Let the Yoga Challenge Begin

I have psyched myself up, gotten some support (not too late to still sponsor me) and have drunk my last cup of coffee. A few years ago I did a 30-day detox program and it was recommended that you see the programme as a gift to yourself. I started it a month before my birthday so that I could finish on the big day. I felt fantastic - it did feel like I had given myself a huge gift.

Anyway I have decided to see this yoga challenge as my time out, a detox, a present to myself and to six children who need a home.

So if you want to do likewise, a word or two about the detox: The benefit of doing a detox for longer than thirty days is that you are more likely to carry on with it (it takes about 3 weeks to learn a new habit). We pack so much junk into our bodies that it is always good to have a little time out even if we don’t carry on with it afterwards.

So here are some tips I have picked up along the way:

·         Drink lots of water – our water is amongst the best in the world, so open the tap and fill up.

·         Eliminate tea and coffee – replace with herbal teas, fresh juices, hot water with lemon (I add ginger, lavender, mint, a cinnamon stick – whatever is around – to make a fusion in a jug and sip from it all day).

·         Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables – soup and fruit salads are great. Now may be a good time to sign up for that organic veggie box (hint, hint)

·         Cut out meat, especially red meat. If you must, eat skinless chicken. Fish is fine.

·         Cut out wheat and wheat products.

·         Replace dairy with alternative products (goat’s milk, soya, etc)

·         To supplement the detox, Epsom salts baths are great every few days. A real treat would be a massage to get the circulation going, and to flush out all those toxins.

And then yoga, yoga, yoga - all the breathing, exercise and relaxation is perfect for detox-ing. Then visualise all those toxins leaving the body. I dare you to feel wonderful!

Now I feel like I should put a health warning on this blog. “Consult your doctor before starting this program!”

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND PRACTISE AHIMSA