Today

Get Good Sleep: 7hrs.

Drink Enough Water: Not really.

Take Brisk Shower: I did.

Soak Up Sunshine: 60 minutes of sunbathing.

Breathe Fresh Air: While sunning & walking.

Pray Before Meals: Yes! Before my durian lunch.

Drink/Eat Light Foods: Banana-water smoothie / Orange wedges / Haitian mangoes / Durian / Napa cabbage wraps

Wear Bright Colors: Yes, lavender shirt & light green beaded necklace.

Practice Kundalini Yoga: 22 minutes of meditation & kriyas.

Sweat & Have Fun: 30 minutes of "tomfoolery", 30 minutes of core exercises done in the sun, and modified push-ups & dips.

Experience Everyday Bliss: Not giving up is bliss! It feels so good to really want something & to make it happen. Or even making mistakes & not letting them take you from where you want to be. Just keep at it & make it work for you. All of it. Doesn't matter what, just have a good time creating what you want with what you've got. 

Today

Get Good Sleep: 7hrs.

Drink Enough Water: I don't I did.

Take Brisk Shower: I did. twice!

Soak Up Sunshine: 30 minutes of sunbaking.

Breathe Fresh Air: While sunning & walking.

Practice Kundalini Yoga: 33 minutes of mediation & kriyas.

Sweat & Have Fun: 30 minutes of dancing around (plus, lots of walking on a hot day).

Pray Before Meals: Once, but it was during, not before. I said, "thank you thank you thank you" as I ate my durian.

Drink/Eat Light Foods: Liter of fresh OJ / Bananas / Durians

Wear Bright Colors: I wore a white cotton scarf with a neon green pin.

Experience Everyday Bliss: Seeing someone happy. It's contagious. :)

Today

:)
Get Good Sleep: 8hrs.
Drink Enough Water: I think so.
Take Brisk Shower: I did.
Soak Up Sunshine: 30 minutes of sunbaking.
Breathe Fresh Air: While sunning & walking.
Practice Kundalini Yoga: 33 minutes
Sweat & Have Fun: 30 minutes of core exercises & 30 minutes of dancing.
Pray Before Meals: Forgot again. :) But thought about being really thankful while making my banana smoothie. I was so close!
Experience Everyday Bliss: The vibration I felt from my canvas cotton handbag as a drummer about 50 feet away from me played his congas on the subway. So weird how the vibration travels. Maybe it was because I had an empty glass bottle in my bag? Cotton usually doesn't vibrate. :)  Also, the bond I felt with my older brother as we talked. The excitement I felt from my mom as we discussed plans for later this summer. And the enthusiasm I felt for my plans to work on a drawing today.
Drink/Eat Light Foods: Lemonade / Banana smoothie / Durians
Wear Bright Colors: I wore red head to toe. With funny looking shoes.

Today

Get Good Sleep: 8hrs.

Drink Enough Water: I think so.

Take Brisk Shower: No. :( Sort of warm. I missed the excitement of the cold.

Soak Up Sunshine: 60 minutes of bright sun.

Breathe Fresh Air: A little while sunning & walking.

Practice Kundalini Yoga: 33 minutes outdoors.

Sweat & Have Fun: 30 minutes of core exercises in the sun.

Pray Before Meals: I finally remembered! Only once though. I said, "Thank you thank you thank you", then smiled and ate. :) Check out the comments for yesterdays post for more info on this whole "pray before meals" thing. It will make more sense if you get the back story. I did feel a difference when I did it (once) today. I will be happy when it's automatic & I do it without a second thought.

Drink/Eat Light Foods: Lemonade / Liter of fresh OJ / Bananas, strawberry green tops & fig smoothie / Cantaloupe-mint-orange juice-lemongrass soup

Wear Bright Colors: Wore red, head to toe.

Experience Everyday Bliss: Painting flower silhouettes while listening to lectures from Himalayan swamis. It felt like a meditation. The hours flew.

