Teaching Yoga for Detoxification

By Kimaya Singh

When I was attending Yoga teacher training, one student wanted to understand where toxins come from. In the physical sense, we are surrounded by toxins. If you go for a healthy walk, you are sure to inhale a variety of toxins from the exhaust fumes of cars that drive by. You can grow the best organic food, but the rain that fed the plants may have toxins that should be filtered before you consume it. Additionally, it has been stated that rain water is less polluted than well water.

Detoxing the body can involve purging everything from drugs and alcohol to sugars and fats. When you detoxify the body, you’re giving yourself a fresh start with a body that is clear of unhealthy items that contribute to problems within the body. Detoxification can also involve cleansing the mind of unhealthy thoughts or beliefs that cause a body to be stressed or a person to make poor choices. Yoga training is an effective tool to use during detoxification because it promotes calm in the mind and adds a new focus on your body.

Yoga Poses for Detoxification

Part of the detoxification process involves pushing toxins out of the body through the circulatory, digestive and lymphatic systems. Yoga poses encourage all of these systems to work to the best of their abilities. Asanas that lengthen the spine give organs plenty of space within the body to do their jobs. Postures that involve twisting will crunch and squeeze toxins out of the body, and resting poses encourage relaxation and inner peace. Specific asanas that are helpful to detoxify the body include forward bends, downward dog, bow pose, the warrior series, seated twists, child’s pose, lunge with a twist and supine twists.

Pranayama Techniques

Pranayama (Yogic breathing) is an important factor in keeping the circulatory system flowing with fresh blood to all of the body’s organs. As new blood continues to flow, toxins within the body are flushed out. When breathing is shallow and quick, it’s not doing the body justice. By fully inflating the lungs, it allows your diaphragm to fill up with fresh oxygen, which gets delivered to the rest of the body. Deep breathing has wonderful affects on the entire body and plays an important role in detoxification. Slowly pull your breath in through the nose, filling up the abdomen and chest until they expand. Slowly let the breath out through your nose by emptying the chest first, then the belly. To be more enlightened about Teaching Yoga for Detoxification visit www.yoga-teacher-training.org.