The renewed energetic awakenings of spring make this a great time to prepare our minds, bodies and environments for the brightening season ahead. It’s a perfect opportunity for a spring cleanse and the creation of a more vibrant, balanced sense of well-being.Transition
Spring is a transitional season. Nature emerges from her inert, conservative wintry suspension into the high activity of summer. In a parallel fashion, the spring cleanse aims to lighten up our systems and make us more lively and efficient for increased physical challenges and activities.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring is intimately related to the wood element, as well as to the liver and gall bladder. Consequently, our spring cleanse mainly focuses on the liver. The liver is linked to turbulent emotions: unresolved anger and irritability.
Spring is characterized by the strong energy of growth and change, so it is important to allow this energy to flow smoothly and unimpeded. By spending more time in a natural setting and engaging in exercises, movement and relaxation techniques beneficial for the heart and mind (such as meditation), you can simultaneously relieve congested emotions and support a healthy liver (and, as a result, the entire body).
Maximizing The Cleanse
Your personal goals should determine the intensity of your detox regimen. But remember that it’s important to begin any type of cleanse under the supervision of an experienced healthcare provider who can guide you in the process — especially if you have health concerns or chronic ailments.
Below are some of my top holistic mind/body preparation tips to help you get the most out of your spring cleanse.
Planning Your Spring Cleanse
A spring cleanse can be as short as three days or as long as 21 days. I find that 10 to 14 days is optimal for most individuals. You can choose to start with a preparation phase, followed by a middle segment that is more intense, and wind your cleanse down by repeating the preparation phase.
Diet: However you plan your detox, the foundation of the program should always be a fresh, healthy diet that focuses on plenty of organic vegetables, either steamed or raw.
Supplementation: High-quality nutritional supplements such as PectaSol Chelation Complex (PCC) helps cleanse the circulation and digestive tract in preparation for deeper and more thorough phases of detoxification. PCC contains both modified citrus pectin and a unique modified alginate compound that function synergistically to bind and eliminate toxins without depleting the body of essential vitamins and minerals.
Hydration: Don’t forget to drink plenty of pure water (and herbal tea); hydration is extremely critical during a cleanse.
Time and Space: Taking time off from work during your cleanse is ideal. Give yourself the space to expand, relax and meditate on the things you wish to let go. That can help you release toxins in all areas of health: emotional, physical, mental and spiritual. If you can’t take time away from work, try to give yourself a few hours every day to create a sacred space to unpeel the layers of obstructions that may be hindering your health and vibrancy.
Environment: Cleansing and purifying your home, work and other environments is also an important preparation step. Cleaning out the stagnant winter energy, dusting and removing pathogens that may be lingering inside your home, and getting rid of clutter in your surroundings can have profound positive impacts on the health of your body, mind and spirit.
Designating a sacred space for meditation, relaxation and contemplation sends a message to your entire being that your commitment to vibrant health, clarity and other important areas is sincere and profound. See what positive changes will arise when you focus your energy into a sacred healing space for yourself.
Preparing Your Mind For Spring Detox
If you had the opportunity to experiment with meditation and inner reflection during the winter, you’ve likely discovered aspects of yourself that you no longer need to hold onto. So, as part of the cleansing process, it’s always useful to decide what it is you’re prepared to abandon as you move forward into the spring.
An expansive approach to detoxification uses the cleansing process as a means of increasing your degree of freedom and openness. Take an example from nature: Just as the day expands from dawn to dusk and the weather warms with the arrival of a new season, we can allow our perceptions to expand.
Meditation represents one of the most profound ways to do this. By engaging in regular meditation, we can embrace those things in life that previously troubled us. Letting go of the afflictive emotions that have so much control over our perception of reality is an important part of the cleansing process.
That’s why a cleanse should always begin with the ultimate goal of creating greater freedom and opening up of the self. This can be done with simple meditation practices that focus on your breathing, such as Shamata Meditation. I will be sharing these and other meditation practices at my upcoming Meditation and Healing Retreat, April 26-29 in Petaluma, Calif. For more information on this event, visit http://betterhealthpublishing.com/.
Unfolding
During the unfolding process of cleansing and meditation, our overloads and afflictions are released and allowed to dissipate like dew in the morning sun. As we detoxify and let go of these limiting perceptions and emotions, we find that the same stimuli no longer bring the same responses, and that life naturally grows easier.
A successful cleanse can do all this and more. In addition to more vibrant physical health, we can also develop a deeper sense of compassion and understanding while releasing and transforming negative patterns — allowing us to move forward into the next season with a healthier body and mind.
http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/top-tips-for-a-successful-spring-cleanse/
