Juicing, fasting, colonics, real deal therapeutic whole body treatments (no fluff), energy healing, sound bowls, fire ceremonies, shamans. This place is my wheelhouse, checking all the boxes. It’s been on my bucket list for 10 years. Brewing in my subconscious, always on my radar. I wanted to go, but had done nothing to transition mere wanting into doing. Until last summer. I felt Mom Life burnout settling in and with a surge of intuition, I picked up the phone. In my car, in the parking lot of CVS, I did a quick Google search and dialed. As if on auto-pilot. I knew in my bones I needed to recharge the batteries. I was fraying at the edges, feeling the build up of long days and nights turned into years of motherhood with no intentional reset, real filling of the tank. Lots of withdrawals, no deposits. It was time to change that.

A lovely woman answered the phone. 

Me:  “Hello, I’d like to book a stay. What do you have available in August?” (it was July). 

We Care: “We are so happy you reached out and can’t wait to welcome you here, but right now we are booked out until January.  What about arriving January 23 for a 5 night stay, would that work with your schedule?”

Me:  I almost spit out my coffee and started crying. JANUARY??  But I was already fraying?!  I couldn’t possibly wait until next year! I would be dust. I need to come now. Instead I politely responded, “Of course, that sounds great, Let’s book it.  Can I please be put on a waiting list, in case a spot opens up sooner?” (still in full denial that I couldn’t wave a magic wand and be there in a week).

We Care:  “Of course. Schedules are always changing. We will reach out to you if anything opens up sooner.”  

Even though it was 6 months away, sitting in that parking lot, I hung up the phone and felt better.  Lighter, lifted.  I took action, did something for myself, put a date with Me on the calendar. Just knowing that I had carved out this time and space for myself, that I followed through on my intention, boosted me.  And I was in a better place to handle the 6 month wait. It was the action itself, the act of taking steps in the direction towards self care, that had already started to move the needle from Empty to Full. 

Fast-forward and poof, it’s time. Six months unfolded in a blink.

The We Care experience starts from home, 3-4 days prior to actually arriving. It’s called the pre-fast and it looks like this:

1. Things to eliminate from your diet:  grains, meat, dairy, nuts, sugar, anything processed that comes in a wrapper/bag, alcohol, caffeine 

2. Things to enjoy:  green juices, steamed/raw veggies, healthy salads, fruit, smoothies, teas

3. Take an herbal laxative (I took this one) or drink herbal laxative tea nightly (I like this one)

4. Take 2 TBSP of olive oil before bed

5. Drink 8oz prune juice every morning

This is kind of a big deal if you choose to do it (it is highly recommended by the We Care experts). Now that I’m here, I get it. You want to start transitioning your body into fasting mode gradually with these changes at home because when you get here, you guys, it’s Game Time. Do the pre-fast. I dove in. I drank 2-3 green juices a day from all the amazing local juice spots we have around town (shout outs:  Field of Greens, Celis Market, Pura Vida, Meraki, Christopher’s Kitchen). I swapped my regular cup of coffee for a single black decaf in the morning . I ate a lot of blueberries and bananas. I made smoothies a la carte and from our Daily Harvest freezer stash (my favorite is the mint + cacao). For dinner I made arugula/spinach salads with avocado, roasted brussel sprouts + broccoli, topped with maldon salt and nutritional yeast. I took Swiss Kriss herbal supplements at night and happily gulped down 2 big spoonfuls of high quality organic olive oil.  And it was hard not to dig into a guilty pleasure snack at 5pm (think handful of potato chips, bites from kids half eaten PB&J or forkfuls of butter noodles). Instead I grabbed another green juice and added some pink Himalayan sea salt. It curbed the craving for my late afternoon “I need something” fix and made me feel better than my not-so-healthy habits that happened more on auto-pilot than intentionally.

Sunday:  Arrival Day 

I left the house at 5am this morning, it was dark and unusually cold for Florida. It felt like I was missing an actual limb to leave the house without my family. I had one small suitcase filled with lounge clothes, pjs, yoga gear, a dry brush, a face & body beauty arsenal and a bathing suit (I forget my flip flops). More impressive was what it didn’t contain: jewelry, makeup, high heels, or actual clothes that you wear in public.

