This month we are keeping it simple: I'm teaching a few great stretches that everyone needs. Do them, hold them at minimum a minute (which is no time at all once you're already down on the floor), and then you can switch from the floor to the couch, or wherever you spend your evening at home. For me, it's usually a quick series on the floor, followed by a migration to the sink to wash dishes or possibly then I'll go the bedroom to match clothes on the floor with hangers. I know. Don't judge. I work 7 days a week.

This week's stretch is everyone's least favorite yoga pose on the the floor: the uuggghhh Pigeon :) I took a super un-exciting pic of myself in the pose for a demo. This was done on a friday night before bed in my kitchen, just to demonstrate that it doesn't need to be glamorous or well timed. Whenever just counts.

I've found while I teach my classes that the consensus towards hip opening stretches is a feeling of miserable joy. Let me justify the discomfort we all feel in relation to these dominately negatively perceived moves. The majority of us spend our days in a seated position regardless of what we do. If we are well disciplined about staying in shape, we might get off work and go to the gym for a run on the treadmill, or a session on the bike. When you picture the movement pattern of your legs in that day, it's not particularly impressive. For hours of the day your hips stay in that flexed position while you sit, and then you might go the gym to move them more aggressively in the same direction.

Bam bizang!! Getting into that pigeon pose lets your hips discover an alternate situation from their daily mega- repetitive experience. As a side note, let me state the obvious, which is that normally anything which feels less than pleasurable is most commonly good for you.

Last week I hit up another 10 days of the Master Cleanse, per my planned bi-annual "get it together Jasmine" routine. No matter how intensely I attempt to eat healthy and keep a well rounded and perfectly supplemented diet, there tends to be enough slip ups where I strongly crave a restart. Doing a cleanse is a great way to mentally and physically ground your attitude towards food and your eating habits. For example, I get into this habit where I don't like going to bed hungry, so I snack right before sleeping. Whatever I'm eating before bed is probably just being stored as fat while I sleep, and having to digest as I sleep is keeping me from enjoying a true deep REM cycle.

I pride myself on being a realistic fitness professional, so for that reason I'm not expecting the average follower to commit to the Master Cleanse and ingest only fancy lemonade for 10 days. It is just not happening for most people. So I've formatted my own little "Spring Cleanse" that is completely reasonable for everyone.

The "Spring Cleanse" is a chance to give your body a break from all the foods that slow you down. We're going gluten-free, dairy-free, and meat-free (except for the egg and fish which I think still have a place). The most important part of this cleanse: you can eat as many and as much raw fruits and vegetables as you want!! A cleanse is not a diet, therefore you should never go hungry. Here is the basic meal plan, however you will add as much raw (so baby carrots, apples, sliced cucumber, peppers, grapes, oranges, bananas, etc...) as you need to stay satisfied.

MEAL PLAN:

(Keep in mind you can have as many raw fruits and vegetables as you want throughout the day. I have included things that you can add if you choose at each meal)

BREAKFAST: 2 eggs (hard boiled, scrambled, whites, whatevs!)

SNACK: 1/2 cup nuts or a RAW bar. (nuts should be raw with no salt or lightly salted)

LUNCH: Fish and a green vegetable (TIP: Fish is hard to acquire at lunchtime in some locations, so this meal involves a little prep work. Bake a salmon or tuna fillet the night before OR make a tuna salad with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I will also sprinkle my tuna salad with smoked paprika or cayenne for a pep. They also make premium albacore tuna in water in a pouch, that I eat straight from the bag.)

SNACK: 1/2 cup nuts and a vegetable juice.

DINNER: BIG SALAD (Not having any meat with dinner will help things move through your system overnight)

Extras: lots of herbal teas, no coffee (green tea instead), 70-80 oz of water per day AND recommended the Yogi "Get Regular" Tea at night to keep things moving along.

This can be done only for a day, or 3 or go crazy and do 7. The secret to success is strength in numbers. Convince a friend and do it together!!