How do you react on being busy, in times of a lot of work or other things that are occupying your mind? What happens when you think you don’t have time or peace of mind for unwinding activities, such as walking, running, yoga, spending time in nature or creative projects.
I can do it for a little while until I notice I am not living the days the way I wish to live them. And then it is time to take a moment and go back to my rituals and rhythm that is supporting me in living more fully and with awareness of my own nature.
It reminds me of the book of ‘What I talk about when I talk about running’ from Haruki Murakami. I have been reading it a while ago and I am still inspired by it. I was trying to find his exact quote but will need to read the book again to find it:). Among many other beautiful things in that book he writes about the importance of finding your own rhythm in how you start your day, in how you gather yourself and find the focus to do what you wish to do in your life. He talks about the moment in his life that it was not enough to just follow the flow of life. When he was reaching a certain age, he felt the need to become very clear and strict about his routine. This is how he got to running every single morning, to running marathons and ultra long runs. To build up strength and endurance, to improve focus to be able to write his novels. I believe it is the same for many of us, especially in the current world with an overload of information and distractions.
These last weeks I have experienced it again. I decided to do a two week cleanse with juices, smoothies and soups, together with yoga sets that support the process. Spring is such a beautiful moment for that. When the light green is growing, new life, new beginnings. I always feel invited to clean my own system in this time of the year.
I have been doing these cleanses a lot since the course in Bali where I learned the full protocol of cleansing and liver- and gallbladder flushes. I still love that deep cleaning of the system, the best when you have some time off to slow down and take enough rest. This time I decided to try out the 2 weeks programme of Kia Miller. Plant based as well, lots of green leaves, very little fruit but with freshly made almond milk to be able to keep the energy to do physical work which was good in combination with my work in the restaurant.
For me the start of a cleanse always requires a bit of courage. To take a clear step and not to keep on hanging in the ‘comfort’ of attachments (like coffee, raw chocolate or whatever things to keep myself going) or the ‘comfort’ of being tired and not doing anything to change the situation. This time it took me a little while. I felt cold, was missing the sun and thought I need to eat to keep myself warm. It was that one day of sun that took me on board and I was so relieved after that first day. Ready to surrender to whatever comes.
I really can see more clearly when going back to the basics. It brings me a special feelings of being very aware of everything around me and in the same time having a bit of distance from every day life. I can observe better without having the tendency or need to value or make an opinion. It brings this liberation, to be free from all the things that keep you from doing things the way you do them. It can also feel a little bit strange not to join the social gatherings with family and friends. In that sense it is a vulnerable process as well since there is nothing to hide behind anymore, no food to grasp to fill holes or empty moments. No excuses not to come out of my bed and skip one yoga morning. But the combination of healthy nourishing liquids and the Kundalini yoga practise helps of a lot to tap into the energy of oneness that brings so much trust and fulfilment. The combination of it gives a lot of support to the body to release old patterns, pains, emotions or whatever is there that is longing to be released. That is also why it so good to do these weeks together as a group, to be able to support each other. I have done that many times and still love it, especially to support people in the journey.
What a beautiful experience again! I love the morning routine to gather myself to start the day. Waking up early, do the ‘oil pulling’, drink warm water with lemon juice, dry brushing, taking a cold shower. Then kundalini yoga and meditation, followed with a green juice. It takes some time but you are really set for the day with a clear mind and focus. I did not miss my coffee, chocolate or other snacks that I normally enjoy. I felt so good and vibrant. The coffee enemas in the end of the 2 weeks supported me in letting go of a lot of heaviness and feel light, clean and positive. Happy and thankful.
Just after the cleanse I got so busy with many different things, working many hours in the restaurant and my son going for an operation on his ear. I noticed immediately what happens when I don’t take time for my daily yoga as a start of the day. It is so interesting to observe myself during those moments. I skipped my morning practise and the whole day I had this foggy head and feeling a bit grumpy. I needed coffee to be awake and was missing my focus and level of energy. What a difference.
So now, I am back to my routine of yoga in the morning, even when being too busy. Also that needs some focus and attention. On how to find balance between committing to work activities and making sure I have enough moments to unwind and find myself again. An invitation to learn to be in the moment and do what I do in that moment and really leave the rest for later.
“There is a story of a woman running away from tigers. She runs and runs and the tigers are getting closer and closer. When she comes to the edge of a cliff, she sees some vines there, so she climbs down and holds on to the vines. Looking down, she sees that there are tigers below her as well. She then notices that a mouse is gnawing away at the vine to which she is clinging. She also sees a beautiful little bunch of strawberries close to her, growing out of a clump of grass. She looks up and she looks down. She looks at the mouse. Then she just takes a strawberry, puts it in her mouth, and enjoys it thoroughly. Tigers above, tigers below. This is actually the predicament that we are always in, in terms of our birth and death. Each moment is just what it is. It might be the only moment of our life; it might be the only strawberry we’ll ever eat. We could get depressed about it, or we could finally appreciate it and delight in the preciousness of every single moment of our life.”
― Pema Chödrön