The power of commitment...particularly in the short term!

I am one of those people who needs to check in and measure my progress daily, it's fine to be a work in progress but I require quantifiable verification that I am progressing.  This quality (I am choosing this term over, say, idiosyncrasy, quirk or "condition.") is responsible for what I've come to think of as my "30 Day Challenge Lifestyle."  It is a technique that effectively appeases my neurotic need to identify constant change and progress, whilst battling my incurably short attention span and inability to commit. Basically when an experience or encounter leaves me thinking;

• "That's incredible!"

• "I wonder what would happen...

  Or the most inspiring

• "That's insane!"

Then I make a commitment of mindfulness and practice that spans everyday, for 30 days.  The technique is simple in theory, and depending on my latest obsession, often downright grueling in execution. This isn't a new concept for me, it's a technique I've employed on several occasions, but now I want to step it up a notch by;

1. Committing to a 30 day challenge that is easily the most demanding I've ever undertaken
2. After this 30 days is complete, employing a policy of always having a "30 Day" in progress, one after another, with detailed documentation of the process and overall results. 

Basically this will be a blog dedicated to exploring limits. This first 30-days dedicated to physical limits and something, actually two things, that I've wanted to do for quite awhile and, now that I've decided to combine them in a single month, probably my most physically taxing undertaking yet!  I also believe that this will be the most beneficial and kind thing I have ever done for my body.

Over the next 30 days I will Juice Fast (if this seems radical, I encourage you to conduct your own research into the historically beneficial practice of juice fasting) and will at the same time be committed to 30 days of daily Bikram Yoga practice, with an emphasis on once weekly doubles (two 90 minute practices in a single day).

The Juice Fast

• A daily minimum of 3 800 ml serving of "pure green juice," juiced fresh from my Omega green juicer (Spinach, kale, lettuce, ginger, lemon, parsley, beat greens, etc)
• A daily maximum of 800ml juice including, but not limited exclusively to, fruits and root vegetables (apple, carrots, pineapple, you get the picture)
•  A daily minimum of 2400 ml water
• Optional caffeine free herbal teas

Bikram Yoga

• Daily practice of Bikram's 90 minute, 28 pose series at my local Bikram Studio in Richmond, VA.
• In the unfortunate event that I cannot make the 50 minute drive to Richmond, I will practice the series at home to my Bikram recording in our attic, which on a 90 degree day outside surpasses 105 degrees.  This however will be a last resort, as I think the group practice in a Bikram Studio is intrinsic to receiving the most benefits from a single Bikram series.

When I decided to do this, about a month ago, I started searching youtube and the internet for other people's experiences while juice fasting and practicing Bikram and, while I found many blogs and vlogs dedicated to 30-day juice fasts and the "30-Day Bikram challenge" I found none combining the two.  This came as a bit of a surprise because I really think the two could be the ultimate combination for healing and detoxifying.  After exhaustively searching for other's experiences, and for some idea of what I should expect during this undertaking, I gave up and decided that I would just go in blind, and while I am at it, hopefully provide someone else with the material I had been seeking.

Thus, The Limber Lemon was born!

This is my first venture into blogging and to be honest I am not really one to frequent blogs, unless I am using them as research, and even then I do not practice much loyalty, treating each meticulously planned out and lovingly constructed blog much like a one-night stand, taking from it what I require and then continuing onto the next, without so much as bookmarking the web address for another viewing down the road.  So I apologize ahead of time for all the amateur mistake to come, and those that have surely already been committed.   Most of all I hope that someone can find some constructive information and perhaps even some inspiration from my rambling over the next 30 days.  If you are stumbling upon this blog without any previous interest or experience with Bikram Yoga or a plant based diet, I hope that you are inspired to investigate both, and consider for moment the positive impact to your health, both physical and mental, that may be experienced through integrating either or both into your life!
 

June 23, 2011 will be day 1.  Come along for the ride, it should be entertaining! Namaste!