Free Handy Tree of Life Phase 1 Green Juice Guide + Phase Chart PDF

Here's a treat from the Tree of Life, a handy 2-page PDF.

The first page is a guide for what to put into a Phase 1 Green Juice. Page 2 is a Phase Chart of all the Phases and the foods included in each Phase.

Download it HERE, or click the picture, above.

Enjoy this classic video of Dave The Raw Food Trucker making 3 days of Phase 1 juice, about three gallons!

Days 21-23 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Jump into Eating

My last two days of Swami Nithyananda's Nirahara Samyama wrapped up pretty nicely. On Day 21, I met with the minister of the nearest Unity church about re-starting Oneness Blessings there. We had a great high vibe chat and she invited me to a spiritual lunch-bag study group just after our meeting, so I got my juices out of the car and attended and it was quite intriguing.

I had pretty much given up on mainstream Christianity as a teen; not sure why, really. I had certainly loved Sunday School, stories and Jesus! Then I got into bicycle racing at 16, which occupied most weekends, and cartoonist Jef Mallet, one of our race club members back then, used to joke that we attended Xavier St. Bike Race!

One interesting thing I learned during the study group, which was discussing progressive Christianity topics, was that "Biblical literalism" didn't begin until around 1910! That is: teaching the Bible as literal stories of fact. Up until that time, the Bible was shared as allegory: a story that can be interpreted to have hidden meaning.

After the meeting, I gave several Oneness Blessings (aka deeksha) and got a serious dose of what we call, Deeksha Brain. I was so peaceful and not very logical. I carefully drove to pick-up my daughter at the nearby mall. At our next stop, she had to rescue me from the back isles of the food co-op, as I blankly stared at all the pretty foods not on my list.

Later, I made more juices and a raw soup and also drank my homemade nut milk.

On Day 22, I worked on my business planning and talked with a Seattle friend on Skype about business ideas and helped my husband with his college homework.

Day 23 is the end of the process and I can eat food again. Because I do have a goal of losing weight to my perfect weight (if such a thing exists) and getting healthier, I plan to continue to participate in Nirahara Samyama monthly until I reach this goal. I did lose 16.5 lbs over the course of the 22 days. I also intend to eat 100% raw during the days between the end of one Nirahara Samyama and the beginning of the next one, which is on the first of each month.

It was a strange day to start eating again as I had an unexpected opportunity to work painting the shutters and deck of a nice home in Steilacoom, with a great view of the Puget Sound. So I packed a simple lunch of zucchini pasta with a raw marinara sauce. I also made kimbap/vegan sushi rolls while making my husbands thai roll lunch and I drank kombucha mixed with a bit of canned guava juice that day and had a few of the raw cookies I made with nut milk pulp. They tasted good, so I'll post the recipe and link it here when posted. I did fine working 8 hours those two days on just one raw meal each day (eaten in two short breaks), as I normally just drink water until about noon.

How was the July 2015 Nirahara Samyama process for me? Even though I have not met other people who follow Paramahamsa Nithyananda yet, and am participating in this process on my own, I appreciate the intent and energy that Swamiji brings to the process. I did a pretty good job of staying connected with his energy, but not as good as I did the first time I completed the process in November 2014. The main thing I didn't do consistently this time was the 21-minute meditation.

In June, I had participated in a free Miracle Day™5-hour webinar with Akahi and Camila, who are living on prana. They emphasize the importance of breathing and connecting with prana that way. Camila has birthed two healthy children while being nourished by prana. Lilou Mace interviewed the couple after their first child was born.

I have also felt that any Oneness Blessings, Oneness Meditations or processes I participated in during the Nirahara Samyama helped with raising my vibes so that less nourishment from food was necessary. The same applies to watching or listening to Matt Kahn teachings and especially to seeing him in person, as I did on Day 19 when he gave the group an awesome activation.

I continue to explore the concept of nourishment.  During the process, I had the opportunity to preview and offer suggestions to a life and nutrition coach's practice webinar and she discussed the concept of nourishment. Where do you get your nourishment from? Are we trying to get nourishment from emotional attachments in relationships? Are we aiming for nourishment from emotional eating?

For me, the answers to all those questions stem from our programming, our thought patterns, the patterns of the society, nation and family we were raised in.

Kirby de Lanerolle is one example of someone living free from the need for food who sometimes eats for the sensory pleasure of it, not because he needs it for nutrition. Kirby goes even further into using the Bible to explain everlasting life and immortality from a Christian perspective.

Ever adventuresome – and I'm sure even my spiritual my friends think I'm crazy – I enjoy exploring the reality of a possibility to live food free while being supported by higher energies, especially higher Divine energies, like those offered through Swami Nithyananda, a rare enlightened master who has the understanding that "When the belly’s hunger abates, so does the hunger for all else." And he offers the possibility . . .

 ". . . to begin the ultimate life of a Nirahari – a hunger-free, liberated being, free from the self-imposed cage of body and mind."

I now know it is possible to hook-up to the Divine in me and that which connects me to all-that-is to live free from the need for food, as well as all else. Is it in my journey to live that way? I don't know the answer to that yet. In the meantime, I just enjoy the play and fun of exploring the ways of a Nirahari or pranic being on the path as I push the envelope of the unfolding of my expanding awareness.

What I did on Days 21-23 Nirahara Samyama:
- Days 10 and 11 of Level 3 and first Eating day

Drink
Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
[Still haven't been having the Haritaki!]
Juice made celery, cuke, beet, kale, apple
Ginger Master Brew Kombucha by Kevita
Chai tea
Walnut/hemp milk with bit of cacao and xyitol
Raw soup, various veggies on hand, in blender

Activities

Exercises and Surya Namaskar

Chanting 108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
Watered Garden
Cooked for family
Business planning
Business meeting
Spiritual study group
Shopping
Short walks
Watched Nithyananda video

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015.

Days 18-20 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Spiritual Nourishment

All kinds of fun these three days of Days 7, 8 and 9 of Level 3, the 11 days of liquids of Swami Nithyananda's Nirahara Samyama process!

On the 18th, a Saturday, my husband and I had a rare night out attending a Charley Thweatt concert at Unity of Olympia with two friends. We had hosted Charley a few years earlier at the Awakening Center, so it was great to listen, feel and sing some lovely songs again. One of the songs he shared, Wave after Wave:

On Sunday morning before heading to Unity again for Charley's service, I made some pretty nice looking lettuce wraps for my husband's work lunch. He's finally given up on any sort of bread, gluten free or otherwise. These wraps had sushi rice, avocado mixed with hemp protein powder and a bit of cashew butter, then topped with some carrot, cucumber, and sweet peppers. Then I packed up my liquids for a day out in Oly and Seattle.

