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What Does Purifying Mean: Interpretations and Methodology
What does purifying mean to you?
Purification is needed for one to live a happy and healthy life. If you search for the most accepted definition of the word purification, you may find yourself browsing through a vast array of pages containing information about water purification and air purification methods.
But what does this word really mean if we talk about purification in general? To purify may mean different things to different people and different subgroups concerning different aspects of life.
The word “purify” to many of us reflects the art of letting go, of removing any impure elements from our environment. When speaking about the word purify from a holistic or biblical point of view, one may conclude that it is defined as to make yourself or something pure.
In order to give you a holistic interpretation of what this means, it may be better to discuss the question by looking at it in the various different key aspects of society of past and modern society.
What Does Purifying Mean in the Bible
The concept of purification in its most moral and ethical sense is to worship God and to pursue self-actualization or self-enlightenment by means of ridding ones self of uncleanliness.
According to the Bible, there are many different practices which are considered unclean to the pursuit of self-purification. Some practices considered unclean include the act of sexual intercourse, contact with dead flesh of human or animal species and also, skin diseases such as leprosy, or even contact with all things divine.
All of the examples above are classified by the Bible as sources of contamination that require purification. Some of these examples probably won’t be too difficult for most of us to give up. Don’t you think?
The rites of biblical purification are practiced in many different ways and to many different extents. First is through simple ablution, a ceremonial act of washing oneself and temporary quarantine.
There are also some ablutions that use specially prepared water, known as “lustral water” to purify the body parts. Could it be referencing water filtration?
And lastly, the most intense form of purification is by doing these ablutions. Then, letting a certain period of time to pass by before the offering of a required sacrifice. Some believe that an unclean practitioner must go through this ritual to be considered as purified again.
These purification rituals are referenced and identified in the Law of Purity (Lev. 11-16), also called as the Priestly Code. This codification of rites specifies the use of many more ancient materials to deepen the separation of those whom are truly purified from those who are considered pagan and are therefore void of the divinity of God.
We have been talking about what does purifying mean in the ancient times, mainly referencing excerpts of the Old Testament. But the major part of purification rituals have been carried over to the New Testament.
This is illustrated best by the pharisees’ eagerness for ritual purity, which became the ground of condemning Jesus.
What Does Purifying Mean holistically speaking
Purifying the mind, body and spirit is the primary goal of all yogic practitioners. Yoga is believed by yogis to achieve holistic purification and self-discipline.
Yoga was developed and is proven to assist removal of the impurities within our internal bodies. These impurities negatively impact our state of mind and prevent us from gaining spiritual liberation. This is achieved with the help of the three major yogic practices explained below.
● Asana
This practice pertains to the physical postures of yoga that can purify your body. It’s through these certain postures that may assist in the improvement of your prana or life force energy, or (blood flow) as most of us know it. These postures are also believed to increase oxygen levels to your muscle and organ tissues.
These postures are believed to massage your organs and muscles and to expel old blood and replace it with fresh blood. This fresh blood is full of oxygen and nutrients that your body needs. Whereas more dynamic poses can also help facilitate sweating and thus, result in the release of the toxins out of your skin.
● Pranayama
While the practice of Asana deals mainly with the posture of the body, the practice of pranayama deals mainly with different breathing techniques to balance and cultivate the energy throughout your body.
Each pranayama delivers different purifying effects. One such effect is known as the kapalabhati, or the Breath of fire. The practice of kapalabhati is said to purify the body by creating heat and energy movement.
Whereas alternate nostril breathing, also called “nadi sodhana”, calms and cleanses your body by reducing stress and destroying blockages in your energy pathways.
● Tapas
My ex girlfriend bought me a t-shirt with the word Tapas on it. I really didn’t understand what the word even meant until doing this research. I’m now thinking she may have been trying to lay some yoga hocus pocus on me. Nonetheless, it’s a really cool t-shirt and I’m sure her intentions were good.
This practice is believed to purify the mind and spirit of those whom practice an intensive self-disciplined life style. It basically means that by burning up the unhealthy desires of your mind will lead to a purified life. I guess she must have thought I had unhealthy desires and no self -discipline. What do you think?
Forcing your will to come into conflict with your mind is how tapas is achieved. Simply put, you have to have the will to perform an action which you really don’t want to do in the first place, and vice versa.
This call to action produces an intense “fire” that burns up both your physical and mental impurities.
There are also other yoga practices to purify and bring your physical constitutions into perfect balance including the intense cleansing practices of shatkarma or the gentler, easier ways of ayurveda.
All of these disciplines have been proven to help purify mind, body and spirit, leading to increased flow of life force energy within you and to enhance your total wellbeing and capacity to think, feel, and relate to others.
And of course, there are a variety of products available which can assist you in doing these yoga practices in the best way possible in achieving the best results. These yoga equipment and accessories include some essential oils, yoga mats, towels, blocks, straps, blankets, bags, bolsters and so on.
Whole Body Purification
While yoga deals with purifying the three important elements of total well-being, what does purifying mean when discussing whole body purification? Well, as the term implies, it refers to the internal cleansing and detoxifying of your entire body.
It’s like cleaning your insides and to make them as clean and pure as mountain spring water. This is a routine that can potentially help you live a healthier lifestyle by purifying and nourishing your body with healthy eating and drinking habits.
This particular purification also known as detoxification, removes natural toxins from your body, and enables you to maintain your healthy weight. External toxins include pollutants, chemicals, and inorganic minerals that you may face daily.
Your body may be overburdened by removing some of these toxins naturally. This purification program can further provide support in ridding the body of toxins and byproducts of your daily metabolism. It’ll also increase your vitality and good health.
