SOVEREIGN BY NATURE
RISE INTO RESILIENCY
30 DAY PROGRAM
WEEK 2- PURIFICATION & DETERMINATION
Now that we have established the beginning of a new routine we will dive deeper into our relationship with food. This week is about reevaluating how we relate to food. This means a cleanse. The goal is to establish sustainable change, enhance your energy and rebuild your immune system. These guidelines are not a one time thing and then “back to normal.” The Standard American Diet (SAD), doesn’t work, so now it’s time to assess what we eat, why we eat it and understand how we can re-establish a healthy way of being with our body and food.
The body, mind and emotions function at the highest level when we eat mindfully. Curiosity, experimentation and a willingness are helpful companions to learn & change. Some of the changes may not taste good or even feel good at first. There is an adjustment phase which can take weeks to fully integrate.
The old saying goes, “you are what you eat,” and there is a lot of truth to that. If the choices we make are fast, cheap, easy and fake then that is what we will become. Organic, healthful, sustainable and regenerative are our goals. The latter might be more expensive or time consuming at first, but long term they are less costly when we factor in the cost of our wellbeing (i.e. how much time and money we spend on being sick).
Even when we make the best choices, much of our food is depleted of nutrient value, filled with toxic & artificial ingredients and consumed without mindful awareness. Simple dietary concepts & attitudes can align us with a healthful way of living for enhanced energy, mental clarity and a regenerative immune system (and in turn ward off degenerative and chronic diseases). It’s time to make the shift and eat the things we “know” are good for us.
Review the resiliency plan for the week so you can develop a sense of familiarity with how this week is going to flow. The structure in regards to the morning, afternoon & evening rituals, movement, mindfulness and journaling will remain the same.
NOTE: You may need to shop for food items based on cleanse guidelines, try and do so prior to starting week 2.
REFER BACK TO WEEK 1 - CLICK HERE
MORNING RITUAL
One key to living a balanced, harmonious, peaceful, energetic, positive & productive life is having a daily practice which aligns your mind, body, and spirit. Commit to this daily practice by following the step-by-step guidelines below. No matter where you are on your life’s journey this framework is a catalyst for achieving what you desire. It has the power to change your life dramatically — and it’s so incredibly simple.
GENERAL OUTLINE:
-Rise between 6-6:30am - as close to sunrise as possible
-Upon rising do not reach for your phone- wait at least 1 hour before doing so
-Skip coffee first thing- start with the morning beverage outlined below.
-Move - 15-30 minutes of gentle movement. Below you will find access to several movement exercises to support your practice.
-Meditation - 15-30 minutes. Below you will find audio meditations to incorporate into your practice
-Breathwork - 5-20 minutes. Below you will find breathwork recordings to integrate into your daily routine
-Journal - Below you will find prompts that will help guide and deepen this inquiry into resiliency.
-Plan Your Day / Goal Setting: What are the top 3 things I need to accomplish today?
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Prioritize the top 3 things YOU MUST DO ABOVE ALL ELSE, and do those before you open social media, emails, etc. Once you complete, or at least move those projects forward, you can then move on to other things.
* If possible, dedicate around 2 hours upon rising to your morning practice
Morning Beverage Options:
Select from options below - please note we will begin our day with a non caffeinated beverage.
1) Water/Warm Water 8-12oz
2) Alkaline Water = water with ½ lemon and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (acv), pinch of sea salt in 6-8oz of water (Balances pH (see Chapter 3 in Robust Vitality for more on Acid/Alkaline balance) Improves gut health, detoxification and digestion)
3) Reishi Tea - Benefits of Reishi include: Anti-inflammatory, Boosts Immune System, Reduces Fatigue and Elevates Mood; For more information: see Robust Vitality Chapter 10. If you do not have access to Reishi select an herbal tea of your preference.
CLEANSE GUIDANCE
1) Eliminate Sugar, Gluten, Dairy, Alcohol and Animal Protein. Consuming these things causes inflammation.
2) Additional Elimination: Caffeine
3) Intermittent Fasting: Eat within an 8 hour window, i.e. 16 hours of not eating. We recommend that you eat lunch between 12-1pm and dinner between 5-6pm.
