Day 1 : dealing with dietary shifts, grief and loss
I began with:
- cleaning my tongue
- hot water with lime
- neti (cleaning of the nose with water) followed by nasya oil (special ‘medicated’ oil to keep the nasal passageways moist)
- garshana – scrubbing the skin with raw silk to stimulate lymphatic flow
- oleation with Lymph Support Oil – covering my body from head to toe with oil
- face massage
- a reading from Vasistha’s Yoga
- a reading from Bhagavad Gita, trans. Graham Schweig, Chapter 13:33
- pranayama (yoga breathing) to stimulate lymphatic movement & to balance
- meditation
- gentle movement
As the day wore on, I was so hungry for so many different things. As a part of this cleanse, I am eating a very low fat, seasonal, vegetarian diet. No dairy, caffeine, sugar, fat, processed foods or non-seasonal items. Not very hard, but I really did want chips and salsa from El Charro and a hot chocolate from Starbucks.
Then as I finished my afternoon I learned that my uncle had passed away in the morning. This is my 3rd family loss in 6 months. I feel that loss deeply, but it is compounded by the loss of Cleo – who I still think about and cry about every day. The gaping hole in my heart was not so big. I feel as though I am in a very dark room. When Tom came home last night he commented that I looked very disoriented (yes, I felt that way).
I have decided to dedicate the work of my cleanse to my uncle and to all of my family members that have died from cancer. As I do my work towards profound health, their memories will give me support I need. And I know that through my connection to them, I may be able to heal some of their karma.