Ah THE SUN!!! That means to get your runners back out, jump back into the pool or perhaps go full on into outdoor training!
This is a time for seeding and plans slowly coming to fruition. If you like me, that also means ideas explode in your brain like popcorn. New ideas suddenly come to you and abundance of energy is flowing through you ready to get creative. If you been feeling stiff and sore in places, that is no surprise. With all that energy at your disposal trying to find a way up and out it is not uncommon to strain yourself or for headaches to sneak up on us.
A well-balanced fluid house holding makes us feel strong, energetic, high-spirited and full of live!
Our kidneys are vital to clean, detox and secrete our waste materials and recycle important nutrients. Stress, not enough rest, poor nutrition and waste collection are major factors of strain on the urinary system. Together with the lungs, skin and liver they make sure our body isn’t overloaded by toxins.
Your immune system may be a little down after winter and all of a sudden you get invaded by sinusitis, the flue or a nasty cough. Illness is a natural way for the body to clean up. But who wants that?!
Here is how to spring cleanse your body and strengthen your body’s natural defences holistically:
Exercise – sweat it out
After slumbering in winter hibernation your body can’t wait to move and loose those “lazy sweats”. Just hold your horses a bit and build up your training over the next few weeks to give your body the time to catch up with your mind.
Do it out doors! Fresh air is the best fuel and now that it is spring you have no excuse! 😉
A daily walk of 2 k’s can increase the oxygen content in your blood. This promotes the absorption of nutrients and …. , which enhances the immune system so that you are less prone to flu and colds and increase your energy levels.
Find a movement schedule that fit and stick to it. Avoid doing anything too strenuous in the hours before bedtime though.
Look after your skin
Activation and support of natural secretion processes through intestines, kidneys, lungs, lymph and skin can be stimulated by massage or reflexology.
Massage is like a mini exercise and can help you increase your circulation and help you get rid of build-up waste and toxins faster, it boosts your immunes system and clears Qi blockages.
Cleanse by massaging your excretory organs in the feet or hand reflex areas is a great do it yourself way to help you detox and do a spring clean for your body, whilst you training to get fit. Or you can just get the experts to do it.
Dry skin brushing your body or taking alternating warm/cold showers is another self-help trick. Don’t be worried if your skin becomes a bit dull or spotty at the beginning of detoxing. It will soon clear after the body has thrown off an accumulation of toxins.
Breath!
Surprise, surprise our lungs are the chimneys of our body and massively important to excrete used and recycled wastes. A deep belly breathing supplies fresh energy (oxygen) on the inhale and disposes rubbish (carbon dioxide) on the exhale. Additionally, it massages your intestines and improves your circulation.
Try it when you sit behind your desk, during your next work out and really focus on pushing out your breath when you hold or lift. Or mindfully focus your attention on breathing out in your 20 minutes daily meditation.
Internal Cleanse
Hydrate – Lots of pure preferably filtered water during the day support your kidneys, the liver and other parts of the body that are responsible for cleansing and elimination. About 1.5 litres of water a day is recommended, 2 litres in summer and reduce your intake leading up to bed time.
Add lukewarm water with a dash of fresh lemon or lime to your morning ritual. Citrus is extremely effective to remove pollutants and ridding the body of any harmful free radicals.
Sick of water? You can spice it up with mint, lemon or lime and cucumber or berries. Herbal teas are an excellent alternative to water. Rooibos and Green Tea are rich in antioxidants. Or you can snack on watery fruit and veggies like watermelon or cucumber.
Cut down on black tea, coffee, alcohol and chocolate as caffeine is a diuretic and leads to dehydration. It also prevents your body from absorbing vitamins and minerals. If you want a nightcap? Go for an evening walk instead.
Energetic
Don’t forget to wipe your energy fields and chakra clean and cleanse your soul. Metaphysically water is linked to our emotional life. When water doesn’t flow, it gets clouded, clocks up or evaporates causing blockages in your Qi. If emotions are not or insufficiently expressed or released, they cause stagnant or ‘poisonous’ emotions, causing endurance of the body and clouded clarity. Think about a creek or pond. Still water gets clouded, you can’t see clearly and it smells.
Take a moment once a day to feel and process your daily emotions of anger, irritation, fears or sour experiences. A great meditation technique I use is The Waterfall. I’ll only take a few minutes. Make sure you ground yourself by firmly placing your feet or sacrum on the ground. Become aware of your body and where you feel the emotions dug itself in. Now: imagine a Waterval of fresh energy, or real water like a shower or swim, sweeping away those feelings you subconsciously collected and wash them away.
In a few weeks’ time, you likely notice the benefits for your overall health. It is a healthy lifestyle that will improve your appearance, regulate sleep patterns, increase your vitality and boost your emotional well-being. Keep it real though and do not go to extremes. There is no need for fasting or diuretics which risk you losing essential nutrients.
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