Day 8 - Meditation - Guided Meditation - Universal Connection

Welcome to Day 8 of our meditation Challenge.  While people all over the world are joining in this Sangha, and I am grateful for this shared experience, some of you have found that you fall asleep during meditation.  First of all, no judgement it happens to the best of us.  Sometimes if you go into the meditation practice with the intent to "relax" or feel "rested" it may be inevitable that you fall asleep. Avoid practicing your meditation in bed, your mind already associates your bed with sleep, so it is ideal to have some sort of special space where you will practice your meditation.  Today's helpful tip is another guided meditation with binaural beats that allow the listener to go into theta state (please use stereo headphones).  This meditation is to increase your awareness of Universal Connection.

1. Set your intention/offering for your meditation practice
2. Sit up tall, close your eyes, take deep breaths and listen to the guided meditation. 
 

To listen to the guided meditation please click the link below:

Universal Connection Guided Meditation Link

Cheers to Amazing Health - Thankful Detox Juice

So while many people are coming down from their food comas (post thanksgiving) there is more incentive to detox and get healthy. While it is important to be mindful of how we exercise our body, and it's obvious Yoga is one of my favorite methods to exercise the Mind-Body-Spirit, what we eat is also very important to be mindful of. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetable provides our body with phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, water, and oxygenation to our blood and organs.

In the tail end of summer I did a 4 week complete Raw Vegan Cleanse. With daily juicing and smoothies that left my body with more energy than I ever imagined. You can actually witness the transformation in my skin and hair in the videos on my youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/Ambriali

In the past I have been blessed with amazing opportunities of doing detox challenges with Yoga Students, only to witness incredible transformations, and while I am no stranger to doing a juice cleanse or even multiple month long fasts myself, the inspiration behind this summers juicing detox, was to inspire my family to get healthier. Since the summer, family juice extravaganza my daddy who is already a healthy person, has kept my juicer, and joyfully makes juice 4-5 times a week (Yeaaa Daddy).

While the superficial benefits of doing a detox are amazing like a leaner body, glowing skin, healthier hair, the Spiritual benefits are amazing as well. Challenge yourself to cleanse your dietary habits and notice the shift in all areas of your life. Your meditation and yoga practice will be stronger, and you will feel a deeper sense of joy. Just a note, when embarking on any type of detox you may get initial hurdles like fatigue, and or headaches ...that is just the toxins leaving your body, it's very temporary, be patient and embrace the detox. Also, if your diet is not so clean/pure or "Sattvic" as they would say in Ayurveda, be mindful that the alkalinity of the fruits and veggies may be a taste that your acidic blood initially has to get used to.

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world" ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Today, I decided to try a new juice combo suggested by a friend.

The Thankful Detox Juice

4 Grapefruits

2 Gala Apples

4 Organic Carrots

1 bunch of Parsley

HAPPY JUICING!!!

Juicing - Cheers to Good Health

Since I have been back in Canada, I have spending time with a relative who is in semi paralysis, enjoying time with my niece and nephew, exploring and enjoying teaching yoga up here, and of course missing my lovely yogis in NYC. Seeing the rapidly growing cancer rate in Canada, and witnessing how many people are sadly oblivious to how their diet affects their body has inspired me to put my juicing into full affect. So with my Cinematic Team My 7yr old niece Katarina (Director) and 4 yr old nephew (Prop Manager) we are making juicing videos to inspire the world to health and wellness.....and in the process these amazing kids are enjoy Drinking Healthy Drinks!

For the past couple years, teaching up to 6 classes a day in NYC (and loving it!), I have maintained my Vegetarian lifestyle (and loving it), and had MAXIMUM energy. Juicing has been a staple in my daily life.

Why does our body need to have more vegetables and fruits?

