With the holiday season knocking on the door comes stress.  With added stress on our bodies, we reach for that extra chocolate chip cookie.  With that extra treat in our belly we become sluggish, and the thought of the gym is not appealing.  So instead of a stint on the treadmill we drive our cars to the smog filled city to meet a friend for a glass of wine- which turns into a late night, and an early morning of droopy eyes and a pounding headache.

Ground yourself under the powerful stones

To find a pure lifestyle is what many of us wish for.  Detoxify and cleanse means that you rise each morning feeling revived and renewed.  Waking with a smile,  looking out at the beautiful change of season, is preferred to a scowl at the thought of traffic on the way to work and the stress of the day ahead of us.  Seeing each day as a new opportunity to live and grow, rather than fighting to maintain your sanity from the minute you get out of bed until your head hits the pillow each evening.  This refreshed feeling may seem impossible with the hustle and bustle of our daily lives- especially this time of year- but in reality that feeling is completely yours if you’re willing to cough-up a pretty (and well spent) penny and let yourself succumb to a 6 day adventure/vacation filled with new and different experiences.

You may think, “I don’t have the time”, but if you sit back and think about it- your body makes time for you every single moment of everyday.  The least you can do for your body is give it your complete care and attention for 6 days.  Your body is your vehicle for life- and nothing is more important than keeping it maintenained. 

Walk the stone paths while watching the sunrise

So you book your plane ticket, pack your bag, and make your way to We Care Spa, in Desert Hot Springs, California.  Just outside of Palm Springs, the We Care Holistic Health Center is surrounded by a beautiful serene setting- almost as if you are spending the next week inside of a stunning painting.  Mountains lie in front of you, the sun rising and setting behind them like a ball of fire.  Palm trees and beautiful rock gardens offer you benches to sit, and the beautiful green lawns offer the perfect setting for an early outdoor yoga practice in the warm California air.

The mornings are spent taking a cooking class or a yoga lesson, afternoons are filled with sunshine as you lounge by the pool, only to be interrupted for a daily massage and colonic (yes, I said colonic- more on that later) and your evenings are spent sorting your thoughts as you walk the labyrinth, indulge in a lemongrass scrub or mineralizing mud body wrap, relax in the sauna or hot tub,  and sink back into a detox bath before retiring for the evening- only to wake up refreshed, renewed, and with the excitement of a new day before you.

A Hot Stone Massage relaxes and balances the body

Sound to good to be true?  I thought it was, but I am living proof that it is in fact not a myth.  As I packed my bag for We Care Spa- the secret I had heard (and confirmed) to why celebrity’s such as Gwen Stefani, Ben Affleck and Giselle Bundchen look so great on the red carpet- I had my doubts.  But when I unpacked my bag a week later, all doubts had vanished from my mind. My skin was glowing, the whites of my eyes were brighter then I had ever seen them, my belly was flat and I felt light and healthy on the inside and outside- and best of all I knew that I had come home with nutritional advice and healthy daily habits that I would keep with me forever (and losing 5 pounds was just a great added bonus).

Catch some afternoon sun by the pool

Did I mention…that We Care is a detox and fasting retreat?  So put down the potato chips you’re eating, and keep reading.

Upon my arrival at We Care Spa, the small intimate grounds seemed warm and loving.  I was greeted by warm smiles from the staff, and shown how to mix (and gulp down) my first of many detox drinks.  I had selected Plan B (Sunday until Friday,) and I was given my bag of supplies which included enzymes, acidophilus, energy tea, and other fun treats in capsule form that I would need for the next 6 days.  My packet of pills also included easy to understand instructions for my daily beverage menu, and the helpful staff made it known that they were their for any questions that I may have over the next week as well as any support I needed to make my fast easy and enjoyable.  And surprisingly, both were just that.

Opening circle gave me the opportunity to meet the other great individuals that would be detoxifying and fasting with me for the next week, and a guided tour of the facility let me see the activities that  would be filling my time.  These included the labyrinth walk, hammocks tied to palm trees, magnificent swimming pool and hot tubs, trampolines to bounce on, the suspended floating bed, the temple of gravity, and a whole selection of books and board games for our nightly entertainment (including Scrabble, which provided many nights of heated competition).

Swing your worries away on the floating bed

I had spent the 3 days before arriving doing the suggested preparation fast- eliminating alcohol, caffeine and white flour from my diet- and although the first 2 days I felt mildly hungry I avoided the headaches of toxin withdraw that some guests experienced.   By the third day I was no longer hungry as my body realized it was getting all of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that it needed through my hourly digestion of the daily beverages- which included blood purifying tea, liver and kidney detoxifying teas, fresh vegetable juices, lemon and mint water, the twice daily detox drink, and a nightly dinner of hot soup, which was a different pureed vegetable every evening, and actually surprisingly good!  By doing a 100% liquid fast, the body has energy to purify and rebuild its inner and outer systems.  The science behind this also says that unhealthy cells will die when not given food, and be replaced with new, healthy cells.

Take a break from the sun beneath the trees

To further the process of cleansing and renewing the body, daily colonics are given to flush out the entire large intestine, and I was surprised that my body wanted so badly to hold on to things that I may have eaten years ago!  You are given the option to see what is coming out of your body, and being the brave girl that I am I couldn’t say no.  This resulted in me vowing to stop eating processed foods, and lay off of the white flour.  I vowed for clean living from now on- and although I may have my moments of weakness and a craving for the occasional french fry, 2 weeks after coming home I am sticking to my new lifestyle for the most part.  As Susan Lombardi, We Care founder and owner says, “as long as you are living clean 80% of the time, everyone needs a cheat day to enjoy the foods that they may be craving.”   In the beginning the colonics made me feel ill, and I was told it was because of the extensive amounts of toxins in my body.  By my third hydrotherapy session I no longer felt ill and actually looked forward to the feeling of doing something so cleansing for my body.  The daily colonics- combined with the extensive menu of offered body and massage treatments (the Korean Body Splash is amazing), the wonderful yoga classes, daily walks through the desert trails, and the hourly beverages- left me falling asleep easily each night and waking up energetic, ready for the sunrise each morning.

Balance your energy under the pyramid

By the end of the week, I felt cleaner and more alive then I had in years.  Upon learning that over 80% of We Care Spa goers are repeat clients- the majority coming from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and New York, but many coming from as far as Europe for the benefits- I knew that I would be back next year.  And when I heard that by putting down a deposit for my next visit- up to a year away- I could save 40%, I was putty in the hands of the lovely We Care staff.   It is human nature to be addicted to feeling good, and that is why people continue to come back.  Until then I am going to take what I had learned, the We Care cookbook that I had purchased, and my new and enlightened outlook on life and I am going to be a better friend to my body and soul.

A beautiful sunset is a nightly gift for the soul

We Care Spa

18000 Long Canyon Road, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92241

(800) 888-2523