I am waiting for the laundry to spin the cycle and squeeze the last drops of water. I am in a rush wanting to get the job done asap so I can tend to my baby. For a moment I gaze at the spin. It’s fast, but I can see the clothe swirling– the centrifugal force wringing them dry. It’s a moment of moving contemplation, when time freezes and I am happy just observing this wild suction, thinking how this outward force that curves things into the center allows us to create more space. Before the final spin of each cycle the clothes rinse and soak in water and detergent. But if they don’t go through the final stage of the vacuum they will remain unwashed. I think to my self “we need to revolve to evolve.

I translate this experience into my yoga class the next day, explaining the purging effect that twists have on our body. The twists are the most delicious part of the asana practice: that refreshing feeling of release and cleanliness. They rotate the spine and stretch the back muscles. They also decompress the lower back and rev up the digestive system by stoking the digestive fire, known as Angi. With every twist we grow taller and anchor deeper into our divine embodiment. With every twist we curve our awareness inward into our essence. As we do that we elongate through the sides of the waist, gently cracking the heart open and releasing any tension in the front of the ribs, chest and shoulders.

Personally, I regard “twists” like the spindle in a washing cycle that rinses and soaks all the organs with fresh blood. The feeling that emerges is one of spaciousness, of length and depth. That sense of roominess is beneficial to all the organs and body systems – it facilitates deeper breaths, improves postural alignment, and makes you feel at home in your body. In sum, twists boost digestion, affect our mobility, but also improve our motility – the movement within the organs.

But the spiritual implications of twists are much grander. True, as we revolve we evolve. We move from a lower simpler to a higher more complex state of awareness.

Simply put, twists are spirals of growth. And growth is rarely a linear process. It is more cyclical than linear, but it is more than a simple cycle. It is a spiral, a circular movement that moves higher and higher.

In Sanskrit, the word for twists is actually “revolved”. It is the spiral to self-inquiry. In order to create this ascending and descending curve we need to do “three in one”. First, stabilize the foundation and ground deeper, then extend or elongate the axis and lastly – actively revolve around the axis.

All these simple actions are a metaphor for being present and awake. We can find stability only when we cultivate self-trust and faith in the inner flow that propels our mindful actions. The grounding in Yoga is two fold, though. It is an oppositional pull between the forces of gravity and levity. We need to sink in order to rise. The sinking also denotes a sweet surrender of the intelligence of the mind into the wisdom of the heart. It is easier to grow from a solid foundation. Once you establish that basis you feel your axis is strong and supple – sensitizing all internal and external stimuli. You now have the center from which to evolve and are ready for a deeper rinse and renewal.

The detoxification in the body is facilitated by three main systems that play a crucial role in the elimination of wastes — circulatory, digestive and lymph. The circulatory system pumps blood throughout the body – delivering oxygen to and carrying waste products away from cells. The digestive system processes the food we eat, separating nutrients from waste and eliminating anything the body doesn’t need. And the lymphatic system collects intracellular fluid from throughout the body and transports it to the lymph nodes where anything harmful can be removed before the lymphatic fluid is returned to the bloodstream. To perform its natural detox function the body craves proper nutrition and exercise.

Evidently, most forms of vigorous exercise stimulate all three systems of elimination to some extent, helping the body cleanse and purify. But yoga, with its focus on systematically stretching and compressing every part of the body, is the best detox flush. In a integral yoga routine the whole body is squeezed, pulled, pushed, revolved, inverted, upended and arched. This promotes the removal of waste products such as carbon dioxide, lactic acid and lymphatic fluid from the deep tissues and extremities of the body. You can’t get this rinse from a jog or a bike ride.

Yogic breathing also purifies the nerve channels, fixes the posture and stimulates the filter organs. As a result, life-sustaining oxygen is pumped into the brain and the entire body is regenerated. The key is to clear out carbon dioxide from the lung tissue, and stimulating the organs of digestion. With time the natural fluidity of the diaphragm is restored while the abdominal organs are massaged and the lungs are fully emptied and expanded.

Yoga brings about mental detox, too. It helps purge toxic thoughts by silencing the monkey mind and abiding in the present moment. Clearing the mind and body opens a pure channel for the soul to shine through.

So before you hop on the cayenne pepper, lemon, and ginger train, hop on your mat first and stimulate your circulatory, digestive, and lymphatic systems—you know, the systems responsible for getting rid of waste and toxins. Give your body some fine-tuning. Spring or fall, a healthy squeeze is all you need.

Detox Yoga Routine: Healthy Squeeze (open level)

This is the ultimate revolving practice that introduces accessible twists across all planes, levels and types of poses to detoxify the body and purify the circulatory, digestive and lymphatic systems. Seated rib cage isolations coupled by twisted Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati) kick off the sequence cultivating a strong base from where to revolve. A series of kneeling and inverted poses alternate with standing and seated twists to stimulate the digestive fire “Agni” and nurture the lymphatic and circulatory systems. Standing poses garnished with detox binds purify the kidneys, liver and spleen progressively, flushing away toxins and oxygenating the brain. The body undulates from kneeling to sitting, from standing to supine, from reclining to inverted, to wind down through cooling forward bends – to calm the mind and “spring-clean” the colon. Gentle supine hip openers and reclining spinal twists wring any emotional, mental or physical debris out, and prepare the body for a nourishing relaxation. All the subtle bodies are purified and you are on your way to feeling like a new you.