By Setareh Kiumarsi
Have you been overcome with sorrow?
Is your chest tight with a lump in your throat ready to burst?
Our body and spirit have built-in mechanisms to purge both physical and emotional toxins. When our body gets overloaded with toxins, they begin to spill out from certain openings—just like when you catch a cold and suddenly your nose, throat, and eyes release mucus and phlegm. Or when you get a fever and sweat buckets—that’s your skin flushing out waste.
But when your heart fills with sorrow, your throat fills with unshed tears, your mind with unspoken thoughts… it’s because your inner vessel has reached capacity with emotional toxins. Our body and spirit are like a bowl—with a limit. And if that bowl isn’t emptied, the toxins thicken, grow stubborn, and settle deep into the tissues—forming masses, blockages, or even illness.
So, if the bowl of your being is full—let it spill over. Let your tears fall. Don’t hold back your crying. Each tear that escapes is a drop of pain leaving your body.
Ways to Relieve Sadness
Lion’s Breath (Simhasana)
Go out into nature, or a private space, and scream. Let your vocal cords shake off the pressure. Grab a piece of paper and spill every thought, every unsaid word onto it. Don’t worry if it makes no sense. Just give your mind a chance to release.
The yoga pose Simhasana—Lion’s Breath—is deeply cleansing for emotional and energetic toxins. Try it when you feel overwhelmed.
Avoid Mucus-Producing Foods
When you’re feeling down, avoid heavy, phlegm-inducing foods like fast food, sweets, desserts, cheese, ice cream—anything that’s a combo of white flour, cow’s dairy, and sugar.
Depression and grief are “Kapha” illnesses, meaning excess phlegm builds in the head, making it feel heavy. That’s why crying feels like such a release—it flushes out that Kapha, and suddenly your head feels lighter.
But if you keep piling on phlegmy foods, your sadness becomes harder to shake.
Run it out
Go for a 20-minute run. Running burns off phlegm, calms the mind, and deepens your breath. More breath means more oxygen. More oxygen means more prana—the life force.
Make yourself a cup of “Setareh Tea”
This blend is made of mood-lifting, soul-soothing herbs. Drink it and give yourself a moment of peace.
Please be sure to credit the author, Setareh Kiumarsi, when sharing or republishing this article, which was written with love and the hope of well-being for all.