Today

:)
Get Good Sleep: 6hrs.
Drink Enough Water: Nope. Will drink more.
Take Brisk Shower: I did.
Soak Up Sunshine: 30 minutes of sunbaking.
Breathe Fresh Air: Yes, a little while sunning, & exercising in the park.
Practice Kundalini Yoga: Yes, 50 minutes.
Sweat & Have Fun: Yes, ran stairs in the park.
Pray Before Meals: No. I keep forgetting!
Drink/Eat Light Foods: Liter of fresh OJ / Banana-stawberry smoothie / Gazpacho puree with chopped avocado & romaine lettuce
Wear Bright Colors: I wore white & red.
Experience Everyday Bliss: So much bliss today!
Getting an unexpected hug request. The kind act & good energy of that hug stayed with me all day. A gift to the giver & to the receiver. And it's free!
I saw an amazing-super-beautiful tree I had never seen before (after 16 years of walking in this lil' neighborhood).
I saw a small upright piano painted orange in the middle of the park. Little kids were playing it. It sounded so good. I asked them when the piano got there. They said it's new & it belongs to the park. The park placed it there. Wow, so cool. :) It made me smile.
I saw an african drumming band. Totally by chance. I heard the music & followed it. It was coming from a tiny cafe. Barely enough room for the band & its admirers. Today was great.

Today

:)
Get Good Sleep: 8.5hrs.
Drink Enough Water: Yep.
Take Brisk Shower: I did.
Soak Up Sunshine: Another full hour! 2 days in a row!
Breathe Fresh Air: Yes, pranayama outside.
Practice Kundalini Yoga: Yes, 22 minutes.
Sweat & Have Fun: Sweated like crazy walking 3 boxes, a suitcase & a garbage bag full of clothes over to the Salvation Army.
Pray Before Meals: Not once! Hard to remember.
Eat Light Foods: Liters of fresh OJ / Banana-basil smoothies / Strawberry-banana smoothie
Wear Bright Colors: Nope.
Experience Everyday Bliss: Sunbathing while doing pranayama (breathing exercises) on my back. Ooooo…it was bliss, bliss, bliss. It felt amazing. All elements working together. Just like nature intended. And one more thing, the feeling of closeness or relatedness. I had a great conversation with my brother via email. Warmed my heart & lifted my spirits.

Today

:)
Get Good Sleep: 6hrs.
Drink Enough Water: I think I need a bit more.
Take Brisk Shower: I did.
Soak Up Sunshine: Yay! A full hour! Sunbathing with a book.
Breathe Fresh Air: Yes, plenty of walking, (and see above).
Practice Kriyas & Meditation: 2+ hours (Thankful for a quote given to me by my new kundalini teacher, "I tell you today & I'll tell you tomorrow & I'll tell you everyday: You have only one friend - your discipline, which will give you all that you need. The rest are all promises." -Yogi Bhajan)
Sweat & Have Fun: 21 minutes of exercises (like assisted push-ups, seated-tucks, etc.)
Pray Before Meals: Only after one meal. I remembered to "give thanks" as I was eating it.
Eat Light Foods: Fresh OJ / Amasake green smoothie / Blended bananas / Blended figs & bananas
Wear Bright Colors: I did. White & yellow.
Experience Everyday Bliss: Meditating outside. Towards the end the wind picked up & little drops of rain started to fall. My shirt began to blow & the sky's water tapped gently telling me it's time to go. It was all beautiful. The sun, the clouds, the rain, the wind, the warmth, the coolness, the gentleness. -Bliss!

Today

Get Good Sleep: 7 hours

Drink Enough Water: I did.

Take Brisk Shower: I did.

Soak Up Sunshine: 30 glorious minutes of sunbathing

Breathe Fresh Air: Did while walking outdoors.

Practice Kriyas & Meditation: 80 minutes in total

Exercise Heart & Lungs: 30 minutes of jumping & dancing

Pray Before Meals: No, totally forgot. :(

Eat Light Foods: Lots of Fresh OJ / Green smoothie / Mixed vegetable juice / Fresh cherry juice / Strawberry-mango smoothie

Wear Bright Colors: Wore all white. :)

Experience Everyday Bliss: Had the courage to wear white spandex pants. As silly as that sounds, it's big deal for me. I wore them because I was brave, not cause I'm in good shape. Wearing or doing whatever you want & not caring what others think is bliss!

Today

Ahhhh... today felt great. It was a complete day of rest. I spent the afternoon napping & the early evening doing a kundalini kriya & listening to kundalini yoga lectures. I decided that I want to reestablish the habit of a daily kundalini yoga practice. I also want to lighten up my wardrobe by wearing more white & bright colors, drink more water, have super-juicy meals & get plenty of sunshine and more... 
I feel like I know what makes me happy. Now if I could only make it an effortless habit!

