Top ten reasons to do an Ayurvedic cleanse
An Ayurvedic cleanse is a simple, nourishing practice that can be done safely at home. If you’re new to Ayurveda, it’s a wonderful way to quickly feel the benefits of Ayurveda in your own body! I practice a cleanse twice a year and find the benefits to be both physical, mental and energetic. Here are the top ten reasons you might want to consider practicing your own Ayurvedic cleanse!
1. Connect to the cycles of nature
Many of us live lives that are out of sync with nature these days. We do little to mark the changing seasons or passage of time. Our holidays are disconnected from a deeper meaning and are often an excuse to engage in not-so-healthy activities. An Ayurvedic cleanse is a way to honor seasonal transitions in a way that supports our bodies and minds.
I did my first Ayurvedic cleanse about 8 years ago, and have practiced a spring and fall cleanse ever since. I haven’t always done them at the perfect time, or in the perfect way, but no matter what’s going on in my life it feels grounding to plan my cleanse, and to know that I’ll get that chance to slow down and reset.
For me, my biannual cleanses have become not only a time for me to detox my body and soothe any digestive issues, but a chance to reflect on how my year is going, take a step back from my projects and goals, and make space for any change that needs to occur.
2. Boost your immunity
Ayurveda is most effective when used as preventative medicine. Besides following a balanced diet and lifestyle all year long, seasonal cleanses are one of the most effective ways to prevent disease from developing in the body. It is recommended to cleanse twice a year, around the time of the spring and fall equinoxes. These times of seasonal transition are when our bodies are most susceptible to colds and viruses. Practicing a simple cleanse right at the beginning of this shift will strengthen the body’s natural defenses.
It’s common knowledge that fall is the beginning of flu season. Looking at this through the lens of the doshas, we know that fall is when vata energy peaks. When vata is high, our bodies are more vulnerable to outside invaders. The energy of vata is cold, dry, and windy. In this kind of environment, it is easy for a virus to enter the body. When vata is aggravated, digestion tends to become weakened or irregular, which also makes it harder for the body to defend itself.
A cleanse counteracts everything “vata.” It is nourishing, warm, wet and grounding for our bodies. The act of practicing a cleanse also gets us in a routine, which is highly soothing for vata. When practiced proactively, a cleanse can strengthen your digestion and overall immunity, and lessen your chances of coming down with that fall cold.
3. Relieve digestive discomfort
The basis of an Ayurvedic cleanse is a mono-diet – this means you are eating the same thing for every meal, every day. Ideally, you are also eating at close to the same times every day. This is incredibly soothing for the digestive system, because it knows exactly what to expect. Our digestive system is actually trained by habit and routine, so if we eat the same type of thing around the same time every day, our stomach will start producing the digestive juices to break the food down before we even start eating!
Furthermore, the traditional dish eaten during a cleanse, called kitchari, is easy to digest and helps with regular elimination. Kitchari is warm porridge made from rice, mung beans and vegetables. Although I usually switch up which vegetables I use from day to day or add toppings for variety, it is important to use kitchari as the staple of your cleanse. Specifically, mung beans are considered to be balancing for all three doshas, are lighter and easier to digest than most other beans or legumes, and have a unique ability to draw toxins from the body!
Lastly, think of all the things you aren’t eating during a cleanse. Even if you have a fairly healthy diet, there are probably some aggravating foods or beverages that sneak in from time to time. Whether it’s sugar, alcohol, caffeine, or processed foods, your gut will appreciate the break from having to process these things for a few days. Of course, you never want to go “cold turkey” off a food or substance that your body may be dependent on, which is why a preparation phase is important in any cleanse. More on that in the next point.
4. Reduce cravings
A common reason to do a cleanse is to reduce cravings or help end dependency on certain substances, like sugar. Completely eliminating sugar from the diet can be a wonderful way to break those associations and cravings, and reset your diet. However, if you’re used to eating sugar or sweets every day, it may be a bit of a shock to your system to stop entirely. When cleansing, it’s always a good idea to start with a “preparation phase” where you slowly wean your body off things like sugar, alcohol, caffeine, meat, dairy and wheat.
How long this process is depends on your personal diet and habits, but it doesn’t have to be too long. I’ll usually try to cut these things out for five to seven days before starting my cleanse. If you already have a very healthy diet, with just the occasional sugary treat here and there, you can probably go straight into a cleanse without any unpleasant symptoms.
The active phase of the cleanse is usually between three to seven days. During this time your body will be accustomed to a simple diet with no sugars (even fruit, ideally). You will also be breaking snacking habits, as the goal is to eat only at set mealtimes. Sometimes a few days of this is all it takes to break mental habits and cravings, and you can then transition out of your cleanse into more mindful eating than before you started.
