Been overdoing it a little? If your body could use some fine-tuning, you can do more than sip on detoxing green juice. Hop on your yoga mat, and do these eight poses designed to detox the body. You have your circulatory, digestive, and lymphatic systems to thank for getting rid of toxins and waste, and these poses stimulate those systems. Pick out the poses your body needs or practice them all, and you'll be on your way to feeling like a new you.
Not only a great pose for opening tight hamstrings, allowing your head to fall below your heart in Wide-Legged Forward Bend also reverses the pull of gravity, encouraging circulation of blood throughout the body as well as fluid to your filtering lymph nodes. The folding motion also squeezes the belly, which moves things along for digestion.
If you want to strengthen your lower legs, Open Side Fierce will have your quads and glutes burning. This deep twist also aids in digestion. You'll feel the gentle pressure on your kidneys, liver, and spleen, which stimulates the removal of waste.
Holding your head below your heart and your leg lifted in the air in this variation of Down Dog encourages blood to circulate throughout the body, as well as move fluid to the lymph nodes. If your upper body is strong, this pose can also be very relaxing, which aids in mental detox as well, releasing stress, fear, and sadness.
Poor posture can stifle proper lung function, and doing this Seated Heart Opener encourages lengthening of the spine so your lungs can fully expand and contract with each breath. Healthy, deep breathing encourages the body to eliminate carbon dioxide, lactic acid, lymphatic fluid, and other wastes.
Twisting poses are all about aiding in digestion, which encourages the elimination of wastes. Take this Seated Spinal Twist as deeply as you want to go.
As bizarre as this pose looks, folding forward over your heel in this variation of Head to Knee Pose is meant to gently massage and stimulate your inner organs.
This pose strengthens the back of the body, but the pressure on your abdomen also encourages digestion.
Another pose where your heart is above your head, Headstand removes toxins in the circulatory and lymphatic systems. This is also a pose that's typically held for 10 breaths or longer, and focusing on deep breaths clears out carbon dioxide from the lungs.