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Daffodils and crocus flowers mean more than just the addition of color to our landscape.  They’re here to alert us that spring has arrived!  Despite the gray skies and chilly weather, our days have lengthened enough to give the plant life of our region the signal that all systems are GO!

Shed the heaviness of winter time by taking advantage of this early burst of nature’s energy with spring cleaning.  Eliminating the excess from our lives and cleaning out the nooks and crannies of the external, and internal environment is a great way to brighten up your life.

Initially, through house cleaning we may discover long lost treasures that are actually useful and prevent us from needing to purchase new items.  Perhaps they may even inspire some creativity, rearranging items to make something new again.  Secondly, donations to the local Goodwill can help keep things out of landfills and allow others to purchase perfectly functional items at a reduced cost.  And always, eliminating the excess from our homes can provide a refreshing feeling of accomplishment and renewal.

Now, it’s time to look inside our bodies and consider what may be accumulating there.  Arsenic, bisphenol A, perchlorate, flouride, lead, flame retardants, mercury, phthalates, and many other dirty words can adequately describe what we carry around with us in our daily travels.  These substances are all found to cause severe health effects; reproductive disorders, thyroid disorders, mental health imbalances, immune dysfunction, cancers and many other problems.  Unfortunately, most of these substances bio-accumulate, pass on to our children and are not easily eliminated by the body.  Additionally, their presence is vast, extending far into regions where the benefits of the industrialized world have not yet reached.  Please visit the Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/) for more information on toxicity in our world, homes and bodies and to learn about simple changes you can make to improve the health of future generations.

So what are we to do, living amongst the worlds richest in both resources and toxic plastic junk?  Perhaps looking to our ancestors can assist us in our present quandry.  For many northern latitude people, springtime was a lean time of year.  The food stock of the previous year has come to an end and the earth is not yet providing much nourishment.  Thus, an ideal time to fast or go without as the body engages in its own deep cleaning.  Springtime has been a time to fast for various religious purposes as well.  Refraining from consumption can connect us to the past, to acknowledge the sacrifices of those that came before us as well as provide a new appreciation for our abundance.

This spring, allow yourself time to clean house and consider utilizing cleansing methods for your internal health as well.  Cleanse programs are widely variable but in general, should work to increase your elimination and reduce your consumption.  Any product based cleanse system may just be adding more substances for the body to have to deal with.  However, ceasing consumption altogether, as in a water-only fast may be too extreme for some individuals.  Finding the right balance to support yourself through the daily life that will likely continue, while increasing elimination is the goal for a beneficial spring-cleaning program.

For more information and guidance through an individually designed spring cleanse, I am here to help!  I have been guiding individual and group cleanse programs for many seasons and greatly enjoy this opportunity to help people discover how routine changes can make a big impact in their health.  I will be offering 2 group cleanse opportunities this April and May at Kwan Yin Healing Arts as well as individual programs at your convenience.  Visit the “appointments” page for contact info or visit my Clinic at – http://www.kwanyinhealingarts.com/.