On the flight I watched the newest Bond movie (swoon), read on my ipad, listened to 528hz (the “miracle” tone) and fell asleep. I drank a few liters of water and had a banana. I flew into Palm Springs, a boutique sized airport only 12 miles from We Care.  By the time we landed, not gonna lie, I was hungry.  Side Note:  I debated flying into LAX, getting a car to make the 2 hour drive. I am so glad I did not add this layer of stress (traffic/driving) to the trip.  If you are flying in, definitely aim for a Palm Springs landing.

I hunted for something to eat or drink that fit the pre-fast criteria in the airport but couldn’t even find another banana so I ignored my growling stomach and carried on. Got my bag, hopped in a cab and a short 15 minutes later we pulled up to a discreet, you’d-miss-it-if-you-didn’t-know-it-were-there entrance. I rolled my bag along the dusty desert path, followed the signs to check-in. It’s a small room with 2 smiling team members waiting to welcome you. You get a bag with all your goodies for the week:  water bottle, lots of supplements, teas, herbs, powders. Think chemist meets shaman. And a folder with your personalized itinerary + spa services, daily classes, property maps, FAQs, history of the place. Details, information, answers to possible questions. The immediate vibe is serene. Calm. Slow. Intentional. 

My room wasn’t ready yet. They held my stuff and I headed right into the Welcome Orientation. And yes, I was still really hungry. I downed some water, hoping a juice would magically appear. We (a small group, maybe 8 others arriving at the same time I had) met Missy, who gave us the lay of the land and a walking tour of the property. It has an energy of health, wellness, turning inward and slowing down.  Lemon trees drip with fruit, bunnies scurry all over, buddhas, prayer trees, labyrinth walks, saunas, floating beds, reading and meditation spots. It’s like stepping into Alice and Wonderland for the wellness junkie.   

Then it was time for my first treatment, Endermology. A massage that uses rollers to stimulate the body’s circulation and help boost lymphatic drainage, reducing the build-up of fluids/toxins/cellulite, tightening, smoothing and firming the skin. I stripped off my travel clothes, melted onto a heated bed and immediately dosed off for the 30 minute treatment. 

I peeled myself up from the table motivated by my growling tummy. I put on a soft white robe and slippers and beelined it for the juice bar. Ashley was all smiles as she poured me a juice of greens & carrots with a probiotic pill on the side.  I could have drank 3 more. Still hungry, but less hangry, I went to the Lotus Room (the hub of the property) and poured a cup of liver detox tea, added some lemon wedges and waited for my therapist. Next up was the System Recovery, a signature treatment at We Care that uses the healing properties of castor oil - applied in warm cotton compresses on your tummy and back - to improve liver function, fluid retention and colonic release. I was cocooned in a heated blanket to induce a therapeutic detox sweat while the oil soaked in. It’s powerful.  While I cooked, my therapist Tammy gave me an incredible scalp and foot massage using rich coconut oil. I walked out wobbly in the best kind of way. 

My room was ready. I followed a happy young man along the desert path to an oasis of calm that would be mine for the next 5 nights.  It’s breathtakingly beautiful and serene. The desert, mountains, dust. A neutral palate. A blank slate. The perfect backdrop for a Reset.

I ended the evening with a cup of hot pureed zucchini soup (I added coconut aminos, olive oil, We Care BioSalt, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder), another greens + carrot juice, a We Care Regulator Plus with an aloe and apple juice chaser. I was asleep by 7pm.   

Day 2:  Monday

Wide awake at 2:30am. Circadian Rhythm and all that. I didn’t try and fight it, deciding that it was best to just stay on east coast time, I officially started my day in the middle of the night. I read, wrote, meditated. Drank lots of lemon water, did a few quickie TSS workouts from my iphone app. When daylight (finally!) appeared I headed to the juice bar for all my morning fixings:  an Organic Green Food drink, 2 We Care Food-N-Zyme supplements, an Organic Detox drink, 1 We Care Regulator Plus with an aloe/apple juice chaser. And Kangen water. Lotsa water.

