Why do a Spring Detox?

Published by Annie Barrett: 
March 29, 2022

Are you in need of a few weeks of self-care and a gentle detox?

Let's face it: life has been hard. These past two years have been a struggle for many and the challenges continue.

A seasonal detox is an opportunity to release stress, toxins, and ways of living that don't serve you and to embrace a kinder, better way of living. A detox sets you up for better self-care, a healthier seasonal diet, joyful movement, and good quality rest.

Ayurveda, the health tradition from India and the sister science of Yoga, recommends doing a gentle detox each spring and fall.

You may strive to eat a healthy diet, get exercise, and practice self-care, but nobody is perfect. During the pandemic, you may have let some of your wellbeing habits slip. Because this is the case, a seasonal detox is a wonderful opportunity to reset your course toward higher health and get into a place of better integrity with your body and mind.

A seasonal detox is an opportunity to reset your body and your mind for health and well-being for greater health and immunity for the upcoming season.

A seasonal detox will help you:

  • Clear toxins from your mind and body.
  • Lighten up.
  • Calm and soothe your nervous system.
  • Improve your digestion.
  • Improve your sleep.
  • Bolster your immune system.
  • Rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit.
  • Set you on a course for healthier aging

Rid your body and mind of toxins .

Ama is a term from the Ayurvedic tradition that refers to undigested gunk that accumulates in the body and mind. These include physical and environmental toxins that might accumulate in our body from processed foods, poor quality foods, pesticides, environmental pollutants, and chemicals as well as mental and emotional toxins that might accumulate in our body and mind from over-busy schedules, stress, challenging relationships, and even too much media. It's pretty hard to live a toxin-free, stress-free life, and that's why Ayurveda recommends detoxing twice a year.

Ama or toxins show up in a variety of ways.

  • Toxins can show up in the body as creaky or inflamed joints, sluggishness, congestion, fuzzy thinking, poor memory, heaviness, weight gain or weight loss, lethargy, bloating, poor digestion, or unhealthy cravings.
  • Toxins can show up in the mind as depression, worry, distraction, anxiety, or a feeling of dissatisfaction.
  • Ama can show up in our behavior as emotional eating, drinking too much alcohol, drinking too much caffeine, numbing out with technology, over-spending, and getting insufficient sleep.


Taking time twice a year to reset and renew ourselves clears the ama from our systems and keeps us from living on automatic pilot, being over-busy, and perpetuating patterns and habits that aren’t in our best interest.

Hit the pause button and reset your course. A seasonal detox is a time to..

  • Slow down.
  • Clear your space.
  • Focus on yourself.
  • Get more rest.
  • Eat more simply.
  • Be reflective


If you've never detoxed before, let me assure you that it's not as hard as you may think!

I recommend a simple, gentle detox is based on healthy, whole food, plant based foods. There is no need to buy any fancy supplements or ingredients. The focus is on incorporating into your diet healthy, fresh, seasonal foods that are naturally detoxifying. A seasonal detox is also an opportunity for resetting your daily habits to support your wellbeing. In this program, you'll receive support and resources for starting a better exercise or yoga routine, improving your self-care, and getting better sleep.

What's involved?

When you detox, you simplify your calendar so that you put yourself first for a few weeks. During this time, you hone in on your diet, self-care, sleep and movement. You commit to eating simple, healthy, whole foods. You add in more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and reduce or eliminate foods that can cause problems for your body such as processed foods, refined carbs, sugars, red meat, alcohol and caffeine. You commit to strengthening your Circadian rhythm by getting regular exercise, spending time outdoors, prioritizing sleep, avoiding late night device use, and generally becoming more mindful of your daily habits.

A detox not rocket science.

A detox at its core is a return to healthy living. That sounds simple enough. And, conceptually it is simple. You could go it alone and be successful. But, humans are social creatures and we evolve faster in a group than we do on our own which is why detoxing with a guide and a community could make one's detox more successful.

If you are interested in joining my Spring Detox, I'd be happy to be your guide and invite you into a community of folks seeking higher health. Find the details here.


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