Why Cleanse?
Your body has the innate ability to create balance and detoxify. You have a natural intelligence that can guide you to your best self. However, if your body is overload with stress and toxins, it is hard to connect to that inner voice. Ayurveda, “the science of life,” is like an owner’s manual to your body. It gives you guidelines to optimize your health.
Have you been feeling off or lethargic?
Is your digestion sluggish?
Would you like better mental health?
Are you under a lot of stress?
Does your immune system need strengthening?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, an Ayurvedic cleanse can help. Ayurvedic cleanses help renew your body, mind, and immunity by strengthening your agni (digestion), eliminating excess toxins and excess doshas.
Agni (Digestive Fire)
Ayurveda views digestion as the seat of your health. When digestion is strong, your cells are optimally nourished. When digestion is weak, your ability to process and assimilate nutrients is diminished. Toxins will not be properly eliminated from your body and will begin to build up. This can lead to imbalance and disease. This will also make you more susceptible to illnesses as your immunity is weakened.
A balanced gut also affects your mental health. 95% of serotonins are produced in the gut by good bacteria. (Most anti-depressant medications boost your serotonins.) Stress kills microbes in gut. GABA is also made by microbes in gut. (GABA helps us lower cortisol levels after Fight or Flight Response.)
Excess Doshas
The change of one season into another is an important time for Ayurveda. As the weather changes, external elements shift and the dosas are influenced. Increased dosas need to be pacified or moved out before the new season otherwise they may cause health issues. Seasonal cleanses can be targeted to move out excess doshas.
This is especially important for Summer into Fall and Winter into Spring. In Summer, due to the heat and humidity, there is increase in Pitta (fire + water). In late Summer, Vata (air + space) also gets increased as the heat of the sun begins to dry our bodies. So, there can be an increase of both Vata and Pitta. Autumn is the season where Vata can get aggravated as it is cool and dry.
Cleanse Options
Ayurveda has many cleanse options that can be adapted to each individual’s needs. No two people are the same, therefore no two people have the same needs. The right cleanse gives your body the rest and repair it needs to come back into balance. There are mono-diet cleanses, juice cleanses and different levels of fasting. It all depends on digestion, elimination and the doshas.
Mono-diet cleanses are a great general cleanse. This is the safest type of cleanse which almost anyone can do. Mono-diet cleanses are where you eat the same meal, like Kitchari, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You do this for 1-10 days along with digestive elixirs. By eating the same thing, your digestive system gets to rest and your digestive fire strengthens. A strong digestive fire then burns out the toxins and impurities. What you eat and the herbs you take can be tailored to balance your doshas.
Juice cleanses and fasts are harder on your body. They increase Vata in your body so are not indicated for anyone with Vata issues. These cleanses are extremely detoxifying and may cause an imbalance if done improperly. I recommend having profession guidance if undertaking this type of cleanse.