Fasting & Detoxification

THE GOAL WITH OUR FASTING PROGRAMS IS TO EFFECT A TOTAL DETOXIFICATION AND PURIFICATION ON ALL LEVELS:

PHYSICAL * MENTAL * EMOTIONAL * SPIRITUAL

The spiritual aspect of the fasting programs is very important to us. We begin and finish every day with meditation, and before every juice we chant Om and Om Namah Sivaya, the latter representing the destruction of the old for the new and purified soul to come into being. Yoga is an integral part of our fasting programs. We are affiliated with the Sivananda Yoga Association, but we do not identify, nor are we connected with any religion or sect.

We do feel connected to the earth and the sun, the devas and the nature spirit and we want to work in harmony with all living things. All of our fasting produce is organically grown and we do not allow any pesticides or chemically fertilizer on our soil. Our fasting programs are of two weeks duration. We have been conducting these programs for the past twenty years (14 at Moinhos Velhos) and after experimenting with various options we settled for the two weeks fasting formula. However we can accept clients for one week or 10 days.

Yoga and Meditation Temple

 

We limit participation in our fasting programs to ten to 12 clients in each group. Thus we can give each and every one of you the individual attention  that you need and deserve. Our staff is highly trained and have all  been involved in holistic health for many years.

Type of Fast

There are many types of fasts. There is the water fast, the fruit fast, the rice fast, the juice fast, the grapefruit fast, even the prana (air) fast. We have tried them all, and the last one was tough. All the fasting programs have something to offer, but it is generally accepted that for a preventive and curative effect a liquid fast gives the body the best opportunely to detoxify and regenerate.   Fasting is not a cure. It is a process that facilitates the body's healing mechanisms. It is a gift to an overburdened body. It is extremely effective in creating an internal environment where the body can do what it does best - heal itself.   If you tried it once, you know why so many people do it.   We believe that many health problems are caused, or made worse, by un-healthful accumulations within the body. These accumulations may be in the form of chemical toxins such as PCB's, Dioxin, pesticide residue, etc, or normal metabolic products that are present in abnormal amounts. Which is why fasting is so important One of the most common questions asked is about fasting and metabolism. The fear is that while fasting, the metabolism will slow down and afterward there will be more weight gained than before the fast. Initially, any calorie reduction will cause a lowering in the BMR or base metabolic rate. Cleansing will bring health that will increase metabolic performance and energy output. In other words, you will eat less and feel more energetic. After fasting, the body is more efficient. Digestion is better due to a cleaner colon. The colon walls have been cleansed of impacted feces, allowing improved absorption of nutrients. The good news is that greater efficiency equals enhanced energy. Healthy people burn more calories. They also eat less because they are more active and feel better about themselves. They don't need food as a security blanket. All organs and glands get a much-needed and well-deserved rest, during which the tissues are purified and rejuvenated and the functions balanced and regulated. The entire alimentary canal (stomach, small intestines, large intestine/colon) is swept clean, and what comes out the lower end should astonish and disgust the first-time colon cleanser/faster sufficiently to make fasting coupled with colon cleansing irrigations a lifelong habit. Perhaps the most important benefit of fasting is that it thoroughly cleans and purifies the bloodstream The ancient Greeks fasted for health and longevity, and were known for their robust physical health. Galen, Paracelsus and Hippocrates, who are recognized as the founding fathers of Western medicine, prescribed and practiced fasting for all serious ailments. Pythagoras required his students to fast for 40 days to purify body and mind prior to receiving his highest teachings. Plato and Aristotle, whose thought forms the very warp and woof of Western philosophy, fasted regularly to enhance physical health and stimulate mental powers.

 

In Plato's words...

I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency.

 

The Bible mentions fasting 74 times, and Jesus himself fasted frequently, sometimes up to 40 days at a time. He recommended fasting and colon cleansing to restore the body to health. From The Gospel of Peace of Jesus Christ we quote:

And from all the temptations of your body and your spirit , coming from Satan, withdraw beneath the shadow of God's heaven. Renew yourself and fast. For I tell you truly that Satan and his plagues may only be cast out by fasting and prayer. And fast till Beelzebub and his evils departs from and all the angels of our earthy mother come and serve you. For I tell you truly, except you fast, you shall never be free from the power of Satan and from all diseases that comes from Satan.

