Welcome, Yoga Body Yogis!

Daily Focus Cleanse 5.0

Pre-Cleanse Focus A Lit Intention

Body Love is an essential aspect to this cleanse. Start the day with warm/hot lemon water and sip on it throughout the day. At some point today or tonight, take a moment to hand write your intention (word or phrase) on a piece of paper. Light a candle and place the paper underneath or next to the candle to illuminate and give light to your intention. Take a few deep breaths. Notice how your body responds to candle light, how your eyes perhaps feel more ease. In the same way your intention can hold purpose and light as you feel a sense of ease around all of it. This is the way to embodiment.

Day 1 | We Begin Like This

In every relationship, there is a beginning. We set a tone and a pattern for how we deepen that experience. Like modeling clay, we shape much of the dynamic for what’s to come. So how we begin things really matters and has impact. This challenge is an opportunity and an invitation to set a committed pattern to ourselves and our body. Sure, we signed up, but then there can be resistance. We swiped right, but we didn’t want to go. We RSVP’d yes and then didn’t feel like driving. While that may be astute judgment as a re-think on a tinder date, this is our body we are committing to, both mentally and physically. And our body is nurtured, thrives and heals through awareness and presence. And yes, clean and clear habits.

So how do we commit and follow through with these habits? On a daily basis?

This is where I would love for you to get clear. What are the first five things you do when you wake up in the morning? Are they things that support your mental and physical well-being? For today’s accountability assignment, you can keep it simple or go deeper with the journal prompts. At the very least, come up with five healthy choice ‘first things’ and do at least three of them before looking at your phone every day of this challenge. Reclaim your energy and love yourself first. Before peeping twitter. You can do this!

ACCOUNTABILITY TASKS

  • What are your first five things you do in a day?

  • Do 3-5 of those things every day before looking at your phone/device for email, text, news, social media, etc.

INSPO FOR THE FIRST FIVE THINGS

  • Think ’Thank you’ or ‘Thank you, I love you’ before your eyes open or right as you are waking up.

  • Meditate (you can use phone to pull up a guided meditation or to use a timer)

  • Brush your teeth and tongue scrape away overnight bacteria accumulation

  • Drink warm lemon water

  • Make your bed/fluff your pillows

  • Write a gratitude list

  • Light a candle

  • Look outside, open a window

  • Walk outside

  • Take 5-10 deep breaths

  • Cuddle with a loved one or pet

  • Be kind to any people in your environmen

  • Choose a kinder thought/alternative perspective on people who are flooding your brain who bring you stress or irritation

  • Pray (sincerely) for the people who bother you

  • Read something that helps frame your day positively

DO YOUR FIRST FIVE THINGS BEFORE LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE FOR NEWS, EMAIL, TEXT, SOCIAL MEDIA, ETC.

JOURNAL

  • What is the resistance you experience or anticipate with doing the first five things?

  • What benefits could these rituals will bring to you?

  • Will having a clear ‘first five’ routine benefit others? If so, how?

  • Are you concerned it will harm others or possibly just inconvenience others? (Note: we are not seeking to harm others so reach out if you need help finding a more doable ritual for those of you with dependents).

  • What do you think your body would say about you doing or not doing these rituals? Write a letter to yourself from your body’s perspective. Read it to a friend, me or a therapist perhaps.

RECIPE INSPO

A cozy cup of yum

Start your day with this protein packed, easy-to-prep morning snack!

“We all carry within us our places of exile… our task is not to unleash them on others, but to transform them and to meet them with compassion.”
— Albert Camus
 

Day 2 | Pattern Making

Our lives are made up of a bunch of repeating patterns and as we become aware of this, we can edit some of these designs. We begin by setting the tone for the day and cultivating our ‘first five’ things that we do in a day. The challenge is to do them until the pattern is so deep that it becomes instinct. Now, we book end that morning ritual and ask ourselves: How do we end the day? How we begin things matters. And how we end things also matters very much. It is as if we etch a little blueprint for what’s to come.

