Wellbeing
Get some tips this Dry July!
5 Cleansing Yoga Poses
By Claire Obeid on
There is a reason why we feel the need to clean our homes post-winter. There is alot of dampness, mould, dust and general waste that builds up when we are in a confined space taking shelter from the cold.
Our bodies do much the same. Junk builds up within us that needs some serious detoxing. We cleanse through three of the body's main systems. The circulatory system pumps blood throughout the body – taking oxygen to cells whilst carrying the waste away. The digestive system processes the food we eat – absorbing the nutrients we need and eliminating anything we don’t. And then we have the lymphatic system, which collects fluid from our cells and sends it to the lymph nodes to ditch any harmful bacteria.The eliminatory organs (lower digestive system, liver, kidneys, lungs and skin) then help us to expel all of those nasty little toxins.
That’s a pretty good system when it comes to detoxing! However, over the winter season, our diet is a little heavier, we're a little less active than usual, and our eliminatory organs may be feeling a little sluggish. Instead of waiting for Spring to arrive arrives, we can helping our body out and assist the natural detoxification process with some stimulating and detoxifying yoga poses.
Yoga, like most forms of exercise, stimulates the three systems of cleansing, but it packs a little more punch. The systematic stretching and compressing action, coupled with calm breathing, is particularly good at enhancing waste-removal from the deep tissues and extremities (which some forms of exercises just can’t do).
Here are our 5 cleansing yoga poses:
Standing Forward Bend – calms the nervous system whilst gently compressing the abdomen to stimulate digestion and elimination
Downward Facing Dog – gently tones the belly, aids circulation of blood and lymph and stimulates digestion.
Lunging Twist – strengthens the legs whilst deeply twisting through the abdomen to squeeze and release the digestive organs.
Seated Twist– releases the hips whilst squeezing the abdominal organs
Meditation– helps you calm your breath, centre your focus and quieten your mind to reduce stress and enhance detoxification
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