Saturday, 17 October 2020
Weight: 55.8
It's the weekend! I am having a lie in this morning, which is not very common for me but I've decided to take this weekend off as I was feeling so tired for the last couple of days. I normally work most weekends, at least for one day, so this is a luxury. I will have to do a few small business related things here and there but overall I am going to chill! I love chilling, relaxing and taking it easy these days - it is definitely a sign of my Kapha qualities coming through more prominently these last few years. I am a Pitta Kapha constitution and I can confidently say that I was Pitta dominant for the majority of my adult life. Pitta personality can be characterised in terms of being organised, driven, ambitious and competitive. I was all of those things in my 20s and 30s! However, my 40s are very different - I take things at a much slower pace and am much gentler in my views and opinions as well as the length I am willing to push myself to! It's a funny thing, but with the way my current work is going, I feel like it is a constant balancing act between my Pitta and Kapha qualities. Pitta qualities are helpful in running a business whereas Kapha attributes help to unwind and rejuvenate. However, it is a balancing act to keep those two in check - not to get too carried away with work so that my health suffers and be careful not to let myself procrastinate too much where things don't get done at all!
I get up late this morning - 8:30am, and by the time I finish my morning routine and get on my mat it is already 9am. I am OK about it, even though I am due to teach a yoga class at 12 noon. I shorten my asana practice but stick to my normal pranayama, meditation and mantra time of 40 minutes. By the time I get off the mat it is almost 11am and it's time to get ready. I am not particularly hungry this morning but I eat a small banana and prepare a semolina porridge which I will take with me in a thermos. The class will be held at the World Market event in my local area and there will be lots of stalls, including food stalls. I want to have a browse around after the class but I do not want to be tempted by all the wonderful food. I find that preparation and thinking ahead definitely helps in sticking to daily routine and/ or a wellness programme. This is definitely a Pitta quality in me!
The class goes well and I have my semolina at 1pm whilst sitting outside people watching. I really enjoy it as having so many people in one place is not a regular occurrence these days! After a short walk home, I embark on an impromptu apartment cleaning mission. My energy levels are much higher today, maybe because I had a better night sleep. I think the foot massage helped relax me last night hence I feel so much better and calmer today. Good sleep is so important for our well-being and health. The weather is nice this afternoon so I decide to go for a walk with my son. The walk takes an hour and a half and afterwards I am ready to rest. Dinner today is another kitchari meal. I have it with some steamed vegetables at 6pm. This is a day two of my 3 day mono-diet. Though, of course, I only have one meal of kitchari per day at the moment - yesterday I had organic juice for breakfast and today I had semolina as well.
It is the first day of the Navaratri festival and my first evening of chanting the 32 Names of Durga manra. I chant the mantra 11 times at 7pm and then spend some time with my son. We watch a movie together and I finally start preparing for bed at 9:30pm. I take a teaspoon of triphala with a tablespoon of castor oil and decide to do an abdominal massage on myself. Abdominal massage can help digestion and elimination and is advisable during detox or a cleanse. In addition, any self-massage, especially wit warm oil, is relaxing and nourishing as, according to Ayurveda, it is an act of self-love.