Greetings from my new home in Alameda, California— also known as the East Bay and just a hop away from San Francisco.
Although I cancelled my Costa Rica retreat that was scheduled for late February, I spent three weeks traveling around the country to take a much needed break. There was so much joy in the small things— reading in a hammock, riding on the back of a motorcycle through a village, the warm hospitality of the locals, trying new foods, and being immersed in wild nature. I did not check the news once and limited my WiFi time to 30 minutes a day or less.
My Costa Rica trip began with a 5 day Juice Cleanse and Detox program at Pachamama Eco Village. As with other cleanses I've done before, it was to reset my body physically, mentally, and emotionally. The holistic program included yoga, meditation, breathwork, dancing, sharing circles, and talks on the digestive system, the liver, super foods, our relationship with food, and the food industry. And let's not forget two colonics per day, juice/herb shots every two hours, and a liver flush!
What happened when I didn't eat for 5 days?
My digestive system got a break, especially from overworking due to toxins in the way (and an excess of sugar, salt, unhealthy oils, etc.). Now it can function better.
I eliminated mucoid plaque during my colonics. I (voluntarily) saw what came out. Dark, rubbery or stringy waste, but no lost earrings or loose change. :) At times, it was intense when the waste moved out of my system. A sense of old, old matter that was excavated from my intestines.
Mental clarity. I felt a vast amount of space cleared out of my head from my over-thinking, over-worrying, and overwhelmed mind. It felt like unnecessary files being deleted from a storage area.
Release of tightness and pain on the right side of my body (jaw, neck, shoulder, hip) that I had for a few months. Spontaneous tremoring while doing colonics?! You bet!
Emotional balance. According to Chinese medicine, the liver stores anger. When I eliminated the liver flush, I also stated the anger I was willing to letting go of. So powerful to feel this mind-body-emotion connection!
Some key learning from the cleanse (as shared by the resident facilitators):
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning to kick start your metabolism and flush out your system from the night before.
Aim for a 80/20 ratio of eating healthy (fresh and whole foods like how our ancestors ate!) vs. less healthy options (junk food, fried food, frozen food, canned foods, food high in sugar, salt, fat, and unhealthy oils).
The average person in the US consumes 22 teaspoons (about 1/2 a cup) of sugar a day. Read labels and be familiar with ‘code names’ for sugar, ie. high fructose corn syrup, etc.
The liver deals with toxins (parasites and pathogens) that lay dormant until your immune system is compromised.
Food industries that sell products based on their image (fun, attractive, kid-friendly, colorful branding); or how cheap and convenient they are are often not health or environmentally- conscious.
Before eating, ask yourself what state you are in: flight/fight (emotional eating), or parasympathetic (relaxed). This will bring more awareness to your relationship with food and what you are really “hungry” for when it’s actually not about the food.
Every time you pay for something, you vote. For the business, for your body, for the environment, for the future.
New Biz Name and E-mail
I guess it's no surprise that practicing a more holistic lifestyle has led me to (unofficially) change my business name to: Hanuman Yoga Retreat & Holistic Living. The email address associated with it no longer works: info@hanumanyogaretreat.com
My website is the same: www.hanumanyogaretreat.com
Or you can use this website (same content): www.hanumanholisticliving.com
My new business email address: info@hanumanholisticliving.com
To make a long story shorter, my old domain (website address) took 2 weeks to resolve. I felt this was an opportunity to change the name of my business and website to integrate holistic living as a lifestyle, instead of a singular yoga retreat experience.
Upcoming events!
Online TRE classes are back on Mondays @ 5:30 pm and Thursdays @ 9:00 am PST. Click on the link for a great example of the benefits of TRE. :D: https://www.facebook.com/tamlyn/videos/1119930058738079
I've added a new online workshop. Dismantling your Triggers—a Somatic and Mindfulness Approach. We'll be bridging the mind, body, and emotion connection with TRE and meditation.
I'll be adding online and in-person/outdoor Airbnb Experiences soon. Check back on my website for updates!
Heading to Santorini, Greece in July as a visiting practitioner at a hotel for 3 weeks! More details next month.
Hope to see you online or in-person soon!