5 yoga poses to detox mind and body

We all know it. We can feel it. Spring is in the air. Here at Urban Remedy we love the change of season because it means it’s time for a good clean out.

We cleanse through three of the body's main systems. The circulatory system pumps blood throughout the body – taking oxygen to cells whilst carrying the waste away. The digestive system processes the food we eat – absorbing the nutrients we need and eliminating anything we don’t. And then we have the lymphatic system, which collects fluid from our cells and sends it to the lymph nodes to ditch any harmful bacteria.  The eliminatory organs (lower digestive system, liver, kidneys, lungs and skin) then help us to expel all of those nasty little toxins.

That’s a pretty good system when it comes to detoxing! However, over the winter season, our diet is a little heavier, we're a little less active than usual, and our eliminatory organs may be feeling a little sluggish. When Spring arrives, we often need a helping hand to assist the natural detoxification process.

We regularly give you tips on how to cleanse your body through diet. But what about exercise? This week, with the help of our Resident Health Coach, Claire Obeid (who just happens to be an amazing yoga teacher), we thought we’d share a few of our favourite cleansing yoga poses to help you banish those winter cobwebs and kickstart detoxification.

Yoga, like most forms of exercise, stimulates the three systems of cleansing, but it packs a little more punch. The systematic stretching and compressing action, coupled with calm breathing, is particularly good at enhancing waste-removal from the deep tissues and extremities (which some forms of exercises just can’t do).

Here are our 5 cleansing yoga poses:

1. Standing Forward Bend – calms the nervous system whilst gently compressing the abdomen to stimulate digestion and elimination

2. Downward Facing Dog – gently tones the belly, aids circulation of blood and lymph and stimulates digestion

3. Lunging Twist – strengthens the legs whilst deeply twisting through the abdomen to squeeze and release the digestive organs

4. Seated Twist – releases the hips whilst squeezing the abdominal organs

5. Meditation – helps you calm your breath, centre your focus and quieten your mind to reduce stress and enhance detoxification

Happy spring cleaning!

How to detox your mind

We may have told you already (a hundred times) but we LOVE lists at UR. So this week, we're dishing up another one. It's a quickie but it may just change the way you look at things, dare we say live.

5 simple ways to feel happier:

1. Don't worry. If a worry pops into your head, ask yourself this question: will worrying about this change the outcome? We're 99.9% sure the answer to this is no. In that case, the conclusion is simple: stop worrying, it's not going to fix the problem. What it will do is waste valuable time and energy.

2. Be happy. Be happy in the guide to 'being happy'. You're probably either a) thinking of shutting down the email at this point or b) thinking we've had one too many green juice. But hang on, there is some logic behind this statement. Have you ever noticed that when you smile and radiate happiness, you get it back, tenfold? It's not rocket science. We all gravitate towards happy people. Sometimes, putting a smile on your face when you aren't feeling so chirpy can draw others towards you and in turn improve your own mood.

3. Less do, more be. You have an 'action list' at work but when it comes to your personal life, do you really have to treat each day like a set of 'tasks' to accomplish? If you're racing from one 'to do' item to the next, you sometimes forget to experience what you're actually doing. Sure, there are some things that don't really require experiencing (like paying your gas bill for instance) but others would be far more memorable (and meaningful) if you actually let yourself exist in the moment whilst they were happening. That phone call to your mum would go a whole lot better if it wasn't just a 'ticked box'. That lunch you gulped down would be digested far more comfortably if you took the time to eat it, mouthful by mouthful. You might even have a more productive afternoon back at the office!

4. Listen. To the person talking, not to your inner chatter. We're all guilty of it – listening to our own thoughts instead of giving the person in front of us our full, undivided attention. The art of really listening is endangered. Nurturing it is the key to good personal and business relationships.

5. Let it be. Let them be to be precise. We're talking about your negative emotions – anger, resentment, fear, jealousy... These toxic emotions clutter the mind, preventing you from moving forward with your life. We all have them however the key is to let yourself experience them fully and then let them fall to the side of their own accord. The more you try to repress them, the more power they hold.

The 5 easy guidelines above will help you to cleanse your mind. Detoxing is not just physical after all.

Your Spring makeover bestie...

Supercharged Green 6-Packs:

Take your cleansing that bit further with our limited edition Supercharged Green 6-Packs. These bad boys are the ultimate cleanser – packed full of alkalising green veggies, immune-boosting parsley, revitalising ginger and tummy-flattening mint, they are the perfect ally to get your body in tip-top shape for Spring.

These 6-Packs of green goodness contain 6 x 450ml of our 'Supercharged Green Juice' – a recipe intricately designed by none other than wholefoods chef, foodie and health entrepreneur Lee Holmes. When it comes to changing your body and mind from the inside out, Lee is a shining example, and she absolutely swears by green juice. It goes without saying that we do too – in fact, green juice is our detox bestie; there really is no other juice or smoothie with quite the same potency.

How do these 6-Packs differ from our normal cleanse?

1. Put simply, they are more intense. We don't recommend doing more than 1 day of them on their own. If you do more than a day, the best way to enjoy them is with some super healthy snacks alongside the juices.

2. They are SUPER low-carb – perfect for those of you suffering from candida or diabetes, or if you are fructose-intolerant.

3. The 6-Packs are designed to be enjoyed in two ways:

• As a green cleanse: a 1-Day cleanse (yep, just the six green juices!) or 2 days+ accompanied with healthy snacks (think miso soup, avocado, raw nuts, veggie sticks, brown rice cakes, light salads, grilled/baked fish and veggies)

• Alongside a healthy diet: just grab a juice whenever you feel like it – up to 3 a day!

More info on the Supercharged Green Juice here. Or simply give us a call!

Our new favourite dessert

We absolutely love this new smoothie recipe. It's your new cleansing bestie as of 1st September 2012 – yep, this little beautie will be replacing our current Number 6. It's bigger (in flavour not calories) and badder than ever.

Please welcome the ABC Dessert Smoothie.

7 simple ingredients:

1. Almond milk
2. Coconut water
3. Filtered water
4. ABC nut butter*
5. Four dates
6. Raw cacao
7. Cinnamon

*ABC = Almonds, Brazil Nuts and Cashews

In terms of quantities, we recommend playing around with them to suit your individual tastes. That and the exact measurements are a trade secret!

The health lowdown:

It's packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, with a healthy dose of protein and good fats. The ABC Dessert Smoothie is soothing, with a pinch of cinnamon to help combat dysbiosis/candida, and a hit of super-nutrients to boost energy, skin health and immunity. We've been careful to monitor the carb content as usual – using only four dates to sweeten. What we absolutely didn't skimp on, taste. The nut butter adds a touch of healthy but indulgent yumminess.

It's official, we're in love. And you can be too from 1st September 2012.