That's all folks! The end of my 30 Day Mind & Body Detox

So, it's the end of my 30 Day Mind & Body Detox programme... Or is it?!

Yes, the 30 days are up. Yes, it's been quite a journey with some big ups and downs and (cheesy though it sounds) I've really learned something about myself and my relationship with with food, my body and what goes on inside my head.

With Week 4 came a certain calm, a peace with leaving things on my plate and accepting that, better than 30 Days of Perfection, is a life long series of changes and better choices. My bum feels firmer (hooray!), my skin feels incredible and my boyfriend even commented today how he could really see a change in my shape. Yes ok, I still have a way to go before I feel uber-energised, cellulite-free and slim as a whippet but I'm SO on track for that and if I keep going on this journey then that is surely the direction I am heading in.

To that end, I am going to keep up with many of the facets of this programme ongoing. I do feel that there is benefit in short-term detoxes however what has become clear is that a gradual change is more sustainable. What isn't going to happen is the classic annual 'detox month' each year that allows me to "cheat" the other 11... remember, I'd only be cheating myself and I can honestly say that my desire to eat sugary or processed or wheat-filled foods has diminished hugely so resisting should be much easier.

But more importantly than all this outer bumpf (and yes, it really is more important) is the greater sense of inner calm and contentment and faith in my own ability that has come into it's own recently. I always said that age 26 was the age at which most women seem to make their final "adjustments", reviewing the character traits they dislike and learning to accept the ones they cannot change, perhaps even becoming fond of their quirks and idiosyncracies. It is then you can learn to love yourself and be at peace with yourself...

I now realise that this happens more than once as here I am feeling the same way about more recent changes aged 32. (I'm now also certain it will happen again and again through life). I'm excited to keep this personal development going as I feel I'm right on the brink of something big and exciting although i haven't a clue what... but I'll keep you posted :)

For now, I'm off out to celebrate a rather lovely piece of news I've just had but I'll be posting again in the next few days with the dreaded 'After' photos and a review of how I found each aspect of the programme and what I'll be keeping up with.

Until then, cheers! x

Sarah is an Holistic massage & beauty therapist, owner of Edge of Eden and Senior Consultant for Neal’s Yard Remedies. You can call her on 01277 220301, email at sarah@edgeofeden.co.uk or comment below and she’ll get back to you x

A week's retrospective - the first week of my Mind & Body Detox

Well well well, I couldn't believe it when I stepped on the scales on Wednesday morning and found that I'd lost a massive 6 lbs this last week! WAHOO!

I'm so glad I resisted checking throughout the week; you fluctuate so much anyway day by day, and I wouldn't have had this big surprise! I'm truly happy that I've lost some weight (and 5 inches from my vital stats too, including 2 inches from my waist!) and my skin feels so super soft. I do still have some spotty bits on my face and decolletage (in fact more than before) but that's ok, the skin is excreting toxins. It feels great to know I haven't given it any extra ones to handle for a week!

It not plain sailing though. I do feel like the other 'half' of my detox, the Mind Detox, isn't going so well.

Now it's true that I have just lived through some of the most awful months of my life for various personal and family reasons, and there are still plenty of challenges ongoing, however I did think I'd be feeling a little less cluttered of mind and scatty of thought! Maybe that will come...
I know that detoxing does require quite a lot of work from the body to process and excrete all these toxins that are being released from your cells... maybe it's the same for the mind. I have certainly been feeling tired in the last few days and take that as a good sign, but it's bound to affect my state of mind.

Perhaps as well if I'm totally honest, I haven't been quite as on top of the 'Mind' side of things as I could be. A couple of mornings I've skipped my yoga and meditation in favour of an extra wee snooze, mainly because of not getting to bed at a reasonable time (I had aimed to be in bed by 11pm which isn't even that early!) Hmmm... think it's time to review the 'Mind' detox:

• Yoga & meditation 5 x week - hmmm.. I think one of the problems with this, in addition to

  

  Aromastone for burning oils

  getting to bed a bit late, is that I'm not enjoying them as much as I'd hoped :( I find meditation with the guided meditation CD I'm doing kinda boring (!) so maybe I should try another technique? Any suggestions? I also am not enjoyed my sun salutations as much as I always have... gutted. Not sure why although it could be that I feel a little cramped for space at home - think I'll try somewhere else and maybe playing some music and lighting an aromatherapy candle or burning oils in my aromastone instead.
• Sleep (before midnight, total darkness, wifi & mobile off, 6-8hrs, aromatherapy) - I could definitely work on getting an earlier bed time and using some aromatherapy. I genuinely slept better after my detox bath last week which I followed with the aromatherapeutic Beauty Sleep body butter - think I'll try more of that and burning a relaxing oil in my aromastone before bed too.
• De-stress (creative time, time outside with nature, aromatherapy, quiet time, music) - Quiet time...? What's that?! I have definitely fallen foul of not having any of that. I'm the sort of person who finds the more I fit into a day, the more I seem to do, so maybe I should try fitting 'Quiet Time' into my diary? It sounds crazy but could it work? Time outside with nature I have definitely been enjoying (although we could do with that sun back!). I also noticed I hadn't had much music in my life recently - usually I sing in a band once a week and am practising for that or just listening to music a lot but not recently. So... today I have been playing my 'top rated' playlist all day, dancing and smiling like a lunatic!

Ok, a few pointers for me to work on there. Glad we had this chat ;-)

Now go put your music on, and dance like there's nobody watching...

Get yours here: http://bit.ly/12uYwhb

Sarah is an Holistic massage & beauty therapist, owner of Edge of Eden and Senior Consultant for Neal’s Yard Remedies. You can call her on 01277 220301, email at sarah@edgeofeden.co.uk or comment below and she’ll get back to you x