Lately I’ve been writing a lot about spring
cleansing being
that it’s a seasonally appropriate topic. The component of cleansing
that I’d
like to highlight here is the healing crisis. A healing crisis occurs
when
there are more toxins making their way out of the body than the body can
deal
with all at one time. The result is a compilation of adverse symptoms,
the most
common ones being: headaches, body odour, joint and/or muscle aches and
pains
as well as general aches and pains, digestive disturbances such as
diarrhea,
constipation, indigestion, bloating and heartburn, nausea, skin
eruptions including
boils, rashes, acne and hives, fatigue, lack of energy, difficulty
concentrating,
irritability and intensity of emotions.
I’ve always thought it really important to mention
the
possibility of any or all of these symptoms that may or may not
accompany a
cleansing process (though more often than not at least some symptoms
will go along
with cleansing). The reason this is so important is because people often
get
discouraged when embarking upon a cleanse only to come head-to-head with
nasty
symptoms, sometimes right from the get-go. More important than being
aware of
the healing crisis is knowing that, as crappy as it feels in the moment,
it’s
an indicator of progress.
We store toxins primarily in our liver and our fat
cells.
When we cleanse, all of the organs and systems of the body work together
to
clear toxins out from storage via the systems of elimination. The end
result is
a replacement of tissues with healthier, more effective ones. Part of
this
process involves toxins getting dumped into the bloodstream, causing
adverse
symptoms known as ‘cleansing reactions’ or a ‘healing crisis’. Also, be
aware
that a detox will often bring about repeats of former conditions and
their
symptoms. For example, if you formerly got strep throat frequently, when
you
cleanse, you may experience the same symptoms of strep throat from
before.
Healing crises usually occur quite quickly at the
onset of a
cleanse, though sometimes will set-in after 1-3 days of cleansing, and
typically last anywhere from 1-5 days and sometimes more. To help ease
you
through a healing crisis be sure to apply the following tips:
- -
Drink plenty of water! Water is essential to flush
toxins out of the system and moreover, removing toxins also means
removing some
water from the body.
- -
Rest as much as possible and as much as your body
indicates that you need it if you are getting fatigued.
- -
Soak in a hot tub with Epsom salts, which will work to
further remove toxins from the body.
- -
Be aware of the frequency of your bowel movements.
Yucky symptoms of a healing crisis are almost always relieved by having a
good
bowel movement. If your bowels are not moving regularly, try using
supplemental
fibre such as products from RenewLife, or consult an herbal practitioner
(such
as myself) who can recommend herbs to help move the bowels. Also,
consider
pursuing colon hydrotherapy (I can provide recommendations for colon
hydrotherapists within Edmonton).
- -
JOURNAL! Part of toxic upbringing includes thoughts and
emotions stored in our cells over time. When cleansing, a person could
find
themselves feeling unusually angry, grievous, sad, depressed or
restless.
Journaling provides an avenue by which these seemingly unproductive
emotions
can be excavated as well as insight for later review.
- -
Call Prana Holistic to book massage, reflexology,
infrared sauna, emotional freedom technique, flower essences, reiki,
manual
lymphatic drainage, acupuncture or NLP, all of which would be conducive
to
helping you process toxins more quickly and effectively, including
emotions and
self-defeatist thoughts.
As
I wrote in my recent column on spring cleansing: cleansing
reactions are temporary experiences that mean movement towards better
health.
On the other hand, accumulated toxins in the body lead to diseases that
can be
permanent and devastating. With that in consideration, surely some
temporary,
uncomfortable symptoms are worth the improved experience of health that
internal cleansing imparts. Check out the full column at the following
link:
http://www.seemagazine.com/article/city-life/lifestyle/holistic-0318/
If you are
interested in pursuing a cleanse and would like
guidance or are already cleansing and looking for more guidance, please
call me
at Prana Holistic and I will be happy to set up an appointment with you
to
offer help in any way I can.
Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic
