In The Next 30 Days

It’s amazing what you learn when you start to lean all the bad stuff out of your system. I started these 30 Days thinking I’d work to flush my system and somewhat quiet my mind. I didn’t follow any conventional or set plan, but I did find new exercise and fruit loves that will carry me through a clean new year. (I hope.)

Here’s what I learned during this Body & Mind Cleanse

• Anything can be juiced. This month, I’ve turned all kinds of things into juice. And not just fruits, but green veggies, carrots, squash (although I don’t know that I recommend it so much). But the kicker, I don’t have a juicer. I have a food processor and a blender. But as long as you don’t mind a little pulp in whatever you’re drinking, a food processor is all you need. I love melon mixed with cucumber and herbs or spinach and unsweetened applesauce. And Oh My! do I love cranberries. (I have 6 bags in the freezer waiting for me.)
• Cleansing leads to weight loss. I don’t know how many pounds I’m down, specifically. But I have lost weight this month. I even had to buy new jeans. The tag said “Skinny Curvy” jeans. And while that’s about the biggest oxymoron I’ve ever heard, I like it.
• Exercise can be cleansing too. I’ve been reading about the detoxing properties of hot yoga lately. While I’m not convinced that hot yoga cleanses more than my pores through torrents of sweat, I am convinced it’s good for my brain. Right, I know all exercise is a mood booster, but yoga is a quiet kind of exercise. So while my body floats to a bow from down dog (which sounds so much more graceful than it is) I’m sometimes able to think away and relax into other thoughts. The sweat, the stretch it all kind of disappears and I actually feel refreshed.
• My brain needs work. So yes, I have moments of quiet during yoga and maybe sometime while I sleep. But I have a lot of trouble turning off my brain and finding those moments of clarity inside my head. Meditation is one way to get there. But I’m also searching out other ways to detox my thoughts as well, like photography or listening to music. And I found great peace in writing fiction lately. All this has inspired February’s 30 Days, that I’m excited to share with you on Friday.

I don’t know that I would say my body is pure and free of toxins. And I certainly can’t say my mind is at peace and full of positivity. But after 30 Days of working toward perfection, I can say I’m closer than I have been in a long time. I have more energy. My skin is clearer. I don’t really get muscle sore. I stand up straighter. I’m never hungry. I just plain feel good. And that is proof that I’ve made a step in the right direction.