The liver is endlessly filtering and detoxifying the blood and it plays a significant role in digestion and metabolism. But the liver also synthesizes protein, produces critically important enzymes and hormones, breaks down and recycles tired blood cells, and regulates glycogen storage. As our primary organ of detoxification, the liver has the important job of protecting the deeper tissues from impurities in the blood that might otherwise cause harm. However, over-exposure to toxins such as alcohol, prescription or recreational drugs, environmental pollutants, and the like, has the potential to adversely impact the liver itself.
Thankfully, the liver possesses a remarkable ability to heal and rejuvenate itself. This is something that sets the liver apart from other organs and tissues. But if we want the liver to repair itself efficiently, we must offer it periodic rest. Showing your liver some love today has the potential to deeply impact your overall health, well-being, and longevity for years to come.
Some Signs the Liver may be Impaired or Congested (From an Ayurvedic Perspective)
Just as the liver is critical to the digestion of food and nutrition, it plays an important role in the digestion of emotions—particularly those that are closely aligned with the liver. The liver is considered the seat of anger, hate, and resentment. It is also tied to feelings of envy, irritability, frustration, impatience, and excessive ambition. Not surprisingly, all of these fiery emotions are imbalanced expressions of pitta dosha. But the liver is associated with the healthier expressions of pitta as well: will power, courage, confidence, contentment, satisfaction, enthusiasm, cooperation, acceptance, and surrender. You can learn a lot about the health of your liver by the flavor of emotions you encounter on a regular basis. It is also telling to notice how well you are able to respond to, and move through, the more challenging range of these emotions. Do they quickly and completely overpower you? Are you able to fully release them after some time? Or are you someone who can harbour anger and resentment for years on end? If the liver is impaired, it can be harder to process and release these emotions. Similarly, pent up anger and resentment can undoubtedly damage the liver. Keeping an eye out for these types of imbalances, and addressing them early on, naturally helps to protect the health of the liver and gallbladder.
Optimal Timing
While there are several appropriate times of year to cleanse and detox the liver, late Spring is perhaps the most potent. This is because we often eat heavier, richer, more nourishing foods during the Autumn and Winter months. These foods are more taxing for the liver, whereas the lighter fare we tend to crave come spring is naturally cooling and cleansing for the liver. Spring is also a perfect season to clear any accumulating heat prior to the onset of the summer season. Then, throughout the summer—because the summer heat can be particularly hard on the liver—it is important to watch for increased heat in the system, and to clear it whenever necessary.
General Support for the Liver
Even though the liver serves as our primary organ of detoxification, and would seem to be susceptible to accumulating toxicity over time, it has a remarkable built-in capacity for rejuvenation. In fact, the liver is the only human organ that can naturally regenerate lost tissue. As little as twenty-five percent of a liver (e.g., in a liver transplant) can regrow into a full-sized, healthy, functioning liver. Promoting liver health is largely about giving the organ a periodic break—slowing the barrage of taxing inputs and allowing the liver to rest and reset.
The good news is that the liver knows how to heal itself; we just have to offer it the proper support. So whether you are operating proactively, working to balance existing symptoms of liver imbalance, or wanting to rectify choices that may have over-taxed your liver in the past, a cleanse can be the perfect route.
Cleansing
Done correctly, a cleanse strengthens agni throughout the system and helps to eliminate the very toxicity that might otherwise inhibit our overall health. Cleansing initiates a powerful process of renewal and healing at many levels. It is an especially potent therapy for the liver because it affords the entire body a period of profound rest and detoxification. An Ayurvedic cleanse employs diet and lifestyle therapies to draw toxins (and excess vata, pitta, and kapha) out of the tissues and into the digestive tract so that they can be eliminated. While this is sometimes an uncomfortable process, the end result of a cleanse should be a renewed level of vitality and an improved sense of balance.
The guided cleanse will last 7 days. It will be fully supported by me, in a group setting. You will be invited to join a private Facebook group, where I will share extra tips/recipes etc and be available for Q&A each day. I will also go live into the group on certain days.
The price of the cleanse is £100 and includes the Liver Cleanse Essential items. There will also be a list of optional items which you might like to add in to start deepening your Ayurvedic practices. In addition you will require a few food supplies, many of which you will likely have in your cupboards.
Please note this cleanse is ONLY for existing clients. If you would like to do the cleanse but have not yet had a consultation with me, please contact me and I will arrange a discount for you to do both.
This cleanse is not suitable if pregnant or breastfeeding. It can be beneficial to do before trying to conceive, but not if you are actively trying.
You should speak to your GP about your suitability to undertake this cleanse if you are on prescription medication for an underlying health issue.
Please contact me to BOOK