So, you’re ready to do an Ayurvedic cleanse? Perhaps you’re looking to detox between seasons, release emotional blockages, or embark on a fresh start. Whatever the reason, an Ayurvedic cleanse can be very nourishing for the body. However, you may not have time or access to the traditional 30-40 day panchakarma — no problem. Here, we will share a starter guide on how to do a 7-day Ayurvedic cleanse at home for total rejuvenation.
A traditional Ayurvedic cleanse has three phases: preparation, active cleanse, and rejuvenation. The timing of each may be adjusted depending on the length of the cleanse. For this 7-day Ayurvedic cleanse at home, you will start with two days of preparation, three days of active cleansing, and two days of rejuvenation.
Days 1 and 2: Preparation
The first phase of the cleanse is the preparation. The intention during this phase is to prepare your body for the work ahead. You will focus on a clean, easy-to-digest diet, and proper hydration to draw toxins distributed throughout the body to the digestive tract to eliminate during phase two of the cleanse. A clean diet is considered one that leaves minimal gut residue or ama accumulation. It is ideal to consume well-spiced, warm meals made from whole foods (like soups, steamed vegetables, and simple grains) and try to avoid snacking to give your digestion a rest. Steer clear of:
- Dairy
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Processed, packaged, or manufactured foods
- Fried foods
- Sugar and refined carbohydrates
It’s also important to hydrate well to ensure your lymph fluid optimally thins so it can easily travel to and then exit from the digestive tract. Make sure you only drink warm liquids, and sipping on ginger tea during this period further supports healthy digestion.
What you could eat is a simple diet of warm spiced grains with ghee for breakfast, followed by a vegetable soup, mild curry, or a warm quinoa and veggie mixture for lunch and dinner.
The preparation phase is also a critical time to slow down and reduce stress factors in your life. Try and limit your use of screen time and make sure you stretch your body and get out in nature as much as possible. Journaling can be a useful support system, allowing you to express yourself and relieve your mind of worries by getting them on to a page.
Days 3-5: Active Cleanse
After preparing your body and mind with a clean diet and stress reduction, it is time to move into the second phase: the active cleanse. The active cleanse is a time for deep release where your body works on eliminating the toxins from the body. At this point, your digestive fire and gut is prepped and ready for a toxin-eliminating mono-diet cleanse.
Consume Kitchari or Easy-to-Digest Foods
Kitchari is traditionally used in an Ayurvedic cleanse because, according to Ayurveda, it is easy to digest. And when our body can simplify the main action of digesting food, it can then focus on cleaning up other areas of the body and eliminating toxic build-up.
Kitchari is a classic Indian dish prepared with sona masoori or basmati rice, split mung dahl, ghee, and spices. This cleanse requires you to eat kitchari for all three meals during the day. Note: If you can’t tolerate kitchari due to SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) or other digestive issues, you can consume peya or congeee as an alternative by choosing a vegetable that is in season and only eating that steamed with a little ghee on top.
Add Ghee
In addition to a mono diet of kitchari, oleation is an excellent way to encourage more cleansing. Oleation is the process of ingesting healthy oils, mainly ghee (or better yet, Ghruta ghee). The benefit of consuming Ghruta ghee during a cleanse is that it increases rasa (bodily juices) and penetrates the body's tissues to loosen, dislodge, and drain ama into the gastrointestinal tract for elimination. Ghruta also deeply nourishes the tissues.
How to add ghee to your Ayurvedic cleanse: Take 1 to 2 tsp of Ghruta ghee, followed by warm water in the morning on an empty stomach. Do this several days before the cleanse and each day during the cleanse itself.
Incorporate Ayurvedic Products for Detoxification
Consider using an herbal Digestion product that aims to improve gut health for proper food assimilation and metabolism. In addition, a Salt Tea can help the body bind and draw toxins out.
Support Your Detox Pathways
To aid the success of your cleanse, it's important to support your body's natural detoxification processes and pathways as much as possible. This will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your cleanse.
There are a few ways you can do this:
- Hydrate to help flush and remove toxins from the body. A great way to hydrate and support detoxification is to drink warm lime or lemon water in the morning and herbal tea throughout the day, like tulsi tea, ginger tea, and CCF tea.
- Eliminate daily by drinking sufficient fluids and taking the herbal remedy, triphala, as advised by an Ayurvedic practitioner.
- Massage with oil to loosen deeply embedded impurities, allowing them to flow into the digestive tract for elimination.
- Sweat to help detoxify the system on a deeper level. The best methods to do this are either by taking a ginger bath, sauna, or steam.
- Oil pull by gently swishing oil in the mouth for 5 minutes (and then spitting out) helps pull out deeply embedded ama and toxins from our mouths.
- Neti pot helps clear the nasal passageways, further cleansing the body’s entrance channel.
- Nasya works to lubricate inside the nasal passageways by placing three drops of oil in each nostril. This practice offers nourishment to the mind for clear thinking.
- Dry brushing is a powerful way to move stagnant lymph in the body. Find a stiff-bristled brush and brush towards your heart to encourage the lymph to enter your system to be eliminated through the digestive tract.
- Asana increases circulation throughout the body. Try to integrate more twists and compressions into your yoga practice to stimulate blood and oxygen flow in the digestive system to flush out toxins. Too much exercise is not advised while cleansing, as you do not want to use up all your energy reserves.
- Sleep and rest as much as possible. Much of your energy is devoted to cleansing, so it's important to provide your body, mind, and spirit with quiet time and relaxation.
Cleanse Your Mind and Spirit
Once you've addressed the fundamentals of the physical body, it’s also important to "find your peace" and engage in activities that support the cleansing of your mind and spirit.
Here are a few ways to do this:
- Limit stress and exposure to negativity as much as possible.
- Unplug from social media and minimize screen time.
- Surround yourself with things that you find uplifting and nourishing.
- Spend time in nature.
- Practice yoga and meditation.
Days 6-7+: Rejuvenation Therapy and Treatment
The third and final phase of an Ayurvedic cleanse is the rejuvenation phase, and it is arguably the most crucial. After a powerful cleanse, your body will be in a susceptible state. Thus, it is important not to immediately dive back into your old way of eating, drinking, and living. Instead, spend a few weeks in a reintroduction and rejuvenation period.
To rebuild the tissues and ojas, you may slowly start reincorporating easy-to-digest foods, similar to phase one. You may begin with steamed vegetables with ghee and eventually reintroduce common allergens like soy, nightshades, dairy, and gluten. This rejuvenation stage is also a necessary time to consume rasayanas.
Herbal rasayanas, like Chyawanprash, are important in the post-cleanse rejuvenation stage because they deliver nutrients deep into the body's tissues. A cleanse flushes away toxins and impurities, leaving the channels of your body clear and prime for nourishment. Chyawanprash’s powerhouse blend of superfoods helps stimulate healthy cellular rejuvenation while supporting digestive, reproductive, respiratory, cardiovascular, and immune health.
How to use Chyawanprash post-cleanse: Take 1 to 2 tsp of Chyawanprash, followed by warm water in the morning on an empty stomach. Do this for at least 1-2 weeks following your cleanse.
If you're seeking other ways to restore your mind, body, and soul, you can explore Ayurvedic rejuvenation treatments.