Charley's service was titled: Flow, Flow, Flow Your Boat, Trust is Not a Dream. It was an excellent message about faith and trust and how life can flow when you let it. The audio of this service is up on the Unity of Olympia website and includes great songs, too.

From Unity, I drove and met several friends on I-5 and we carpooled to see Matt Kahn at his monthly Seattle Soul Gathering. I always go to Matt's events not expecting anything. It is kind of strange, really. And I am always totally blown away by what comes through.

The first time Devon and I saw him live, in November 2014, the message did a total perspective change on our understanding of the need to clean, cleanse and purge for personal and spiritual growth and it helped us in a court case we had the following day. It was months before they finally released that teaching on celebration as a YouTube, called: Anchoring a New Consciousness.

At this Soul Gathering on the 19th of July 2015, the room was probably near capacity of about 200 and the message was incredible and concluded with an "activation", which was a highly charged "repeat-after-me" that moved a lot of energy in me and I was crying through most of it! I will post the YouTube here of that event once they release it, in the meantime, this recent Youtube is way awesome too and I highly recommend everyone listen to Matt if you are awakening and getting more aware.

Another great blessing on Sunday, was reconnecting with a woman who had moved away from the area and made a big turnaround in her life and came back. We ladies went out to eat at Chaco Canyon. My friends had the raw entrees Raw Enchilada and Ginger Sesame Bowl our mutual friend had a Community Bowl that smelled lovely! They all had bites of a purple Blueberry Lavender Bar. I had a Green Cleanse juice; it was a treat that someone else made it for a change, after I spent hours prepping veggies and making juice the day before!

Monday, Day 20, I had a busy day getting a lot accomplished. I made some good raw food cookies out of the nut milk pulp I saved and may share the recipe after I get to try them on Day 23!

What I did on Days 18-20 Nirahara Samyama:
- Days 7-9 of Level 3

Drink
Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
[Still haven't been having the Haritaki!]
Juice made celery, cuke, beet, kale, apple, green pepper, jalapeno
Carrot Juice
Chaco Canyon 16 oz "Green Cleanse"
Master Brew Kombucha by Kevita, Cherry Tart
Walnut/hemp milk
Spring Dragon Tea Longevity Tea, (gynostemma)

Activities

Exercises and Surya Namaskar

Chanting 108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
21-min meditation/kriya
Watered Garden and the garden of a friend
Food bank and food prep
Cooked for family
Made raw cookies from nut milk pulp
Business planning
Short walks
Unity visits, Matt Kahn event, Chaco Canyon with friends
Blogging
Editing college papers
Oneness organizing tasks
Watched Korean drama episodes
Watched Nithyananda daily video magazines

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015.

Days 15-17 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: The Presence & Deciding for Life

Feeling the Presence.



When I tune into a live satsang with Swami Nithyananda or watch any of the replays or videos, I tend to feel what I call "The Presence". Is it "Swamiji's presence", my own presence, Sri AmmaBhagavan's presence?

Hard to say! It is a peaceful, almost blissful presence that I feel regularly when giving/receiving the Oneness Blessing or participating in Oneness Meditations or any other Oneness processes or events.

I am not a devotee of Swami Nithyananda, nor anyone really! I have spent a lot of time and have received immense support from my involvement in the Oneness movement, as the phenomenon of deeksha – with its mission of awakening the people of this planet – is often called.

I feel it is my own connection to The Divine that I get in touch with at these moments. On Day 16, there was no live satsang or repeat, so I watched the above Nithyananda Times Daily Video Magazine for July 16,  2015 and really gave my attention to the short video and it was like an instant meditation: I felt the presence again.

On the 16th, I was out of juices and made virtually the same juice as last time, this time with kale and swiss chard instead of spinach. With carrots, a bunch of celery, apple, some tomatoes, a beet and some beet greens and cucumbers.

I was a bit depressed on the 16th. Not totally sure why. I am putting a lot of energy into planning a new business and the reality is that it is going to be a longer process than I would like. I didn't do any exercises but did the ajapa chanting.

On the 17th, again no live satsang or replay, so I chose the following video from February 2015 and also read the transcript. I was intrigued by the title: Deciding for Life Clears All Karma.

Swami Nithyananda has been translating the Upanishads this year and there's been a lot about death, and conversely, life. I find it interesting that it all dovetails into Kirby de Lanerolle's rendition of the biblical scripture – it all points towards Life – and it is so amazing that we are so far from that as a society. Swamiji says:

“One should decide to live in this world for a hundred years, hundreds of years, all the while doing his deeds dispassionately as sanctioned by the scriptures. In this way, the deeds done by you shall not cling to you. There is no other way by which a man can free himself from the bondage created by the deeds.

"See, whatever you decide you are going to “DECIDE FOREVER”, becomes the decision FOR LIFE immediately!"

Swamiji makes it so simple: everything is Consciousness; everything is NOW. "Every time you decide FOR LIFE, immediately it reflects in your being."

To me, the Nirahara Samyama is a process that helps one decide for LIFE, as it awakens the reality that all life is consciousness and all life is energy and these are already supporting us. 

What I did on Days 15-17 Nirahara Samyama:
- Days 4-6 of Level 3

Drink
Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
[Still haven't been having the Haritaki!]
Juice made celery, cuke, beet, kale, apple,
Ginger Master Brew Kombucha by Kevita
Chai tea
Walnut/hemp milk with bit of cacao and xyitol
Raw soup, various veggies on hand, in blender

Activities

Exercises and Surya Namaskar

Chanting 108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
Watered Garden
Cooked for family
Business planning
Short walks
Watched Nithyananda video

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015.

Days 12-14 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: The Sacred Banyan Tree

Swami Nithyananda gives a breathing exercise for the Nirahara's to "live off of" the elevated energies of his ashram with a focus on being the sacred Banyan Tree which is considered to be the guiding spirit of the ashram. The instructions for the Nirahara Samyama Kriya for levels 1,2 and 3 are:

Sit in a comfortable Asana (Padmasana/Ardha Padmasana/Vajrasana) and breathe in (inhale) through both the nostrils and mouth together simultaneously and hold it judiciously as long as possible and visualize you are Bidadi Banyan Tree receiving your food and energy from space. Breathe out (exhale) from both nostrils slowly. Do this for 21 minutes.

