I was talking to my friend today, who was griping about how she had to pay a fee to change her plane ticket, and she was ANGRY. Later in the day, I was shopping at Trader Joe’s and some woman yelled at me in the parking lot for and almost drove her car into my car because I apparently cut her off. This made me ANNOYED. These situations happen almost every day; some people yell, some cry, some complain, and some even try to run you over. Believe me, I’m not one to stay calm and deal with every situation in the most mature way all the time, but when something doesn’t go your way, it’s important to find a way to channel your negative energy into something positive. If you get mad or upset, who are you helping?

How do you release tension and rid yourself of unhealthy thoughts?

With my personal training test coming up, I’ve been studying intensely over the last few weeks to get those last few chapters finished, and yoga has been my good friend. When I want to turn off my brain and relax, I head over to Sol Yoga, my favorite hot yoga studio in San Diego’s La Jolla area. I have taken a couple different classes, but I love Power1 because it’s a combination of Vinyasa flow (different poses each class) with Bikram (the same 26 poses every class). The class is 60 minutes and the room is heated to 95 degrees, whereas traditional Bikram is 90 minutes and heated to around 105.

If you love regular yoga, you will really love hot yoga…once you get accustomed to the intensity and sweat dripping out of your pores onto your towel and the floor (literally). I do a lot of weight lifting outside of yoga, so I love coming to class a day after a tough workout at the gym because I get to really stretch my body and relax the tight muscles. Also, a lot of people don’t realize that yoga is a full body, conditioning workout, so if you don’t believe me, try it and let me know!

One of the most important parts of yoga is breathing. In our respiration process, we breathe in oxygen, which goes through our systems in a form of energy to charge our different body parts; we then exhale carbon dioxide and all toxic wastes from our body. Through the practice of yoga breathing, the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide is attained, so with your breath as your guide, poses become easier and more fluid. I have always had issues with breathing (I’m a chest breather, rather than a stomach breather), and yoga has been instrumental in improving my technique and reducing anxiety. Other benefits of yoga are listed below (from Sol’s website).

Sol is great because most of the teachers will adjust your form to make sure your body is in ideal alignment. You want to make sure each posture is correct to reduce the chance of an injury, and when you leave class, you will be more aware of how you move in other situations. One of my favorite instructors is Chaise, because she makes a point to correct and help students achieve the best postures. In addition, she makes yoga approachable.

One of my favorite poses is Ardha-Kurmasana (half tortoise pose). Half tortoise is great for tense necks and shoulders, increases blood flow to the brain, which enhances memory and mental clarity, and this posture also stretches the lower part of the lungs, which is therapeutic for asthma, and counter indigestion, flatulence, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. If you type all day on a computer, you will love this pose, too! I’m sorry about the picture—it’s the best I could find.

BENEFITS OF YOGA
Physiological
Weight control
Increase strength and flexibility
Strengthen and tone the body
Increase energy
Improve circulation and complexion
Posture and alignment improvement

Psychological
Relieve mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue
Improve sense of well being
Improved sleep
Personal growth and self awareness
Promotes peace and relaxation
Better mental function and focus

Biochemical
Detoxify and stimulate organs and glands
Improve metabolism
Stimulate central nervous system
Improved immune response

Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Three words: food, beer and food. Or maybe that’s two. Anyway, after a vacation in Thailand with two of my favorite people (Jodi and Mike), I decided that my body needed a rest.

I have done cleanses in the past, but this time I actually really enjoyed it. And Jodi joined me, so we cooked the meals together and shared the joys and pain of it all. It’s always nice to have a partner, whether it’s someone to work out with, go on a run with, or, to eat with. ☺ Having her on my side made it much easier to reach my goal: finishing the cleanse.

Why, you may ask, do I do these silly cleanses? The simple answer is: to give my body a rest from all the toxins (caffeine, alcohol, processed foods and hard to digest foods). Your digestive system, especially your liver (the body’s main detoxifier), works hard to rid your body of toxins, so every once in a while, it needs a little vacation, too! In preparation for your cleanse, try to eat fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats/cold water fish, grains, and fiber to prepare your body.

Some people experience headaches, nausea and fatigue with a detox-type diet, but I felt so energized this time…and I still feel good! My goal was accomplished!! I usually end my cleanse with somewhat unhealthy options, but after the three days, I continued eating detox-friendly foods (see after cleanse meal below)! Also, remember to give your body some exercise, but not TOO much – keep it simple with some yoga or low impact cardio just to get the body moving.

The last cleanse I did was a juice cleanse, but I wanted to eat some food so I went to back to my favorite, which was shown to me by my acupuncturist in NYC, Laura Kauffmann. If you go to her website, click on newsletter and then inner body cleanse – this will show you how to structure your cleanse, but I added and changed a couple things. She also has some great products (She Beauty) to use while cleansing; my favorite is the She Washing Grains – try them out!

During the cleanse, remember to:
Eat plenty of veggies
Drink lots of filtered water and herbal tea
Steer clear of caffeine, alcohol, soda, red meat, sugar, flour, processed and refined foods, and anything artificial
Move your body!
Exfoliate daily
Sweat it out in a sauna or steam room

Some people take part in the Master Cleanse, but drinking just lemon water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup doesn’t seem healthy to me, so I will probably never take part in that one. Because people swear by this cleanse, I decided to incorporate it into mine: for a pre-breakfast drink to wake up my system. You know what, that drink is really good, but after 10 (or even one day) days of just that? No, thank you.

Day 1
Pre-breakfast: Master Cleanse drink: 10oz of water with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, pinch of cayenne and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (grade B)
Breakfast: steel cut oats with soy milk, cinnamon and agave
Snack: strawberries and pineapple chucks
Lunch: rice with zucchini and broccoli, topped with soy sauce, garlic and fresh scallions and tofu
Snack: herbal tea and more strawberries and pineapple
Dinner: rice with zucchini and broccoli, topped with soy sauce, garlic and fresh scallions and tofu

Day 2
Pre-breakfast: Master Cleanse drink
Breakfast: steel cut oats with soy milk, cinnamon and agave
Snack: one orange
Lunch: brown rice with asparagus, garlic and onion, topped with fresh scallions
Snack: strawberries and pineapple chunks
Dinner: quinoa with kale and onion and steamed turnip with garlic

Day 3
Pre-breakfast: Master Cleanse drink with psyllium husk (natural fiber powder)
Breakfast: quinoa with soy milk, cinnamon and agave
Snack: strawberries and pineapple chunks
Lunch: brown rice with zucchini, garlic and onion with a small piece of salmon
Snack: apple
Dinner: quinoa with kale and onion and steamed turnip with garlic with a 3oz piece of salmon

Day 4 (no longer on the cleanse!)
Breakfast: regular oatmeal with soy milk, cinnamon and agave and a cup of green tea
Snack: green juice from Trader Joes (celery, spinach, parsley, cucumber, kale, and romaine)
Lunch: brown rice with soy, salmon and avocado, with a fresh carrot juice
Snack: prunes and pear sauce (like apple sauce)
Dinner: sashimi, edamame and vegetable roll