• Vegetables provide more alkalinity to the body, and oxygenation to cellular development and our blood
• Reality check, our body is made up for 75% water, we need to be replenished
• The body requires the most amount of energy for Digestion, NOT ANY WORKOUT, but digestion....therefore we need to eat and drink things that provide optimal benefit and least taxation for our digestive system.
• While many yogis abide by AHIMSA (non-harming to all living things, myself included) when embarking on Vegan/Vegetarian dietary habits, we must understand that when we eat meat (especially hormone fed meats of today) our body does not have the enzymes to break down the extremely high amounts of URIC acid in the meats, which is a direct reason for the ever growing colon cancer, liver, pancreatic and Diabetes rates in north America.
• Vegetables are the richest source of water, vitamins, minerals, calcium, iron, and phytonutrients, that is something we want!
• YES I SAID CALCIUM! Calcium found in the whole "Milk Does a Body Good Campaign" is untrue.....because while Milk may be high in Calcium, it is not AT ALL absorbed by our HUMAN BODY. We are not COWS. Our body does not have the enzyme, or chemical ability to break down the truly minute amount of calcium found in Milk. Milk is also high in hormones, and other additives. This can be directly linked to our growing population of people with bone density issues and osteoporosis.
• The vitamins and minerals from juicing instantly absorb into the blood stream.
• Veggies give you the highest source of energy. What was my before Zogaliaties (a class known for intensity and high energy) snack? A Banana or Kale Salad and I was bursting of energy!
• Veggies and Fruits are low in calorie, rich in taste and have nutritional value for the body, therefore much better than anything processed or in a package which takes longer for your body to digest.
• Veggies help to clear skin, detoxify the body, purify the blood, decrease mucous, neutralize free radicals, energize you, stimulate digestion, reduce fat, and provide iron.

SOME VEGGIES I LOVE:

• Spinach - High in Iron and Calcium (Popeye ate it)
• Kale - Rich in Calcium, and Amino Acids
• Parsley - High in Vitamin C, Strengthens Adrenals
• Cilantro - High in Vitamin C, Removes heavy metals
• Basil - High in Vitamin K, great for Lymphatic system (excellent to reduce Celulite)
• Cucumber - high in Water, detixifier (put it on your eyes and watch the puffy go away)
• Watercress - SUPER DUPER High in Calcium!!! Anti Mucous for Asthma sufferers, jump on it!
• Ginger - Excellent for the stomach and Circulation
• Celery - Alkalizing and detoxification for the body!
• Beets - Excellent for Kidneys, Blood purification and helps mens prostate health.

These can be easily juiced for a yummy, delicious, healthy drink! If you want to inspire someone to be healthier, invest in a juicer and drink to your health.

A side story.....growing up, my beloved mommy was embracing a predominantly vegetarian type of diet. Her preference was organic and we had a lovely garden. She was known to add spirulina and eat her greens. When she had cancer in full affect (it was in her family history), anytime I made fresh juice for her, her body would literally reject it, and instead she wanted to eat ribs (Something SHE NEVER ATE BEFORE, EVER!). The disease in her body (which is ACIDIC and made her blood acidic) was craving more acidity, therefore rejecting the Alkalinity found in the juice.

So if you are wondering why you hate the taste of Veggies.....it is perhaps because your acidity level of your blood is high....acidity craves more acidity, acidity also eats away at your internal organs and inhibits healthy cellular development. Perhaps you need to monitor what your daily intake of food is. Is your diet consisting of more processed foods? More with white flours, sugars, salts etc? Then your blood may be more on the acidic side.

There are ingredient listings on your daily snacks....with some chemicals we cannot even pronounce....yet when you purchase a head of lettuce, there is no bizarre ingredient list....because it is just plain lettuce.

Remember, being skinny does not mean you are healthy on the inside. So for all those on the fad diets that are super high protein, or starvation-esque....if you are contracting diabetes, or issues with your digestion....you may want to rethink your approach to health and wellness. You may want to think about your inside body.

Look to inspirations like Paramahansa, Sri Dharma Mittra, Lou Corona etc. Make subtle changes and watch how your energy sky rockets, your skin glows, your pants sizes drop, and you look and feel AMAZING!!!

CHEERS TO GOOD HEALTH!

Please visit my Newest YouTube Channel, Share it with your friends, Subscribe, leave comments, ask questions, share recipes ETC. Let's spread the movement of better health with everyone!!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Ambriali