Use Yoga to Spring Clean Your Inner Self

Spring is a time for nature’s renewal — a time when our own instincts guide us to clean and refresh as well. Yoga is the perfect way to align ourselves with these seasonal changes by awakening our bodies and cleansing our minds.

Now you can forget all those advertisements trying to get you to buy more things to help clean. You already have what you need! Try these yogic techniques for a refreshing, holistic cleanse. (For more instructions on these techniques, ask a yoga teacher so that you always stay safe.)

KRIYAS

Kriyas are a traditional yet effective way to cleanse the body. The 6 traditional kriyas are known as the Shat Kriyas, two of the easier ones that you can easily incorporate to your routine are:

• Jala Neti – flushes allergens, air pollution, germs and excess mucous out of the upper respiratory system. Using a small teapot or neti pot, salted warm water cleanses the nasal passage and mucous membranes.

• Kapalabhati – rids the lungs of stale air and increases oxygen in the bloodstream. Using your diaphragm, exhale quickly and forcefully expel stale air from the lungs, then relax and your lungs will automatically inflate with fresh air. Start with 2-3 rounds of 20-30 repetitions, increasing up to 3-5 rounds of 50-100 repetitions.

ASANAS

Yoga asanas are beneficial in many different ways, including cleansing the body from inside out. If you practise yoga, you likely do a mini-cleanse with each practice.

Holding these cleansing postures longer will make them feel different from your regular routine. Try to relax and stay in each posture for 2-5 minutes, visualizing the benefits as you hold the asana.

If you’re not used to these poses, hold them for a minute or whenever your body signals you to come out. Here’s a few detoxifying asanas suitable for beginners and advanced yogis:

• Savasana (corpse pose) – relaxes the body and calms the mind.

• Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) – a great way to warm up and increase general circulation, taking advantage of the body’s natural cleaning routine. Do a few slow rounds at first, speeding up to keep the movements coordinated with the breath.

• Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) – provides a gentle internal massage to the thyroid gland, which controls the hormones.

• Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist) – gently squeezes the internal organs to release excesses and toxins.

• Rocking Dhanurasana (bow) – massages the internal organs, helping eliminate excesses stored in the mid section (fluid, fat, etc.)

MEDITATION

A yogic cleanse wouldn’t be complete without meditation to soothe and refresh the mind. As little as 10 minutes a day will yield results. You’ll improve your mood and concentration, stabilize emotions, find contentment and the list goes on.

Depending on what you eat, the foods you consume will affect your meditation. Eating too much or too little on a regular basis causes stress on the body, so eat slowly and stop when your stomach feels satiated.

Slowly increase the amount of plant based foods in your diet and decrease processed foods and animal products as they aren’t digested as easily. Try eating one vegetarian meal a week or enjoy a vegetarian day each week. Avoid stimulating foods such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy and sugary foods as they hinder meditation.

Just as we clean our homes, it’s important to cleanse your body and mind on a regular basis. Yoga is not just what you do on your mat, the yoga you do off your mat is important as well.