4) Recommended Meal times:
9:00 am: Green Juice/Green Smoothie
12:00 pm: Plant Powered Lunch
5:00 pm: Plant Powered Dinner
5) Snacks: Part of this experiment is to break our habit of overeating or binge eating. Nevertheless you might feel a bit hungry at times, especially in the beginning. Snack within your 8 hour eating window.
Suggestions:
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Drink more water. It is important to drink lots of water during the cleanse — in short, most of us are chronically dehydrated. Tiredness, mental fogginess, achiness, upset stomach, constipation and hunger are symptoms of being thirsty. Oftentimes our thirst mechanism is confused for hunger, so we eat instead of drink.
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Nuts and seeds are great things to have handy. Nuts are a good source of protein and healthy fats. Good examples: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts. Do your best to avoid cashews and brasil nuts as they are higher on the glycemic index than other nuts.
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Vegetables. Eat more greens. Steamed vegetables with a bit of olive oil and sea salt are great in addition to any meal. Celery with a little bit of almond butter is a great snack. Avocados can also be enjoyable.
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Fruits. Fruits are to be consumed between 10:00am and 4:00pm. Best to consume fruits that are in season. Berries are great additions because they are high in antioxidants. Fruits to avoid: bananas, grapes, pineapple and anything dehydrated like raisins or cranberries.
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In general, whole foods are ideal. Processed foods are to be avoided at all costs.
6) Refer to the Recipe Section in Robust Vitality for inspiration on juices, smoothies, breakfasts, lunch and dinner.
MINDFULNESS: The Importance of Clearing Clutter
Diets, cleanses, and physical exercise are usually what we think of when it comes to cleansing. Clearly it is important to take care of our physical bodies, but we must not overlook another key component to cleansing — our home environment. Just like your body, your house can become sick, overweight and low energy causing disharmony. Clearing clutter to create sacred space is important for our overall health and assimilating any experiences that may be lodged or stuck.
Creating sacred space starts with our personal physical space, which is a key aspect for robust vitality. The art of designing and maintaining a home (or any space we live, work or play in, even if only for a short time) is a practice worth investigating. You are invited to expand your definition of cleansing by practicing the art of creating sacred space. We can enter into a whole new dimension of what it means to be fit, healthy and clean.
Creating sacred space by clearing clutter is more than just a house cleanse, it is an entire mental, emotional, physical and spiritual experience. The elimination of clutter provides us with the opportunity to invite in a newer, fresher and cleaner energy.
A spiritual teacher introduced me to this practice several years ago. Along with a regiment of daily meditation and bodily cleanses, he suggested clearing clutter. I scoffed and thought: “What is the value in that? Besides, I don’t have that much stuff anyway.” Like a teenager asked to make his bed, I begrudgingly began this process and found more than I anticipated. Some things were quite easy to toss, while other things I clung to — and they clung to me. Immediately, I could feel the powerful effects of this practice. I was sleeping better, thinking more clearly, had more energy and I even lost some physical weight. My life began to flow with more ease — I was astounded.
It was not all easy going though. After I cleaned some parts of my closet and attic, I then found letters, pictures and old books. This process became quite intense as my emotions bubbled up. Could I really be holding onto this letter from an old lover? This picture of a traumatic accident, did I really need another painful reminder? Why did I have this book that I never read? They represented and perpetuated blockages in my life and once I released some of them, romance, revitalization and information came flooding my way.
The art of cultivating sacred space became more and more real as I practiced. Cleanliness really was godliness. Less was more. “Purge to merge,” my teacher would say. As I took more care and appreciation for my things, I became more appreciative and caring toward myself and others. The practice was so incredibly transformative that it was as if I had undergone years of therapy in a few short months.
Just as we surround ourselves with like-minded and hearted individuals, we also surround ourselves with like-minded and hearted stuff. This stuff, in its raw energetic form is the outward expression of who we are — it mirrors our internal landscape.
Karen Kingston, Fueng Shui artist and author writes, “Everything in your outer life - especially your home environment — mirrors your inner self. Conversely, everything in your home has an affect on you, from the smallest object to the largest design structure”.
