Juice Diary by Sue E.

Pre-Juice Cleanse:

Let me begin by telling you that I really do consider myself to be a very yogic person in terms of how I try to live my life. But I must admit, there is one area, in particular, where I tend to consistently fall short and that is my diet. I do eat healthy, for the most part, but I also don't hesitate to eat less healthy foods. Basically, I subscribe to the notion that everything in moderation is okay. So, needless to say, at our last staff meeting, when Suzanne brought up the notion of us all participating in the juice cleanse, I was not terribly excited. I hoped she wouldn't notice me (which was very unlikely, since there were only five of us present), and after asking if it was mandatory (and finding out that it was not), I suddenly decided, why not, this might actually be good for me! It sounded like a really neat opportunity to take my body on a little healthy adventure. Yes, I am nervous, especially about how hungry I will be and how I will handle my cravings for chocolate, but I am also very curious to see how my body responds and if I will notice a difference in my body afterwards. So now I am actually looking forward to it, albeit in an anxious sort of way. Stay tuned...

 

Juice Cleanse Day: 

9:00 am: I came back from my morning swim feeling pretty hungry, but made it over to Bamboo and quickly grabbed my first juice. I am not much of a juice drinker and if I do drink juice it is usually the sweeter fruit juices, so I was a little apprehensive about starting with one made from spinach and cucumber. It was definitely a little hard to get down at first (it is a little bit like drinking a freshly mowed lawn), but I quickly realized that sipping it like a glass of wine was not the way to go and decided to gulp it down more quickly instead. So far, so good. It has definitely succeeded in taking my appetite away, and I am feeling fine. Looking forward to the next juice, which is a little fruitier... 

12:30 pm: Ah, yes, "Pretty in Pink" was much more palatable, as I expected, than "Field of Greens". I am amazed at how well the juices seem to be keeping my appetite at bay--I am really not very hungry, nor I am feeling sluggish or tired from not eating. 

 

5:00 pm: Two more down and only two to go. I would love to tell you that I enjoyed "Field of Greens" more the second time, but that would be a lie. Still, remembering how healthy it is for me helps it go down a little easier. What did not help though, was that all of the neighborhood gardeners seemed to be out on my way home, and all I could smell was freshly mowed grass (a smell I usually like, but not today!).

 

8:00 pm: I have successfully completed my cleanse. True, it was only for one day (I think Suzanne made this concession after seeing the panicked look on my face when she mentioned 2 or 3 days). Mission accomplished!

 

Post-Juice Cleanse:

8:00 am next day: Do I feel different--yes! Getting out of bed was easier this morning. I definitely feel a little lighter and cleaner, and even my head feels a little clearer. Would I do it again? I think so. Will I dramatically change my eating habits as a result? I doubt it. But I am so glad I gave it a try and I am proud of myself for following through and doing something outside of my comfort zone. I hope my experience inspires you to do the same--we have another juice cleanse coming up in June, along with our veggie challenge. Please see below for details, along with other upcoming events at the studio.

Namaste.

Sue E.

Human Frustrations:

Having a passion and a belief that a certain system is true may cause frustration in our human thought processes. For we want to share and to teach, the observations we have discovered. We want to teach the ones we love, our friends and family, the ones we live with and the ones we see most often. However, we have to practice patience in this area so they do not feel like laboratory rats. We still need to let the students come to us, even when they are struggling with something the practice will help them with.  If we force, they will not learn.  This is the power of prayer and meditation of clarity. Our loved ones may find a teacher sharing the same message, so they will be more receptive and learn what we have learned from our practice. Patience and compassion is a difficult practice as a teacher, a student, and as human. We want change but change is difficult, even when change is what we want. So it has to come slow, like in the tortoise and the hare. Through our connection and surrender to God, we know where the Devine wants us to be, so slow and steady, with faith we will get there……..We will get there all together by helping one another.

Keep the faith in God, in yourself, and in the human race.

