This last article summarizes the cleansing process by offering an example. Picture this: it is early March; the gray of winter is giving way to the green of spring. You sense a movement of shedding and renewal happening gradually, and you would like to go along with it, though you are not sure how or even why.
The first thing to get straight is your intention and actual condition. Your intention, or heart’s desire, may be clouded by overindulgence in physical pleasures, and by stagnancies of body and mind. You feel, as a result, dull in spirit. So, you begin the preliminary work of a cleanse by stopping for a time – breaking from habits of feeding and activity – and placing attention on your thoughts and actions. Instead of coming home from work to a meal, you first take a walk. You note your feet on the pavement, the surrounding environment, and of course yourself: feelings, thoughts, and physical sensations. Ideas on your life’s direction begin to come, take shape, and have a vitality about them. This is the fertile ground for change.
You decide to regulate your life for one week to help clarify and enliven this sense of direction. You will need time and means for physical exercise, home-cooked meals, and rest and reflection. In addition, you consider professional help for a more smooth and effective experience.
Recalling the pivotal role of the liver in cleansing, each thing you do is prefaced by regulation of the breath: deep breathing or other concentrated and vigorous activity, followed by relaxed ‘abdominal’ breathing. This oils the doorway.
Sitting for meals, you favor fresh vegetables – steamed, sautéed, or marinated – especially light and green ones. Along with these may be a simple dish of one whole grain or legume, stewed with spices and good quality oil. You avoid meat, dairy, nuts, and simple sugars, as you know these lead to fullness and hyperactivity. Instead you trust to discover the subtly substantial and tasty quality of fresh whole vegetable food.
You also avoid splitting your attention with TV, newspapers, or work. Instead you take part in idle conversation with family or friends, and give time and space for the guts to churn. This leaves you slightly /wanting/: that essential quality of being that lends itself to contemplation, and naturally to the next activity,/ /and/ /off you go.
In the course of those activities, be they work, play, or hobby, you may naturally come by the movements that promote good cleansing function: regular breathing, mild sweating, and fluid lower body motion. If this isn’t the case, you make time to walk, train, and/or play in a spirited way – again, avoiding the splitting of your attention.
Between meals and activities, you enjoy respite and rejuvenation. A glass of water quenches the thirst, and a splash on the face assures that what was once soiled and spent can be refreshed. A bowl of berries is relished in the afternoon for an uplifting tonic, and a cup of chamomile tea is taken in the evening to wind down. And, at some bend in the day, you stop again, assess your direction, and it becomes more clear to you.
The last days, you gradually ease into a more suitable diet and activity level. Here, rejuvenation takes the main stage. This means more rest and reflection, and a heavier and moister diet, adding back good quality meats, fats, and/or more dense vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts, as appropriate. You may well find that your needs have significantly changed.
And so you end where you began, back to your routine, and yet you also walk into a new world, changed from the inside out.