I am so excited to be, once more, running this cleanse with the powerful added dimension of Breathwork & Cold Exposure.
I am joining forces with the talented Hayley Dorian of Xhayle to bring a new depth to my usual Ama Pachana Ayurvedic Cleanse.
What is Ama?
The normal process that should take place in the body is as follows; all the food we eat should be fully digested. Half of it is absorbed into the body as nutrients and the rest of it expelled out of the body as waste products.
Sometimes, due to external negative influences (stress, strain, adverse weather, inappropriate food or lifestyle choices) not all the food we eat is fully digested. Perhaps just one third of the food is fully digested and absorbed as nutrients and another third fully digested and expelled as waste products, but this leaves one third remaining in the body in a semi-digested condition. This third cannot be identified by the body as either nutrients or waste, therefore it is neither absorbed nor expelled. This semi-digested, non-metabolised food circulates in the body as toxins. Ayurveda calls these toxins Ama. It is a Sanskrit word which literally translates as ‘undigested’ or ‘uncooked”. The first stage of disease formation in the body is also sometimes called Ama.
Ama acts as a barrier between medication given for a symptom and the final destination where the medication needs to act. In the beginning some of this medication may trickle through and show some immediate relief, but long term it will not penetrate this barrier of Ama and, therefore, there will be no long term relief. This explains why many people have chronic conditions that western medication is not helping.
Presence of Ama in the body:
Ama has been described as a toxic, heavy, sticky, foul smelling substance in the body. Ama can also be formed by bacterial invasion. Bacteria emit toxic substances into the system which can be compared to Ama. The following are some indications of Ama in the body:
Eczema
Psoriasis
Cysts
Swellings
Painful or swollen joints
Hypercholesterolemia
Blocked arteries
Mucus conditions
Kidney/gall stones
Gout, Uric acid deposition
Obesity
Diabetes
Acne/skin conditions
Rheumatoid arthritis
MS
CFS
IBS
Signs & Symptoms of Ama in the body:
Heaviness
Lethargy
Irregular appetite
Generalised body & joint pains, noticed especially the day after eating certain foods like meat,
cheese, desserts & fried foods
Skin is dull & lustre-less with blemishes, acne etc
Bloated stomach, gases, flatulence
Metallic taste in mouth
White coating on the tongue
Foul smelling breath & sweat
Constipation, foul smelling stools which may be sticky, heavy & sink
Lack of mental clarity & energy
A sense of heaviness in the abdomen, legs or body as a whole
Weary & unenthusiastic
Blocked feeling anywhere in the body, including constipation, sinus congestion & difficulty in
breathing
One wakes up tired even after a good nights’ sleep
Symptoms of Ama free physiology
Once Ama has been treated & eliminated, the following should be noticed:
Feel fresh & rested upon waking
Skin regains a healthy glow
Tongue is pink & clear
Body feels light
Aches & pains disappear
No bloated feeling or heaviness
Energetic feeling
Enthusiastic & mind is clear
A beautiful home cleanse, inspired by Ayurvedic wisdom. This cleanse gently rids the body of ‘toxins’ caused by various external and internal factors with the use of simple fare, gentle herbs and a few Ayurvedic jams, spices & rituals.
Yogic wisdom has understood the benefits of Cold Exposure (Ishnaan) and Breathwork (Pranayama) for centuries. Now modern science is fully aligned with this and I am so excited to be sharing this week with my friend and fellow Yoga & Wim Hof Instructor Hayely Dorian, of Xhayle
Breathwork & Cold Exposure
Breathwork has been scientifically proven to improve our digestion and overall gut health. Many of us are living day to day in our Sympathetic Nervous System (fight or flight) which impacts our digestive system as the body is basically preserving its energy to ‘run’ or fight’ rather than carrying out the required bodily functions ie digestion.
When we learn to breathe in an optimal way, we improve an under-active Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest and digest) as well as toning the vagus nerve, which is the largest cranial nerve in the body connecting our organs to our brain. A toned vagus nerve also boosts the immune system. An under-toned vagus nerve can cause poor digestion, constipation, excessive gasses as well as illnesses which impact the brain such as Alzheimer’s , Parkinson’s and depression.