I like this picture of Nithyananda and the Dakshinamurti ("the first-ever guru, the incarnation of Lord Shiva") for the devotion he shows, which reminds me to feel devotion in connecting with this sacred tree I haven't met yet. According to Bfoodfree.org, "The sacred Banyan tree at the Master’s abode, is revered as a hub for cosmic energy. The Banyan tree meditation is like a life support system for us Niraharis."

Over these 11 days of only liquids, I intend to connect more with the Banyan tree.

These three days have been relatively uneventful. I did make my own juices and much prefer these to the purchased juices. I am not convinced that any of them are truly healthy. I had thought a few of them weren't pasteurized, but am now skeptical and intend to really research the brands I have available to me before I do another Nirahara Samyama.

I made 3/4 gallon of juice with spinach, beet root and greens, carrot, cucumber, a whole bunch of celery, and an apple in a Green Star juicer I "caretake" for a friend who lives most of the year in Mexico.

I've been enjoying making my own nut milks again. To make a higher omega 3 milk, I am using about 3/4 C of walnuts with 1/4 C of hemp seeds and a pitted date. I use about 4-5 C of structured water, "milk" that in the nut milk bag, pour that out equally into two quart juice jars then put the pulp back in the blender with another 3 and a bit C of water and blend again. I milk it again in the nut milk bag and pour it out equally into the two juice jars. This is the economical version! I am using a Kitchen Aid blender, which is 600HP, but decidedly NOT a high speed blender; it does a good enough job though!

On the first day of Level 3, a Sunday, I actually hung out at Starbuck's in Yelm with a friend. I had a mocha with coconut milk, mainly because a bit of coffee helps clean my bowels out. I only get a 1/2 a shot. My friend gave me a bit of her coffee also and the effect of the extra caffeine (or whatever substance seems to help with cleanouts) helped!

I've been trying to catch live satsangs or replays and there were not very many live satsangs yet and hence, no replays. When that happens I choose a video from the archive of satsangs on the Nithyananda.org website.

The video I chose for Day 14 was: Paramahamsa Nithyananda Shares His Enlightenment Experience.

What I did on Days 12-14 Nirahara Samyama:
- Days 1-3 of Level 3

Drink or Eat

Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
[Yup, still haven't been having the Haritaki!]
Juice made celery, cuke, beet, spinach, apple,
Kombucha
Ginger master brew
Chai tea
Walnut/hemp milk with bit of cacao and xyitol
Raw soup, various veggies on hand, in blender

Activities

Chanting 108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
Watered Garden
Cooked for family (raw for husband; meat & egg for teen)
Business planning
Short walks
Blogging
Watched a live satsang, replay or video

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015

Day 11 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Eating Day

Today I get to eat between Level 2 and 3 of the Nirahara Samyama process, given to the world by Sri Paramanhamsa Nithyananda. 

Even though I felt a little hungry the past two days, I'm not all that enthused about making myself much food today!

I had done this process in November 2014 and was way more in tune with the energy of the process and the energy offered by Swami Nithyananda. 

In this July 2015 samyama, I am doing most of the energetic processes and I have also been busy with summer in the USA with teens out of school, a husband who is working part-time and going to college and myself, who is planning to start a new business.

When I tune into Nithyananda and give him my full attention, I feel an instant connection with, what I call, The Presence. This feeling is calm, peaceful and almost blissful. The Presence is also what I feel when I participate in and lead Oneness events or am in the presence of other high level spiritual teachers and I feel it is about being in alignment with THE Divine or at least MY Divine or higher/sacred self.

This morning, I didn't do any exercises or processes, and I attempted to tune into the replay of the Live Satsang last evening, but Swamiji wasn't on live, so I read notes from recent satsangs. Even reading the notes I will feel The Presence, if I am truly present.

Before my husband Devon left for work, we discussed how he has really been realizing that food is not providing energy. He is not doing the Nirahara Samyama, and never has. He's taking a college Nutrition course right now and when he had to do a calorie expenditure chart,  he added up 3000 calories of energy he expended for the day. He realized he doesn't eat anywhere near even 2000 calories. With that, he realized that the energy wasn't coming from the food and wondered how much energy is coming from the water. (As we are drinking Structured Water™ which has a much higher energy.)

As is the case with us for over 20 years, when I learn or experience new things, Devon seems to also receive the experience and wisdom. Since I like learning and experimenting, I guess this works out well for him, but it can be a bit perplexing when he learns it better than I do! In other words, I will not be surprised if he becomes a full Nirahara before I do!

I made myself some nice vegan rolls with rice wrappers and enjoyed some of my friend's coconut curry, black rice soup and I tried some Honey Mama's raw chocolate I bought at the Olympia Food Co-op during the week. It was from Portland and sold in the refrigerator and it was more like a raw fudge, being that it has coconut meat in it. The flavors in the Lavendar Red Rose Cacao-Nectar bar were subtle and good though!

During the day I experienced Mary A. Hall's Abundance Golden Process; it was a bonus with the coaching program I am doing. It is a perplexing audio, as it is silent! Mary developed technology to multiply the effect of her energy attunements and record them. Well, I had this 'audio' on while working on my business planning and I didn't last 15 minutes and I was out! I trust I experienced some sort of abundance clearing. When I awoke over an hour later, I was awake and ready to go!

We had to rush out after my husband got home from work to drive an hour to see my daughter's play, the culmination of her 3 weeks of drama camp. Didn't feel like making much for myself, and I bought a channa masala burrito from Safeway as I waited for Papa Murphy's to make my son's pizza–his last pizza before a week of Boy Scout camp.

What I did on Day 11 Nirahara Samyama:
- Day 11 Eating Day Between Level 2 and 3

Drink or Eat

Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
[Nope, haven't been having the Haritaki, maybe I will be brave next week!]
Veggie Thai rolls (rice paper), carrots, cucumber, avocado, Moi Ploy sauce
Coconut vegetable soup

Channa Masala Burrito purchased at Safeway Deli (It was a bit like this recipe without the raita. I'll have to make a recipe for this, maybe raw even)

Honey Mama's Lavendar Red Rose Cacao-Nectar bar 

Activities

Watered Garden
Cooked for family
Business planning
Drove to Morton and back

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015

Day 8, 9 &10 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Last Days of Level 2

On Day 8, I stopped at food co-op and found it difficult to think of what to get to actually make for the family or have on hand for me to eat for my upcoming day of food. I feel it would just be nice not to have to bother with food sometimes, both during and outside of this process.

