Why I Detox

Have you ever gone through periods where you feel kinda sluggish? I mean, not just for a day or two, but maybe a few weeks? A time period where you don't exactly hop out of bed ready to greet the day, tackle the day, deal with the day (whatever your perspective may be), and rather you feel like dragging your feet and only dealing with the most, very necessary things? I have felt that way lately. I shuffle over to my mat *crack, pop, yawn,* and I do my practice...just the very minimum and I stay in Shavasana for the same amount of time. I have felt like for the past month my sinuses have been stuffy and my immune system is just waiting for one more cough or sneeze in my general direction to be like, "Alright, this shit is ridiculous, I'm shutting down."

When I feel like this, I know it is time.

Perhaps it's because I do yoga, body work, I take time to breath, or maybe I'm just sensitive, but I can tell when my body needs something and right now, it needs a friggin break! So here I am, post liquid breakfast on my first day of detoxing. I plan to do 10 days and mostly liquid and raw.

I try to do detoxes twice a year and for the past 3 years in the Spring and Fall, I have successfully done so. After the first 3-4 days I find my energy lifted, I think clearer, my skin glows, and I feel overall recharged.

So, here are the ingredients for my first meal of the day which is more calorie packed and dense than some of my follow up meals might be, but if you'd like to copy, it's delicious and the best part is it has raw CHOCOLATE in it. MMMMmmmmmmm.....

Hope you enjoy:)

Breakfast detox smoothie (makes 2 servings)

1 large banana
2 scoops of Sunwarrior protein
2 tbsps of Chia Seeds
2oz of Goji berries
5 tbsp Raw Cacoa Powder
1 tsp Raw Coconut manna
1 tbsp cold pressed flax oil
2 tsp Maca
16oz Organic Almond milk

Add ingredients together in blender and savor.

My Yoga Practice Confessions

Yoga is Practice. This is my mantra right now. My mantra seems to change often, but right here, right now, these three words speak to me.

This is what I tell my students when I ask them to go from a wide legged split into a tripod and maybe a tripod headstand and “float” out of it gracefully. I demonstrate this particular move quite well. I hear some students say, “Woah,” under their breath and others when I come up from the demo look at me like I just gave birth to an alien unicorn. I have to say, getting some recognition for my hard work does feel good. I'm like anyone else, I like a pat on the back here in there, I like my parents to be proud of me, and I like the feeling of reaching my goals. That being said, I had to work friggin hard to get to this point.

When people see me float up into certain poses (I use floating very loosely too as I wobble a bit here and there) know that I have flipped myself over so many times. I have crashed myself against walls, furnitures, even bibles and small children. One memorable time when I was first gaining confidence in my work on headstand, I demonstrated it only I wound up falling...in front of everyone...while leading a class. Yoga sure has a way of making you stay humble.

So, to my students who see me up in handstand and holding out my body to the side and all that....it will come. I promise, but you have to keep consistent. Try not to let your ego get the best of you or fear prevent you from trying.

Practice, practice, practice, and all is coming. *Please read out loud in Indian accent for full effect*

Namaste'

What's your banana???

"In India there are a lot of monkeys. When the locals want to catch one, they anchor a bottle to the ground. The neck of the bottle is just large enough for a monkey's hand to fit through. Then, they put a small banana in the bottle, sit back and wait.

The Monkey Trap.
Before long a monkey comes by, sees the banana, reaches his hand into the bottle, and grabs it. But then, the monkey discovers that he can't get his hand out of the bottle while holding onto the banana. There is loud chattering and squealing as the person who set the trap walks up to the monkey and places a burlap sack over him. In the darkness the monkey releases the banana and is captured.

The monkey could, of course, let go of the banana and run before getting caught. Some do. But most of the monkeys hang on to the banana until the sack goes over their head. Why? Because the banana has value to the monkey and the monkey is unwilling to let go of that value. So unwilling that he gives up his life for it. People do the same thing."

Everyone has their little quirks or "idiocyncricies" that make us who we are. We have habits that harden into our character and determine how we react in situations and perceive the world around us. We identify ourselves with these little nuances. That's just me, that's what I like, it's who I am. Deal with it. We get defensive when these things are questioned or threatened. For example, one of mine would be, "I'm just not a runner. I'm not built that way so it's probably much easier for you than me." Now, I'll say this, but the fact is, I don't like running because I'm not good at it. Because I'm not good at it, I'm resistant to practice it. Why? Because it's a total blow to the ego to do something you're mediocre at. Why lower my self-esteem and image in my head of me being awesome at everything I do? Pffff. Not worth it.
There's so many of these little things we each hold onto. "I'm a chocoholic, I can't help it," "I'm not good at Math, my brain doesn't work that way," "I'm an alcoholic, it's a disease." You'll notice there is always a justification after each one of these characteristics. But, if something is truth, does it really have to be justified?