Cold exposure and breathwork go hand in hand - both have similar benefits but both together increase their power. Cold exposure strengthens both body and mind, increases white blood cells, activates brown fat (burns white fat), increases metabolism, improves circulation,,releases good feeling hormones and clears the mind.
This cleanse will begin on the Monday 27th Sept, and run for 7 days. You will be invited to two live sessions on Sunday 26th Sept, from 10am. The first focussing on breathwork & gentle movement and the second a Q&A where we will answer all and any questions you may have about the week ahead. The group will be held in a private Facebook Group where you will have access to all the documents you need and also to Hayley & I.
Price £50.00
** Please leave at least 1 week between booking & start date to gather all your food items and cleanse supplies.
Included in price:
Live breathwork & movement session (both recorded and shared into group) 1 hr
Live Q&A 1 hr
Support from Mai & Hayley for 7 days via Facebook group for 7 days
Community Support in Facebook group for 7 days
All documents, including recipe guides, seasonal guide, daily rituals & cleanse protocol illustrated & on printable PDFs
Extra recipes & inspiration added throughout the week
Recorded, guided breathing session by Hayley which you can use each day for your own practice
The private FB group will open on 12th Sept and here you can access all your cleanse info. You will need a few food supplies and there are a few ‘essential items’, some of which you may have. You will get links to suppliers for everything listed below. For info, the essential items are:
Herbs (they are Tripahala & Pippali if you need to check with GPs or other practitioners that you have no contra-indications for taking these).
Tongue Scraper
Abhyanga Oil
Herbal Jam
Body Brush
Herbal Tea
To purchase them all will be approx £60 from my suggested suppliers. You will also be given a 10% discount code to use with Ayurveda Pura.
I always recommend gently ‘cleaning up’ your diet a few days before and slowly ‘easing out’ of the cleanse at the end so in total it is lovely to allow yourself 14 -21 days. This will set you up for a healthy winter.
This cleanse is gentle enough to do at any time, but the juncture of the seasons is optimal.
Read what other clients have to say about these practices:
Ayurvedic Cleansing
“ Just wanted to put out a HUGE recommendation for Mairead from The Sacred Space for guiding me through an Ayurvedic Autumn Cleanse. It has been the most beautiful, nourishing ‘cleanse’ I have ever done - to the point where I am wondering if I have been doing it right because it has been so enjoyable! Full of beautiful, easy to digest, real food recipes, herbs to support, plenty of self care and lots of herbal teas! I feel so much better after getting into a bit of a post summer slump, full of energy, no bloating and getting that glow back and a few llbs have dropped off in the process!” AF October 2019
“ No headaches after day 1. No constipation after upping my Triphala on your advice. No hunger pangs or cravings. No caffeine, alcohol or refined sugar and I stuck to the prescribed meals and loved them - in fact I could eat that way all the time, so easy! Felt great, energetic, no palpitations, rested in the mornings and lost 3kg, what’s not to love? Oh and my annoying cough cleared up”. HS September 2019
Breathwork & Cold Exposure
“Cannot recommend Hayley enough. She not only explained everything clearly and eloquently, she also properly held the space both during the breathwork and the ice bath. I loved it. Feeling full of love and can’t wait to do it again”. C Talleyy March 2020
“Hayley is not only knowledgable and skilled, she is passionate about this and that’s what stands out the most to me. It adds another level to the work and it was so valuable because of all of it.. Hayley really was meant to do this work and share it! The gongs and yoga and knowledge just adds another level to these awesome techniques. Breathing and cold exposure. I’m so excited to learn all that and Hayley delivered it beautifully”. A Hancock-Greene February 2020
You can take my short quiz to help determine if you have Ama and please remember to check with your GP if you are on any medications or have any doubts about whether you can take the herbs. *Not suitable when pregnant or trying to conceive.