Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Life changing paths

I am back at home after several days of sailing, yoga and food cleansing.  Your comments were true about it being outside of my comfort zone.  But the great thing is that I did get comfortable with the whole thing, participated in all aspects of the retreat, including yoga.  I drank the juices and ate the food.  And at the end, we all exchanged phone numbers and emails.

I'm not sure that I'll do this again simply because I may not be the best person for the job.  I know that I have a young outlook, feel young in my spirit, but dang--my back has been giving me a fit since I got back.  I am not as limber as I once was I guess!  I liked the comment that maybe my thing would be to have a science and sailing retreat.  Somehow that feels more like me.

I did commit to the 21 day cleansing diet which means that I give up eggs, wheat, sugar, peanuts, dairy, soy, and and corn.  I don't feel hungry which is good, nor do I want to rush out and eat a pizza.  And I have been doing the yoga poses for an hour each morning.  My wife smiles at me and continues to have her coffee and normal heart healthy food.  I also detected a bit of a smirk when I had trouble getting up from a chair this morning!

I think that it's a good idea to be open to new things.  I've learned in Al-Anon that I can work through the discomfort of being in a group where I am the student.  After all, one of the hardest things that I ever did was to walk through the door of my first meeting and say that I was there because I needed help.  Just mustering up the courage to go to a meeting, pick a sponsor, and trust that person enough to guide me through the steps was revolutionary in changing my life.  Maybe this is another path to be on that will also be life changing.



May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light that’s within you
Guide your way on

13 comments:

  1. Such good stuff! Keep it up! And report in on how you think the diet benefited you.

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  2. I just went and read your earlier post about your yoga/sailing retreat. It sounds so neat...but it reminded me of the first times I went in to see my personal trainer. Remember all of that?? And I cried and cried....because I felt like a fish out of water and all I wanted to do was get back to my comfort zone. I'm glad that is over with, but it did accomplish so much good in my life too. Just as I am sure this has for you. I think its good for us to get thrown in to the deep water every now and then. As brutally uncomfortable as that is! Bless your heart Syd for always being an open soul. :o)

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  3. I love how positive you are!

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  4. I think detox diets are good for us. In your case, you already ate healthy, but most people are amazed at how different they feel. I used to do that regularly, but now I eat a nutritious diet, with the occasional spurge.

    I found I became so obsessed with eating "right" it took all the joy out of being with others over a nice meal.

    The whole thing sounded like an adventure!

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  5. ha. i bet i would be sore as well....and i would hate for you to lose that young in spirit with too hard a work out...smiles....

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  6. Syd,

    Two quesions and if too obturisive
    just delete.

    What exactly is your definition of a heart healthy diet? Do you count calories or just mainly eat protein/vegatables when you're hungry?
    C is beautiful. Did she lose weight when she stopped drinking? If so, how long before noticable results and how long did it take for the bloating to do down?

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  7. Good for you Syd -- I do think we need to risk change and embark on adventures from time to time.

    But do take care of your back -- I know how debilitating that pain can be

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  8. A science sailng retreat sounds like a great idea . . . how about a rehab sailing retreat. O boy, can you imagine? At least no one could "sneak" off.

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  9. @Anonymous about food. Since C.'s heart attack, she has been on a food program with no salt, no red meat, and no refined sugar diet. She eats some carbs but minimizes them. She exercises a good deal all day long--with work in the yard and garden. She enjoys being out side.
    The photo is of the yoga teacher who was on the cruise. My wife wasn't on this trip.

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  10. well if you're going to show a pic of a girl doing yoga poses on a sailing retreat this one says a thousand words. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  11. I'm glad you had such a positive experience. I came to yoga shortly after I started in Al Anon and I find it a great comfort because they both stress similar things about spirituality and self care.

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  12. I did a 40 day yoga journey and it just about killed me. I haven't done yoga since. It's good to try new things. Then you can say you've tried them. LOVE the images. Gorgeous. :)

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  13. Sounds like an amazing trip! Growth, new experiences, cleansing, and all on the water with beautiful views and fresh air.

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Let me know what you think. I like reading what you have to say.