About Detox and its History

While many of us think of detoxing as a modern, fashionable phenomenon, the act of fasting, or abstaining from food, is a concept as old as time itself.

Fasting often plays a role in modern detox programs, yet can be traced back to the dawn of civilization. Fasting for spiritual purposes has been observed through the centuries among followers of numerous faiths and is still an integral part of many religious festivals today.

Testimonies to the benefits of fasting have been recorded throughout history; from the priests of Ancient Egypt to the philosophers of Ancient Greece; from Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine (400 BCE) to the Swiss physician Paracelsus (1600CE) right up to eminent modern day leaders in the field of detoxification, such as Bernard Jensen and Anne Wigmore.

By fasting or taking a light, simple 'detox' diet, one eases the load that is placed on the digestive system giving the body a rest from its daily tasks, allowing it to focus on clearing out toxic waste. The longer the fast or detox program, the deeper the detoxification will be.

A detox or fast is also an opportunity to have a mental rest, to open a gateway to greater mental clarity. By removing external stimuli during a detox, one can tune into the feelings, emotions and thoughts that come up from within.

In Yoga, fasting is considered an important part of the spiritual journey towards self-realization. A lightness comes on a spiritual level as the body becomes lighter from within. The ether and air elements become more pronounced as the intake of food, made up of earth and water elements, is reduced.

Ayurveda, the sister science' of yoga, has used fasting and detoxing for healing for centuries. Ayurveda, meaning 'Science of Life' is an ancient, holistic, medical science from India dating back to the Vedic period (3-5,000 BCE). Using the concept of 'dosha', a combination of two of the five natural elements, the balance of the body can be assessed. The 'doshas' perform specific functions, like regulating the metabolism, body temperature, carrying wastes from the body, protecting the internal organs, controlling the circulation, and so on. If the doshas are not in balance, they are the cause of disease. Detoxing is a method of eliminating excess doshas from the body.

In Ayurveda the 'detox' approach is used when there are accumulations or excesses which have lodged in various parts of the body. Determined by a number of factors such as a person's strength, age and stage of illness (if any), a gentle detox or more radical detox may be proposed. Gentle detoxes include special diets of rice and mung beans (kitcheri) where more radical detoxes include only juices, water or even a complete fast.

At Samahita Wellness, our Detox Programs have evolved over time, uniting the wisdom of ancient Yogic and Ayurvedic sciences with the modern day perspective to bring you a complete and Balanced Living approach to detoxing for health and wellbeing.