Let me explain. I will first start by saying I decided not to partake in this process as I just completed a cleanse before I left for India. It would have been interesting and quite a unique experience to do this cleanse with Upendra here in India . . . Ayurveda meshed with pranayama and purification of the body for purification of the mind. It was quite interesting to watch the process.
About 3/4 of our group decided to do the cleanse with Upendra, including all of the instructors. This is an intensive cleanse and done in the way that my cleanse should have been, but in the "real world" where you still have to go to work and not many westerners would choose to plan their vacation time around a cleanse . . . my cleanse wasn't done in the most idea scenario where you should take rest.
We had a 2-hour backbending class today instead of the Primary Series. It's always nice to switch it up. As my back has been quite tenuous, from cervical spine to low back, to be honest the thought of doing the class made me nervous. But, the Jen that sought out a personal trainer in 2008 to strengthen my back to avoid imminent back surgery remembered something one of my trainers said, that "sometimes you have to mess up the house" before you achieve results. I know that working the lower back = strengthening the lower back even though it feels like you are doing harm . . . in the long run you are benefitting. I did however remember to practice Ahimsa (non-violence) and take modifications where necessary and opt out of postures I knew would take my back further than it should go. That's the thing with age and, more importantly, learning how to let go of the ego . . . you reap greater benefits and heal the body rather than tear it down.
The cleansing group started just after our practice and beach walk meditation at approximately 9:30 a.m., with a process of drinking up to approximately 15 cups of salt water over a period of many hours (most finished around 1 pm), which was combined with performing particular asanas (yoga postures), walking and stretching, and resting, all with the ultimate goal to cleanse your bowels and purify your body. The kichiri that they ate after their cleanse was a lot different looking than the kitchiri I had with mine. There was also some other forms of cleansing the body that went along with that as well. The major rules were to talk little, no major activity, take rest to keep your mind pure as well. It was a process I enjoyed as an observer.
Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat, explains that we search outside ourselves for validation and since we lack control over that validation, we can't be truly at peace or gain access to our true power in this life. He says that "yamas" change this - "the energy we have poured into the fruitless effot now becomes redirected into a process that gains us lasting peace and freedom". He says that "the yamas are the fundamental renunciation of a life based on fear. They are the change. The niyamas", then "are the fundamental practices that sustain a life based on love. They sustain the change". Patanjali's Yoga Sutras says "When the body is cleansed, the mind purified and the senses controlled, joyful awareness, needed to realize the inner self, also comes".
I am so eager to see how this cleanse affects each individual who did it in their own personal way. Those who are willing to share, I will write about their experiences.
Happy cleansing all.
Spent my afternoon and evening going to Chaudi with Bex and Rose where they have a local Indian market - it is a market day where all the locals go to purchase fruits, veggies, fish, spices, clothing . . . it was very interesting to see. We bumped into Lindsay and Cheska. I did manage to buy some saffron for crazy cheap . . . in all honesty I should have bought more considering I pay 5X the price in Canada, and I bought some black Himalayan Rock Salt which I will have to grind up on my own, and some of the delicious Indian snack mix that they serve in temple - one savoury mix and one sweet & savoury.
We grabbed a tuktuk and headed to Palolem for an iced coffee, browsing and dinner.
And we ran into Alica, Anika and Emma at the coffee shop. Here's a couple pics they took on their walk back to Patnem.
Dinner with Cheska, Lindsay, Bex and Rose . . . this restaurant had terrible service (although they were extremely apologetic) and the salad tasted so horrid I had to spit it out. I had ice cream for dinner that night lol . . . just kidding, there was still food left back at Kranti and I was able to nibble when I got back.
It was a great day!
Tomorrow is our day off. Starting it off with a massage with Sadhi.
Namaste
J
About 3/4 of our group decided to do the cleanse with Upendra, including all of the instructors. This is an intensive cleanse and done in the way that my cleanse should have been, but in the "real world" where you still have to go to work and not many westerners would choose to plan their vacation time around a cleanse . . . my cleanse wasn't done in the most idea scenario where you should take rest.
 |
| How Ellie and others spent their day during Day 1 of the cleanse |
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| But on Day 2 they felt if they couldn't eat the food they would help prepare our meal of green paneer |
 |
| Nitesh approved |
We had a 2-hour backbending class today instead of the Primary Series. It's always nice to switch it up. As my back has been quite tenuous, from cervical spine to low back, to be honest the thought of doing the class made me nervous. But, the Jen that sought out a personal trainer in 2008 to strengthen my back to avoid imminent back surgery remembered something one of my trainers said, that "sometimes you have to mess up the house" before you achieve results. I know that working the lower back = strengthening the lower back even though it feels like you are doing harm . . . in the long run you are benefitting. I did however remember to practice Ahimsa (non-violence) and take modifications where necessary and opt out of postures I knew would take my back further than it should go. That's the thing with age and, more importantly, learning how to let go of the ego . . . you reap greater benefits and heal the body rather than tear it down.
The cleansing group started just after our practice and beach walk meditation at approximately 9:30 a.m., with a process of drinking up to approximately 15 cups of salt water over a period of many hours (most finished around 1 pm), which was combined with performing particular asanas (yoga postures), walking and stretching, and resting, all with the ultimate goal to cleanse your bowels and purify your body. The kichiri that they ate after their cleanse was a lot different looking than the kitchiri I had with mine. There was also some other forms of cleansing the body that went along with that as well. The major rules were to talk little, no major activity, take rest to keep your mind pure as well. It was a process I enjoyed as an observer.
Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat, explains that we search outside ourselves for validation and since we lack control over that validation, we can't be truly at peace or gain access to our true power in this life. He says that "yamas" change this - "the energy we have poured into the fruitless effot now becomes redirected into a process that gains us lasting peace and freedom". He says that "the yamas are the fundamental renunciation of a life based on fear. They are the change. The niyamas", then "are the fundamental practices that sustain a life based on love. They sustain the change". Patanjali's Yoga Sutras says "When the body is cleansed, the mind purified and the senses controlled, joyful awareness, needed to realize the inner self, also comes".
I am so eager to see how this cleanse affects each individual who did it in their own personal way. Those who are willing to share, I will write about their experiences.
Happy cleansing all.
Spent my afternoon and evening going to Chaudi with Bex and Rose where they have a local Indian market - it is a market day where all the locals go to purchase fruits, veggies, fish, spices, clothing . . . it was very interesting to see. We bumped into Lindsay and Cheska. I did manage to buy some saffron for crazy cheap . . . in all honesty I should have bought more considering I pay 5X the price in Canada, and I bought some black Himalayan Rock Salt which I will have to grind up on my own, and some of the delicious Indian snack mix that they serve in temple - one savoury mix and one sweet & savoury.
We grabbed a tuktuk and headed to Palolem for an iced coffee, browsing and dinner.
And we ran into Alica, Anika and Emma at the coffee shop. Here's a couple pics they took on their walk back to Patnem.
Dinner with Cheska, Lindsay, Bex and Rose . . . this restaurant had terrible service (although they were extremely apologetic) and the salad tasted so horrid I had to spit it out. I had ice cream for dinner that night lol . . . just kidding, there was still food left back at Kranti and I was able to nibble when I got back.
It was a great day!
Tomorrow is our day off. Starting it off with a massage with Sadhi.
Namaste
J
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