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Posts Tagged ‘Great American Apparel Diet’

This is a program I’m co-teaching with two people I really respect and thought that Drinking to Distraction readers might be interested!

 

Yoga. Meditation. Nutrition. We each know these are the building blocks of true health, yet it seems impossible to stay with it all amidst the craziness of everyday life.

Three teachers have put together a completely doable method for restoring you to the path of inner and outer fitness. In just 21 days, you can begin to detoxify through this simple but comprehensive yoga, meditation, and nutrition program. Constructed to slot into daily life with minimal to no hassle, this video-based immersive experience will guide you day by day to a more vibrant and peaceful sense of being.

On May 16th, you will gain access to the following:

Eight yoga videos from Pranavayu founder David Magone

David is known for both the physicality of his practice and it’s focus on relaxation. If you are a beginner, don’t worry, you will be carefully led into the practice. And if you’re an experienced yogi, don’t worry either! There will also be flowing sequences to really get you moving, twisting, and sweating. In addition, David has created a yoga video just for relaxation: a complete Savasana experience designed to help you experience a relaxation response.

An introduction to meditation from Open Heart Project founder Susan Piver and four videos to support your practice

Learning to settle and balance the mind goes hand in hand with settling and balancing the body. New York Times best selling author and Buddhist teacher Susan Piver has created four videos especially for this program, to bring meditation into your life easily and comfortably. They are meant to be used throughout the program and include a 10-minute fully guided meditation suitable for both beginners and more experienced meditators, a 20-minute meditation for those times you want to sit longer, and a special loving-kindness meditation video for use as we relax and encounter our hearts. In addition, there is a 20+ minute talk on the benefits, joys, and misconceptions about meditation.

A mindful nutrition program and three videos about “eating to love” from nutritionist and author Jenna Hollenstein

Along with yoga and meditation, you will be supported to eat foods that support mental clarity, emotional calm, and physical vitality. Jenna is known for her “Redefining Fullness” counseling, which is about bringing mindfulness to your relationship to food—the way you think of it, prepare it, consume it, and relate to it in general. One video introduces the nutrition approach to the mind-body detox, a second guides you through a mindful eating exercise, and the third is a simple five minute discussion of reconnecting with your body.

A comprehensive workbook to guide you

There is a suggested schedule for each day of the program and guidance for entering it as easily as possible. In addition to the schedule, the workbook contains journaling exercises, suggested readings, and place for you to keep a “Practice Journal.”

Three group check ins with the group and teachers

Each week, the group will meet online with all three teachers discuss progress, ask questions, and share reflections. It will be recorded for those who cannot participate live and a link sent out.

Private community page

A place to check in 24/7.

Upon completion of this program, you will have learned lifelong skills for inner and outer fitness.

Cost: $324 USD Payable in full or in three weekly installments of $108 USD each.

Early bird sign-up begins April 14, 2014 – Save 10%

Regular price sign-up begins: April 29, 2014

No cancellations

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMER: As with any exercise, eating, or meditation program, please consult your physician before participating in the 21-Day Mind-Body Detox. This program may not be appropriate for everyone, particularly those with an alcohol or drug addiction, an eating disorder, or individuals undergoing medical or psychiatric treatment for these or any other conditions. If you are taking prescription medication for these or any other conditions, do not discontinue them unless indicated by your physician. The exercise, nutrition, and meditation instruction herein is not a substitute for medical attention, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.

Not all exercise is suitable for everyone and this or any exercise program could result in injury. To reduce the risk of injury, never force or strain. Always take care when determining your ability to do the exercises offered in class, particularly if you have a specific injury or condition. If you feel pain, discomfort, or dizziness, discontinue and consult a medical professional.

The creators, producers, participants, and distributors of this program disclaim any liability or loss arising out of or in connection with the services, instructions, exercise, and advice herein.

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“To Be or Not To Be”

At some point, perhaps years before the night of my book party, alcohol and drinking began to occupy an increasing amount of my mental real estate. During the workday I eagerly anticipated cocktail hour. Or I perseverated over where to purchase a bottle of wine on my way home from work. Among my shopping criteria were selection, price range, and distance from my condo. But most importantly, how frequently or recently I had purchased from a certain place. I feared becoming recognized as a “regular” so I rotated my patronage accordingly.

