Spring Cleanse

March 2026

Happy March!

With this warm weather, and Spring upon us, I've begun to think about cleansing and getting clear for this year ahead.
The New Year is an interesting time-table. In the West, we have New Years on January 1st. In the Chinese system, the start of the new year (and Spring) is Li Chun, around February 4th. In Astrological Western Astrology the New Year is the Spring Equinox, on March 20th.

Either way, we are seeing little spring buds beginning to pop up, and nature knows the seeds its been germinating all winter are growing and coming to the surface.

In our bodies, this is the most natural season to cleanse. There is the traditional spring cleaning (anyone have to do that as a kid?!), and starting to eat more fresh spring foods again etc. In our bodies this is a perfect time to lighten internally, get rid of old toxicity, and reheal our gut (and emotional) lining (you guys have heard of the gut-brain axis-right?!).

WEEK 1: 

Have warm lemon water with a pinch of salt each morning on an empty stomach, before food. Stay away from screens and media and use this time to awaken and get grounded and clear headed. Head right to the sunny spot in your house or your yard and do 5-10 minutes of sun basking and stretching or Qi Gong. 24 oz. of warm water with one whole lemon and Maldon salt is great.

This does multiple things:
Lemon water hydrates your body, stimulates digestion, supports Liver function, flushes out toxins, boosts Vitamin C and the immune system. Morning sun basking helps set your circadian rhythm and biological clock, often improves sleep, and regulates hormones by triggering cortisol to release in the morning and melatonin (sleep hormone) to rise later in the evening.

Bonus: Write down or say 5 things you are grateful for.
Meditate 5-10 minutes in this morning time. 
See you next week for habit stacker/detoxer step 2!

-and if you've been drinking your lemon water, but are getting digestive symptoms (bloating, belching)- that's it hitting against stuck digestion. Lessen the lemon water from a whole lemon to a half in 24 oz. of warm water, and try stopping eating the night before about 2.5 hours before bed.

WEEK 2:

Celery juice! If you have a juicer, after your morning lemon water, have fresh juiced celery. Still on an "empty stomach." Without pulp if possible (pulp makes it harder to digest). Use one whole bunch of organic celery. Fresh is best, but there is also some bottled at the store. Some people who have blenders and not juicers, blend the celery then strain it. This is tedious (I've done it a bunch), but worth it for the digestive cleanse effects.

BONUS:
Refrain from processed foods and processed sugars this month. Go for local and organic whole food. Our gut digests sooooo much, and if we never give it time to cleanse and reset, a whole lot of toxicity often builds up. Good luck friends. This is hard, but worth it. 

WEEK 3:


After your morning lemon water and celery juice, add a cup of herbal tea. We've still not eaten yet (I know- this takes some getting used to!). We're still flushing thing out. This process may take 1-2 hours, depending on your flow and liquid intake. 2 hours is pretty typical.


Fresh herbal teas are perfect- mint, stinging nettle, hibiscus, holy basil/tulsi, red raspberry leaf, lichens. Or a mix is fine. Go for organic and loose-leaf tea. And don't drink out of plastic! The whole goal is to alkalinize and cleanse your gut and lymph before introducing morning foods.  

After your herbal tea, break you morning liquid cleanse with fruit. Organic berries are perfect. This is your break-fast, before the day's foods enter.


This protocol is something you can do year-round, or in concentrated times you want to flush things out of your body more. Always try to focus on whole, organic foods and stay away from processed stuff. Easier said than done, but your body will thank you!

Spring
by Mary Oliver

Somewhere
a black bear
has just risen from sleep
and is staring

down the mountain.
All night
in the brisk and shallow restlessness
of early spring

I think of her,
her four black fists
flicking the gravel,
her tongue

like a red fire
touching the grass,
the cold water.
There is only one question:

how to love this world.
I think of her
rising
like a black and leafy ledge

to sharpen her claws against
the silence
of the trees.
Whatever else

my life is
with its poems
and its music
and its glass cities,

it is also this dazzling darkness
coming
down the mountain,
breathing and tasting;

all day I think of her --
her white teeth,
her wordlessness,
her perfect love.

-Mary Oliver

Below is a helpful introduction to Qi Gong & shaking that Dr. Joseph recorded to help relax the muscles and tendons & let go of any unwanted inflammation and toxicity. Do this at-home weekly, and help your inner and outer self have a balanced circulation and lymphatic system.