I skipped the morning yoga because it was outside, it was cold (45 degrees), I was freezing. Instead, I had a morning Thai massage (think yoga meets deep tissue massage) with Israel, a master therapist who has been at We Care for 22 years and studied massage in Thailand. You wear yoga clothes and lay on a warm, soft mat. It’s bending, stretching, opening your body without having to do it yourself. My back cracked like popsicle sticks and I felt totally energized and clear when I walked out. I spent the afternoon reading, walking, exploring, sauna-ing, and of course, drinking.

I (try) to resist the urge to check in with home or micro-manage my everyday world from afar, it’s harder than I thought. A few things popped up at the 11th hour that needed attention (kids home from school due to a covid case, babysitter schedule change, you know, Life).  I do all the “handling life” things once in the morning:  make calls, send/return text messages, check e-mail, maybe a dose of IG. Then I put my phone in airplane mode and leave it in my room for the rest of the day.  Monotask. One thing at a time. No multi-tasking, reacting, distracting, urgency.

I sat on my bed and listened to a live lecture by the owner + founder, Susan, on her 7 Pillars to Health and Rejuvenation. She walks the property daily and comes across as a gentle but strong soul with endless wisdom to share. She is about to turn 85 and looks at least 20 years less than.

More drinks, supplements, teas, water. 

My next session was a digestive release massage (abdominal massage to stimulate your colon and get things moving) followed by a colonic - the cornerstone of the We Care fasting + detox + wellness philosophy. Everything is done in support of releasing & freeing the body, mind, spirit of stuck-ness.  Physical stuck-ness in your body translates to mental and emotional paralysis, stuck-ness in life. We want the opposite of that. As defined by We Care: colonics exercise the colon and stimulates peristalsis (the breakdown and release of toxic waste, bile, mucus and debris that are lodged deeply in this most critical organ). Allowing essential nutrients to be absorbed more effortlessly, improving your mental outlook (gut = your 2nd brain) and immune system, leaving you feeling revived, clearer, lighter.  

I’ve done colonics in the past, I’m a believer. Krystal, my therapist, was amazing. It was a painless and calm experience. I felt sort of buzzed afterwards. It’s simultaneously an instant hit of energy and wall of exhaustion. Your body just did a lot of work. You created physical inner space and expansion. You feel it in your psychological body immediately. My eyes were wide and bright, my brain was as clear as a freshly washed window. I know there’s an “ick” factor, but once you get past that (easy to do when you reap the near instant benefits), you can’t imagine this treatment not being a part of your ongoing, lifelong wellness plan.

A few hours later I started to feel the effects of traveling, fasting and sleep disruption. I had We Care brain fog. Not uncommon. I felt off, disoriented. I chugged my detox drinks, grabbed some swiss chard soup puree and stumbled to my room. I drank, took supplements. I dry brushed, took a shower, slathered myself in oils and crawled into bed, asleep by 7pm on the nose.  

Day 3:  Tuesday

The sky was so breathtaking as the sun was rising and the morning chill factor was bearable so I rolled out my yoga mat on the little private patio just steps from my bed. No music, no plan. I just wanted to move my body and watch the day wake up.  In every downdog I stared at mountain tops and a fading moon.  I forgot that the world could actually be this quiet. This still.  It’s such a recharge. I haven’t seen a car or watched TV.  Heard music or the hustle of life. It’s deep stillness. Which could make some people run for the hills. Not this people.  

I took my morning dose of detox drinks + supplements. I did feel a little hungry (5 out of 10), but ignored it. I distracted myself with a pre-scheuduled Magnesium Detox, another We Care signature treatment.  Maybe it’s something to do with the liquid diet or detoxing but my hands and feet have been cold since yesterday. It doesn’t feel great, so I was really looking forward to being warm, cocooned and massaged. Be careful what you wish for.  This treatment felt like it actually lit me on fire. I will explain. The bed was heated and warm (hallelujah). The therapist began to apply the magnesium/aloe paste all over my body. Like errrrywhere.  She said “you may feel some tingling, everyone reacts differently, just let me know if its too much.”  Well holy OMG. Tingly would be like saying that the pope is kind of holy. I felt fire. Everywhere.  I told her, she calmly said “yes, that’s okay, it will subside.”  A relaxing treatment, it was not. Even though the intensity lessened, I could “feel” the activeness of the paste the whole 30 minutes I was wrapped in the far infrared sauna-mat.  She did a scalp and foot massage, and I tried to focus on her hands and the pressure to help me relax. I took deep breathes and just allowed this magic concoction to do its work (benefits:  calms your nervous system, reduce inflammation, whole system detox).  I was unwrapped and jumped in the shower with great relief. She applied a lavender lotion all over, calming my body from its shock.  I felt pretty fantastic when I walked out. But it was intense. This is not for the faint and it might need to come with a few side notes so you have a heads up. I kept thinking, can you imagine if I had shaved my legs this morning?! Not that there was really a chance of that, but, still.

