Fall is the Best Season to Detox
The last days of summer are leaving us, and you can start to feel the cool breeze and lightness that Autumn brings- Fall is officially here! If you look around there are leaves fallen from the tree resting on the ground and there is a crispness in the air that wasn’t there before. You might’ve even noticed that it’s getting darker a lot quicker in the evening.
We are slowly transitioning from the hot summer pitta season into what Ayurveda considers Fall- vata season. Vata is comprised of the elements air and ether and if you look at its qualities: light, cold, dry, and mobile. You can see that Fall is an expression of vata dosa. This is also a time represented by transition, and it’s considered one of the best time to detox ( another great time of transition of the seasons-spring)
Your body is naturally detoxing from the previous seasons during this time( along with all the heat that accumulated) and detoxing helps facilitate that process. Detoxing is a great way to prevent dis-ease, gives the body a break from the routines of life, and helps to reset your natural bodily rhythms. Cleansing not only detoxifies the physical body, but also our minds. It creates space for us to let go of old stuff that no longer serves us. Old habits and patterns that have been holding us back from being at our optimal. Especially if you find yourself in an unhealthy eating frenzy or habit and can’t find a way to get out of it.
Because Ayurveda and Eastern medicine focus on preventative health, the goal is to prevent disease from accumulating and get to the root of the issues. Diseases usually take time to accumulate before they actually manifest. Here are some way toxins accumulate:
*pollution from air and food ( external environment)
*taking in the improper impressions through your 5 sensory organs that do not support your biological constitution.
*faulty or impaired agni aka digestive capacity
What are some signs of toxic build up or a sign you may need to detox:
*Digestive disturbances: gas, bloating, excessive belching, loose stools, alternating loose/dry stools
*Low energy, feeling tired, fatigue
*low or variable appetite- which can affect your ability to digest or not
*weight gain or water retention
*skin irritations: rash, eczema, fungus
*hormonal or emotional imbalances: anxiety, depression, anger, menstrual issues, etc.
*Past issues flaring up in the body: experiencing pain in the body from old injuries or other health related issues…
Tips on how to bring Balance and Detox with ease during this time of transition:
* Sweat! Sweating is one of the ways our body naturally detoxifies. Hop into a sauna or get moving!
*Abhyangha-self massage: cleanses the lymphatic system and moves toxins along dislodging them from the tissues.
*Eat kitcheree ( Ayurvedic superfood) and/or go on a mono diet for a couple days to give the body a break and heal itself.
*Take time in silence or in nature: DePlug and let yourself rest. One of the best ways to rejuvenate yourself.
*Drinking digestive teas like: cumin, coriander and fennel a classical Ayurvedic digestive tea. Ginger tea is great, too!! Cleansing and it is said to burn ama ( toxins) and stoke agni! Two of the 3 key elements in reducing toxic build in the body is to maintain a balanced agni to reduce the amount of ama.
*Regulate Apana Vayu ( 3rd key to maintaining good health): Make sure bodily excretions are flowing with ease. If we don’t eliminate regularly at least once a day ( poop) or hold our natural urges, it can cause toxic build up and cause dis-ease in the body and mind.
Remember these are tips you can follow on a regular basis to maintain good health. Regularly making sure that all bodily functions are working at optimal and that you feel good mentally and emotionally will keep dis-ease at bay. And ultimately when you feel good, you allow yourself to experience your true essence- divinity, which is our true nature! According to Ayurveda, it is said that when we lose our connected to the divine, this is when dis-ease manifests.
If you want to learn more, I’ll be teaching a workshop on Ayurveda and Detoxification on Sun Oct 19th at a private location. If you are interested, please email me at awakeningyogi@gmail.com. It will be lots of fun. We will dive deeper into all this stuff, learn how to detox the Ayurvedic Way, and we’ll make kitcheree, ghee, and other yummy dishes together ( and eat them!) that will help support you on your cleaning journey.
I’ll also be co-leading a Yoga, Sound Healing, and 24 hr Juicing retreat on Oct 11-12. Check out the link for more details!
