After a long winter of indulgence, your body may be in need of hitting the reset button. To guide this detox, Colombo-based Yogi Amrita Amalean offers these poses to help our bodies begin anew. 

"The traditions of yoga reach back thousands of years, widely recognized in India where people use it to maintain physical and spiritual well being," said Amalean. "It is only recently, however, that its rich healing properties have been marked in Western society - and with research and scientific principles to back data up, we today can understand more about what it does for our bodies".

Amalean urged that certain yoga postures activate the lymphatic system, which is the body’s plumbing and removal system. This activation flushes out toxins, eradicates pathogens and boosts immunity. 

Gravity also plays a role in detoxification, so inverted postures such as headstands or plow pose can be beneficial to aid in lymph movement. "This reverse blood flow is an excellent way to expel toxins from the bottom up," said Amalean. 

Try these postures below to eliminate toxins, rinse and flush out pathogens - leaving you feeling your best going into a new season. 

Legs up the wall pose: (Viparita Karani) – Lying on your back, position your bottom a few inches from a wall, extending your legs up the side of the wall. This pose works wonders to reserve blood flow, flushes out lymph fluid build up behind the knees and groins

Shoulder stand: Using a folded blanket beneath your shoulders, lie on the ground with your knees bent and feet planted by the sit bones. As you exhale, press your arms into the floor and push your feet away from you, drawing your thighs into your chest. Inhale while slowly straightening the knees, floating your heels to the ceiling until your legs are straight up. Hold for 30 seconds. 

Marichyasana twists- Sitting down with your legs straight out in front of you, bend one knee with the your foot planted into the ground. Keep the straightened leg rotated inward with the foot flexed upward, while the bent foot swings over the leg to twist over the straightened one, creating a front twist in your torso. Wrap your opposite arm around the bent leg, pressing fingertips into the floor to deepen the twist. This tones and massages the abdominal organs and improves functioning of pancreas, kidneys, and intestines.