I Survived the Master Cleanse Diet

Yes,  I did survived the Master Cleanse Diet a.k.a. Lemon Diet and no, I am not following Beyonce who dropped 20 lbs for her Dreamgirls role or Jared Leto who shed 62 lbs for his role in Chapter 7.

This cleanse was recommended by my Theta Healing teacher Sanaiyah Gurnamal after taking the intense three-week Intuitive Anatomy course.  She advised to do the cleanse  to complement all the emotional release [that happened during the course] with physical release, the actual elimination of toxins in the body.

The Master Cleanse is a ten-day juice fast introduced by Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s. The benefits are as follows: to dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body, to cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system, to purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body, to eliminate all unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles, to relieve pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries and blood vessels, to build a healthy blood stream and to keep youth and elasticity regardless of years. This is also good to take when sickness has developed (for acute or chronic conditions), the digestive system needs a rest, overweight has become a problem and for better assimilation and building of body tissue is needed.

Well, to tell you the truth, this is my second attempt. The first time I did it, which is right after the course, I lasted only five days. My body started shaking and I was afraid that I wouldn't make my scheduled trip to Los Angeles because I was feeling weak and frail.

I tried again right after the Disease and Disorder Theta Healing course. This time, I made sure I stayed home most of the time. I also eased down on my food intake  two days before the cleanse.

For those who want to try, the recipe is easy to make:
2 tablespoons of organic lemon or lime (or 1/2 a lemon)
2 tablespoons of grade B organic maple syrup
1/10 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
8 oz distilled water at room temperature

The organic lemon or lime is available in any of the organic stalls at the Salcedo or Legaspi weekend market and the rest are available in any Healthy Options branch. I like the lemon variety from Baguio because they're bigger.

Just combine the juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper in a 10-oz jar with lid and fill with distilled water. Shake it up and drink.  Note that you can't take anything else during the ten day fast. This means, strictly no other food or even vitamins and supplements. Peppermint tea is the only allowed drink.

I made at least two to three liters of this mix and stored it in a one quart container which I carried with me wherever I went.  It is also strongly recommended to drink a laxative tea like Traditional Medicine's Smooth Move blend in the evening before going to bed and to drink a quart of warm water mixed with two tablespoons of Epsom salt first thing in the morning.

Warning though, the cleanse does not end after ten days. There is a protocol on how to break the fast which requires another 3-5 days depending if you're a vegetarian or not.

For vegetarians, drink several 8 oz glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice slowly on the first and second day after the cleanse.  The orange juice apparently prepares the digestive system to properly digest and assimilate regular food. Raw fruit can be taken for lunch on the third day, followed by fruit or raw vegetable salad at night.

For non-vegetarians, same protocol on the first day and on the second day, vegetable soup may be taken for dinner. The third day, orange juice in the morning and more soup for lunch and dinner. Normal eating may be resumed on the fourth day.

I actually felt strong during the first six days of the cleanse. It was only on the seventh day when I felt faint and weak. In fact, I almost collapsed during my hot yoga class. I was wondering why I was mumbling as I called out the poses.  I tried waving to my  co-teacher Edel Tubog who was in the front row. Since she didn't respond, I gathered all my strength and commanded my body to finish the class. Edel said after the class that she couldn't see me because she wasn't wearing her eyeglasses.

Also, my eyesight deteriorated on the 6th day of the cleanse. I couldn't read or use the computer. I guess since I have astigmatism, my eyesight corrected? I'm not sure what happened. I can see normally now.  I'm supposed to do a liver cleanse which will help improve my eyesight.

I may do the liver cleanse after I do the master cleanse again. Yup, I plan to do another one after the holidays.  Stanley Burroughs recommended doing the cleanse every 4 to 6 months.

To those who have weight loss as a goal, please try not to go back to your eating habits. If you eat consciously, you will sustain the weight that you lose.  Believe me, you will definitely lose weight. From 54 kilos,  I went all the way down to 47 kilos and now, I have maintained my weight to 50 kilos.  So eat well after to sustain your weight loss! Good luck!

Kundalini Yoga Retreat to Awaken the Warrior Within in Puerto Princesa on November 20-22

I'm quite excited about the upcoming yoga retreat called "Kundalini Yoga to Awaken the Warrior Within" that I'll be facilitating in Bahay Kalipay in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on November 20 to 22, 2015.  Its the only natural healing enter in the Philippines that offers supervised 100% raw food enzyme diet.

I keep coming back to this place. It's the only holistic healing center in the Philippines that offers 100% raw food enzyme diet in a serene environment conducive to self-healing. I remember the first time I had set foot in Bahay Kalipay was way back in 2009 (read post here).

The yoga retreat is really all about fighting the demons within that's holding you back and preventing you from moving forward in life.

Deng Ming-Dao in 365 Tao said "A warrior will have many opponents in a lifetime, but the ultimate opponent is the warrior's own self. Within a fighter's personality is a wide array of demons to be conquered: fear, laziness, ignorance, selfishness, egotism and so many more. To talk of overpowering other people is inconsequential. To actually overcome one's own defects is the true nature of victory."