Jesus further recommends colonics. Quote:

Think not that it sufficient that the angel of water embrace you outward only. I tell you truly, the uncleanness within is greater by much than the uncleanness without. And he who cleanses himself without, but within remains unclean is like tombs that outwards are painted fair, but are within full of all manners of horrible uncleanness and abominations. So I tell you truly, suffer the angels of water to baptize you also within, that you may become free from all past sins, and that within likewise you may become as pure as the river's foam sporting in the sunlight.

 

Jesus then goes on to describe how to make and do a gravity colonic. So colon cleansing is not something new, but has been practiced for over 2000 years. If diseases were caused by impurities and toxins 2000 years ago, how much more vital must it not be to fast and cleanse today, when we live in a world putrefied with chemicals and toxins. I saw an article some time ago in a London newspaper, which claimed that a person living in London, UK is exposed to 500 different toxins every day. Children today are born with toxic blood:   Upon reading the Gospel of Peace, a copy of which was given to us by a friend after we had settled at Moinhos Velhos, I understood why Jesus had guided us to establish a Fasting Health Retreat in Portugal. We were living in Spain in 1991, practicing Holistic Alternative Therapies, (although Anne Karine was still peddling back and forth to her part time job as a Logistic Superintendent on a gas rig in the North Sea) when during channeled meditation sittings and use of the Oja board, we were guided to go to Portugal. For some time we had been looking for a location to establish a Health Retreat, where people could stay to experience the wonderful therapeutic benefits of the combination of Fasting, Yoga and Meditation, Alternative Therapies, Sauna, Pool and Nature walks. Nobody anywhere seem to offer this powerful combination, our experience with this we wanted to share with others. We could not find a suitable location in Spain. Then the messages started coming through to go to Portugal. When in one sitting we asked who our Guides were, one was Ervina? from Estonia, whom we had never heard of, and the other was Jesus Christ. That surprised us. I (Frank) asked: You are Jesus Christ from Nazareth who lived 2000 years ago? The answer was: Yes. I can still remember the hair standing up on the back of my neck. But, I said, I am not a Christian. I do not believe in organized religion. I am a yogi, my name is Parameshwara, my mantra is Om Namah Sivaya. I was truly amazed that I should be communicating with the spirit of Jesus Christ. Upon reading The Gospel of Peace, I could understand why Jesus was guiding us. What we offer at Moinhos Velhos is that which he taught 2000 years ago. But the most valuable lesson was the understanding that the Christ energy has nothing to do with religion. It is not reserved for people who follow an established religion or dogma, but is a divine cosmic energy available to all of us. Every one of us. I spent six weeks searching for the right location in Portugal. From the Spanish border in the East of Algarve to Lagos in the West. We did not want to be too far away from the airport as we knew that most of our clients would come from abroad, and we would have preferred to find a place not too far from Faro. Our friends, Sylta and Al, have a lovely Yoga Retreat. Quinta Da Calma only 15 minutes from Faro. We explored the possibility of offering our program with them, but in the end realized that we had to have our own place. After six weeks we had two locations to choose between. One was at Funchal, 5 minutes outside of Lagos, the other was Moinhos Velhos, 13 km inland from Lagos. Anne Karine fell in love with Moinhos Velhos right away, but Frank had serious doubts. The place had been totally neglected for over three years, sticky blackberry bramble bushes covered everything, all facilities would have to be built from scratch, he could see that it was going to be much work and costing a lot of money.   Further quote from The Gospel of Peace:   And many unclean and sick followed Jesus' words and sought the banks of the murmuring streams. They put of their shoes and their clothing, they fasted, and they gave up their bodies to the angels of air, of water, and of sunshine. And the Earthly mothers angels embraced them, possessing their bodies both inward and outwards. And all of them saw all evils, sins and uncleanness depart in haste from them.   From the Gospel of Peace of Jesus Christ. (Amazon)     The Yoga Temple   During the terrible fires in 2003 which destroyed thousands of hectares of forest, devastated many homes, killed several people and a multitude of animals, which in our area raged completely out of control for one week and left everything around us in black cinder, not one blade of grass was harmed in our valley... Divine Protection?     