for that. So I took the magic eraser to the bathroom and got rid of most of the scuff marks on the white wall. Pretty excited about that! And Andy strung festive holiday lights from the wires at the studio. Now we'll have a tiny bit more lighting and a lot more ambiance during late evening classes.

Then we were off for Big Blue Madness festivities. Andy insisted that we purchase me a UK shirt of some sort for the night. I agreed, but wanted it to be pink. I was wearing my pink suede shoes after all. He disagreed. And I figured since it clearly meant more to him than me, I'd go along. We had a pre-dinner drink at Molly's, and dinner at Alfalfas (a fave for us). I have to admit that I really enjoyed the Madness. It was pretty exciting. And seeing Andy so darn excited made it even more fun for me. Look at these people....I would have really stuck out wearing UK pink instead of UK blue.

Saturday it was a Yoga Nidra workshop at the studio (which was exactly what I was needing, so thanks Sarah!), then a hockey game in Louisville to see Andy's little brother play, then on to Owensboro to meet a brand new little nephew. Sunday was baby Jake's baptism, then lunch with the family, then a trip back home. Our stay in Owensboro was so brief, I didn't even get any pictures of the new sweet little guy. But he is completely perfect. And completely beautiful. :)

Hope the past week has been equally wonderful for each of you!

a sweet deal

Barefoot Works is happy to announce there are two scholarships available for the World Peace Yoga Conference taking place in Loveland, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati) October 23-25, 2009 which provide a 50% reduction in pricing for the conference. If you are interested in the scholarship opportunity and attending this history-making event, please contact Anna Ferguson, anna@worldpeaceyoga.com or 513-300-9642. Visit www.worldpeaceyogaconference.com for more information.

That's Anna all cute playing her harmonium here at the studio. :)

bff liz

I'm leavin on a jet plane in a few hours. Headin' down south to Florida for a quick trip to the beach. Yep, it's a gal's weekend with my bff Liz. When I celebrated my birthday in May by present from Liz was a weekend getaway. Just she and I. Yes, the best gift ever for a lover of travels (that's me ;).

Liz has been in my life and in my world for nearly 15 years. We were destined to be friends when we became roommates at EKU. We'd never met, spoke on the phone once prior to moving into McGregor Hall. Her first image of me was a high school prom picture of me and my then boyfriend (donning a beaded and sequin dress, big hair, and an even bigger bouquet of Flowers). I remember seeing her huge plastic bin of sweaters (and now knowing her like I do, of course that's a memory I hold as she is quite the lover of Fall and big chunky sweaters).

For five years during college we bonded over bread sticks at the cafeteria, long walks to class (we even had the same major), late nights and cheap beer, breakfast at Frischs, cans of Raviolis, boxes of cereal. It's through Liz that I met Andy. Eternally grateful and happy about this. :)

I'm certain that she knows more embarrassing college stories about me and vice versa. We each had our college moments that are now deeply ingrained in our minds, in our hearts. It was a pivotal time for each of us as we grew into the people we were meant to.

When I moved to Texas for a job after graduate school Liz was the first person to visit a mere three days after I arrived with my parents and a small UHaul that carried the few possesions I had. When I moved back from Texas to KY to embark on a life I wanted to create, Liz flew down and drove one of our cars back.

As we've grown older we've certainly changed. Each of us has given the other space when needed to grow, to heal, to find adventure, or sort through the craziness of life. Across the miles and across the years she's been a mainstay in my life. She's more than a friend. She's a sister. There is something so wonderful, so comforting about having someone in your life that knows you, your stories, your family, your joys, your worries, your struggles and accepts it all with open arms.

Thank you Liz for being you. I'm sooo looking forward to our weekend. Here's to new adventures and stories. Woot Woot!!

*First pic of us in London, England
**Second pic of Liz and my brother's wedding on a farm in VA.

nc yoga retreat

My head and my heart feels like it's been a little on fire the past week. Caught somewhere between "what the heck will I teach" and "hell yeah, I love my job!"

It seems like every time I go to lead a retreat I have a moment somewhere within the week that I experience a little freak out moment. I feel completely ill prepared, mostly inadequate, and a little lost. I actually feel like it's quite healthy. It keeps me on my toes. Keeps me humble. And holds me accountable to taking the time, making the effort to plan, plan, plan. It makes me do the things I will teach and ponder the ideas I will share.

All in all I feel like this years retreat was pretty awesome. The weather (crisp and sunny). The classes. The food. The group of girls. All very sweet.

Asana classes ranged from yoga therapy/anatomy to flow to yin yoga.

Workshops included reflecting on what we needed most out of the weekend, inspiring teachers, and life values. We then used the life values to create a collage. Which I was mostly blown away by. The coolest part was going around the circle and learning about who the gals have most been inspired by and learning about their collage, or masterpiece. Give some gals magazines, scissors and glue and they will go to town!

I got to hear sweet stories about fathers, grandparents, Pema Chodron, Dalai Lama, friends, yoga, and more. I heard about strength, adventure, wellness, discipline, balance, bliss, grace, grit, love, travel, peaceful, presence, humbleness and more. Very cool.

On the last day I was presented with the prettiest scarf ever! I was so surprised when all the gals presented me with a scarf before our last session. Much too kind words were shared and my heart nearly spilled open when they told me that every single gal there had taken part in knitting the scarf. Even those that couldn't knit. Wow.

I had not idea when I took this pic that the scarf would be presented to me. Again very cool. And again.... yeah I realllly love my job.

For our closing the gals had selected a rock somewhere that they found on the 150 acres at Prama. We concluded our weekend by choosing one word to write on our special magic rock. A rock we could take home and remember our weekend by and what we were working on, cultivating, and/or reminding ourselves of.

My word was "Trust" because going into the weekend that's what I needed most. To trust that I had done the work. To trust that I had created a strong, supportive spiritual container for the weekend. To trust that the perfect gals would be present. To trust that the teachings would work out how they needed to work. To trust that the gals would be open to unleashing their inner child (and do things like hunt and write on rocks). To trust that we would rest. And heal. And connect. Nurture and be nurtured. We did that and more.

Thank you yoginis for making for such a memorable weekend. :)

breathing

"Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?"
Mary Oliver

Wow yesterday was one of those days when I had to keep re-reading this quote and reminding myself to slow down, take a deep breath, and move through the day mindfully breathing. At one point while running errands to prepare for the NC retreat, I actually asked out loud "Does anyone reeeally come to a complete stop (at a stop sign) in a shopping center. Hamburg. Need I say more.

Anyway as soon as the comment escaped my mouth, I thought wow. Wow.

Slow down Sharon. It will all get done.

And it has. For the most part. I'm getting ready to leave for NC. I'm going to enjoy a day in Asheville. I have no idea where I'm staying. I figure I'll be flexible here. And breathe.

Have a glorious weekend and I'll see you next Tuesday as I'll be going to finish up in Hazard on Sunday and Monday.