Letting Go

Like many women, my weight went up and down for years.  But that was only after I felt stuck at one size for most of my adult life.  At some point during my late 20s I was able to cross the first plateau in my journey, but it wasn't until I got married that things really started to shift.

"Peace and blessing manifest with every lesson learned." -Erykah Badu

It was the dress of course.  Or perhaps the pictures.  Regardless, I was not going look at that day for the rest of my life and not be completely happy with what I saw.  So I ran.  I lost a lot of weight and I felt beautiful on our wedding day, but I still felt uncomfortable in my body in so many ways.  

Before I knew it, I had reached that point in life where my age was quickly associated with the fact that Swan and I do not have children.  I do believe the ticking of the biological clock is most often the whispers of those around us, but I've learned to smile and nod in love.  

Regardless, I caved to the pressure and responded as those who know me well can guess that I would. Each time I would smile and think,  "I'll show you. I'll be in better shape than I was in high school before AND after children."

"Liberation through purification." - Queen Afua

This time my ego and analytical mind met at Queen Afua's work.  I took a Natural Family Planning Course in 2010 and her books were recommended reading.  In one of her works she shared that women should consider detoxing consistently for at least two years before they had children.  And that is how I arrived at the most effective health and wellness ritual I have experienced to date.  

"My Soul flies free like a willow tree." Erykah Badu

I started to detox for at least 7 days with each season, but it wasn't until last year when I finished the Organic Beauty Detox created by Akua Auset that I finally understood how to keep the weight off.

"When you loose something subconsciously and energetically, you want to find it.  To release it is a conscious choice." - Akua Auset

Through my training and work as a yoga instructor, I understood how emotions can become trapped in the body.  When I considered the weight that always seemed to return, it was clear to me that it was time to let some things go.  For 30 days in 2013 I focused more on letting go of opinions and the need for approval, past hurts and disappointments and years of body shame.  At the end, I felt lighter than I ever had in life although I had weighed less in the past.

This year I followed the same process and can honestly say this is the lightest I have ever felt in body and in Spirit.

"Bag Lady... Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go..." - Erykah Badu

So before you hit Google to research detoxing or send an email to Akua to find out more about the Organic Beauty Detox ask yourself what you need to release.  If you honor the truth of what you hear, you will release the heaviest weight in that moment.

Progress Over Perfection

Over the last year, I've attached to this phrase and it has become one of my most used mantras.

When you make a firm decision to grow into your best, it is hard to shed the quest for perfection.  We spend years in pursuit of it although there's really no set standard for it.

So how do we know when we've arrived?  In my opinion, we never arrive at perfection.  The closest we come to perfection is authenticity.

Seriously. What can be more perfect than living in alignment with who you truly are? [ Tweet It! ] 

The easiest place I've learned to accept progress over perfection is on the yoga mat.  While some poses and postures come with ease, there are those that take nothing more than consistent practice.

In a world where we see perfect images of yoga so readily, I've decided to offer my first Instagram Challenge Intention: Progress Over Perfection.

Would you like to participate?

1. Choose a pose that requires work and dedication.  Set your intention to do the work.
2. When you make progress you're comfortable with, feel free to share on Instagram using #PROGRESSOVERPERFECTION.  Or not.
3. Allow the progress in your yoga practice to flow with ease into all areas of your life.

It's that simple.  Keep flowing.  Keep growing.

Ashiya

New Look. Same rules.

New look. Same rules. New posts are coming soon.   

                          

Always,

Ashiya

{Eat to Live} Detox Truths

Obviously, I'm not very good at posting my meals daily during this detox.  Honestly speaking, I realized I really don't want to talk about what I'm eating because I'm thinking about what I committed to not eating. I'll call it a detox survival technique.

And I usually think about taking pictures when I'm almost done, if at all, but this week I was better with taking them. Here's a quick recap of Days 4-6.  I'll share Days 7-10 later in the week.

Day 4

I was on the move for Day 4. I started with warm water with lemon as usual. For breakfast I had a green smoothie with peaches, mango, spinach, celery and coconut water. 

