a. Waste material, especially that which has remained in the colon for some time, (i.e. impacted faeces, dead cellular tissue, accumulated mucous, parasites, worms, etc.), poses several problems. First this material is quite toxic (poisonous). These poisons can re-enter and circulate in the blood stream making us feel ill, tired or weak.

b. Impacted materials impair the colon's ability to assimilate minerals and bacteria- produced vitamins. A build-up of material on the colon wall can inhibit muscular action causing sluggish bowel movements, constipation, and the result of these disorders. Once impacted material is removed, your colon can begin again to co-operate as it was intended to. In this sense a Colonic is a rejuvenation treatment.

c. It exercises the colon muscles: The build-up of toxic debris weakens the colon and impairs its functioning. The gentle filling and emptying of the colon improves peristaltic (muscular contraction) activity by which the colon naturally moves material.

d. It reshapes the colon: When problem conditions exist in the colon, they tend to alter its shape, which in turn causes more problems. The gentle action of the water, coupled with massaging the colon helps to eliminate bulging pockets of waste and narrowed, spastic constrictions finally enabling the colon to resume its natural state.

e. It stimulates reflex points: Every system and organ of the body is connected to the colon by reflex points Colonics stimulate these points, thereby affecting the corresponding body parts in a beneficial way.

f. It can help to release old emotions that are stored in our 'gut'.

Cleansing the colon goes back thousands of years. It is as wholesome as brushing your teeth. Many people, many more than you realize, would greatly benefit from taking an Colonic once a week or going to a Holistic colon therapist once a month. I really do think that, optimally, most of us should be having at least one evacuation, with 10-20 cm long stools, leave our colon daily. I see so many people who are afraid to talk about their bowel habits with others, even those close to them.

There are many reasons for adults to take Colonics or implants. These reasons include constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and other related chronic illnesses, to reduce a fever, to overcome the flu or other acute illnesses, to relieve constipation during pregnancy, in combination with a fast, imbalanced colon flora, and in preparation for a colonoscopy or other medical procedures. This is just a short list.

Because we very gently flush the colon with up to 60 litre of water and massage and stimulate pressure points at the same time, we will be able to work loose and eliminate far more toxic waste than any other short-term technique.

In a way, the answer to that is a commentary on our present-day lifestyle. Historically, artefacts and records show that people have regularly purified their bodies, including cleansing the colon. Around the turn of the 20th century, the present-day colonic machine was developed, providing a significantly improved method of accomplishing colon cleansing.

Up to the late 1920's many doctors had colonic machines in their offices, and machines were found in hospitals as well. Colonics were used frequently. Articles dealing with colon health frequently appeared in prestigious medical and scientific journals until the early 1930's. At that time modern man began a 50 year love affair with drugs and surgery. These seemed to offer relatively instant relief for body ailments, resulting in purification and prevention techniques becoming less attractive.

Recently, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in using natural approaches for healing the body, and Colonics and enemas have rapidly been regaining the respectability they have already earned.

We all love our children very much and want the best for them. When we are faced with a constipated child, it is sometimes confusing to figure out what to do. For instance, moving the bowels on a regular basis is crucial to optimal health and often solutions in the realm of alternative health do work.

Colonics are not for children under the age of 14; With the very young, I use diet and homeopathics daily or when needed and Enema only very occasionally and of course with very little water or a ayurvedic oil enema. With older children, I have found that taking things slowly, and exchanging ideas with them, so they can take the tool on as their own, really works the best. You have to look at it as a long-term project and be relaxed and warm. Best is to consult with your doctor, naturopath or Holistic Colon Hydrotherapist.

The bottom line is that you have access to a lot more water during a colon hydrotherapy session (40-80 litre) versus the 2 litres that your average Colonic bag holds. Colon Hydrotherapy, done well, is often a better tool to get the intestinal muscles to start pumping or 'peristalting'. Often, the number one goal of colon cleansing is to get the gut muscles to expand and contract rhythmically, just like the heart. This action is the key to getting out the right amount of stool daily. When a colonic is taken using the 'closed system' you can use the tubing to stimulate peristalsis in an effort to retrain the colon.

Enemas done well, can be also very effective and are much more cost effective. Given experience and patience, enemas can clean out the entire colon just as a colonic would. It just takes some work and you have to know what you are doing.

I promote both for different reasons, which include effectiveness, cost, personal preference of the client, health goals, how often one needs the treatments, etc. I think both are very useful and often best used in conjunction with each other. If you like to know more about enemas to to our Enema Info Website.