My head and heart were in my business on Day 9, and I was home all day. I got up early and did practices and exercises. I made good progress on the business planning I am doing, which is a heart-based process with a leading healer/business coach.  

Today I had a rewarding session working on my heart-based personal mission statement and am feeling pretty good about that. To do this process during the Nirahara Samyama is perfect: I certainly didn't plan it that way as I learned about the coaching program a day before the registration closed and chose to jump in even though I'd already committed to joining the July batch of the samyama. 

I wasn't thirsty for anything other than water until after 1pm. When I am eating, I typically drink only water in the mornings until my first meal around noon.  I did feel a bit hungry in the afternoon, as I made an Indian-style dinner for the family and it smelled good.

On Day 10, the 7th day of Level 2 of the Nirahara Samyama, I was just plain hungry. It would be nice to not make food for others during this process, but I do enjoy food preparation for others more when I am doing this process or fasting. I think I enjoy it more while fasting, as drinking liquids still has an attachment to food and when I've fasted, food really becomes just an object after about the 4th day and making food for others becomes an enjoyable creative activity.

I probably didn't drink enough today with a bit of driving around and it's been very hot. I do use a small insulated cooler with an icepack to carry juices with me.

The most challenging thing to get used to on this process is to always have some liquid nearby, to keep the belly full. And, to remember you can chant ajapa japa for a few minutes or do the Kriya breathing to get nourishment of a different sort.

What I did on Days 8, 9 & 10 Nirahara Samyama:

- Day 5, 6, & 7 of Level 2, 7 days on Liquids

Drink or Eat
(Didn't keep the best records these days)
Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
Organic Carrot and Evolution Fresh Tangerine juices
Chai tea

Activities Day 8, 9 & 10

Surya Namaskar
108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
21min Kriya Breathing
Business Planning and work
small bit of gardening
Took car to get fixed, picked up son from school

Watched:
Missed satsang on Day 9 as I just plain forgot. Bummed as Swamiji was live that day. I set my alarm to repeat at 6:20pm daily so I don't miss any more satsangs! I did watch the replay in the morning, on the 10th.

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015

Day 7 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Sacred Chambers, Spa for the Soul

Today it was a real treat to participate in a Sacred Chambers day in Seattle. For me, it is a Spa for the Soul. 

The Sri Amma Bhagavan Sacred Chambers are part of the Oneness phenomenon, out of India. When I was attending events in India in Fall 2013, we were told about how the a new phenomenon was manifesting in many Indian homes because many Indians were connecting strongly with their own Divine.

In India, every home has an altar and some homes where people also had the Sri Murthi (sacred, living picture) of Sri AmmaBhagavan on their altar were experiencing phenomenon such as the people in the picture moving, Amma or Bhagavan talking (ala Harry Potter) and Amma or Bhagavan, or another Divine like Krishna, coming out of the picture.

A Oneness Trainer in California reported that it happened to her, where Amma came out of the Sri Murthi into her living room and hugged and talked to the woman. A German woman in my dorm room told us of a friend in Germany who is a mobile nurse and also received a visit and hug from Amma, who stepped out of the Sri Murthi, and was told her job now is to share this love with people.

In January of 2014, Oneness University initiated the first Westerners to offer the Sacred Chamber process in their homes or Oneness Centers. "Chambers" here means "rooms". You simply enter the First Chamber (usually a living room) and the facilitator guides you through a process of meditation and introspection and seeing how you are with various aspects of relating to your Divine.

From there you proceed to the Second Chamber, usually a small room where there is an altar. The Sri Murthi we call the Kalki Bhagavan, which is a photo of a younger Bhagavan in his yellow robe, presides over the proceedings. In the Second Chamber, you ask for healing from your Divine: you can talk (or not) to Sri Bhagavan or your own Divine about whatever you like.

In the Third Chamber, another small room or partition, the main Sri Murthi of Sri AmmaBhagavan is on the altar and usually the facilitator has added other sculptures and pictures of other representations of the Divine to the altar, like Jesus, Buddha, Mother Mary, Amma (the Hugging Saint), etc. The Chambers' facilitators really do a wonderful, loving and tasteful job of decorating and creating a nurturing environment.

Again, the intent is for you to connect with YOUR Divine, some people are inspired to talk, some to sing. Your Divine could make an external (to you) appearance or connect with you in your inner space. Many people have experienced physical and mental healings in the Chambers.

Most facilitators limit the maximum number of people to 5-7. Each person enters the Second and Third Chambers alone, so the whole process takes about 4-6 hours and the process is free. Our hosts were most gracious with tea/coffee/water service and you are expected to be there for yourself and to stay in silence and not engage in conversations.

Today, I enjoyed the wait for my turn, sometimes on the balcony overlooking Puget Sound and downtown Seattle, sometimes on the couch, reading an Indian-printed AmmaBhagavan book with great miracle stories of lives changed by the Oneness teachings. I also did my Surya Namaskars while waiting. It was truly a Spa for the Soul!

Sacred Chambers facilities are all over the world now and you can find one near you by visiting OnenessEvents.org and choosing Directories>Sacred Chambers and choosing your Country.

My experience of the Sacred Chambers today helped me recognize a "charge" or "incompletion" I had been acutely aware of for 2 years and needed to spend some more time bringing that issue to completion. The Chambers' facilitator Kimberley Cowan, an intuitive, shared some useful insights for me regarding core relationships that issue may stem from and I truly appreciated my three friends and Kimberley's partner, Ton, who were present.

All in all a great day to make the most of the Nirahara Samyama process and go within and spend some time with me.


What I did on Day 7 Nirahara Samyama:

- Day 4 of 7 days on Liquids

Drink or Eat

Structured Water and DE Structured Water
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
Carrot Juice
Kevita sparkling probiotic drink
Suja Green mixed with Evolution Tangerine
Watermelon juice (blended and strained)

Activities

drive son to school & Safeway shopping for juice/veggies
108 Ajapa Japa "Om Hreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"
Sacred Chambers process in Seattle
Surya Namaskar
21min Kriya Breathing
Read Sri Amma Bhagavan Indian book

Watched:
Nithyananda.tv Live Satsang (missed first 1/2hr)

Observations

A quick stop in the morning to Safeway, for juices and veggies to make juices from was challenging, I didn't even really want to buy anything for me, didn't feel that drawn to eat or drink anything and difficult to think of what foods the family might need. I am really not having a difficult time with not eating right now.


