Elimination Diet: Week 2

My god, what a week.

The fatigue was unreal.

I’m not sure which had the greater effect on my energy – caffeine withdrawal, the food detox, or the kick-my-booty yoga workshop with Desi Springer and John Friend – but I was a tired puppy dog.  Surely it’s a combination of all three, but I’m putting my money on caffeine as the primary culprit.

I even took naps.  Yes, naps.  Now, I am not what you’d call a nap person, but there was an afternoon that I could not help myself but collapse into bed between the yoga training and teaching and passed out.  Deep, sloggy, bone-ass tired.

And the moods.

Friends, I would like to share: I am not always a bright, chipper ray of sunshine.  Yes, I love the light.  I relish the uplifting joy of being alive, embodied and in play with the universe.  Like a plant, I yearn to lean into the light and expand my happy little leaves.  But there are days where I descend into the darkness and the muck.  My happy little leaves get squashed under a big-ass boot called “Anxiety-Depression” and down I go into the boggy depths.

Last week there were moments of light…and there was also some serious swamp time.

But sometimes we gotta be in the swamp.  There ain’t no lotus without the mud.   If we’re going to clean the house, there are going to be some dust bunnies.  Now – relatively on the other side – I marvel at the emotional journey.  Yoga was incredibly helpful during this time.  I am very grateful for Desi Springer and John Friend’s heart-bursting, booty shaking yoga workshops.  I have no doubt that – despite my weary resistance – consistently working to expand my physical body helped to woo my nervous system from its depths.

Tips for your first week

From my experience over this last week, here are some tips for you if you’re going on a cleanse:

• Be ready to be tired.  The fatigue that you’ve been hiding under your sugar and caffeine feedings will surface.  Let it come.  Embrace it.  It is your authentic energy body finally having a chance to ask for rest.  Give yourself the time and space to get quiet.  Sleep.
• Allow your emotions to surface, rise, and pass.  Like your fatigue, emotions frequently get stuffed under food and drinking habits.  We dull out the feelings we don’t want with alcohol and comfort foods.  Breathe.  It’s okay.
• Do yoga.  Show up to your practice.  But give yourself permission to modify.  Try restorative or yin.
• Slow down, clear your schedule.  Give yourself permission to nourish your senses with walks outside, music, good books.
• Drink warm liquids.  Even just warm water.  Warm liquids help your digestion and calm your nervous system.
• Sit quietly for 5 minutes a day and simply feel your body and your breath.

On another note, forgive your cleanse lapses.

I had some slip up’s this week (like the moment I realized my beloved Bragg’s is made with soy.  Duh.  I think I was in denial.), but the big picture is really what’s important.  You are making big positive changes.  Do your best, but forgive the lapses.  Then do your best.

And my caffeine update.  Okay, I had a small caffeine lapse.  And I’ve been a little obsessive about decaf coffee.  I know it’s a sticky point for me.  So as a personal challenge, next week I may try to get off coffee entirely.  Onwards.  Week 3.