As we enter into the brilliant sunlight from our wintry darkness, take the time to look at the areas in your life that you want to develop. Spring is the time of year for fast, green, growth; in Traditional Chinese Medicine it is the element Wood. This means that all the introspection gained from our dark, inner selves that we just experienced through the watery winter, is now being put into action, growing rapidly like wood.
Green will start appearing all around us, and now is the perfect time to start consuming all sorts of delicious green, chlorophyll dense foods. Just like spring is traditionally the time to clean out your house, it's the ideal time to cleanse/detox/fast, whatever you like to do to rejuvenate your body and encourage growth of good things. The spring is Liver/Gallbladder season, which indicates that you may want to support these organs, rather than do things that may hinder them.
Here are a few ideas of things to do externally in this expansive season:
*Clean out your house! Your closets, your cabinets, your drawers, do a scrub down of the kitchen and bathroom, sort through old clothes and donate the ones you don't want anymore, dust the house, mop and vacuum. This is relieving for our minds and spirits and even emotions. It's healthy to get rid of the old so that there's room for new possibilities. Even on a physical, material level this is important.*
*Celebrate the growth of life around you! Take a long walk or hike without music or distraction and enjoy the sounds of the birds, bees, wind and chipmunks. Let your eyes take in the vibrancy of color and patterns. *
*Be present with emotions that arise. Though this is a good practice to always have, dormant feelings may arise during this spring period. Journal, talk, exercise and let your feeling flow through you.*
Here are a couple of ideas for Internal liver support this season:
*An easy, simple way to cleanse your liver is to imbue your body with dark greens, eat at least two servings a day of:
-Kale (best if steamed or made into a smoothie)
-Chard (ok to eat raw, steamed, in a salad or smoothie)
-Dandelion Greens (best in a salad mixed with other tastes, as these are bitter)
-Spinach (the best to eat raw, but also a wonderful addition to smoothies)
Wow! So beautiful....I'm always so happy to put these colors in my body!
Dark leafy greens are one of the most amazing, nutrient rich foods as they contain high amounts of Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium, as well as Vitamins K, C, E and B Vitamins. If you are vegan or vegetarian this is one of the only natural ways to get your B Vitamins and Iron. Getting into a habit of eating at least one serving a day of these immensely healthy foods is one of the best things you can do for your body.
*A step up from this is a Juice Fast. If you have any sort of condition, i would check with whoever is watching your health (ie: doctor, naturopath, etc). But this is a safe way to do some fasting without a lot of difficulty. Basically for a juice fast, you will want a juicer. Buying juice from the store is not getting fresh juice, and you will want to drink juice that has been juiced in the last 2 hours in order to properly absorb all the nutrients. Also, juice from the store is more often than not, pasteurized (or heated), which burns away all the fresh vitamins and minerals and enzymes, leaving it to be simply a sugary drink with low nutritional value.
Once you have a juicer or have borrowed one, set an intention for how long you would like the fast to be. A 3 day fast is wonderful, as well as a 7 day fast. If you're nervous about the process, try just 1 day. You can juice things that you never though possible! Here is a good website for recipes and different info about the fast
.http://www.juicing-for-health.com/vegetable-juicing.html
Do more research and know what to expect.
Something i have found essential to add to my juice is Spirulina. This is essentially pure chlorophyll algae. It is one of the oldest food sources on the planet, believing to originate 3.5 billion years ago and was a primary staple for Mayans, Aztecs, and Ancient Hawaiians. I mix this into my juice and i seriously can feel it after a couple of days as this enormous source of power and light in my body!
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| A call to fast. It reads: Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you. It is from the Koran. Most religions promote fasting in one way or another to experience the stillness and prayer that it facilitates. |
*One last idea to internally cleanse is with simple fasting. If you have any medical condition or are taking medications, etc, you NEED to check with someone before you do this. If you are sick or unhealthy it may not be the best time to do a straight fast either. However, I have had amazing results with fasting for 3 days, drinking water, occasionally teas, and using Senna Tea or colonics. More than anything the results i have seen from this fast have been energetic/ emotional. It gives me a break from my life for deep introspection and prayer and allows the space for baggage to be worked through and dealt with. If you have any sort of candida or parasite, this is the best fast to do, as both organisms will only go away once they are starved of nutrition.
*Massage helps with detoxification. It flushes circulation, releases toxins from muscles, supports the lymphatic system, decreases inflammations and provides support spiritually, mentally and emotionally. If you want to aid your detoxification, schedule a massage!
Keep in mind with any fast or change in diet that the first day or two may be difficult. Usually once you're past the second day, your irritability decreases, any rashes, breakouts, soreness has disappeared because your body has purged it. After you've gotten over the hump, your energy will increase, you will experience a renewed sense of spirituality and lightness. However, with all things it depends on your past history of eating and self care. Do more research and be well informed before you embark on this amazing journey!
Remember that spring is a time of growth, foremost. Do what makes you grow!
