Detoxes, cleanses, you name it and it has recently been a “hype” in popular culture.  I find it amusing that people think they need to turn to special juices, smoothies, or supplement to rid their body of toxins.  

The oldest, and my opinion the most effective, way to detoxify your body is through yoga.  

A sequence with many twists works to remove toxins, sprinkled with poses to stimulate digestion and the thyroid gland, build muscle and keep the digestive track moving.  When one is practicing a sequence to detoxify it is important to use each inhale to lengthen and each exhale to wring yourself of anything you no longer want or need; physically or emotionally.

Here are a few poses that stimulate natural cleansings of the body’s systems.

• Wide Legged Forward Fold Twist, Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana- Stand with knees apart and bend down reaching your left hand to your right ankle.  Reach your right arm towards the sky, look at your raised hand, and repeat on the other side.  Take 3 deep breathes on each side.

• Cat to cow pose, Marjaryasana and Bitilasana- beginning in a tabletop position, look at the floor and round your spine towards the ceiling.  Hold cat pose for 3 deep breathes then let your belly sink down towards the floor.  Lift your head so it is facing forward.  Hold cow pose for three breathes then repeat. 

  

• Sphinx pose, Salamba Bhujangasana- lay on the floor face-down, prop yourself up with your forearms.  Press your forearms and hands into the earth lifting your chest up and forward. Hold this pose for 5 deep breathes and release. 

• Supine twist, Supta Matsyendrasana- lay on the floor with your arms out to each side like the letter “T.”  Lift one leg straight up and then gently place it on the floor on opposite side.  Take three to five deep breathes releasing the tension in your back.  Then come back to center and repeat on the other side.

• Chair Twists, Parivrtta Utkatasana- Squat in chair pose, put your hands together at your heart, and twist to the left toughing your right elbow to your left knee.  Come back to center and repeat on other side.  Repeat 5 times, while taking 3 breathes on each side.

There are many other poses that are naturally detoxifying.  Yogajournal.com has a wonderful video of a detoxifying sequence by Kathryn Budig.  

There are many ways that are said to detoxify your body, but the all-natural and oldest form I believe is the best is yoga.  Forget the juices, smoothies, or pills, get your mat out and start making changes.

Namaste.