Colon cleansing is a must for good health. Unfortunately colon cleansings are not generally covered by medical insurance. For some individuals the cost associated with the colon hydrotherapy sessions is simply too steep. Luckily, there is a methodology that may be followed in the privacy of your home that may not provide the exact same results as hydrotherapy, but which comes fairly close in its goal to cleanse the colon of harmful toxin and accumulated waste products.

Supporters of at home enema colon cleanses understand that any food substances that have not been evacuated from the body within 20 hours begin to putrefy and leak toxins that are taken up by the bloodstream and thus by the various organs. If you are not sure if your colon is in good working order and rids your body of food quickly enough, pay attention to your bowel movements: you should have one after each meal! This is of course not the reality for the majority of Americans, and thus the need for an enema colon cleanse is glaringly obvious.

While the how-to of a self administered enema would appear to be a common sense approach, the fact that the topic appears taboo in so many families contributes to the lack of understanding of even the simplest dynamics. Here is a step by step approach to a properly administered at home enema for colon cleansing:

1. Purchase an enema bag and tubing. These kits are available at most pharmacies and general merchandise stores.

2. Follow the directions for connecting the tubing, fill the bag with lukewarm water, and hang it from the towel rack or any other place in your bathroom that is slightly higher than you when you are seated on the toilet.

3. Place some newspaper or other absorbent material around the toilet and then straddle the toilet, bending at the waist. Gently insert the tube into your rectum and permit the water to flow into your lower intestine. Do not permit more water to enter your rectum than you can hold comfortably!

4. As the water is present, gently apply light pressure to your lower abdomen in an effort to manually loosen the fecal matter. Sit on the toilet and release the liquid and whatever matter is ready to evacuate.

5. Repeat step number four six or seven times (or however long it takes to gradually flush your colon with about one and one half to two gallons of water), kneading your lower abdomen a little harder each time, working your way from the left to the right.

Ideally, this process should be repeated twice a day for about a week, in conjunction with a high fiber diet. Interestingly, there is a lot of lore that has sprung up about enemas in general, and in connection with colon cleansing in particular, and it is important to differentiate the reality from the hype. To this end, do not use the commercially available fleet enemas since the substance is toxic and does little to contribute to the healing of your colon! Stick to saline and oil.