In looking at cleansing and fasting for ourselves or others, the environment in which we detoxify is highly important. One’s environment can hold a range of toxic energies to healing energies, which will depend on the individual’s definitions of each. For some people, a small amount of disorganization can be a source of stress, while for others it may be comforting. Any stresses in one’s environment should optimally be alleviated before starting a detoxification process. A toxic environment can create a resonance with the toxins in a person’s body, making it more difficult to continue with the detoxification process. However, an environment that is healing and inspiring may help a person continue cleansing even in times of doubt. Each person has different needs when cleansing and fasting, and so it is essential to listen to one’s body before and during these processes.

Important things to think about in relation to toxic environments include levels of toxic residues from cleaning agents, dust levels, and organizational cleanliness both at home and in one’s work environment. Another aspect of one’s environment to consider during the cleansing or fasting process is how it will feel to possibly go through cleansing reactions there. If you get a headache at work, will you be able to take a break to deal with it? Do you have obligations throughout your entire work week or are you relatively free? Foreseeing the possibility of experiencing cleansing reactions can enable us to be more prepared both at home and at work. This involves looking ahead at one’s weekly schedule to see the optimal time for starting a cleanse. The two intestinal cleanses that will be covered in this course, Arise and Shine and Ejuva, both have four phases of cleansing that people can shift between depending on their weekly activities. It can be highly effective and more pleasant to take time off from work to cleanse or fast, so that one can devote all of one’s energy towards the process. This is certainly not necessary, however, since many types and levels of cleanses exist.

In his book The Detox Diet (1996), Elson Hass recommends starting a fast or cleanse on a day when we have some time off from work. This can be helpful because the first days are usually the most challenging. Being in a nurturing and familiar environment without the demands of work can be very nice during this time. Hass further recommends that during a detoxification process, people keep their evenings free of demanding activities, since evenings are also one of the more likely times to experience cleansing reactions during the first several days.

It is also important to consider the people that we choose to be around and the activities that we decide to participate in during the cleansing process. If you are ready to do a four week raw food cleanse, it may be difficult for you to be around friends or family who are not supportive of this decision. It may also be challenging to be with people who are participating in habits that you are abstaining from during your cleanse. David Wolfe, one of the leaders of the raw food diet, highly encourages us to only do activities and to only be around people that uplift us. Wolfe believes that this is crucial for outstanding health. One of the reactions to cleansing that can occur during detoxification is the re-emergence of old emotional patterns. Suppressed emotions will often be felt again while they are being eliminated from the body. Richard Anderson talks about the importance of staying positive during such healing reactions. When old emotions come up, one can focus on the overall picture of what is happening: they are being released for good from the body. Friends and family who understand this and are supportive of cleansing can be very helpful for us in keeping a positive mindset. This can help us to not get stuck in the immediate reality of the perhaps uncomfortable feelings that may be present, but to instead focus on the many overall benefits that will occur.

Before starting a cleanse or fast, it can be beneficial to mentally or physically create a list of reasons to detoxify your body. Then, if feelings of reluctance or fear arise during a cleanse, the list can be revisited for new inspiration. Reading books on the benefits of cleansing is a way to stay focused as well. David Wolfe suggests making affirmations and setting goals as powerful tools for succeeding with a cleanse as well.

(Course Continued…)