JUICE CLEANSE & YOGA INTENSIVE

Every Spring I try to offer some kind of guided group opportunity for cleansing. I started this annual practice because I myself wanted to do a cleanse but did not want to feel isolated from the rest of the world for the week or like I had nobody to reach out to if I had questions or feelings to express. I did my first group cleanse in April of 2005 and I have led 7 groups since then, each one taking me deeper into my own practice and understanding of my body, as well as enhancing my knowledge and understanding of how to effectively lead the groups.

On May 1st, I will be teaming up with the amazing teachers at GOOD YOGA in Greenpoint to offer an incredible opportunity for a Spring juice cleanse and yoga intensive.

We'll hold a group workshop and then host cleanse focused yoga classes daily, with an opportunity to purchase fresh juice daily from Green Pirate.

The goal of the workshop is to educate people about the process of cleansing, how

to safely and effectively let go of unwanted toxins yet stay nourished, and to provide structure and support for a successful Spring cleansing experience.

GUIDED JUICE CLEANSE & YOGA WORKSHOP
MAY 1st, 2011 - May 8th, 2011
w/ Deborah C. Smith and partner studio, GoodYoga

$50.00 per person

Register for the workshop through GoodYoga.

Guided Cleanse Experience includes:
- 3 hour Cleanse plenary workshop on Sunday, May 1st, 2011 (mandatory)

- Nutrition and Cleanse Educational Materials
- Weekly menu plan (personalized during the workshop)

- Juicing tips and samples

- post-cleanse 30 minute individual follow-up sessions with Deborah (May 11^th- 18th)

**Yoga classes provided through Good Yoga not included in the cost of the workshop***

** Fresh Squeezed Juice is available for participants of the cleanse at a separate fee***

Please Email deborah@green-pirate.com with questions or visit http://www.goodyoganyc.com to find out about the yoga teachers and classes available.

*Pregnant women and anyone taking prescribed medications should consult their doctor before

embarking on a week-long detoxifying cleanse plan.

Letting Go- Mind, Body & Soul

Lighten up! Balanced holistic health has everything to do with being in the present moment and knowing what your body is communicating to you right now.

So often we get caught up in the emotional energy of the past and we aren't available to support ourselves in getting our current needs met. We know what it is that we wish to gain or create in our lives; but do we know what we need to let go of in order to make room for all the new?

Here are some ideas for letting go of the old and clearing space for manifesting your heart's desires. Have fun with it, it's Spring after all! Cleaning is practically mandatory.






Mind
- tackle your clutter for a few hours a week
(old books, DVD's, paperwork, unused or too-tight clothes all go!)
- take 5 minutes each morning to breath and meditate
- create some space from heavy or negative relationships









Body
- clean out the fridge of old and funky foods
- check exp. dates on spices and dry goods and toss oldies
- walk/run 15 minutes a day to shed layers of winter padding
- cleanse your digestive system by adding fresh squeezed juices









Soul
- donate old things to a local charity or organization
- get rid of behavior patterns that cause guilt
(guilt holds you to the past and never allows you to be in the present)
- laugh for 15 minutes each day (letting go of everything!)

Make a list of all the things you can think of that you want to let go of and then get to it. I promise you will feel lighter and much more ready to invite abundance into your life! Then let me know how it goes....I'm working on it too!

Spring Feast on the Equinox!

Planning a healthy meal is simply more fun and makes most sense when done in conjunction with the changing cycles of nature. It's time to celebrate Spring and our bodies with delicious and healthy recipes that honor this great time of balance and rebirth.
Why not plan a Spring feast?



The spring (or vernal) equinox is one of the four great solar festivals of the year. Day and night are equal, poised and balanced, but about to tip over on the side of light. The spring equinox is sacred to dawn, youth, the morning star and the east. The Saxon goddess, Eostre (from whose name we get the direction East and the holiday Easter) is a dawn goddess, like Aurora and Eos. Just as the dawn is the time of new light, so the vernal equinox is the time of new life.

