Day 26: Restoration - came right at the right time!

I had a Massage at Siam Orchid, Balgowlah

The theme this week is restoration, and it couldn't have been more timely. 

Week 4 began with a three day fruit fast, which freaked me out for two reasons; first, I would never normally take in so much sugar, and second, I hate being told what to do. This may have been the beginning of my demise...

I may have said this before, but I'm generally a healthy eater.  I mostly eat fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and some grains. I occasionally eat meat, chicken and other stuff (sweets, breads), depending where I am and what I'm doing, but I generally avoid these things because I find them difficult to digest.

With a fairly healthy diet already, the concept of restriction on the fast concerned me, but I'm in this all the way, so I did it anyway.  I made it through the 3 days, but was thrown way off course the day after, when I jumped on the scales and came in heavier than when I started! 

I thought the idea was to feel lighter in body and mind, but this dampened both.  By Thursday night when I was supposed to hit the mat again, I couldn't face it.  I was physically and mentally deflated. For the first time since I started the 40-Days I felt bereft of energy. I felt I couldn't manage a minute - let alone an hour and a half - on the mat.  And I was starving! Soooo... I thought, it's restoration week.  Listen to your body and rest up.  I went home, chowed down a dinner of BBQ beef and rice - my first meat dish in months - and went to bed at 7.30pm !!!

My last thought before zoning out was that I felt like a machine that had just been unplugged.  

And I slept until 5.30am! TEN HOURS!  I woke up feeling so much better, stronger and clearer.  I continued 'nurturing' my self with a one hour traditional Thai massage this morning, and by the time I got to class at 12.15 today I was ready to rock again.  I had such an uplifting class and felt so revived and fulfilled by the end, that I am sure that yesterday's rest was exactly what I needed.

Though clearly I need to address why restriction and instruction affect me so terribly...Food for thought in my meditations!