Happy May! This marks the final month before summer and the perfect time to kick your health + fitness into high gear. Summer is a time of endless rose + tacos + sunshine and I prefer to be intensely present to enjoy each moment instead of worried about what I eat. But as a person who suffers from digestive issues, being carefree requires planning + intentional focus on my health in the weeks preceding summer.

This brings me to today’s topic — DETOXING! Detoxification is simply “the process of removing toxic substances or qualities”. The body has organs — the liver + kidneys — that are responsible for our internal detoxification process. Because these organs naturally detoxify the body, many people in the science community say “detoxing is crap” but I disagree.

Detoxification doesn’t have to be limited to the physical experience; You can be exposed to toxic mental, emotional, and spiritual stimuli that also need to be removed. Focusing solely on organ function as it relates to detoxification misses the point.

Grab your copy of the Fierce Clarity Detox Guide here. 

Detoxification as Self-Purification

Periods of detoxification are periods of self-purification. In yoga, this self-purification is related to saucha (cleanliness), the first Niyama. The Indian sage Patanjali outlined eight limbs or stages of yoga but most of Western yoga is primarily rooted in Limb 3 (asana or the physical postures). See the eight limbs of yoga below:

  • Yama – Universal Moral Commandments
  • Niyama – Self-Purification by Discipline
  • Asana – Physical Postures
  • Pranayama – Control of Breath
  • Pratyahara – Withdrawal of the Mind from Being Controlled by the Senses
  • Dharana – Concentration
  • Dhyana – Meditation
  • Samadhi – Ultimate Consciousness Achieved by Profound Meditation

The 5 Niyamas are Saucha (purification/cleanliness), Santosha (Contentment), Tapas (Self-Discipline), Svadhyaya (Self-Study), and Ishvara Pranidhana (Devotion, Surrender).

In Light on Yoga, when B.K.S. Iyengar talks about Saucha he states “purity of the body is essential for wellbeing”. We all go through periods of time when our body + mind + spirit has been polluted in essence. Detoxification returns us to our natural state of purity and allows us to become a clear vessel.

What does this have to do with me?

Everything! I love the energy of the beginning of the month because it offers a fresh start. It’s a time to create new goals, new action plans, and new ideas for yourself. I invite you to join me in creating a detoxification plan for yourself for this month. You can focus on physical or metaphysical elements — you know what you need. Below are some examples:

  • Mental – Mediate daily, Decrease time on social media, Limit the negative news you intake
  • Physical – Commit to a clean diet, eliminate harmful foods, more juices + more workouts, drink liver supporting teas (Detox Yogi Tea is THE BEST)
  • Emotional – Attend therapy, pick up journaling + self-reflection
  • Spiritual – Embark on a spiritual fast, commit to daily devotional time
  • Financial – Go on a spending freeze, create a new budget, Use Albert app to track spendings

We all are our own best healers. Intuitively, you know what needs to stay and what needs to go.

My Personal Detox Program

Personally, I use physical detoxification as the first step because when I feel better physically, I’m also more clear mentally + emotionally. My physical detoxification process centers on eliminating foods that cause inflammation and drinking more healing potions like my go-to green juice (celery, apple, lemon, ginger).

My May Detox looks like:

  • Physical – Whole30 elimination diet as much as possible, Increased high-intensity workouts, Extreme focus on gut health (Decreasing Candida + Replenishing good flora), More at-home green juice

I have other detoxification goals that I would like to work on too, but I’ve learned not to put too much pressure on myself to make an overwhelming change at once. But these are some other detoxification practices I’d like to add more of this month.

  • Mental – Add evening meditations right when I get home from work
  • Spiritual – Recommit to morning intention setting + devotional time
  • Financial – get rid of subscription services + unnecessary recurring spending to free up $$ to save

Detox + Food

For most people, a diet change is the most challenging part of the detoxification process because it can be difficult to eliminate the tasty foods that are keeping us bloated, inflamed, and sick. I love the ways B.K.S. Iyengar describes self-purification as it relates to food.

“Food should be taken to promote health, strength, energy, and life. It should be simple, nourishing, juicy, and soothing. Avoid foods which are sour, bitter, salty, pungent, burning, stale, tasteless, heavy, and unclean ….. Character is molded by the type of food we take and by how we eat it. Men are the only creatures that eat when not hungry and generally live to eat rather than eat to live. If we eat for flavors of the tongue, we over-eat and suffer from digestive disorders which throw our systems out of gear. The yogi believes in harmony, so eats for the sake of sustenance only. He does not eat too much or too little. He looks upon his body as the rest-house of his spirit and guards himself against over-indulgence”

Use this quote as a guideline + inspiration for your own journey.

Grab your copy of the Fierce Clarity Detox Guide here. 

Detox Recipes:

Green Juice

I drink green juice to rebalance my hormones + reduce inflammation. This is my go-to detox formula and I make it at home bc I’m a fiscally responsible person now 💁🏾‍♀️.

  • RECIPE: Celery, Green Apple, Ginger, Lemon
  • Pro-Tip: Experiment and find quantities that work for your tastes — Apple to make it sweeter and/or ginger to make it tangier!
  • It’s simple, affordable, and easy to make. I use this juicer and it’s worked well for me! Sometimes I use the pulp to make a smoothie but other times I just toss it (I know, I know — I should be composting  🥴).

Healthy + Plant-Based Recipes

I wish you well on your journey. Remember — YOU ARE YOUR OWN HEALER. Take advantage of this new month to make sure you start the summer in alignment with your vision of your happiest + healthiest self!