The "Aha!" Moment During the Master Cleanse

I glazed over the fact that I was fasting for the past week in my last post, but I feel like I should dive deeper into the subject because of my "Aha!" moment.

I guess the real reason I started the "master cleanse" 9 days ago was because i wanted to feel what it was going to do to my body. I also thought i might have some sort of epiphany or something. Only drinking a mixture of water, maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper for 10 days aught to make you feel something, right?

I have to admit that this has been the absolute hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Going on all day only drinking this "lemonade" mixture whenever I feel hungry is such a hard thing to do when all you really wanna scarf is some Doritos. Or even some fried tofu with green beans and garlic sauce. Or a Boston Creme Donut. Here I go again.

Halfway through the fast, when it started becoming increasingly hard, a friend reminded me that when the body doesn't have to use its energy digesting food, it can use its energy to help other areas of your body that may be otherwise neglected. This thought helped a lot...and it was the beginning of me internalizing what was going on.

A few hours ago while I was feeling a little bummed that tomorrow would be my last day on the fast and I had yet to experience an "aha!" moment, it came to me. Much like digestion, my feelings toward my "American" eating habits were also being changed by the cleanse. The past 9 days, I have only drank when I was hungry. And though I was only taking in about 650 calories a day, I felt more alive than I have ever been. I for once was allowing myself to stop thinking about food all the time and was then able t focus on other things in my life that I had been neglecting.

I tried to begin listing "for instances," but none came to me :) But I do feel an indescribable difference. A difference large enough to convince myself that though this cleanse has been the hardest thing I have ever done, I need to do it every year. If only as a reminder of this indescribable feeling I have.

When I can eat regular food on Sunday (there is a "weaning off" process that last a few days after the 10 day of the cleanse), I will admit I am going to have some guacamole...some Mexican food! But hopefully I will carry on a bit of the habits I started with the cleanse.

Some weird things that happened during the cleanse:
-Lactic acid built up faster in my legs when I was at rehearsal
-I felt more focused when I drove my car
-Oddly, I felt more energetic, and more flexible than normal
-I lost almost 15 pounds...in 9 days
-I craved Doritos like you wouldn't believe...and I also craved meat, which is weird because I have been a vegetarian for 15 years

All in all, I know that I said earlier that I wouldn't recommend this cleanse to anyone, but after tonight, I think it is necessary to recharge your body and mind at least once a year.

Zen and Surfing

I went to Bikram Yoga again on Saturday morning. Since the class starts at 9am, I woke at 7am and ate breakfast then (you aren't supposed to eat anything right before class). The class was very refreshing, although I felt again like I was nauseous during Half Tortoise pose. If it happens again when I go to class this Thursday, I am going to ask the teacher what is up, because this has never happened before.

I went surfing for the first time yesterday. It was such a beautiful day, and my friends and I woke up early and drove to a beach in Rhode Island. When I was young, I got stung by a jellyfish while wading in the ocean water, and I really hadn't gotten back in the water since because the experience just turned me off. However, I have always wanted to surf, and learning to surf means getting back into the ocean. So I sucked it up and got over my fear. I screamed a lot when the waves came crashing on me, but after a while I found the waves to be so zen and calming. I didn't want to get out of the water!

After reaquainting myself with the ocean, I was excited to grab a surf board and try my luck with the waves. I tried two different boards - a short one without a foot leash, and a long thick one that was supposedly easier for beginners. Catching waves is pretty tricky. First you have to wait for the right one, and then when it arrives, you have to belly flop onto the board and start paddling toward the shore as much as you can, and eventually, if the wave lets you, you will be swept forward and taken for a ride. And during that ride, if you are travelling fast enough, you have to magically get your feet up on the board in one foul swoop. That was the hardest part, as I only managed to get my knees up on the board. However, I did get to ride a few waves and it was the best feeling. Surfing really is a zen sport, and makes you feel really connected to the ebb and flow of the ocean. I do wish I had worn a stronger SPF sunscreen, though, because my body is as red as a lobster right now from sunburn. I am going to try surfing again next weekend!