Aryuvedic Cleanse - Day 1 of 4

I'm starting an Aryuvedic cleanse today, based on a workshop I took several weeks back.  In the workshop, I was diagnosed as having a "vata" imbalance with a constitution of "pitta" and "kapha".  Without getting into the details of the diagnosis, I was given a program specifically to help balance out my "vata" imbalance, part of which is a 4-day cleanse, which involves eating very simply, taking in ghee and certain digestive and other cleansing herbs, doing self massage, and taking hot baths.

In addition, I am to take it easy, refrain from heavy exercise, thought, etc.  The way I'm wired, I'm up for trying anything, even if it involves violating my current tenants.  I'm a Vegan, right, so ghee (clarified butter) is really not my thing, but because the program specifically requires ghee, I'll go ahead and do it for 4 days and see what happens.  Heck, if it makes me feel better, maybe I rethink my stance a bit.

For each of the days, it goes like this:

Wake up with the sunrise, 6am

Breakfast – 615am
- Take 1 capsule of digestive herb before ghee – 615am
- Take ghee with warm rice milk (2tsp, 4tsp, 6tsp, then 8tsp)
- Small portion of kitchari, mung soup, rice – 645am
- Drink Tea (Ginger, Cumin, Coriander)

Lunch - Noon
- Take 1 capsule of digestive herb
- Large portion of kitchari, mung soup, rice
- Take 1 capsule each of Manjistha and Turmeric after meal
- Drink Tea (Ginger, Cumin, Coriander)

Dinner – 7pm or 8pm
- Take 1 capsule of digestive herb
- Medium portion of kitchari, mung soup, rice
- Take 1 capsule each of Manjistha and Turmeric after meal
- Drink Tea (Ginger, Cumin, Coriander)

Self Massage – 9pm
Hot Bath – 930pm
Go to bed by 10pm

Lunch will be the toughest, because I'll be at work.  I'll probably eat at my desk, then go for a walk in the sunshine.  Exercise will be light and easy, maybe a Yoga class at night, with 50% effort.  The hardest part of this was getting all of the recipes and food right.  The recipes for kitchari, mung soup, and rice ... with all of the spices required are quite simple, but I trialed them all last week, and let's just say I'm not using any of the stuff I made then.  But, with experience comes better results and last night I cooked up everything fairly well, and things this morning aren't too bad.

The food is bland and simple, to say the least, but that's what a cleanse is all about.  My feeling is that I can pretty much do anything for just four days (when it comes to food), so I should be fine.  I'll let you know the results, as well as provide tips on food preparation, etc. in upcoming entries.

If you've never done a cleanse before, I would encourage you to investigate.  It's a great way to experiment with your body, to see if there are alternatives out there that could be beneficial to you long term.  And most cleanses last a fairly short period of time, less than a week for some.  So, read up, and consider giving it a shot.  Of course, make sure you know what you're doing, check with your doctor, and by all means, if you're not feeling well, just stop, no reason to harm yourself, if it isn't working out.  I wish you health and happiness, and a good day.