Now, back to my running. So I acknowledged that I'm not very good at running, but I started letting go of the excuse at the end. I'm not good at running because....um, my ass is big and girls with booties like me don't make good runners. (This was blown away by a black female track runner with an incredible booty that blew past the competition). I have too much muscle to be good at running (I realized shortly after thinking it just how ridiculous that thought was). So, I went through these excuses one by one and each time I realized I was just hiding from the discomfort of getting out of my comfort zone with running. I'm not good at it, because I don't want to be.

Rather than continue making excuses, I chose to look within, acknowledge, accept, and then make a conscious decision to change it.

Once we release the excuses and accept accountability, we empower ourselves to change, evolve and grow. What's the excuse, habit, or stubborn idea you hold on to that prevents you from shining your full potential? This may take some meditation and self study and what we call in yoga, Satya, or acknowledging truth. It's easier said than done, but hey, I'm not saying it will be easy. I am saying, it will be worth it.

So I have adopted running as my main cardio. For the past two weeks, I have run 6 days a week for a minimum of 45 minutes each time. Some days are easier than others and I'm starting to realize running isn't that bad. I would almost say I look forward to my runs....almost.

Everyone has a banana. What's your banana and more importantly, are you willing to let go of it??

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Your Trainer,

Erin Is Awesome

Diary of a Yogic Transformation

Hello fitness fans!

Wow, what year it has been for me. I won't go into detail, but let's just keep it at "life changing." Anyways, I'm back up to speed and I'm excited to start posting my blogs again about fitness, health, nutrition, spirituality, and of course, my favorite, YOGA!!!

Speaking of which, I recently graduated from an intensive yoga teacher training. It was a profound experience filled with laughs, tears, dangling upside down, reiki attunement, and deep personal healing. It's amazing how much I learned about myself on my mat during this time. It gave me a deep gratitude for everything I have, a deeper acceptance of who I am, and the deepest peace I have ever felt in my entire life. In the mix of all of this, I started a Kundalini Yoga practice.

Now, Kundalini yogis, these are the weirdos of the yoga community. They're the ones chanting, dressing all in white (usually included by a little white hat or turban) and the style of yoga is completely different than hatha. Most of the movements are quick and forceful while incorporating a breath of power or fire.

My first real experience was with a lady named Joy. And although this Joy character seemed kinda spacey and well, picture the fortune telling lady from Harry Potter with the thick glasses, her name said it all. She was vibrating with joy and happiness. So while I was a bit cautious approaching this practice at first, I was intrigued by the radiating beauty and calm of the woman in front of me. I thought to myself, this woman has something figured out. She has a deep peace and contentment I've rarely seen in anyone. I want to have what she has. So, acknowledging this desire, I realized I would have to do what she does in order to attain it. So with the guidance of my best friend (who actually started a Kundalini practice a few months prior and had an amazing transformation) I began.

My current path of Kriyas (or postures)

http://www.3ho.org/kundalini-yoga/kundalini-yoga-yb/kriyas-meditations/featured-meditations/pdfs/TenBodies.pdf

So incorporating Kundalini into my daily practice, here are some things I've noticed happening:

I'm more present in the moment
I have more overwhelming moments of gratitude for everything I have
I feel more content with myself
When I speak, it feels more truthful and wise
I feel more emotionally balanced
More positive people are presenting themselves in my life
Everything seems to make more sense to me (well, except Math...I don't know if yoga can fix that though lol)

I am still making my journey on this path and I am learning as I go. I have found that like most things, experience is the greatest teacher here. With all the changes I've noticed so far though, I can see that this practice is profound.

And just in case you're wondering, I haven't adopted a turban or little white hat as one of my accessories...but I would maybe. It could be a strategic place to store a sandwich or car keys.

Your Trainer,

Erin Is Awesome

Detox Kale and Spinach Soup! It tastes good for real!

