The transition from summer to fall invites the body to slow down and restore to its natural state of well-being. As temperatures dip lower and lower, preparing your immunity and strength for the cooler months accomplishes the essence of a fall Ayurvedic cleanse.
Nourish and rejuvenate are two words that come to surface reflecting on my experience with Bhava Yoga’s “Autumn Cleanse : A Guided 14-Day Detox” that I completed at the beginning of October.
The cleanse consists of three phases: (1) Detox, (2) Purify, (3) Rejuvenate. The two-week time frame and pacing allows your body to naturally adapt to the detoxification process, all under the watchful eye of Ayurvedic remedies.
Lead by Jenni Frank, certified Ayurveda specialist and Leslie Glenn, self-care and wellness guide, this cleanse is well worth the investment. Even though Bhava Yoga is based in Breckenridge, the cleanse can be completed remotely, so I felt supported undergoing this process from Boulder. The community of fellow “detoxers” on the Facebook group and the constant check-ins from Jenni and Leslie, along with their videos explaining the Ayurvedic remedies and of special yoga classes, made it feel easy to delve into this new offering.
The detailed 63 page booklet organized each day of the cleanse with goals and ideas and lessons. It leads you through journal questions, morning routine steps, and of course, the meals. I loved the nurturing fall recipes!
The second phase was the most concentrated as it involved the kitchari component. This sacred superfood is the ultimate detox companion: delicious, purifying and wholesome. You ease into this phase, so once you arrive, eating kitchari three times a day for seven full days feels far from restrictive. My favorite way to mindfully eat it was by adding sweet potatoes, carrots, cilantro and lime — yum!
But my biggest takeaway from this experience: the morning routine. Mornings are a sacred space, the world quiet before the daylight demands the many tasks we all have. To be in balance with the world around you, establishing a nurturing mourning routine devoted to self-care rituals is a smart path to take, especially during the transition into fall. As a busy college student, sticking to the Ayurvedic morning routine I established — even after the cleanse ended — has kept my mind sharp, my body healthy and my soul in peace.
Mornings are a sacred space, the world quiet before the daylight demands the many tasks we all have.
Beginning at 6 a.m., I turn off my alarm without checking my phone’s notifications (airplane mode works best to avoid this distraction). After a few morning stretches, it’s bathroom time: tongue scraping, nasya (nose oiling), abhyanga (oil massage) and oil pulling.
I scrape my tongue with a tool about six times, removing the white coat on top, stimulating the detoxification process right away. Then I take nasya oil (any nasal lubricant works) and place two drops on my palm. With my pinky, I coat the oil in each nostril and inhale sharply to increase distribution of the product. Lastly, I swish around a tablespoon of coconut oil in my mouth for roughly 10 minutes, being careful not to swallow any of it. Oil pulling is an excellent practice for oral health, “pulling” toxins out of the mouth and moisturizing the gums.
I then exfoliate my skin using a dry brush to activate cell turnover and remove dead skin. The practice calls for stroking upward towards the heart, and using circular motions around the joints. It helps with reducing bloating, smoothing skin and improving kidney function. For abhyanga, or oil massage, I use sesame oil (as Jenni and Leslie recommended) with the same strokes as the exfoliation process. Then as I finish getting ready for the day, I sip on warm water with the juice of half a lemon.
Nourished and rejuvenated!
Interested in learning more or trying this incredible cleanse yourself? Check out Bhava Yoga’s many offerings!
Photos courtesy of Bhava Yoga.
