Spa(ish) Week: Day 7 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 7 Recap

I’m surprised to find that my Spa(ish) Week experiment didn’t feel too much different than my regular weeks… which I suppose is kind of a good thing. The primary difference was making the time to meditate every day, which I’m going to keep doing, even if it’s only for 10 minutes with a guided meditation. Oxygen and slowing down is so good!

Movement
1. Walk
Done! I walked to the library in blistering heat. It was vaguely unpleasant, but only 55 minutes round trip, so I mustn’t complain. Sadly, the book I went there to pick up was kind of a bust. The intro basically says, “These recipes aren’t tested, so you better be a very experienced cook to make them work.” Um, thanks for the help learning how to cook like a Romanian. Jeez.

2. Hatha Yoga Kundalini Yoga + Meditation
Done! We skipped our Hatha yoga class in the morning in favor of breakfast and watching the Olympics, then I took a 2 1/2 hour nap like I was drugged. Late in the afternoon, I did my own solo kundalini practice at home, including a 25-minute meditation. Lovely.

Food
Breakfast (at Habanero Cafe): machacado and eggs, guacamole, a few french fries

Lunch: Chocolate Chili, spaghetti squash

Dinner (Olympics!): Scotch Egg, a big salad with lettuce, red peppers, cucumbers, and onion

General Thoughts About Spa(ish) Week
Time is precious.
I wondered how much time it actually takes to do all the things we’re “supposed” to do, and the answer is “quite a bit.” On strength training days, my movement commitment took a lot of time: an hour at the gym (plus commute), a little more than an hour for the walk around the lake (plus the commute), and meditation time, which is anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. It’s not impossible, but if I still had a 9-to-5 job, it would require a lot of discipline: an hour in the morning, an hour in the evening, and meditation just before bed or immediately after lunch.

I feel mostly the same.
I didn’t notice any major differences in how I felt this week, but that could be due in no small part to the thyroid hormone experiment I’m doing. I will admit, however, that walking feels less like punishment and more like a release than it did a few weeks ago. I actually look forward to it now — and meditation every day is very beneficial, especially when I’m feeling fatigued. Just a few minutes of focused breathing — either breath of fire or deep, slow breaths — makes me feel clear-headed and energized. I’m working on a how-to post for breathing, so I’ll share that practice soon.

Clean eating.
I’ve been eating 90% Whole30 style for three solid weeks now, and it feels really comfortable. My only treats have been french fries once in a while, some dark chocolate, and some days, more calories than I really need. But no gluten, no grains, no dairy, no major falls into the pits of garbage food. That’s going to continue until… forever. YAY!