For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015

Day 6 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Haritaki Cramps!

Ah, the wonders of Haritaki powder!

Haritaki powder is the powder of a fruit, also known as Kadukaai. It is a master herb in Ayurvedic healing and part of a common formula, Triphala (three fruits) which is most known for it's gentle bowel cleaning support and tissue rejuvenation.

Swami Nithyananda recommends all Niraharis (those practicing Nirahara Samyama) take 1 tsp of haritaki each evening, as powder in the mouth. Nithyananda says in Haritaki – Nectar, the Spiritual Cleanser:

The oxygen level in the blood increases to 300%. The whole stomach gets cleansed. That is one thing. The main thing is the whole blood becomes pure. 300% oxygen means equivalent to 2 hours of Pranayama.

The first time I participated in Nirahara Samyama, I didn't have any strong reaction and although taking it as a powder is, well, very dry, I found that dumping the spoonful in the side of my mouth and quickly following it with water, and swishing the water around in my mouth, to work OK. I even found the aftertaste a bit sweet.

This time around however, the taste has been quite astringent and hard to take and, consequently I haven't been too consistent on taking it every day. I had actually been taking 1/2 Tablespoon the week before I started the July Nirahara Samyama and checked the notes to see how much to take.

Today I took just 1 teaspoon around 11am, because I wanted it to do any work before the evening when I had to go out and I had missed taking it for a few days. And it did kick in about 2.30pm as we were picking up my son from summer school. I had to use the restroom before coming home and had quite a clean out and when home, was in the bathroom for some time. 

And cramps started. I don't want to scare people from using it, but that was my reality this time around! The cramps were very sharp, a bit like birthing cramps, but shorter and sharper. 

I told a friend about it who had started taking haritaki after researching it, (she has not done the Nirahara Samyama) and she had cramps, but really liked the cleaning out and detoxing that was occurring, so she stuck with it. She said, "Haritaki did such great stuff to my body so far, really good for skin, hair, lungs and all else." 

This time, she told me:

"That is what Haritaki does, it has to scrape the accumulated dirt from your intestinal walls and gets the flukes and bugs out and that is the reason you only take Haritaki at night before going to bed, so you don't feel the cramps after you fall asleep. I used to go to bed, and placing a hand on my belly saying 'I love you' as cramps would come since I took Haritaki and then stayed up a bit."

I drank a lot of water, rested on the bed between cramps. It was so similar to birthing, and the cramps made you totally present! It lasted for about 4 hours. I wondered if some nasty worm was fighting its expulsion or some such similar parasitical battle was happening in my bowels.

Although I had felt some mild nausea, I wondered if having some strained soup would help so I warmed that up and strained it, and had a cramp in the kitchen. 

My husband–who surely didn't get what I was going through–when he complained about the things I left in the bathroom and that I couldn't take our son to his meeting, I had an outburst at him. So perhaps haritaki helps with emotional purging too!

During the pain, I also retrieved my Natural Action Technologies portable unit and pointed it at my tummy and intended healing and restoration of balance. I fell asleep with the unit next to my pillow.

My advice regarding haritaki powder? Take 1 teaspoon in the evening for sure! Stick with it and if you happen to get cramping the first day, reduce the amount by half and take that for 3 days and then increase the amount to 3/4 teaspoon for 3 days. 

What I did on Day 6 Nirahara Samyama:

- Day 3 of 7 day on Liquids

Drink or Eat

Structured Water and DE Structured Water

Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)

Haritaki powder (1 tsp w/ 1 tsp structured water)

Mix of juices: Suja berry, probiotic lemon, carrot juice

Strained coconut vegetable soup

Activities

Surya Namaskar
Ab exercises
108 Ajapa Japa "Om Shreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"

Watered Garden

Cooked for family

errands
Helped friend

21min Kriya Breathing

Watched:

Nithyananda.tv Satsang

Observations

I do think that haritaki, as a cleanser, surely affected my emotions. My outburst at my husband was pretty intense and I was then able to talk to him the next day about the issues it represented. Swami Nithyananda does suggest doing a completion process while going through Nirahara Samyama.
This process is called SAMSKARA DHAHANA KRIYA and you can hear him teach about it on the video: Technique to Burn the Root of Suffering

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015

Day 4 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary July 4, 2015: Begin 7 Days Liquid

July 4th was a quiet day for me. My husband was working and my son kept busy with his friends, so I had some time to do some business planning and help someone unexpectedly.

A woman I met online, after viewing one of her YouTubes on Clustered Water™ Lilian Mustelier, lives near us in Olympia, Washington. She has run an alternative TV show on the local public broadcasting station for some years and has a few of the shows on YouTube.

Yesterday it happened that someone stole her long garden hose, and this morning I was moved to put it on a local Facebook buy/sell/trade/free group and asked if anyone had one, and someone did. So I drove it out to Lilian and hooked it up and gave her a gallon of Clayton Nolte's Dynamically Enhanced Structured Water™ to play with.

We had a great chat and she offered me a psychic/tarot reading. That was great fun. I am beyond trying to prove these things, so it was like a co-operative consultation and I gained some interesting insights, more like a different perspective on some of the situations in my life. So that was fun and truly appreciated.

On the way home I stopped at the Deschutes River at a private property that allows access and I structured the river water with a Natural Action Technologies original portable unit. It was 90+° out and I just waded in with my sandals on and pulled the unit in the water with a figure-eight pattern for a while. I also intended the water be cleaned of pollution down to the mouth of the river and joy be brought to the area. I felt joyful and happy doing this. There were people all up and down the river enjoying themselves on July 4th, including music blaring. It felt very alive and joyful.

This evening in the live satsang, which is actually July 5th in India, Swami Nithyananda honored the USA with a lot of gratitude and an awesome compliment and his blessings:

First thing, God bless America. Today is July 4th for America. Actually, yesterday was July 4th for India, but yesterday at this time was July 3rd for US, so it is 4th this time, I am blessing this great country, and I also wanted this to be on record: it is this country that blessed our sangha to be on this scale; I wanted to remember this country with gratitude. It is that giving nature of US and the people who gave from US created our sangha, the way it is standing, whatever infrastructure we have to reach out to people, all the outer world infrastructure I credit it and attribute it to the giving nature of this country, US. So, happy Independence Day, God Bless America.

