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There is widespread new awareness and interest in cleansing and detoxification programs, especially in the springtime when the weather warms up and people have more energy and motivation to make positive change in their lives. You may wonder, are all these cleanses great for the body, or are there some drawbacks and even potential harm to some or most of these detox approaches? In this article, we certainly advise discernment, and educate you on how the body actually detoxifies, so that your approach to cleansing is not only productive, but at times, enjoyable!

A big reason for our passion here at Shen Blossom for herbal formulas and functional foods is self-sufficiency. In addition to our focus on prevention of illness through proactively cultivating radiant health, which is the first goal of Japanese herbalism, we choose to prepare ourselves and our families for whatever life may bring our way to handle any unforeseen situation with ease and know-how.

In the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), each season of the year fulfills one of the archetypes of the 5 elements, or 5 phases. The seasonal cycle is a perpetual cycle of new growth, expansion and upward/outward movement, culmination and maturity, then back to decay/recycling of matter and energy, contraction and downward/inward movement.Like the breath itself, as we inhale to fill up with new energy and life force (Qi), then exhale out to dispel all that we no longer need, this cycle is the rhythm of life itself, a song of infinite duration, completely self sustaining, one phase feeding...

The names of the five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each of these five simple names that refer to an element of nature, also correspond energetically to their equivalents in all other aspects of nature and the universe, including: seasons, climate, tastes/flavors, the body’s organ systems and tissues, emotions, colors, vocalized sounds, stages of the cycle of cultivation/growth/harvest, and many more categories of natural phenomena.