A detox is not just about removing chemical toxins from the body. At Orion Healing Centre, we believe in the overall health of a human–physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. A person works on all of these levels, and a detox cleanse should as well. If followed correctly, you will leave our complete detox programme with more energy, smoother skin, greater mental clarity, higher emotional stability, and a deeper connection with your Higher Power.
Let’s Get Alkaline
When’s the last time that you thought about your body’s pH? Although the answer may be “never,” a balanced pH level is crucial to your overall health. If your body is too acidic, it sets the stage for unhealthy bacteria growth. Candida, cancerous cells, and ulcer-causing helicobacter thrive in acidic environments. In contrast, alkaline environments allow healthy bacteria to flourish and keep hormone levels stable.
So, the first step before starting your fast and colon cleanse is to get your body back to a more alkaline state. Cigarettes, caffeine, pollution, and stress all raise your acidic levels. Therefore, Orion is a tobacco, sugar, meat, and alcohol-free sanctuary.
In addition, the stressors of everyday life are reduced in our calm and welcoming waterfront environment. Tucked away between tropical trees and removed from the pollution of motorcycles and cars, we give you the space to rejuvenate your body and recentre your soul.
For the first two days, you’re still eating but it’s specific alkalising meals from Orion Cafe’s pre-cleanse menu. We also start you on our made-in-house “Chompers” capsules, designed to move waste from the body and clean the intestinal tract.
You are kept hydrated with filtered water and fresh coconuts. Coconuts provide vital electrolytes and refresh the body and soul, especially under the warm Koh Phangan sun.
Another drink that is vital to prepare you for detoxification is our home recipe “liver flush.” The twice-daily drink contains clarifying ingredients such as orange, lemon, garlic, and cayenne–and tastes yummy, too.
But be prepared: toxins rarely “flush” out of the system without a fuss. The first few days, it’s possible to experience some symptoms of ‘detoxification’. These may include headaches, excessive fatigue (or others, depending on your background and recent diet). Think of it as chemical withdrawal. It may involve short-term discomfort now, but it will have long-term benefits in the end.
Time to Fast
On the third day of your programme, we kick the detoxification into high gear. You keep taking the Chompers capsules. Added to that is another capsule of green superfood supplements that gives you energy and helps maintain alkalinity.
The liver flush drink is replaced by a cocktail of bentonite clay and psyllium husk. Both of these alkaline-based ingredients pull toxins out of the body. Other liquids consumed include vegetable broth, herbal tea, and the electrolyte-giving coconut.
You’ll be having daily colemas, a combination of a colonic and an enema. For caffeine addictions, we offer a coffee additive to the colema to help with the weaning process.
The more unhealthy or acidic your regular living and eating habits, the stronger your withdrawal symptoms will be. Orion’s Health Wellness Consultant will be meeting with you to help customise the programme as needed throughout the week.
Redeeming the Time
During sleep, the body focuses solely on working to repair and heal itself. At Orion, we encourage you to sleep as much as you want to give your body time to detox and realign itself. Relax in our wellness lounge, with hammocks, bean bags, reading material, and a tranquil waterfront view.
For your waking hours, we can keep you occupied to pull the focus off of feelings of hunger or lack of routine. Take a Reiki class, rebirth yourself, stretch with yoga, sweat in the herbal steam room, or cool down with a swim in our private beach cove.
We also offer daily meditations and weekly mantra chanting in addition to a wide range of optional healing workshops. If your body is feeling fatigued, our masseuses will help you roll out and relax. We have even taken some of our residents to neighbouring island Koh Samui to meet with a master colon cleanser, who helps to release negative emotions lodged in the abdominal area.
That’s because by the third and fourth day, the emotional cleansing begins. The sustenance which food brings is covered through our supplements and elixirs, but the comfort of eating has been stripped away. As your body releases toxins, it releases irritable energy as well. Some participants feel angry, and some cry more than usual.
But you won’t ride the emotional rollercoaster alone. Our staff is trained to cultivate a kind and loving environment and will offer a free hug at any time. Plus, each day all detox participants join for a “Morning Wellness” meeting with the Detox Manager.
They gather in a circle of beanbags, ask questions, share concerns, and gain hope from those on the other side of the detox. It’s a supportive community and a safe space.
The Sun Rises
By day 3 to 4, the body has adapted to the change of eating and lifestyle. It is switching from a glycemic state, where it burns sugar for fuel, to a ketogenic state, where fat is the main source of fuel (one of the reasons many people lose weight on a detox programme). We add an extra carrot juice to the daily detox drink schedule to help in this transition.
This brings out the stage we often refer to as “smiley Buddha.” You may feel more energetic, have clearer skin, and even brighter vision. It’s easier to focus, and you are more emotionally stable. As you continue to release toxins, even your skin smooths out since cellulite is a combination of toxins, fats, and water that melts away.
By day six and seven, the difference in your body and soul is prominent. At this point, extra weight is dropping off. On the other end of the spectrum, someone whose body is too thin may gain some pounds. Although we rarely recommend more than seven days of fasting at a time, many participants do not want to stop because of how good they feel.
Each participant has a private consultation with the Detox Manager–this is vitally important to maintain the good work you’ve started in your body. You’ll look at the lifestyle you are heading back to and how best to incorporate toxin-free living into it.
This is because the programme at Orion is only a start–if you don’t stay vigilant, lost weight and chemicals can come right back. If you eat exactly the same as you did before, you will end up with the exact same problem.
Breaking the Fast
Every fool can fast, but only the wise man knows how to break a fast. – George Bernard Shaw
At Orion, we believe how you come out of a fast is just as important as what you do during the fast. Thus, the day before you eat again, we put a probiotic supplement in your colema to help bring back healthy bacteria.
In home fasts, it can take up to a week of juices and smoothies to get your body ready to digest food again. One of the benefits of an Orion detox fast is the daily intake of detox drinks along with Chomper capsules. They keep your digestive tract awake, so it never moves into sleeping mode. Within a day of breaking the fast, you are consuming meals. We serve special easily-digestible alkaline food, so there is no constipation or bloating.
The Benefits You Receive
Although each detox and each participant is different, the benefits of our programme are numerous. Infertile women have become pregnant. Obese men and women have reached a healthy weight. Caffeine addicts have quit drinking coffee and energy drinks.
In some situations, those who have so desired have been able to drop medication–many times because the problem the medication is treating gets resolved. Almost everyone sleeps more deeply at night, and has higher energy levels during the day.
The Orion Healing Centre detox programmes are specially built to address your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. What part of your whole self are you looking to improve? Dive into our detox programme and start connecting with the best version of yourself.
