Extreme deep clean(!) - the benefits of colonics for Detox

When I embarked on this 30 Day Mind & Body Detox journey, I asked the advice of those more experienced than me to offer their top tips for detoxing... one thing which repeatedly was advised was that I have colonics to support the liver in ridding the body of the toxins that were being released by my cells. Apparently it wasn't enough to excrete them through my skin and trips to the loo.

Now, I can't say I was keen to try colonics - to be honest, the whole idea absolutely horrified me, not because of a worry about pain but from a concern about embarrassment. I think it was John Cleese who said that Brits would rather die than cause a fuss or be embarrassed and, whilst I'm definitely not that bad, I don't relish the thought of it.

But needs must, and I can now say I feel "flushed" with pride(!) to have completed a course of 3 colonics with the very lovely and reassuring Jo Cook of Serenity Flow in Surrey. She uses the 'open' method which essentially means that water goes in with a tube but comes out naturally (rather than down another tube which can be messy if it doesn't fit **cringe!**) She also assured me that as an IBS sufferer who is prone to constipation that I would love it and that one colonic is equivalent to 3 days fasting... hmmm, now that sounds tempting, I thought.

Colonic 'bed'

So, full of trepidation I attended my first appointment. It's no wonder Jo is in demand as she put me as much at ease as is possible to be in that situation. I was able to do most of the treatment myself which reduced the embarrassment factor, and I was not exposed at any point (front or back!) I would say that the treatment didn't feel as wonderful as I had hoped for, but also was nowhere near as bad as I had feared. In terms of discomfort I had very little, mainly mental as I came to terms with releasing into the hole in the 'bed'.
The very worst moments of discomfort I had I would equate to having a 'hangover poo' the morning after the night before - you feel a little trembly, like you really want to get this out of you, and then blessed relief when it happens - that was as bad as it got, so pretty good really, and that only happened a couple of times.

I definitely felt better after my first one, quite energised and with the flattest stomach ever! My second one was even better so by my third one I was surprised that I felt a little unwell afterwards and had to have an early night - I released a lot of old stuff in my third treatment though, so I think it was probably just a profound detox. (You'll also find you need to pee all the time for a day or two afterwards - it's the fact that your kidneys and liver have been stimulated to flush out the body and it's a wonderful detox aid).

Reading a book during my treatment

I really must recommend you try colonics at least twice... it undoubtedly contributed to a successful detox for me and I will be having more in the future. Sorry if I grossed you out, but I hope this info has been helpful for you... happy flushing!


P.S. Jo says we trump 2,000 times a day! And I thought that cows were bad...






Sarah is an Holistic massage & beauty therapist, owner of Edge of Eden and Senior Consultant for Neal’s Yard Remedies. You can call her on 01277 220301, email at sarah@edgeofeden.co.uk or comment below and she’ll get back to you x

Do you feel tired after your Detox? Then read this...

So I'm now a couple of weeks down the line from my 30 Day Mind & Body Detox and I'm still loving the compliments I'm getting about my appearance, and the way I'm feeling inside. I highly recommend making some changes right away such as using organic toiletries, eating organic foods (especially lots of veggies) and doing more regular exercise to soothe the mind and tone the body.

I can also vouch for the dramatic improvement in sleep quality I have experienced by making a few changes such as switching off electronic and wifi equipment before bed, turning my phone to airplane mode, ensuring the bedroom is totally dark and getting to bed earlier. It must sound crazy but I can tell the difference if I've forgotten to switch the wifi hub off or put my phone on airplane mode - it just doesn't feel as peaceful.

This perhaps isn't so surprising when you consider the article I read in the Metro recently (London issue, 23rd May, page 43). Professor Charles Czeisler of Harvard Medical School has stated that turning off your iPad or other LED ray-emitting gadgets could be more important than ensuring that all the lights are off as these LED rays are more disruptive to our sleep. It is all part of our modern lifestyles contradicting our built-in circadian rhythms - we stay awake and stay stimulated past darkness and then artificially induce awakeness with caffeine to cope with the morning.

This may all seem a little OTT but when you consider that research has shown that people who sleep less well or less hours per night increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, stroke in adults and concentration in children it is worth taking note. Between 1950 and 2000, the average Briton increased their artificial light sources four-fold with a parallel rise in sleep deficiency. So take note, your beauty sleep may be more important than you thought.

Remember, you do have the power to improve your sleep:

• If a whirring mind is keeping you awake, try writing down your thoughts before sleep or if you wake in the night. Acknowledging them will allow your brain to relax and move on knowing that you can address them in the morning.
• Ensuring your bedroom is totally dark will lead to better quality of sleep – blackout blinds, turning off lit screen alarms and TV power lights can help with this.
• Reduce electrical intereference – turn things off at the plug socket, have your mobile away from your head and on airplane mode or off totally (your alarm should still work), turn off the wifi and unplug cordless phones to reduce the signal waves flowing through you.
• Take time to relax just before bed – some meditation or deep and restful breathing, self-massage or even just a pampering facial cleansing and moisturising routine can do the trick.
• Regular massage and facial treatments have also been shown to promote body and mind balance and therefore aid sleep naturally.
• Use aromatherapy to help you sleep – either burn an essential oil before bed, add a couple of drops to your pillowcase or use a product on your skin that contains essential oils to treat you all night long. Great oils to look out for are benzoin (helps with stress), cedarwood (for grounding), clary sage (calming with sedative qualities, also great for the skin), cypress (soothes nerves), lavender (scientifically proven to promote sleep), orange oil (for insomnia), patchouli (for serenity), valerian root (for relaxation) and ylang ylang (for toning the nervous system and lowering blood pressure). You can find many of these in the organic Beauty Sleep range from Neal’s Yard Remedies – Beauty Sleep Concentrate for a smooth and youthful face and the NEW Beauty Sleep Body Butter for 24 hour moisturisation.

Sweet dreamzzzzzz…..

Sarah is an Holistic massage & beauty therapist, owner of Edge of Eden and Senior Consultant for Neal’s Yard Remedies. You can call her on 01277 220301, email at sarah@edgeofeden.co.uk or comment below and she’ll get back to you x