Week 3 of the Spent program is all about helping our bodies adapt to all the changes we are making. As a prelude to this chapter, Dr. Lipman points out how much our bodies have adapted to being Spent – having stress in our lives, not sleeping properly and so on – so our bodies can adapt to these new changes too.
As with Weeks 1 and 2, this week there are several suggestions for eating, including Daily Beat 15 (eliminating dairy). Dr. Lipman states that 10% of people are lactose intolerant, which can cause digestive problems, and many have trouble digesting the casein in dairy. In Daily Beat 19, Dr. Lipman recommends we eat organic, grass-fed meat, poultry and eggs. According to Dr. Lipman, animals that are fed grains vs. grass and other plants and are kept in crowded living quarters have digestive issues which require them to be given antibiotics. The grain diet also lowers nutritional content of the meat – such as vitamin E, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids.
As we know by now, Dr. Lipman’s program includes many restorative exercises, many of which can be done at home before bed. In adapting, we learn the Viparita Karani (page 115-116), an exercise we can do lying down, which is supposed to regular blood pressure and prevent varicose veins (Dr. Lipman recommends this pose after flying as well). The neck and shoulder release (page 125-126) provides additional relief from strain from sitting at a desk. Finally, the neck and cranial release (page 142) is designed to relieve headaches and sinus congestion, by massaging neck and head muscles using a foam roller.
Two of the Daily Beats in this chapter revolve around improving our emotional well-being and spirit. For example, in Daily Beat 17, Dr. Lipman recommends balance in our lives, by spending time alone and with friends. In his experience, he’s found that people who are Spent either stay home alone all the time or go out every night. On one hand, research shows that being alone all the time can harm one’s health, but being out all the time leaves no time for introspection. He recommends a balance between spending time with friends and spending time ourselves. In Daily Beat 20, he provides his thoughts around “returning to the breath.” He feels we can all benefit from meditating, because it allows our minds to recover and our bodies to relax. He reminds us that meditating – including the style of meditating – is very personal, and he provides a technique for meditating in a chair that may be useful for those who are new to the practice.
We’re halfway through the Spent program– if you’re not already incorporating some of these Daily Beats into your routine, now might be the perfect time. This Thursday Dr. Tony will continue the discussion of Week 3 and next week, we’ll start the second half of the program, with Week 4 – Release.