Due to popular demand I am sharing my ultimate detox smoothie recipe! This is the smoothie I used on my cleanse. In 2 weeks I lost over 2% body fat and about 5lbs. In three weeks (I know, I’m crazy), I lost just over 3% body fat. Unlike a juice fast, this recipe gives a lot o protein for muscle repair. Vegetables do have a certain percentage o f protein naturally, but for someone who hits the weights a few times a week, this smoothie gives more aminos for the muscles to repair.

1 cup kale
1 cup spinach
1-2 tbsp fresh cilantro
½ of a tomato
1 cucumber
½ an avocado
½ lime (squeeze the juice)
1 tbsp cumin
½ tbsp turmeric
½ tbsp curry
½ tbsp Himalayan crystal salt( or sea salt)
1-2 servings of unflavored plant fusion protein powder
2-3 cups of water


Combine all ingredients into a blender. I happen to have a vitamix so I can gently warm the smoothie so it’s more like a soup. If you don’t have one of these marvelous blenders, you can blend all the ingredients and then to warm it, pour it in a sauce pan and warm on low (rule to keep it raw is to be able to place your finger in the pan without having to remove it as a check) and keep the soup under 104 Fahrenheit.


I recommend drinking two of the above servings throughout the day while on the cleanse to make sure you get enough calories. You may also want to incorporate a salad for lunch or dinner if you need some crunch during your cleanse.
Good Luck. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me
Happy Cleansing!!!

Body Talk

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to have been around many health professionals: Acupuncturists, Massage Therapists, Naturopath, Nutritionists, Energy and Chakra Healers,
Yoga Instructors, Physical Therapists, and even neurobrain frequency specialists. If they were a pool of knowledge then I was a knowledge sponge, soaking up all the information I could. It's amazing how this knowledge has changed my perspective on fitness and health to make it more Well-Rounded (pun totally intended).

I am a holistic trainer meaning I consider many factors from food sensitivities, to emotional and physical traumas, to body movement patterns. It puts the whole picture in clear view for both me and my clients so we can strategize the most adaptive and successful approach for our goals. Unfortunately, most of the time before I meet these people, they have never heard or considered this approach before.

When people come to me, it's because they want change. I find that with this want of something: weight loss, corrective training, nutrition advice, and so forth, people will become impersonal with their problem...kind of zeroing in on it like it's the enemy and disconnect with it while being harsh and critical of themselves. This can ultimately lead to frustration, unhealthy approaches, desperation, and unresolved issues.

When we allow ourselves to disconnect, we lose sight of possible crucial factors in solving the problem, and we become impersonal with ourselves.
Our bodies are amazing healing machines have every capability to become healthy, fit, energized, and balanced. In fact all the health professionals I've been around facilitate one thing: SELF healing.

So, this is mind, if you have something you want to change about yourself, look in the mirror and see what your body is telling you. Take a look at your posture, skin, eyes, tongue. What is it saying? How do you feel? What are my routines with movement (exercise and everyday activities)? What are my eating habits? Do I feel anxious, stressed, depressed? (So on and so forth).

Below are some basic questions you can ask to consider the whole SELF and start to make some changes

On good days I do these things:
This is what I need to work on:
This would make my days better:
These obstacles keep me from making those changes:
Notes and Self Observations:


Above all when considering these things about your self be honest, but also, be kind. Give yourself the padding of unconditional love no matter
where you're at or what mistakes you make. Imagine you are the mother or father looking down at yourself as an innocent child. A lot of the time we get into ruts we don't realize with the body or mind, so keep it personal and positive. That will keep your methods of self preservation and improvement healthy and well-rounded;)

Fitness Tips for Fall

Fall is by far, my favorite season. Maybe it's because I love the cool air. Maybe it's because I associate the crisp air with helping my dad rake up leaves and then jumping into the pile. Maybe it's because I love apples and it's ripe for apple pickin'. Either way, fall is one of the best times to mix up your workout.


In yogic belief, the fall is associated with the lungs and heart. To me, that translates to cardio! If you've been putting off jogging or cycling, why not start now? The air is refreshing and at the very least, it's great damage control for all the candy corns, turkey, and Christmas cookies that surround us mercilessly force us to eat them:)

Check out the link for more tips on fall fitness.



Also, if you live in the Bradenton/Florida area, come check out your favorite yogi Sunday mornings at 8:30am at the end of Manatee Avenue (on the left side of cafe on the beach).

Namaste' and get your booty in gear!

xoxoxo
your trainer,
Erin Is Awesome