The body talks to you with Allergies

I have to commend my fiancé, Joseph. We went to Texas, the land of flour, sugar,
alcohol, and meat. Luckily, knock on wood, I haven’t have had too much trouble
with allergies in the adult years. I attribute this to, 2 factors; 1. I live in NYC, how can
one be allergic to cement and 2. I now do a daily practice of pranayama and weekly
nettie, if not every day.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, as Joseph says, he is very sensitive and suffers from
allergies. These allergies heighten when he consumes wheat and sugar. And being
his apprentice this week on vacation, I realize that many people’s allergies heighten
when consuming these same foods. While on vacation, who doesn’t want to “let
loose” and eat the foods that we don’t normally eat at home, for example home
cooked bread, deserts, and pre-made salad dressing. I laugh at the last one, when I
was in my twenties, I never thought I would say, “I’m getting crazy eating processed
salad dressing!” However, I forget how much sugar people put in salad dressing,
thus salad dressing at home is only olive oil and balsamic.

But who wants to be sick on vacation with watery eyes, sneezing, and unable to
breath between the sneezes. Not Joseph, so while on vacation instead of indulging
with everything the palate loves and the body has a difficult time breaking down,
we watched what we ate. I have to admit, I am a person who splurges with a sweet
tooth and I love being able to let go on vacation. However, traveling with someone
who keeps close watch on his diet is very enduring and motivating. While ordering,
we asked what things were made of and special ordered a lot, but with patience and
diligence, we found the foods we could eat which made our bodies and minds feel
good.

What did I learn this week besides that I love vegetarian fajitas and beans? I learned
that we need to be aware to how your body talks to us through the food we eat.
And let me tell ya, it talks a lot, whether its constipation, loose stoles, acid reflux,
migraines, muscle cramps, swollen fingers, or allergies. I also feel motivated to let go
of some of my weaknesses of my personal diet to maximize my energy by eating
certain foods. I hope to share more of this with you in the weeks to come.

Thank you Joseph, for being a great teacher, motivator, and for your persistence of
the diet to see that it can be done!!!

 Who is Joseph Tonzola L.Ac?
Joseph Tonzola is a licensed acupuncturist in both NY and NJ. He has been involved in patient care for 11 years, 6 of which include professional experience as an acupuncturist. Joseph currently works an acupuncturist for the Integrative Medicine Department at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, NJ. He enjoys working in a group setting with acupuncture for the many benefits made available through this approach. Joseph is a new addition to BambooMoves and is excited to integrate himself as an integrative health care provider within the BambooMoves community. Look for session times and for Community Acupuncture here in Forest Hills at Bamboomoves!

Let's Unwind

 Are we able to unwind at home? I mean really unwind and let go or are we always on the line of ready to attack or to be on? I took a week off, a vacation. This decision was made after many hours of debating whether I should or should not go. The vacation was great, it is nice to blessed to have the freedom of getting away. I thought just taking a weekend here and there was sufficient, but on the fifth day, I realized that a week or more is a must.

I love vacations or even full days off away from my apartment because; I can take the time for a full 2 or 3-hour practice. When at home, I seem to be on the line of “attack”; thinking of the scheduling and studio stuff, when will I be able to cook meals, what should I get at the grocery store and which store to go to, and when should I be doing a practice and my prayers.  But while away, the 3 hours of practice and resting by the pool lets me observe how much tension I have been holding in my body. As the days went, I felt my knots loosening, and feeling the energy channels I speak about in class opening. It’s like the body and soul have new life. I talk about finding balance, finding ways to be conscious during our days and nights to let go of tension, and I feel I do a pretty good job. However allowing myself this time to fully unwind, I know I still have a lot of work to do, and I own a yoga studio. There isn’t supposed to be stress in that, however there is.  My typical day consists of: deep breathing throughout the day and I start and end my day with meditation or a deep relaxation technique. It is a practice and it does take time, but if one is persistence they will reap the benefits.   

