Welcome to Day 7!

Today you begin to ease back into a more normal diet. I encourage you to take it slow. In fact, I like to stick to kitchari for at least one meal per day for the next few days. For your other meals, consider the texture of kitchari and try to mimic that easy to digest texture. Steel cut oats for breakfast, and pureed or blended soups for another meal are good choices for the next two days. You’ll want to start adding some rejuvenative foods into your diet now too. A quick snack of dates filled with nut butter will probably hit the spot.

Tomorrow in the Beyond Fall Cleanse info I’ll provide more details about how to continue to eat in a rejuvenative way this fall, but for now just remember, go slow when transitioning from the mono-diet (now isn’t the time to order a supreme pizza, no matter how much you are craving it), and stick to foods that are soft, moist, and warm.

Take a rest from any additional physical activity today beyond what you have to do to get through your day, and if you can, schedule in time for a nap!

Get oily

Continue your abhyanga at least a few times per week, and an oily foot massage nightly. In addition to these two oily treats, begin nasya (nasal oiling) to prevent dryness of the mucous membranes, and promote clarity and stability of mind. Nasya can aid with mental and emotional stress, and can relieve tension in the head, throat, neck, jaw and shoulders. You can use plain sesame oil for your nasya practice, or use Banyan Botanicals amazing Nasya Oil. Simply place a small amount of oil in the palm of your hand, dip in your pinky finger, and rub the oil on the inside of each nostril. Once each nostril is oiled take a long, slow, and deep inhalation and relax. Avoid nasya if you are pregnant. You can read a little more about nasya here.

Reflect

Set aside time for reflection today – take time to reflect back on your experiences and to envision how you would like your life to be moving forward. What insights arose during the process? What foods and activities do you wish to bring back into your life as you return to a more normal routine? What foods or activities would you like to reduce or eliminate from your life? How can improving your own health benefit your family, community, and the natural world? Keep a journal and write down your answers so that they will serve as inspiration and guidelines for maintaining positive momentum in your life. You started this work on day 5 with a self-reflection worksheet, and planted seeds of intention yesterday during yoga nidra. Keep nurturing those seeds throughout this vata season.