Spring Cleanse 2016 - Day One

I am fascinated by the patterns I see in my life. Thinking back on it today, I realized that it's not uncommon at all for me to move into a space of cleansing and rejuvenating during the spring. That's the positive spin; the more realistic spin is that between Thanksgiving and Easter I seem to do nothing but eat, and by the time April rolls around, I'm physically uncomfortable in my body and need to refocus on healthy choices. #realityyogi for the win.

But, it's all about balance. Someone once said to me, "everything in moderation, including moderation." I think that's a really good rule of thumb.

So this week I am focusing my practice on the following:

1) 8 hours of sleep a night
2) 20 minutes (minimum) of meditation a day
3) Clean eating; vegetables, healthy fats, fruits, protein (fish/chicken/beans), gluten-free grains (quinoa, brown rice, etc.)
4) lemon water every morning, apple cider vinegar/turmeric/black pepper every night.
5) water-water-water (fully hydrated every day)
6) 30 minute walk outside every day

Today I had:
9am-lemon water and coffee
11am-smoothie (orange, grapes, spinach, lime, ginger, cayenne, flax oil, coconut water)
2pm-sardines (wild planet)
4:30pm-spinach salad with red onion, avocado, and homemade carrot-ginger dressing / spoonful of almond butter
8:45pm-chicken-kale-quinoa soup / champagne (balance, remember?)
11:30pm-spoonful of tamari

____
This month marks the first anniversary of teaching yoga in my own studio location. The last year has been an absolute blur, and yet it feels like I've been doing this forever. I'm so caught up in the day to day (to day to day) of building this business, and so focused on short term goals and managing the non-stop unexpected issues that need to be dealt with, that sometimes it's hard to stay present or to create the time to reflect. I keep trying to find the time to assess the last quarter, and to game plan for the next quarter, while simultaneously thinking about the future, and also managing the many other layers of my life... suffice to say I COMPLETELY understand the overwhelm my students and clients talk about and struggle with, and am living proof of the power of the practices I teach. Because god knows I would not be remotely sane without my yoga and meditation practices. ;)
____

In honor of my teacher, Kathryn Budig, it's Aim-True April at hOMe. Kathryn's brand new book, Aim True, came out last week, and it's absolutely beautiful. There is a 5-day cleanse in the book that looks fan-freakin-tastic, although a shit-ton of grocery shopping and cooking. I'm going to try to pull it off next week, though. It's three fabulous meals and two snacks every day, and the kind of food I love (like a maple roasted brussels sprouts bowl, and baked avocado eggs, and steamed artichokes with lemon butter and wild arugula and peach salad...OMG YUM)