[Source: Facebook Posting of Unedited Notes] 

What I did on Day 4 Nirahara Samyama:

- Day 1 of 7 days on Liquids

Drink or Eat
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water in morning)
Haritaki powder (1 tsp w/ 1 tsp structured water in eve)
Structured Water
Orange Fanta (a social thing!) which I structured
Probiotic Lemon juice drink
Lemonade
Suja juices

Activities UPDATE
Surya Namaskar and Ab. exercises

108 Ajapa Japa "Om Hreem Nithyanandaya Namaha"

Short Walk
Business work

Cooked for family
Housework
21min Kriya Breathing
Watched:
Nithyananda Live Broadcast 7am IST Satsang (6:30pm PDT)
Watched neighbors' fireworks from our home

Observations
Day 1 was uneventful. I don't miss food much, if at all, when I do these processes. I did start the Ajapa Japa chanting today. Which is simply chanting "Om Hreem Nithyanandaya Namaha" and seeing that going around your throat chakra. I do it with my mala beads for 108 repetitions. I have read that some Niraharis, when feeling hungry, do this to stop the hungry feeling. This article, "How Niraharis Live on Prana" on Bfoodfree.org has more information.

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015

Day 3 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Eating Food Day

The importance of tuning into Nithyanada's satsang was strongly felt this morning when I tuned into the replay of yesterday's satsang.  I could feel the energy flowing in me, I feel it was his blessings he gives to the Nirahara Samyamas, and likely everyone. It was a very peaceful, blissful feeling similar to participating in a Oneness Blessing or Oneness Meditation session. I missed most of the Live satsang last evening because I fell asleep in the unusual heat we are having in the Pacific Northwest and our duplex was around 86°.

Even though I am not a devotee of Nithyananda's, I truly respect and appreciate his spiritual wisdom and status because of what I have learned and experienced with him, just online! During my Nirahara Samyama in Nov. 2014, I had a lot of realizations about food and judgements around diet that I feel were attributable to the intention and blessings that Swami Nithyananda nurtures the Niraharis with.

As I said in the first post of this diary, I am personally convinced that eating is part of the programs we have. Swamiji is giving not only a new program of "living foodfree", but also helping to clear the old programs around "I must have food to survive."

Today is a day to eat normally. From my experience, it is best to eat light before or after fasting, juicing or drinking just liquids. I intended to eat all raw today, yet we had some yummy leftover seaweed soup and jasmine rice, so I had that for breakfast. One of my food beliefs is that weekly seaweed soup is a great source of minerals! So far I have been cooking it, but could make a raw version.

At lunch we visited a friend to stock up on Dynamically Enhanced Structured Water (more about that later, it's a big topic!), and she gave us a sandwich to share of true sourdough bread with her seasoned grilled tofu, tomato and Veganaise. It was yummy! She sent us home with some raw pesto she made and other food goodies. With the food from a stop at the Olympia Food Co-op, I made a raw dinner.

. . . And I got soo busy making raw yummies, I totally missed the Live Satsang! 7 am IST (6:30pm PDT or 5:30pm PST) is a busy time for me. I did catch some of the replay later in the evening.

Fresh Corn & Blueberry Salad

Corn cut from 1.5 ears corn or more!
1 Tbs diced pablano pepper
1 Tbs diced red onion
1/2 C blueberries

Toss all together and top with:
Sprinkle celtic sea salt & cayenne
Spinach for garnish (or serve on bed of spinach)

Zucchini Noodle Pesto Pasta

Spiralize 1 zucchini and let sit in strainer for liquid to drain, pat with clean or paper towel before topping with pesto.

Nadja's Pesto

3 cloves garlic

1/3 C brazil nuts  soaked

1/3 C sunflower seeds  -  soaked overnight

1 C pumpkin seeds - soaked overnight

1 C cilantro

1 C parsley

4 Tbs lemon juice plus salt-pepper

2/3 C olive oil

Blend cilantro, parsley, oil in blender

Add garlic, nuts, seeds, salt, pepper, lemon juice

Blend into paste

Garnish with Tomato wedges

The Pizza Pasta recipe was inspired by Markus Rothkranz, as the lovabale Tony, sharing his IncrediPizza recipe. It's one of the best raw recipe videos yet! Be sure to watch it below (click on the Youtube logo to make it bigger). I made his pepperoni and pizza sauce recipes; I sadly forgot the dates in the sauce until after I'd plated it and modified the pepperoni recipe slightly with more spices and using Agar Agar.

You can order Markus and Cara Brotman's Love on a Plate: the Gourmet Uncookbook here. Great inspiration for simple raw foods to eat after the samyama . . . or anytime!

Zucchini Noodle Pizza Pasta

Spiralize 1 zucchini and let sit in strainer for liquid to drain, pat with clean or paper towel before topping with sauce. 

Pizza Sauce

1 C sundried tomato (pre-soaked if not in oil; drained if in oil)

1 C fresh tomato

3 Tbs cashew milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

2 dates

1 clove garlic

pinch sea salt, black pepper, cayennes, I added ground fresh oregano

Mix all in the blender. Sprinkle with 1 grated brazil nut (or other soaked, dried nuts). 

Note: Brazil nuts don't require soaking.

Pepperoni

1/3 C irish moss gel or Agar Agar gel

½ C  coconut meat (meat from 1 small young coconut)

2 Tbs sundried tomatoes

¼ C red bell pepper

1 Tbs chopped raisins

½ tsp red beet (I didn't have beet and it still had good color)

1 ½ Tbs Nama Shoyu (or soy sauce or coconut aminos)

I added about 1/2-1 tsp each: oregano, thyme, black pepper, chili powder

With a normal blender, I first briefly blended the agar agar gel, coconut meat and tomatoes. This didn't work so well, as it's not liquid enough, so I transferred it to a small food processor. Then I added and briefly blended the remaining ingredients. The idea is to leave chunky bits for texture. If you have a Blendtec or Vitamix, you can add all the ingredients and pulse it briefly. You can persevere with a normal blender, you will just have to stop and scrape down with a spatula often. 

