Having a great colonic takes cooperation between your therapist, your brain, and your colon. Here are the top 3 things you can do to help your body relax and release during a colonic. But first…
A Little Lesson with Big Impact
“Imagine yourself in a forest and a bear is chasing you. Would you stop and squat and have a poo?” Dr. Verna Hunt DC ND., poses this question to her clients when they can’t understand why their digestion is off and their colon is not functioning optimally. I was one of those clients. Obviously, you wouldn’t stop and squat if a bear is chasing you. You are afraid and directly operating from your sympathetic nervous system: fight, flight, fawn or freeze response. This sympathetic nervous system signals your body to bring blood and attention to where your body needs it the most, in this case, your leg muscles for a quick getaway. In our daily lives, we are often operating from the sympathetic nervous system and would benefit from taking the time to regulate our nervous system and shift from the sympathetic nervous system, (fight, flight, fawn or freeze) to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest, digest). One must be in the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system to have an effective colonic. This is the feeling of relaxation you have after a massage, a gentle yoga class, meditation, a warm bath or by being in nature among other activities. It is a feeling of being safe.
#1 Consciously Breathe
The first step to have a great colonic is to drop from your sympathetic nervous system into your parasympathetic nervous system which is not easy in a high stress culture. The fastest way to regulate your parasympathetic nervous system is by taking time to consciously breathe through your nose before and during your colonic. A gentle four second breath in through your nose and six second exhale will signal your body that you are in a rest state, and safe. Then your body will direct microcirculation to your digestive system, which includes the colon. This enables the colon to release, and in turn, you will release toxins and waste during your colonic.
#2 Put Phones Away and Still your Mind
Our second suggestion for having a great colonic is to let your mind be still and calm. Let’s agree to put our phones away. You have set this time aside to focus on your body’s healing, its connections, pathways and habits. Our phones bring us outside our bodies into the busyness of the world, and this is your time to be inside your body and connect. During your colonic, get to know your body at a deeper level.
#3 Awareness
Lastly, be aware that nonphysical issues may release during a colonic. We use Dr. Wood’s Gravity Method at Women’s Health Collaborative. With this gentle, effective method, colonics can technically be done in 20 minutes. Our therapists know that this kind of colonic is purely physical and that more healing can happen when we acknowledge our physical body is connected to our spiritual, mental and emotional bodies. From our many decades of experience we know that emotional issues like suppressed emotions can become unblocked or that stuck mental concepts can begin to loosen during colonics. So, to give time for you to relax and tap into non-physical blockages, Women’s Health Collaborative therapists extend the water time of colonics to 30-35 minutes, leaving the last few minutes on the toilet for you to expel the last remnants of water or waste.
Your colon hydrotherapy appointment is a time for self-care: putting the world to the side and focusing on your health. So, breathe, put your phones away, be relaxed and aware and we will see you soon for your next colonic at Women’s Health Collaborative.