Our bodies are naturally formulated to eliminate waste and toxins. When we exercise regularly and consume a healthy-balanced diet, our digestive, circulatory and lymphatic systems collaborate to eliminate pollutants.
If you feel bloated, heavy, and lethargic, you might need to cleanse your body. Yoga is a great form of exercise to help detox and return your body to a healthy state.
More: Yoga Detox: A Flow to Cleanse Your Body
How Our Body Naturally Sheds Toxins
There are three main components of how our body naturally sheds toxins:
1. Digestive System
The digestive system processes our food; ideally storing the nutrients needed while shedding waste and toxins.
2. Circulatory System
This pumps blood from the heart throughout the body delivering oxygen to the cells and removing waste from the cells.
More: Why Every Athlete Should Practice Yoga
3. Lymphatic System
Lymphatic fluid serves to transport harmful matter to the lymph nodes where bacteria can be removed prior to returning to the bloodstream. Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic flow has no pump and relies on exercise or massage to operate optimally.
Yoga Postures to Help Detox
There are three main types of yoga postures that are excellent for detoxification. First, twists squeeze and stimulate the abdominal and digestive organs, thereby rinsing toxins from the body. Next, forward bends actively compress the digestive organs, speeding up elimination. Third, inversions help drain fluids from the feet and legs back toward the heart.
More: Strength Train With Yoga
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