We all know that life goes through cycles—night/day, sleep/wake, wet/dry, hot/cold, empty/full—and that movement is the only constant. If motion were to cease, life would end. Detoxing is also an important part of our life cycle.
Taking things in, like oxygen and food, and tossing what we've used or no longer need through various processes of elimination is vital to our health. It's the cycle of life.
Yet, in our modern culture, we often take in pollutants and toxins faster than our daily diets and routines allow for their elimination.
Detox diets are one way to help your body regulate its cycles and rid itself of metabolic wastes. But did you know that movement exercises such as dance, yoga and even simple stretching can also speed along your body's detoxification process?
Just as we rub our hands together fast or jump in place to warm up, we can increase the rate of our metabolism—respiration, perspiration, elimination, circulation, digestion—through movement.
Here are several types of movement therapies that will rev your metabolism, lift your spirits and lighten your toxic load.
Belly Rubs
Speaking of rubbing our hands together to heat up circulation, Intestine Exercise uses the same energy principle. By tapping and massaging your lower belly, you can actually stoke the physiological fires of your digestive tract and open your Lower Dahn-jon to elemental fire energy at the same time.
Intestine Exercise can be done anyplace anytime. It's quite easy and super effective.
Do this 100–300 times to increase circulation and send warming energy to your intestines for more effective elimination. It will leave you feeling refreshed!
Tap Yourself Joyful
Body Tapping is another easy and fun method for giving yourself a whole body buzz. If you've been sitting for too long, breathing shallowly, feeling down or just not 'moving' your Qi very well, Whole Body Tapping can wake up your energy.
To begin, stand with your legs shoulder width apart and your arms relaxed by your sides. Start patting your chest with both hands. Gradually increase the speed and intensity of your patting and move your hands back and forth across your chest to stimulate all the acupressure points in this area.
Next, extend your left arm straight out in front of you with the palm facing up. Pat your arm with the open palm of your right hand. Begin at the shoulder and work your way down to the wrist and palm, then work your way back up. Turn your arm palm down and pat from the back of your hand up to your shoulder.
Pat your left arm for as long as you like. When you are ready, switch arms and repeat the process.
Soon, your arms will feel warm and tingly. When both arms are completely relaxed, clap your hands 10 times.
Return your hands back to your chest and pat your breast bone, sternum and rib cage. Work your way down to your solar plexus and continue gently patting.
Move your hands to your abdomen and gently massage the area over your liver. Move to the area over your stomach and continuing massaging and patting.
Next, bend slightly from the waist and gently pat your back hips and kidney areas.
Continue patting down the back of your body, from your hips and buttocks, down the back of your legs.
While still in forward bend, begin tapping at your ankles, shins and bringing your hands up the front of your legs until you are standing straight.
Now bend from your hips once again and tap your inner ankles and calves. Continue to move up your inner legs toward the abdomen. When you've reached your abdomen, pat yourself 100 times in a clockwise direction.
After patting your whole body, cross our arms with your hands on your shoulders. Give yourself a tight hug. Then sweep your hands down the front of your body as your uncross your arms.
Sweep your hands over the rest of your body, including your face, or anywhere you feel the need to clear blocked energy.
This exercise is seriously fun and energizing!
Shake Yourself Silly
Circulation Exercise helps send and distribute Qi energy from your lower abdomen which is the seat of the digestive fires. Circulation Exercise also helps rid the body of tension and stagnant energy while strengthening your bones, muscles and even cells.
Stronger circulation also helps fight aging and memory loss and improves brain function by delivering more oxygen to the blood.
It may seem silly, but the easiest way to get your entire circulatory system in high gear is to simply shake your body.
Start out slowly and work your way up to 10 minutes per session. There is no time limit for how long you can keep laughing however.
Begin by lying on your back with your arms extended above your shoulders and your legs, slightly bent at the knees, above your hips. Lift your head several inches above the ground. Breathe normally.
Relax your body and lightly shake your arms and legs quickly, like a twitching bug, until you feel a soft vibration throughout your whole body.
Continue to breathe normally while shaking, from fingertips and toes to all your limbs. Try this for one to two minutes then rest.
Lay with your head on the floor and your arms and legs out from your sides, completely relaxed. Breathe gently in and out until your heart rate is recovered to its resting state.
If you wish to challenge yourself, repeat the exercise only this time raise your upper back and hips off the floor while you shake. This will strengthen your abdomen.
Deep belly laughing provides an even harder workout.
Be sure to drink plenty of water before and after any detox regimen or exercises. It's also a good idea to supplement your diet with
mineral salts to rebalance your electrolytes and replace minerals lost from perspiration.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider with any questions about your medical condition before starting any diet.