Basic Yoga Body Cleaning Practices
[Yoga eCourse Instalment #4]

Are you waking up polluted?

No, I don’t mean hung-over from a heavy night of boozin’. I mean polluted in the sense of toxic crud in places where there wasn’t any when you went to bed. ...

The answer is YES!

You don’t believe me?  Well, what about the little chunks of "sand" in the corner of your eyes in the morning?  Where did that come from? (yeah, I know… the Sandman, right? ;O))

That’s just one little example of how our body eliminates some accumulated toxins at night while we sleep, which is why some early morning body cleaning is needed.

And your eyes aren’t the only place that happens …

Your teeth and gums probably feel pretty slimy too. But it’s your tongue that tells the biggest tale.  It’s coated with a toxic film that you probably never even noticed before.  

Ewe!

Same with your sinuses.  They’re filled with mucus build-up that just needs to go!

So the first order of business …

As soon as you wake up, before doing anything, yoga included, we need to clean away some of that over-night build-up and release of toxins.

In yoga, we’ve got a few basic morning body cleansing practices to do the job … and together they’ll take less than 5 minutes.

Cleaning away the morning toxins is not only easy, but it is a vital part of maintaining a healthy body.

It might be the best five-minute investment of your time all day!

Here’s 3 simple yogic cleansing practices to start your day with:

1. Tongue scraping

• The yogis have a thing called a “tongue scraper,” but you can easily get the same results with a spoon.  
• Take a table spoon, turn it over (concave side down), and scrape firmly along your tongue from the root to the tip.
• Repeat this 3 or 4 times.
  

Try this body cleaning technique once, and I won’t have to convince you about the toxic build up on your tongue every night. You’ll see it for yourself! (Warning: It ain’t pretty!)

2. Eye washing

• Lean forward over the sink, cup your hands and fill them with cool water.
• With your eyes open, gently bathe them several times.
• This will clear away all the toxic residue in and around your eyeballs. It’s also is a great way to awaken your mind and to get rid of that morning “grogginess.”
  

3. Jala Neti

• The nasal wash is an age-old yogic practice, but it’s one that takes a bit of getting used to. Trust me, it’s not as difficult as it may seem, and once you’ve tried it, you’ll be hooked!
• It is best performed with small pot called a neti pot (resembling a teapot, with a long spout. Heck, even a small teapot will do!).  
• Fill the pot with warm water and add a quarter teaspoon of salt. Turn your head to one side, tilt the spout into the upper nostril and let the water pour out through the lower nostril.  
• Straighten your head and gently blow your nose to remove the water.
• Turn your head to the other side and repeat.
  

Do this simple, but amazing body cleaning practice, and you’ll be astounded with the results! 

Here’s a link with a more detailed instruction for the performance of Jala Neti

There you have it!

3 simple little body cleaning practices you can do every morning that will give you one more boost toward a healthy body and lifestyle.

As you are beginning to see, yoga is MUCH MORE than a system of exercises and stretches. In our yoga training at International Yogalayam, we teach students what yoga is all about, and give them all the yogic tools they’ll need to lead a health, happy and harmonious life.

Tomorrow I’m going to let you know how to learn what yoga is really all about … so stay tuned!


Yours in Yoga,

The Basic Yoga Trainer 
– Get Healthy … and Stay Healthy Through Yoga!

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~ Diana Evanson, New South Wales

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