why i cleanse
Why I’m doing a cleanse this fall (and every fall thereafter, until further notice):
From an Ayurvedic perspective, we may have accumulated heat and dampness in our systems over the summer months. Taking some time to slow down, ground and nourish ourselves simply helps lighten the load on our systems and allow them to naturally return to balance. Before the heavier, colder qualities of the winter settle in, we can ride the tides of the seasons to mobilize material that we don’t need to carry with us into the months to come. Tuning into the rhythm of the seasons is a beautiful thing. It’s remarkable how aligning with nature’s cycles provides such practical yet profound answers to so many of our problems.
Cleansing at the juncture between seasons ~ particularly as winter transitions to spring, and again as summer transitions to fall, takes advantage of a natural “instability” in the environment; a time when things are more “on the move.” These times of change gives us different qualities to work with than the bright heat of the summer or the quiet cold of mid-winter. All things in the universe display this pulsation. In Sanskrit, the word for this principle is spanda ~ the ebb and flow, expansion and contraction of all things as they cycle between natural states of emptiness and fullness; activity and rest.
Our physiology is geared to ride this tide of nature’s cycles. Lining up with these rhythms creates a lot more ease in our systems than fighting the tides. It sets us up for optimal health through the season to come.
The more I consciously create opportunities to pause, rest, clear space in my life and simply be, the less my body has to resort to drastic measures to flag me down for some deep rest to balance all the activity and work ~ all the doing. This principle is now woven into my days, and is an essential tool for maintaining. health and well-being throughout the year. But some time to go a little deeper is also non-negotiable for me now, considering all that we are taking in from this crazy world. After dedicating myself to biannual cleanses for the past few years, I can attest that this approach has been transformative on my mental, physical and spiritual health. This approach of cooperating with my body and honoring its need for rest and release is profoundly rewarding. And as I continue with the rhythm of cleansing twice a year, my body naturally anticipates and craves this restful retreat at those times. The practice has become a part of me.
Choosing to simplify our diet, our routine, and our days a little has a huge payoff. Simplicity is decidedly calming on the nervous system. Do you ever find yourself overcomplicating things? That used to be my default mode. Now when I notice the tendency creeping in, I take it as a gentle invitation to find more opportunities to simplify. Simplicity is restorative, and our systems respond positively to it!
There’s plenty we can’t control, but we don’t have to create added complexity in the way we eat, think, and move through our days. For me, a cleanse is about the powerful medicine of simplicity. My nervous system thanks me. When our nervous system knows deep rhythm and ease, all of our body systems are well-regulated, and operate more smoothly. Yes, please!!!
This is a catch phrase in our household. You know what I’m talking about. Actually getting into our dark and dusty corners usually yields some long-lost treasure, whether literal or figurative. The poem or note you scribbled to yourself on a scrap of paper that you really needed to read. That photo, memento, etc. that carries a special energy for you. Or maybe that Thing that, at one point, you were desperately trying to find.
In case you haven’t already gathered this from hanging around here, I believe you Are a treasure ~ a beautiful, radiant, gift to the world. And sometimes it takes stepping back, surrendering to a deeper rhythm, and peeling back a few layers to discover that you already have ~ and are! ~ all that you need and more… to discover what valuable gifts you are here to share. You never know what you’ll come across when delving into your inner landscapes. I find our darkest recesses are the ones holding the most potent gems.
This is akin to what happens when my son avoids cleaning his room week after week… It’s one thing to have one item out of place. But this often leads to dozens of items accumulating on the floor or wherever they don’t really belong, which is a bigger issue! And leaving them in this state indefinitely in another thing altogether. These objects that aren’t dealt with ~ perfectly benign on their own ~ start collecting dust. If untended for long enough, they may even attract tiny creatures which bring with them a host of other complications.
Either way, these stray items certainly seem to multiply, exponentially attracting other stray items (is that where dust bunnies got their name? because they multiply like mad?!). The cumulative effect is super overwhelming and requires a huge amount of effort to deal with.
Proper digestion is the foundation of optimal health. Ayurveda guides us to make room to digest everything we experience, not just the food we take in. Proper digestion is complete digestion, which yields a miraculous sort of juice that is used to build what’s considered “good quality tissue” in the body. (That’s definitely the kind of tissue we want!)
Incomplete digestion leaves residue (called ama in Ayurveda), and when that sticks around, chaos and confusion ensue in our tissues. It has a pathological effect on our physiology, triggering low-grade, chronic systemic inflammation. Yikes! Call it metabolic waste, call it whatever is undigested ~ be it physical, mental, or emotional in nature. This back-up leaves us feeling not-so-hot and it ends up being a real liability, making us more susceptible to disease.
If the material we take in is not fully digested, it’s going to start accumulating and bringing on a host of complications. Whenever it is present, it is understood to be setting the stage for disease.
When we cleanse, we invite our bodies into a state of processing our residues. Our left-over junk that we’re so much better off without! We emerge refreshed from the inside out, relieved of the burden.
Our body knows inherently how to deal with this accumulation, but it can’t go into that level of clean-up when we’re inundated with constant input from the external world. Hence, the cleanse.
We tend to crave whatever we’re accustomed to. I used to crave espresso and pastries because I consumed them regularly. Now my system craves simple food, real food… Mainly vegetables, especially greens, and hot water!
In a state of imbalance, our cravings reflect our imbalances. But our cells, like all living things, are naturally intelligent (they’ve been around the block, evolutionarily speaking. We have much to learn from them). Like a flower orienting itself towards the sun; like roots instinctively plunging into the earth to anchor a plant and gather nutrients, cells have been shown to actively move towards nourishment and actively move away from that which is toxic or harmful to them. And hey, for the record, you’re made of cells. Trillions and trillions of ’em.
Think about this. Wouldn’t you like to open up to a trust in the natural intelligence of your own organism? To allow this innate wisdom to guide you towards what is truly nourishing and begin to more naturally reject what isn’t supportive to you? That intelligence, or true intuition, is woven into the fabric of your being. It is the wild awareness of the life inside of you.
When we cleanse, we create an opportunity to interrupt the pathway of some of our habitual consumption patterns. The natural intelligence of our organism is always waiting in the wings. A cleanse clears the channels for this voice of wisdom to speak, to lead you towards that balance you require for a life of thrive.
In my book, cultivating the ability to trust my intuition, when it comes to choosing what’s beneficial for me, and steering me away from whatever is not, is priceless.
Ayurveda teaches us that our essential nature is bliss. That we have, at the core of our being, a subtle “body,” that is radiant and eternal and made of bliss. This aspect of ourselves is always there, beneath the surface distractions or complicating stories we’re swept up in at any given moment. There’s nothing we need to have or achieve externally to access it. We simply have to remove what’s obscuring it and be it.
In a very practical sense, when you think about how a room changes after it’s been cleaned, there is a clear difference. That difference is about the quality of the space ~ and the presence of light. When we clean things, they take on a certain glow. The light is always there, but removing the debris, removing the build-up, removing the dirt, lets it really shine.
You are made of light. Cleanses help us connect with the experience of our own luminosity ~ an experience that is so often covered up. Light is what we’re all made of. When I cleanse, I tap into, feel, and radiate this light. I am this light. It takes some intention to create space for that experience. But it’s waiting for you, always. It is you. And it can only emerge from within.
It feels amazing.
This is why I cleanse.
I’d love to have you join me in our upcoming guided fall reset! It’s running September 16th ~ October 2nd, 2024.
I’ll be cleansing right alongside you. And you’ll receive support, inspiration, and resources for customizing the process to make sure it works for you, so you can come to appreciate the myriad benefits for yourself.