Does your colon now exhibit the signs of a well functioning colon? If not, some Colonics or one or more sessions with a knowledgeable Holistic colon therapist may bring you great dividends.

There are some excellent products available that will clean your whole intestinal system. I mainly recommend AIM Herbal Fibreblend because of it's effectiveness and ease of use. It takes about 3 month. If you are after a faster solution I recommend oxygen cleanse based on magnesium oxide. It is one of the best cleanses around. Click here for more information on oxygen cleansing.

We want to state that constipation can be successfully treated with natural, harmless techniques, including the use of Colonics and enemas. Constipation is one of what may be termed "civilized man's diseases".

There are three factors involved in having a well functioning colon: diet, exercise and attitude. All three must be in balance for the colon to function well. Often, however, because the colon has been sluggish for so long, it has become severely weakened due to being constantly bathed in toxic waste, stretched from holding excessive amount of stools, and frequently, constricted by chronic tension in the colon.

For chronic constipation I suggest a few sessions of colon hydrotherapy in combination with the right herbs first, as it is excellent for cleansing and healing the colon sufficiently so that changes in diet, exercise, and attitude are then able to produce their effects. Many people find the relief provided by this stimulates the motivation and enthusiasm to institute positive changes in their lifestyle.

Your skin actually "breathes" and is an important organ of elimination of waste material. Sometimes, if the colon, liver or kidneys are functioning poorly, the skin will be required to make up the difference. Surface eruptions on the skin of various sorts may occur due to toxins being released.

Cleansing and healing the colon diminishes the burden placed upon the skin as well as the other organs of elimination: lungs, liver and kidneys. As elimination is accomplished through its proper channels, the skin will very often clear up. Coffee Enemas are great for the skin. See also liver and kidney cleanse

Colonics can start you on a very beneficial educational process. You can learn to expand your awareness of your body's functioning by including signals from your abdomen, your skin, your face and even from that most taboo of natural products, your eliminations.

You will find that you can spot the beginnings of developing conditions through clues from these body regions and functions before they become serious. You can deal with them sooner and more easily than you otherwise might if you waited until they produce effects seen elsewhere in the body.

Also, the solar plexus is the emotional center of the body and the transverse colon passes right through it. If an emotional event is left uncompleted, it often results in physical tension being stored in the solar plexus, which affects all organs of the area, including the colon. This ongoing tightening of the colon muscle results in diminished movement of faecal material through the colon, which is experienced as constipation.

Not only can Colonics alleviate the constipation, they can assist you in creating a fully holistic view of your body's functioning, leading to a better quality of life.

Colon cleansing, combined with diet and a cleansing program, are excellent tools to achieve and maintain your ideal weight.

The crucial point to understand here is that when you diet you often release toxins into the colon that are reabsorbed by the liver. This is one of the factors that makes you crave the foods that you are trying to stay away from, that makes you feel kind of crummy.

When you move waste out of your body more quickly and often more efficiently with Colonics, you feel better; this tends to increase the motivation to stick to your program. I highly recommend Colonics as part of a successful and healthy weight loss program.

For a short time (up to one hour) you might need to be close to the toilet, depending on how much waste got loosened up during the Colonic and how much water you used. The most frequent post-Colonic experience is to have a slight delay in your next bowel movements and then a resumption of a somewhat larger, easier to move stool.

Sometimes, if the colon is weak and sluggish, there may be no bowel movement for several days following a Colonic. However this is not due to the Colonic (if done correctly), but rather to the weakness of the colon, and should be interpreted as an indication that the colon requires strengthening and healing.

Most people go back to normal and improved bowel movements after a series of Colonics.

The truth is that the washing out of putrefied material in the large intestine, increases the good intestinal flora. Good bacteria can only breed in a clean environment, which has been washed free of putrefaction and its accompanying harmful bacteria. This is why the intestines of a newborn baby immediately begin to grow good intestinal flora.

Each time you clean out the putrefying rubbish and make a better environment for the good flora, they start to multiply immediately in their natural media. It also stands to reason that valuable nutrients can better be absorbed in a clean environment than in a putrefied one.

If you have a lot of Colonics or If there is Candida present I recommend an implant with probiotics.

The removal of stagnant waste material and hardened, impacted toxic residue can rejuvenate the immune tissue that resides in the intestines. Recent European studies speculate that 80% of immune tissue resides in the intestines.

