Easy Tips to Purify Body, Mind, Soul & Space

by Andrea Pacini September 15, 2019

Virgo is the sign of purity and rules health and habits, so this is a great time to explore the theme of purification. The concept of a complete detox overhaul can seem daunting, but like every aspect of self-care, purification is a work in progress - not a practice of perfection. If it seems too overwhelming, try easing one of these into your routine and see how it feels in your life. If it feels good and becomes part of your daily habit, you can add another and so forth. 

1) Physical

• September is the time to bring eating habits into balance. If there is one thing I've learned in all of my years of dieting and research - every body is different. I truly believe that there is no one-size-fits all program. What works for my body may not work for yours and vice versa, so I'm very reticent to provide specific nutrition advice. However there is one thing that's pretty universal - refined sugar and processed foods are bad for every body and vegetables and leafy greens are good for pretty much every body. If you're not ready to cut processed foods and refined sugar just yet, try adding 1 cup of baby spinach and 1/2 an avocado to your morning smoothie - you won't taste the difference, but your muscles and brain cells will benefit from the direct burst of nutrients and healthy fat. If this feels fine, you can experiment with adding supplements such as spirulina, hemp powder or chia seeds as well. See if you can add some sort of vegetable or greens to every meal to help boost nutrition levels and support your body's efficiency.
• The week before the changing of seasons is the optimal time to perform some sort of detox or fast to accelerate autophagy and give your digestive system a rest. There are all kinds of options for this - a 3-day raw food diet, a 24-hour liquid fast, a 5 or 7-day whole food detox plan; I love and swear by Nikki Sharp's 5-Day Whole Food Detox and Intermittent Fasting (I have consistently done a daily 17/7 IF schedule since 2005). Do some googling and research options to see if any resonate with you - the health benefits can be incredible as you're giving your systems some much needed rest which allows your body to reset and function more efficiently. Of course, fasting is not for everyone - my husband who is a Type 1 diabetic for instance, cannot safely go that long without eating. Always check with your physician before performing a fast of any kind. 
• If you're going to eat the skin of a fruit or vegetable, a good rule of thumb is to buy organic so that you're not also ingesting the pesticides that have been sprayed on the non-organic produce.
• If you're not ready to give up solid foods or go vegetarian for 5 days, a painless way to increase detoxification is to add a cup of warm lemon water to your morning routine. For additional health benefits, add 1 TB of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, some ginger, cinnamon and turmeric if desired. I struggle with too-high fasted blood sugar and taking 1 TB of ACV before bed consistently drops my sugar by 7-10 points in the morning. Again, check with your physician if you're a diabetic or have issues with low blood sugar.
• Find a physical activity you love to do - dancing, swimming, golf, yoga, fitness classes, spin, weightlifting, kayaking, hiking, running, walking, skipping - whatever movement makes you feel happy, empowered and joyful. This should be something you look forward to doing and shouldn't feel like a chore. A 10-minute walk after dinner is the perfect place to start! You don't have to commit to a full-blown regimen, just try to find 10 minutes a day to move your body.
• Be mindful of how much plastic you're inadvertently consuming - try to switch plastic containers and bottles to glass or stainless steel. Plastic contains chemicals that can disrupt hormones in humans, women especially.
• There is a reason that ancient cultures used sweat lodges, steam and heat to purify and fight illness - it works! I am fortunate to have access to an ozone sauna here at a local spa and I absolutely swear by it. In my personal experience with this particular treatment, I have noticed an improvement in skin appearance and texture, better circulation & digestion, accelerated weight loss and improved sleep. Infrared and traditional saunas are both good options for detox as well.
• As I wrote in my post on water, detox baths are also a very accessible way to help accelerate detoxification and aid with purification of the body.

2) Mental

• What we think is incredibly important as our bodies are constantly resonating with our thoughts. Many of us have a very loud inner critic hovering over our shoulder constantly telling us that we're not good enough, smart enough, good-looking enough, rich enough, worthy enough etc. Purification of the mind means exerting some control over our thoughts so that we can choose the direction of our thoughts rather than be a slave to them. Re-framing is a very useful practice when trying to silence the inner critic. When he or she surfaces with the same old, tired story of lack & lies, try re-framing this thought immediately e.g. "I'm not thin enough" becomes "I'm grateful for my strong, healthy body." "I'm not rich enough" becomes "I'm surrounded by abundance in all forms." Working actively to reprogram our default thought patterns helps our brain form new pathways and beliefs.
• This is also a wonderful time to clean up our speech - maybe we've developed a habit of cussing too much, talking too much or gossiping. All of these behaviors are toxic and can shut down the throat chakra. Being more mindful with our speech can help purify the body, mind and spirit.
• Touching a bit on practices we've discussed previously - cleaning up our environment - be it house, car, desk, social media timelines or phones can create a lightness and mental freedom. Here are some ideas on how to detox digitally. Unfollow accounts or people who make you feel bad about yourself, "less than" or unworthy.

3) Spiritual

• Religion and spirituality are sacred subjects and I believe that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. It can be helpful to take a mental inventory of these beliefs from time to time, examine them and determine if these are indeed your true beliefs or if they have been passed on to you or indoctrinated into you through conditioning. In some cases, what we have been taught and what we truly believe are in genuine alignment and that's great! Sometimes though, we blindly accept beliefs because that's what our family has always done, and in that case, these can actually work against us, depleting our energy and causing spiritual debris, confusion and blockage. Finding clarity in our own personal beliefs and convictions can bring a tremendous amount of peace to our lives.
• Find 5-10 minutes a day to meditate, pray, read a devotional or sit quietly. You can also use sage, frankincense or lavender essential oils to help soothe and calm the mind and promote spiritual connection.

4) Space

• Even the tidiest of homes can collect energetic debris; purifying your space with sage, sweetgrass or Palo Santo can help dissolve any negative, old or heavy energy that has accumulated - more specific directions for smudging your space can be found here. 
• A deep cleaning always goes a long way to clear out old energy and provide a fresh reset. Pay special attention to mirrors and windows too as looking through clean windows can stimulate mental clarity as well. If a deep cleaning seems way too overwhelming, try spending a focused 10 minutes a day editing your space. Taking these few minutes to de-clutter can really add up over a few weeks.

 What are some of your go-to practices to purify yourself or your home?

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