Cleansing Events

By now some of you on the custom herbal tonics have experienced some form of concentrated release, commonly known as a cleansing reaction, or--my preference--a cleaning event. These can take any number of forms, and some people do not experience them at all. What are they, and what can we do to make ourselves more comfortable if we have one?

First of all, we need to look at what is happening on a cellular level when we begin to take these herbs to regenerate our bodies. The cells that make up our bodies are surrounded with a tiny crystalline membrane called the basement membrane. When it is clean and healthy, the basement membrane acts as a communication antenna that picks up the frequency of our surrounding environment and relays it to the individual cell. Each cell then experiences a direct communication to the environment, and the world.

Most of us do not achieve this level of cleanliness within our cells by accident. If we simply follow the cultural direction in life, we will begin to develop sludge in the is basement membrane, and toxic accumulation in the cells themselves. The causes of this degenerative process are multi-layered and permeate every aspect of our existence. To name just a few:

• Stress--creates a lot of by-products in our system that must be broken down by the liver and filtered from our blood by the kidneys. Any overload on these systems creates a back up of toxicity, which then must be stored in our cells and basement membrane to keep balance in the blood.
• We take in so many toxic substances--from the air in our homes and workplaces filled with chemicals; from our foods, also filled with chemicals and synthetic ingredients.
• Lack of exercise reduces the flow of lymph through our bodies. This results in stagnation and accumulation in the lymph fluid, once again creating a back up of toxic stuff.
• Even the clothing we wear is made from petroleum based chemicals and treated with dyes and chemicals; the body creams, perfumes, soaps, lotions, and shampoos all contain toxic products that are absorbed through our skin every day.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

As our basement membrane becomes congested with toxicity, and our cells accumulate debris, we may not really notice any symptoms at all, or the symptoms may be minimal enough to just chalk up to "getting older". Gradually we will experience a diminished sense of well being and connection to our environment and our world.

When we begin to take adaptogenic herbs, these tonics work on a cellular level to clean out the basement membrane, release toxic accumulation from the cells, restore balance in the eliminative systems and organs, and open blocked and stagnant energy flows in the meridian system. They work gradually to accomplish these goals, sometimes taking several years to restore the body to a state of vibrant health.

As these toxins and congestion are expelled from the cells and basement membrane, they are dumped back into the blood stream to be expelled. If our kidneys, lungs, skin, or colon are working at a reduced capacity--likely dealing with their own version of toxic accumulation--we will experience a back up of major proportions in our blood stream.

This toxicity has to be cleared out to maintain balance in our blood. In this case, the expulsion of this toxic stuff may come through the skin (itchiness, burning, rashes, or breakouts), the lungs (phlegm and inflammation in throat, ears, nose, sinuses), the kidneys (burning with urination, increased urination), and the colon (diarrhea, constipation). In addition, these toxins being more concentrated in the blood, create inflammation and pain in tissues throughout the body. An achiness or flu-like sensation can be the result of these cleansing events.

If you find yourself experiencing a cold, upper respiratory infection, rashes, diarrhea, or any of these signs, and you have been taking herbs to restore health and balance, you are very likely having a cleansing event. Here are some things you can do to make these events pass more quickly, or to make yourself more comfortable as they are passing.

• Take a colonic--or a short series of daily colonics. Enemas might help a little, but I really recommend that people shift from using enemas, which only get water into the very lowest part of the colon, to using a home colonic board. With a colonic, you can use 5 to 10 gallons of water at a time, and get the water all the way through the transverse colon--clearing and removing a huge volume of toxicity from the body in a very short time.
• Reduce the dosage of your tonic or cleansing herbs, or eliminate them, for several days until your body catches up with the elimination process. Be sure to start up again as soon as you notice the symptoms subside.
• Drink extra water to flush toxins out through the kidneys. For assistance to the kidneys and urinary system, drink water with fresh cilantro or parsley juice added, which will help remove congestion from the kidneys.

Though no one wants to experience this kind of cleansing, it is actually a good sign that our bodies are still in a healthy enough state to respond to the herbs and start housecleaning. Usually once we have been through this type of response, our bodies begin to feel better and we reach a state of increased health--greater endurance and energy, weight loss, and an increased attraction to the foods that will actually increase our health and vibrancy. This is the return of a ghigher frequency in the cells and basement membrane, and will impact our lives on many levels, opening a potential that otherwise would not exist. If we continue on this healing path, we will continue to experience choices in life that would not otherwise be available to us. And each of us will attract others, through our resonant frequency, that are seeking the wisdom we gain from walking through our lives with this commitment.