Spring time brings thoughts of cleaning. Outside, we clean up our yards from the debris that has accumulated throughout the winter. Inside we transition into our springtime wardrobe, and purge items from previous years that we no longer need. This process of cleansing always feels amazing.
Embarking on the rite of springtime cleaning is a perfect time to think about cleaning out our bodies too. In the Northeast, where winters are cold, our bodies tend to add a small layer of fat in the winter. While this is a natural survival instinct, this layer can make us feel sluggish and unmotivated.
Try these few tips to help combat and flush your body to better health this spring.
- Flush: Drink more fluids, mostly water or herbal teas. Flavor your water with a squeeze of lemon or steep fresh ginger in your tea for a change of pace. Try them warm or at room temperature. Doing so can convince your body that it is warm enough and has enough fluids to combat the dryness that comes along with cold weather and can flush out toxins that have been saved up over the long winter.
- Twist: As you add more of the fluids you do need into your body, they can be used to help “rinse out” toxins you do not need. Gentle controlled twists can have the same effect as wringing out a dirty sponge.
- Move: Adding just 5 minutes of movement a day can catapult you toward feeling better. Moving improves circulation, a process that is necessary to bring oxygen to the body. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Park farther away from the entrance to your home or office and walk. Take a couple of minutes and stretch at your desk, maybe toss in a couple of jumping jacks to get your heart pumping.
- Breathe: By its very definition, respiration brings in what we need and gets rid of what we do not. Just 5 minutes of focused breathe work can have a soothing and cleansing effect on our insides.
Try a simple technique called pursed lipped breath. While sitting or standing, relax your body. Draw a natural breath in through your nose, keeping the lips and mouth closed on the inhale, as you exhale, purse your lips together as if you were slowly blowing out a candle. Try not to force the breath or make it any different than your natural rhythm of breathing. Practice this method of breathing for 2-3 minutes. The breathwork can help release trapped air in the lungs, improve circulation and create a general feeling of relaxation and well being.
In just 15 minutes or less you can create a springtime regimen that will Flush, Twist, Move and Breathe you to a better body this spring..