So let’s create some rituals around this most important moment in the day - sleepy-time.

ACCOUNTABILITY

  • Commit to shutting down your phone, computer use, and any watch notifications for 1-2 hours before bed. Set your alarm and don’t look back.

  • If you use your computer to watch something entertaining, turn that off a minimum of 40 min before bed.

  • Choose from some of the suggestions below as things to do before bed to enhance your sleep and change the pattern you are setting at the end of the day.

  • Note: if you listen to guided meditations and sound baths at night, you can set that up on your phone and then leave it be.

END OF DAY RITUALS

  • Take a hot bath, epsom salts, bubble bath or shower

  • Rinse off and/or wash your feet

  • Moisturize your body and your feet

  • Practice 4-2-6-2 breathing once you get into bed.

  • Read a book, play music, dance, lie on the floor

  • Listen to a sleep meditation as you go to sleep - (you can use your phone to set that up)

  • Listen to a sound bath as you go to sleep. I have a lot of ‘Sound for Sleep’ sound baths on instagram. - (you can use your phone to set that up)

  • Mouth Taping - if you wake up with a dry mouth, then you are likely sleeping with your mouth open. Try using a micro pore tape at night to tape your mouth. Consult your doctor if you are not sure about this for you.

  • Set out clothes for yoga in the morning

  • Set up your desk for the morning

  • Leave phone in another room or away from your bed as you sleep at night

  • Most Import One: Create an intention for your sleep. ‘May I allow my body to rest now and wake up feeling refreshed.’ ‘I’ve done enough for today. Thank you for my healthy body. May I rest peacefully tonight.’ ‘I’m turning over all of my concerns now and allowing me and my body a nourishing rest.’

Today, we also introduced some ayurvedic rituals that will support healthy pattern making.

AYURVEDIC RITUALS - daily/weekly rituals to enhance healthy pattern making

  • Dry Brushing - before or after shower. (details in today’s chat)

  • Abyhanga - (self-massage with oil - I use a refined sesame oil from Banyan)

  • Oil Pulling

  • Neti Pot

Day 3 | Power of Breath

Breath can be a real mood regulator. By consciously practicing how to breath on the mat, we not only regulate the nervous system, we channel much needed oxygen into our cells. This helps promote a stronger immune system. Moreover, it can give us that sense of euphoria some will experience at the end of a yoga practice.

The very foundation of our yoga practice is the breath. In vinyasa, we practice what is called ujjayi pranayama or ‘victorious breath’ for most of the practice. The throat narrows a bit, toning the airway muscles and also helps build internal heat in the body. The ocean-like breath can not only sound meditative, it can feel meditative.

There is a subtle messaging that happens when we do this type of focused breathing. Breath is our life force. So, in bringing awareness to our breath, we honor our life force. We harness its power, stimulating much healing. To focus on your breath is an act of self-love. It says to the chatter of the mind, ‘yes, I know you have a lot to say, and yet I love this body so I’m going to pay attention to my body now.’

Today we begin to notice: how am I breathing? Is one nostril more clear than the other? The right nostril activates the sympathetic nervous system and signals to the left side of the brain, or the logical/analytical side. The left nostril activates the para-sympathetic nervous system and signals to the right side of the brain, or the creative side. To help balance both sides, we can practice nadi shodhna (alternative nostril breathing as we did today). As well, we can use a neti pot to help clear the internal nasal passageways.

ACCOUNTABILITY - CHOOSE AT LEAST 1

  • Use a neti pot today. For details on this, watch the chat in our on demand video or visit our Ayurvedic Resource Page.

  • Set a timer for 3 minutes and count how many breaths you take.

  • Using a timer, try to breath only though the right nostril for 1 minute. Then switch to the left nostril for 1 minute. Try this without touching your nose.

  • Write a thank you letter to your breath. See what comes up for you.

READING INSPIRATION

PODCAST INSPIRATION