By considering a whole body purification program, you may enjoy the following benefits:
- Clear thinking
- Better digestion
- Increased energy
- Less bloating
- Improved weight management
- Better sleep
This program significantly emphasizes that nourishing yourself with nutrient-rich foods and taking a great combination of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants will promote optimal health.
Other Specific Ways to Purify ones Health
While discussing alternative holistic approaches of purifying it’s also a good idea to discuss more specific approaches to purification.
Air Purification
Are you aware that the air inside your home can actually be dirtier than the air outside of it? The trapped moisture or humidity in your house can lead to mold formation and mold spores. Additionally, any forced-air cooling and heating systems have the tendency to circulate dusts throughout your house. That’s not good for anybody!
Second hand smoke, outdoor allergens and pollen can add contaminants into your house through your open doors and windows. High concentrations of these air pollutants may be harmful to you and those you love. Children and those who suffer from other respiratory difficulties are more prone to experience the ill effects of air contaminants.
Reducing the contaminant concentrations will also reduce dirty air in your home. One way to achieve this is through the usage of an air purifier. It also alleviates the problems you face with your beloved pets, such as hair, dander, dust, and dust mites. With their constant scratching and shredding, it’s undeniable that they also contribute to the contaminants in the air inside your home.
Also known as an air cleaner, air purifiers are proven to remove unwanted pollutants from the air. This device is widely available on the internet. It also comes in many different types that perform different purification methods and functions.
Below, we will discuss the four most common types of air purifiers that you might want to consider.
- Furnace Air Filters
Furnace air filters are typically a big part of all HVAC systems. They can be very effective in removing particulates from the air. Filters are usually placed between the furnace and the air return duct. They may also be placed into the air dispensing vents in all the rooms of your house. You may opt for very dense filters which have smaller gaps if you want to filter out very small particulates from air.
- Ionizing purifiers
This kind of air cleaner employs a small yet intense electrical field called corona discharge. It attracts and detain molecules from the air by turning them into charged molecules or (ions).
Dust and other air contaminants with larger particles are more likely to become ionized as they tend to be bigger targets as they pass through the electrical field.
- Adsorbents Filters
This type of air purifier filter uses the same process of adsorption as used in water filtration. These adsorbent filters eliminate odors and fumes in the air.
Activated charcoal is the most commonly used adsorbent material due to its porosity and high surface area. Most air contaminants are drawn into the pores of the charcoal and get trapped, while letting the clean air to pass through.
- Ultraviolet radiation
UV lights are featured in many air purifiers and are utilized because of their ability to render the harmful microorganisms in the air sterile. It bathes the air passing through it with ultra violet light and renders airborne bacteria and viruses harmless.
Each of these types of air purifiers has its own benefits to offer if used properly. Just keep in mind all of the important factors that relate to your particular situation. This will help in deciding which system will work best for your entire family.
Water Purification
What does purifying mean when it comes to drinking water? The notion of water purification is similar to that of purifying the air for you to breathe safely. The aim is to remove impurities, physical contaminants, and dissolved solids from the water to make it safe to drink.
More likely than not, you’re aware that water supplied to your home comes from different sources. Some of those sources may not be not suitable for consumption. This is why water purification process is very crucial to prevent ingestion of potentially harmful and toxic substances that may come along with the water.
These potentially toxic substances may include lead, fluoride, arsenic, some pesticides, chemicals, bacteria and viruses. Employing a proper water purification system may reduce the concentrations of such contaminants up to 99%.
The World Health Organization reported that around 1.8 million people die because of diarrheal illness annually. One of the causes noted is due to contaminated water.
It has also been acknowledged that the best prevention to address this problem is by drinking clean water. So, it’s not surprising why most homeowners consider using water treatment technology. Many users claimed that it’s effective in removing impurities, purifying the water and making it safe to consume.
Some of the widely used water purification methods include the following:
- Reverse Osmosis (RO) Filtration Method
A popularly known process of purifying water is by using RO technology. This method utilizes semipermeable membranes to remove many known contaminants from the water. This purification method is effective in removing the most impurities.
The membranes filter out large molecules of contaminants while letting the healthy water to pass through. The result is a pure water that is safe to drink.
- Ultrafiltration (UF) Process
This water purifier usually comes with hollow shell or membranes which feed the water flow. As the water passes through the membrane, suspended impurities and pathogens are retained, providing you with purified water for safe consumption.
It does not use electricity or chemicals to purify your water. The most economical products available for this kind of purification process are the gravity water purifier and water filter pitchers.
- Ultraviolet (UV) Filtration
As the name suggests, UV purifying process uses a high-power UV lamp to effectively kill harmful bacteria and viruses. Water is safe since it has been reported to disinfect 99.9% of its microorganisms.
Final Thoughts About what Does Purify Mean
In conclusion, “purify” can mean various things. What’s commonly agreed upon all these is that it’s the process of cleaning and freeing something from any impurities.
Whether it’s from the biblical, holistic, or specific term of view, we can all agree that purification is essential to living a happier and healthier life.
It’s also abundantly clear that we as a society must be informed about impurities that exist in our environment. We should also be aware of the methods available to us to rid potential pollutants that may threaten our well-beings and health.
Our mission here at Best Purification is to do just that. We bring these toxic issues to surface and provide logical advice. We also provide products that’ll help make our world a better, safer and healthier place to live.
Last update on 2023-01-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
About the Author Jack Wilson
Jack Wilson is a water treatment consultant as well as a topic researcher and post editor for all posts on bestpurifiation.com.