Detox diets are somewhat controversial in the medical and holistic health fields. Our bodies are designed to process our environment, including the food we ingest, the air we breathe, and anything that touches our skin. Our bodies have systems in place to keep the stuff we need and eliminate the stuff we don’t.
The problem is that many of us have abused our bodies to a certain extent, whether it is high stress jobs, too many processed foods, not enough exercise, drug and/or alcohol use, any of these activities can lead to a body depleted of essential nutrients; a body depleted of the ability to carry out the natural processes for eliminating the bad stuff. Detox diets provide an opportunity to build up the depleted nutrient stores in your body.
Detox diets are also beneficial in breaking unhealthy lifestyle patterns. If everyday you are having a cup of coffee and a sugary snack in order to get through the afternoon, that is an unhealthy lifestyle pattern that needs to be addressed. During the detox most unhealthy foods are eliminated, this will help break an addiction to sugar or caffeine and break the behavioral pattern.
Detox can also mean taking a break from technology, the news, and over-stimulation from the outside world. Taking a break from technology has been proven to help people think more clearly and feel more emotionally balanced.
Monhegan Wellness offers a Spring Detox and Rejuvenate in May. During this weekend retreat from Friday to Sunday, healthy meals that stimulate and build-up the body’s natural elimination processes will be served by The Trailing Yew. Twice daily yoga sessions, focus on postures for eliminating toxins and energizing the body. Daily cooking workshops give you the knowledge to incorporate healthy foods into your daily diet once you return home. The Trailing Yew does not have electricity in most rooms, giving you a nice break from technology for the weekend.
What to expect:
Food: Detox diets are sometimes confused with fasts or juice diets. Unlike those diets, no one will be starving during this retreat. Monhegan Wellness provides the tools for building up the body and increasing the body’s natural processes and ability to eliminate toxins. Instead of starving and potentially breaking down systems, foods will be served that enhance these systems. The Trailing Yew will serve breakfast and dinner. Monhegan Wellness has created a menu of foods to keep you feeling light and energized. A green juice will be served daily. Lunch is prepared by retreat participants. During the lunch preparation, participants will learn more about the foods that are being used during the detox and what the benefits of each food are. Participants will learn how to cook these foods so that they can detox whenever they feel their body needs it.
Yoga: During the Detox and Rejuvenate retreat, the yoga sessions will concentrate on postures that will increase elimination of toxins from the body. Expect a lot of twists, that massage the abdominal organs, stimulating the liver and intestines to aid in digestion and elimination; some vigorous vinyasa, sweating is great for elimination of toxins; breath exercises, breathing expels carbon dioxide and other gases. In addition to these postures that help the body expel toxins, restorative poses will be the balancing component of the yoga sessions. Restorative poses help the body get into complete relaxation, an important piece of the puzzle. People often think that unless they are actively doing, then nothing is getting accomplished. The action of relaxation is as beneficial to the body as any physical activity. Restorative postures are excellent for reducing stress and clearing the mind. Think of the restorative sessions as a mental detox.
Meditation: Meditation is a skill that can be learned by anyone and provides a ton of benefit. Each day a new meditation technique will be taught allowing participants to find the one that works best for them. Retreat participants will leave with a new healthy habit to incorporate into their daily lives.
Peace and Quiet: Monhegan Island is a tourist destination and many people come to the island from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. The Trailing Yew opens a whole week before any of the other inns open, giving retreat participants the most peace and quiet possible on this little island 12 miles into the ocean. If you are looking for more solitude and space for contemplation, trek out to the backside and find a lee to sit and watch the waves crash against the highest headlands in Maine. If you like to be social and connect with like-minded people, The Trailing Yew court yard makes for a wonderful space to sit in Adirondack chairs and mull over the day with new or old friends.
If you are feeling stress and anxiety because of your job or family life, if you have been eating a lot of processed foods because you don’t have time to cook, if you feel overwhelmed by all of the war and destruction in the world, if your digestive system isn’t working properly, or you just feel rundown and tired, then the Spring Detox and Rejuvenate is right for you. And you know what else, you deserve to take this time for yourself.