Blog Bits

January 2012:
Theme of the month - The Cleanse

January 4, 2012. I decided to start a 30-day organ cleanse and detox today through [Detox the World]. Natalia Rose is brilliant, really, and I find her style appealing and achievable on so many levels. We juice green vegetable juices until dinner and then try to have a well-combined meal: Starch meals or flesh meals, or neutral meals. Starch and flesh should not be mixed. I am giving up coffee, dairy, wheat, flour, sugar, booze, meat, and nearly everything that isn't a green vegetable. I am adding colonics, weekly home enemas, far-infrared saunas, body brushing (I already do scrubbing through GYROKINESIS® practices, but I thought I would try the brush), Epsom salts baths, daily meditations, massage and more. I am thrilled about this upcoming month. Here goes day 1!

January 7, 2012. I gave up coffee today. The first time in 2 years. I ran a stop sign on the way to my far-infrared sauna. Luckily, the street was void of cars and people. This will be an interesting day. My darling husband bought me a brand new, top-of-the-line juicer!! And now my juicing time has been diminished to only 15 minutes a day (it was taking me over 45 minutes to juice for the day each morning). So, two thumbs up to Paul for the lovely and thoughtful gift.

January 12, 2012. This was a difficult day for me. My bones feel heavy like lead. I had some very bad news about one of my dearest and long-time client's son. I am tired and unable to function. This is the hardest day of my cleanse so far. I have been excellent on my cleanse, no cheating of any kind (how is this possible after two years of cheating with coffee, wine and chocolate?). I am so thrilled to have made it this far. However, I am very tired and need to get some rest because my body is working harder than ever.

January 14, 2012. I am teaching a lot of GYROKINESIS® classes this week - I am helping out my apprentices by offering more class time - and the toxins are pouring out of my body. I can smell it in my sweat. Yummy. Luckily everyone here at the studio says they can't smell my odor! I don't know if I believe them. I am getting loads of compliments on my radiant, young-looking skin! How cool is that? I attribute it to three things - the [Rose Cleanse], [Morning Song Gardens] Natural Skin Care Products (local and natural) and my far-infrared saunas taken at [Sanctuary by Joyce] on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights.

January 28, 2012. I cannot believe how amazing my colonic experiences have been on this cleanse. For those of you who don't know, cleansing is not about juice and eating well. It's about eliminating the waste from the body. To cleanse literally means to eliminate - not to consume. Green vegetable juices help awaken waste in the tissues of the body, while colonics, GYROTONIC® exercise, saunas, baths, (etc) help eliminate the toxins. It took YEARS for the toxins to build up, so to think that they will be eliminated in 30 days is a bit myopic.

Body brushing in the morning is feeling better and better every day. I love the way the bristles feel. It has been rewarding for me to add body brushing to my practice of body scrubbing every day. I find that body scrubbing is longer, more meditative, while body brushing is faster and for those days when I am in a tiny bit more of a rush in the am.

February 2012:
Theme of the month - The CleanZ

February 6, 2012. Just as the cleanse was finishing for most people, I started having detox symptoms. This really was thrilling for me because aside from being tired here and there, nothing to notable was happening. I broke out in a rash under my armpit. I decided to stay on the cleanse to find out what kinds of signs these symptoms were leading to. It turns out that I have a problem with candida - as do so many women - and I will remain on the cleanse until this is organized and solved within my body. I will not be as stringent with the cleanse, but I will at least juice most days until dinner. 4 nights a week I will follow the cleanse dinners and 3 nights a week I will go out with my husband and friends. This is a good balance I can deal with. I will continue to follow the food combining protocols necessary for Candida elimination.

February 8, 2012. Today I worked with the following issues: a hip replacement, two knee replacements, ADHD client, Cancer Survivor, Lukemia Survivor, Professional dancer and GYROKINESIS® apprentices. Not a bad day here in Cleveland!

February 12, 2012. Staff event last night at Lopez Bar and Grill. It was my first night having wine in 6 weeks and my first night out for dinner since the cleanse began. It was easy - I chose to have a starch meal, not a flesh meal and it was delicious! I loved every minute of it. At 4:30 in the morning, I awoke to leg cramps down the lateral shin region and moving into the soleus muscles about 30 minutes later. I had such a huge food hangover, even though I ate a benign meal. But, when the body is so clean to start with, even the most infractions can have a lasting affect. I am not disappointed that I went out for dinner, however. I loved every minute of it! Delicious!

I remember when I first went on a raw cleanse in 2005. I was so uneducated and unclear about how to be safe. I have tried a variety of cleanses, but now I am pretty dedicated to Natalia Rose and her philosophy. Nothing else works as well as her cleansing protocols. Plus, her philosophy so gels with mine - her humor is endearing, and I like the people she was working with her. Now, 7 years later, these cleanses are my life-line. They make me happy, filled with love in my heart (big heart openings), grateful, and clearer about my path in life and what I want overall and in the long-term.

February 16, 2012. I hired a new studio manager today! Hooray for Michelle's first day on Monday!! Thank you so much to Sarah and Rosey who have been helping out at our front desk, keeping us going!

February 19, 2012. I am teaching day three of GYROTONIC® Foundation Training. What a wonderful group of people working with me from New York, Chicago, Michigan, and Ohio. Teachers here at the studio are allowed to drop in and participate at any time. 7 students are enrolled in the course, but yesterday we had 8. What a lovely group of talented people! From massage therapists to Pilates teachers, a Taoist Priest to Professional Dancer, a Studio Owner and permiculturalist. Cool group! I feel such gratitude that these people are coming to Cleveland to work with me at the studio!

Last night I had my second night out since the cleanse. We went to Momocho on the West side - another fabulous gourmet mexican-themed restaurant. I had a starch meal again. (I am really not very excited about animal protein right now - it makes me feel like I am crawling out of my skin, so I am avoiding it.) I had a little food hangover today, but nothing like last week. Green juice all day and vegie wraps for Dinner is making up for it!

Colonic irrigation continues to radically enhance my life, along with continued GYROTONIC® practice, Saunas and baths. This new lifestyle is working for me.

I have two very exciting new ventures happening this Spring. I am going to Hawaii with my family and there I will be taking the GYROTONER® Course with Tamara. Yay! Later in June, I will be completing my first Detoxification and Cleansing Educational course in New York! New horizons look clear and bright!