And then I had hours to just Be. To read, walk, write, learn, meditate. To get bored with myself.  To do Things or to do Nothing. It’s a feeling we are so far removed from in our day to day lives that it’s hard to recognize it at first. Even more so to allow it, to let it in. To resist the urge to call/text/scroll/browse, turn on the TV, check on something (anything!), eat, talk, do. To go Out, not In. It’s almost a feeling of panic, like “now what?”.  But this is exactly why I came. To change those auto-pilot habits. To not do All The Things for a tiny sliver of time. And to not do All The Things when I return. To do the things that matter. That call to me. That serve me. To invest my time rather than spend it. To give myself to those things in spite of the distractions, overwhelming choices, and speedy buzz of life.  Just because it’s all there., doesn’t mean you have to do it all, right now, every day on repeat. Fewer, better, simpler. 

My day ended with a massage. Then a colonic.

I grabbed a mixed veggie puree soup and doctored it up with the “allowed” condiments of coconut aminos, biosalt, paprika, and olive oil. I got back to my room feeling completely lulled by my the day. I dry brushed and took a warm shower. I slathered myself in oils and (finally) used my lymphatic drainage paddle. I brought it from home, committed to learning how to use it and then actually using it, while I was here.  I felt incredible when I got into bed. I wasn’t hungry (1 out of 10).  I was so excited to read but lasted only a few minutes, asleep by 6:30pm.  

Wednesday, Day 4:  

I didn’t wake up hungry, but a few hours into the morning, I was Starving. Like capital letter (8 out of 10).  I had spent the morning reading, meditating, checking in on a few things at home, watching the desert sunrise (spectacular). I pulled on sweats and headed right to the juice bar for a detox drink and hot tea. Something. Anything. It quieted the hunger roar.

This is why you need a plan for your day. An itinerary that balances scheduled time with a nutrition class, massage, colonic or shaman blessing (this was so awesome you guys - Dani is the real real deal, she does virtual sessions too) with free time for reading, exploring, dreaming.  You are eliminating a big part of your day (eating and all the parts that go with it) and you need a little bit of structure to keep you from going off the rails.  This place is set up for Being-ness. You, connecting with You.  This can be terrifying.  There are no distractions from yourself. Yes, you can still bury your face in technology, pop your airpods in and zone out or talk on the phone all day, but the energy of the space signals you to put down all those things. To use your time here in a way that reintroduces you to yourself.  Because daily life is a hustle.  Moving, doing, busying all day, rinse and repeat.  When you cut that line for a few days, the first 24-48 hours you go into shock.  I’ve had moments where I find myself searching for something to do, thinking “I can’t just sit here.  How ridiculous and unproductive is that?” Moments that teach me. Oh, maybe I can?  Maybe I should?  Maybe this is exactly what we are meant to do.

After my drinks I was led into a warm cocoon like outdoor hut for a last-minute-add-to-my schedule coffee scrub. When I walked in and the smell of warm coffee hit me I almost started drooling. This turned out to be one of my favorite treatments. My therapist (hi Jennifer!) took what could have been a ho-hum service to the next level. She poured warm oil over my body, one part at a time, and then sprinkled finely ground coffee on top of the oil, making a scrub that she massaged into every inch.  She painted it on my face using expert aesthetician hands, left it on like a masque while she gave me a coconut oil scalp massage and finished on my feet. 

I showered everything off and laid back on the table while she massaged lemongrass + coconut cream onto the smoothest skin I have ever had. It was true bliss.

