Whatever toxins the liver and kidneys are unable to discharge get stored in fat cells. Sweat is the body’s secondary self-detox system. Yoga and Detox: Benefits of Sweating It Out withĬreating heat through sweating or a heated room is another popular detox tool used in yoga. Twists also stimulate circulation release tension in the muscles of the spine, abdomen, and ribcage and help to create heat. Twists help stimulate our organs, including those responsible for elimination, which in turn can help stimulate our metabolism and rate of excretion. And I know from anecdotal experience that my students and I feel better after a yoga practice of twisting asanas.Īlthough science doesn’t back up the squeeze-and-soak theory, Iyengar wasn’t necessarily wrong. I have used the dirty washrag analogy with my students in describing how a yoga twist will keep the body healthy. Spinal twists will increase circulation to the area, creating a healthier spine. Gravity and aging tend to compress the discs causing them to lose moisture. The same concept applies to the vertebral discs of the spine. The organs would become compressed in a twist, squeezing out old blood and waste, and then once released, fresh oxygenated blood would flow in, creating healthier organs–much like a dirty washcloth can take on fresh, clean water after being wrung out of the old dirty water. Iyengar taught that twisting asanas created a “squeeze-and-soak” action in both the spine and the internal organs.

The belief that yoga twists aid in detoxification most likely began with B.K.S. This waste and other toxins absorbed from the environment get filtered and eliminated through urine, sweat, solid waste and even during exhalations. The body’s lymphatic system and blood continuously deliver metabolic waste to the liver, kidneys, and digestive organs.

Yoga, along with most physical exercises, helps the body’s natural detoxification systems to function properly. How Yoga Practices May Aid Detoxification

Although a daily practice of exercise and wellness can help it along, there are some myths that well-meaning yoga teachers continue to perpetuate as well. The human body already has its own natural detoxification system in place. But are they true? Can yoga really help detox your body by twisting and sweating? You’ve probably heard those phrases in a yoga class before.

Detox yin yoga sequence