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A Day in My Life

Ever wondered what a yoga teacher diagnosed with MS does during the week to remain healthy and happy? Well, here is my answer...

6am (or somewhere in that vicinity) 

I jump out of bed to the dulcet tones of Deva Premal crooning the Gayatri Mantra. OK, I'll be honest, as the days head inevitably toward cold, dark mornings; it’s more a case of dragging my unwilling carcass out of bed and stumbling through the first few steps of my morning ritual. As a self proclaimed 'morning person' you could assume I am instantly awake and ready to go, but I am just as sleepy and clumsy as those of you who dislike getting up before midday. I just arise earlier, so that by the time I see another human I am fully awake and look like I've been that way since ‘bouncing’ out of bed. It is also super important to have an alarm clock ring tone that makes you smile - get rid of those blaring, soul destroying beeps. You can choose a much better sound to stir you to consciousness with modern technology, and set the volume to a suitable level for your ears.

Once up and roughly dressed I head to the bathroom for tongue scraping, an Ayurvedic practice to remove the nights buildup of toxins from the surface of my tongue. Popping a heaped teaspoon of coconut oil in my mouth, I continue with the mornings ablutions. As the coconut oil melts I begin to swish it gently around my mouth, getting into all the gaps between my teeth. This practice is called 'oil pulling' and works to remove toxins from the body as well as helping to keep teeth healthy. I only introduced oil pulling a month ago, so cannot yet attest to its benefits, but my teeth do feel wonderfully clean afterwards. I first tried using sesame oil, but then switched to coconut oil as it is a much more pleasant taste on the lips!

Once my ablutions are complete and the kettle has boiled I spit the coconut oil out into the garden, thereby riding my body of the toxin's it had absorbed; about 10 minutes of swishing. Heading out to the yoga room, I drink down a cup of lemon or lime in warm water and start my yoga practice.

7.30am

Back inside, I check the kids have got their breakfast & lunch organised, and settle down to a bowl of homemade Bircher muesli and another warm water. My Bircher muesli will reflect different foods I am trying - so at the moment it contains Maca powder and Goji berries, as well as the usual rolled oats, linseeds, sprouted buckwheat, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and sunflower seeds. It soaks it for 24 hours, so tomorrows breakfast is made just after finishing today’s, this means I'm less likely to forget to put it on to soak.

9am

After completing yet another school run, my first yoga class of the day begins. I teach a yoga class every week day morning except Wednesday, which is my day for walking to the giant redwoods on Te Mata peak with Daisy. My morning class is often followed by a private yin yoga massage, which takes me up to lunch time.

1pm

It’s about this time that I sit down to lunch. I tend to have a salad with buckwheat, quinoa, millet, teff, or brown rice, especially in summer. I stir white Miso paste and something tasty like beetroot hummus through the grain before adding to the salad. Hummus is great for increasing protein intake. I also include a tablespoon of sauerkraut, usually eaten first as an 'entree'. If it is cold, I might make pumpkin soup with buckwheat or barley in it. Broccoli and cauliflower are also added at the time of reheating and again white Miso paste is stirred through this (good for beneficial gut bacteria) as well as sprinkling parmesan cheese over it. Water is my staple liquid during the day (warm or room temperature), but I also enjoy green smoothies or fresh vegetable juices.

The rest of the afternoon

After lunch I might garden, clean the house, mow the lawns, catch up on computer work, or lie in the sun (definitely my preferred activity). Then, suddenly, it is time to collect the children from school again and ferry them to their various after school commitments; or just bring them home and help with homework and music practice. On a Monday and Wednesday I teach yoga from 5.30pm, so on these days either Cassie or Alex cook dinner (learning great life skills eh?).

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Dinner

Depending on if I am teaching yoga I eat dinner anytime from 6pm to 8pm. The earlier the better as far as I am concerned. Although not strictly vegetarian, most of my meals at home are of the plant variety. It'll either be a bean dish, lentils, tofu, tempeh or soup; most served with brown, red or black rice. My family members are still confirmed omnivores, so an evening at our house usually involves two separate meals. Sigh......one day they'll be begging for a bowl of mung bean curry.....

Recipes and further information can be found in my book In Search of Health - 21 Steps to Glowing Health

Bedtime

I get up early, so I also retire early, often climbing under the covers by 9pm, and almost always before 9.30pm. After dinner I would have enjoyed a large cup of sleepy tea, and maybe some raw chocolate or a Maca and Goji ball. If I'm still peckish after that I'll slurp up a hot chocolate or a glass of raw milk. Lately I have also been adding Maca powder to my evening milk, it tastes surprisingly good. I try to avoid screen time once in bed, instead, letting my salt lamp lull me to sleep....zzzzzzz......ready to do it all again tomorrow....

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Some other things to note

 

As Tim Turvey so accurately pointed out - there was no mention of wine......or Guinness..... I was so focused on recording for a weekday, teaching day, that I forgot there are days I don't teach in the evening, or have a bowl session, or need to drive, or feel like it, or any of the myriad of other reasons alcohol may not feature. On these days, I definitely enjoy a Guinness or a Chardonnay as I'm pottering in the kitchen or relaxing in the spa. For me, it is a pleasure I am unwilling to deny myself, alcohol in moderation shows no adverse reactions for me. Quite the contrary. 

 

Chewing food is a vital step towards health. We were provided strong teeth for a reason, chewing is the start of the digestive process. Without well chewed food the body will have a harder time accessing the goodness

 

Sleep - get enough for your body

 

Exercise - I walk Daisy most days, and practice yoga.....a lot.  That's it, no other regular exercise. Find what works for you to keep your body mobile and healthy, then do that every day.

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