Hello, Autumn >>

Today is the first day of my cleanse. I have to admit, I sort of don't want to do it. I mean, I do and I don't. But by putting it out there, making it one of my goals, and then having the happenstance of Laura Emily hosting a clearing out event today, I knew that I must.

I have decided to do a very loosely based Ayurvedic cleanse. The full Ayurvedic Fall cleanse is pretty intensive, lasts several weeks, involves fasting, and traditionally, also involves forced vomiting and blood letting. Yikes! Clearly I will not be doing that! Instead, I took the parts that appealed to me, mashed together other things that appeal to me, and am calling it a cleanse. For the first 3 days I am going to eat an Ayurvedic dish called Kitchadi, which is an easy to digest dish of rice, mung dal beans, veggies, and lots of warming spices (think ginger, tumeric, cinnamon). The point of this is to support my body's natural ability to cleanse and be strong, by allowing it time to rest and revitalize. The spices aid circulation and blood flow, further allowing the body's natural processes to take place. In addition, I'll have warming herbal teas and LOTS of water. After three days, I'll transition to eating a seasonal diet of whole foods, prepared simply--vegan and refined sugar-free. This might not sound very intensive to some of you, but for me, it's a big step. I am a lover of all things desert, pizza, and chai lattes. While I do eat a pretty healthy and whole-foods based diet most of the time, I allow for plenty of splurges and enjoy lots of things in moderation. Well, not this week...!

The other part of the cleanse, is a mental cleanse. Every day, I intend to be mindful and set aside some time for yoga, meditation, and/or reflective thinking/journaling. These are also things that I do regularly, but not always everyday and not always with a specific intention. I hope to clear my head-space a bit, and develop a focus and clarity as we move more fully into Fall, and then to Winter. After such a chaotic year, I'm sure there is all sorts of mind clutter in the corners that could be swept out.

I'll post an update of my progress early next week...

Are you joining the Hello, Autumn clearing out? Do you have a space -physical, mental, emotional- that could use some attention?

shanti >> sondra

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