The property at Funchal, on the other hand, was a doctors former residence and clinic. With 20 000 square meters of walled-in land, 14 rooms for guest and offices, sitting on top of the ridge with a beautiful view over Lagos and the sea, it only needed some painting and cleaning up, and we would be in business. But Moinhos Velhos had some very special energies. Totally secluded, away from all the popular tourist areas, a valley of of its own, projecting a mystical energy. At the time we did not know what it was, but later discovered that there are thousands of small quarts crystals in the ground all around in the valley, and that Moinhos Velhos is directly on one of the twelve synchronisety lines, which join together at only 2 places, one is at Damanhur in Italy and the other is in Tibet. Later in meditation we were also informed that Moinhos Velhos is one of the light centers in the world, and that we should concentrate on bringing in The Light. But at the time we were undecided, so we called our friend Margaret in England. She was living with a well known clairvoyant, and we asked for a reading. The reading that came back declared that financially we would be most successful with the Funchal location. But it would attract the wrong kind of people and energies. Moinhos Velhos on the other hand, would be like poring money in a hole for four years. But Moinhos Velhos was for our spiritual evolution. Well as far as we were concerned, then there was no choice. We purchased Moinhos Velhos. Fortunately Anne Karine still had her high paid executive position in the North Sea, and for the next four years all of her income went to support Moinhos Velhos. One day while looking through our notes from some of the early channeling, we see the word Barragem. It had actually been spelt out for us that we should locate the Barragem. But it did not mean anything to us, Barragem was a foreign word, and somehow we forgot all about it.   Moinhos Velhos is located at the Barragem da Bravura. So there really had not been any choice from the beginning.   Fasting is a universal natural response to sickness and debility, not a cultural or religious trip. Animals always fast when they are sick. Hindu yogis are famous fasters and colon cleansers. Gandhi is well known for his extended fasting, and less remembered from the perspective of his colon cleansing. We have seen a movie from Rishikesh were the yogi swamis emerge themselves in the Ganges river with a tube in the rectum, drawing the water from the river into the colon, and the squirting the water out through the tube. I think our Clysmatic must be much easier.   Swami Sivananda, who was a medical doctor before becoming a Swami, had this to say about fasting:   Benefits of fasting By Sri Swami Sivananda Nowadays, many educated people do not observe fasting on this sacred day. This is due to the impact of the dark, vicious, materialistic forces. When the intellect develops a little, people begin to enter into arguments and unnecessary discussions. Intellect is a hindrance on the spiritual path. They who have not developed the heart but who have developed their intellect begin to doubt and question at every step. They are led astray. They want a why and a how for everything. They want scientific explanations for all phenomena. God is beyond proofs and presumptions. One has to approach religion and the scriptures with great faith, reverence and purity of heart. Then only are the secrets of religion revealed unto him like the apple in the palm of one's hand. Does anybody ask his mother to prove who is his father? Fasting controls passion. It checks the emotions. It controls the senses also. It is a great penance. It purifies the mind and the heart. It destroys a multitude of sins. Fasting controls the tongue in particular which is the deadliest enemy of man. Fasting overhauls the respiratory, circulatory, digestive and urinary systems. It destroys all the impurities of the body and all sorts of poisons. It eliminates uric acid deposits. Just as impure gold is rendered pure by melting it in the crucible again and again, so also this impure mind is rendered purer by repeated fasting. Young and robust Brahmacharis (celibates) should observe fasting whenever passion troubles them. Only then will they have very good meditation, as the mind will be rendered calm. The chief object of fasting is to render the system calm so that one is able to practice meditation rigorously during that period. Withdraw the senses and fix the mind on god. Pray to god to guide you and to throw a flood of light on your spiritual path. Say with feeling: O god, guide me! Protect me, protect me! I am Thine, I am Thine! Forsake me not! You will be blessed with purity, light and strength. Follow this sadhana on the days that you fast, ekadashi days in particular. Fasting is one of the ten canons of