As the ocean tides wash flotsam and jetsam up onto the shore what does a cleanse wash out of your body, home and life?

If you have read a few of my posts you may have seen a reference to Seth Godin, whose online program The Creatives Workshop inspired me to start this blog. You know the saying ‘one thing leads to another’. I completed the 5-month long Creatives Workshop in 2020 and this year was drawn like a magnet to another of Seth’s offerings, The Marketing Workshop.  https://www.sethgodin.com/

I thought it would be helpful in learning how to expand my audience here. Little did I know that it would be a deep dive into a hitherto undiscovered world for me. It stretched me in a good way, and I met some amazing people including the fabulous Anthia Koullouros a Sydney herbalist and naturopath.

In weekly discussions with Anthia and my inspiring TMS friends she shared her online Spring Cleanse program. A 21-day program to reset your digestive system with the goal of optimising your health. As someone who values vitality this seemed like a great idea. For more information about Anthia, her services and products go to https://apothecabyanthia.com/

Although I knew that giving up my daily coffee ritual would be difficult, I thought my eating was reasonably clean and that I’d breeze through with maybe a dull headache for a couple of days. I had NO idea that avoiding sugar, gluten, dairy and processed foods would send me into several days of physical misery.  Once through the darkness the light has been extraordinary. Abundant energy, and a calm feeling despite some very difficult unrelated circumstances.

Anthia encouraged us to ‘audit’ our panty, our kitchen (the home of nutrition), to establish healthy rituals that extended to getting adequate sleep, exercise, journal daily and limit screen time – all vitality ideas I’ve mentioned here previously. https://vitalitywithesyltt.com/2020/10/12/did-you-know-your-brain-spring-cleans-while-you-sleep/

I love this holistic model of cleansing, of decluttering not only our daily food regime, but decluttering our habits at the same time. Some people (including beloved family) have this idea that these adventures take enormous self-discipline and assume that it’s something I have in bucket loads. I appreciated reading James Clears ‘Atomic Habits’ https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits this year. He quotes a study that challenges the idea that a little bit of self control will solve all our problems. Apparently people who appear to have tremendous self-control are better at structuring their routines in a way that does not take extreme levels of discipline.

Leaning into 21 days of cleansing has been enlightening. An excellent rest. I’ve rediscovered recipes for healthy delicious food that I had forgotten about. And it blended perfectly with my intention to pause. https://vitalitywithesyltt.com/2021/08/21/the-power-of-a-pause/

If you are feeling stuck, heavy, flat or just not your vibrant self explore some of these options. Take a deep breath, walk in nature and feel it’s cleansing effect on your body and mind. Pause and observe what the inner tides wash up.