23
Beauty Cleansing
After taking what I am now realizing was a much needed break from writing, my inspiration for sharing through this medium was recently re-awakened while spending time traveling in Peru. It was a truly a soul transformational journey.
So, here I am, ready to give you my latest downloads 
Over the last few months, I have been experimenting with going between periods of cleansing and periods of nourishing. I spent a great while experimenting with cleansing and fasting methods earlier in my life that wound up being more detrimental to my health than beneficial. After that intense fasting period, I moved onto massively nourishing my body with densely nutritious whole foods which brought be a lot of healing. I meditated on the balance between cleansing and nourishing, realizing there really is a place for both.
This on and off cycle of cleansing and nourishing reminds me of the feast and famine pattern that native cultures experienced when going for periods of time with little food and at other times having an abundance of food. Many native cultures induced this cleansing period upon themselves at times, often around the time of consuming a sacred plant medicine. We learned a lot about this while in Peru, where they call this cleansing period a “dieta”. We followed a dieta because we were a part of an Ayahuasca ceremony while visiting Peru. Our Shaman explained in advance to our ceremony that he encourages participants to eliminate red meats, salt, spicy foods, most sugars, alcohol, and sex from their diets for at the very least, a few days leading up to the Ayahuasca ceremony and the few days after the ceremony. Their belief is that this particular diet lightens the body and cleanses it of stagnant toxins in order to create a more harmonious and susceptible environment for the plant medicine. However, the belief is not that the foods that are being eliminated are bad in nature or bad for the body – The belief is more that it is healthy to take breaks from the substances so the body can process more efficiently.
This is what I have been been experimenting with at home, as well – Taking time to really nourish myself with hearty meals and then following that by taking a period of time to eat lightly and perhaps eliminate some of the heavier foods from my diet for that time, such as meat, starchy vegetables, carbohydrates, alcohol, etc.
The cleansing protocol that I have been using is a basis of light meals, three times per day (or as hunger arises, making that potentially less or more meals) which consist of high vegetable content (cooked and raw), some lean protein (wild-caught fish or pastured organic eggs) and whichever fruit is in season
locally. I also consider this a loose cleanse – Meaning that I do not hold myself to any strict boundaries that wind up stressing me out more than helping me. If I forget to do a piece of the protocol, if I don’t have time, or simply don’t want to – I don’t carry guilt about it and just keep moving forward with what feels best for my body in that moment. Having said that, here are the main components of the cleansing protocol that I have been following my periods of nourishment with:
• 3-4 quarts of water daily
• Do light-intensity exercise, medium-intensity exercise, heavy-intensity exercise, and a day off from exercise cycled through the course of every four days.
• Daily infra-red sauna use (if you don’t have a sauna, contact a local gym such as the YMCA as they usually have some kind of sauna. If not, I know people who get into their car, roll up the windows and turn on the heat until they sweat! Be creative 
• Daily full body wet (or dry) skin brushing.
• Tongue scraping twice per day and brushing with a detoxifying toothpaste as seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CqR8UmAvZQ
• A citrus and berry fruit drink in the morning blended with aromatic and detoxifying herbs from the garden.
• 2-3 tbsp. of Psyilium Husk mixed with water and drank immediately before bed (Roughage for the digestive system to help clear it out and regulate bowel movements.)
• A blended coffee drink in the morning to further assist cleansing of the intestines, removing stagnant matter.
• 1/2 droppers full of Reishi & Chaga tinctures once or twice daily.
• 1 teaspoon of clay mixed with water and drank
• Powdered seaweed facial masks to mineralize the skin, remove dead cells, and rejuvenate tissues.
• Apply Emu oil & Living Libations Rose Glow Facial Creme to my face to nourish and tonify the skin.
Now, I know this all can sound like quite a lot – However, many of these practices are part of my every day lifestyle so it just means adding practices in here and there, where they feel appropriate. I share these tips with you in the case that any part of this information resonates as something that seems like it could be helpful to you on your health journey, as these practices have helped me in significant ways. Allowing myself to cleanse in moderation has made room for a lighter mind, in being able to process more consciously what I experience, making more room for creativity and openness.
I feel that it is vitally important to be regularly nourishing the body with clean, whole food nutrition and lots of self-care/love. Cleansing and fasting has it’s place, though I believe it should be done in moderation. Too much fasting can make for malnutrition. Too much nourishment can make for weight gain and lethargy. For me, my body feels most in balance when I delicately balance the feasting and famine in my lifestyle. The cleansing can feel like just as much of a party as the feasting!
7
Journeying
Here I am, back in motion with reality… Grounded into home life after a epically transformational journey.
