Welcome October + Weekly Lettering

Hello and Welcome October! I'd like to start each week with a Lettering Challenge. This will keep me on top of my creative pursuits and hopefully you all enjoy the experimentation and quotes to come!  (Above: Brause Steno nib + Walnut ink)

As we come into October, we are officially in our new routine for school/work and as the season transitions, and so are our bodies.  I've been more mindful lately of self care.  Feeling overwhelmed by life and eating too much mac n cheese (Laina's fave!), I was craving a full on refresh. There are many small things we can do each day to nod to our bodies and mind. It can be chamomile tea before bed, a yoga class in the morning, ten minutes of meditation before we get out of bed...and perhaps a cleanse.  While there isn't a wrong time to begin, the fall is a great time to pay a little more attention to our bodies as we come out of summer and into autumn.  At the end of September, I did a Fall Cleanse and Rejuvenation. I had never done one before and this particular cleanse/rejuvenation followed the Ayurvedic principles of maintaining a mono-diet along with herbal supplements, asana, pranayama and agni sara. According to Ayurveda, our bodies transition with the seasons and the following five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space.  It's important to note because our bodies become imbalanced and there are a few simple things we can do to get back on track and feel great again. My cleanse was three days, followed by one week of rejuvenation. It was a completely attainable cleanse AND I didn't starve!

I did cut out coffee, wine, dairy and gluten. It wasn't that hard at all, and at this point, I feel a whole lot lighter and refreshed! BUT, I did go through a period of of dealing with some emotional and physical instability.  Meaning, Day 2 was kinda brutal. I had a headache that I couldn't shake all day despite the copious amount of water I drank. I was also absolutely exhausted and spent the day almost in its entirety napping! Emotionally, what came along with that was a bit of frustration. I almost didn't think I could do the third day! But I persisted and I'm really glad I did.  After a long sleep, Day 3 was much easier and now post cleanse, I continue to enjoy eating kitchari (it's quite tasty and you really will feel great after eating it!). I had a cup of coffee about a week later and absolutely enjoyed it, but I don't really want to drink a lot of coffee like prior to the cleanse. Same thing with wine and even eating in general. I'm just not craving things like pasta or pizza and since I feel better, I'd really like to keep it going!  

What measures or routines or small changes do you make for self care? And do you practice daily, or only when you're feeling off balance?  If you're interested in learning more about a cleanse using Ayurvedic principles, feel free to check out the information here.

If you choose to do a cleanse, I highly recommend you have some time carved out where you can be curious how you are feeling emotionally and physically. Your body detoxes and practicing asana is amazing and helps push things that we are holding onto through and out of our bodies. (I did yoga twice one day during my cleanse!)  Allow yourself to really feel what's going on.