Yesterday and today I just can't seem to bring myself to record a vlog about my cleanse. My heart is heavy with what is transpiring in Haiti and me sitting in from of a camera sharing about my body eliminating toxins seems self absorbed. But I know many of you are just starting the cleanse or going to do one soon and were hoping to hear how it is going. So I promise to write a bit at the end of this post. I know full well how important it is to not feel alone on a cleanse journey. I don't know how people do this alone. I myself need partners to get through not eating for long periods of time. Food is a huge part of my life and it will continue to be so and I am looking forward to next week when we can play with some raw food recipes and soups and getting creative with veggies. But just me even writing this feels strange. There are thousands of people in Haiti that just need a glass of clean water and a blanket and I am talking about playing with recipes. It just puts everything into perspective, doesn't it?
Somebody dear wrote this on my facebook page today about Haitians...
"let's see them as healthy and well and safe, let's not give any more energy to the suffering. see them as cared for and fed and having water to drink and knowing the world loves them."
I know what she means. She is hoping us envisioning them in this way will manifest this healing. I am holding onto this vision then too. Because all I can do from here is pray and donate and spread the word and now...I will be envisioning healing beyond the suffering.
I was talking with Cedar about compassion yesterday. This morning I remembered that when Cedar was born, Myriam had sent us this shirt for him to wear (in photo above) for when he was a wee older. Its a design from her awesome company Joy Spread the Word. I grabbed it out of his dresser and felt chills when we put it on him. So perfect for what it is I want to teach him through all of this. I already see compassion in him in his behavior towards adults and even children at the park. I want to raise him with compassion for the world. Its the missionary heart in me that I hope to share with him as he grows older. I'd love to see our family someday trek to another country in need and give of our hearts there. My oldest and dear friend Letha and her family living now in Uganda are such an inspiration.
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Master Cleanse Days Six & Seven:
I feel like during the days I am coasting a bit. I am not around crowds of people cooking foods in an office kitchen like my husband, so I feel blessed that I can cocoon here in my home. The hardest part for me is the night. Especially last night (day five). I was feeling down about Haiti and I noticed I was hungrier. Its a mental thing because I associate hard emotions with comfort food. I was craving unhealthier foods for the first time in a few days. I laid down with my husband on the ground with Cedar and whined about me wanting my favorite naughty meals. What continued to put it in perspective were those in Haiti dealing with hunger and thirst in a horrible way. I stopped rolling around on the ground complaining and just drank more water, tea and lemonade. Took a lot of deep breaths and remembered why I am doing this; to rid my body of toxins that have been making me feel like crap.
I do feel like I am in detox mode. My tongue has a white film on it. I am eliminating much more than I did in the first few days of this cleanse. I need a nap during the day and I cannot do too much around the house. I go in and out of euphoria and being pensive and emotional. Although I no longer have headaches.
Overall I am doing much better this time around than the first time doing this cleanse. I am not getting sick so far with mucus filled lungs as before. I love how soft my skin is and I notice my face looks a bit younger. I was dealing with some dark under eye circles and bags and fine lines between my brows. I notice it seems more smooth. My mind is definitely more sharp than it has been in months. I even worked on my ecourse for a while the other night and felt inspired and jazzed and nourished by it all.
I am not losing a lot of weight this time around either. I think the first time I did this cleanse by day 7 I had lost 10 pounds. This time I think I've lost about five. It could be that my metabolism is slower now that I am nearing 40 or that my body is focusing on other things. I am trying to not put too much energy into the weight loss.
We are going to have to cut our cleanse short. We have friends visiting on Sunday that tour around the country in their RV with their family. They will be in our town this weekend. We really want to provide them a home cooked meal in a house since they are always on the road and how boring for us to be drinking lemonade while they eat our delicious food! So, we will start drinking the orange juice and broth on Saturday...the 9th day of the cleanse. This way the gathering will be comfy and warm and inviting.
{see my previous post for links on how to help Haiti}