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Very happy to have been reviewed by Kirkus Indie:

 

“Hollenstein (Understanding Dietary Supplements, 2007) makes it clear from the start that her book has none of the drama of typical addiction memoirs. She has no harrowing, cinematic rock-bottom moment to report, for example; instead, she focuses on her slow realization that “[a]lcohol numbed both [her] pain and [her] joy.” This quiet process of introspection, however, proves to be just as engaging as any tale of alcohol-induced havoc. Hollenstein writes eloquently of the complex role that alcohol once played in her life, and her insights into drinking’s cultural currency are especially sharp. Of alcohol’s transformative power, for example, she writes: “Champagne with oysters transported me to Paris….I drank whiskey to express my saltier side.””

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Just wanted to share an essay I submitted to Shambhala publications’ 35 project:

 

Drinking to Distraction

You know the moment you realize you are scared or anxious but don’t know why? You might check your wallet, confirm the oven is off, or scan your calendar for forgotten appointments. Maybe you retrace the rapid-fire sequence of your thoughts searching for the origin of your discomfort but can’t identify anything in particular. In Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Holly Golightly calls it the mean reds: Suddenly you’re afraid, and you don’t know what you’re afraid of.

I used to have these moments all the time. Sitting at my desk on a workday, I would feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety and restlessness. At first I thought it was just my crappy job or that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But even if I changed environment, the feeling persisted.

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There’s something so seductive about the New Year’s resolution. It’s a moment like no other, when the clock ticking forward signifies one year comes to a close and another begins anew. There is the temptation to resolve that this year is going to be different, that this is the year that I start eating healthy, lose 20 pounds, start volunteering, or finally get control over my drinking.

Like many people, I have goals for 2011 – one might even call them resolutions. I want to go into the office more (rather than give in to the daily temptation of staying in my pajamas and working from my couch). I want to meditate more, specifically in the morning, when not only is it more restorative but also more likely to happen at all. And I hope to keep previous resolutions – worry less, do more yoga, eat fewer peanut butter Puffins.

Yet, I am resistant to the idea of making change just because some external thing – a date in this case – tells me it’s time. It’s out of keeping with my basic belief (and hope) that change can happen at any moment. That it can be a slight shift that becomes meaningful over time.

If you are a lifelong walker yet you long to run, each step represents an opportunity. If you are in the middle of a box of cookies, but you want to lose 20 pounds, each bite is an occasion to change course. If the right time for you to make a change is slightly less momentous than 1/1/11, I say go for it.

I chose August 18, 2010 to make a significant change in my life. As the self-proclaimed Bargain Bitch, I’d often comb the racks at Filene’s Basement, Marshall’s, or (swoon) Barney’s and wind up with many beautiful, originally expensive, yet often-unwearable clothes in my closet. Clothes that I clearly would not have purchased at full price but which, at a discount, gave me a rush and a break from my troubles. My bargain hunting was fairly consistent throughout the year, peaking during sales and any time I was feeling stressed, depressed, or restless. Ultimately, I realized my innocent bargain hunting had assumed a new role – that left vacant when I stopped drinking.

My shopping habits even resembled my previous drinking habits. Whereas I used to be really into Sauvignon Blancs, black flats might become my new obsession. Whereas I’d chain drink until a bottle of wine was empty, I would exhaust the style options of a particular blue jean company. Or if I’d scored a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress at Saks Off Fifth Avenue, I might hunt down a DVF chaser on eBay.

Not long after I realized I was shopping much like I drank, I was very fortunate to discover The Great American Apparel Diet, which invites those of us with a penchant for sartorial acquisition to abstain from all purchases for 1 year. I joined TGAAD when I was in the middle of a stressful home sale and am now more than a third of the way through my one-year commitment. Removing the possibility of blowing off steam by shopping during a period of great uncertainty was challenging to say the least…but certainly not impossible. And beginning my resolution in the middle of the year relieved some of the additional pressure I might have felt and imparted a certain one-day-at-a-time forgiveness.

During the last four months, when I wasn’t shopping, I’ve used my valuable time to go deeper into my meditation practice, cultivate important relationships with those in my life, and finally stop talking about it and start this blog.

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

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