For the Pizza Pasta, I served 3 balls of the raw pepperoni mix. To make pepperoni, spoon about a 1 1/2 teaspoon and shape 1/4" thick. Makes about 12 pepperoni. dehydrate for 10-12 hours, turning half way through, to a flexible texture. Store in the refrigerator. 

Irish moss? It holds it all together. I substituted with agar agar powder. The agar agar powder I got from the Asian store had sugar in it for a Jello-like desert. I used it anyway as that's what I had. I boiled 2/3 C water and added and whisked about 3 Tbs of the agar agar powder and gently boiled and whisked for 5 mins. To cool it, I put the small saucepan in the freezer. It solidified too much, so I warmed it on the stove, stirring with the whisk until it was a thick jam-like consistency like Markus' irish moss in his recipe video.

To learn more about using Agar Agar, this Raw tiramisu recipe from NouveauRaw.com would be a good place to learn, and she has another page of instructions.

Where to get coconut meat? You can buy fresh young coconuts at Asian stores. Locally, our Safeway and food co-ops carry them as well. Asian stores also sell frozen coconut, be careful to choose the one WITHOUT sugar. I think one frozen pack is about 1 C of meat.  Markus reports that Whole Foods and some other natural stores are now selling frozen coconut meat as well. 

What I did on Day 3 Nirahara Samyama:

- Eating Normal Day

Drink or Eat

Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)

Haritaki powder (1 tsp w/ 1 tsp structured water)

Structured Water and DE Structured Water

seaweed soup and jasmine rice

1/2 sourdough, tofu, veggie sandwich

Raw Dinner: corn salad, pesto pasta, pizza pasta

Raw pudding: chia seed, raw cacao, coconut cream, blueberries 

Activities

Surya Namaskar

21min Kriya Breathing

Cooked for family

Met someone to sell a craigslist item

Visit friend

shopping

Watched:

Nithyananda.tv Replay (part of it)

Observations

I remembered that Ajapa japa (chanting) is supposed to be a part of this process and is not included in the current instructions on the Facebook group. I’ll have to ask about that. You chant the moola mantra of Nithyananda’s to maintain the connection with him. You chant this and envision the words encircling your throat chakra.  

Otherwise, just busy with life today and, well, eating! 

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015

Day 2 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary: Just Liquids Today

In my first post of this diary I shared how I found the Nirahara Samyama process. Read it here.

So I had a good day today of taking care of myself. I've been doing Surya Namaskar yoga (Sun Salutations) in the mornings and working on making a habit of that. I have 2 favorite videos I've been following along with. The first one I do the warm-up with as they only do a few Sun salutations. But today, I did the whole video. It is from Swamji's Nithya Yoga, which he is bringing back with teachings from the old texts, and seems a very good form of yoga.

I follow the Surya with some core ab exercises, as even when I was a bicycle racer, my abs were my weak point: better late than never!

Another thing I did for myself today was to register for an online heart-based business coaching program and began the modules. I am so excited to do this for myself as finally the clarity of what I am to "do with my life" is bubbling to the surface and the program I chose felt so "right", from my heart, that I just had to do it.

Today reached over 95° and our duplex doesn't handle this well, being southwest facing! I fell asleep before the live satsang and woke up during the last 15 mins.

Only felt a little hunger in the late afternoon. Just drank water, a bit of juice and ate the leftover veggie soup today, oh and a bit of coconut bliss dark chocolate ice cream. My reasoning: it was after the morning satsang of the 3rd day, so I should be good, as the 3rd day is a food day. Sounds like some sort of food habit in that reasoning!

And that is the fun part of doing this samyama: go easy on yourself, follow the 'rules' of the process, and if you slip up, just observe it and acknowledge it and get back on track. If you start eating though, the process ends for you.

Someone asked in the Nirahara Facebook group (closed) if popsicles were OK. Awaiting a response on that one yet!

What I did on Day 2 Nirahara Samyama:

- Day 2 of 2 days on Liquids

Drink or Eat
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
Haritaki powder (1 tsp w/ 1 tsp structured water)
Sructured Water
Smooth Move tea
Orange Juice (from frozen)
Leftover Veggie soup blended and strained (brocollini, mushrooms, asparagus, red onion, fresh marjoram & thyme, leftover quinoa, Thai True Green Curry, coconut milk)
Coconut Bliss ice cream

Activities
Surya Namaskar and exercises
Cooked for family
Housework
21min Kriya Breathing
15 min walk in 95° (felt good, for a bit!)
Watched:
Nithyananda Live 7am IST Satsang (6:30pm PDT)

Observations
Yesterday, I also cooked for the family. My son still likes meat, so I made him turkey bacon in the morning and ground beef a couple nights ago. Usually I simply cannot and refuse to do the meat thing. But these times, since starting the samyama, I just saw the meat as 'objects', without the emotional attachment of my judgements against meat. I really don't like the smell and may even feel nauseated from the smell and I don't recall I was repulsed by the smell as I usually am. 

For an introduction to the Nirahara Samyama process, read the first post of this diary here. For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015

Day 1 Cyndi's Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015: Progressing Along the Food-free Path

"Everything is belief programs," has become one of my 'observational mantras' since I experienced a significant shift of perception and quietening of the mind at the Oneness University in India in Fall of 2013.

Believing that we need to eat food to survive is just another of those belief programs that shapes our lives.

Cyndi at Oneness Temple 2013

After participating in a 28-day Deepening process then two 10-day Trainer's courses, which included processes with the incredible Oneness Temple, I came home invigorated and changed. Over the following months of integration, my awareness became heightened by seeing the beliefs and programs behind people's actions, society's makeup and daily activities.

Remember the scene in The Matrix, when Neo is doing the impossible and the others are watching the code falling on the computer monitor? That is a bit what it's been like for me, I've been seeing the code falling, as I saw the various beliefs for what they were: just programs propping up our reality.

Near the end of my re-entry from India (it took a year!), I began researching 'breatharians' online. I had already read Jasmuheen's book some years ago so I already knew we didn't need food to survive, and I wondered if more breatharians had become popular online, as it I'd heard a few of the popular raw fooders talk about progressing to liquid diets.

My searching turned up an Indian Master I hadn't heard of yet: Swami Paramahamsa Nithyananda, dubbed "A Living Incarnation". He has an incredible collection of teachings on the web, over 2000 YouTubes! As well as free live streaming of his near-daily Satsangs. He's always smiling and looks great, too!