I just returned from Arizona, where I worked and played at a retreat hosted by a few of my Sisters, out in the desert on magickal land. The retreat is known as Epic Eden Hot Springs (www.epicedenhotsprings.com) Side note: Get to the next Epic Eden retreat if you know what is best for yourself! The next retreat is being held October 6-10, 2010. It is held on powerful land and is guaranteed to be a transformational experience. My visit to Eden was a potent one: Yes, transformational, for lack of a better word. I have been processing the experience, attempting to summarize it verbally, but continue to be at a loss for words in fully encompassing how amazing this experience was. Every moment on the land, surrounded by the beautiful community was pure magick.
If I tried to write a entry going through the whole trip, I would be writing for eternity. I spent ten days on the land of Eden connecting with my long awaited Spirit family, soaking in geothermal hot springs, harvesting wild plant medicine and salt, eating fresh goji berries, sungazing, dancing, celebrating, laughing, crying, and feeling Gaia in all her embrace. Learning more about myself in each passing moment. Eden changed me.
Now I am back, integrating my experience into my reality. There is one experience that I am choosing to share, which stood out for me in particular. While on the land, I spent some time communing with the local medicine. I chose to journey with one medicine, on a special evening accompanied by some family, gathered at the Source of the hot springs. All of the six geothermal hot springs stem off from the same initial source, up on the hill of Eden. Below is a photo of the Divine Source, taken by my friend Sean Stuchen – A phenomenal 
photographer, he is (www.seanstuchen.com)
Gathered around the Source, we chose to honor it – The element of water, in our ceremony. We gave a focus to the Source, but we also honored all of the elements – Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Ether – Accompanied by the Seven Directions – North, East, South, West, Father Sky Above, Mother Earth Below, and Within. Thanks were given. The space was sacred. Completion of our ceremony led into our journeying. A journey I will never forget.
I was blessed with a vision. A special vision, that correlates deeply with my life. Yes, we went DEEP. My vision represented the six senses, embodied by the
Eye of Horus, from Ancient Egyptian Symbology. The Eye of Horus, also known as the Eye of Ra (Sun), is the Ancient Egyptian Symbol for protection and royal power. It is personified by the Goddess Wadjet: The risen one. The Eye of Horus and Wadjet herself, were known to ward off evil. The symbol was used frequently by the Ancient Egyptians in hieroglyphs and painted on various things they wanted to protect. In the Ancient Egyptian measurement system, the Eye Of Horus defined Old Kingdom number one (1) = 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 + 1/64. These numbers are the divination of the senses, all encompassed within the Eye of Horus. It is a fractional quantification system to measure parts of a whole.
Above, is a representation of the Eye of Horus itself. I will now explain how the Eye is broken into pieces and the numbers it is associated with. The Eye is its whole, is measured at 1, whole. The piece below the corner of the eye is 1/64, and is associated with the touch. Individually, it represents planting a stick into the ground; A stalk that will take root, deep into the Earth. Earth is touch. The planting is physical contact and touch.
The swirl below the pupil is 1/32, and is taste. It reminds me of a tongue. The swirl is the sprouting of the wheat or grain from the planted stalk, mentioned previously. We eat the planted food, thus… Taste. Touch + Shape = Taste.
The left corner of the eye, the triangular shape on the left side of the pupil is 1/16, representing the ear and hearing and points toward the ear. Sound requires touch and taste; A combination of the lower senses.
The line above the eye, the eyebrow, is 1/8 and is associated with thought. We use our eyebrows to animate our though processes. Eyebrows are close to our third-eye where our consciousness is held. Touch + Taste + Hearing = Thought
The pupil of the eye is 1/4 – You guessed it, it represents sight.
The right corner of the eye, the triangular shape on the right side of the pupil is 1/2. It points to the nose, and represents smell.
How cool, eh? I never enjoyed arithmetic growing up, but this blows my mind because there is so much more being presented with that image that math! Not to mention, it is a totally gorgeous image too!
So, why was the Eye of Horus the center of my vision? Why has it stayed with me, ingrained in my memory bank? Why do I feel totally drawn and connected to the image? It could be the Goddess history that is associated with it, and I am fully into Goddess worship and studies. Perhaps it was calling in of the elements and directions that brought awareness to the senses. We need our senses to connect to the elements and directions. Maybe it was the reminder of interconnectedness that proved clear through my journey in that sensitive state – So very sensitive to all of the senses, I was. The Eye of Horus is an interconnected representation of our sensory function in life. It feels completely inter-dimensional to me – Like some kind of catalyst, or conduit into my Higher Self.
Now, I am feeling totally drawn to studies of the Ancient Egyptians and travel to Egypt. I am interested to see how the Eye of Horus presents itself more in my lifetime; What other interconnected relations surface with that image – What it teaches me.
Eden taught me. She taught me about my being, my relationships, my voice, my passion, my love. She crocheted me deeper into the ever present, deeply weaved community of life which I am forever grateful for. She shared love. That is all it really is anyway, right? It’s all-ways all love
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