Spring is that fabulous time of year when cherry blossoms paint DC in pink, and new life unfurls itself by way of buds and leaves and grass. Everything feels fresh and new, and we want to feel that way too. After all, why should Mother Earth be the only one to get a facial, right?

“Spring cleaning” is a common phenomenon of the season, but I think it’s partly because the season powerfully awakens in us the desire to detox and start fresh. We want to plant new ideas and watch them grow. Being a little OCD and still traumatized by the show Hoarders, I live a pretty minimal life, but I do love a good scrub down.

It occurred to me that while it’s important to clean out my home, it’s equally important to detox our bodies. What an awesome opportunity to re-calibrate and renew ourselves from the inside-out. And fortunately, few things benefit a good detox like yoga.

While I firmly believe the best detox is from a healthy food source like clean, vegetarian diet and green smoothies (NOT from juice fasts and other crazy diet fads), yoga twists and revolved poses actually create supple, healthy organs and a healthy glow. I put together a sequence of yoga detox poses I enjoy, but any revolved pose that is done with correct alignment and held for a nice, slow count of five will benefit your body tremendously. Your back will also get the benefit of becoming more flexible as well, and if that doesn’t put a spring in your step, eat a Cadberry egg. That will work EVERY TIME.

YOGA DETOX MOVES:

1. Revolved chair: get a tone booty and detoxed body in one move. #winning

2. Revolved chair variation with balance: this amps your move up and really tones up your entire legs. Plus it adds the benefit of balance, something we can never get enough of on and off the mat.

  3. Eka Pada Koundyasana A: you can enter this pose from chair and work your arms and core in this fun arm balance.

  4. Side Crow: this is another arm balance you can enter from chair pose. Full version is balancing on one arm, which is a circus stunt work out, let me tell you. Balancing on two arms still provides awesome detoxing and spinal flexibility.      5. Revolved boat: core work for daaaaaaaaaaaaays. But, when you twist from the spinal axis, it’s also a great detox move.  7. Revolving this pose let’s you reach for the sky and detox at the same time.    8. Revolved downward facing dog: sure, you get the twist in, but it’s also a great stretch for the hamstrings. Runners, bikers, and crossfitters, rejoice! You can losen up those tight hammies!   9. Revolved headstand: this is a more advanced version of a headstand, but it provides all kinds of great spring detox benefits. 

We only have one body, and it’s a good thing to take the time to renew and restore ourselves. One of my closest friends and I are doing an awesome clean eating detox plan this April, and making sure to add lots of yoga twists to our practice. Let’s welcome spring with open hearts and revolved poses! Much love!