Yoga For Detox
Yoga is a great practice for detox and cleansing the body. As you engage in certain yoga poses (especially twists), it enables the internal organs to massage, the blood to flow properly and for all the toxins to be flushed away. The following article will share 5 simple yoga poses that can help with detox. Stay in each pose for 10-15 deep breaths, enabling the body to experience the full benefits of each pose. It is recommended to drink plenty of water afterwards, to further flush out any toxins.
Seated Spinal Twist
How to Get into Pose:
- Start in a seated position with your legs extending out
- Bring your left leg over your right, so that the left ankle aligns with the right knee
- Keep your back straight, take a deep inhale and bring your right arm up, and your left arm behind you for extra support
- On your exhale, hook your right elbow to your knee and bring your gaze over your right shoulder
- Relax the shoulders down and away from the ears and keep bringing your chin over towards the left shoulder
- On your inhale, lengthen through your back and on your exhale, twist a little further.
- Stay here for 10-15 deep breaths and switch sides.
Modifications:
- Place a block or a bolster under your hips for extra elevation
- Do not cross your knees, instead keep your legs beside each other with one straight leg and one bent knee.
- Place a block behind you and rest your supporting hand on top for extra elevation if needed
Benefits of this Pose:
- Massages internal organs
- Relieves lower back pain
- Tones the belly
- Detoxifies the organs
- Promotes good digestion and spinal mobility
Twisting Lunge
How to Get into this Pose:
- Start in a table top position
- Bring your left foot forward into a low lunge, ensuring that the hips are facing forward
- Take a deep inhale and bring the arms up towards the ceiling to a high lunge or crescent lunge position. Keep your front knee at a 90 degree angle and your back heel above your toes.
- Bring your hands to your heart center. Inhale lengthen through your back, and on your exhale, hook your right elbow on your left knee and twist.
- Keep gazing towards the back, engage your core and relax the shoulders away from the ears.
- Stay in this pose for 10-15 deep breaths through the nose, return back to center and do the same thing on the opposite side.
Modifications:
- Keep your back knee on the floor instead of elevating it
- Place a bolster or blanket under your knee if you experience pain in the knee
Benefits of this pose:
- Stretches and tones the legs, hips and buttocks.
- Opens the chest and shoulders
- Massages inner organs and promote better digestion
- Increases energy and confidence
- Helps with detoxing and cleansing the body
Eagle Pose
How to Get into this pose:
- Start in mountain pose, with your legs hip distance apart.
- Take a deep inhale and bring your arms up. On your exhale, bring your right arm under your left arm. Interlace your fingers if you can.
- Keep your hips facing forward. Take another deep inhale, lengthen and on your exhale, bend your knees, bringing your right leg over your left.
- Squeeze the thighs together, engage your core and tighten your arms. If you can tuck your right foot behind your left, go ahead and do so.
- Keep your gaze forward on a drishti (one specific point of focus).
- Relax the shoulders away from the ears. Stay in this pose for 10-15 deep breaths through the nose.
- To come out, release your legs down first followed by your arms. Repeat the same steps on the opposite side.
Modifications:
- If you can’t link your arms, simply reach for your opposite shoulders.
- Cross your legs, but keep both feet on the ground if your balance is off and if you can’t tuck your foot behind your ankle.
Benefits of this Pose:
- Strengthens the legs, ankles, arms and knees
- Opens shoulder joints
- Promotes better digestion
- Massages internal organs and helps with detoxification
- Improves balance and focus
Revolved Head to Knee Pose
How to Get into this Pose:
- Begin in a comfortable seated position.
- Extend your right leg out, making sure the toes are facing up towards the ceiling.
- Bring your right arm on the inside of your right leg. Take a deep inhale and reach your left arm up and over towards the right toes.
- Keep your shoulders relaxing down and away from the ears, your chest revolving forward and your gaze is facing up.
- Keep both of your hips grounding into the mat.
- Stay here for 10-15 breaths and slowly roll yourself back to center. Repeat the same thing on the opposite side.
Modifications:
- Place a block, bolster or rolled up blanket under your hips for extra elevation
- Rest your arm on a block instead of the floor if you are unable to bring your forearm to the ground
- Keep your lifted hand elevated if you cannot reach for your toes. Friendly reminder that it doesn’t matter how far your reach, as long as YOU feel the stretch. No judgement- just you, your breath and your practice.
Benefits of this Pose:
- Provides a spinal twist and massages internal digestive organs
- Relieves anxiety, fatigue and can aid in reducing mild depression
- Helps with detoxification
- Can help with headaches
Supine Twist
How to Get into Pose:
- Start on your back.
- Bend your left knee towards the chest, interlace your fingers around it and bring the knee closer to your chest.
- Take a deep inhale, and use your right arm to guide your knee down towards the right side.
- Keep both of your shoulder blades on the mat and bring your gaze over your left.
- Stay here for 10-15 deep breaths and slowly return back to center and repeat the same steps on the opposite side.
Benefits of this Pose:
- Stretches the back, hip and glute muscles
- Lengthens and stretches the spine
- Massages internal muscles and promotes better digestion and detoxification
To Conclude…
Yoga can be a great tool for detox. It is recommended to engage in these poses on a regular basis to promote better digestion and to cleanse and detox the body. If you are interested to learn more about indigestion and which poses can help with bloating, be sure to check out our Yoga for Indigestion and Bloating article.
For a free guided yoga practice for indigestion and bloating (which can also help with detox), check out the link below:
Hope you found this article helpful!
Yana Thompson