This tension that I felt be present in the body and felt naturally let go gives me compassion on the my old co-workers and all New Yorkers. I remember the lifestyle in Advertising: with the long hours, bad diet, and constant stress of deadlines.  When I started doing yoga I realized the importance of space to do a daily, midday practice. I would reserve a conference room and do 30 minutes of pranayama and asana.  I share this example because it is possible to find the time if one truly wants to have less tension and more peace in ones life. It is up to our own individual selves to better understand how we can attain this feeling of peace through letting go and making time for ourselves and our bigger purpose in life.  

CHALLENGE: This week, for one week, allot yourself  5 minutes, 3 times a day to sit and be in full observation of your body while you breath. Guide your breath to every part of your body and see where there is tension. Try to relax this area of the body by breathing deeply, slowly while you focus on that part of the body.  Share your observations with me on our facebook page. I feel many of you will feel something in just a week.  HINT: Set a timer so you don’t have to keep checking the time, if 5 minutes seems like a lot, start with 1 minute and work your way up.

Teacher Training, 1000 Bows

Today, 3 days after the 3rd time of doing 1000 bows, I feel them in my thighs. It was not the day after while camping or 2 days after teaching and doing sessions but today. Today, I remember I did 1000 bows in Englewood, NJ.
Do I love them? No. Do I hate them? No. Neither extreme can describe. I respect the practice, The practice of one continuous, repetitive motion; a humbling motion. I enjoy moving and trying to control the mind. The first time I did bows, was during my teacher training, the experience was life changing. I led the last 103 bows for a group who didn't think they could finish due to sickness of vomiting and diarrhea. My mind had doubts of being a teacher, so being able to lead this group through the mind swamp of, "I can't do this, let's stop." was empowering. It showed me I was ready to teach. The second time I was in aw as I was doing it with the teacher trainers. A group which felt like my children. I cried most of the bows with a thankful heart. This time, I was with a new group of children, but I went back to my mind to do my mantra to give the group strength and to give the studio strength.The first 300, I did a Christian prayer, giving thanks to God. The following 200, I did parts of the rosary. The second set of 500, I let my mind wonder to clean house, but it was not as dirty as the first 2 times. Now that I have been in a regular practice of teaching and doing daily meditation, I could see the benefits as the mind didn't need a complete overhaul like before, but rather a little dusting and spring cleaning.

I am thankful I am a teacher it gives me the inspiration to do a practice. I do my practice to help others, to teach, to assist them on their journey. A journey I am still on myself. We are all on this hike together, some a little higher up the mountain, and some just starting, but we all see the same rocks, stubble in the same holes, and we all can look up to see the beautiful skies and trees. We are bowing to our true selves. We are bowing to let our selves shine to one another and to live as brothers and sister in this universe.

I am glad we do this ancient ritual of bowing. I am looking forward to next April.

Move your prana/qi

On Wednesday night I had a chance to take the all level with Yoshio and belly dance with Lynn. Both amazing classes and amazing teachers, glad we found each other. :)

As a yoga teacher I know and feel how Prana moves in the body from a practice, but I forget the same happens with dance. Lynn talked about how belly dance is a spiritual dance of our inner woman. We get to celebrate our womanhood. We dove in and connected to our second chakra, the chakra of sexuality. My hips moved, my arms glided in the air, my chest had a mind of its own as it went front to back. I felt free as I was able to feel the music and let the beat guide me. I found my spiritual dance and Loved it!!!! I am looking forward to the next dance. Hope you can let your Prana/qi move soon, whatever way you choose.

Teacher Training

Our final night of teacher training. It started in January 2012 and we are down to our last weeknight and final gathering of 1000 bows on Sunday. Teacher training is always such an amazing experience, for the students but also for me as a teacher. I feel a high, a growth, an accomplishment every time it ends. Plus a sadness. Each group is so different, so unique, and I learn so much about people and non-attachement through each group. I feel this is practice of becoming a parent, one wants the best for their child. A parents wants them to learn and become their own, to grow and in doing so, we don't know where they will go or what they will do. We have faith that they will continue to grow and stay on the path of love. Well, I better go into class. I wanted to share as I feel it helps me to face the end of this, yet again, wonderful group.