When I used to hear the word “cleanse” it made me want to roll my eyes and run for the hills. But since studying Ayurveda, I’ve found the word now triggers excitement. And cleanses have become a welcomed seasonal routine that allows me to slow down, evaluate my lifestyle habits, and reset. Cleanse = Me Time. And that's exciting!
For me, a cleanse is the best excuse to make sleep a priority. It gives me “permission” with myself and my family to go to bed before 10pm, which makes getting up with the sun so.much.easier. Keeping in sync with the rhythms of nature, such as your circadian rhythm, is key to feeling balanced. And we all know how amazing we feel — and how our skin glows — after a solid eight hours of slumber.
A Simplified Spring Cleanse Adaptable for All
In March, we hosted a 7-day simplified Spring Cleanse based on the science-backed, ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. It wasn't simply focused on diet, it didn’t include deprivation, and there were no supplements (or anything else) to buy. It was all about 100% rejuvenation — a gentle detox for your mind, body, and spirit — to feel lighter, brighter, and ready to transition into the new season with enthusiasm!
There was a huge focus on lifestyle and being curious about how we spend our hours throughout each day and our efforts to create balance. Foundational principles such as movement, meditation, breath, nature, journaling, laughter, and love were woven into our approach. [spoiler alert: understanding how to use your five senses to foster homeostasis is the secret sauce].
Set Your Intentions
Rest your physical body by eating nourishing easily digestible
whole nutritious foods and avoiding toxins.
Rest your nervous systems through nurturing lifestyle habits
and avoiding over stimulation.
Participants received thoughtful hand-holding along every step of the way — daily guidance, tools, resources, to ensure they had the support needed. We also had a retrospective meeting where we shared our personal experiences with each other. Many of us were surprised by what we learned about ourselves. While everyone's experience and learnings were unique, there were definitely some common themes.
Top 3 “a-ha's" from our Spring Cleanse:
A-HA! #1:
Digital Detoxes are TOUGH
This was life-changing for me. I learned a lot from limiting my screens — mostly that I was bored with social media and that watching the news every morning robbed me of precious time I could spend doing something that makes me happy.
Data is showing that screens are changing our bodies and possibly our brains, emitting blue light which disrupts our circadian rhythms, not to mention the links to depression and anxiety.
Start: setting screen time limits for yourself on your devices, finding other activities to fill your time (go for a walk, game night with family, read)
Stop: endless scrolling on social media out of habit (kinda boring), watching violent or depressing programs
Continue: being super selective about what you spend your time on… ask, “is this bringing me joy?”
A-HA! #2:
Rituals are Super Important
Do you enjoy a big cup of coffee while you journal in the morning? Or maybe watching the sunset to help you wind down from your day has become a constant. These precious moments are rituals, important to your well-being, they’re lifestyle habits that help us self-regulate.
Start: giving yourself permission and making time for rituals that make you happy
Stop: devaluing the small, simple pleasures. They can make the most impact!
Continue: making yourself a priority and creating special moments that enhance your days
A-HA! #3:
Slowing Down Feels Soooo Good
We all take on so much responsibility and have many, many roles — mom, sister, daughter, teacher, colleague, spouse, professional — the list goes on. This causes our nervous system to be in a constant state of fight, flight, or freeze making our cortisol levels soar sky-high.
The cleanse is a time to take things off your plate, to consciously slow down, ask for help, and then reflect on how it all feels.
Result: it feels soooo good to slow down and we want more of that.
Start: setting boundaries and asking for help. Delegate. Say no to things that don’t serve you
Stop: multi-tasking and thinking busy is cool and makes you important
Continue: listening to your body, mind, and soul, making thoughtful choices about how much to take on
Now that we’re feeling lighter and brighter, plus enjoying colorful pedicures again, we can reflect back on our experience and feel the importance of such a reset. Listening to our bodies, trusting our intuition, and integrating small micro behaviors into our lives can make a big difference — setting us on a path to wellness and radical well-being.
Watch a video (34:00) of Michelle sharing all the details of the Spring Cleanse from the reasons it’s important to detox, through the preparation phase, and wrapping up with all the benefits from participating.
Please join us for the next seasonal cleanse by sending your information to hello@brilliantmuse.com so we can add you to our growing list of participants!
--Please Note: Our content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, or other qualified health providers, with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and especially before starting any new regime or treatment.
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