Two Purification Exercises that Help Assist Body Detox
Detoxing is Hard
Let’s get this out in the open. Detoxing is hard.
“There… I said it, now hopefully my ego can calm down and go be suspicious & critical elsewhere. 😉
Why is detoxing hard? Well, it takes effort and it involves change. Change is hard for the ego, because it is afraid it’ll loose its power.
But at the same time when you succeed doing the detox, it feels really good. You’ve accomplished something and that accomplishment makes you stronger.
So are you listening to your ego or to your heart?
That’s why I love doing a challenge every now & then. It gets me better equipped to handle ego and listen to my heart.
You find these challenges anywhere on the net; a meditation challenge, a manifesting challenge, a 30-day yoga challenge, or a bootcamp challenge. You can choose 5 days, 2 weeks, 21 days or a whole month…
But no matter the length of the challenge, you probably will go through the motion all the same. First resistance, being rebellious, then a little trust, enjoyment, feeling the effect, setback, having to power through, then strength and at the end that feeling of accomplishment. (if you make it all the way through of course)
Now a detox-challenge works the same and can mean many things. You can cut certain food or alcohol for an amount of time. You can do an exercise program or a fasting. The options are truly endless.
Purification of the Body
In the end it all comes down to purifying the body. After an indulging December month a physical detox is highly recommended to clean up the toxicity, and also after the summer months it’s not a bad idea (at least for me) to have a ‘dry month’.
It doesn’t really matter when you do it, as long as you know that occasionally purifying the body contributes to a healthier body. And a healthy body is a relaxed body that you as the Self are more in tune with.
Allow me, as a Hatha Yoga Teacher, to introduce to you two exercises that will bring the gift of purification and will work perfectly together with your ‘physical’ detox.
Exercise 1: Alternate Nostril Breathing
This breathing technique or pranayama practice activates and harmonises both the active and passive energy running through the body, and in Hatha Yoga it’s known for its purification results.
Both the male and female energy stream from the spine up, twirling around the spine (and where they cross they hit the energy points that in Yogaland we call the Chakras), all the way up to each nostril. When these energy streams (nadis) are pure the energy will stream effortlessly and you’ll feel vibrantly healthy.
The left nostril is connected with the passive energy, female (Ida Nadi). The right nostril is connected with the active, male energy (Pingala Nadi).
Each nostril is again connected to each side of the brain.
By doing the Alternate Nostril Breathing you are balancing these energies, and at the same time you are unclogging, therefore purifying the energy streams (nadis) that twirl around your spine.
You can imagine that when these Nadis are purified you will feel stronger, more aware and life is just more fun and easier.
The Swami, who wrote the bible of hatha yoga (Hatha Yoga Pradipika) even went so far to say that the Alternate Nostril Breathing purifies the nadis within three months.
Needles to say that the practice would be quite intense, but I would already settle for a less purification level by practicing it 5 minutes each day. You will definitely feel the effect with a consistent practice.
Check out the video below where I will show you how to do the Alternate Nostril Breathing, so you can practice it yourself.
Exercise 2: Spinal Twist Poses
As a joke in class when we are in some sort of a twist yoga pose, I always say: “Squeeze out that wine or beer from yesterday,” because when you are in a twist you are literally squeezing parts of your body, and therefore enjoy a detox-effect.
Most of the spinal twist poses enhance the flow in the core area, around the navel. This nourishes organs such as the pancreas, kidneys, stomach, small intestines, gall bladder and (here we go) the liver. You see, a twist works wonders in your body. Tadaaaaa!
Now before you jump into a twist, there’s more… Twist poses relief all associated disorders in the core region and rejuvenates the tissues generally. Also the core is the place where a plexus of major nadis (energy streams) and other energetic channels cross and from where they supply the whole body, so you can imagine if this flows well how vibrant and strong you’ll feel.
On an emotional level you can twist & untwist yourself out of some knots so to speak, and therefore solving problems.
If that isn’t purifying and part of a detox, then I don’t know what is. 😉
Check out the video below where I will explain multiple simple Spinal Twist Yoga Poses, so you can ad them to your own practice.
Detox Challenge
So darlings, on that note, I want to end this blogpost with a special announcement. I have created my own DETOX WEEK from 17 – 23 of January 2021.
We start on Sunday the 17th with a Hatha Yoga & Self love Meditation class that will be focussed on Self-Care & Detox. Click here if you want to join.
Then from Monday on till Saturday I will be Live on my Facebook page (click here to like it) at 8am CET sharing my struggles of my Detox and also give you some tips and more exercises coming from hatha yoga. We will be doing some morning exercises together. Jippie!
I will challenge myself to a dry-week (no alcohol) and losing a bit of weight (so adjusting my eating). You choose your own detox.
I can’t promise you a miracle, because you need to do the detox yourself, but I can promise you connection and support while doing it together.
Would be an honour to spend this week together.
At your service, with Love
JJ
Ps. Leave a comment below regarding this blog post: Two Purification Exercises that Help Assist Body Detox or if you want to share your experience of the Alternate Nostril Breathing and/or Twist Yoga Poses, and of course of detoxing in general.
Pps. Here’s the link to the Hatha Class: Self-Care & Detox, and don’t forget to like my FB page. 😉
