Feeling heavy, tired, lack energy, muzzy headed, have dull aches/pains, joint inflammation, gas, indigestion, bloating, skin blemishes, poor circulation, foul smells (breath, sweat, urine) or tired after eating?
If yes to a combination of these, and you're told nothing's wrong you may be experiencing a build of a toxic substance called 'ama’. In Ayurveda this is defined as a build up of undigested waste from food, emotions, or the environment.
This reflects the strength of your digestive fire, Agni, which is responsible for digesting everything you ingest through the senses and their resultant emotions. Balanced Agni gives healthy emotions: courage, cheerfulness, optimism, enthusiasm. It provides energy, vitality and a system able to maintain homeostasis. When imbalanced it causes destructive emotions: fear, anger, confusion, leading to low energy, congestion and an accumulation of waste.
Ayurveda recommends a cleanse that focuses on eliminating the toxic waste and resetting the body’s Agni as a remedy. The main technique is known as a ‘sodhana’. This is primarily done through the practice of ‘pancakarma’, with five detoxifying therapies. It is usually used for chronic conditions that are difficult to resolve and must only be done under the guidance of an Ayurvedic practitioner. Where the ailment is less severe, a simpler ‘samana’ cleanse can be done also with guidance. This is a food and lifestyle based cleanse that can be done at home. A ‘samana’ is a great practice to adopt to cleanse and reset, as well as seasonally when weather and nature change and residual cold or heat from the previous season lingers.
A basic samana can include things like waking up just before sunrise, practicing pranayama and meditation routine, sipping warm water in the morning and herbal tea in the afternoon, having some triphala at night to promote digestion while you sleep, and massaging herbal oils on the body before a shower. Peace, relaxation and oodles of kindness to the self involved!
