The term spring cleaning is part of our vernacular, but do we ever stop to really think about what it means and why?

 

Spring is the time of year when we naturally begin to detox. We shed the excess weight, mucous, and lethargy that winter brings and begin to feel lighter in all ways.

Winter causes our bodies to slow down, store fat to insulate us against colder temperatures and increase mucous production to combat germs that could challenge respiratory health. This keeps us as safe and healthy as possible.

Once we begin to experience the first signs of spring, we instinctually begin to know that it’s time to release the excess mucous and weight. Our energy levels begin to increase as sunlight is more available in order to accomplish this.

We are not separate from nature. This means that we enter a cleansing cycle. The word “cleanse” makes most people uncomfortable, and we often have 5-10 excuses ready to fire back at you in regard to why we could neeeeever commit to a cleanse in the formal sense.

While I find immense value in cleansing formally—when the cleanse is medically sound and very well-designed—there are some highly effective things that we can do to cleanse ourselves without changing very much about our lives at all.

Nature actually provides exactly what we need to counterbalance the energies that are in excess in any given season. As within, so without. What’s happening outside of us is always happening inside, as well.

With this knowledge, here are some ways you can start yourself cleansing today:

1. Eat seasonally, meaning eat more of what is growing naturally in the area where you live at any given time of year. You don’t need to eat only these foods, just eat more of them!

Not sure what they are? Ask a farmer!

2. Eat less food that comes in a package. Any package. Consuming more unpackaged whole foods is a great way to accomplish this, as you won’t have room for the other stuff.

3. Eat foods that have life force. These foods look fresh, are brightly colored, and smell good. When we ingest something, we bring its energetic qualities into our systems, as well. All bodies are nourished in this way.

4. Clean your screens. Yes, you can clean them with screen cleaner—clean glass translates to seeing things clearly in all ways. It’s also important to make active choices about what we view on them—especially after this year where we have been more digitally connected than perhaps ever before.

Feeling overwhelmed? Eliminating digital clutter is also a great way to settle and retrieve energy.

5. Move your body. This doesn’t have to be a formal workout if that is not appealing. Just move. It doesn’t matter how.

The lymphatic system accumulates toxins and garbage in our bodies, but it doesn’t have its own pump. For this reason, it’s easy for the lymph to become stuck, which creates cellulite and lots of opportunities for dis-ease in the body.

Movement is the way we pump this toxic lymphatic waste through. The more we move, the more our lymph is able to move. It’s as simple as that.

6. Breathe. Our bodies naturally detox through the breath. The deeper the breath the more effective it is, yet we breathe in really short, shallow patterns most of the time. When we breathe deeply, it oxygenates the blood, clears stagnant air and energy from the bottom of the lungs, and releases toxins of all kinds.

Remember to always breathe out the nose.

7. Clean and clear your space. Deep cleaning our surroundings helps us to feel better and eliminate so many environmental sensitivities and allergens.

Plus, letting go of objects that no longer serve and allowing them to live their purpose somewhere else, releases stagnation and frees up space for new energy to come into our lives.

How will we know if we are sufficiently detoxed?

We will feel it in our bodies. They’ll feel lighter—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Suffering from spring allergies is also a good sign that we haven’t sufficiently cleansed our systems, so, if you have a propensity for springtime sneezes, you will want to pay special attention to the things listed above that you can do right now to shift this. You might also want to look into participating in a more formal cleanse.

Is spring the only time to cleanse?

Spring is the best time to cleanse because it’s when nature is providing foods that naturally aid the process, like berries and dandelion, as well as whatever is growing in your area at the time! You don’t have to do very much to get the process started because your body is wired to do that for you.

Cleansing in the fall is also acceptable but never cleanse in the summer or winter because your body will be thrown way off balance since the weather is already extreme.

Happy detoxing!

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TLDR:

Spring is the best time to cleanse and detox. NEVER detox in the summer or winter. It’s dangerous.

Nature provides you with everything you need.

Eat more whole foods, breathe, and move now and you’ll reap the benefits later.