Considering a Detox?
Hi and welcome! I’m Evangeline—mom, Registered Massage Therapist, Yoga teacher, and lover of all things health and wellness. I started this blog back in the early days of Covid19 as a way to stay in touch with my clients, and it’s grown into a space to share what I love most. Here you’ll find simple, nourishing recipes I make for my family, sprinkled with Ayurveda and Yoga wisdom. My hope is that these posts inspire you to care for yourself in small, joyful ways and feel a little more balanced in everyday life.
I first published this blog back in spring 2021. I thought it’s worth repeating as it is that time of year when the body naturally starts to get rid of accumulation from the winter season. Ensure you know what you’re doing if you plan on doing a detox, and so I hope this write up will help.
Have you ever noticed that most physicians do not recommend detox programs? From a biomedical standpoint, the body already has highly efficient detoxification systems—the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, and digestive tract all play a role in filtering and eliminating waste. Conventional medicine often raises concerns that popular detox methods can be unregulated, nutritionally inadequate, or even harmful when they place undue stress on the body.
Yet research shows that lifestyle choices—including the quality of our food, sleep, and stress levels—directly impact how effectively these systems function. For example, studies on nutrition and brain health demonstrate that wholesome, nutrient-rich diets support the prefrontal cortex—the area of the brain responsible for higher-level thinking, decision-making, and emotional regulation. Conversely, a poor diet, along with alcohol, drugs, and late nights, can impair liver detox pathways, leading to systemic inflammation and reduced cognitive resilience.
Rethinking Detox: An Ayurvedic Perspective
Ayurveda offers a different perspective. In the classical texts—and in SVA (Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda)—cleansing is never about shocking the system or forcing elimination. Instead, it is viewed as a carefully timed, seasonal process that works with the body’s innate intelligence. When done gently and appropriately, detox can support digestion (agni), strengthen immunity (ojas), and clear the physical and vibration channels (shrotas and nadis), restoring health and clarity to both body and mind.
In this blog, we’ll explore why a safe, balanced approach to cleansing matters, what factors should be considered before beginning a detox, and how Ayurveda lays out three timeless principles for renewal:
Shodhana – cleansing and release
Shamana – restoring balance
Rasayana – rejuvenation
In the process of detox, nourishment is key, ensuring the diet is clean and wholesome. This is always the place to start, a good clean diet, whether you will put forth effort in doing a detox. Rather than extremes, Ayurvedic detox focuses on sustainability—building a foundation for lasting health and resilience.
Things to Consider Before Detoxing
Before beginning any cleanse, it’s important to make sure your body and mind are prepared. In Ayurveda, detoxification is most effective—and safest—when it’s aligned with your current state of health.
Key Factors to Assess:
Age & Current Health: Your stage of life and existing conditions influence how your body responds to cleansing.
Digestive Strength: Strong and regular digestion is essential before detox; otherwise, toxins may not be released properly.
Open Channels: Ensure your body’s elimination pathways are functioning smoothly so toxins have a clear exit route.
Liver Health: Never detox if the liver is overheated. Instead, focus first on cooling the liver.
Mental & Emotional Readiness: Detoxing requires balance and stability in the mind and emotions, not just the body.
Common Causes of an Overheated Liver
If the liver is overheated, detoxing can be harmful. First, restore balance by cooling and strengthening the liver. Common causes of overheating include:
Frequent use of drugs, alcohol, or pharmaceuticals
A history of take-out or processed foods
Cooking with highly refined vegetable oils
Too many synthetic or oil-based supplements
Staying up late disrupting the body’s natural rhythms
⚠️ Detoxification is not recommended for:
Children
Pregnant women
Lactating mothers
Signs of spring. Wild daffodils in North Yorkshire.
Do I Really Need to Detox?
Every day, your body eliminates waste through the bowels, urinary system, skin, and even your breath. These are your body’s natural detox pathways. Ideally, this process is enough to keep us healthy.
So why are chronic illnesses and strange, modern-sounding diseases becoming more common—even with advances in science? According to Ayurveda, it comes down to this: our detox channels and organs (like the liver and kidneys) may be too weak, overheated, or clogged to function properly.
When toxins accumulate, they interfere with natural processes, causing imbalance and disease. My Ayurvedic teacher, Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, emphasized that we must care for not only the physical channels but also the vibrational channels (which carry prana). When these channels get blocked year after year, symptoms build up quietly—until they finally appear as a diagnosis.