The first site of his I found was www.bfoodfree.org site. Swami Nithyananda has a free process you can do at home to begin to dismantle the belief patterns which enslave us to food! Free is good.

I explored the program, called Nirahara Samyama, which begins on the 1st day of each month at 7am Indian-time with the Satsang that morning in India. For us on Pacific Time this is at 5:30pm (PST) or 6:30pm (PDT) the evening before the 1st. I participated in and completed the November 2014 Batch 36 and started last evening with Batch 45.

I had already experienced two 21-day water fasts, a 10-day water fast which yielded some interesting healing effects, and a one-day Ekadasi process (fast with no water) which I enjoyed and got so much energy from I did it for two days.

The Nirahara Samyama is different. It is not a diet. It is not completed on willpower. 

You are under the tutelage of Swami Nithyananda and receiving energetic support of some sort from him. You simply tune it to the Satsang every day and be present and participate in the meditation they do or if there is no Satsang that day, there are meditation practices you can do on your own. There are a few other practices and requirements I'll get into later or you can read about it on the BFoodFree website.

The process involves the first two days of liquid diet (nothing chewable), then one day of eating, then 7 days of liquid diet, then 1 day of eating, then 11 days of liquid diet. 

The liquid diet can be juices, water, teas, milk, buttermilk, soup broths, soup and thin porridges. I've also done smoothies and raw soups (put it through a strainer to ensure no chewy bits), fresh nutmilks (for a treat, blend in some raw cocoa and stevia or xylitol), kombucha, and sparkling kefir. Coffee is permitted also.

Luckily if you don't want to haul out the juicer, fresh cold-pressed juices, NOT pasteurized, are becoming more available. On the West Coast, we are lucky to have Starbucks' new brand of juices called Evolution Fresh which are made with a Norwalk Press.

Should you choose fresh raw juices or pasteurized, ie heated, (beware even "flash pasteurized" is still heated, just faster). Ah, but that is another of those beliefs! If you think the pasteurized is bad for you, then, perhaps, it is!

What I did on Day 1 Nirahara Samyama:

- Day 1 of 2 days on Liquids

Drink or Eat
Neem leaf powder (1/4 tsp w/ 1/4 tsp structured water)
Sructured Water
Orange Juice (from frozen)
iced herbal tea
Fruit/greens smoothie
Veggie soup blended and strained (brocollini, mushrooms, asparagus, red onion, fresh marjoram & thyme, leftover quinoa, Thai True Green Curry, coconut milk)

Activities

short bike ride for an errand

2 hrs cutting branches and scotch broom

Watched and did:

• Introduction to Hunger Free Meditation
• Conquer eating disorders with Nirahara Samyama : the Kriya breathing at the end of this video, 30:00min

Observations

I had sorta ate a lot of some of yummy foods we had around the house before the evening (morning in India) satsang, so my first full day was not so eventful. I felt a bit hungry towards the evening when I had the cooked soup. On the food days, I will likely only eat raw, but then, I am working on dropping another layer of 'food beliefs' this time. The first Nirahara Samyama process I did helped me to drop judgements on myself or others about eating any particular type of diet. 

Although I prefer raw, organic and vegan, I think our choices of food on this plane of existence should be more around what is sustainable and healthy for our society and ecosystem and while still hooked in the belief that you need to eat, you might as well eat the food with the highest amount of energy, which would actually be wild, raw food.

For all the posts in this series, go here: Nirahara Samyama Diary July 2015

Squat, Don't Sit For a Healthier Bowel Movement Says Dr. Mercola

I remember a my husband's first nature poo. I was 27, he 28, camping in Northern Queensland, Australia. I could not believe he'd never taken a dump in the woods! We had both been bicycle racers, long before we met. Racing, and the rural training for racing, often necessitates taking care of nature's calls wherever you may be. I would carry a bit of toilet paper in a plastic bag on the longer rides, just in case (being a girl and all, you know). He survived the experience and learned how refreshing a good squat can be and that squatting was more than a way to build your quads via weightlifting.

Dr. Mercola published a great article that will go a long way towards improving the bowel movements of America: Want Better Bowel Movements? Squat, Don’t Sit! I can vouch for what he says. Personally, we have a couple of Rubbermaid step stools in the bathrooms; it's not perfect, but it works. The article also includes a helpful description of the types of stools; health, unhealthy and appearance of stools.

During a trip to India in 2013, I was one of the few retreat participants at the Oneness University who would use the "Indian toilets", we called them; there was never a line for those! Usually they were a square porcelain 'bowl' in the floor that you squat over it and the floor was tiled and there was a bucket with water to aid with flushing and cleaning off, sometimes there was a hose also. The only awkwardness involved was tucking your clothes in such a way as so they didn't get wet on the floor or via a 'mistaken aim' (even for girls!). This is a photo of an all-in-one squat-or-sit toilet I experienced in India.

6 Tips for Squatting for Health

1. Drink Lots of Water. Start the day with 2-4 big glasses of water and take a BM before you eat. Choose fresh spring water or Natural Action Technologies Structured Water®. Drink more water or structured fluids, like fresh juices or smoothies or raw soups.
2. Include probiotics and fermented foods in your diet. 
3. Use a step stool or a Squatty Potty to emulate a squat, leaning forward helps. If using a step stool, you may find you need a taller stool if you have an tall or ADA (handicap) toilet.
4. Do not put up the toilet seat and climb up there and squat, as some hard-core guys in the comments of the Mercola article do, it's dangerous as you can slip and the toilet was made to handle the weight distributed around the rim of the bowl, not concentrated on the sides.
5. Take a portable stool with you on road trips, or keep one in a car. Once you figure out what size works best at home, you might need a taller stool since most of public bathrooms these days use the ADA toilets.
6. Squat more! Squat when gardening, squat while reading, squat when hanging out and talking to people. Find a way to squat for a while right before you go to the bathroom without a stool, this can be handy at rest stops as it can help relax the muscle, before heading in. 

In Australia, we once even inadvertently built the perfect '"squat box" without realizing it. It started out as a large mailbox with a sloping roof to keep off the tropical rains. When we moved, we took it with us and discovered it was the perfect slope for a "squat box".

As Dr. Mercola points out in his article, the biggest reason to squat is that when we stand and sit, our bodies naturally tighten up the muscle that we need to release, to well, poo. Squatting naturally releases this and you shouldn't need to strain at all when eating well and if you're hydrated. So give your colon a break and see how you can incorporate squatting into your daily routine.