"Detox"

It feels right, at the beginning of a new year, to think of clearing the decks, throwing out unnecessary clutter and unwanted habits, and starting clean and fresh. However things worked out for us in the old year, whatever dissatisfactions we may have with our situation, we have the chance now to review our lives and make plans for improvement.

This 'clearing out' extends to our bodies as well. Have you noticed, at this time of year, all the talk of Detox programmes? In the media it is the topic of the moment. Having binged at Christmas, now is the time (they say) to clear the system of nasty toxins which clog it up and bog it down, and may cause future disease. We should go jogging, or do a grape fast, or book into a health spa.

But search as you might, it would be hard to find advice on how to clean the mind of the nasty things which clog it up and which fester there, leading also to serious problems in our lives. As the mind is known to have a powerful effect on the body, this is surely a good place to start, if we want health and happiness. Negative impressions we take into our minds stay there and become a heavy load; deep, unwanted habits affect our abilities at work and in relationships and make us dissatisfied and unhappy.

Until we begin to clean the mind, we often don't even realise how dirty it is - like cleaning our windows at home. We get used to them being dirty, but when we clean them, then we really notice how much light comes in, and how clear and bright the colours are outside.

So our advice for detoxing the mind is to take a course of Kirtan - chanting! Scientifically tried and tested over thousands of years, there is no surer, nor speedier method of deep-cleaning; for the maha-mantra is not only antiseptic, but also "prophylactic" - it will protect us from further contamination. As we chant, our original buoyancy and joyfulness will emerge, and spread to every aspect of our lives.

And the best thing is, that unlike detox diets, kirtan is sweet, yet you can have as much of it as you like. So if you want to lose the weight of anxiety and fight the flab of dullness, come to the Belfast Temple "Health Spa" and try it out, with the rest of us!

Kirtan every Wednesday evening 7.00 p.m. - 8.30 p.m. at 140 Upper Dunmurry Lane. Tel: 02890 287590 for details. Free of charge.