Day 4 - The Colon Cleanse

The moment we’ve all been waiting for, the day of the colon cleanse.

Well, I only did about 20 minutes of yoga this morning to give myself plenty of time to get to my appointment for colon hydrotherapy. I was happy to note that I had a productive poo this morning thanks to the five capsules of triphala I took last night. It’s always good to prepare the colon before a cleanse. Triphala helps to break up toxins stuck on the walls of the colon making it easier for them to slide right off.

I arrived at my appointment psyched and ready for action. I set an intention for an efficient cleansing with minimal discomfort. The colon hydro therapist asked me several questions about my current state of health. He wanted to know what my diet looked like, when my last colonic was, if I exercised, how often I have a bowel movement and so on. I explained to him that I had been sick in recent weeks with a respiratory thing complete with cough and congestion and that it had been a year since my last colon cleanse.

He informed me that it’s best to get a colon cleanse every three months, when the seasons change. That made total sense to me because it mirrored Ayruvedic philosophy that also suggests cleanses during seasonal changes. Before I knew it I had a tube up my bum and water streaming into my colon. It was a little uncomfortable so I just tried to breath and relax and imagine how good I was going to feel when it was over.

Alain Menard, my colon hydro therapist was a wealth of information during my treatment. He’s been doing this for nearly 30 years and explained to me that colon hydrotherapy is actually a cure for HIV/AIDS. He had offered to speak at an HIV clinic in Sarasota but unfortunately the doctors were uninterested in what he had to offer. It seems HIV/AIDS, like Cancer, is big business. They wouldn’t want their patients to know that Mr. Menard had the pleasure of curing one of his clients from AIDS in just one treatment that cost the man only $50.

Alain also cured a client of his from ovarian and breast cancer in just five treatments. No chemo, no radiation, no surgery. He explained that the body makes hydrogen peroxide. Oxygen plus water equals hydrogen peroxide – with that our bodies can fight off anything that poses a threat to our immune system. The more toxic build up we have in the body, the less oxygen we have and therefore, the less ability we have to keep ourselves disease free. Oxygen alkalinizes the body and disease can not live in an alkaline environment.

Apparently, Alain also does ozone implants. Since ozone is oxygen and can’t be patented. It’s something the doctors and pharmaceutical companies can’t make money off of so it’s best to keep the masses uninformed so they can continue there business of “sick-care” rather than healthcare and make money off of our misery.

I appreciated Alain’s commentary for two reasons, it was extremely informative and it got my mind off of the tube that was up my butt and the pressure wash my large intestine was undergoing. He said the toxicity in the body is what makes us age. If our bodies are clean we don’t age as much. The body completely regenerates itself every five years. If that’s the case, why do we see ourselves looking older? Because our toxic load is putting years on our faces and bodies! Remove the toxins, reverse the aging process. I liked the sound of that. Forget plastic surgery – go get a colonic.

Alain noticed a lot of “stuff” was coming out during my cleanse. It was no secret why I had been sick for several weeks prior. He said there was a lot stuck at the beginning of my ascending colon, near my appendix. For females, this creates pressure around the ovaries. I started to understand why I was having severe cramps during my period with most of the pain being on the right side.

Alain also suggested that I consider doing a liver/gallbladder cleanse. It had been a few years since I did a gallbladder flush and he said twice a year is a good frequency for that type of cleanse. I just might have to incorporate that into this 30 days.

After about 50 minutes I was good to go. My abdominal cavity felt so relaxed and so happy I can’t wait to see how my energy level skyrockets after this experience. By the end of the treatment my body felt really good and really tired. It worked very hard for me and was ready for a nice meal and a nap.

Alain suggested that I come back for another colonic in a couple of weeks. Now that my colon is empty my body is free to dump all the toxins it’s been holding into it and I’ll be ready to get rid of them again. He said, I’d know when it was time and to give him a call and we can do it all again. Yippy!

All in all it was well worth the time and the $70 I spent to get the job done. My colon is squeaky clean. I feel like I have a fresh start. Tonight I’ll begin taking acidophilus tablets. When you have colon irrigation it strips the colon of the good bacteria as well as the bad. Acidophilus tablets bring the good bacteria back into the large intestine. I picked some up at the health food store and will be taking them between meals for the next few days.

I feel lighter. I feel cleaner. I feel younger. I feel glad it’s over. God bless those brave men and women we call Colon Hydro Therapists.

For more information or to purchase triphala supplements visit http://www.joytreeinc.com/page/183796203

Day 3 - My Body is Starting to Like Me Again

Day three began as usual with my herbal tea. I notice my morning tea ritual gives me the time I need to ground myself and begin my day gently as opposed to starting the day by running around like a chicken with its head cut off like I had been for months.

My first bowel movement of the morning found me having that beautiful feeling of relief I’ve been longing for. In recent months I just haven’t had that feeling. This new development is partly due to the triphala supplements I take before bed and partly because of the healthier diet I’ve been enjoying lately. My body is starting to like me again.

This morning’s yoga was divine. My husband, Chris and I did an hour of yoga together followed by meditation. We felt extremely relaxed afterwards. It was a wonderful way to start a Sunday morning. I can already feel my posture improving and even though I’ve only been back into it for a few days, I already notice a change in my strength and flexibility. Good stuff.

I made Kitchari for lunch, an Ayurvedic dish made of mung beans, rice and spices. Kitchari is used in Ayurvedic detox programs because it’s easily digestible and it binds to the toxins and moves them out of the body. My husband loved it so much he asked that we make it a regular staple of our diets. I saved him enough to take with him for his lunch tomorrow. His favorite thing about Ayurveda has always been the food. Can’t blame him, really.

