Open Your Heart

If you read our post last week, you’ll know that I’m finishing a whole food cleanse today organized by my friend and holistic food counselor Frances Murchison, Founder of
Mindfullyfed.

I first heard of Frances’s work in 2011 and decided in January of 2012 I would take the plunge and do my first cleanse. As I read through her guidelines I was nervous –  no caffeine, no dairy, no gluten and no alcohol. I knew it would be good for me but wondered if I could commit to giving up some of my favorite treats for 10 days. Unlike Frances and some of my fellow cleansers I am a regular coffee, wine drinker and a chocolate eater…

Just like the first time I did the cleanse, the first two days were the toughest with bad headaches and sleepy afternoons, but they were also coupled with a sense of accomplishment. I looked forward to and was grateful for my morning cup of hot rice cereal and raspberries. I was keenly aware of what I did and didn’t put in my mouth. I consider these seasonal cleanses as “mediations for the mouth” and have come to look forward to them as a period challenge and renewal.

Over the course of my cleanses with Frances, my focus shifts away from the foods I can’t eat towards my overall physical, mental and emotional relationship with food. It goes from a mindless to a mindful approach to eating.

February has always represented the time when we celebrate our relationships with other people – generally people we love – we all tend to go outward. So this month, Jane and I created a series of recipes to help you focus on one of the most important relationships you have in your life – the one you have with yourself.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and to support the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign (featured above – an original red paper dress designed by my sister-in-law Mica Jones) all of the recipes are “heart healthy.”

Supporting the AHA campaign is particulary meaningful to me because my brother, Rob, is a Cardiovascular Surgeon and has devoted his life to healing hearts.  As one of the kindest people I know I wanted to celebrate his life’s work and give his patients some slow cooking recipes to help change their diet.

To get us started on the heart healthy journey I asked one of my favorite yoginis, Lori Lichtman-Sander, Founder of Mamanasa,  to share her favorite heart opening pose.

Zen Toolkit

Reclining Bound Angle Pose – Supta Baddha Konasana

Benefits of this pose:

• stimulates organs in the abdominal area
• opens heart center and lungs for breathing
• improves circulation and regulates blood pressure
• relieves sciatica

What you need:

• A bolster or firm cushion
• A headrest or folded towel
• A mat or rug
• Blocks or large books

While in pose:

• Stretch thighs from hip to knee to open groin
• Open heart center and chest by slightly squeezing lower shoulder blades together
• Keep eyes passive.  An Eye pillow is helpful for this.

Begin in position with your back lightly up against the bolster, legs at a 90 degree angle, hands and feet flat on your mat and eyes forward.

Place your elbows on floor and slowly lower your head and back to the bolster.  Center your spine on the bolster with appropriate head support.  

Your outer thighs are supported by blocks or blankets and palms face the ceiling, your feet are now flat together. Adjust the position of the bolster (forward or back) if you feel discomfort in the lower back.

Close your eyes and gaze inward

Please note:
Be mindful coming in and out of the pose.  To come out, draw knees together using hands to support thighs. gently roll off bolster to right side resting head in hands.  To come seated, use arm strength to come up – head, neck and shoulders come up last. As with any pose, if you feel discomfort, especially in the lower back or knees, come out of the posture immediately.

(Resource: B.K.S. Iyengar, Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health)

Lori suggests “keep life spicy” with gourmet pose at www.mamasanas.com 

Zen Moment
“Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film. Your bright eyes, your easy smile is your museum.”
– Ansel Adams