By diving into the inquiry of our stuff, we can see ourselves in new ways. How is your stuff impacting your health? Now is the time to release and recharge. Kingston also suggests that, “when we are out of balance with our surroundings, we become physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually sick” (Kingston 16).
By letting go of our stuff we literally ‘let go’ of stuff. Detaching from our things allows us to embrace the notion of non-attachment, a core spiritual concept in many wisdom traditions. Breaking the bondage with material things activates a deeper sense of clarity, calmness and serenity. This allows us to open and explore more deeply the now moments.
You don’t need to be a spiritual person or have intensive training to create a sacred place. You can create sacred space by consciously decorating — just place everything with intention. Look at it. Feel it. See what it is offering. Consider what value a new thing will provide. Just like the old saying, “if you can’t improve upon the silence, don’t speak,” if you can’t improve upon the space, don’t fill it. Position things where and how you want them. Remember: Everything has its place and everything in its place.
It might be overwhelming at first to think of all the stuff in your home or office that needs a good “Spring cleaning.” Well, this practice is good for all seasons, so take a deep grounding breath and jump right in. Ask yourself: What is it that you are, literally and figuratively, sweeping under the rug? What are you holding on to and, deeper still, what is holding on to you? What does it mean to live in a sacred space? This may take some time, so enjoy the process.
Lastly, consider all space sacred.
CLICK HERE: 10 TIPS FOR CLEARING SPACE
BREATHWORK:
Breathing is something that is absolutely essential for living and plays a tremendous role in our mental and emotional wellbeing. We will focus on basic techniques to establish a healthy breathing practice that will become automatic. It is during times of stress, conflict, fear or intense exercise that many of us have a tendency to not breathe to our fullest potential. In some situations in life all we can do is breathe.
Week 2 - Breath of Fire – Kapalabhati
Kapalabhati means shiny skull or to shine/polish the skull. In Sanskrit: kapala = skull, bhati = shine. This breath has the ability to awaken the mind and body, stimulate the digestion, and increase circulation. Certain monks are known to do Kapalabhati breath as one of their morning practices. It is a technique that involves short, active exhales and longer passive inhales.
NOTE: Pregnant women or women on their moon cycle should not practice Kapalabhati. Refer back to Centering Breath.
1. Take note of your breath. Become aware of it without trying to change it. Notice its quality, texture, sound, length of inhalations and exhalations. Observe the rise and fall of your chest, the expansion and contraction of your rib cage and any movement in your belly or elsewhere in your body. Allow your consciousness to float upon your breath like a leaf on a stream, buoyantly coasting along.
2. To find the location for the action of this breath, take three fingers and place them below the belly button. If you do not have the muscle control for moving your belly, you can push in using your hands. Soon you will be able to do this with just your belly.
3. Quickly contract your belly, forcefully expelling all of the air out of your lungs through your nose (keep your mouth shut).
4. Release the contraction and allow the air to be sucked back into your lungs. Go slowly at first, and then increase the pace. Start off with 20 repetitions. Eventually you will work up to two sets of 500 with a 1-minute rest in between.
5. To get to 500 repetitions 2 times, start with:
50 breaths, 1 minute normal breathing, 50 breaths for 1 week
100 breaths,1 minute normal breathing, 100 breaths for 1 week
200 breaths, 1 minute normal breathing, 200 breaths for 2 weeks
300 breaths, 1 minute normal breathing, 300 breaths for 2 weeks
400 breaths, 1 minute normal breathing, 400 breaths for 2 weeks
500 breaths, 1 minute normal breathing, 500 breaths
MEDITATION:
Mindfulness exercises cultivate a sense of equanimity and balance. Meditations, contemplations and reflections are key for developing a clear and focused mind. These techniques will also help us to partner with our mind, rather than be at the effect of it.
Week 2 - BODY BLESSING
-Carve out 30 minutes for this meditation every morning.
-Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit or lie down.
JOURNAL
Journaling is a fantastic way to process information. We will offer daily prompts to reflect upon. The intention for journaling is to allow for your mind to unwind and relax. Put it down to put it down. In many ways this practice allows us to unpack our streams of thought so we can create space and clarity. Journaling is meant to be fun, free form and creative. Doodles, colors, poems, incorrect grammar and punctuation are all invited.