I want to do the following daily;
Get Good Sleep, Drink Enough Water, Take Brisk Showers, Soak Up Sunshine, Breathe Fresh Air, Practice Kriyas & Meditation, Exercise Heart & Lungs, Pray Before Meals, Eat/Drink Light Foods, Wear Bright Colors, Experience Everyday Bliss

For the next 40 days I'll be working on making these a priority. Making my health & happiness a daily priority. -Sounds good to me!

Yesterday

:)
Sleep: 6.5 hours
Sunshine: Got a little sun walking outdoors.
Gratitude: Grateful to be surrounded by walking birds while eating my lunch. I was alone, then 20 minutes later they all showed up. I don't think it was my food. I was eating durian.
Bliss: Having a staring contests with birds. ;) It was so cute. There was this one light brown & white pigeon that kept making eye contact with me.
Juicy-lusciousness: Orange wedges / Haitian mangoes / Durian / Biter melon stew

Hi! :)

Quick post for Yesterday...

Sleep: 6 hours

Sunshine: Just a little walking outdoors.

Love: Bright colors. I can't get enough. 

Gratitude: Patience is a vertue. Long day today! So grateful that we all have patience for each other.

Bliss: Feeling music describe the indescribable. Sound waves of meaning that can only be felt. Pure bliss! Music is magic. What would life be like without it? I don't even want to entertain the thought!

Juicy-lusciousness: Orange wedges / Haitian mangoes / Banana-celery smoothie

Sorry for being "hit & miss" with the posting. I've been working more than usual. I have about another two weeks or so till things are back to normal. Hang in there!

:)

Yesterday

Sleep: 9 hours

Sunshine: a good amount from being outside, but I miss sunbathing.

Love: I love not speaking. It's the best feeling. I love it when everyone is sleeping or everyone is busy at work or busy socializing, & I'm just there, somewhere nearby doing my thing. Just me being me being quiet. Feeling content & at peace.

Joy: 20 minutes of running, lots of walking, hours of painting, plus 33 minutes of kiryas & meditation.

Gratitude: Grateful for the opportunity to get as much sleep as I needed.

Juicy-lusciousness: Orange wedges / Haitian mangoes / Fresh OJ / Shredded carrot salad with mixed chopped veg- fruits / Veg juice & Blended veggies

Today & Yesterday

Sleep: I'm not sure, maybe 7. I forgot what time I went to bed.

Sunshine: A few hours walking in the city.

Love: I love when people wear their hair natural. I saw a black family today with all locked (long) hair. Dad, mom & two sons. They all looked so powerful & so gorgeous.

Joy: Hours of faux finishing walls for a client, hours of walking around town, plus 30 minutes of kiryas & meditation.

Gratitude: I'm so thankful that I know the business owners at the shops I frequent. It's a nice feeling.

Bliss: Having something workout. I love the feeling of things coming together.

Juicy-lusciousness: Fresh OJ / Bananas / Fresh grapefruit juice /  Mixed vegetable juice / Arugula with chopped veggies / 3 tiny home-made raw macaroons a friend made for her birthday. :) So good. Xo!

(Saturday)

Sleep: 8 hours, then another 2 lounging in bed with eyes closed.

Sunshine: A little. :)

Love: It's so cool having everything near in NYC. Everything you need is minutes away. Like today it was fresh OJ. I wanted some & found it (by chance) one block away.

Joy: 30 minutes of dancing & jumping on my trampoline, plus 45 minutes of kiryas & meditation.

Bliss: Getting a really sweet compliment. It could me completely off guard & in was really generous & loving on the part of the person who said it. Bless their heart. I'm grateful.

Juicy-lusciousness: Fresh OJ / Blended OJ & bananas / Lettuce wraps (inside ingredients: blended chunky celery-cilantro-tomato-avocado-pepper-citrus)

Today

:)
Sleep: 8.5 hours.
Sunshine: No. Too busy. I did get a little on a short walk to the store.
Love: Love exercising everyday. It's so much fun. It really makes my day.
Joy: Various exercises like burpees, high knee jumps, seated tucks, etc. (3 minute sets x 10), plus 45 minutes of kundalini yoga.
Gratitude: Love hearing birds chirp. I'm so glad they are there. They make city life feel natural. :)
Bliss: The color of beet juice. Heaven. When my cucumber noodles soak up the beet juice (in my dressing) they become bright fuchsia! It's a massive color feast for my eyes. Feels amazing. Definitely feeds my soul.
Juicy-lusciousness: Santa Claus melon / blended pears & bananas / Big leafy salad & cucumber noodles with dressing on top (dressing ingredients: blended tomato-beet-cilantro-corn-avocado-pepper-cucumber)

Today

Sleep: Long story. :( But I did get in a few good Zzzz. Maybe 5 hours worth.

