A Glimpse into my Wellness Retreat

‘This program is designed to cleanse, restore and nourish. The aim is to give the body and mind a complete overhaul, creating internal balance while giving a boost of energy and vitality. The program is a holistic & ayurvedic approach towards balancing three wheels, physical, physiological and psychological. ‘ – Alila Diwa

Going into the program I didn’t realize how intense my schedule would be. It started around 7 am and ended at 7:00 pm, with a few breaks. Pretty intensive. But to be honest, I wanted that since I was there for a purpose and wanted the most out of it and my $$. However, when I saw the hotel and the amenities, it was tough to know I couldn’t enjoy all of it. They had a full incredible buffet included every morning for guests and complimentary cocktail hour and hor d’oeuvres between 5 and 7 pm. (I didn’t see any of it since I wasn’t allowed, but Mario told me about it after…lol) My program included the following:

1. Pre-Detox Prep
2. Body Composition Analysis
3. Nutritionally balanced juices, broths, soups and herbal supplements
4. 10 holistic and/or ayurvedic treatments
5. Daily Fitness and yoga trainer
6. Guided meditation
7. Cooking class with a certified chef
8. Art therapy
9. Emotional Assessments, including hypnosis
10. Consultations with Ayurvedic Doctor
11. Consultations with Nutrition and Diet Specialist
12. Informative Workshops and discussions with specialist and doctor

Steps in Preparing for a Detox

I found the steps to prepare for the detox fairly easy since I was already eating and drinking most what was recommended. The goal from the pre-detox is hydration, balancing PH levels, and eating alkaline forming foods. There were definitely a few tough ones though! Such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods and no meat! I share the steps with you here, so maybe you can do yours at home one day 😊 I followed this for 3 days prior to the program.

Body Composition Analysis

They began the program with a Body Composition Analysis. I was happy to learn that I was healthy on all fronts here! Especially after travelling for 6 months and not being in the same routines as back home. It’s interesting that I don’t really realize when I’m ‘in it’, how my choices (and sometimes sacrifices) in diet, exercise and healthy habits DO actually pay off. So, I will share my top results ones with you:

• Body Mass Index – 19.7 (healthy range is 18.5 – 24.9)
• Bio Age – 28 years old! (yay my body is 5 years younger than my actual age 😊)
• Body Fat – 23% ( I fall under the ‘Fit Women ‘ category – the healthy range is 21 – 24%. Those who are not doing any fitness or any intense fitness a healthy range is 25 -32%)
• Blood pressure, respiration and pulse rate all good

DONE, that was the easy part.

Daily Schedule

My general schedule was as follows:

MORNING	AFTERNOON	EVENING
Tea & Supplements	Juice #2	Emotional Therapies (hypnosis, art, other)
Yoga- studio or on the beach	Fitness	Juice #4
Juice #1	Broth	Treatment #2 – holistic of Ayurvedic massage
Discussions/Workshops with Dr.	BREAK	Soup
Coconut Water	Meditation	Reflect/Notes
BREAK	Juice #3	Tea
Treatment #1 – Holistic or Ayurvedic massage	Tea & Supplements	SLEEP

Juice, Broth, Soup & Supplements

Most of you who know me, I am constantly snacking throughout the day on nuts/seeds, fruit, bars and mostly eating high protein and high fat meals. So, the tough part for me was not eating solid foods or having ‘my meals’ and not being able to drink any alcohol or caffeine (including my green tea). Thankfully all juices, broths and soups were super delicious. There was a variety every day, so I didn’t get bored. Some of my personal favorites were:

• carrot, apple and beetroot – juice
• mint, lemon, spinach and zucchini – juice
• watermelon & basil – juice
• apple, pear, mint – juice
• fresh pea broth
• lemongrass broth

*side note: if you are trying these at home you will need a juicer. If you don’t have one then you can use a blender, but just make sure you remove the skin, seeds and add filtered water

The types of juices, broths and soups were not just a random selection. They were specifically picked based on my ‘doshas’, which are followed in Ayurvedic medicine. They believe that there are three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) present in our bodies and that health exists when there is a balance between them. It is very rare for somebody to have a perfect balance of all three (unless you are a guru). We will never achieve a perfect balance, but the idea is to closer align them. In basic terms, all the ingredients and mixtures chosen for my program were based on my specific health needs and how to better closer align my doshas (balance).

They also added herbal supplements that helped for added energy, fiber, cleansing, and nutrients. Some that I loved were:

• Wheat Grass – high in nutrients and antioxidants, alleviates inflammation
• Psyllium Husk – this added tons of fiber in my day and made me feel full!

*side note: in a normal diet (Non-detox program) you can take both if you need added fiber, antioxidants or nutrients.

Things get tough

I was surprised that by the 3^rd day I wasn’t feeling hungry. In fact, I felt full from all the liquids I was consuming! I was having a variety of juices, teas, broths and soups about 10 times a day. That was something every hour! The part where it began to get tough for me was when I was doing my daily yoga and fitness class. I could feel my energy levels lower than usual and my body strength diminishing. Since exercise is something I do day in and day out, I have high expectations on what I want to get out of it. It’s like clockwork for me. However, having an entirely different diet I realized that I couldn’t maintain the same level of workout or yoga poses than I normally can. It was hard to slow down the pace and adjust. The program includes fitness and yoga for strengthening, but not doing any SERIOUS weight lifting or 6 km runs was definitely a change for me. Once I put my high expectations aside, I felt better. My instructors were so amazing and they put me at ease. They focused on correcting my posture and taught me specific movements that aid in digestion – as this was one of my concerns coming in.

My favorite yoga poses include:

• Vajrasana – aids in digestion (hold 5 – 10 min)
• Leg raises – strengthen abdomen
• Indian Squat (Hindu Squat) – target quads , aids digestion
• Kaphal Bhedha – breathing out excess air from stomach
• Chandra Pranayama -breathing exercise to increases physical energy and revitalizes the body, helps with anxiety
• Adham Pranayama – breathing from the belly technique that improves digestion, anxiety and detoxifies. Energizes the mind

The Mind

The program really dives deep into the mind and emotional side. Another very challenging aspect for me. Between guided meditation, pranic healing, hypnosis and affirmations -things got deep. We all have our ‘demons’ or ‘history’ that makes us who we are today – both positive and negative. I was able to go to a deeper level on some topics. I am completely aware of all of them, but they at times need to be revisited. It was not easy. It was emotional, and I was 100% vulnerable (to a stranger). After each session, I was completely drained- mentally! Again, if it wasn’t for such an incredible team of professionals I would not have been able to get through it.

Some things that I am still practicing today is Twin Heart Meditation and Daily Affirmations.

Overall, this program was worth every dollar! I felt so amazing and rejuvenated once I was done. I also had a huge sense of accomplishment that I was able to complete it. I was able to get back on track with my digestion, cleanse away toxins built up over the past 5 months and learned a lot about meditation and the ‘mind’. Some lessons learned were to slow it down when I can and take it easy. Take time for myself- to reflect, to meditate and to read. Ultimately be less hard on myself, more patient and less critical by incorporating silence and affirmations in my every day.

Until next time,

MellyFit xo

UP NEXT ON THE BLOG:

• Steps for a Pre-Detox
• Selecting the right wellness program for you – My top tips