Plan Your Day / Goal Setting:
-What are the top 3 things I need to accomplish today?
Prioritize the top 3 things YOU MUST DO ABOVE ALL ELSE, and do those before you open social media, emails, etc. Once you complete, or at least move those projects forward, you can then move on to other things.
DAILY PROMPTS FOR WEEK 2: Feel free to elaborate on these inquiries.
10/26 - As a child, dinner at my house was?
10/27 - How do I define wellbeing?
10/28 - What is my relationship with my body?
10/29 - What is my relationship with pain?
10/30 - How have I overcome illness in the past?
10/31 - What are some creative ideas for envisioning a new personal healthcare system?
11/1 - How do I envision a thriving body?
MOVEMENT
As humans we have evolved and survived through moving. Our modern culture has lulled us into a condition of movement poverty — this is detrimental for all facets of our wellbeing. Brain development, emotional balance, cooperation and immune strength all happen best when in motion. The movement offerings that you will be able to choose from will be in addition to your regular exercise. Movement needs to be threaded throughout the day, so it’s our goal to deliver that.
SELECT YOUR MOVEMENT PRACTICE
Remember to incorporate movement throughout the day.
AFTERNOON
It is of the utmost importance to instill a midday practice so that our lives can become fulfilling, productive and easeful. Most of us have obligations during the afternoon whether it be work, running errands or tending to personal items. It is crucial to create time for ourselves so we can flow with our daily duties with maximum efficiency. This means creating a new schedule so we can be more present, engaged and focused when we “need” to get things done. This may be tough at first, but again we are creating a new routine. We owe it to ourselves to carve time to generate this new way of joyful living.
Set aside about 30-45 minutes in the afternoon
GENERAL OUTLINE:
-Breathwork - Repeat Centering Breath
-Movement - Select 15-30 minutes of more rigorous movement from the library
-Mindfulness Exercise - See below
MINDFULNESS: REGENERATIVE LIFESTYLE & SOIL HEALTH WITH JEFF TKACH
As we become more aware of the foods we eat and where they come from, Jeff Tkach shares his expert knowledge on soil health, regenerative farming and how it affects the collective and the future of our health.
EVENING
The goal of our evening routine is to decompress before bed. This is our chance to wind down and prepare for rest and rejuvenation. Spending time on our devices is a hazard to accomplishing a deep and restful experience.
All screens should be shut down at least one hour before bedtime.
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Screens disrupt your sleep patterns. The blue light blocks the production of melatonin - essentially it tricks your body to thinking it’s day time
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Social media, work-related emails and personal responsibilities keep our mind running while we sleep.
Guidelines for Rejuvenating Rest
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Try to be in bed at a relatively early hour - between 10pm-11pm at the latest, this will help you rise earlier feeling rested.
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Turn your phone on airplane mode. Wifi signals can disrupt sleep. We are around electromagnetic fields (EMFs) all day. Remove them from where you sleep to give your mind a rest and allow your body to sync with its natural evening rhythms. This also prevents you from being sucked into the social media trap. And stops you from being always “on”. It’s time to turn off!
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Set aside time to read, be creative, write, reflect, meditate, play music. Use this time in completely different ways than you do during the day.
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Set a gentle alarm (you never want to wake up abruptly) for the next morning and take care to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Proper sleep can alone change your life.
EVENING BREATHWORK
478 Breathing for stress reduction, better sleep - by Dr. Andrew Weil
This practice includes breath retention, if you’re unfamiliar with the practice ensure you go at a slow pace and that you’re laying / sitting in a safe place in case dizziness occurs. If dizziness occurs, you can retain for less time until your body adjusts.
