Three weeks on the pH Miracle Cleanse- An Update

Today is day 22 on the cleanse and I’m giving myself a big pat on the back!

A month ago, the thought of doing it for one week seemed like a daunting and overwhelming mission.

Now it feels so much more natural and easy. Yes easy.

From the outside looking in, it might seem like hard work but living it, I can tell you, this cleanse is very manageable. Not only for someone like me who has a lot of time to invest in it, but also for people with children, working people etc.

I know, because I see people in our cleanse group making this protocol fit into their busy lives. And they are all reaping the benefits.

In fact, I am not the only one out of the group to continue it for longer.  When you feel so great, why wouldn’t you?!

It does take some juggling of priorities as it requires spending a lot of time shopping, juicing, preparing smoothies and getting organised so commitment is a must.

This is, by far, the most amazing thing I have ever done!

I wake up early in the morning (we’re talking before 5 am) buzzing with energy; my mood is much more stable; I feel more physically flexible and fit ; I deal with my pain much better and my mind is clear.

I feel content, in a way I haven’t experienced before.

I think a lot of it has to do with doing something that I believe in 100 %.

During the last 15 months, I’ve researched extensively and concluded that the pH Miracle approach makes absolute sense, which is why I (we) have transitioned into it.
Now I feel that I’ve crossed that fine delicate line from knowing that something is true to having a real conviction that it is.

I don’t want to paint a picture that is all rosy, though, lets be realistic here.
I do have my highs and lows, good days and not so good ones. Toxins are still coming out of my body and it’s not always pleasant.
It is sometimes a challenge to socialise when everyone else around are eating their meals whilst I am sipping on my green  juice or eating an avocado.

On day 18, for example, I had a hiccup. I was having a bad day and at the end of it, I resorted to an old pattern of emotional eating and I had some food which is not part of the cleanse.

When it happened, I was aware of old thinking and emotional patterns kicking in very quickly- guilt, beating myself up and feeling like I have disappointed myself.

When I found myself getting caught up in this emotional turmoil, I sat with it and observed it. I allowed myself to feel the intensity of these emotions, almost like inviting them and watching them with a magnifying glass.

There were tears and some self pity and once I got that out of the way, I was ready to move on. Move on, not only with the cleanse protocol (with more determination than ever) but also by consciously choosing to change my old automatic patterns, once I was aware of them and their destructive nature.

The next day was one of my best so far on the cleanse and I was quickly back on track, leaving this little incident behind me.

This cleanse, like everything else in life, is a journey and I will no doubt come across some bumpy patches on the road from time to time. I can only do my best to deal with them as they come.

A part of this group cleanse entail Tele-Conferences where we get to learn the theory and practice in more depth and ask questions. So far we’ve had four of these- one with Dr.Robert Young, one with Shelly, his wife, one with our coach Caroline and one with another coach  Dawn who had breast cancer and reversed it using this protocol.

I feel very privileged to tune into these calls and ask whatever questions are on my mind!

By the way, Robert Young’s book ‘The pH Miracle- Revised and Updated’ is going to be published in Hebrew next year, so stay tuned my Israeli family and friends!

And now for my most exciting news- I have registered to participate in the first training offered by the pH Miracle Centre to become a pH Miracle Coach!

This means that I will be able to teach and coach people 100% of Dr. Robert O. Young and Shelley Redford  Young’s teachings.

Whilst not working in the past 15 months, I’ve completed my counselling studies and I have a vision of combining my counselling skills and practice with a focus on the alkaline lifestyle and health.
This is my passion and my heart tells me to follow it!

Liquid Feast, Not Fast!

On Monday (June 2012) I’ve started a new chapter in this interesting and incredible healing journey, called a Liquid Feast, an alkaline whole body cleanse, based on the work of Dr. Robert Young

What is a liquid feast you might ask and how is it different to a fast?

What I am doing is different to fasting because as well as drinking lots of alkaline water; I am also drinking juices/pureed food/raw soups/smoothies & a few ‘solid’ raw veggies.

By ‘drinking’ my food instead of eating it, I am literally flooding my body with pre-digested, easy to assimilate nutrients and I am getting twenty times more the nutrients than I would on my normal diet.

The way I look at it, this cleanse is like a massive spring clean (winter more like it!), clearing out the old and unwanted in order to make room for the new.

It is, by no means, just a physical cleanse for me.  It is a ‘whole being’ cleanse, peeling  layers  of old habits, thinking patterns and emotional reactions. Letting renewal and regeneration take place on every level.

The reasons I’ve embarked on this cleanse are:

·  To accelerate the healing process taking place in my body and mind.

·  To take my alkaline lifestyle to the next level,  eliminate toxins/acids whilst getting an abundance of alkaline buffers

·  To give myself a fresh start, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Having done a one week juice fast last year, I know that I have benefited tremendously, even from just one week.

