the after 30 part...

11 days, 10 nights, 0 food. 11 lbs lost, 11 friends gained, and a basket full of new knowledge to bring home. People always ask about my experience here, and it isn't something I can put into a few sentences, let alone even finding the right words. Every trip has been different. Every detox a new lesson learned. In order to know what happens here, to understand this process, you have to go through it yourself. And even then, your experience will be totally different than mine. This morning we broke our fast with a lovely bowl of papaya. Lovely because it was in star and heart shapes, just for that extra touch of love. We went around the table and shared what we felt was our major high. The consensus of everyone was that the group was the highlight. You know how there is always that one person in the group that either doesn't want to be there, or two people don't get along, or someone is just flat out annoying... well not in this group. Everyone was supportive, holding s

Tomorrow we break the cleanse. Today was no shakes, but only juice, water, tea, and broth. This was because we were doing the Liver Flush. At 2pm and 4pm we take these herbs, then at 6pm, an epson salt shot, and 8pm, a lime juice/oil concoction (tasted like salad dressing). Immediately following the 8pm oil drink, you lay down on your right side, so that your liver gets coated. In the morning you do an enema and look for the gall stones. Georgia with our "shots".  So because we weren't doing shakes, it made for a mellow day. I had my colonic. I went to Gaia, the same place I went to in 2015. I felt their bed side manner was better than Cacoon. The nurse there said that I didn't have a lot coming out, but that is normal for someone who has detoxed three times, and eats a clean diet.  She also said I was gassy. HA! Like I didn't know that Lady. I fart in my sleep for goodness sake! Tonight, to have a final release of letting go, the group had a Lette

THE SUN CAME OUT! What a difference a little sunshine makes. We started our morning with a lovely walk. Good conversation and beautiful scenery, makes for one amazing hour on your feet. Rice Fields Ducks with a local cafe next door that uses their eggs. Graffiti on the trail Afterward, we headed to our last Steam & Sauna. I did three sessions of sauna and cold pool, and then went and got a sun burn, literally. It was glorious. Beautiful Pond area at the Spa Red Dragonflies are rare to see. Read here about them. No workshops today, so in the afternoon I went and did some shopping. I stopped by a cafe called Habitat, which is near the monkey forest. I got a juice there, but was sitting next to two men eating Pad Thai. The smell alone made my stomach grumble. I seriously had the devil on one shoulder, and angel on the other thing going on in my head. Devil:  "Do you smell that?  Get it! Push the guy over, steal his plate, and run!" Angel: "

Another rainy day. I saw the sun for 10 short minutes, even skipped yoga just so I could enjoy it. Today was spa day. I got my nails done, and a facial, thanks to lovely NIH for treating me! Georgia and I had our one on one session. We talked a lot about histamine. Considering that I have  Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), a chronic allergy disease, in which  white blood cells (Eosinophils) show up in the esophagus triggered by food allergies, it would make sense to check out my histamine levels. If one has high histamine levels, most likely they will have high levels of Eosinophils, as it's been shown that high histamine increases your Eosinophil levels. That's a lot of E words.  Enough! Georgia and I discussed how to get the histamine levels down. Diet is a big factor, as all foods contain histamine, some more than others. The biggest to avoid would be fermented foods and meat that has been sitting out, or leftovers. The longer the unfrozen meat has sat in the package at t

Yes...that says 11. I realized that the detox is actually 11 days, 10 nights.  *NOTE: This entry is mostly images, so if you don't see them in your email, go here . Today was a big day. I didn't get much sleep last night due to the pounding rain on my roof, but I got up early for another Campuhan Ridge Walk. This time, it was a bit more wet. Just a bit. Flash Flood Rains Group shot for the morning walk. Bali dude. Papaya Tree After our hour long, flash flood, rain storm of a walk, it was time to see Ida. Ida is a the youngest High Priestess in Indonesia. You can read her  story  here.  Today, for the third time in my life, I had a water purification ceremony from Ida. Each experience has truly been it's own. She is such a beautiful human. I always feel the biggest release after the ceremony, and today felt spectacular. The biggest difference about this experience was what happened during the 40 minutes of meditation before the water pouri

