You moisturise your skin, comb your hair and brush your teeth, but what about your bowel health? Galina Imrie tells us why we should always look after 'number two'

Why we need to keep the colon clean
The human digestive system is a result of thousands of years of evolution. Digestive systems of people in most regions of the world are designed to grind fresh, hard foods, rich in fibre and nutrients, and low in calories, with an occasional feast on meat or fish.

The reality is that, with the exception of vegans and raw-food eaters, most of us consume our foods soft, cooked, or processed and chemically altered.

We do not have any reservations about brushing our teeth, washing our body or shampooing our hair, so grooming our second most intelligent organ should be just as important. Before we continue, there is one thing you need to be aware of: colon hydrotherapy is extremely effective, but it is not a silver bullet. Colonics is a great tool, and, as any tool, it needs to be used in accordance with its purpose.

The purpose of colon hydrotherapy is to improve and enhance your health and wellbeing, primarily by improving the functioning of your digestive system. It needs to be used in combination with other tools, such as a healthy diet, exercise, bodywork, stress management, emotional growth, proper breathing, hydration and cleansing.

Finding a qualified colonic therapist
At present, therapists are trained in the UK under the umbrella of several associations, the two main ones being I-ACT (Colon Hydrotherapy International Association) that represents about 1,800 therapists in 30 countries, including over 75 in the UK, and ARCH (Association and Register of Colon Hydrotherapists), that represents mainly UK and Ireland therapists.

With very few exceptions, colon hydrotherapy schools in the UK treat colonic irrigation as a postgraduate modality. They accept therapists who should already have prior knowledge of anatomy and experience of bodywork, and teach them the treatment technique and some of the related modalities.

Some schools practice naturopathic and holistic approaches to colon hydrotherapy, relating training to client education, other holistic treatments and nutritional advice.

• ARCH-trained colon therapists are traditionally trained on gravity colonic units and non-disposable equipment
• I-ACT schools train on FDA-approved colon hydrotherapy devices using disposable client kits only
• Our I-ACT registered school, The Chi Centre at Wellbeing Now (www.colonicschool.net)

All schools registered by these associations can be found on their websites:

www.i-act.org
www.colonic-association.org

What to expect during treatment
A lot will depend on your initial state of health and on the extent of the co-operation of your digestive system during the treatment. If you are a healthy person with a reasonably good diet, with regular bowel movement (a satisfying release at least five or six times a week), you can expect to have a comfortable and short treatment (around 30 minutes).

While the water fills your bowels, you will probably experience a 'bizarre' sensation or cramps as the wastes and the water move towards the anus for evacuation. As the treatment progresses, a longer section of the bowel will be cleared of the residual waste and you will be able to hold the water for longer, thus encouraging it to wash out the more remote recesses of your intestines.

You should bear in mind that your large bowel is approximately the same length as your body from head to toe, and that it fits into quite a small area in your body. Therefore, you should try to encourage the water to travel up and down the curves of your bowel, and 'go inland' to the extent that it is reasonably comfortable for you, removing on the way back the wastes that have accumulated on the bowel wall.

In letting the water fill your bowel, it is useful to apply the same rule that wise people use for routine muscle stretching: on an exertion scale of 1 to 10, never push your body past the 7.5 mark.

If you feel that too much water is making you really uncomfortable, you should ask your therapist to stop filling and let the water flow out. Ask for a break if you feel you need one. Remember, this is your body!

Your checklist:

• Exposure to contaminated equipment is minimised when you go to a clinic that uses fully disposable kits. This is something you should ask for when booking your treatment. The more reliable and safety-conscious clinics use medical disposal firms to collect their disposable waste. No parts of disposable kits should ever be re-used.
• To reduce the risk of water contamination, you should ask whether the clinic uses a system with a mechanical break required by some water authorities in the UK. Also ask how the mains water is filtered, because filtering water is another very important aspect of risk reduction.
• When using a closed system, the risk of bowel damage is extremely low when a professionally trained therapist inserts the speculum at the start of the treatment. Please note that insertion rules are different in the USA. The speculum is inserted to a maximum of 5-6 centimetres (or just over 2 inches) and the therapist should always ask you how it feels. You may experience mild discomfort and/or mild irritation but no sharp pain. Pain is a signal to stop!
• In the open systems, the client wriggles onto a small speculum, in a process known as self-insertion. Your colon hydrotherapist should guide you through the process to make sure it is safe.
• Whenever you book a treatment, make sure the clinic carries full public liability insurance. An insurance certificate should be available for your inspection or displayed on the premises.

Galina Imrie's book, Always Look After Number Two! A Guide To Better Health Through Colonic Irrigation And Bowel Care, published by Fotherby Press, is available through www.amazon.com