It is a day for all to celebrate longer daylight hours,
returning warmth and the start of planting.

So, what's on the menu for your Spring Feast?

Here's some food for thought. A Spring feast typically incorporates foods associated with birth or new life, including eggs (the promise of new animal life), seeds (the promise of new plant life) fresh greens finally growing again after a long winter, sprouts, fresh vegetables and fruits with lots of seeds.



How about a giant fresh greens salad with spinach and dandelion greens, sprouts and strawberries, sunflower seeds and some goat cheese?


You can dress it with a mixture of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, lemon, and sea salt.


Wonderful Spring veggies include asparagus (also an afrodisiac!), squashes, tomatoes, Spring onions and lettuces. Some people also include a roots soup (potatoes, carrots, beets and other roots that keep well throughout the winter) to pay respects and bid farewell to the winter veggies that keep well in the cold.




Deviled eggs are always a big hit at an Equinox feast, but you can also hard boil your eggs and decorate them to dress up your table and then add them to your salad later.

Fresh milk, cheese and butter are often present at a Spring feast to represent that young goat and cattle are being born and these foods are more readily available. If you're serving meat, lamb and fish are the traditional Spring feast choices.

Sprouts of any kind and grasses such as wheatgrass and barley grass are perfect symbolic foods and packed with nutrients and phytochemicals that ignite your immune system. You can juice them and serve them with dinner or add them on top of your salad.

Don't forget seeds! Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, pumpkin seeds! They are delicious raw or roasted and can make a great snack as well as represent new life.


Ritual and Celebration


Have fun with creating your Spring feast.

- Decorate your table with candles, greens and fresh flowers.
- Ask your guests to each bring a food that reminds them of Spring.
- Invite each guest to plant a seed of an idea for what they hope to cultivate or create for themselves in the coming season.
- Try to balance and egg on its end!
- Teach your children the importance of adding meaning to your nourishment.

Most importantly, give thanks to mother Earth for providing all that we have and for continuing to grow new plant and animal life to sustain us.

Happy Spring Equinox! Have a great feast!

Deborah

SPRING CLEANSING

Spring is in the air!
As we approach the Vernal Equinox, we can feel our bodies’ subtle (or not-so- subtle) cries for balance. The time has come to shed winter layers and come out of the darkness into the light!

We feel an energy building inside us to connect with that sensation of potential energy surrounding us: the snow melting, the days getting longer and the first signs of new green peeking up at us from the earth.

Buds on trees are preparing to burst into new life and flowers are pushing themselves up through the soil. In no time we will be basking in the warmth of the sun again!

What does your body need at this exciting time of transition?

Are you anxious to get moving and feel your muscles toning and trimming again?

Have you noticed any particular cravings at this time of year?

Have you ever considered a Spring cleaning for your body that mirrors the one you will most likely do for your closet?

Spring is the perfect time to cleanse away toxins and impurities that have been taking up valuable real estate in your body throughout the winter months. There are wonderful health benefits to cleansing including: relieving stress on many of your vital organs, increased energy, clearing out toxins that can lead to discomfort and disease in the body, and more time to accomplish your goals.

A cleanse can range from a gentle pulling back from your normal diet to remove chemicals and processed foods, to a full-on fruit and vegetable juice (liquid only) diet.

As a part of your cleanse you may choose to include a trip to the bath house for sauna or massage, a colonic, or a specific yoga regimen. Cleanses can be done solo or in a group for support and can be altered to suit your personal schedule or dietary needs. A cleanse doesn't have to be something that you suffer through either! It can be fun and full of activities and education that set you on a path for maximum overall health leading into the warm weather seasons.

What are you letting go of at this time of year?

During any transition, it is a valuable process to check in with the needs of the physical self and find systems of support to help us maximize our energy and make the most of every day. If you are considering a Spring cleanse for the first time, make sure to do so with the support of a health professional or nutritionist who can guide you in making the strongest choices for your body.

For information about a Guided Spring Detox & Cleanse Program, please visit Deborah’s Holistic Nutrition website.