I do castor oil packs as a kind of routine about three times a year.
The way I do it is:
Three days a week, then four days off, repeated for three weeks, followed by one week of rest.
I’ve heard that ideally, this routine is often continued for around three months, but honestly, that feels like quite a lot.
You have to be careful not to get oil on your sheets or clothes, and the laundry can be a bit of a hassle too.
So for me, I do a three-week cycle every now and then when I feel like I want to reset and take care of my body.
Interestingly, when I keep doing it, I start to notice a certain feeling.
Like, “Hmm… I feel like something has built up in my body.”
Of course, I don’t know whether “toxins” is the medically correct word, but in my case, there are times when I feel:
My body feels heavy
I get puffy easily
Fatigue lingers
My mood feels cloudy
When that happens, I sometimes think, “Maybe it’s time.”
Especially now, I feel like menopause has really started to arrive, and I can sense my body changing.
I still think my symptoms are relatively mild, but I do experience occasional hot flashes, where I suddenly feel very warm. My body also feels strangely stiffer than before, and there are times when my head feels foggy and it’s harder to concentrate.
On top of that, my cholesterol levels started going up a few years ago.
When I was younger, I could push myself a bit and somehow manage. Maybe my circulation and overall balance were working better back then, because I didn’t notice many problems.
But once I reached my 50s, I gradually started to feel:
“This is not the same body anymore.”
It’s said that a decrease in female hormones, especially estrogen, can affect metabolism, circulation, sleep, mood, cholesterol levels, and more. So perhaps these changes are part of a natural transition.
That’s why I feel this may be a time not to keep pushing myself in the same way I used to, but to find care that suits the body I have now.
Actually, just yesterday as I was writing this, I was feeling a little down.
There wasn’t any major reason. I just felt emotionally heavy and unmotivated.
Maybe it was menopause, maybe fatigue, or maybe a combination of many things.
And I don’t know if it was a coincidence, but yesterday happened to be the first day of the third week of my castor oil pack routine.
I did the pack at night and went to sleep.
The next morning, I felt:
“Wait… do I feel a little lighter?”
Of course, it may have been coincidence.
Maybe I simply slept well.
Maybe it was the sense of comfort from knowing I had taken care of myself.
But it felt like not only my body, but also my mood, became a little lighter.
Menopause affects not only the body, but also emotions. So when something gives me even a small feeling of relief, it helps.
Whether or not you believe in it is completely personal, but for me, castor oil packs may be more than just a way to care for my body. They may also be a quiet time to care for myself.
And in my case, the effect I notice most from castor oil packs is relief from constipation.
I often feel my stomach start to move, and within the next day or a few days, I usually have that “Oh, here it comes” feeling.
Of course, everyone’s body is different, and I’m not making any medical claims about its effects. But for me, it is one of the natural health practices that seems to suit my body.