This is much higher than previously thought and makes it logical to believe that this type of therapy could positively influence immune deficiency diseases. Colonics are not a cure-all, but an important adjunctive therapy in your overall health care.

The Colonic is a tool intended to be used to create a clean and healthy colon. You should set a goal of having a well-functioning colon.

Your fulfilment comes from assisting yourself in healing your colon, not in making yourself dependent upon Colonics. Actually, one of its features is that a Colonic can be used to tonify the colon muscle (if done correctly!) so that the colon doesn't perform so sluggishly.

Many people have sluggish colons. It can take sometimes days for bowel movements to return after a good Colonic. This is when people think they are becoming "dependent" on Colonics. A good Colonic can be worth 2 or 3 regular bowel movements, so it may take some time for faecal material to build up in the colon once again if one has a sluggish colon.

When the colon is sluggish and bowel movements do not return for a few days after one Colonic, it is an indication that extensive colon work is needed to remove the debris that the bowel has built up over the years. This build up of faecal material has decreased the muscular action in the colon. Colonics can give you a feeling of being lighter, cleaner and healthier with a sense of well-being.

Cleansing and building programs offer preventative measures so that you can be in control of your own health. Dietary changes are often necessary to ensure long lasting and vital health.

A good Colon Hydrotherapist will use either hospital grade desinfected speculums or single use tubing. Water will be generally filtered before it goes into your colon.

Even though most people drink tap water without hesitation they are still concerned with the water quality going into their rectum. Generally if it is safe to eat with your mouth it is safe to rectal feed.

Being an essentially natural process, there is virtually no danger with an Colonic. Make yourself familiar with the topic of Colonic and educate yourself as much as possible.

Colonics done correctly with a caring therapist can be of great value and are not dangerous at all.

I guess, this depends if you feel that it is embarrassing to go to the toilet. It is a very natural process after all. When you go to the toilet you usually generate a smell which can be worse when you eliminate toxic waste, but due to the closed system used there will be no smell.

Think of the therapist like a doctor or nurse, you wouldn't be embarrassed in hospital as you know that it is their job and they do it all the time. They've seen it all, believe me. Tell your family that you are going to have an Colonic. Be honest about it, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

You are doing the right thing, looking after your health.

Many people are scared of Colonics. Truly, you don't need to be. Of course, your experience is influenced by which of the tools you use, who you are with, how many times you have done it, and the state of your health. But, most often, people feel great after they have an Colonic. If you don't feel great, this is a sign that your colon is struggling. I hope this motivates you to really take your health seriously.

Done thoroughly, you will eliminate fully enough during the Colonic that you will not find yourself having to run to the toilet unexpectedly.

Most people don't have pain during the Colonic but a few do in the form of short cramps because of wind in the colon. Breath deeply into the pain and tap the area lightly. Usually, painful experiences are the result of resistance and tension.

Most people actually enjoy Colonics and are especially pleased with the unaccustomed sensation of feeling lighter, clean and clear afterward.

Sometimes during an Colonic the colon muscles will contract suddenly expelling considerable amounts of liquid and waste into the rectum. This may feel like cramping or gas, and may create a feeling of urgency to empty the rectum. Let go and let your therapist take care of everything.

Healthy babies, animals and adults not subjected to the "refinements" of civilization have bowel movements shortly after each meal is eaten. So, assuming there is sufficient fibre and water available to the colon, one characteristic is a bowel movement shortly after a meal is eaten (we are talking full meal not snack).

Once the urge to eliminate is honoured by a trip to the toilet, the elimination should be easy and take no more than a few seconds. The stool will be long, large in diameter, light brown in colour, without offensive odour and should float just below the surface or sink very slowly. When the toilet is flushed, the stool immediately begins breaking apart by the action of water movement.

This is true and commonly experienced in cultures where people live more naturally. PS: if you are a sun eater, breatharian etc your motions will be considerably less.

This condition is prevalent in all civilized societies.

Common signs include: headaches, backaches, constipation, fatigue, bad breath, body odour, irritability, confusion, skin problems, abdominal gas, bloating, diarrhoea, sciatic pain, and so forth.

As you can see, intestinal toxicity is part and parcel of many people's everyday experience.

Yes it is, but toxicity is not limited to just the colon. Toxic material is found throughout the body, particularly in fat tissue, joints, arteries, muscles, liver, etc.

