Posts Tagged ‘detox’

Yoga detox

Detoxification means the removal of toxins from the body. Humans absorb toxins—preservatives, pesticides, stimulants, and heavy metalsthrough food, water, and air. Your own body produces toxins, called metabolic waste products, as a natural result of processes like digestion and respiration. Luckily, your digestive, endocrine, and circulatory systems come equipped with a complex set of mechanisms designed to eliminate these toxins through your mouth, eyes, skin, colon and even your breath. The trouble is that too much sugar, caffeine, and processed foods, little to no exercise, and stress can slow the body’s natural detox function to a sluggish pace.

The result is a buildup of toxins that can leave you fatigued and suffering from poor digestion, and that may even lead to disease. You can help boost your innate detox functions by practicing cleansing yoga sequences and following a simple plant-based diet during a multiday detox plan. Most people need to detoxify to get these things out of their systems in order to feel healthier. Some benefits of an occasional detox, include having a lowered heart rate, clearer eyes and skin, better memory and concentration, and improved digestion. Good health invites a calm, clear mind that is free of many of the habits that often lead to toxin buildup.

While there are many approaches to detoxing—including the asana and food guidelines presented on these pages— they aim for one simple thing: to help the body do what it’s already trying to do. Your body is always getting rid of toxins but you can aid that natural process by making detoxing a practice.

A yoga sequence like the one suggested here can support the natural detoxification process by increasing circulation, compressing and twisting internal organs, and encouraging relaxation, says Weill. Inverted poses like Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall Pose) use gravity to stimulate lymph and blood circulation. Inversions help to drain lymphatic and venous fluids from the legs and pelvis, and so enhance detoxification.

Do you detox regularly or would like to give it a go?

5 March 2010 Diet, Fitness, Wellbeing, health, yoga detox, Fitness, health, yoga 1 Comment

September: New Beginnings and Yoga Celebrations

I love September — the weather, the feeling of a fresh start, the cusp of a new season. Even though I haven’t been in school for quite some time (college is a distant memory), I still view September as the start of a new year, a beginning. In fact, I love to sign up for workshops/courses in September (hmmmm…perhaps I’m trying to bring the distant college memory closer), as I still view it as the perfect time to learn something new (this year I’m embarking on another education adventure with this course).

This September I’m embarking on a few new ventures, including establishing a more regular meditation practice, eating more raw foods, adding short yoga breaks into my day, establishing a regular journaling discipline, and participating in some interesting courses/workshops in the coming months. Even if you’re not still following the academic calendar as I seem to be, you can start fresh in September. Think back to your school days — remember the excitement you felt when you bought all your new school supplies and looked forward to meeting new people and taking new courses? You don’t have to be a child to feel this way. Here are a few suggestions to revive that “start fresh” feeling in you.

Yoga Events and Celebrations
In my last post, I mentioned Yoga Month and the 30 Day Yoga Challenge. Both are great ways to reinvigorate your yoga practice. If you’re already a regular practitioner, why not add a fun yoga event to your calendar this month? There are a number of events associated with Yoga Month, including Global Mala and Yoga Aid. Click here for a complete listing of yoga-related events and celebrations.

Opportunities to Give Back
There’s nothing like helping others to renew your passion for life. Reinvigorate yourself this Fall by getting involved in events such as Yoga Aid (mentioned above) and organizations that help through yoga. Here are some suggestions:

Off the Mat and Into the World, the brainchild of yogini Seane Corn, promotes activism by encouraging yoga practitioners to find a purpose through yoga and offers the tools to help them create local service progams. Click here to watch a video about this inspiring non-profit organization. If getting involved seems a bit too daunting, Lucy active wear has a special offer running through the month of September. Five percent of the sales of the Lucy Hatha Power Pant (which boasts a number of performance features, including moisture wicking, anti-chafe, and compression technology) will go to Off the Mat and Into the World. Click here to learn more and to go shopping.
Yoga Bear offers cancer survivors access to yoga to help heal and increase quality of life. They offer a variety of ways to get involved — from donating old yoga mats to pro bono teaching.
Green Yoga Association enourages ecological consciousness, reverence, and action in the yoga communityl. Click here to see a listing of upcoming events.

Resources to Help You Get Healthy
The start of a new season is a perfect time to do a cleanse and/or change your eating habits. Here are a few resources to help:

If you’re thinking about going raw, check out Dan McDonald’s YouTube channel. I love this guy! He offers dozens of free videos that will inspire and inform.
Raw foodist David Wolfe has distilled years of research down into an easy-to-implement program to help you get and stay healthy. The Longevity Now Program sold out in its first printing and is back on sale after a break for reprinting. Click here to learn more about the program.
If overhauling your diet seems a bit intense, you could start with a brief cleans. Two of my favorites are Ultimate Energy Cleanse and The Cleanse of Santa Fe. Both offer gentle cleanses that are sure to boost your energy and get you on the road to optimal health.
If you’ve always wanted to go vegetarian, but aren’t sure where to start, check out this excellent resource.
Heal your relationship with food by holding the intention to be less hard on yourself regarding what you do and do not eat. Click here for an excellent article on this very topic.
If you’re wanting to lose weight and/or detox, click here for an easy recipe for a raw detox salad.