WHY AYURVEDIC CLEANSING?
Just as it is necessary to tune up your car’s engine regularly, your body also needs regular cleansing and rejuvenation to keep it healthy and disease-free. Ayurveda recommends that we cleanse at the changing of the seasons, when our outer environment changes, in order to remove accumulated doshas (imbalances) and re-set our internal environment.
The modern world is both stressful and toxic. Add a diet of processed foods, lack of fiber, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, and even excessive supplements－it all ends up being a lot for the liver to process. And when the liver becomes overloaded with toxins, it leads to a variety of digestive symptoms (including acid reflux, gas + bloating, diarrhea, constipation, etc.), along with an overall feeling of heaviness, thick tongue coating, systemic inflammation, and foul body odors.
The art of Ayurvedic cleansing, known as Panchakarma, has been practiced for thousands of years, and is famous for its proven process of healing digestion, cleansing impurities, balancing the tissues, and restoring harmony and health to all levels of being. And it does this in a nourishing, gentle, and comforting way. It is not a fast or a gimmicky fad diet. You can eat as much as you need, and I provide plenty of healthy, easy-to-make recipes that are as delicious as they are sustaining.
The effects of cleansing often last well beyond the two weeks of the cleanse itself: most participants maintain newfound balance for years through permanent, positive changes in diet and lifestyle.
Āma: The Unwanted Byproduct of Poor Digestion
When your digestive fire is strong and healthy, your body is able to process and remove toxins through urine, feces, and sweat. But when digestion is impaired, metabolic waste, known as āma, starts to accumulate, clogging the channels of elimination and leading to diminished health. Over time, if this āma is not removed, the buildup of toxins can lead to disease.
This is why regular, seasonal Ayurvedic Cleansing is so important. Ayurveda recommends following a detoxification and rejuvenation program a minimum of once a year; for most people, twice a year is ideal.
SIGNS YOUR BODY NEEDS A CLEANSE
➤ LOW ENERGY LEVELS
Low energy is a result of two possible scenarios: either you have toxins inhibiting proper absorption in the GI tract, leading to insufficient cellular nutrition and fatigue. Or your nervous system is fried from too much activity, resulting in burnout. Both of these scenarios are addressed in an Ayurvedic cleanse, which gently cleanses toxins from the GI tract, while calming the nervous system.
➤ THICK TONGUE COATING
Your tongue reflects the health of your digestive organs. If your tongue is coated, it indicates that your GI tract is also coated, which inhibits proper digestion and absorption. Ayurvedic cleansing not only removes these toxins, but also enhances the digestive fire so these toxins don’t re-accumulate.
➤ MENTAL CONFUSION, ANXIETY, + DEPRESSION
Toxins don’t only exist in the physical body. They can exist in the mind as well. Mental āma forms when you have experiences and traumas that are "undigested." This leads to confusion, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other mental health imbalances. An Ayurvedic cleanse can help you digest these unprocessed experiences through nourishing the nervous system and creating space for self-care.
➤ FEELING OF HEAVINESS
Heaviness is a sign that the digestive fire is low. It can’t adequately break down the food you’re eating, so it just sits there heavily in your gut. This accumulation of undigested food can lead to sluggishness and weight gain. An Ayurvedic cleanse brings about lightness in the body by removing these accumulated, undigested foods.
➤ GAS, BLOATING, OR OTHER DIGESTIVE SYMPTOMS
Any and all digestive problems are a sign that your agni－digestive fire－is out of balance. It may be burning too hot, or too cool, or there may be stagnation in the liver or other digestive organs. Any of these imbalances can lead to either depletion of your body’s tissues, or accumulation of excess tissue. Balancing the digestive fire through a cleanse leads to healthy, balanced, and nourished tissues.
➤ FOUL BREATH + BODY ODORS
Foul smells coming from your body mean something is not right. Even your feces is not meant to smell particularly foul…if it does, it’s a sign of toxins. Same for stinky body odor or breath. Foul smells=toxins!
➤ BODY ACHES + PAINS
Aches and pains can signal that toxins in your body have moved into the deeper tissues. While you may get massages to alleviate the pain, it will just come back if toxins and inflammation aren't eliminated. Ayurvedic cleansing is designed to draw toxins from the deeper tissues back into the GI tract where they can be eliminated, which provides lasting relief.
If you are struggling with any of these symptoms, an Ayurvedic Cleanse can help by addressing the root cause: the accumulation of toxins or āma.
A cleanse is not a quick-fix or a magic pill. It will require your commitment to clean eating and self-care for the duration of the cleanse to see results. But the transformation you will experience will be completely worth it. And I will be there to support and guide you through the entire process.
Cleansing has become very trendy in recent years, and for good reason. The benefits of a good cleanse can be life-changing. But not all cleanse methods will have these positive effects. Some leave you feeling depleted or even weaken your digestive fire, making it hard for your body to go back to “real” food. This negates the effects of the cleanse altogether, as returning to your regular diet only increases toxins more quickly.
That’s why I feel so fortunate to have discovered Ayurveda, and with it the cleansing process that has been used successfully for thousands of years to help people heal from a wide variety of illnesses—some that are even thought to be incurable. This method of cleansing is truly an effective way to prevent disease later in life.
BENEFITS OF AYURVEDIC CLEANSING
AFTER AYURVEDIC CLEANSING, YOU WILL FEEL:
Improved energy
Radiant, glowing skin
Effortless weight loss
Reduced aches + pains
Healthy cravings
Improved digestion and absorption
Regular elimination
Increased mental clarity and focus
A calm and grounded nervous system
Feeling balanced and rejuvenated
Like you've aged in reverse
Do all of this gently and safely–without deprivation, extreme fasting, or discomfort
Patricia Espinosa-Wallin
Entrepreneur
I absolutely recommend this cleanse because doing the cleanse you realize how, through learning new breathing techniques, eating new food, and following a new routine, your body and mind are able to change and experience incredible peace, strength, and clarity.
Alejandro Sifuentes
Jewelry Artist, Equinox Galleries
I feel lighter! I lost 5 lbs. My pitta has been pacified. My lower back pain is gone. Taste and smell enhanced. Not rushing as much. By taking the time to reflect I have been able to better understanding my family history with food. I dealt with my issues of lack and fear of not enough in myself and in the food supply. As I moved thru the cleanse I experienced the Unlimited Abundance of The Universe. I feel cared for and embraced by Spirit. The experience of the cleanse gave me this insight.
Caty Wirth
Owner of Mystic Boutique
I feel MUCH more grounded. Communicating better. I lost 5 lbs total unexpectedly. It helped me take care of myself more, in all aspects. It was way easier than I anticipated. I felt healthy and happy at the end, not hungry.
Lisa Del-Villar
Accountant
I've lost three pounds; but more importantly I feel more calm and settled. I gave myself permission to rest and relax and slow down. Each time I participate in the Cleanse it gets easier, while at the same time I learn something new.
Elaine Vandiver
Humana Sales
Foods taste better, cellulite has almost completely disappeared and I am calmer overall.
Holly Williams
Writer & Retired Military
My sleep has improved, I lost six pounds without trying, and I feel lighter and calmer. I also feel more confident in being able to continue some of the practices that made me feel particularly well. This cleanse is a good opportunity to scale back on all the ways we make life so overly-complicated.
Michele Monseau
Artist, Song Maker, Voice User
I feel lighter! I definitely lost weight and feel less overall achiness/pain. The cleanse teaches you new ways to think about food and self-care, and about how your digestion plays such a huge part in overall health.