Clean your colon! All three of these methods use water to irrigate and cleanse the lower bowel or the large intestine which is referred to as colon (bowel) hydrotherapy (water therapy). The use of water irrigation for bowel cleansing is not new, it has been used as far back as ancient egypt and is even mentioned in the bible. Cleansing your colon can have many benefits, because it clears out the old before your body can absorb the toxins that it means to release. This can be very helpful in terms of detoxification, and can be a very effective remedy for constipation of any kind. Having daily healthy bowel movements is paramount for even a normal healthy person. For those of us with lyme disease or other maladies that are a source of toxins in our bodies, we must be ever more diligent in keeping the train moving 🙂 But going beyond healthy normal bowel movements into the realm of detoxification has been key in supporting my healing. I have been on “both ends” of colon hydrotherapy so to speak. I used to give treatments as a colon hydrotherapist, and I use water irrigation all the time in my own healing protocol. For me, I feel it reduces the load of toxins my body has to process, thereby lifting that burden and releasing extra energy into my system that my body can use to heal itself. And it simply makes me feel better.  I learned to do my first enema at the Ann Wigmore Institute in Puerto Rico. Ann Wigmore was a health pioneer who believed that disease resulted from two sources, 1. Over toxicity and 2. Lack of Nutrients. She left a legacy of health education in the form of cleansing and rebuilding the body using living foods and cleansing techniques such as colon hydrotherapy. At the institute we were encouraged to do daily enemas as part of our program, which I did. Along with the nutrient dense living foods, I felt a tremendous difference. I felt lighter, clearer, and healthier overall. I learned about auto intoxication that can occur when the bowel is sluggish and moving slower than it is supposed to. If your fecal matter is not expelled quickly your body can continue to reabsorb the toxins over and over until it is expelled. Once I began cleansing my colon and eating the living food diet, my bowels began to move every time I put a piece of food in my mouth! I had never had movements like that in my life. It definitely made for more energy, and a terrain that had a better chance of dealing with the lyme I was fighting. Since my time at Ann Wigmore I have used many different methods of colon cleansing. I often would get colonics myself, but the cost of doing colonics can be prohibitive. I spent my time at Ann Wigmore at the beginning of my journey with lyme disease, and thank God for that! Cleansing my colon has been one of the most effective ways to keep my system clean as well as helping me to reduce the intensity of symptoms from chronic lyme disease. There is a sense of relief that comes from these methods. I think everyone should have, at the least, an enema bag in their home. And we should all know how to utilize these ancient time tested methods for health! I believe in self sufficiency in healing, and for that reason the colema and enema are the front runners here.

The differences between the three therapies, and how to do them:

The Enema

The enema is the simplest and least invasive of the colon hydrotherapies. For it you will need an enema bag, not the fleet bottle, but the red rubber bags that are reusable as they hold more water and can be used over and over. The fleet enema pale’s in comparasn to the true enema bag, but there are also disposable enema bag products. To do an enema heat up some distilled water until it is warm to your touch, not hot, be careful with this. Set up your area in the bathroom. I usually put down a towel and a pillow, and I hang my enema bag from the door know or a handle on a drawer. You want to hang it so it is high enough to flow well, but not too high that the pressure would be too great. Lay on your right side. Use a little bit of olive oil to lubricate your anus, and insert the tip of the tube gently. Once you have done this, prepare your self with a few deep breaths, and then use the clamp to release the flow of water. You can allow the flow to continue until you feel the first urge to defecate. You can then clamp down and let that sensation pass or if you need to release get up, remove the tube, and sit on the toilette. You repeat this process until the water in your bag is all gone. While on the toilette, you can do a little massage over your colon and some stretching to help with the release. I believe most walmarts and walgreens sell the enema bag. The cost of the enema bag is around 15.00. This is the most affordable of the three therapies.

The Colema

The colema board is right in the middle, better than an enema but not as good as a colonic. The beauty of the colema board is it is closer to a colonic than an enema in terms of how thorough a cleanse you receive from it. It also allows you to lay on a board over the toilette, so you can release as your colon is filled with water. Where with an enema you must get up and down, holding the water in so not to make a mess. Colema kits also allow you to get a good 5 gallons of water flushed through your colon, which is obviously more thorough than what an enema bag can hold. This is my preferred method for colon cleansing. http://www.colema.com/setup.html The cost of a colema board kit is approx 270.00, and well worth it!

The Colonic

To do a colonic you mustgo to a wellness center in your area to receive a treatment. There are open colonic systems and closed colonic systems. If you go to a colon therapist with a closed system, they will be with you the entire session regulating the machine and working with you. In this system you lay on a table and have a tube inserted in your anus, and your fecal matter will flow out through a clear tube. In an open system, there is a basin like “bed” you lay on and the tube that is inserted into your anus only allows water to come in, but it is so small that when you release your bowels, the fecal matter and water mixture flow around the tube out into the basin under your bum. This method allows you to be alone while receiving the therapy as you only need assistance in the beginning. I prefer the open system because of the privacy factor, and I felt with a closed system that I feared releasing because it could make a big mess. Both are great and have their pro’s and con’s. Colonics typically run from 50.00 dollars a session to 75.00. If cleansing your colon is to become a regular therapy for you the cost of colonics could prove prohibitive. Which is the purpose of this blog, to explain the choices for colon cleansing available to you. The picture is of an “open system” colonic unit.