From Soil to Soul: Gentle Spring Detox

According to TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) and Ayurveda, spring is the time for renewal, growth, and outward movement. It is a perfect time to mirror nature’s awakening and focus on our own internal renewal. As we are coming from winter months, liver can get sluggish due to heavy winter eating, and that can lead to fatigue, indigestion, and accumulation of toxins, buildup of anger, frustration, or rage. This can further lead to anxiety, stress, overwhelm, and difficulty making decisions.

According to Ayurveda, spring is the season of Kapha, which is based on earth and water. It has heavy, slow, and moist qualities. Imbalance of kapha can cause sluggishness, congestion, water retention, and mental fog. That’s why many people suffer from allergies in the spring season.

Springtime is liver time, and it is a great time to support our liver to detoxify and promote better circulation, feeling light, and a more energetic state. Even though our bodies detox on a daily basis, intentional detox can have many benefits, like increased energy level, improved digestion, clearer skin, and overall enhanced well-being.

Instead of extreme detoxes, ancient healing systems like TCM and Ayurveda believe in seasonal transitions with gentle and supportive practices. There are many ways we can support our detox pathways and stay healthy during different seasons. Below are a few practices you can incorporate into your daily routine.

How can you begin?

• Rise with the sun and align your sleep cycle with the natural rhythm of spring and prioritize 7-9 hours of good quality sleep.

• Hydration is important to flush out toxins through the kidneys and the digestive system. Start your day with warm water. It ignites your digestive system and helps melt away toxins from the gut. Other options for hydration are lemon/lime water, coconut water, herbal teas, fruit, or mint-infused water.

•  Lighten up the diet and eat seasonal and local vegetables and fruits. Have cooked bitter greens like kale, dandelion greens, cruciferous vegetables, beets, and legumes. Improve digestion by adding spices like garlic, onions, turmeric, black pepper, and ginger to your meals.

• Sip on liver-supporting herbal teas like ginger, tulsi, dandelion root, milk thistle, nettle, burdock root, schisandra, triphala, and ccf tea.

• Incorporate gentle movements like walking, cycling, tai chi, yoga, qigong, and stretching to stimulate circulation, digestive, and lymphatic drainage

• Spend time outdoors to connect with the revitalizing energy of spring. Gardening is incredibly therapeutic. Digging soil, planting seeds, and witnessing growth help us connect with nature.

• Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, breathing practices like pranayama, kapalbhati, alternative nose breathing, and journaling to release emotional tension.

• Try dry brushing before a shower. It helps move lymphatic fluid and helps get rid of toxins, improves circulation, and leaves you with an energized body and soft skin.

Start small, picking 1-2 things to try from this list, and then build your way up to practicing more. Let’s ditch the quick fix mentality and support our body in every season. Let’s clear physical and emotional clutter this spring and get in tune with the season of growth, blooming, and fresh starts.

Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. Before starting any new herbal remedy, it is best to consult with an herbalist or your health care provider.

Dandelions grow during spring! Nature knows what we need.