I packed a lovely lunch that I couldn't keep cold after a change in my plans for the day. Because I was out longer than planned, I shared my lunch with a friend and opted for garlic steamed kale and brussel sprouts from Sunflower Cafe in Berry Hill, which I forgot to capture. 

Lunch was more than enough for the rest of the day, so I had a desire for grapes later that evening. 

Day 5

My cravings came alive on Day 5. I wanted everything. At this point I've learned the best way for me to fight these cravings is to stick to liquids until they pass. 

After my warm water with lemon, I had Metu Neter, a combination of celery, Granny Smith apples, broccoli and cucumber. I found this recipe and some of my current favorites at Vegan Wasted during a detox last year. 

During the day, I ate lots of water-rich fruit including watermelon and grapes. For dinner I had a green smoothie with spinach, celery, mango and blueberries.  It worked. I didn't cave in to the cravings. 

Day 6

After water with lemon I had a green smoothie made of spinach, celery, peaches and coconut water. 

Having a green smoothie in the morning sets the tone of the day for me and as long as I have fruit, water and nuts, I'm good. I also made the same green smoothie from the previous day after dinner, which was a salad with vinegrette dressing I found online.  It wasn't very good to me, so I won't share it here.  Back to the lab on that one.

As a general rule, I drink water constantly throughout the day to help my body move any toxins it wants to release.

Life, Health and Prosperity,
Ashiya

{Eat To Live} Life In A Jar

Variety and convenience are the main themes of this detox.  I want to create meals that are both healthy and tasty, so I decided to try my hand at making salad dressings.  I thought this might bring in variety by giving my vegetables and salads and it was a good move.

Vegan Green Goddess Dressing

The first dressing I tried convinced me it would not be my last.  It really was as simple as making a smoothie and I had most of the ingredients on hand. I chose the Vegan Green Goddess Dressing share on Oh She Glows because of the avocado base and it did not disappoint.  I did not vary the recipe this time, but I do plan to experiment with this one more.

It was good as a dressing and a dip for raw veggie and the best part of my first attempt at a "Salad in a Jar." I first saw this on Pinterest and realized the potential during this detox. The trick to keeping everything fresh is to keep the greens separate from the dressing.  I plan to experiment some sprouts and beans or lentils for other lunch options.

Salad in a Jar with Green Goddess Dressing

Life, Health and Prosperity,

Ashiya

{Eat to Live} Green Smoothie Love

This week I tried another tip I found on Pinterest from The Rowdy Stroudy to make my smoothies better.  I'm not a fan of ice and I freeze bananas for fruit smoothies, but I had no equivalent for green smoothies.

Spinach was a good candidate because it wilts quickly and works well in most smoothies.  I like to use fresh fruits and veggies in smoothies, but I love this option.

Spinach Cubes

Spinach Puree

I packed the 40oz. bowl of my food processor with spinach, added 1/4 cup of water and few seconds later I had enough for 3-4 smoothies depending on other ingredients.  ,the frozen spinach gives my smoothies the texture I like as well.  I love it when a little prep goes a long way.

Frozen Spinach Cubes

Life, Health and Prosperity,

Ashiya

{Eat to Live} Life Is A Matter Of Balance

When I first started to give my body a break with a detox or cleanse on a regular basis, I ate the same things repeatedly. It worked well for me because I didn't have to think much about it. One of the biggest challenges with honoring a detox is the mental shift required to find satisfaction in foods I may not eat consistently.  This time, I've decided to add some variety and try some of the recipes I've collected.

With that said, this seems like a perfect time to share my food explorations for those who may see a detox as punishment.  In my experience, many people feel like they are going to starve during a detox.  Don't get me wrong, I get hungry.  But I get hungry everyday.  I'm used to that.   The key is to prepare so I don't fall into the habit of eating what is convenient.

I'm excited to share a few new things I tried for Day 4 so stay tuned. Here's to food that is good to us and for us!


Life, Health and Prosperity,
Ashiya