I know, I know, everyone's already heard of the Master Cleanse, and some of you may very well have tried it (inspired by Beyonce, perhaps?). I first heard of it years ago when I decided to start taking one month out of the year (February, obviously, because it's the shortest month) to switch to a raw, vegan diet--the first year I did just that, and the second year I added the Master Cleanse to the last 10 days of the month, and handily quit smoking in the process. (I didn't smoke during the first February, but I started again in March.) The 10 days I spent on the cleanse were difficult (former co-worker Chas Bowie complained that I didn't smile once for all 10 days, for example) but the results were pretty amazing. I was boxing a lot in those days, and my energy levels at the gym were through the roof. I could have punched holes through a concrete wall or carried a car on my back. It didn't hurt that it gave my skin a flattering bit of glow, either, although I was frankly too preoccupied with making extremely OCD-symptomatic food lists (grocery lists, lists of restaurants, recipes, etc) to enjoy it. Still, the benefits outweighed the challenges, and I've often thought of trying it again. In fact I have done it a few times since then, but never more than a couple of days--nowhere close to the ideal 10. (My willpower just hasn't been there for it, and my goddamn boyfriend is a master of cleanse-sabotage.) Until now. I feel like the will is there again to power through it (and I warned the BF not to get in my way this time, though we'll see how well that goes), partially after a recent massage left me completely flattened and ill-feeling from the all the churned up toxins. I do, however, want to keep a more careful stock of what's going on than I did last time. I don't like to be accused of crash dieting (and I hate that so much of the literature about the cleanse is like, "It's not the point to lose weight... but you will! (WINK!)" I just want to get rid of all these toxins so I can make room for more. And no I'm not going to post any pictures from the toilet. There are plenty of those on the internet, and frankly most of them don't match up with my experience. But I am willing to open it up to discussion, if people feel strongly in favor or against. And apologies in advance if I go a bit squiffy over the next week and a half. I'll just keep you posted.

Although plenty of people are cutting back on expenses, including gym memberships (making way for a long-overdue resurgence in home video workouts), in times of turmoil the demand for soothing practices like yoga can actually go up. So for Rebecca Higginson, the new owner of Exhale (4940 NE 16th Ave, just off Alberta), a yoga studio that also offers massage and Craniosacral therapy (think chiropractics with a lighter touch, massage without the deep tissue work, and Reiki aimed at improving the function of the central nervous system), now might be the best time to build a following. When she took over the studio in August and decided to renovate, she transformed the studio into a green sanctuary with PVC-free mats, non-VOC paint, cork walls and yoga blocks, and a carbon-neutral web site host. As it states on the (recycled paper) brochure, "Yoga is a practice that acknowledges that all life is interconnected and we must treat all living things with love and respect. Our work is to integrate this lesson into our lives, and to share it with the world. We aim to be a studio for those who want to live by the principles of yoga on and off the mat."

The studio offers a range of yoga practices, including classes in hatha, kundalini (my favorite!), yin (I've never tried this one, but Higginson described it as very mellow and refreshing, and especially good for stress), nia, and more. Best of all, the studio aims to get away from the trendy, expensive side of the yoga world, with great pricing: A dropi-in is $12, but only $10 if your walk, bike, or bus there, and the class schedule includes seven scheduled community classes per week, which are available from $5-12 sliding scale, or in class packages of 10 for $70. Best of all, when you drop into any class through the rest of the year, you get a free week of yoga. Lord knows you need it.