Spring Cleansing

The Transformational Power of Cleansing & Detoxification

Stroll down the aisles of any health food store and you’ll see them; the bounty of neatly packaged do-it-yourself “Detox” products promising a cleaner colon, re newed energy and a healthier you. I can’t help but get a little uneasy as I survey the sheer of abundance of these products. As a Naturopathic Physician who has taught the art of Cleansing & Detoxification to medical students, patients and the public for years, these ‘detox-in-a-box’ kits seem like a bit of a sacrilege. (Like a souvenir Grand Canyon air freshener hanging from the rear-view mirror of a taxi cab – cute, but hardly a fitting tribute to one of the 7 Wonders of the World.)

Done right, cleansing can be a profoundly powerful event in the physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual life of a person. Traditional healing systems from around the world have recognized that the accumulation of various toxins can cause a host of disorders. It’s a medical fact that if our bodies’ natural detoxification processes completely shut-down we wouldn’t last for more than a few days! What usually falls below the radar of conventional medicine, however, is the understanding that even slightly sub-optimal functioning of these detoxification mechanisms sets the stage for progressive degenerative disease processes to take root and fester. Thus the founders of Naturopathic Medicine held detoxification to be one of the highest levels healing. And many spiritual traditions include detoxification practices as a pre-requisite for their sacred rituals and rights of passage; Cleansing bringing with it a deeper clarity of mind and spirit allowing one to perceive, unfettered, that which it true.

In the early 1900’s Dr. J. H. Tilden, a leading thinker in the Nature-Cure movement – the forerunners to modern day Naturopathy – expounding on cleansing & detoxification in his landmark book “Toxemia Explained”. In it he wrote that all dis-ease, whether physical, mental or emotional results from the build-up of toxins in our system. These toxins can be caused by improper diet, digestion or even destructive thoughts. Done correctly, Tilden wrote, Detoxification is the sure and predictable path back to health and balance for the whole organism.

So how do we detox correctly? The best way is to have a guide who understands the art and science of cleansing and detoxification. The hallmark of a quality detox, is that it includes cleansing on all levels of ones being – not just your colon! As the body & mind rids the organism of toxins a physiological process long compromised begin to function a new; energy an vitality is restored; clarity of thought is renewed and the organism as a whole begins to function at a higher level of homeostasis.

In my “Spring Cleansing” class we teach people how to cleanse correctly in a whole-person way. Students learn what results to expect and how to recognize and manage any unpleasant side-effects. This is not an experience that comes in a box. But still, movements in popular-culture usually contain some kernel of truth and we can look at the popularity of do-it-yourself detox kits as a sign that society is waking up to the need for safe, sane and sensible cleansing as a part of healing or bodies and our lives. Let us just hope that thinking people will look past the marketing ploys and explore the deeper healing power of cleansing & detoxification.

This article was written by Dr. Steven Ehrlich ND, as a patient education resource for The Center For True Harmony Wellness and Medicine. Edited and revised by Sherry VanGoethem, Dr.Christine Brass-Jones OBGYN, and Dr. Denise Quance Grobe N.D. If you have any questions or comments contact the office at (480) 539-6646 or through email at info@trueharmonywellness.com