yoga. However, avoid excessive fasting. It will produce weakness. Use your common sense. If you cannot fast for the full twenty-four hours, at least fast for 10-12 hours and then take some milk and fruit. Gradually increase your fast to 15 hours and then up to 24 hours. Fasting makes a man strong, both spiritually and mentally. In his code, the manu smriti, the great Hindu lawgiver, manu, prescribes fasting for the removal of the five capital sins. Diseases that are pronounced incurable by doctors are cured by fasting. Occasionally, a complete fast is greatly desirable for all to keep up good health, to give adequate rest to the internal organs and maintain celibacy. All diseases have their origin in overeating and verily fasting is the only method to cure this. The traditional Taoist method of cleansing the colon involved therapeutic fasts combined with powerful herbal purgatives that dissolved mucus and dredged debris from the colon. These methods are mentioned as far back as the third century BC, in the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. At Moinhos Velhos we also use a selection of herbs to loosen the deposits on the the intestinal wall, as well as special powders to facilitate the evacuation of the loosened debris. Then with colon cleansing using the Clysmatic, cleansing through the skin, which is our largest organ, with the Sauna, our salt water pool and various holistic Therapies we achieve a total cleanse. Here is an excerpt from an E-mail that we recently received:     I realize that now we are back in civilized world there are certain taboos, but quite frankly I've missed our talks! When I went to Glasgow for my colonic, the practitioner said she'd never seen a colon as clean as mine! There was absolutely nothing in there, hardly even changed the colour of the water as it came out - I was glowing with pride! (I really must stop boasting, it's just that I have had no one to share this with!) I hope Hazel's appointment went well.     ( For full text of letter click here )     Fasting and Allergies Franks sister Wigdis was the worst case of Hay fever Allergy that her doctor had ever seen. She brought pictures showing her extreme allergic reactions. She was allergic to a multitude of products, and from the beginning of January to the end of July she had to take an antihistamine pill every day. As a last resort she came to her brother. After completing our two weeks fasting program she returned to Norway. That year the pollen count was 20 % above normal, but she never had to take a single antihistamine pill again.   Fasting and Cancer Can Fasting Cure Cancer? The answer to this is both Yes and No. First of all: Fasting does not cure anything. It is a process that facilitates the body's healing mechanisms. It is a gift to an overburdened body. It is extremely effective in creating an internal environment where the body can do what it does best - heal itself. Which it is always trying to do. During a fast all the energy that is normally needed to digest food is available to restore the health of diseased organs. Probably the best known Fasting Program for curing cancer is the Gerson Therapy. But this is not a two week program, but stretches over 18 months and is extremely demanding with a multitude of organic juices and enemas every day. However if the establishment has given you no hope of cure, and maybe only a short time left to live, then it is worth it. Beta Bishop in her book A Time to Heal (Amazon) gives a moving description of her struggle with cancer, conventional therapies, surgeons and her experience with the Gerson program. It is tough, but it cured her cancer.   Fasting to lose weight Many people undertake a fast to lose weight. And most people do lose weight with our program, although the program as such is not about weight loss. It's about detoxing your system and allowing yourself the chance to develop the spiritual side. Judith Fox was desperate to lose weight when she signed up for the fasting program. Read about her experience at Moinhos Velhos here.   Fasting for Rheumatism and Arthritis Arthritis is the leading cause of of disability in the U.S. It is estimated that today over 70 million people in the US alone suffer from this crippling disease. There is no true hope given to the patient, since the the medical profession states that there is no cure for arthritis. You just have to learn to live with it. In 1993 at the age of 25 Alan Schlines was diagnosed with Incurable Arthritis. His future looked bleak, there was no hope given for a cure, he was only offered a multitude of pills to try to control the pain, with the prospect of soon ending up in a wheelchair. Alan refused to accept the verdict and set about to cure his arthritis the Natural Way. His rheumatologist thought this was ridicules. However Alan persevered and following a program of Fasting, Detoxing, Colon Cleansing, Sauna, Herbs, Healthy Nutrition, Supplement and Alternative Therapies, 18 month later he was completely cured of his arthritis. Alan wrote a book: Stop Arthritis. How I Defeated it Naturally. Available from Amazon   While still in Norway we had also been inspired and motivated by the work of Alma Nissen, who had a cure for Rheumatism and Arthritis based on Fasting, Potato water and fresh air. Even though very successful with her program, it was never accepted by the establishment. Even the chief rheumatologist/surgeon of Stockholm's main hospital was cured by Alma Nissen of his rheumatism, but when she asked him: Now of course you will let the world know about my treatment, his answer was: Sorry imam, I have to earn a living.   