Do not disturb 20 minutes

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About 9 months ago, my meditation practice came to a very literal, screeching halt.  In need of a 20 minute vacation again, I decided to turn my bathroom into a meditation space.  When Tim walks in the door at 6pm, I hand Ilsa to him, slap this makeshift sign on my door and sit for 20  minutes.  

The first day, I told Salter and Mary Elle, "don't bother me for 20 minutes."  Very loving, I know.  So a few minutes in, I am turning my senses inward, turning away from the periphery, and I hear the shuffle of tiny feet outside my door.  The little person is very curious about a closed door.  And the budding first grader, I presumed, can almost read the  "DO NOT DISTURB 20 Minutes" sign.  There was a minute of silence as she pondered the sign and the words I told her-but she came in anyway.  She was in my room, on my bed, admiring her newest costume change in the mirror.   

Ahhhhhhh-the point of meditation is that you should be able to do it on a cool, 70 degree day, by a stream with birds chirping, or in 110 degree heat, sitting atop a stinking, rotting pile of garbage.  I made it 8 minutes the first day.  Not so bad.  It's gotten progressively better which is all you can ask.

Mary Elle has been inspired to create her own mini vacation signs as well.  

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Asana Comfortable Seat

Asana means "comfortable seat".  It does not mean "cirque du soleil performer".  Don't be discouraged or intimidated with crazy hard poses you see around Instagram.  Yoga Asana is about getting the body ready to sit comfortably in meditation.  You want to train your body to be a "friend and an accomplice" as Iyengar says in Light on Life.  Asana calms and strengthens the nervous system while yogic breathing or pranayama calms and strengthens the mind.  

Each pose that you advance to, you are to find comfort in it.  Comfort means that you can steady your gaze, take full complete breaths without strain, and find balance between the struggle and the ease.  

Yoga is not about joining the circus.  It's not about throwing yourself into a pose because your neighbor in class did it.  Challenging your body to go farther as your body says to, not your ego, can be right for some people.  Others will never stand on their heads and that is fine too.  Remember, it's not about being a carni.  It's about finding comfort in the uncomfortable.    

Pesticides

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Some of the most toxic substances known to man are sprayed on fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds.   Pesticides have been linked to cancer.  They also imitate estrogen, a fat-forming hormone, and create thyroid function disruption, two things that cause weight gain.  

We always hear that we should "Eat More Vegetables".  Not so if they are covered in these chemicals that accumulate in our fat cells, lowering our immunity to other carcinogens, and increasing our cancer risks.  

At Dtox Juice, we always use organic produce.  We also make our own nut milks and nut butters from organic, raw almonds and Brazil nuts.  We never use conventional, boxed milks.  This makes all the difference in our delicious, decadent smoothies, lattes, and frappes.  Be a discerning consumer.  Just because it's a health food store, don't assume they are organic.  Ask.  Your health depends on it.