“Tapas: something we do in order to keep us physically and mentally healthy; a process of inner cleansing: we remove things we do not need” -T.K.V. Desikachar
“Purity protects one’s body and brings nonphysical relationships with others” –Yoga Sutra 11.40
“The yogi conquers the body by the practice of asanas and makes it a fit vehicle for the spirit. He knows that it is a necessary vehicle for the spirit. A soul without a body is like a bird deprived of its power to fly”
– Iyengar
“The Liver is like a ‘general’ or ‘planner’ in charge of formulating strategies to serve the purpose and goals of the body-mind. Physiologically it has the most complex functions. It is responsible for detoxifying, filtering, nourishing, restoring and storing blood. In doing this, the Liver chemically counteracts foreign toxins that enter the blood and eliminates these through the bile, along with the waste of broken down cells” -Dr. Michael Tierra, Lesley Tierra: Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine
Food for thought, right! Spring seems to be informally “liver awareness” time. There is a lot of writing and talking about ‘Spring Detox’, ‘Spring Cleaning’, ‘Cleansing’. So what does it all mean?
Some of it comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Five Element System begins with the Wood element, which is where the new energy first arises. Some of the positives associated with the element are growth and motivation, planning and organising. Some of the negatives can manifest as frustration, anger, depression.
In the Yogic System, we speak of the Chakra System, and the Wood element corresponds with the Fifth Chakra which involves the Ether Element and relates to sound, vocalisation, and creativity, and your ‘plan’, or direction in life. The ‘location’ is at the throat, but, if things don’t feel in sync, or you feel confused, or angry, it is said to correspond to disturbances in the liver.
For those of us who have a cold winter, Spring is the season where Mother Nature’s Sunny smile makes things defrost, and blossom; the maple syrup runs, we shed boots, scarves, hats, sweaters. We re-organise our closets to find our lighter clothing. People often have runny noses, allergies are irritated with all the pollen in the air, and the body shifts into decongesting itself of excess mucous. Some people have been telling me they are exhausted, joints hurt, and they are feeling completely lazy. They may have an excess of mucous, and so the jump-start of a little extra cleansing may help.
Some things to try might be:
– buy and eat more greens, and fresh food (pizza is not your BFF)
(try my Yogreen-ie smoothie or Simply Immuni-tea)
-wake up and do a bit of energising yoga/pranayama practise or walk outside to get some fresh AIR, listen to the birds, watch the new budding flora
-sleep a little earlier, to wake up rejuvenated
-make friends with a Neti-pot
-journal to get all these lurking negative emotions OUT
-clean your closet and then give what you do not need to charity
-remember that the meditative state of relaxation cleanses the mind!
Giving yourself a little extra support during any transition -Season or otherwise- is so positive. Just keep in mind that beyond all the recipes for Detox is the system of Yoga itself, which supports cleansing and maintaining nourishing habits throughout the Year and no matter how green you eat, if you are not in touch with yourself emotionally, you will not be able to ‘rest and digest’…
peace and positivity!
Rana
Rana Waxman is a registered yoga therapist ERYT-500, with 20 years of teaching experience. Rana is a freelance writer and social media expert in addition to leading yoga workshops internationally and teaching alignment focused private and group Yoga Lessons in Hoboken and Jersey City NJ.