I gained clarity of mind, felt vibrant, energised and my meditation practice has deepened.

One thing that was most noticeable for me back then was a real sense of connectedness to the spirit, the true nature of myself and others.

Drinking only green vegetable juices for a week certainly came with it challenges, mainly my mind was nagging me about how hungry I was and I experienced some detoxing effects like headaches and tiredness. But by day 4 I started to reap the benefits and I felt great.

What I love about this pH Miracle Cleanse I am doing now is that there is absolutely no deprivation involved in it, as opposed to fasting.

I literally ‘eat’ something every 2-3 hours, be it a warm raw soup, fresh almond milk, a smoothie or and avocado with olive oil & lemon.

On some days I find it is actually a bit of a challenge to 'eat' so much, to fit it all in.

The idea is to constantly hydrate the body with alkaline electron rich drinks and at the same time eliminate toxins in all ways possible.

The protocol for this cleanse is pretty intense.

It involves many things throughout the day and I feel blessed to have the time, space and the opportunity to do it. Who would have thought that being diagnosed with a tumour would be such a catalyst for change!

I am doing the cleanse as part of a group of people from all over the world, each at their own home.  We get coaching and support from a wonderful trainer that works for Dr. Robert Young in the US.

One of the things that really helped me to physically and mentally prepare for the cleanse was that I planned it for quite some time now and I psyched myself up for it.

I was super organised and made all the preparation needed to make it happen.

This included putting up an ad in our local health shops, looking for someone to volunteer a bit of time to help me with food preparation, as my pain still prevents me from being fully functioning in the kitchen.

The response from the community around here has been amazing. I am still getting phone calls from people wanting to help!

 It left me feeling (yet again!) humble and in awe of the kindness and compassion of the human spirit.

Dave is also a huge source of support, as we both have been transitioning to the alkaline lifestyle together.

SO, It is now day 7 on the cleanse and going strong!

I have a real sense of commitment and enthusiasm and day by day I am feeling that this is the best gift I could give to myself.

The first few days went quite smoothly, no hunger at all and I was feeling excited and motivated.

I felt, though, like I am constantly on a mission to drink more and more (7 litres of liquid a day) and of course what goes in must come out....  I became a very frequent flyer at the toilet!

Then came the difficult days, day 4 and 5 with my pain increasing, a constant feeling of nausea, sleepless nights and generally feeling unwell.
I knew I will have days like these and that they can come at different times, but it was challenging nonetheless.

I kept reminding myself that this is all part of a healing crisis, where it gets worse before it gets better.

The acids that are stored in the tissues to protect vital organs are being pulled out to the blood and this is reflective in my urine having an all time low pH of 6 for two days in a row.

But not to worry, this is a good thing! It indicates change is happening.

Day 6 was so much better. I woke up super early (5 am), super inspired, had a long meditation session, then a morning of reflection.

Here is what I wrote in my journal on day 6:

Today is a time of introspection, of going within.

Looking outside the window, the morning has a mystical aspect to it, magical.
It has been raining all night and when the light of day arrives, the fog is rising above the forest floor like a cloud.
There is this glitter and cleanliness in the air.
Looking inside, seeing each breath as a birth, feeling the magic of life, of creation, of being.
It is warm and cosy inside and there is this inner knowing that I am, we all are, part of this magic.

I am feeling more and more, in the last few days, this concept of food becoming a non-craving, non-attachment. It creates more space for being in the present, not needing to invest so much mental time and energy thinking about the next meal or using food for comfort.

This is not to say I am not enjoying my food on the cleanse because I truly am!

A feast isn’t it? Green juice, fresh almond milk and creamy broccoli soup, YES please!

Here is what my typical day on the cleanse looks like (This is not a representation of the pH Miracle protocol)

·     Meditation

·     Deep breathing

·     Visualisation

·    Drinking at least 6 litres of water throughout the day- most of which mixed with green powder and liquid chlorophyll

·     Drinking at least 1 litre of fresh green juice daily

·    Taking supplements throughout the day: pHour  salts, liquid  mineral salts, pHlush powder, pH water drops and vitamin D

·     Journaling

·    Preparing and drinking raw smoothies and soups throughout the day, as well as eating tomato, cucumber and avocado.

·     Having a minimum of 4 avocados per day, either in soups & smoothies or by themselves.

·     Taking big amount of good oils (flex seed, omega 3-6-9, olive oil)

·      Documenting the pH of my urine and saliva throughout the day

·      Having Far infra red saunas once or twice a day

·      Walking

·      Relaxation

·      Reading

·      Guided imagery or contemplation- on some days

·       Restorative yoga- on some days.

    

    One week has passed, let many more follow!

