Spring Rejuvenation: A Holistic Guide to Detoxification
Contributor: Saffron & Sage
Photographer: Sarah Shreves
As the Northern Hemisphere transitions to spring, it’s the perfect time to reap the life-giving energy that this rejuvenating season provides. By detoxifying your mind, body, and surroundings, you can better prepare yourself for the rest of the year and cultivate a life of balance and harmony.
Mind
As we navigate through life, we construct barriers in our mind wherein information is immediately subject to a filtering process. We label, categorize, and make associations, but sometimes, this does not accurately reflect reality. By becoming more conscious of this filtering process, you can begin to view your actions and relationships with people from a position of clarity – but how do you get this clarity? For thousands of years, the practice of meditation has enabled people to better understand their mind, achieve serenity, and to let go of negative ruminations that flood the mind.
If you’re new to meditating, there are free meditation apps that allow you to choose from a number of guided meditations for any skill level. Start your day with a simple, 5-minute meditation and work your way up from there until you achieve a level that you’re comfortable with. Meditation can sometimes force you to confront difficult emotions and memories, so it may be helpful to incorporate journaling into your meditation practice. Check out our Pinterest board for some journaling ideas.
Body
There are many benefits of clearing toxins and buildup from the body, but detoxing doesn’t have to mean dieting. Instead of counting calories, think of eating as a conscious act of replenishing and nourishing yourself so that the body’s systems can run together more efficiently. Focus on eating clean and staying away from heavily processed foods.
Foods that are known for their detoxifying properties include grapefruit, lemons, asparagus, salmon, beets, and sweet potatoes. During your detox period, avoid refined white sugar and dairy products, which may be linked to inflammation in the body. Dairy isn’t all bad but better to reduce consumption during the spring season. The key is to consume food that will stimulate digestion and encourage proper elimination, allowing your body to work with you, not against you.
Environment
In addition to your mind and body, a detoxification of your home or surrounding environment can have a significant impact on your well-being. Most households contain hundreds of chemicals, some from cleaning products and others from common household materials. Instead of splurging on an expensive air filtering system, you can bring it back to nature with the addition of house plants.
Scientific studies have demonstrated that indoor plants have the ability to remove common household contaminants, including benzene, toluene, octane, trichloroethylene, and even formaldehyde. Based on an assessment of various plant species, the top 10 plants that are most effective in filtering air include: Areca Palm, Lady Palm, Bamboo Palm, Rubber Plant, Dracaena, English Ivy, Dwarf Date Palm, Ficus, Boston Fern, and Peace Lily. If you’d like to add some subtle fragrance to your home, avoid typical air fresheners that are laden with chemicals, and instead opt for a therapeutic-grade essential oil diffuser or bowls of fragrant herbs.
By incorporating these detoxification practices into your life, you can synchronize your mind, body, and home to the revitalizing benefits that springtime has to offer, setting you up for balanced energy throughout the year.