Jane Kerrison

As I’ve been posting a little sparsely as of late, I figure it is a good time to let you know how my various health summer plans have been unfolding.

Operation Meditation has been continuing, and while I’m not sure how much extensive progress I’m making with seated meditation, I am sticking with it. That is, I believe, a big part of it in the early stages.

I have been having notably more success in incorporating meditative mindfulness to my everyday life. Basically, this is just the practice of bringing your full attention to whatever task is on hand, rather than dwelling in the past or future (in your thoughts, not literally, though time travel would be cool…). This technique helps to keep you grounded and present in your everyday life, and allows you to more easily appreciate positive moments.

I’ve continued practicing Kundalini Yoga on a regular basis, and am starting to find some of the exercises to be a bit more manageable. Since I’ve been rather busy lately, I have not done it everyday as I meant to, but I’m aware this is a bad excuse, and am hoping to be more vigilant in the future. I’ve noticed since I’ve started missing a few days, that I don’t sleep as well if I don’t do my yoga practice.

I’ve also started exploring Yin Yoga, which is closer to restorative yoga, and involves holding each pose for a longer period of time (generally about 3-5 minutes). It can simultaneously be a very emotional and hugely relaxing experience. I find it especially good on days when I don’t feel I have enough energy to do a more vigorous Kundalini practice. Yin yoga tends to work different muscles than a more active practice, and is a good compliment to a physical (or Yang) yoga workout.

My plan for Healthy Eating, is going remarkably well. Part of the reason is that I can’t eat dairy, which is a main ingredient in most of the foods that I imagine would normally cause me to fall off track! It is actually quite remarkable how much my eating habits have changed over the past few weeks. I don’t eat dairy or red meat (I’ve found it doesn’t agree with me), and I’m doing my best to avoid foods with excessive amounts of sugar.

Additionally, I’ve been experimenting with different fruits and vegetables that I have never eaten (for example yellow zucchini, golden kiwi, figs, bok choy). I’m discovering a whole variety of tastes that I have never experienced. Regularly trying new foods has made eating really fun, which has helped to counter any moments of longing for ice cream.

After cutting out dairy, I’ve noticed that I’m no longer nauseous, which after a few years of this being a near constant problem, is a lovely change. Every time I’ve slipped up and accidentally had something with dairy in it, I have felt so awful that I completely lose my appetite for that particular food. I have virtually no cravings for the diary filled foods that filled my past.

All in all, I’m pretty pleased with how things are progressing. While I did have a day or two of tiredness after Muskoka, I recovered much better than I would have a few months ago. It is so nice to feel like I am making positive change in my life :)