Sunshine: Outdoor workout & courtyard french lesson.

Joy: Half of a kundalini yoga routine, I still need to do the other half. I did complete my stair repeats (3 sets x 10) & got in some walking.

Love, Bliss & Gratitude: I found a white mulberry tree on my way home from the park. Ahhh… so beautiful, so full of life, so sweet! I wish I had a ladder. There were so many ripe berries I couldn't reach. But I was able to pick a few sweet berries from the lower branches. I was grateful & delighted. The whole experience reminded me of my love for fruit & my awe of nature. I love her so much. :) Xx..

Juicy-lusciousness: Santa Claus melon / Fresh white mulberries / Big salad with blended cherry tomato-avocado-cucumber-basil-beet dressing

Today

Sleep: 7 hours

Sunshine: Rainy day

Love: The sound of rain.

Joy: Morning kundalini yoga.

Bliss: The smell of a rain.

Juicy-lusciousness: 
Blended pears & banana
Haitian mangoes
Okra fruit stew (blended cherry tomatoes & mango as base, mixed with chopped avocado, cucumbers, okra & peppers) 
:) 

Today

:)
Sleep: 5 or 6 hours. I went to bed late & had to wake up early.
Sunshine: Had my lunch outside, a business meeting outside, plus(!) sun-baking & breeze-bathing.
Love: I love nature. I really do.
Joy: Kundalini yoga, inversions & core exercises happening soon, & stair repeats (3 sets x 10) already done.
Gratitude: Grateful for chinatown. It always has the best energy.
Bliss: I saw beautiful leafy shadows change shapes on the pages of the book I was reading underneath a tree in the park. It also felt wonderful when big clouds would cover the sun while I was sunbathing. The shady moments felt refreshing.
Juicy-lusciousness: Mangoes / Durians

Quick Post! :)

Today was great! I was on a roll. Got lots of work done. Happy me!
:)
Sleep: 8 straight hours :)
Sunshine: Rooftop sunbaking. Yay!
Love: The color orange in my food. I always feel energized & strong when eating the color orange.
Joy: 90mins of kundalini yoga, plus 15mins of inversions & core exercises
Juicy-lusciousness: Orange wedges / Mexican mangoes & Haitian mangoes

Today

Sleep: 4 hours, woke up (misquote bite), then another 5 hours

Water: 2 liters

Sunshine: Maybe 30 minutes.

Love: Being able to sleep in. Love that comfy feeling of getting extra Zzzzz.

Joy: 75 minutes of kundalini yoga, plus 30 minutes of mixed strength training & cardio (jumping, seated tucks, running in place, v-ups, etc.)

Gratitude: So lucky that I have great friends & really loving people in my life.

Bliss: Doing nothing. I had a moment were I wanted to just sit & be. I was outside running an errand & all of a sudden, I just wanted to stop & take a break. It felt so good to just "zone out", look at birds, listen to sounds, feel the breeze, & breathe.

Juicy-lusciousness: Champagne mangoes galore! / Yesterday's salad leftovers

:)

Day 108 of 108 ...& Today

Wow, I made it to 108. :) I can definitely say that I wouldn't have made it if I had stopped every time I "messed up". The thing I learned from this adventure is to not make a big deal over mistakes or bad choices. The readers of this blog taught me that lesson & I am very thankful. (-Thank you! You reminded me to keep going & to not be hard on myself.) My diet has gotten so much better from keeping my head forward & not looking back. Never mind that things are not perfect, do what feels best long term. "Does eating more fruit make you feel better? Then keep doing it. Forget about the rest." That is what I tell myself when I have regrets about something I ate, or I wonder why my diet seems so different from the average american. "Who cares?! Just do what makes sense to you! Don't worry about what others are eating, don't worry about what you ate last year or yesterday. How do you feel today? Chose the best for yourself at this moment." The other thing I learned was that I should trust in abundance & buy high quality fruit. It has made a huge difference for me. Eating tons of cheap bananas does not feel as good as eating what calls me, or what looks best to me at the market. I do like bananas. But I like better the idea that the universe is abundant & I should eat whatever I have access to that I find appealing. (Pun intended!) The last few weeks of eating almost exclusively in open markets has been wonderful. A great experience that I want to keep up. I feel much more satisfied eating exotic fruits, local greens, wild herbs & small farm (or backyard) fruits than the mass produced supermarket organic or conventional fruits that I was eating before. My whole being feels the difference. Another thing I realized over the last 108 days is that sometimes I want to eat roots. I don't crave them often, but sometimes I do. Sometimes a dressing made with beets or carrots is really lovely. Having a diet of all fruits, or leaves & fruits sounds ideal. But the truth is, I still like some roots or veggies. I'm a fruit lover. No doubt about that, but I do love veggies too.

