Maharishi Ayurveda De-tox Self-Care System
Spring Cleaning Your Body
It happens every spring. You fling open the windows, shed your winter coat, and suddenly get theurge to clean your house. But do you ever think about “spring cleaning” the toxins from your body?
Detoxifying in spring is an important part of the ayurvedic seasonal routine, called ritucharya. Spring is the Kapha season, because the wet and cool weather reflects the moist, cool, heavy qualities of Kapha dosha that predominate during this time of the year (March-June).
Biologically, nature supports cleansing of the body in spring. In winter the digestive fire is high, and people eat more sweet and heavy food. But, most of the time we can’t to assimilate these hard-to-digest foods, so Ama – the sticky, toxic product of indigestion – starts accumulating.
When the warm weather melts the snow in spring, it has a similar effect on the body. In spring the Ama melts and the volume of Ama becomes so great that the shrotas, the microcirculatory channels of the body, become clogged.
Symptoms of Excess Toxins in the Body
If you don’t assist these toxins in moving out of the body, you can become prone to flu, colds and cough, or allergies. Or you might feel unusually fatigued, sluggish or drowsy after lunch, or lose your appetite.
Sharp headaches, dizziness, mild tremors in the limbs, and unexplained muscle aches, especially in the calf, can also be symptoms. Your tongue may be coated, and your throat may be sore.
The skin can be less radiant, heavier, more oily. You may also find that you break out more often, are more prone to sunburn, and have dry patches on your skin.
Yet, Spring is the best season for detoxification, because nature is already trying to clear out the toxins. It’s the time to help the body to efficiently detoxify the channels and the dhatus [body tissues].
Helping Your Body Detoxify
How do you help the body with its own spring cleaning? The Maharishi Ayurveda Detoxification System provides a wide range of recommendations and products for purifying the entire body. While most detox herbal products partially purify the colon and the digestive tract, an Ayurvedic approach does that and so much more — cleansing the liver and blood, purifying the sweat glands and the organs of elimination, preventing buildup of toxins in the fat and muscle tissues, and paving the way for more energy, health and vitality.
A Kapha pacifying diet and lifestyle is best. If you avoid eating heavy, cold, hard-to-digest foods, and avoid or reduce the sweet, sour, and salty tastes, your digestive system will be more efficient in burning away the accumulated Ama.
Sweet juicy fruits can help cleanse the body, although they should be eaten before sunset, as they have a Kapha-increasing effect after the sun goes down. And you can add spices to your food — such as coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fennel — to help stimulate the digestion and detoxify the skin.
In spring you can sip hot water (if you have a Pitta imbalance then drink warm water) to help melt the Ama (digestive impurities) that have accumulated. Daily exercise and avoiding day sleep will also help.
For overall detoxification on a daily basis, there are specific Ayurvedic formulations that help to clear the microcirculatory channels, help improve elimination and clear away toxins from the colon and intestines. These herbal formulas also help cleanse the liver and the blood. Ask your physician about the right herbs for your condition. These herbal formulations are very specific and can be tailored to the needs of the individual.
A patient of a doctor was suffering from fatigue, overweight, swollen eyes, achy joints, and stiff knees. Her doctor recognized that her symptoms were caused by too many toxins, and prescribed certain herbs. When her skin broke out a little and she experienced some tenderness around the liver, her doctor switched the herbs, to ones less heating. She stated: “After three months, I’m losing two or three pounds a week without being on a diet. ” She no longer suffers from swollen eyes, achy joints, or stiff knees. And she has more energy than ever before.
Specific Detoxification Products
Certain Ayurvedic herbal formulations help remove toxins from specific areas of the body. If constipation is a problem, certain Ayurvedic herbs offer a gentle but effective way to improve elimination and cleanse the colon. If someone has infrequent urinating, or a urinary infection, other Ayurvedic herbs can help purify and balance the urinary tract. So this spring, why not think about what you can do to help your body do its own housecleaning?
DISCLAIMER: These results may not be typical. Results with products may vary from individual to individual. Information in this article is presented for the sole purpose of imparting education on Ayurveda and neither the information nor the product is intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition, or are pregnant or lactating, please consult a health professional. Before making changes to your diet or routine, it is recommended that you speak with your physician.