Spring and fall are Ayurveda’s recommended seasons for cleansing. These transitional times of year support the body in releasing toxins naturally. Winter and summer, however, are not considered ideal for detox unless under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
How Toxins Accumulate
In Ayurveda, toxins can lodge in the tissues (dhatus) and create disease depending on where they settle:
Blood – hives, rashes
Muscle – chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia
Fat – high cholesterol, unexplained weight gain
Bone – osteoporosis
Bone marrow – multiple sclerosis, autoimmunity
Reproductive tissue – infertility
These accumulations disrupt the body’s intelligence and create blockages that interfere with health and vitality.
Why Detox?
Detoxification clears toxins, supports the natural flow of nutrients and prana, and restores balance.
In spring, the body begins to “open up” as the channels naturally thaw from the winter cold. This is when the body is most prepared to eliminate toxic buildup. In fall, the body receives similar support for detoxification before settling into the winter months.
Seasonal foods like asparagus, daikon radish, root vegetables, okra, and barley, along with the use of fresh herbs, spices, and a proper daily routine, strengthen the body’s detox process.
Understanding the Channels
Ayurveda recognizes two types of channels:
Shrotas (physical channels): pathways for food, fluids, nutrients, and waste.
Nadis (vibrational channels): subtle channels that carry prana. These are affected not only by thoughts and emotions but also by modern exposures like WiFi, EMFs, and radiation.
Both must be cared for during detox to prevent harm.
Nourishment & Preparation is Essential
In Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda (SVA), detox is always paired with nourishment. As toxins are released, the empty space they leave must be filled with nutrients—not more toxins. This means eating clean, chemical-free foods, using toxin-free personal care products, and maintaining a supportive lifestyle.
Vaidya Mishra taught that safe detox requires preparation:
Are the organs, especially the liver and kidneys, strong enough?
Are the channels lubricated to handle acidic toxins?
Do we know which toxins we’re dealing with—physical or vibrational?
Skipping these steps is why many modern detoxes backfire, leaving people with worse symptoms.
The Four Toxins
Traditional Ayurveda, as taught by Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda recognizes four main toxins that impact health, :
Ama – sticky, undigested food residue that clogs channels.
Ama-visha – fermented, acidic ama that becomes poisonous if not cleared.
Gar-visha – external toxins like pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals, and preservatives.
Indra-vajra-abhijanya-visha – vibrational toxins from radiation, WiFi, EMFs, and other modern exposures.
👉 Ama and ama-visha are generated inside the body. Gar-visha and indra-vajra-abhijanya-visha come from the environment.
Each type requires a different approach, and a safe detox must consider the toxin type, the body’s readiness, and the proper elimination pathways.
Signs of Toxicity
Ama: white tongue coating, nausea, constipation/diarrhea, heaviness, fatigue, mild headaches, puffiness.
Ama-visha: chronic swelling, joint pain, migraines, rashes, sleep issues, autoimmune tendencies.
Gar-visha: concentration problems, chronic fevers, heart palpitations, neurological issues.
Indra-vajra-abhijanya-visha: tingling skin, unexplained fatigue, prana disruption affecting any of the seven tissues.
SV Ayurveda Approach to Detox
Unlike extreme detoxes, SVA Ayurveda takes a gentle, step-by-step approach:
Prepare the channels and organs (especially the liver).
Identify the type of toxins present.
Use the right methods for water-soluble, fat-soluble, and vibrational toxins.
Support with diet, routine, and lifestyle practices.
This way, detoxification strengthens rather than weakens you, leaving you more balanced, clear, and energized.
Safe & Effective Detox
If you have a medical condition—or if it’s your first detox—work with an experienced practitioner to ensure safety.
Every spring and fall, nature offers us an opportunity to realign, release toxins, and rebuild. By combining clean diet, proper routine, mindful practices, and guided detox, we can support our physiology in doing what it is designed to do—keep us healthy, resilient, and full of vitality.
Spring and autumn are the seasons for gentle renewal. Align with nature, listen to your body, and give yourself the gift of safe, nourishing detox.
If you are looking into doing a seasonal cleanse and not sure where and how to begin, join me and the SV Ayurveda crew for our SV Ayurveda Home Detox Course where we shift gears and rediscover our best self while doing a trusted, effective home detox together.
More information: Email or call the Prana Center—info@prana-center.com, (818) 709-1005 or Register for the next SV Ayurveda Home Detox Course .
References
Vaidya R. K. Mishra- Notes from Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda Courses, Practicum, Conferences and Lectures 2003-2015
Vaidya R. K. Mishra- “DIY Spring Home Detox”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5frLsRw6uW8
Marianne Teitelbaum, D. C. -https://drmteitelbaum.com/online-classes/
Marianne Teitelbaum, D.C.- “Healing the Thyroid with Ayurveda”, 2019
