Whenever sickness or pain hits the body, we remember: Our vessel and well-being lays the foundation for a healthy and happy life. But what are we really doing to support our bodies and treat it as sacred and holy?
Like our physical house we need to regularly clean and cleanse it, literally from inside out..
Like most people on this planet, the relevance of fasting is not as obvious – unless one gets really sick – or lives in Bali. So it was for me. Living in Bali, I started to learn more about the relevance of not cleansing our body once but on a regular basis. And in an ideal world, teach our children how to do it. Passing on the knowledge we acquired to preventing diseases. Opening up a way of living life which is more in harmony with ourselves, more in tune with nature and ultimately being able to heal our own bodies.
Using the body as the starting point to release the old within us, changing habits, ways of seeing ourselves and the world is in my eyes an essential step to wholeness and healing. Working out, practicing yoga or meditating will always build upon this foundational element of general health.
In the following, I am sharing a rough overview of the different ways of how to cleanse your body and also some links to experts – people who are knowledgeable and who I personally know and trust, who can assist you with any questions.
PURIFICATION
The act of purification is quite common here in Bali. It is very much part of the daily routine and done at least twice a month for the full and new moon. There are water temples, places by the river and of course the greatest of all places, the ocean with its cleansing salt water to clean the body also energetically. If you don’t have any of these options available you could simply buy sea salt or epsom salt and prepare a bath.
Purifying you body, mind and soul is most effective if done in a ritualistic way: Giving thanks to Mother Nature for its abundance supply of water, air and lush nature – setting an intention of what to release through the power of the water element and dipping our whole body in the water, maybe even drinking a few sips to internalize the new state.
On a physical level you will notice how refreshing and instant the effect of this is. It is simple and yet profound – connecting with nature, barefeet, of-line.. Choosing places where there is only the sound of running water, birds etc. Giving the mind a rest and help our emotional state to restore in no time.
CLEANSE - Detoxify from inside out
Going on a cleansing aka a detox diet usually focuses on eliminating specific food groups from our diet. First of all stopping to consume any so called toxic foods like alcohol, sugars, some times even dairy, gluten or any solid foods. The idea here is to give the digestive tract a break to heal and later on be able to absorb all nutrients supplied by our meals in a more effective way.
A cleanse could be as simple as refraining from alcohol and any processed foods for 1-4 or maybe more weeks. You could then also think about what to add to your diet, like having lemon water or green smoothies first thing in the morning, consulting your doctor for suitable supplements or upgrading your mineral water to a kangen standard (more alkaline quality than the usual drinking water). Also adding in ALOE VERA juice in the highest quality you can find will help amongst other things boost the inner organs, plus let your skin shine.
Using the aloe juice to bind toxins which get stored in our bodies through certain foods, environmental factors and even due to stress. Also cleansing the gut and slowly slowly reducing excess fat storages on hips or belly.
Another way, a little more intense and time and energy consuming to detox the body would be juicing or fasting. I highly recommend getting advice from an expert and maybe even being part of a retreat or group. A baby step towards fasting would be to try out intermitted fasting for a few weeks – choosing to not eat for 12, 14 or 16 hours every day.
Adding in plenty of greens to every meal and choosing organic quality. Maybe even choosing a few vegetarian or vegan meals to replace your usual routines.. helping the planet and eco-system while enjoying delicious and nutricious food.
CLEAN EATING
After making sure we clean our body form inside at least once a year – in whichever way we can, it is then wise to think about ways to bring the least amount of toxins back into the body (a literal retox if we were to go back to all old habits straight away).
Personally, I don’t follow any dietary labels or regimes such as vegetarian, vegan etc. but I do recommend eating consciously and choosing our food wisely in terms of seasons, quality and quantity. Staying balanced and enjoying food, mindfully and as a means to nourish our beings.
Ingesting food to heal & nourish our bodies, minds and souls. One of the most amazing people in my life and a real pioneer in the world of vegan food – Sayuri Tanaka has a lot to offer: Having a restaurant in Ubud and an (online) academy to learn how to cook vegan, with organic foods and maybe even raw food.
Drinking at least 2 l of water or no sugary liquids., Balancing very coffee or even glass of wine with an alkaline drink of lime water
RETREAT AND RESET YOUR BODY
This is very certainly only the tip of the iceberg, but I think it shows in very practical ways, where and how to get started. Choosing a path which is less extreme and hard to do, but super effective, long-term suitable, supportive and easy to implement into a daily routine.
All of these options can also be part of a retreat with me – online, in a group or private setting or venturing out on some point again, traveling the world and going together through a detox.
*Please inquire also with your doctor first, if your health status is stable and if you are suitable for an experience like this.
