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There
are two ways of spending holidays: to travel or to go someplace
and stay there. Until not so long ago, Club Med was one of
the ways to travel somewhere, stay there and spend some similar
days, whether in Morocco or in the Bahamas, with the tranquility
of a standard service. But, in the last few years, something
as been changing in our concept of holidays. There is a sophistication
that might have started with the "new age" era (a
term that was very popular half a dozen years ago and that
no one really remembers anymore). In the new concept, the
client becomes the centre of all attentions. Therefore, no
sightseeing, no culture or tourism. This is where spas enter
the picture. They are a mixture between a beauty institute
and medicinal springs to which refinement and high prices
were added. There are spas specialized in an infinite number
of therapies, but all of them are normally associated with
the physical pleasure that any human being feels lying on
a massage bed and being covered with sumptuous creams, even
if they have to pay well for them. Actually, specially if
they have to pay well for them.
But,
is there anyone out there that will pass a cheque to do a
fast? Some months back, the Style magazine, of the british
Sunday Times, has elected the 10 best spas in the world in
various categories. For the package 'fasting, yoga and meditation',
the Style reporters chose Moinhos Velhos, open for ten years,
located in a perfect spot, close to the Barragem da Bravura,
near Lagos. It's difficult to find a vacancy for Moinhos Velhos
as they receive around 130 people per year for periods of
14 days, 10 days or 7 days. On a normal 14 days program the
fast always starts on a saturday and it ends 11 days after,
when solid food starts to be slowly reintroduced. But, in
truth, the appearance of Moinhos Velhos clients isn't, surprisingly,
one of undernourished zombies or fanatics. "The majority
of our clients are people in their thirties, with university
or collage studies, very successful careers and of great responsibility",
explains Anne Karine Moss, the norwegian co-owner of Moinhos
Velhos. Last week, 50% of the clients were from London, 80%
were in their thirties and 0% were portuguese, which confirms
the idea that we, portuguese, have an healthy fear of hunger
and, maybe, a certain reluctance about spending the tariff
that the cheapest accommodation costs at Moinhos Velhos.
Marike,
a dutch lady resident in Oman, is doing the program for the
third consecutive year. She explains: "Hunger is a terrible
thing in any human being's life. No one would stay here if
they were hungry. In fact, we actually have more energy."
Although, the program isn't only about food privation and
it's main purpose isn't weight loss. The main goal is a detoxification
of the body, through the ingestion of fruit and vegetable
juices, alternative medicine treatments and a consequent pacification
of the mind. The day starts at 7am, when it's served a glass
of water with lemon juice. Followed by a two hour period of
meditation and yoga in a small glassed construction by the
pool. The small temple, dominated by the image of Shiva, has
on it's walls a profusion of pictures and paintings of several
religious leaders, from Christ to the Dalai Lama. And, although
the hindu symbols seem to be more predominant, for being associated
with yoga, Anne Karine insists on explaining: "We are
not hindu. We are open to spirituality, but not to the organized
religious ones." Therefore, the spiritual guides are
there, to mean something to each one of us.
At
10 am, breakfast is a litre of orange juice. And at 1 pm the
second juice is served in the dining room, together with a
cup of apple juice to which we add some powders, described
as useful in excreting toxins. The fact that Anne Karine also
takes a serving of these powders is very reassuring. Throughout
the day we take other juices and tablets with specific purposes
and that also supply us with essential nutrients to avoid
a break in vitality, according to the available brochures.
At night a vegetable broth is served.
Sarah
works at the Haven Trust, one of the most reputable british
charity associations. On her thirties, she is bright, well
humored and recently divorced and she is currently cleansing
her life in general. She says that after the divorce she swept
her house of all the garbage and then she thought of doing
the same with herself. She searched the internet for a fasting
program and sent some emails to various spas in remote places.
"When i told them that i wasn't interested anymore, they
sent me some frightening emails back. Threats. Of all the
spas I looked at, I found this one to be the most professional.
I thought I was going to feel safe in the hands of these people
and I was not mistaken. You don't build something like this
carelessly nor at random."
Actually,
there is something disturbing about submitting the body to
a cleanse or to a treatment like the Bicom, for instance,
a machine invented in 1977 by a german doctor and which treats
the patient through a sort of inversion of his own vibrations.
Something that sounds as sophisticated as the machine used
by Dr. Frankenstein to make his creature. In the explanation
described in the brochure that Anne gave us, it sounds like
the latest high technology and some Medicine Nobel Prizes
are mentioned.
During
the afternoon or the morning the clients go through a series
of treatments, from the Bicom, handled by Anne Karine, to
Kinesiology with the specialist Frank Jensen (founder, with
Anne, of Moinhos Velhos). In his room, filled with various
diplomas that assert his experience as an alternative therapist,
Frank produces homeopathic remedies and works with flower
essences that, according to him, have a calming effect emotionally.
Frederick
is another Moinhos Velhos client from London. He is an attractive
young financial advisor and says he feels great with the fast.
He came to recover all his strength for another year of intense
work, and amongst his group he is the only one who isn't going
through a period of rupture. Marianne, for example, has quitted
her management job days before she arrived to Barragem da
Bravura. She started on her two year break and has a daring
project in mind. When she goes back she will: 1) redecorate
the house she bought outside of London, 2) she is going to
do a master's degree, and 3) she is going to have children.
Anne Karine says, smiling, that people come here, do the program
and go back to their busy life a lot stronger - like Frederick
- others question everything in their lives: "Some leave
their jobs, some their husbands." Sarah explains that
the 15 days that she is taking care of herself on her own,
are the best present she could possibly have. "We are
always involved in a million things and rarely concerned to
find out what is that we truly want." Is it expensive?
"It is worth every pound", Sarah says.
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