It`s OK, go ahead and laugh, both laughing and enemas are good for your health. Laughing has probably been around longer, but we know that Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine prescribed enemas some 2,600 years ago, as did Patanjali, the first written author on yoga at approximately 200 B.C. Many cultures independently invented it and, during the pre-plastic days, hollowed- out gourds and animal bladders were used. In fact, there is hardly a region of the world where people did not discover or adapt the enema. Enemas are found in world literature from Aristophanes to Shakespeare, from Gulliver’s Travels to Peyton Place.

Coffee enemas were widely used by the German Army during World War I. Morphine supplies were limited, and nurses discovered that coffee enemas could be used to dull pain experienced by wounded soldiers. Since that time we have learned that coffee enemas are not only helpful for pain, but also help the liver remove and dump toxins. It is the circulating toxins that cause inflammation and pain by irritating the nervous system.

The liver combines toxins with bile and excretes the toxins with the bile flow. The caffeine, theobromine and theophylline in coffee dilate the ducts to facilitate bile flow. The palmitates in coffee increase the action of glutathione-S-transferase by 600% to 700% in the liver and in the small intestine. It is this enzyme that is responsible for the detoxification of free radicals and it`s also this enzyme that inhibits the re-absorption of the toxic bile. The litre of fluid held in the colon encourages the bowels to quickly move the waste out of the body by increasing peristalsis. It is easier and tastier to drink the coffee, but the effects are not the same. Only coffee administered through the colon has the effects of bile duct dilation and enzyme stimulation.

The method is easy to follow. It is important to use organic, plain coffee. Bring a litre of distilled water to a gentle boil and add three rounded tablespoons of coffee. Let it boil for five minutes uncovered, and then cover the pot, turn down the heat and simmer for an additional fifteen minutes. Turn off the heat and let the coffee cool to body temperature. Next, filter it through a strainer. Then add more body temperature water to bring the amount back up to one litre. Fill an enema container with the coffee.

You can have your enema while lying on the floor on a towel, or lying inside the bathtub. Bring a pillow for comfort, and a watch to check the time. A book or an iPod might be a good idea to have along too. The enema container should be placed above the body, so that a gentle flow is achieved. Lubricate the tube`s tip with coconut oil and gently insert it into the anus. Release the clamp on the tube and let the coffee flow in. Lie on the right side in a comfortable position. If peristaltic waves or cramping occur, deep breathing can help to relieve discomfort. Once all the coffee has passed into the body, hold it for an additional twelve to fifteen minutes.

Usually, instructions for how to take an enema suggest lying on the left side and then turning onto the back. This method would encourage the fluid to flow throughout the entire colon, and when colon cleansing is the goal, it makes sense. But the coffee enema has a different intent and so the instruction to lie on the right side has a purpose. Lying on the right best enables the coffee to be taken up by the hepatic portal vein, which travels directly to the liver, where the majority of benefits take place.

People who are sensitive to caffeine may find a mixture of half coffee and half chamomile will sooth and relax the effects. Those with ulcerative colitis should not use coffee enemas.

The Reuseable Large Volume 1500ml Bagenema Set (suitable for all types of enemas) is available.