Maybe you need to detox from detoxing?
What are you intentionally ADDING to your life?
I've been around a little while, and I've done my fair share of detoxes. I was first introduced to detox culture growing up in fundamentalist Pentecostalism here in Australia. No, it wasn't the food/body type of detox; it was the "be in the world but not of it," kind of detox. There was an emphasis on restriction and extraction. We prayed things like:
"Take this sin away from me."
"Rid me of myself."
"Less of me, more of Jesus."
We were taught to stay away from people and places and things, and that if we got entangled into them, we had to remove them from our lives again.
Restrict our intake of pop culture.
Restrict our use of profanities.
Restrict (eradicate) sexual desire before marriage.
Restrict desire of all kinds.
Restrict contact with non-believers.
Restrict, and shrink, and deny, and detox.
I spent many days and nights in my teens and early twenties begging God to rid me of my nature, and make me more righteous. I can't get that time back, but I can re-teach myself what it truly means to detox, what I truly need to detox from, and how to build a healthy life that is meaningful, fun, and ultimately, livable.
Some of us need to detox from detoxing.
Detox culture has become synonymous with purging toxins from our bodies, hearts, and minds, often through extreme measures like fasting or restrictive diets. While these practices can offer temporary benefits, they often overlook the holistic nature of true wellness—body, soul, and spirit. As we peel back the layers, let's explore how spirituality can guide us towards a more balanced and sustainable approach to creating a livable life.
Detox culture thrives on the promise of a clean slate—a chance to start fresh and feel revitalised. You've probably seen the ads: "Lose weight fast!" or "Cleanse your body in just 7 days!" But Tara Stiles, a renowned yoga instructor and wellness expert, reminds us that detoxing is more than a quick fix:
"It's an ongoing process of reflecting on our choices and behaviours."
Holistic living isn't just about what we do physically, it's about nurturing our soul. Deepak Chopra said:
"True detoxification is about cleansing the mind and soul, not just the body."
It's about finding peace and connecting with a deeper sense of purpose in our lives.
And listen, it's not just about what we RESTRICT and ABSTAIN from. After chronic illness and stress ravaged my body and mind, I detoxed. Hard. And yes, it worked. To a point. At the end of all the detoxes (and I did many weird and wild cleanses and purges), I had some relief, but my hair was still falling out, I was still full of cortisol and adrenaline, my skin was dry and lifeless... my heart was dry and lifeless. I felt empty. Like I could blow away on the wind. No anchor. No foundation. Nothing to hold onto. Like I wasn't even here.
And that, too, was not a livable life.
Detox is just as much about what you choose to put into your life, as it is about things you choose to remove from your life. And often, it's temporary. You remove, you add, you balance, then you can add some things back in, and keep other things away. It's trial and error. It's grace at work.
Perhaps for you, you've lived a life of restriction and abstinence, of limits and scales. And it's time to detox from detoxing. What if you could be healthy while focusing on what you CAN do and partake in?
Join me this week as we unravel the complexities of detox and rediscover what it truly means to live holistically.
LISTEN: "Something amazing happens when we surrender and just love. We melt into another world, a realm of power already within us. The world changes when we change. The world softens when we soften. The world loves us when we choose to love the world.” — Marianne Williamson.
Written by Liz Milani.
Liz Milani xo
Instagram: @thepracticeco
From this week’s series titled "Ditching Detox Culture," with a subscription in the App. Hope to see you there.
