Well, first I’m going to talk about sheep’s livers, a particular sheep’s liver in fact.
I promise it’s relevant.
The Liver of Piacenza is an Etruscan artifact and dates back to the late 2nd century BC. It was used in its time for the practice of hepatoscopy, or the reading of omens.
“The outer rim of the Piacenza liver is divided into 16 sections; since according to the testimony of Pliny and Cicero, the Etruscan divided the heavens into 16 astrological houses, it has been suggested that the liver is supposed to represent a model of the cosmos, and its parts should be identified as constellations or astrological signs. Each of the 16 houses was the “dwelling place” of an individual deity. Seers would… draw conclusions from the direction in which lightning was seen. Lightning in the east was auspicious, lightning in the west inauspicious (Pliny 2.143f.).” Wikipedia
The Babylonians were famous for hapatoscopy (or divination from reading the Liver). This practice is mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel 21:21:
“For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver.” Wikipedia
Yes, it’s all in the liver.
Well, at the very least I want you to really get it that your liver is special. If you’re like most people you kinda have no idea about your liver. You may know that it is an organ of detoxification and that it sits under your right rib cage somewhere, but most days you pretty much ignore it.
What if it were so valuable you really want to take extra-special tender care of it? What if it even held secrets of the universe? What if being in touch with your liver could help you apprehend your future and live a better life? What if it were the secret to understanding the world and your place in it?
hmmm is right.
According to Tom Cowan, anthroposophical doctor and traditional foods proponent:
“Rudolf Steiner, founder of Anthroposophical medicine, theorized that the liver is the controlling organ of our fluid or life body and in fact in many languages the name for the liver is the same as the word life… for without a healthy functioning liver, life is simply not possible. The fluid body, or in Anthroposophical terms—the etheric body, is like the plant inside of us…
The Inner Plant
This inner plant controls how the fluids circulate in the body, preventing fluid congestions, swelling or dryness. This role is evident in cases of severe pathology of the liver, such as liver cancer or cirrhosis, in which one common sign is edema, especially in the legs, or acites which is fluid collection in the abdomen. This happens because the liver is not able to maintain a healthy fluid organism, hence stagnant fluid begins to collect, showing up as edema.” Tom Cowan
Your liver is your connection to your fluid or life body.
In other words,
It better be healthy and functioning if you want to be at your best in this life.
So what does all this have to do with enemas?
Stay with me and we’ll dig in right now with the basics.
A coffee enema is an ancient folk remedy using herbal hydrotherapy that helps the body heal from just about anything. It is a simple process that takes about a half an hour to complete. You can do coffee enemas regularly, once a month or once a week and up to 6 times a day depending on how you feel.
The large colon is the last part of the intestines. By the time stool gets to the colon, most nutrients have been absorbed. The large colon has important functions, including:
The effects of a coffee enema are different than a saline (salt) or water enema. The most important difference is the presence of caffeine. Caffeine, theophylline and theobromine, combine to stimulate the relaxation of smooth muscles causing dilation (opening up) of blood vessels and bile ducts.
The caffeine is absorbed much more quickly (and in higher concentration) in a coffee enema because the veins are so close to the surface in the anus. This means a fraction of the amount of coffee will act as a stimulant.
The enzymes in coffee, known as palmitates, help the liver carry away the toxins in bile acid. The coffee is absorbed and then it is taken up to the liver by the portal vein. Bile carries toxins away to the gastro-intestinal tract through the bile ducts – that are now dilated for easy passage.
At the same time, peristaltic activity is encouraged from the enema itself (as well as the coffee). Thus, when the colon is evacuated, the toxins and bile are carried out of the body immediately.
Some say that because the caffeine in a coffee enema only goes to the liver, and does not circulate throughout the body, it does not act like caffeine from drinking coffee. I have found this to be false, at least some of the time. I definitely feel a caffeine buzz after doing a coffee enema so I keep my coffee ratio very low.
Also, it depends on how you do your enema as the coffee will not have the same effect if you are able to keep it in the sigmoid colon. Here is a quote from Kristina Amelong (the enema detox heroine) of the The Optimal Health Network:
“if coffee gets beyond the sigmoid area (easy to do with deep insertion of a colon tube), the caffeine gets into my general blood circulation and I get a buzz as if I had drunk coffee — not good. This rarely happens if the caffeine stays in circulation to the liver only — i.e., the coffee stays in the sigmoid area.” (Optimal Health Network)
Caffeine also stimulates production of an enzyme used to form glutathione, one of the main components that enable toxins to be eliminated from the liver via bile. A coffee enemas accelerates detoxification and prevents stagnation of toxins in the body.
So if you have ever had the experience of feeling horribly ill when doing a cleanse you will be greatly helped by a coffee enema’s ability to assist in the carrying out of toxins that get stirred up and passed to the liver during a cleanse.
You might be interested in our Seasonal Cleanse Kit:
Hi Krista. What about children? How do you free up the liver in children? Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth!
Coffee enemas are perfectly safe for kids – just make sure to keep the coffee in the sigmoid colon so they aren’t affected by the caffeine. You will want to use a smaller nozzle and use plenty of lubricant. Also start with 1/2 T in just a pint of water. Other, perhaps less invasive ways, are to offer kids lacto-fermented Beet Kvass and bitters. They aren’t usually very fond of these flavors so coffee enemas might actually be preferable.
My kids have watched me to enemas for their whole lifetimes and at a certain point they are interested in trying it. I would start with yourself and do them without apology and explain how good they make you feel and then offer them one when you feel the time is right.
If they say no, respect it and don’t push. You could offer to let them play with the equipment – I let my kids use it in the bath once in awhile (though not all that often cuz I have to clean it carefully before and after)… and then help you make the coffee or fill the bag. My little girl used to spray me with rose water while hanging out with me during my enemas.