It was almost 1pm when I emerged. Got more juices and a hot tea. Hunger still quiet. I had hours of open time in front of me. It felt unnatural, foreign. I took a mental note, wanting to bring back this openness, this time to dream and create to my “real” life.  

I skipped the afternoon wellness class (they send you a video recording of every class so you can watch on your own schedule) and surprise, surprise, read most of the time (I finished 3 books during my stay). I did a few rounds of 20 minute infrared sauna sessions followed by a cold shower. I finished the day with a digestive release massage (abdominal massage to stimulate your colon and increase the “results” of your colonic by up to 80%) and a colonic. Releasing stuck energy. Stuff that not only makes you physically sick, sluggish, foggy and overweight, but is zapping your energy and overall joie de vivre. Colonics improve your mental outlook and clarity (the brain gut connection a very real thing), strengthen your immune system, promote weight loss and reduce the risk of colon cancer. And I see it in my face. Immediately my skin looks brighter, the whites of my eyes glow. I have mountains of energy and clarity. A complete natural high (that lasts).  

I hit the juice bar one last time for another detox drink, aloe/apple juice chaser, followed by a We Care Regulator Plus (natural laxative) and a probiotic (super important to take right after a colonic).

And then right when I was all tucked in for bed, eyes closed. I suddenly felt starving. And had a bit of insomnia (side effect of cleansing).  And felt buzzy from my colonic. All at the same time. Rather than fight it, I turned on my bedside light, read my book. It did the trick, bringing my focus away from hunger panic and sleeplessness until (an hour later) I was out. 

Thursday, Day 5:

One of the biggest things I’ve noticed not having to food shop/prep/cook/clean-up/ or actually eat is the huge amount of time it has opened up. Feels like more actual hours have been put in the day.  And of course the complete elimination of all “normal life” responsibilities. Combining both of those things simultaneously makes each day feel like a week. It took a few days, stumbling around with this new found time and aloneness but this morning I woke up feeling in stride with it. A rhythm. My emotional and mental self feels alert, clear, decisive.  My last full day. I’m starting to feel the effects of the recharge. The shakeup of my routine, schedule, habits.  It’s doing its work on me in all the right ways. 

I went to the sauna and savored my last session of hot sauna/cold shower cycles.  It’s a total body recharge. I legit feel like superwoman afterwards. 

I dry brushed, showered, used my lymphatic drainage paddle (I’m in the routine now and totally hooked).

A friend who had just returned from a We Care stay recommended I do the Biofeedback Experience. I was intrigued. The jist: a computer that uses quantum physics, the electrical conductivity of the skin and the energetic stress of your organs to detect potential health issues and system imbalances long before they materialize or express themselves in an outward physical way. By the time we feel dis-ease in the body it’s been at work on us for awhile.  The scan examines the whole body, measuring the frequencies of the cells, tissues, and organs. Received frequencies that indicate sick or unhealthy cells appear on a visual representation of your body. You put headphones on, a small red laser beam light is aligned towards your throat area, and you place both hands on an electrical pad. It’s very sci-fi and techy. Then lots of beeping and scanning as the program runs through literally every morsel that makes up You. It’s really, really cool. And intimidating. The therapist that ran my scan said he’s had people literally walk out of the treatment they were so fearful. I get that.

After the scan, you go through the results. My therapist gave me simple “treatment plans” (take an immunity defense supplement for 60 days, use a colloidal silver nasal spray) to strengthen weakened or compromised areas in the body. You pop the headphones back on and the machine runs through the program again, this time in “treatment” mode where it sends electrical stimuli to the body to rebalance and realign malfunctioning cells. You watch a a  visual representation of this happen on screen and I swear you can feel your inner systems getting stronger. The science is legit (and way over my head), but even if it’s positive placebo effect, I’ll take it. I walked out of there feeling like this should be in every doctor’s office and a required experience for every human on the planet. Like, “why isn’t the whole world doing this?!”. If you have a chance to do this, Do It. Seek it out. It is worth it.

I went over all my checkout paperwork and bought some supplements to take home (the founder recommends adding these and these when you get home and this yummy spearmint chlorophyll I’ve been taking a shot of every morning). I will take all the help I can get as I (excitedly) prepare for re-entry to the land of salads, burgers and chocolate cake. 

