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The celebration of each New Year marks the opportunity to look ahead with a renewed sense of purpose and hope. The New Year celebration is one of the most widely observed holidays and is a cross-cultural celebration of the renewability of the human spirit. It is an affirmation of the faith that with the New Year, we can renew our effort to cultivate the good, true and beautiful parts of ourselves.
For many, renewal means the cultivation of good health. This is an especially urgent need because many of us often develop a great imbalance in our eating, sleeping, and living habits during these last few months, especially around the holidays.
And by the time we reach the New Year, people are ready to get back to being healthy. For this reason, some of the most common New Year resolutions tend to be weight loss, self-care, and self-improvement.
As these resolutions are echoes of our intuitive desire for well-being, the unifying factor in all of these seems to be - detoxification!
The process of detoxification is the process of removing the obstacles to health: an essential principle of Naturopathic sciences, especially in Ayurveda. In Ayurveda, detoxification can be the removal ofama, or toxins which could be physiological, mental, and emotional waste products that block normal function of the body.
Their removal clears the way for restoration of health and well-being.
In the absence of these obstacles (like pollutants, deficiencies, negative emotions, etc.) our body function naturally begins to lean into balance. For this profound effect, it is important that detoxification occurs at all levels of being from single cells up to the whole body.
The emunctories are described as organs of elimination that support the process of detoxification. There are 5 major emunctories:
The science of detoxification, Emunctorology, teaches us the language to understand and manage this process of detoxification.
Activation of Emunctories:
All emunctories, organs of elimination,are active at all times; constantly workingto ensure the best possible health and physiological balance. Their functions can be enhanced by targeted daily choices in activity, food, environment, and hydration. Here are some simple strategies for activation:
Skin:
The health of our skin is an important indicator of toxin build-up in our body. Appearance of acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, etc. demonstrate different forms of imbalances in the body. Skin expresses what is not eliminated regularly from other emunctories. So, effective support of all other emunctories is the first step to promoting skin health.
The main mechanism for toxin elimination from the skin is to sweat. Another way is to shed old skin to prevent build-up of dead materials. Here are some ways to support:
And if you fear sweating excessively or the bad body odor it leads to, you can try this amazing body massage oil that takes care of all your sweating-related issues –iYURA Mehfranz Eternally Fragrant Body Massage Oil.
Did you know that sweat, by itself is actually odorless, and it’s the bacteria that thrive in it that make it smell skunky? Mehfranz works by banishing those toxins oramathat actually lead to this bacterial formation and thus actually solves the root cause of the problem. Besides, it’s also enriched with Cardamom, the Ayurvedic super sweetening spice that keeps you smelling fresh for longer periods!
Learn more about Mehfranz, here!
If you do not prefer something as harsh as a brush, you can also try the Kansa Massage Wand, anall-natural, non-electronic (no batteries, no wires) massage wand to give your skin a naturally firming, tightened look along with a smooth texture and an improved skin tone by also taking care of the appearance of signs of aging like wrinkles, fine lines and saggy-looking skin.
It also gives the jawline and cheekbones a firmer appearance by relaxing the face, neck and shoulder muscles for a more appealing posture. It’s even been credited to give a “natural facelift” without the use of any external ingredients and just with a natural massage.
Also perfect for a calm, relaxing, detox session, Kansa Massage Wand gives the triple benefit of toning, detoxifying and revitalizing skin naturally to maintain a clearer-looking appearance.
Learn more about Kansa Massage Wand, here!
If you’ve been searching for the perfect body massage oil for your massage sessions, iYURA Balaayah Black Gram Body Booster is your best option out there! Prepared in a strict Ayurvedic fashion, this rich, vegan 100% natural oil, provides a deeply nourishing dual effect of hydration and moisturization because it contains the Ayurvedic power duo for moisture – Black Gram, the ‘utter-nourisher’ AND Himalayan Black Salt, which seals in that hydration for instant and intense effects.
What’s even more impressive about Balaayah is that it can be used not just as a deeply soothing massage session before bath but even as a leave-it-on moisturizer post-shower for an ADDED FORTIFYING effect!
Learn more about Balaayah, here!
And if you’re not sure which one of these would suit you, try our travel-friendly and purse-friendly Mini Body Oil Kit, with not 1 or 2 but 5 different body oils that suit all skin types and solve all skin problems!
Learn more about iYURA’s Mini Body Oil Kit, here!
Lungs:
With every breath we take in, we get much needed nutrition, oxygen; and we throw out the toxicant, carbon dioxide (CO2). This process is constant and well known to most of us. However, most of us tend to be unaware of our breath and usually breathe very shallow.
To rectify this, take deep, full breaths to saturate our airway with oxygen – the accompanying pressure also helps to promote healthy gas exchange.
You can also follow a couple of these breathing exercises too, for support. The simplest of these is deep diaphragmatic breathing, also called So-Hum breathing. The mantra ‘So-Hum’ actually has a very interesting meaning. When said out loud, it not only mimics the sound of breathing but also mean “I am that” in Sanskrit which can be broken down into ‘identifying as one with the universe, ultimate reality or all of creation.’
To practice So-Hum technique,
Liver/Pancreas:
These organs support the subtle digestive processes and absorption of nutrients. They also support absorption of medications in the system. As a result, these organs are constantly exposed to toxicants from our foods and medications. The simplest way of protecting these organs is to eat organic, fresh, whole foods; and to avoid all processed foods.
An easy way to protect the liver is through the following:
Gastrointestinal tract:
Health of the gastrointestinal tract is the most common for my patients. This is where we are most vulnerable to absorption of toxins on a daily basis. The digestive tract is also the home of over 100 trillion bacteria that protect our health by supporting digestion and enhancing the immune system.
To protect the digestive tract by protecting normal function and providing regular replenishment of the gut-bacteria, follow these:
Kidney/Urinary tract:
The function of this emunctory ensures that we can efficiently get rid of water-soluble toxins from our body. It also helps to maintain electrolyte balance in the body so all our cells can function and communicate with each other. When you don’t drink enough water, the health of the urinary tract is compromised.
To support ideal kidney function, keep track of these tips:
Mind:
The mind is our main interactive organ in social and emotional circumstances. It can become exposed to displeasure (anger, frustration, and irritability), emotional pain, trauma, as well as unhealthy thoughts and ideas. Emotional imbalance is often the result of inadequate or improper processing of these exposures of the mind.
Peace, solitude, and rest are easy ways of inducing processing of these experiences. Here are some ways to do it:
The takeaway.
Detoxification is a natural and essential process for cultivating and maintaining health. It can be optimized by our daily choices and can become the foundation of disease prevention and longevity. Comprehensive detoxification allows the body to eliminate toxins effectively rather than just redistributing them.
Engaging all the emunctories regularly in the detoxification process is the ideal approach to attaining this. While the foundational practices of diet, exercise, sleep, stress-elimination, meditation, laughter, and play help tremendously – you can also keep in mind the tips mentioned above to take extra care of your body this holiday season and continue them throughout the year too!
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