Fasting Cleansing Detox Retreat

Portugal  |  Rest and relaxation


Flushed with success

Lisa McGarry discovers how to get modern living out of her system at a health farm on the Algarve

Saturday October 20, 2001
The Guardian

The programme was devised by Anne-Karine Moss and Frank Jensen, Norwegian holistic health practitioners who established their retreat eight years ago, for the "purification of body, mind and spirit" in a beautiful valley deep in the Algarve countryside, and who are indecently fit for their ages, respectively 65 and 71.

The care that has gone into fine-tuning every aspect of the fast and its environment is the key to its success: from the glass-walled yoga temple, the wind-chimes swaying gently on the trees, the various Shivas and Buddhas dotted around the undergrowth, to the staff who dedicate endless time and energy to each group, and the sauna, saltwater swimming pool and the acres of land. It is clear that if one must be deprived of food in order to emerge, chrysalis-like, from a layer of toxins and blubber, this is clearly the place to do it. The "we will, we will, cleanse you!" vibe was something of a shock to someone from the grimy bowels of sarf London, carrying a thumping hangover along with her luggage. I was suddenly in a place which credited devas and nature spirits with equal rights, and which necessitated an extended, though not entirely unwelcome, reality check. A typical day goes like this: 6.45am: Chandra and his silver bell provide a gentle wake-up call. 7.15am: Up to the house for lemon tea, and a spot of meditation. 7.45am-9.15am: Yoga (once weekly chi gong). 10am: A litre of orange juice is taken with mineral and herb supplements to flush out the toxins, stimulate the breakdown of undigested matter, and generally assist the cleansing process. 11am: Individual therapy sessions, comprising kinesiology (muscle testing to reveal energy blockages), acupuncture, bioresonance therapy (to restore energy balance, cure allergies, and treat scar tissue), ACTS (a computerised system to rid the body of negative cellular memories/energies, and zapping (to eliminate internal parasites). Massage is an optional and irresistible extra, from McTimoney, to realign the spine, to Thai, for relaxation. 11.30am: Clysmatic (self-administered colonic irrigation). 1pm: Lunch, usually melon, apple or cucumber juice, followed by more afternoon treatments (usually one or two per person per day). 4pm: Vegetable juice (generally carrot with beetroot as side dish). 5.30pm: Another clysmatic. (Sauna sessions run in the late afternoon, also.)