The yoga retreat as the title says will awaken the warrior spirit which is basically instilling self-love, courage and fearlessness. But first it requires to clear up all the fears, resentments, regrets, habitual patterns, in other words, all the demons. At the end, hopefully, all those who attend  will be able to use the tools to help cope with obstacles and issues that life throws each day and like what everyone wants, lead a happy and healthy life.

For this retreat, I would ask the participants to start asking "what are you holding onto that is restricting your ability to flow and leaving you feeling insecure and powerless?" If you do go to this retreat, all you'll be doing is to go within and allow yourself to let go and just be.

If you'd like to join this yoga retreat, contact Bahay Kalipay at +63-927 547-7871 or email bahaykalipayretreats@gmail.com. 

21 Stages of Meditation with Gurucharan Singh in Los Angeles

with Gurucharan Singh

Unbelievable that I was able to do 2 1/2 hours of Sodarshan Kriya. This is a powerful pranayama meditation which involves suspending the breath with the synchronized pumping of the navel with each chant of Wahe Guru for a total of 48 pumps.  Yogi Bhajan said that "of all the twenty two types of yoga, including Kundalini Yoga, this is the highest kriya. The meditation cuts through all darkness. The kriya means the perfect purification of the chakras. It will give you a new start. It is the simplest kriya, but at the same time, the hardest."

I am grateful to Dr. Gurucharan Kaur Khalsa for helping me sit through 2 1/2 hours. His 21 Stages of Meditation course helped me dive deep within.  The course was a total of six days in West Hollywood in Los Angeles. We started by doing 11-minutes meditation first, then gradually increased to 31-minutes, 62 minutes and finally the grand finale was the 2 1/2 hours of Sodarshan.

He said that "Meditation helps us develop our intuition which is a natural capacity within each of us that empowers us to relax, flow and be happy in our lives. With intuition, our core anxieties decrease and our minds can become still. We are fully engaged and alert in every moment as we let the Unknown serve us. The opposite of this meditative capacity is the frantic emotional and intellectual grasping for control that most of us live in from day to day."

with Tommy Rosen

It was the email of Tommy Rosen that prompted me to join the course. I was in Canggu, Bali in Guru Dass' Level 2 Conscious Communication course when I read his email.  Note that I was introduced to Tommy Rosen' when a friend, with a substance use disorder,  gave me a copy of his book entitled "Recovery 2.0". My friend said that the book changed his life and  helped him through his own recovery process and I must read it to help others. Since then I've subscribed to  Tommy Rosen, who has been in long term recovery and discovered kundalini yoga along the way. 

In that email he wrote "My wife and I took the course from Gurucharan last August and it was one of the most powerful experiences we've yet had. The effects continue to even now... The strength of my recovery and joy in my life depends upon me penetrating beyond the clutter and confusion of my mind to a deeper state of calm. This beautiful state is accessible by anyone as long as they have a good teacher and willingness to try... Gurucharan wrote the book and designed the 21 Stages course with Yogi Bhajan. It is very special to be able to take the course directly from him...  I consider this to be some of the most important work we can be doing, which is to get in touch with our True Nature, to gain mastery over our minds and live authentically from our hearts. If this resonates with you, register today." 

It did resonate. I registered immediately and in two months, Gurucharan was right n front of me teaching the three stages on how to develop the tendencies of the mind. It was mind blowing and I believe I'll do this course again. Sat nam.

Bring Prosperity to your Life at Global Mala 2015

at the Global Mala Project

Grateful to be part of this year's Global Mala Project in Manila on September 26 at White Space. Teresa Herrera-Anthony set up this event to be part of the worldwide collective celebration and service. There are over 150 countries participating on this day.

A 'mala' is a garland made up of 108 beads that is used during meditation. The purpose of the Global Mala Project is to bring the global yoga community together to form a 'mala around the earth' through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108.

Teresa shares the vision of her teacher, Global Mala Project founder Shiva Rea, who put out a call to action in 2007 to make a difference by sending out loving energy to all life. Teresa  said "We're using yoga as a platform to promote health, wellness, consciousness and action." All the proceeds of the event will go to the Children International Philippines Foundation.

For the event, I prepared a kundalini yoga kriya and meditation to 'Bring Prosperity to your Life'. The intention is to be able to open up to the infinite opportunities  by activating the heart and brain centers. By opening up the heart center, it will increase compassion and sensitivity to others which is also in line with the Global Mala intention of bring people together through yoga, peace and social change.

Prosperity is not just about wealth and income. As defined, it is the state of being prosperous. So, you can be prosperous in peace, in kindness, in relationships, in time, in success, and others. Yogi Bhajan, the founder of Kundalini Yoga in the United sates said that prosperity "is like a rosebud when it flowers and opens up and shares its fragrance... When a man or woman is prosperous, it is the fragrance of security, grace, depth, character and truthfulness that a person can share. Like a candle emits light, a human emits prosperity. Prosperity begins with our internal attitude, and flows outwardly. When we connect with an internal attitude of prosperity, we become like a magnet. The abundance of the universe flows to us with out stopping."

I ended the session with Yogi Bhajan's 3 laws of prosperity, which if put into practice will adjust one's attitude completely. It's very simple and universal. First, be kind to everyone. Second, never speak ill of others. And lastly, never speak ill of yourself. Satnam.

Photos at the event:

warming up for the kundalini yoga kriya

with Teresa Herrera-Anthony, Malu and Liana