I watched a lecture on transitioning from fasting back to solids. However may days you were fasting (me: 5) they recommend taking the same amount of time and adding baby steps each day (you start with soups, smoothies, fruits, salads and slowly add in rice/grains, fish, chicken). Caffeine, alcohol and red meat are the very last things and those (it’s emphasized) are only “if desired.”  I’ve already been dreaming about my first cup of hot coffee so yes, desired very much.

It was fitting that my last hooray was a final colonic. End of the day, 4pm and once again my therapist was some sort of Mensa ninja on digestion and taught me more in those 45 minutes than years of proper education. That’s the thing, right - we always learn the most when we are doing, when we’re in the trenches, having experiences.

She sent me off with 2 probiotics to take immediately and some individual packs of her favorite electrolyte mixes (raspberry and lemon lime). I mixed one up immediately and chugged it down. The whites of my eyes were so bright they glowed, I felt like I could chase a cheeta and score a perfect 1600 on the SATs. Whatever’s happening here, it’s working for me. Think Bradley Cooper in Limitless. 

When I got back to my room I finished packing, drank lots of water. Already in my pjs by 6pm, I took one last walk to the main lounge area dreaming of the hot soup, which turned out to be sweet potato, my favorite. This small moment felt worthy of epic celebration. Sort of like a gentle, you did it!, pat on the back. 

I watched an episode of Cheer (bingeworthy) on my ipad, cuddled in bed with my soup. 

You can read about a place, visit the website, talk with friends who’ve been. But the only real way to know something is to do it yourself. To have a firsthand experience.  This journey reminded me of that. And its motivated me to keep finding more places in my life where I can move from learning/reading/knowing about something to experiencing/doing/feeling it. What do we think we know, but haven’t actually experienced for ourselves?  Things that take you out of your comfort zone, that have the opportunity to blow your world wide open?  This experience has been that for me. 

Friday, Day 6:

I was en route to the airport by 4:30am. I had a day of travel ahead of me. My departure salad of field greens tucked into my carry on along with water and digestive enzymes. My first steps outside of the We Care bubble since I arrived in CA. And that was the whole point. A handful of days strung together that revolved around resting, recharging, simplifying. There were no decisions to be made, no places to be, no hustle or urgency or figuring things out. The only thing to do was Be.

Arriving at the airport presents the whole world back at you in one swoosh. But my lens was different. Squeaky clean. It all looked different than just a few days ago. How I moved and acted in it was different, too. I was so tuned inwards that normal habits like distracting myself in e-mails, text messages or social media, stuffing my carry on with nuts, bars, fruit, potato chip and chocolate trail mix just in case - those things simply didn't happen. I did savor a small black coffee while waiting for my flight. It was heaven. I was so aware of allowing my Whole Self to recalibrate that I wanted to ease back in with new choices reflecting the amazing transformation I felt happening, inside and out.

As I traveled home, I read, listened to music, meditated, watched a few more episodes of Cheer (once you start….). I ate my departure salad from We Care, had a banana and some veggie soup. Lots of water.

It was just after 8pm when I dumped my bag on the kitchen floor of home sweet home. Babes were sleeping, the house was warm and cozy. I had missed that feeling of coming home, reminding yourself how much you love it. But mostly the people in it.

I unpacked despite fatigue (I’m one of those people that can’t relax until my suitcase is empty, its so annoying). I lingered in a hot shower and felt like maybe I was already asleep before my head hit the pillow. I’ve only been home 24 hours as I finish these words. I want to let it all marinate a bit so I can give you real account of re-entry as I plunge back into life with my newly polished lens. Give me a week to collect some data. I promise to report back.

One thing I already know, I’m inspired. Like getting off a roller coaster that at first terrifies then exhilarates you. And you immediately say, let’s go again. I say, where to next? Tell me! Where have you been or where do you want to go to hit the Reset button? Or just have a Life Experience that gets you out of your normal habits and routines? Wherever it is, allow me to speak from fresh experience, don’t wait. Go now. But first: if you’ve got a hot wellness spot please share it in the comments below! Okay, Now Go. Make the call, book the flight, get the wheels in motion.