Before lunch was ready I chopped up a bunch of veggies to make another batch of immune soup. Immune soup is something I came to love while I was going to school for Ayurveda. It’s got loads of immune boosting veggies and spices that are cooked in water on the stovetop and then pureed. It was the perfect complement with the left over kitchari for dinner. Yummy!

This evening I had a dance rehearsal. I dance with a production company called International Productions in Sarasota, FL. I noticed that the yoga made my body much more limber and the grounding foods and teas I consumed today helped me to feel strong and solid for the hour and a half of dancing that was required of me. I used to drive home from rehearsals feeling tired, depleted and a little frazzled. Not so, today. Since I’ve been building my body back up, I’m able to enjoy life with more strength and flexibility – physically and emotionally. I love this Ayurveda stuff. Makes me wonder why I had tortured my body with months of slacking previously. Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk. I’m patting myself on the back for making the renewed commitment to my heath. And this is only day three!!

Tomorrow is colon cleanse day. I’m greatly looking forward to the results, but a little nervous about the actual event. Gotta do it. Stay tuned for Day Four.

Step One - The Ayurvedic Consultation

Before I begin my 30 days of Ayurveda I’ve got to evaluate my current state of health. I enlisted a fellow Ayurvedic Practitioner, my good friend Greg Soucy, to help me out. Greg agreed to give me an Ayurvedic Consultation and regularly check my progress. Greg has been an Ayurvedic Practitioner for 12 years. He is truly gifted in what he does so I feel confident in his recommendations for me as I move forward. I took an Ayurvedic self test and according to the results I am a Vata-Pitta body type with a Vata imbalance.

I gave Greg the scoop on my current observations regarding the state of my health. We discovered that I’ve got some mild constipation going on and some cloudiness to my urine. I’ve been eating too much broccoli and cauliflower (not good for my body type or current imbalance), and I’ve been craving carbs and sweets. The holidays caused some intake of junk food and holiday treats so some detoxification is in order.
The social side of me prefers to eat with friends, and when I’m alone I tend to put projects before nourishment. I exercise fairly regularly since I’m also a dancer and I do some power walking. Probably 2-3 times a week I engage in some type of exercise yet I still have low energy. I typically feel like a nap in the afternoons and find myself regularly falling asleep on the couch before bedtime.

My menstral cycle is such that I’m experiencing major cramping and back pain. I haven’t been getting a restful sleep in a while. I find myself having strange dreams, needing to get up in the night to pee. I tend to wake up in the night to think and worry about what I need to do the next day rather than enjoying a sound sleep.

My relationships are pretty good. The only major issue I seem to be experiencing is with my husband. For me, a Vata imbalance equals a low libido. My mind and emotions are affected by my imbalance too. I tend towards fear, frustration and worry.

Lately I’ve been trying to get over an illness so I’ve got some excess mucous clogging up my sinuses, lungs and colon and a cough that’s been lingering for weeks.

Greg gave me a pulse evaluation and felt the Vata imbalance right away. We also discovered that my digestion is weak, there’s some congestion in the colon and lungs and my kidneys were a little sluggish from not drinking enough water.

So that’s where I’m at before I embark upon my 30 day journey.

Recommendations for My 30 Days of Self Healthcare:
Greg and I came up with a customized Self Healthcare plan for my 30 days of conscious Ayurvedic living. We’re going to start by making a personalized herbal tea blend for my body type and imbalances. Greg suggested roots to lower my Vata and keep me grounded and some flowers to keep my Pitta in check as well. A personalized essential oil blend for daily self massage will also be in order. I’m also going to make a spice blend called a churna to sprinkle on my foods for help with my digestion. These are the custom blended items typically suggested by an Ayurvedic Practitioner with your first consultation.

So here’s the deal. I’ve been instructed to eat a Vata reducing diet, that means eliminating the broccoli and cauliflower. I’m going to begin taking specific supplements like olive leaf extract with pau d’arco for my sweat cravings. These are to battle any excess yeast I may have in my body. Triphala nightly for constipation and digestive support as well as Shatavari for my menstral issues. Triphala is the most famous Ayurvedic herbal blend and Shatavari is an Ayurvedic herb that is useful to the female reproductive system.

Additionally, I will be investing in a homeopathic remedy to help me sleep. Greg suggested Rescue Remedy Sleep. Abdominal self massage before bed will be incorporated to help my elimination and to relieve any possible pressure that may be on my ovaries causing massive cramping.

I’ve got to schedule a colonic to help with the congestion in my colon. I will also be doing steam inhalations with eucalyptus oil to help with the congestion in my lungs and doing daily nasal rinses to relieve my sinuses of excess mucous. Dry skin brushing before my shower to exfoliate and also help with lymphatic flow and self massage with my personal blend oil after my shower for the medicinal benefit of essential oils to be absorbed through the skin. I can also do the self massage before bed to help me sleep.

One of the main issues causing imbalance within my mind and emotions is the fact that I don’t regularly take time for myself and do things for me. Greg suggested the practice of yoga morning and even at night as well as meditation to help center my mind and help me feel that peace and calm I’ve been lacking for months.

I realized I do some of these things some of the time and now I’m committed to do it all for the next thirty days. I’ve got to pick up some supplies at the health food store. I’ve rented some yoga DVD’s. I’m considering my Vata reducing grocery list and what meals will be appropriate during the next 30 days. It all begins tomorrow.