Colonics can effectively eliminate small quantities of toxic waste, affecting the condition of the entire body. To remove larger quantities a proper cleansing program has to be followed. Ask your health care professional about this.

While the lungs, skin, kidneys and liver also serve to eliminate toxins, people have experienced throughout history that when they ensure that the colon is cleansed and healed, the well-being of the whole body is greatly enhanced.

Colonics have been found to be one of the most effective process available to accomplish this work quickly and easily. Supported by skin brushing, kidney and liver cleansing as well as proper breathing you will feel fantastic.

Well, every thing has its proper place, but these things aren't substitutes for Colonics or enemas.

Enemas are useful for short-term release of the colon. Usually, one or two litres of water are used to do that and it will of course not work as deep as a colonic which uses 40-80 litre in one session.

Suppositories and laxatives particularly herbal laxatives, are formulated for various purposes, such as: to undo the effects of temporary constipation, to prepare for surgery, etc. A lot of those can make you dependant.

Talk to your Colon Hydrotherapist or alternative health care practitioner about it.

This varies, dependant upon the country and type of Colonic, between (US$40 - US$150) Although cost is obviously relevant, your health is far more important.

Since your abdomen will be massaged it is a good idea to eat or drink lightly in the time immediately preceding a Colonic, best to stop all intake 2 hours before the session.

Emptying the rectum with a bowel movement just prior to the Colonic if you can permits more to be accomplished.

It can take between 30 and 50 minutes, depending on yourself and the practitioner.

You should use filtered water. This kind of water is capable of absorbing and flushing more toxins out of the colon because of its drawing effect on solid particles, chemicals and other matter.

Tap water is not used because it already has numerous chemicals and inorganic substances present.

Some practitioners like to add oxygen, if you take oxygen based cleansers your system already gets extra oxygen.

It will probably never be completely empty, as it’s an organ in continuous use.

As more of the old impacted material is released you will actually feel the water enter higher regions of the colon without any sense of obstruction.

The objective should not be an empty colon, but rather a well functioning colon.

Almost never.

a.) Many of us have a considerable amount of impacted faeces in our colon. This is hardened, rubbery or wallpaper like material. Substantial work must be done to remove it.

b.) There is a subtle learning process involved in having Colonics. As you become more aware of what is going on in your abdomen, and as your body learns how to allow the cleansing experience, you are better able to enter into that process, and therefore more material is released. One Colonic will remove some of the stagnant waste in the colon. The second and subsequent Colonics will remove more. How many you may wish to have will depend upon your personal objectives.

Remember that Colonics are only a tool to be used for a short time. Don't get dependant on them.

This is a question that can only be answered on an individual basis. You are a unique individual with unique needs.

In order to answer this question, one should look at their health and lifestyle history, their diet, their goals, their economic situation, and their present lifestyle.

One very important guide when thinking about the use of colon cleansing is to realize that it is a powerful emotional tool that often allows the person to frame a difficult lifestyle change, thus promoting a successful program that brings more self-directed motivation.

I highly recommend to clean your colon at least once a year with a good cleansing program. This can be any type of fasting or herbal cleanses, depending on your body type. During that time you can have more Colonics or see a Holistic Colon Hydrotherapist.

Often the waste is so hard and deeply lodged in the colon that a series of Colonics may be necessary to sufficiently soften and loosen it. I know people who are cleansing regular for 15 years and they still have mucoid plaque coming out of them with major cleanses.

Properly done Colonics also stimulate the liver, kidney and lymph system to dump toxins.

Remember, Colonics are not intended to replace your bowel movements. You want your bowel to do the work.

Once your system becomes cleaner you get a renewed sense of how you ought to feel, which will help you to know for yourself how often you should clean your colon.

We suggest that you eat at your normal mealtime, and consume a moderate amount of whatever seems gentle and nourishing to you.

Just as it doesn't make sense to have your car cleaned and then immediately drive it through mud, eating a meal known to cause trouble in your abdomen directly after a Colonic isn't an intelligent choice.

Something light like salads, vegetable soups or broths, fruit, or juices are the best choice.

Most likely, you'll feel great. Probably you'll feel lighter and enjoy a sense of well-being.

As soon as the Colonic is finished you can carry on with your daily routine. For some, the Colonic may trigger several subsequent bowel movements for the next few hours, but there won't be any uncontrollable urgency or discomfort.

I generally recommend to have some time for yourself in case you feel like some quiet time after the Colonic.