By Martha Benedict

The spring equinox is an excellent time to initiate a cleansing program or fast to reinvigorate the blood and chi of the body after the long, sedentary, dark months of winter. Historically, the fasting of Lent in the Christian tradition was foreshadowed by this cleansing tradition from ancient times.

This being the 90's, and most of us trying to survive in the fast lane with little time to spare to truly care for ourselves in a lengthy leisurely manner, it stands to reason in good Chinese tradition this excellent germ of an idea, i.e., fasting, being modified to fit our generation. So here we go...

In young people (and we all were young once, remember?), the chi is plentiful, so a water or juice fast may have been appropriate. But for the working person, and those over thirty-five, it is of utmost importance to preserve the chi of the body at the same time asking the body to eliminate more waste material than it ingests or produces via cellular respiration. Since the point of a fast is cleansing the mind, body, spirit organism, we have choices in methodology. Rather than decrease the overall chi of the system through restriction of all or most food, in this approach the food ingestion shall be kept adequate to support a working schedule and other means shall be suggested to increase the amount of toxic waste elimination. Indeed, by increasing the chi of the system, toxic waste elimination can be increased.

The following list is a blueprint for a modifiable approach. Some may wish to use it one day only, or three days or ten or fourteen days at the equinox. Others may wish to "fast" one day of the week, or month or one weekend a month. If the idea of resting and detoxifying the system appeal to you, choose some that is do-able, sounds, appealing, will be enjoyable--it's an attitude that creates more chi and positively influences the system. Do it with a friend or intimate to further enhance the process. Think about it. Purchase the tools and products you may choose to use in advance and set aside a dedicated time when you can look forward to some of the following enjoyable activities.

1. For the chi of the heart and lung consider increasing laughter, singing, chanting, praying-out-loud, breathing exercises and physical exercises of your choice--yoga, tai chi, chi gung, swimming, biking, walking. Activities that one can do with an ease, enthusiasm, and peace of mind, not with a competitive intention. If you want to see a movie, choose a funny one, if people criticize, sing in the shower, in your car, or at the beach to the ocean.

2. For lymphatic cleansing, squeeze lemon juice and mix with berry juice and a little water to taste. Sugar-free berries, especially blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, and strawberry. Echinacea is useful.

3. For the skin, you may enjoy taking two saunas per week. Exercise a bit of caution, however. When you break perspiration for the first time, taste it. It will be salty. Remain a couple minutes longer, take a cool shower and return for a second go round. When you break perspiration for a second time taste it again. It will be less salty. Repeat the cycle. As soon as there is no salty taste to the perspiration (usually second, third or at the most fourth time round), you're finished. Beyond that loss of perspiration compromises the Yin of the body, the fluids of youth.

4. To allow the kidney a rest, use a vegetable bristle brush (not a loofa or a mitt, or a nylon pouf, or a sponge) and "dry brush" your skin starting on the face and working down the body including the bottom of the feet. Apply enough pressure so it "hurts good" and take two to four minutes to complete the procedure. A little more time than it takes to warm the shower water. You will notice that the Yang surfaces such as the back, back of arms, outside of the legs will take more forceful pressure than Yin surfaces of the inner arms and inner legs and belly. The skin is often referred to as the "third lung" of the body and excretes different kinds of toxic waste material via perspiration, including uric acid, which is usually eliminated through the kidney and urine. Imagine removing as much uric acid through the skin via one dry brushing as through one urination. This may not sound impressive when you do it once, but after a year of daily dry brushing you have saved the kidney the equivalent work of 365 urinations. That's a lot of energy conserved. And it feels good too!

5. To tonify the chi and structure of the body, use MINERALS. To purge toxic heat use free- radical quenching ANTIOXIDANTS. Minerals in a liquid form or in a chealated form or from a green plant form are easier to assimilate, in my experience, than from rock sources. There are many on the market. I use Golden Nectar, Mivita, or Metagenics chealated minerals. The most cost-effective antioxidants are vitamin C and vitamin E. Select the correct form of vitamin C appropriate for you metabolism and body type. There is concern about petroleum derived products as opposed to plant source derived products. Using C with bioflavenoids makes a lot of sense if anti-inflammatory properties are beneficial and there are forms of ester C and C which by-passes and do not result in adversely affecting the digestive tract. Vitamin E is available in a mycelized or "water associated" forms which bypasses the lacteals and the need to be emulsified for 24 hours before being dumped into the portal system. Instead it is absorbed through the villa of the small intestine into the blood stream and is available for immediate use in the blood stream. I use a variety of products including silymarin, mycelized vitamin E, oxygenics, Co-enzyme QlO, quercetin, bioflavenoids, pygnogenol, and green plant concentrates.

6. For the repair of the intestine lining and a major immune system support, the use of probiotics such as Lactobacillus bifidis, L. acidophilis, and immunoglobulin concentrates of whey, pectin, bentonite, different clays such as green clay, and fermented products such as fermented cabbage. In the past I was unaware of the differences in quality control in probiotics products. In the last few years more information has been published about the variation in product content so I insist on lab tests on Lactobacillus products to verify labeling claims. The amount of literature available on the importance of bowel integrity is immense from the ancient Chinese writings as well as the most up-to-date cutting edge biochemical nutritional medicine.

7. Ah, Food! My favorite. However, for now apply the KISS principle, lots of plain steamed vegetables, brown rice, and predigested proteins. Ultra balance portion, tri-aminosorb, whey, bee pollen are all useful. Choose one and stick with it. Vegetables should be in great variety. Mostly cooked for better energy. Eat on time, three times per day, portion, veggies and a whole grain.

8. For the cleansing and re-hydration of the cells and organs, drink WATER as high quality as possible, room temperature or warmer. In addition you may drink a variety or mixture of herb teas. Include chamomile, mints, stinging nettles, alfalfa, honeysuckle flower, chrysanthemum flower, green tea. Satori blends are very nice.

9. Sleep in larger doses for total rebuilding and repair of the body immune emotional complex. Go to sleep a few hours before midnight for the entire FAST.

There are certainly a lot of other procedures which you might use and a lot more products that you could choose from, but for the person in the fast lane, this is a basic blueprint from which much can be gained: improved health, a sense of self, greater energy, improved concentration, greater sense of calm, and higher spirits.

10. Use 1-3 tsp. of castor oil at night.