Posts tagged cleanse

Cleanse & Nourish

Cleanses have become more common place in recent years, yet still relatively few Americans undergo this ritual that has occurred in numerous cultures for thousands of years.  Fasts, one type of cleanse, are common place in many religions: Muslims during Ramadan, Jews during Yom Kippur, Native Americans’ sweat lodge ceremony, Mormons on a monthly basis, etc.  While religious fasts occur more for spiritual than physical reasons, the outcome is much the same, i.e. giving your body a chance to remove impurities from the body. 

In LA, the “Master Cleanse”, where one only drinks lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne paper for days or weeks at a time, is quite the fad.  However, I’ve always had a deep skepticism of denying myself essential nourishment that I know my body needs.  Yes, some form of healthy fat and protein are musts in my mind. 

I’ve researched and learned a fair amount about cleansing in recent years.  While fasts and the master cleanse are effective in eliminating toxins from the body, they are also harder on your system because toxins are accumulating for elimination at an intense rate and concentration.  I was therefore very relieved to come across some cleanse approaches that incorporate nourishment from optimum foods while simultaneously ridding our bodies of all the toxins and sludge that accumulates from our modern lives.  It’s not enough to take away, we mush also put in our body the things that make it work most effectively.  The two that work well for me are The Clean Program or a traditional ayurvedic cleanse. 

Spring is a wonderful time to reset and cleanse our bodies.  Even a few days of eliminating processed foods, animal products, sugar, caffeine and alcohol will give your body a chance to do a thorough spring cleaning of your entire system (the longer, the better).  I’m currently undergoing a relatively short spring cleanse, and I already feel and sleep much better.  I’m on day 5 and will go another day or two.  I eat fruits, vegetables and an ayurvedic dish called kichari. I have found cleansing to be much more challenging mentally than physically, and admittedly inconvenient for one’s social calendar.  I day dream of the treats I will have when I am done, and I’m relieved that they are only days vs. weeks away.  But I know they will come back to me in abundance, so I take pleasure in giving my body some spring cleaning and enjoying the benefits (energy, good sleep, good digestion) of both cleansing and nourishing my body.

Spring Adjustment

Spring has always been one of the easiest seasons for me to welcome, probably because as long as I can remember, good things were associated with spring.  Extra light meant more playtime.  The warmer weather allows for more activities and outings.  Blooming flowers abundantly diffuse their scents into the air.  Summer break is around the corner, or now, summer 3-day weekends.  Okay, maybe I could do with a few less seasonal allergies, but moving away from the desert aided me tremendously, and yes, I recognize the beautiful irony that there’s more blooming and bothersome in a desert than in sunny California. 

Most of us don’t usually think much about adjusting to the new season, other than the new wardrobe or activities that correlate.  However, our physical bodies are going through the same transformations that we witness in the plants and animals outside.  We are slowly releasing the winter’s buildup of kapha, and the lethargy and matter (earth & water) that aids our survival through the cold winter months, and transitioning into the warmer weather of late spring and summer, when we enter the pitta season. 

My recent inability to escape the excess phlegm that has invaded my air passage ways is likely linked to the season.  I need to take some steps to support my body and health as it adjusts to spring, and these are some of the suggestions I’ve read about recently that I plan to undertake:

• Make Space - This is such a  good time to clear the accumulated clutter, we’ve even designated the season as the time for cleaning (i.e. spring cleaning).  In an asana practice, it’s also good to do poses that make space in the densest parts of our body, the pelvis and legs, that are associated with Kapha.
• Build Heat - Heat balances and releases the excess kapha elements in our system and loosens phlegm, supports digestion and invigorates our energy level.  This can be done through aerobic activity, heating yoga poses, and by eating foods and spices that build heat.
• Lighten the Diet - Light and easily digestible foods are the aim during Spring.  Avoiding typical kapha foods, like dairy, iced or cold and fried & oily foods, will help to combat the heavy feelings you want to rid yourself from.  Give yourself several hours between meals, as well, for optimum digestion. 
• Cleanse - Considering the item above, it’s a good time of year to consider a cleanse.  I’ve had a good experience with The Clean Program (I used the book vs. the “kit”).  However, I am going to do a more traditional Ayurvedic cleanse this Spring, but probably for only a few weeks vs. an entire month. 

Yoga Journal expands upon these and additional suggestions for transitioning to the Spring season.  I find all these ideas helpful, although I focus primarily on the few above.  Consider the change of the season and how it impacts your body, mind and energy.   Once we become aware of its impact, it becomes much easier to seamlessly transition between the seasons.