Wellness Week
It has been years since I have been between jobs, with the luxury of no commitments, no guilt that I should be doing something, no calls to return or people to follow up with. I am excited about new challenges ahead and also thankful that I get 12 whole days to reset before I start my next adventure. The first thing that came to mind was to jet over to Phuket and do another one week intensive at Phuket Cleanse, but I realized that I have the ability and discipline to replicate the program from home. I'm having my very own at-home wellness week!
At PC the day began with quiet isolation (no talking, Instagram, cell phones, TV news, etc.) and green juices. Mel and Stan would have a beautiful assortment of different coloured juices set up as a buffet for us each morning. We would sip quietly by the pool and study the schedule for the day ahead. The lesson learned was that my body can conjure up an immense amount of energy from juice alone, allowing me to perform grueling, high-intensity workouts. The general layout of the cleanse in Thailand is about 6 hours a day of exercise, so trust me when I tell you I was skeptical of being able to perform well when drinking only antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetable juices. What I found instead was that starting the day with juice really remedies any craving or habit of consuming high-carb processed foods (as many of us do) with our daily muffin, croissant, bagel, etc. Nothing wrong with that, but a metabolic reset is of great benefit. For my daily juice I'll be blending spirulina with a spinach and pineapple juice.
My internal alarm clock can be annoying. On vacation when I want to sleep in and pull the covers over my head for an extra few hours I am really just fighting a losing battle that ends in me staring at the ceiling and then plodding downstairs to make coffee. Granted, I will be enjoying some afternoon naps. You'll see in the schedule below that I am going to use this inner clock to my advantage and just go crush a morning workout. The higher the intensity the better, as it will mirror what we experienced at PC. Doing such a high volume of workouts is not easy so I prefer getting the worst of it finished first. Kickboxing, HIIT, sprinting, hills, or stairs. I have become very partial to "9 minutes of hell" on the StairMaster for its simplicity. Set the timer for 9 minutes, crank out as many flights as possible. If you're not sweating buckets and ready to puke by the end then you're just not doing it right. On the days where there are available spaces I'll be joining some boot camps at Champs or the Hive on Jasper.
No day would be complete in Thailand without a yoga session (or three!). It's incredible to think that yoga is the sport that has taken up the most amount of years in my life— 13 to be exact! In the last two years I've made a departure from Bikram in favor of other styles. The militant, repetitive nature of Bikram had me kind of wore out. I've found a second family at Modo in Sherwood Park, so I'll be continuing to make the long drive out there because I enjoy it so much. I'm also going to visit new studios to squeeze in some workshops and focus on areas I'd like to grow.
We were immensely spoiled at PC with a massage in our rooms each night, literally tucking us into bed. Do NOT underestimate the feeling of being tucked in as a grown adult! My goodness it was unreal. Thai massage is my favourite for the combination of stretching and kneading that it provides. I don't think I had one night there where I was conscious for more than 15 minutes into the massage— we were so worn out and ready for rest that it was nearly impossible to stay awake. I really wish it was possible for me to replicate this experience at home, but I will have to settle for the normal offerings instead and drive home afterwards in a fog.
Fun fact… my favourite recovery method is ice bath plunges. Last year I made it to a couple mountain lakes in the early hiking season that still had ice on them so of course I stripped down and went for a dip! Cycling in and out of the cold to either a waiting blanket or a warm (not hot!) pool is ideal, and after several rounds you will experience a light headed euphoria and calm. I hadn’t done it before 2012 and now I wish there were places here in Edmonton that were more accessible/affordable. The benefits are numerous:
accelerated metabolism
inflammation reduction
anti-aging
increased circulation
boosted immune and cardiovascular health
sharper cognition
elevated mood
improved athletic performance
fast recovery from injuries and strenuous exercise
In the humid climate of Thailand it wasn't uncommon for people to have to drink about 2 L of water first thing in the morning and several more throughout the day to ensure their hydration levels were maintained through this sort of activity. I'm going to be emulating the same concept with my own wellness week. I struggle to drink enough water because so much of my intake is offset by my vices— coffee, energy drinks and wine. I’m hoping to see major improvements in my skin and overall performance by keeping my water intake goals in sight.
In my next post I will share the full schedule and some updates. I'll be tracking the cost of this week so I can show you the comparison to "destination wellness getaways". Ok, yes, I realize that Edmonton is no Phuket (no offense) but my point is that for a few hundred bucks you can use your week at home to recharge and reset your body. I am SO looking forward to this!
