How To Detox Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

Are you ready to detox your mind, body, and spirit? Are you ready to get a clean start? Do you feel tired all the time, have fuzzy thinking, cannot sleep (wired but still tired), can’t lose weight, and just overall you do not feel like your healthy best self?

Well, it may be time for a “Clean Start” through detoxing your Mind, Body and Spirit!  

What is Detoxing

The word “detox” is typically associated with the physical body, and also with the negative like foods to cut out of your diet or doing a strict juice fast etc.  Typically, it does include eliminating certain foods or activities but now also includes not only the physical but the mental and spiritual as well; as the body is a whole unit and not separated in parts and each part affects the other either positive or negative.

Detoxing can be for a certain period of time, for religious purposes and for health reasons.  Some start for a short period such as a weekend or for a holy period (Lent, Ramadan etc.); others decided to detox for 21 days (which is the time frame to create a new habit when you are introducing a new behavior) and others may do up to 30-90 days.  It varies from individual to individual and so does their intent for the detox.  

Detox Your Mind

Mental health is equally important as physical health and having a direct connection.  According to Mental Health and Physical Health – Mental Health   “Mental health is essential to our overall health.”  When creating a clean start, detoxing your mind is essential as everything first starts as a thought and then an action.  You may want to consider the following during this process:

Time to Relax

• Take a social media and TV break to clear your mind and to focus on your own mental health instead the external overstimulation of constant news (many times negative) and electronic devices.
• Practice eliminating negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations. (ex: instead of saying “I am Stressed”, replace it with “My mind is at Peace and everything will work out for my good”).  This is affirming what you want and not focusing on what you don’t want in your life.
• Practice deep breathing to relieve running mental thoughts through meditating on positive thoughts that center your mind.
• Slow down to find time to be alone each day.
• Write your thoughts in a journal and review after the detox to see if you made progress.
• Create a gratitude journal to write the things you are grateful for each day.

Detox Your Body

Detoxing the body is like doing a spring cleaning of your house.  Your body is your physical house that carries you through life.  If it is not working at full capacity it can create dis-ease and disrupt your daily life.  It is designed to maintain and rejuvenate itself if given the proper nutrients, rest, and environment. 

But unfortunately based on our high-paced lifestyles, most do not provide those proper components on a regular basis, and detoxing gives the body a chance to reset, regenerate and rejuvenate to function at its optimal levels.  Detox Diets – WebMD: Cleansing the Body also discusses the benefits of an occasional detoxing of the body for better health.  The following are recommendations for detoxing the body:

Time to Recharge

• Do intermittent fasting and eat whole balanced foods vs processed foods for a designated time. (Ex:  16/8 rule, eat within an 8-hr. period and fast for 16, or fast on certain foods for several days or every other day or eliminate meats products and eat only fruits/vegetables/whole grains, cut out fast foods, limit sugar intake etc.) 
• Eliminate alcohol and caffeine drinks (ex: coffee, sodas, etc.)
• Drink plenty of pure water to hydrate the body.  Preferably alkaline water that balances your PH from an acid PH which derives from processed foods and meat products.
• Supplement during your fast/detox with herbs/teas that will naturally help to eliminate build up toxins from the body.
• Do deep breathing to clear the respiratory system, particularly outdoors in nature.
• Get plenty of rest and sleep to allow the body to naturally rejuvenate while regenerating during the detox.
• Do dry skin brushing to clear dead skin cells and open pores.

Detox Your Spirit

Our highly technological society we currently live in allows us to be connected every day, all day with no breaks unless we take them for ourselves.  Based on our constant connection, it’s all too easy to consume “spiritual junk food” that doesn’t feed our souls in a positive way. Just like the body, the soul needs the occasional cleanse. That’s when it’s time for a spiritual detox to reconnect within and a higher source greater than ourselves. 

Time to Renew

Only you will know when and how often you will need to detox your spirit.  There are some sure signs that it is time to go within and center yourself.  (Ex: when you are agitated easily, feeling like a victim, frustrated regularly, negative more than positive in your thought, words and actions and others do not want you around due to your negative energy/vibration.   There are ways to detox your spirit along with your mind and body:

• Connect with Nature – to remind you how awesome the universe was created and that you are connected and a part of this vast creation.  Also, regular fresh air and Vitamin D from the sun creates a chemical reaction in your body to lift your spirits.
• Read motivational and spiritual writings on how to improve your life to give you a sense of purpose.
• Make it a priority for alone time and a sacred space for prayer and mediation on the goodness of life.
• Learn new exercises like Yoga, Tai Chi which are activities that connect the mind-body-spirit to create balance in your life.
• Work on a creative project to inspire your (painting, drawing, decorating, writing etc.).
• Continue to foster a child-like playful spirit where you do things that bring you joy and make you smile.
• Surround yourself with people who make you laugh and genuinely make you happy.

Trina

(Disclaimer:  These are recommendations.  Always consult your primary healthcare provider before fasting based on your individual condition)