Internal Oleation: Setting the Stage for Cleansing

Internal Oleation is an ancient Ayurvedic ritual of taking ghee or flax seed oil (if you have high cholesterol) to provide internal lubrication and prepares impurities and toxins (ama) to be removed from the deep tissues through the gastrointestinal track of elimination.

It’s important to note that while practicing internal orleation you eliminate all other fats so your body can fully metabolize the ghee/oil.

This is a pre-cleanse practice adding in stira sukka which is discovering the balance between effort and ease. The night before you decide to start oleation soak a small handful of black raisins in water over night. When you awake, discard water and blend in either a blender or food processor with ghee or flax oil, a small amount of hot water and add cinnamon or ginger to taste. Say a mantra, prayer, note your gratitude for this ritual, smile and drink!

Internal Oleation is recommended over the course of 4 days. Each day the amount of oil you consume increases! Take 2 tsp. on day one of the cleanse, 4 tsp. day 2, 6 tsp. day 3 and 8 tsp. day 4. In order to receive the full health benefits of the oleation it’s important you wait for ‘true hunger’ or a strong appetite to return before eating your first meal of the day. This is where intuition comes into play! In Ayurveda it’s important we give our digestion a rest. This is why 3 meals a day with little to no snacking is recommended.

In regards to receiving the most ‘bang for your buck’ while performing internal oleation is to simplify your cleanse! A mono-diet of kitchari is very traditional for Ayurvedia. However, in our modern world today simply eating a whole foods plant based diet while eliminating meat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, processed food, sugar and wheat you are bound to reap the benefits! Finally, my last note on the topic do not rush into this. Be kind to yourself. Cleansing should be focused on what you’re adding in rather than what you’re eliminating. Transition slowly to the mono-diet. Take your time and perform self-love daily through prayer, meditation, self-massage, light yoga, extra sleep, dry brushing, scraping your tongue or a detox bath. A cleanse shouldn’t be scary if you feel that way, slow down. If you do better your second week then your first- you’re doing it right. Good luck cleansers!

xoLex

How Often Should I Meditate?

3 minutes a day is better than 31 minutes once a week.

Did you know, that in as little as 3 minutes you affect your circulation, blood chemistry and electromagnetic field while performing a mantra meditation or kriya? For example, 3 minutes of breath of fire is equivalent of 20 minutes of long deep breathing. Lets be honest, we want the biggest bang for our buck and TIME. We’re all busy and sometimes the ego mind takes over, making excuses as to why we don’t have time to meditate. Again, this is the ego mind talking. Yes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes seems like a long time but 3 minutes? I think our ego can loosen up to that idea. It only takes 3 minutes to completely shift your consciousness and uplift yourself. When we take this time to take care of ourselves, everything else in our lives will take care of themselves! Plugging in our navel center first thing in the morning, again only for 3 minutes- will affect our inner strength, power, outlook and give our body the fresh oxygen it craves.

I’m so passionate about 3 minute meditations because I know how doable they are! First thing before leaving the house:

3 minutes Breath of Fire!

3 minutes Cat Cow!

3 minutes Sat Kriya!

Maybe you try a combination of a few listed above. Dedicate yourself to 3 minutes a day for 40 days to change a habit. Today a friend and I are holding one another accountable for 40 days of Sat Kriya. My experience this morning is what inspired me to write this blog post. I felt so refreshed afterwards, I felt so good about myself and honestly couldn’t stop smiling. I’m excited for these next 39 days, every single one of them. If you’re curious about Sat Kriya here’s an excellent video to learn how and why we do it:

“The greatest reward of doing sadhana is that the person becomes incapable of being defeated. Sadhana is a self-victory, and it is a victory over time and space. Getting up is a victory over time, and doing it is a victory over space. That is what sadhana is. And when you do a sadhana  in the sangat, you enrich yourself in multiple ways.” -Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam,

xoLex