As all of our information about Alma Nissen and her cure for rheumatism is in Norwegian, we have copied the following from http://www.spiritofhealing.com Biological Treatment Procedures For Arthritis And Other Leaky Gut Conditions As early as 1968 a naturopathic physician named Paavo O. Airola, reported on the results of some highly successful biological treatment procedures for curing arthritis in European clinics. One of the most prominent treatment centers using this powerful and highly successful method of treatment is the Brandals Health Clinic located in Sodertalje near Stockholm, Sweden.   The Miracles at Brandal Dr. Airola provides narrative accounts of many of the thousands of patients cured of arthritis at Brandal. Virtually all patients admitted for treatment at Brandal are remarkable in that all suffer from severe pain, mild to profound deformity and many are so crippled and debilitated that they arrive in wheelchairs or on stretchers. The cures were based on the work, research and self experimentation of a courageous and very determined lady, Alma Nissen, who 25 years earlier had desperately sought relief from her own severe and debilitating arthritis. Ms. Nissen relates: Twenty five years ago I was so incapacitated by arthritis that I was practically bedridden. After trying all the available medical treatments, consulting dozens of doctors, and several fruitless stays in hospitals I was becoming progressively worse. My hands and fingers were stiff and in constant pain. I could not bend myself, walk, or even turn myself in bed. In addition, I had a chronic ovary inflammation and constant migraine. I was suffering from a bad case of insomnia with resulting nervous exhaustion. I also was chronically constipated. . . I felt hopeless. Nobody could help me. I could not see my way out of the indescribable suffering I had to endure. But my spirit was strong and wouldn't give up. I was not willing to accept my lot as a bedridden invalid for the rest of my life. With the typical Scandinavian sisu and perseverance I rebelled against my fate. I wanted to live, become healthy again. . . A book by a British physician, Sir Robert McCarrison, gave me new hope and became the turning point in my life. It opened my eyes to the relation between nutrition and health. I started to experiment with myself. I changed my diet. I fasted. I drank fresh vegetable juices and broths made with cooked vegetables. I drank herb teas. I took enemas and utilized colonic irrigation to cleanse my intestines of accumulated toxins and wastes. I read all I could on the nature-cure methods and picked up ideas here and there. I met the famous Danish raw-diet pioneer Dr. Kristine Nolfi, M.D. and read and studied her book The Living Foods. I also took heat treatments and hydrobaths. I must admit, I didn't have much faith in much of what I did, but desperate as I was, I was willing to try anything. Imagine my surprise when I started to feel better and better! The stiffness in my joints started to disappear. I slept better; pain gave way, and after just a few months I was, to my and everybody's amazement, completely cured! This was 25 years ago and I never had a sick day since. No traces of arthritis... Would you like to see how flexible and elastic my body is?... Now when I cured myself I was so overjoyed with the discoveries I made that I wanted to share them with others and help as many as I could. I visited Dr. McCarrison and he advised me to open a clinic and help other arthritics regain their health. Encouraged by the enthusiastic endorsement of this great scientist, I transformed my seven-room apartment in Copenhagen to an arthritis clinic. Patients came from everywhere. They were brought in on stretchers; they came supported on crutches; they came in wheelchairs. And after four to eight weeks on my simple regime they left the clinic on their own feet, without wheelchairs and crutches. The grateful patients spread the news of their cures and a long line of patients were waiting to come in under my care. My arthritis therapies and extraordinary results became widely publicized in the press. The Norwegian Medical Association invited me to present a lecture on my therapies before the leading medical authorities of the country.... My fame spread to Sweden and a wealthy benefactor offered the Brandal, a beautiful estate with a large villa, for my disposition, to be used as a rheumatic clinic. I accepted gratefully. That was 13 years ago. During these years we have helped thousands of arthritis sufferers. . .   (Paavo O. Airola, There Is A Cure For Arthritis, 1968, Parker Publishing Co. New York)     Unlike the Gerson therapy, which is an ongoing process for many months, primarily created to cure terminally ill cancer patients, with the Alma Nissen program a complete cure of arthritis is often achieved in just a few weeks. For more information about the Alma Nissen process go to: http://www.spiritofhealing.com/articles/htm/rheumatoid_arthritis2.html (You have to scroll down to find it)   Making fresh vegetable juice The clinic Happy in the juicing kitchen   Fasting for other degenerative diseases Fasting is beneficial for all diseases. Not because fasting cures anything, but with the elimination of toxins and impurities, not having to invest energy in digesting food which can demand up to 80 % of available energy, the body, which is an incredible instrument, will re-energise and revitalize all the vital organs, restoring optimum health and well-beeing.   Fasting as a preventive measure This is what we all should do. Don't wait till you get sick to do a fast, but consider fasting as a regular maintenance program. Just as you need to cleanse on the outside you need to cleanse on the inside. Most of us take much better care of our cars than our bodies. With the cars we change the oil regularly, we bring the car in for inspection and maintenance, and nobody would dream of putting diesel fuel into a car with a gasoline engine. But into our bodies and mind we put all sorts of poisons. Then when we get sick we hope that some pharmaceutical chemical will fix the problem. Which it wont, it may only hide the symptom, and often the side effect of the prescribed medicine is worse than the problem it is supposed to cure. Anyone who has read the Doctors Handbook of the side effect of most drugs, would be terrified of subjecting his/her system to such potential harm. So do regular maintenance of the body, do a yearly fast. Don't wait till you get sick You can do this at home, but it is much more effective to do your fast in an environment like Moinhos Velhos. Fasting is not only for the body, but equally important for the Mind, Emotions and Spirit. The settings and the program at Moinhos Velhos, where you are away from your daily stress and problems, there are no TV or newspapers, your cell phone don't work, there is time for introspection and revaluation, yoga and meditation, is conducive to achieve cleansing and healing on all levels.   Physical * Mental * Emotional * Spiritual Detoxing of the mind is most important. If your life is full of stress, if you are filled with anger, frustration or jealousy, if you are always judging others and want them to change, if you hate your job or your boss, if you are in an unsupportive relationship, if you are always hoping that tomorrow will be better, if you never take time out for yourself, then it does not matter how perfect your diet is, how many supplements you take, how clean your colon is. Any and all of these negative emotions will probably make you sick. This is why the Yoga and Meditation, along with selected Flower Essences, are such a vital part of our Fasting and Detox Program. How you think about yourself will definitely affect your health. On of the best known authors on emotions and health is Louise L Hay. Her book You can Heal Your Life has sold over one million copies. Another of her best sellers is The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Metaphysical Way to Overcome Them. All of Louise Hay's books are available from Amazon   So which is best ? Juice Fasting or Water Fasting ? We have tried them all and Juice Fasting is the clear winner. This is also supported by many scientists. Four years ago Frank fasted for 40 consecutive days on juices, the whole time being actively engaged in facilitating our fasting programs. In the fall of the same year both Frank and Anne Karine did the 21 day process, which is a program where you fast on nothing but air for seven days, the next seven days on some water and junk juice, and the last seven days on water and diluted packed juice. For a day by day diary of Frank's experience of the 21 day process click here.   We break the fast on day 11 with fruit.   Moinhos Velhos is a peaceful quiet valley, away from the regular tourist areas. We have three neighbors in an area of several thousand hectares of virgin territory. We wake up to the song of the birds in the morning and retire with the silence of the stars at night. Yet by car we are only 15 minutes from the city of Lagos, 20 minutes from the beach and one hour from the airport at Faro.