Those were the days...

Those were the days.  I was lying in bed thinking about summer fast approaching and how those were my favorite days growing up on Lake Sylvia in Annandale, MN.  My parents were both school teachers, so they had the summers off, which was glorious and some of the most fun times that I can remember.  Everyone came back to their cabins on the lake in the summer.  What I miss the most is the sense of community and connection we had back then.  Those were the days I will never forget, those are the days I will never regret; reminds me of the track by Lady Sovereign.  She is an English rapper that tells it like it is.  It's a pretty great track actually in case you want to have a listen:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-_6AnIwjCg

I remember walking around barefoot all day on gravel roads until dusk eating sugar mixed with koolaid powder.  I remember rocking the inner tube on the lake trying to knock each other off.  I remember sun bathing to the point I was blistered on my shoulders and nose.  I remember going from house to house and getting candy.  Back then love was shown in the form of sugar or at least that was my experience.  I remember swinging on the swinging chair on Marlys's patio over looking the lake.  I remember Marlys giving me hershey's chocolates.   I remember Marlys gifting us our first black cat Jingles.   I remember Marlys and Sandy coming to my grandparents day at school, because my grandma wasn't very nice, and didn't really come to visit very often.  I remember getting to eat brownies and chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast when staying with Marlys and Sandy.  I remember playing starlight moonlight with the neighbors.  I remember my best friend Rachael Ferry at my house pretty much all summer.  She would stay for weeks at a time.  She brought so much joy and laughter to my family.  She would recite all of Little Mermaid to me word for word and song for song.  She is so smart and funny.  I remember sleeping in the boathouse, sneaking out, and walking to the end of the gravel road to run in front of cars from miles away.  I remember sneaking alcohol and cigarettes at a young age.  I remember playing all day and night with very little TV time.  I remember playing with both barbies and cars.  I remember being a daddy's girl or tom boy.  I remember pancake John and popcorn John.  He made the best popcorn and pancakes.  I remember when pancake/popcorn John fell off the ladder building us a tree fort.  I remember pancake/popcorn John spilling a can of stain on my lifejacket.  I remember Bonfire Bonnie and Burning Bonnie and all the bonfires and the neighbors coming over.  I remember the frozen pizza.  I remember the shit on a shingle that my Dad made when my mom was out of town.  I remember my Dad burning everything that he grilled.   I remember fishing for sunnies, walleyes, and northerns on Lake Sylvia.  I remember the paddle boat.  I remember taking the fishing boat out looking for boys.  I remember all the pontoon rides.  I remember Bob taking us water skiing.  I remember learning how to drop a ski and slalom ski.  I remember tubing behind the speed boat.  I remember people just randomly stopping by to visit.  I remember all the card games.  I remember all the parties.  

So I long for the days when we become more connected as a community and more open to spontaneity and connection.  I long for the days of no electronics at the table.  How do we bring this back?  

www.naturalrhythmyoga.com

Use Yoga, Reiki and Nutrition to support detoxification & relaxation

As March and spring are fast approaching it's a great time to support your detoxification pathways and your relaxation through supporting your parasympathetic nervous system.  We are in kapha season, the depths of winter and the season of spring.  It is the time when our environment holds the coldest, heaviest, wettest qualities of the year as recognized by Ayurveda.  Ayurveda is the sister science to yoga.  Yoga is the science of death or letting go and Ayurveda is the science of life.  

Have you put on some extra weight during this kapha season?  That is totally natural and okay.  It is a primal instinct to add some fat to your body to stay warm and rest more during this time of year.  We are animals having a human and spiritual experience.  It's important to tune into the seasons of life and your inner cycles and primal state.  With that being said, spring is a great time to detoxify and let go of the heaviness of kapha season.  Nutrition, yoga and reiki are a great way to support this process.  

Eating healthy whole foods like vegetables, protein, fat, and a limited amount of seasonal fruit are a great way to support detoxification.  I would recommend cutting out sugar, alcohol, grains, and dairy for 21 - 30 days, while drinking plenty of water and perhaps some juicing like celery.  Maintaining a balanced blood sugar is important to reduce inflammation in the body and address metabolic syndrome.  This is especially important right now during the global pandemic of COVID and the stress that has come along with it.  There are supplements and herbs that help the detoxification pathway system as well relaxation.  Nutrition is perhaps one of the most important ways to support your immune system, as well as supporting your nervous system, and relaxation or parasympathetic state of rest and digest.  Meal timing is important as well to allow your body time to assimilate between meals and restore your digestive tract.  The digestive tract is so very important in supporting your immune system.  You want to release toxins "ama" at least once daily with regular bowel movements.  Eating enough fiber and drinking enough water are super important, and most people can benefit from taking a magnesium supplement to support this process of downward energy and releasing of toxins.  I like to incorporate the principles of Ayurveda into my nutrition coaching based on your constitution or dosha, which is in line with my bio individual approach.  We are all so unique, what works for one doesn't work for another, which is why no one can agree on the science of nutrition.  You know what you need, trust that.  I guide my clients to the answers they already have within themselves, and lead them down the path of self discovery, awareness and small incremental lifestyle changes and habits that stick.

This is actually a great time of year to pick up the pace as far as activity goes, but you may face some resistance to that during kapha season due to the heaviness.  A stronger vinyasa practice or sweaty yoga practice goes a long way to support the detoxification system.  Twists and forward folds are another great way to support detoxification and core work.  Allow yourself time to sit in meditation, breath, and take savasana too, to balance the action of doing of the sympathetic nervous system to rest and digest of the parasympathetic nervous system.  If you are feeling constipated you can always take a twist on the toilet to help with that downward energy of releasing toxins, or get a squatty potty to get into a squat position, which raises your knees above your belly to help.  We yoga teachers and nutritionists like to talk about poop, because it's so important, and my Dad loved this subject as well so it's near and dear to my heart.  ;)

Reiki energy healing sessions are a great way to balance your energy system, which houses your mind, body, and soul  Reiki can leave you feeling more connected and relaxed.  Many of my clients are having great awakenings or realizations after a reiki session or becoming more conscious if you will.  Reiki is loving kindness energy channeled from a higher power using symbols handed down from teachers and gurus before us.  Your body then does it's magic to heal itself and remove any blockages you might have.  If clients aren't getting better on the physical plane energy work is often the ticket.  Reiki is a great way to support the parasympathetic nervous system or rest and digest, which in turn boosts your immune system, supports detoxification, and relaxation.

I would love to support you through this process!!!

www.naturalrhythmyoga.com