Sat Siri Kaur

HALLE-FREAKIN-LUJAH!!
After 19 days in the hospital, Sat Siri Kaur was released!
She is now at home to continue recovering. Thank you to everyone who contributed to her healing. If you would like to make a donation toward her medical expenses, please click here.
Yoga Bits
Morsels of yogic wisdom and information

 Oct. 1 - 7, 2012  

LongTimeSun
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Sickeningly Sweet
A story, NOT a lecture, about eating to live     

  "Your mind is your servant, your body is your vehicle  

and your soul is your residence." 

--  Yogi Bhajan 

 

This edition of Yoga Bits is not a lecture. It's not even a recommendation. It's really just a story. You may find it interesting, unpleasant, relevant, inspiring or none/all of the above.  

 

This tale is about one of the ways my yoga practice has affected my life recently. As you read, I invite you to focus not so much on identifying with the particulars of my experience, but how your own practice has allowed you to observe and grow in ways (large or small) that you never imagined possible for yourself.

 

Celery Monday, September 17, was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I decided that was a good day to stop eating sugar. This was not a spur of the moment decision. I've had it in the back of my mind for years now. More than a year ago, I started thinking about it more. Around April I decided I should attempt it. From that point, it took me six full months before I actually began. I thought several times I would start but I balked (major stumbling block: I hate celery and I would be eating plenty). I could tell I needed to do more to mentally prepare. I did and here I am.

 

The biggest question I get is, "Why?" It's accompanied with a look that ranges from mild skepticism to all-out horror. I admit: It sounds pretty crazy to me, too. But the simplest explanation is that I haven't felt my absolute best for a long time. I've had lots of vague symptoms of things, none of which have (thankfully) been linked to anything imminent or serious. I've tried lots and lots of measures -- not limited to diet but including simply cutting down on sugar -- to feel better. Nothing has completely worked and I'm over feeling blah.

 

I knew this endeavor would be difficult. I did not know how difficult. I don't think I would have done it if I had. I quit smoking in my early 30s and I think this is harder -- although maybe I'm not remembering it accurately (but I do know when I quit smoking I could eat cookies). 

Broccoli But I'm highly motivated, in part because diabetes runs in my family. I've always been worried about the day when my doctor would say, "You're diabetic." I figured this was an inevitable if not imminent problem and I always wondered if I would change my diet or if I would just say, "Oh, what the hell!" Since ignoring the doctor at that point would be tantamount to slow suicide, I felt I had to explore my resistance. So part of my current choice is a way to test myself before the fact.

To accomplish this goal, I felt the need to go "cold turkey." For some folks, weaning away from sugar dependency would be fine and it sounded so darned reasonable that I thought that would be the route I would take. However, what I discovered immediately under that formula was that I was shoveling carbs (bread, potatoes, corn, etc) as fast as I could chew to compensate. Clearly I was going to have to take the plunge if I was really going to overcome cravings. So I did.

So on the first day of 5773 (Hebrew year) I cut out all forms of added sugar, including fruit, and also drastically reduced my carbohydrate intake, all in order to "kick" the sugar out of my system. I haven't had an apple, a piece of bread, a carrot or a french fry in two weeks and I have been insane. INSANE. If you are an out-of-state reader, consider yourself fortunate. It's not been pretty for some folks around here.

Depending on when you actually read this week's newsletter, I am now slowly re-introducing low-glycemic fruit (what I like to refer to as "nutritional sugar") and high-fiber whole grains, which will be fantastic. The idea for me is not to avoid sugar or carbs for the rest of my life -- in fact, one of my fellow yogis asked if I was giving up chocolate for good and I looked at him like he was a delusional barbarian. We cleared that up immediately. I might be committed to making changes but I've not taken complete leave of my senses!

Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut Besides, the sugar itself is not the problem -- through digestion our bodies break down everything into sugar (glucose) anyway -- it's the refined sugar and carbohydrates that are in almost everything I've eaten since I was a kid. After all, I have a long and loyal relationship to refined sugar and processed foods. I grew up in the south, where Coca-Cola flows like water and Krispy Kremes were sold as a breakfast option in high school. I was also a kid in the 1970s when things like Spaghettios and Pop-Tarts were considered wholesome -- and I consumed them regularly along with genuinely fortifying foods my mom would prepare.  

 

So the idea is to give my system a re-set so that I can have sugar and carbs in non-addictive, healthy proportions in my diet.    

 

I'm certain I would not have even considered this change if not for the subtle sensitivities I am continually developing through my practice. Now consider your own remarkable growth as a human being, either on or off a yoga mat. Any degree of awakening matters, regardless of how "large" or "small" the change -- or its origin. What authentic needs and natural abilities have you discovered that enhance the quality of your own life? Take stock of your amazing progress so far in 2012 and enjoy your sweet success! 

Sat Nam,
Mary

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Regular Kundalini, Hatha and Restorative classes at my home studio in North Hollywood are now $25 each and can be scheduled upon request. Private sessions are $75 and consist of a 30- to 60-minute consultation, a custom recipe for a personal practice based on your individual needs, and 30 minutes of follow-up instruction by phone or in person.


Why? WHY? WHY?????
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The techniques and suggestions presented in Yoga Bits are not intended as medical claims or to substitute for proper medical advice. Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program. If you are elderly or have any chronic or recurring conditions such as high blood pressure, neck or back pain, arthritis, heart disease, and so on, seek your physician's advice before practicing.