Sit or lay in a comfortable position, if possible palms down on knees or on your sides
Tune into the natural rhythm of your breath for 5 breaths
On the 6th breath- Inhale through your nose slowly for a count of 4
Retain your breath for a count of 7
Exhale through your mouth fully for a count of 8
Repeat this 4 times
DAILY EVENING JOURNAL
ACCOUNTABILITY ENTRY
-Enter your daily activity, accomplishments, inquiries, etc
MEDITATION
Unwinding Your Day
The meditation technique of unwinding the day comes from Stuart Wilde’s book Infinite Self. It encapsulates two of the key concepts of meditation: focus and concentration (with the intention of leading toward self-awareness). It is a great meditation on its own or can be used as a preparation for deeper meditative practices. The excerpt below describes the method:
This process comes from the Hindu tradition and is usually done at night. It involves reviewing the day’s events, in the mind’s eye, running backwards through the day from bedtime to dawn. Don’t ponder or comment too much on what happened — just watch. This exercise is a way of unraveling those experiences. It cuts down on the need for lots of trivial dreams, where the mind processes things that happened during the day. It’s like moving backwards in time; it’s a discipline to do just as you fall asleep so that you notice your life. Life will not be just passing you by; you’re taking time to notice it. In reviewing the day’s events, it un-clutters the mind and allows you to go to sleep in a very pure state of consciousness. (Wilde 94).[1]
Notice the thoughts that take you out of this meditation. Become aware of how your mind can sidetrack itself. It is ok if this happens. Tangents are part of the process. They are the integration of an earlier experience. Witnessing yourself in the storyline and then assimilating it is the unwinding of static mental and emotional patterning.
[1] This is only one of the many useful techniques that Wilde offers for personal and spiritual development. (Infinite Self is highly recommended to further your pursuit of Robust Vitality.)
SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
Presented by Alejandro Quiros
MEET ALEJANDRO
Alejandro was born in San José Costa Rica, although all of his family is from Guanacaste. His native roots are the Bagatzí that comes from a mixture of clans from the north and central america.
He is initiated into the Lakota tradition, specifically the Red Road paths of the Vision Quest, Sundance and Sweat Lodge.
Through native ceremonies he has seen that this way of life is getting lost and that it is a powerful way to heal and love our mother earth.
For the last 7 years he's facilitated waking the healer within through various practices including cacao ceremonies, sound healing, reiki, pranic healing, EFT and various shamanic elements.
Practical Advice on How to Explore Your Spiritual Path:
We have to understand that we are not the mind, we are not our emotions and we are not the body. We are Spirit and the mind, the body and emotions are here to serve the Spirit.
We also have to understand that we are here for a purpose that may change throughout our lifetime. Limiting beliefs, agreements, programs, fears, etc keeps us in an illusion that does not let us walk the Spiritual path. It is our duty to clean out all of these veils that do not let us align with our spirituality and generate a sense of separation from all living beings.
Our purpose in life is guided from the Sacred Mystery and we have all the tools, help and guidance we need there.
We need to have faith and courage to know ourselves, look inside and hear the voice of our inner wisdom that is the Spirit in us.
Spirit is LOVE, unconditional love and we must spend time alone in silence with Mother Earth to find what we really are and then the Spiritual guidance starts to talk to us.
Wisdom is needed for understanding. It brings light inside us to make changes in our patterns that limit us.
Then with faith and willpower, we go in the direction of our spiritual purpose. The mind will not understand because it makes no sense to it.
Remember you are not the mind. Have trust and patience on the journey.
You are LOVE.
WEEK 2 - Relating to the Spirit of Fire
Many indigenous cultures make sure that young children understand the sacred element of fire. It is a priority for them to watch, listen and learn from the fire.
They say all the answers come from grandfather fire. This fire gives us focus and strength.
Fire Ritual
- If you have a safe outdoor space, try to build your own fire, gather wood in a respectful way while setting intentions and giving thanks to the earth.
- If you can't build a fire outside, find a candle and light it in a safe place in your home
- Take a moment to breath, relax and tune in
- Start by asking the fire for permission to commune and for guidance from our ancestors
- Use this time to burn away things that no longer serve you and call in the things you'd like to see manifest in your life.
- Now observe the fire in silence for a long as you like. This will give you focus and quiet the mind
SOVEREIGN BY NATURE is a global platform to awaken the human spirit — a community calling for reconnection with nature, regenerative lifestyles and personal empowerment.
Our intention is to foster human vitality by claiming responsibility for our health and the creation of our life’s story. By embracing our sovereign nature we become stewards for the wellbeing of ourselves, others and the planet.
