Sometimes wellness doesn't need to involve doing more.
Sometimes it can look like putting your feet into warm water, getting comfortable, and giving yourself permission to simply be still for a while.
IonCleanse® by AMD is an ionic footbath system created by A Major Difference (AMD). The system uses an array placed in warm water with your feet. Through electrolysis, the system creates positively and negatively charged ions in the water. AMD describes its technology as a way of supporting the body's natural cleansing and elimination processes.
I first encountered IonCleanse through the autism community when my son and I participated in a study conducted in collaboration between Team TMR (Thinking Moms' Revolution) and A Major Difference approximately a decade ago.
That experience introduced me to IonCleanse not as something I happened across in the wellness world, but as something I experienced firsthand during the years when I was deeply immersed in researching and exploring different ways of supporting my son. It became one of the many tools I encountered through my involvement in the autism community, conferences, practitioners, other parents, and my own family's journey.
Years later, when I began building Healing with Joy, IonCleanse was one of the wellness practices I chose to bring with me.
A typical session is simple and non-invasive: you sit comfortably with your feet immersed in warm water while the IonCleanse system runs.
And that's pretty much your entire job.
There is nothing you need to accomplish, process, breathe through, figure out, or work on. You can read, meditate, listen to music, chat, close your eyes, or simply enjoy having some time during which nobody expects anything from you.
This is usually the first thing people notice about an ionic footbath!
During a session, the water can change dramatically in color and appearance. You may see shades of orange, brown, green, or darker colors along with bubbles, foam, or particles.
It is important to understand that the appearance of the water is not a diagnostic tool, and I don't interpret particular colors as evidence that specific toxins are leaving particular organs.
Some of what you see is produced by the electrolysis process itself—the interaction between the water, salt and minerals present in the water, and the metals in the array. The water can change color even when the system is operated without someone's feet in it.
AMD developed IonCleanse as a wellness technology intended to support the body's natural cleansing processes, and the company has participated in and supported research exploring the technology and its potential applications.
My own relationship with IonCleanse comes from both that history and personal experience. At the same time, I believe in being transparent about the difference between complementary wellness practices and established medical treatment.
I don't use an IonCleanse footbath to diagnose illness, and it should not replace appropriate medical care. Instead, I offer it as one more option within a larger approach to wellness and self-care.
And sometimes its appeal is beautifully uncomplicated.
Come in. Take off your shoes. Put your feet in warm water.
For a little while, you don't have to take care of anyone or accomplish anything.
You just get to sit.
IonCleanse® by AMD Footbath • In person