Illnesses and diseases surround us every day. A normal reaction or tendency is to defend ourselves from the outside. Certainly keeping our bodies clean externally can protect us from these sicknesses. But what if the problem is inside our bodies? Toxin buildup is one of the major causes of hard to cure illness like cancer, liver disease, obesity etc.

Nowadays with the kind of food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and our emotional stresses will no doubt leave and produce toxins in our bodies internally.  Sometimes, it seems like we can’t escape this fact that toxins will exist in our bodies. Our bodies are perfectly engineered to execute it’s natural detoxification processes.  The release and elimination of tears, mucus, sweat, menstrual blood, urine and feces are all ways of natural detoxification. But living in these modern times have complicated our lives that even these natural processes will not function.  Staying in an air-conditioned room all day lessens our chances to sweat. Drinking caffeinated and sugar rich drinks instead of water makes us dehydrated thus making us constipated. Simply sitting in your desk the whole day weakens your muscles and your posture suffers.

Here are the ways yoga can assists in detoxifying all the systems in your body naturally. The effects may not be immediate especially if you don’t keep away from the sources of toxins. Proper diet and a healthy environment are recommended.

Immune, Lymphatic and Respiratory Systems – Yoga helps by increasing your energy level and strengthens your immune system. The lymph nodes get drained off the lymphatic fluid that carries bacteria. See Lymph Yoga Poses  Proper breathing encourages mucus secretion. Ancient yoga techniques like Neti can help clear out passages of the respiratory system.

Circulatory and Nervous Systems – Twisting movements when done with proper breath control will work on your circulatory system.  Twisting done on an exhalation will have a detoxifying effect on the organs as it squeezes out stagnant blood and replaces it with fresh oxygenated blood as you release the twist. Proper circulation will have a direct and positive effect on the nervous system.

Digestive and Urinary Systems – Poses that involves movement and have a massaging effect on the abdominal area can relieve constipation. Proper hydration is vital in detoxification.  Great amount of toxins can be relieved through urine if properly hydrated.

Endocrine and Reproductive Systems – Upside down poses like the plough and shoulder stand that simulates the thyroid gland and the endocrine systems assist with hormonal production . Hormonal balance is needed for a proper menstrual flow.

Muscular and Skeletal System – Building muscles burn fat.  Stored fat is where toxins are usually accumulated. Doing strengthening poses for proper posture ensures that the skeletal system protects all the vital organs inside our bodies.  Improper posture makes the space inside our bodies limited therefore cramping the vital organs. Such condition can lead to more toxin accumulation.

Yoga can be compared to a conductor of a symphony orchestra. It makes it so that all the systems in harmonize with one another. Asanas will support the body by unblocking and stimulating the organs. Pranayama will energize the body by bringing in oxygen and detoxifies by eliminating carbon dioxide.   Yoga will approach your body in a very natural way by making the systems in your body function properly. It is impossible to have a body that is free from toxins. But we can definitely do something so that it doesn’t accumulate.