Detox With Yoga: Support Your Body To Eliminate Toxins
Are you feeling sluggish, exhausted and fogged up? Are you struggling with your digestion, aches and pains or skin problems? Do you find it difficult to put on or lose weight? All of this could be a sign that your body could do with a detox. Supporting your detox with Yoga will greatly benefit the process.
Ancient cultures around the world have practiced fasts for a very long time, with the goal of cleansing and rejuvenating the body, mind and spirit. Most traditional philosophies and religions incorporate the principles of fasting at certain times of the year. The concept of “detoxification” – an approach for the elimination of toxins from the body – is thought to have originated within Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine traditions.
Detoxification in this context is not just about eating less, but also resting, cleaning and nourishing the body, mind and spirit. By removing and eliminating toxins and then replenishing the body with healthy nutrients can protect us from and heal disease, and renew our ability to maintain optimum health.
How does detoxification work?
Basically, detoxification is about cleansing your blood, and supporting all the organs involved in this process. Of particular importance in this context is the liver, but toxins are also processed and eliminated through the kidneys, intestines, lymph, lungs and skin. When this overall detoxification system is compromised, toxins end up being accumulated in the body and every cell ends up being adversely affected.
A proper detox program will support the body’s natural elimination processes by:
1. Allowing your organs to recover through fasting
2. Supporting the liver to eliminate toxins
3. Promoting elimination of toxins through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
4. Improving blood quality
5. Refueling the body with healthy nutrients.
What is the best way to Detox?
There are many commercial products out there that claim to support a body detox. If you are into that kind of thing, it would be best to get the advice of a natural health practitioner before starting. Many detox programs are based on drinking juices and smoothies. That’s great but beware of taking in too much fructose (fruit sugar) and not getting enough fiber to promote intestinal elimination!
The easiest way to go is to chose a natural, simple form of detoxification based on:
- Drinking copious quantities of pure filtered water and herbal teas, including teas that promote detoxification such as dandelion tea
- Focus on eating healthy, organic vegetables and fruit
- Eliminating foods that are processed and contain unhealthy/synthetic ingredients
- Getting plenty of rest and relaxation
- Getting exercise that will support a detox.
Yoga is probably the best form of exercise you can undertake to promote your body’s detoxification. A detoxing Yoga routine includes a number of twisting poses to activate and squeeze key body organs, interspersed with poses to stimulate digestion and the thyroid gland. The routine and its twisting poses effectively compress the body like a sponge, allowing toxins to be removed via the body’s elimination processes.
We have found a perfect Yoga routine for you which you can do at home.
Give It A Try: Cleanse The Body And Mind With This Detoxing Yoga Session.
Thanks to Yoga with Adriene for sharing this video.