TODAY-
Sleep: 7.5 hours, slept really well.
Sunshine: Had lunch outside & walked errands in the sun.
Love: I love doing kriyas everyday. I'm having a blast!
Joy: 2 hours of kundalini yoga.
Gratitude: Grateful I had some frozen bananas in the fridge when I ran out of fresh fruit.
Bliss: Reading something that really moved me. (Written by Swami Sivananda Rhada.) It was like 5 pages long, so I can't share it all. But here are two or three lines of it…
"True security is recognizing that there is a power greater than ourselves that takes care of us."
"It is in the ashes of our illusions that we find truth."
"What is important is to cultivate a commitment to giving back to life and a willingness to see how many blessings life has given us."
Juicy-lusciousness: Banana-nettle green smoothie / Durian / Chopped cucumber-bitter melon-avocado-plum tomato salad

Yesterday's Juicy-lusciousness: Oranges / Durian (for lunch & dinner)

Day 107 of 108

Sleep: 7.5 hours

Sunshine: Morning meditation outside, plus lots of walking.

Love: People who are good at what they do. I love having interactions with people who run a great business. It's such a pleasure.

Joy: Morning kriya & meditation, 90 minute kundalini class, plus lots of walking.

Gratitude: Grateful I was able to accomplish things from my to-do list today.

Bliss: Feeling like almost all of my bliss, happiness, or good feelings come from things that just happen naturally, that are free, that are not based on form. This morning I was meditating outside & I was getting pleasant feeling after pleasant feeling. Like, "Wow, is this all for me? Why would I push or hustle to get things or to make things happen, when all of this is here for the experiencing? All I have to do is notice it. Amazing."

Juicy-lusciousness: Fresh OJ / Mangoes / Banana-nettle green smoothie / Fresh OJ & bananas / Cucumber slices with avocado & fresh mugwort leaves

Day 105 & 106 of 108

Tuesday-

Sleep: 7.5 hrs

Sunshine: I spent several hours outside in the sun.

Love: I love a sweet compliment. I know others do & I would like to be better about giving them freely when I think them or feel them. I will work on this.

Joy: Did my morning kriya & mediation, plus 90 minute class & 30 minute session.

Gratitude: Grateful that I have friends who remind me when I am not being my best, or not being brave or not being true to myself. How kind of them. It's important, but difficult to tell another. I respect their courage & their genuine self-expression.
I'm also grateful when people are their word with me. I love & respect when someone comes through on time as arranged or promised.

Bliss: This moment. I just had this present feeling at one point today. Felt so "there" & grounded. Really complete & effortless. Like a glimpse of infinite. Timeless, boundless, spacious, open. Ahh…*Note to self: Be that more. I like it!

Juicy-lusciousness: Grapefruits / Durian / Lunch at Bonobos (-I regret it! As always, tasted good at the time, but left me thirsty & weighed down. Even a raw gourmet leafy salad is too "gourmet". I'm so glad I'm doing this less & less, I just need to do it not at all. Like never! *Note to self: leave "fancy" raw foods alone, even the salads.)

TODAY-

Sleep: 11 hrs(!) I'm not sure if I needed this much sleep because I had nuts & salt in that salad I ate yesterday, or because my kudalini practice was tough. Well, I also woke up with swollen fingers & puffy eyes, so I definitely think that the raw gourmet was part of it, if not all of it.

Sunshine: Ate lunch outside in the sun.

Love: Love that I have a flexible schedule right now, and that if I need extra sleep, I can take it.

Joy: Did my morning/evening kriyas & mediation sessions, plus 90 minute kundalini class.

Gratitude: I was so impressed when this gentleman went out of his way to let me and another woman on & off the elevator. Being around a chivalrous man is bliss! Pure bliss. :) I totally adore it & appreciate it.

Bliss: My gratitude & bliss were felt in the same moment today. See above. :)

Juicy-lusciousness: All mango day! Mono-mango MADNESS!!! I have no idea how many of them I ate. I just ate as many as I wanted! Woohooooo!

Xo!