Spic and Span

The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in. ~B.K.S. Iyengar

"Pure and clean" - what does that really mean? To me, it's more than taking a shower and throwing my yoga pants in the wash after practice. It's about what I eat and drink -  or rather what I don't. Off the menu is gluten - an allergen to 60% of Americans of Northern European descent. No artificial colors, flavors or shapes of chicken in my fridge. In fact, when I eat meat, it's locally raised - no added hormones or antibiotics. I stay away from coffee, soda, high fructose corn sirup, and alcohol. Water is my favorite beverage.

But aside from the things that cross my lips, I know the thoughts that cross my mind can be equally toxic. So to lead a pure and clean life, I watch the way I think. And there is no better way to figure out what's going on up there than in the silence of a yoga class or in seated meditation. Here I can counter negativity, judgment or doubt with a cleansing mantra. "I am Love."

How do you keep your temple spic and span?