Yoga for Detoxification

Detoxification is a comparatively new term in the west and has gained more popularity in the last 5-7 years. However detox has been mentioned in the ancient health scriptures of Yoga and Ayurveda that are more than 10,000 years old

The word Yoga is derived from the root word Yuj, which means union. Thus practice of Yoga leads to the union of humans to the divine. Yoga is a practical path to self-realization, a means to attain enlightenment by purifying the entire being. Here the word “purifying” is important as it signifies a mind and body that is free of accumulated toxins – mental and physical. Thus detoxification is one of the basic underlying philosophies of Yoga.

Modern science now knows that 3 bodily systems play a major role in any type of detox – The circulatory, the digestive and the lymphatic. Yoga, through its various sets of asanas has proven to improve, regulate and maintain the optimum functioning of all these 3 systems.

Apart from the 3 systems mentioned above, Yoga also talks about the respiratory system and the Endocrine System. The respiratory system is tackled with the help of Pranayam or the breathing exercises. It helps in removing toxins and carbon dioxide accumulated in various parts of the body due to faulty breathing and life style practices. These exercises also help in proper functioning of the lymph nodes, which further help in purifying the blood.

The Endocrine System, which is responsible for production of all essential hormones, is handled in Yoga through Mantra Chanting and Meditation. Mantras provide specific vibrations to these glands. The mantras try to resonate these vibrations to the vibrations of the universe thereby making the glands function in unison with energies of the universe. This helps in the optimum functioning of the endocrine glands.

Thus incorporating Yoga in a detox program gives it a holistic approach as yoga detoxifies all the systems of your body. A typical routine should start with asanas, proceed to pranayam, followed by meditation and end with shavasan. Sometimes lack of energy could be a deterring factor in performing all the prescribed asanas during a detox program. In this case one can either resort to sun-salutations or perform asanas, which are less tiring. However pranayam and mantra chanting with meditation should not be avoided, as Yoga is the only system, which incorporates detoxification of the respiratory and the endocrine system along with the other biological systems.

Having said this, incorporating a proper diet regimen is inevitable in any detox program. Here is a link that talks about an Ayurvedic detox diet along with a few simple recipes.
Ayurvedic Detox Program