After finishing a cleanse, my body usually feels so good that I’m motivated to keep up a balanced diet and don’t want to return to old habits. Also, after eating nothing but kitchari for five days, it doesn’t take much to tantalize your taste buds. You won’t need to reach for a bowl of ice cream to satisfy your sweet tooth — a crunchy apple will be the best thing you’ve ever tasted!
5. Identify food allergies
A cleanse is one of the most effective ways to identify food allergies or sensitivities. During the cleanse you are cutting out all common allergens and digestive irritants. You are eating a plant-based diet of only vegetables, mung beans, and unprocessed grains. This gives your body a chance to come back to baseline and for you to evaluate your diet.
I suggest noting any health complaints that you are experiencing in your daily life before the cleanse, such as digestive discomfort, constipation or loose bowels, acne, headaches, or congestion. Ideally, these symptoms should improve during the cleanse! After the active cleansing period, you have a chance to slowly reintroduce foods and notice how they make you feel. I recommend reintroducing each food slowly and one at a time – for example, start with dairy for a week, and notice if you have any unpleasant symptoms. If not, try adding something else, like wheat the next week. Take time to listen to your body and craft a diet that works for you.
It’s worth noting that in Ayurveda, we don’t see allergies as a permanent state! Your ability to digest certain foods depends on the strength of your agni (digestive fire), and there are many ways to strengthen this. So if dairy is causing you discomfort right now, don’t despair. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to say goodbye forever. A healthy person with strong agni should be able to digest pretty much everything!
6. Clear your skin
One of the main reasons we cleanse in Ayurveda is to remove ama, or toxins, from the body. You can think of ama as everything your body takes in that it is not able to fully digest. This includes everything from heavy foods to environmental pollutants in the air and water. Over time, these things can create a buildup of toxic ama in the system that can lead to health problems.
Ama often show up in the skin, causing breakouts. Since these toxins interfere with hormones, breakouts related to your cycle are usually an indication of ama! A cleanse is one of the best ways to move ama out of the body. I have found in my own experience and with clients that acne usually clears after doing a few days of cleansing!
7. Sharpen your senses
A fun side effect of cleansing is enhancement of your five senses! As you eat a lighter diet and toxins begin to clear from the body, you may notice that smells are stronger, your taste buds are more attuned to subtle flavors, and colors seem brighter. I always find that my meditations are deeper during and after a cleanse, and I generally feel more present to the simple pleasure of life.
8. Deepen your sleep
If you struggle with sleep issues, a cleanse can be a great way to reset your system. Although the first couple nights you may experience some trouble getting to sleep as your body adjusts to a different diet, by the end you should be sleeping like a baby!
I always encourage clients to get extra sleep during a cleanse if they can – up to ten hours a night if possible! Rest is an important part of the cleansing process. Even if you aren’t doing much physical activity during your cleanse, your body is going through the work of detoxing, and this can make you feel extra tired. Use the cleanse as an excuse to simplify your evenings, go to bed a little earlier, and make sleep a priority.
If you have trouble relaxing, practices such as meditation, yoga nidra, or yin yoga can be incredibly helpful in accessing the “rest and digest” nervous system state. Your body wants to rest while cleansing. If you give in to this desire, you might just find yourself having the best sleep you’ve had in years!
9. Make space in your life
If you’re anything like me, you live a busy life and prioritize “doing” over “being” most days. You have a full schedule and sometimes feel like your to-do list in controlling you rather than the other way around! A cleanse offers a chance to disconnect from our normal routines and make a little more space.
I often hear from clients that one of their favorite things about doing a cleanse is knowing what they are going to eat for every meal! It may seem like a small thing, but even little decisions take up space in our brains, and the more decisions we have to make on a daily basis, the more fatigue we feel. When you are cleansing, you will be eating the same thing for all three meals. Ideally, you will prep your food in the mornings, and not have to think about cooking or buying meals for the rest of the day! This alone can create more space in your day.
I also suggest clearing your evenings of any social engagements while cleansing. The more you can simplify your life during this time, the deeper the benefits will be. Then at the end of your cleanse, you can ask yourself which things are most important to have in your routine, and which things may not be necessary.
10. Awaken your creativity
Cleansing doesn’t just happen on a physical level – it also has an emotional and energetic impact. As you clear toxins, disconnect from old habits, and spend time turning inward, you may find something unexpected bubbling up. I like to use the metaphor of a river that has been dammed up for years. As we clear the buildup of this dam, everything that was stagnant begins to flow. You may find yourself releasing suppressed emotions, returning to forgotten hobbies, or filling a notebook with an overflow of words.
I am reminded of the Martha Graham quote that says in order to access our unique creative expression, we need to “Keep the channel open.” After practicing cleanses for several years, I started to notice that I would get a surge of creative ideas during a cleanse. I now welcome this aspect of cleansing, and make sure to make time for daily journaling and daydreaming during a cleanse!
Ready to take the next step? Click here to download my free guide to getting started with Ayurvedic cleansing! Recipe included!
