Spa(ish) Week: Day 1 Recap

From July 22 through July 28, I’m going to make it my  job to be as fit, healthy, and well-rested as I can be. Because I’m curious… How much time does it really take to make health and well being our number one priority? And how much awesomer will I feel if I do it?

Read all about my Spa(ish) Week 2012 plans here.

Day 1 Recap

Sigh. The first day of Spa(ish) Week wasn’t the wonderful, relaxing day I imagined. First, I woke up 90 minutes earlier than I wanted to, then about 90 minutes after that, I was tackled my monthly cramps so strong they kinda made my eyes cross. They lasted all day. All day. Despite Pamprin, blankie, Smudge, herbal tea, etc.

Movement
1. Walk 4 miles
Mostly achieved with a slight change of plans. I scaled back to a shorter walk because my cramps were so bad, I was uncomfortable merely standing in my kitchen. I did about 30 minutes on the lake trail and returned as quickly as I could to the air conditioning and the company of Smudge on the couch.

2. Meditation
Achieved. I spent 15 minutes practicing “Humee Hum Brahm Hum” from my kundalini instructor’s CD Power in Peace. This meditation is for effective communication and the elimination of inner conflict. According to Yogi Bhajan, “You must hear and understand what you speak… once you speak, hear, and understand humee hum braham hum (We are we, we are god), all conflict in your personality will disappear.”

Groovy! I like it because it’s very soothing. This link shows the posture I used for the meditation. I alternated between chanting along with the recording and practicing slow breathing. I’ve been working on lengthening my breath, so I practiced inhaling for a slow count of 7, retaining the breath for a slow count of 7, then exhaling for a slow count of 7. It’s extremely relaxing and transports the mind to another place that’s nowhere in particular. A noggin vacation!

Food
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with a little sweet potato, scallion, ground beef, and Lebanese 7-Spice seasoning, plus cherries on the side.

Lunch: grilled chicken sautéed with shredded red cabbage, carrots, onion, red pepper, and broccoli, with red curry sauce and just a little coconut milk. Cherries!

Dinner: a giant salad with two kinds of lettuce, cucumber, red pepper, carrots, grass-fed ground beef, and homemade mayo.

General Well-Being & Random Thoughts
I spent a big chunk of the day reading The Thyroid Diet Revolution, and it was extremely helpful. I’ll be sharing a full review soon, but if you have a thyroid challenge, or think you might have a thyroid that needs attention, I 100% recommend this book.

On deck for Day 2 today:
Strength training
Walk 4 miles
Meditation

plus… a meeting with our PR company, some writing, grocery shopping, and tonight: a Star Trek special event!