Can Yoga teacher training prepare you for the temptations in life? Especially during the busy holiday season, it’s easy to pick up a cookie or grab a glass of eggnog without even thinking about it. Amidst the hustle and bustle, we forget to practice the habits we use during the rest of the year. When it’s all over, or before, we can restore a little balance and eliminate stress with a regular Yoga training session. Asanas, deep breathing and meditation all contribute to clean mind and body.
How Yoga Cleanses the Body
• Three major systems remove waste and toxins from the body: circulatory, lymphatic and digestive.
• The circulatory system pumps blood, supplies oxygen and gets rid of waste products.
• The lymphatic system carries fluid to the spleen where it is cleansed and returned to the bloodstream.
• The digestive system handles food by separating nutrients from waste and processing both appropriately.
When the body is working properly, it needs little help, but stress and unhealthy habits wreak havoc on its organs and nervous system. To fight illnesses and ward off foreign invaders, a healthy immune system is a must. When toxins and stagnant lymph linger in the body, inflammation increases, and disease develops.
How Yoga Affects the Immune System
• Uses poses targeted toward every aspect of the body to release toxins like carbon dioxide and lactic acid
• Encourages deep breathing techniques that supplies oxygen to the bloodstream, aids in digestion and removes toxins
• Rids the mind of negative thought patterns and creates awareness
Poses that Detoxify the Body
• Twists
• Forward Bends
• Inversions
Ten Foods that Remove Toxins
• Lemon water
• Watercress
• Dark, leafy greens
• Beets
• Dandelions
• Flaxseed
• Apples
• Turmeric
• Artichoke
• Cabbage
Commercial products designed to remove toxins from the body often target consumers who want to lose weight quickly, and experts question their efficacy, if not their safety. Instead of using extreme measures, nutritionists recommend eating a well-balanced diet of non-processed foods with few artificial ingredients.
An even better idea is eating a wholesome diet, living a clean lifestyle, and maintaining a consistent Yoga practice. While specific poses target individual systems, an overall routine keeps lymph flowing and decreases the desire for unhealthy foods and habits.