Time to shed the excess! Spring is a season of renewal, rebirth. It’s time to lighten up our clothing (warm days are teasing us in Dallas), food, stuff, weight, and thinking and a great time to clean up our digestive system. If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, almost every magazine, whether it is one that focuses on health or not, is advertising cleanses. Stacks of cleansing products are calling out to you from the end caps, but don’t cave into the chemicals. There is a better, healthier, kinder way to cleanse.

Nature, nurture and nourish are three words that we use a lot in Ayurveda. These would be great words to keep in mind when planning a spring cleanse. In the winter we tend to eat heavier, more grounding foods like meats, root vegetables, stews, cream based soups, and sweets. Holidays see us we eat more, drink more alcohol (it warms us up, no wonder it’s called “fire water”! And yes Lori, wine is alcohol), and we exercise less. We have a greater tendency to be sedentary, restricting circulation and therefore a greater chance for stagnation and backup! Yikes, get the back hoe!

But all kidding aside, spring brings a desire to cleanse. Now let’s keep in mind that by nature, the body itself has an awesome cleansing system. If you spent the winter in Florida or Arizona or the Bahamas, you may not feel the need, your daily habits may not have changed much due to the warmer weather, but for the rest of the country, that’s not the case. We would also have to consider what you are eating. Warm beaches or not, processed food is still very toxic. So unless you are munching on fresh fruits and veggies, chances are you may need to cleanse.

You know when your life is not balanced, you just aren’t feeling quite yourself, think about a cleanse.

Check the list of symptoms below. Are you experiencing any of these on a regular basis? If so you need a little cleaning out:

• Lethargic, have little interest in anything new
• You wake up exhausted no matter how much sleep you’ve had
• Overweight
• Fullness in stomach
• Skin is dull, sluggish
• Bad Breath
• Frequent burning sensation when you urinate, or your urine is dark yellow and has a strong smell
• Recurrent headaches
• Difficulty digesting fatty foods
• Diarrhea
• Flatulence or bloating or excessive belching
• Constipation
• Irregular bowel movements
• Anxiety
• Sensitivity to chemicals, pollution, perfumes, cigarette smoke
• Intolerance to foods
• Acne
• Coating on the tongue
• You find it difficult to focus

If you suffer from any of these symptoms, your body may not be digesting certain foods, thoughts, feelings, emotions, impressions and experiences. You may have a buildup of ama. To understand ama, see this ama blog: http://www.thebalancedyogi.com/easyblog/entry/and-dirty-on-ama

When to do a Spring Cleanse

Spring hits different parts of the country at different times. Here in Dallas, I like to wait until the spring rains are over. What rain? Yes this year is a little dry, but at least until after Easter. Then look for a couple of weeks that you don’t have too much going on. Travel, business dinners and stressful time (not during menses) are not an ideal time to cleanse. It is good to start on a weekend, so you have two successive days with few or no demands on you.

Planning a Cleanse

Know that your goal is to clean up your digestive system. If looking good in that swimsuit is really what’s up, your intention may waiver after the first few pounds you drop. If you clean up the digestive system, you will feel great about everything, including that swimsuit.

Again, start on a weekend and certainly not a Monday. Put it on your calendar. You are more apt to stick with it if it is scheduled. Start by telling your family, as it will keep them from sabotaging your efforts. (Maybe your spouse or partner will do it with you).

Check with your doctor before beginning any diet, detox, or exercise regime. You will want to be medically fit and neither pregnant or on medication.

Getting Started

There are many cleanses available these days, but as an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant, I suggest you try an Ayurvedic cleanse. Remember the three words, nature, nurture and nourish? Well Ayurveda bases its practice on those in everything that it encompasses and including cleanses. The 14 day cleanse that I follow includes three meals a day with the first four days eliminating processed foods, alcohol, meat, and any sugar.

The next seven days I eat a mono-diet. In other words, the same thing at each meal. I make a form of Kitchari, lentils and rice with spices; the kind of rice and the kind of beans is determined by your dosha.

The last three days, I bring fruits and vegetables back into the meals. (and possibly fish).

Exercise

I don’t eliminate exercise when I cleanse, but I do change it up. I still take cycle classes, but don’t push the envelope. I spend more time in the pool, but at a reduced intensity. I also walk a lot. This is good not only for the exercise (even though that’s great) but also for the opportunity to be out in Nature. Remember the farther we are from nature (or our natural self), the more imbalanced we are. Plus Spring is such a beautiful season.

Yoga and Meditation

You may notice that I did not include this under the exercise heading. I look at Yoga and Meditation as Healing Arts. They are the opposite of exercise, even though you do get some of the same benefits. This is a great time to practice Yin Yoga or Restorative Yoga. This is not the time for Hot Yoga, as we do not want to stress the adrenal glands, they too need a rest. Meditation and relaxation techniques become very important at this time. Spend as much time here as you can. Nourish the mind and then rest it. If you are not into meditation, journaling and reading inspirational writings are other helpful practice while cleansing.

Treatments

I have always believed that massages and facials and other techniques like Rolfing and acupuncture are not luxuries, but mandatory if you want a balanced and healthy body. Try some new treatments and keep them nurturing (no deep tissue massage these two weeks). Try aromatherapy or lymphatic massage or maybe reflexology. If you have Ayurvedic massage therapists in your area, they may offer shirodhara. This is the process of dropping oil on the center of the forehead for a period of time and then receiving a great head massage. It is yummy. You will leave with a relaxed, focused mind. If your spa or massage facility, or gym has a steam room, enjoy a few minutes here each day. Remember to only stay a few minutes; this isn’t the time to sweat out a few pounds. Make your appointments for these services before beginning the cleanse. You will really look forward to this time and it will help you stay on track. Remember these are guilt free gifts you give yourself.

Dinacharya

If you have a daily routine (dinacharya), this is a nice time to spend some extra time with it, especially the abhyanga (oiling the body). Even if you are having a few treatments, the nourishment your body and mind gets with this daily massage is priceless.

Need more guidance?

If you feel that you really want to try a cleanse, but think that a little coaching would be nice, seek out an Ayurveda Lifestyle Consultant in your area who can guide you. Also feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about cleansing. I will be leading a cleanse beginning May 3rd. If you want to receive a daily pep memo, send me your email and I will add you to the email blast. You can reach me at Peggy@thebalancedyogi.com