‘Everything you can imagine is Real’

‘Using imagery can allow illness to become a teacher of wellness’ (Dr. Martin Rossman)

‘Our disease may tell us a story not just of our cells but of ourselves. By taking the risk of listening, we may be led to emotions, both ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ that lie in the core of our authentic being’. (Mark Ian Baracsh, The Healing Path)

 The connection between the body and mind has been known and practiced in different cultures for many years. (Chinese medicine, the ancient Greeks and many more)

In our Western, science oriented culture there has been an exciting and emerging field of science called Psychoneuroimmunolgy – the study of the relationship of the mind, the nervous system and the immune system.

This field is examining the link between what we think (our mind), our health, immune system and our ability to heal.

Guided imagery is one of the tools used in the Mind/Body field and for me, a very powerful one in my healing journey.

 Many years ago, I went to a yoga place which offered guided imagery classes. I enjoyed the classes and found them very relaxing; however I felt that I wanted something more than ‘just’ relaxation.

The way guided imagery was used in these classes was through visualisation.

Many people, me included, when they think about guided imagery; visualisation is what comes to mind first.

Visualisation certainly has its place and benefits and is used often to enhance performance, for example many athletes use it before a competition or musicians before a show.

However, what I’ve learned and practiced in the last year, is that guided imagery is much broader that just visualisation.

Imagery can be defined as ‘a way of thinking that involves your senses’. When you practice guided imagery, you don’t necessarily have to see images. You can hear, smell, feel, taste and sometimes you just get a sense of something but you can’t exactly pinpoint it.

Guided imagery can be used to carry messages from the conscious mind, through the healing centre and directly to the body’s healing mechanisms.

It can be used for anything that is perceived as a problem or an issue in a person’s life- a symptom, dis-ease, conflict, doubts and fear.

Guided imagery usually involves a process of first bringing the mind to a non-cognitive state (by meditation, relaxation or inviting images that create a peaceful and safe environment).

Then inviting an image to form that represents a specific issue and creating an encounter, a dialogue and an inquiry with that image.

It’s like a meeting you have with some part of yourself that is not that easily accessible when you are operating on your busy ‘monkey mind’ mode.

  One of the turning points in my healing journey was when I started using guided imagery in this way.

It provided me with real insight into my dis-ease, my coping mechanisms and what I needed to do in order to allow my body to heal.

 Last night I had a look at my journal and I found a letter I wrote in August last year, following a 2 day guided imagery workshop with Dr. Nimrod Sheinman.

In that workshop, we went through quite a few guided imagery processes led by Nimrod and something that came up for me over and over again was my Inner Critic, my self- criticism, that part in me that is ‘never good enough’, never ‘doing enough’, never quite satisfied.

Through guided imagery, I have confronted that part in me. I have had meetings with it, conversations with it and I have made some negotiations with it so that we can try and live in peace.

What an interesting journey it was (is) for me!

 

I thought I’d share the letter I wrote to my Inner Critic, because I have a feeling It’s not just me out there dealing with this ‘never good enough’ issue....

                                             August 2011

My dear Inner Critic,

I am writing to you as a friend. We have lived together for many years and I feel it is time I communicate with you in a different way.

I want to tell you that I now see you with different eyes.

I understand that you just want to protect me and ensure I achieve the goals I have set up for myself.

Sometimes you also want to protect me from ‘digging too deep’ and perhaps dis-covering some truths that I am too scared to dis-cover.

Please know that at times, you are very useful for me and for that I am thankful.

 However, Inner Critic, I want to ask you something. I want you to trust my inner wisdom, that innate part in me that knows how to breathe and how to heal.

I am asking you to allow that part to be.

There’s nothing you need to be afraid of.

You are still a part in me but I want to be able to explore my potential, this ancient potential that always exists.

This will not harm you, nor will it see you being ignored or denied, that I can promise you.

It will allow me to heal, to sing my song, dance my dance and walk my path.

 From now on, Inner Critic, I will try and talk to you whenever you are in the way.

I will try not to to push you aside with force and with might.

I’ve learned that this is not useful.

Instead, I will ask you again and again to converse with me, to trust me and to gently step aside for a while.

Yours,

               Lee

If you are interested to learn about guided imagery, the following is a list of some resources  you can use:

Guided Imagery for Self Healing, Martin Rossman, New World Library (2000)

The Healing Path: A Soul Approach to Healing , Marc Ian Barasch, Tarcher  (1994)

 You can conquer Cancer, Ian Gawler, Michelle Anderson Publishing (2001)

Staying Well with Guided Imagery, Belleruth Naparstek, Warner Books (1994)

A good website where you can buy and download interviews, books and CD’s related to healing and spirituality, including specific guided imagery exercises:

http://www.soundstrue.com/shop/Welcome.do

The Academy for Guided Imagery:

http://acadgi.com/