Feb. 1st, a new month, and a month with one of my favorite holidays, Valentines day! I call this the LOVE MONTH, and not just love for your family, friends, or that special person, but most importantly, for yourself. I return so often to Natural Instinct Healing not only for the detox; the reset of my body to help with allergies, but also because every time I leave here, I find the courage to love myself again. Sometimes I forget. I think we all do. We get bogged down by the daily stresses of life. We compare ourselves to others, especially on social media. We get dumped. We listen to our inner voice that shames us, calls us names, or tell us how stupid we are when we've done something dumb. NIH resets that for me. After my first detox, I hadn't ever really felt that love for myself. I can't credit NIH for all of it, as  Everett was a HUGE factor in leading me into self-love, but this process, really reminds me of how important self-care is in order to keep that self-love

This morning we took a bike ride through the countryside. It was raining, but not the typical Bali tropical rain storm, which we have been experiencing a lot lately, more of just a sprinkle. The bike ride is always my favorite. Being outside of the touristy area, I have seen some funny things while on this bike ride. People pooping in rivers, and then just down the river, teenage boys bathing in it. No joke. This time around, however, I didn't see anything that laughable and/or gross. For the first time in Bali, I was cold. It felt refreshing. The drops hit my skin, the air against my arms going down hill gave me shivers, but then going back up a hill... I LOVED IT. What is usually pretty easy when eating food, was such a good challenge while detoxing. I purposely wouldn't put my bike into easier gears, to get that extra work out, and my heart rate up. Group ride, minus 2, in the rain. One of the stops along the way is the Goa Garba cave. Fascinated by myth and tale, I

What a difference a day makes. I slept in until 5:30 am, instead of my usual 4:30 am, and then went on a walk in the rain. My energy level felt pretty good, given I have only had a couple glasses of juice and detox shakes, the last three days.  When I say shake, what I really mean is, a bland tasting, bentonite clay drink, with psyllium husk, little bit coconut water and an even smaller amount of juice. Bentonite clay is a naturally- occurring , microscopic volcanic ash. It generates and maintains a very strong electromagnetic  field, which allows it to attract and hold unwanted, toxic substances, so they can be eliminated out of our bodies, via an enema while detoxing. Psyllium husk is a natural, water-soluble, gel-producing fiber which is extracted from the husks of psllyium seeds. It encourages optimal colon functioning and helps get the gunk out too! We drink 4-5 of those a day and then end the day with broth. Some people LOVE broth, and sip down two bowls, I am not one of those pe

Day three is always the hardest for me. Upon waking, my entire body felt like it had a head ache. From my little baby toe, to my head. I hurt. I also felt like I had to vomit for about three hours. I have detox rash all over my arms, and a million bug bites all over my body. Did I mention I am choosing to be here? It's not easy. I'm not on holiday. I'm here to do some serious hard work, because the outcome is always worth it. This morning I talked with my friend Mohammed. I wasn't sure where he was in the world, and I was worried he might not get back home. But, he's from Egypt, where Trump still has business ties with that country, so folks from that country are still permissible. Plus I found out Mo actually has a US passport, not just a green card or visa, but I am still worried. What if things just continue to get worse. I got online immediately and started sending money to the ACLU . They have power. They have the means to fight back. I, on the other hand, ju

Bright and early morning of 4:30am. Okay, not so bright, as it's dark here until 6:30am.  They say when you detox your sleeping can be completely opposite of your norm.  My norm is to usually go to bed a few hours before 4 am in the states, and here I'm asleep by 8pm.  I could blame it on the jet lag, the roosters, or all the other little critters waking me up so early, but there is nothing to blame when you actually are enjoying the change. Today was hard. I'm hungry, and my body aches, and the girl in my yoga class who didn't wear a bra but insisted on inversions was slightly driving me crazy. No one wants to see floppy boobs upside down... gah! I'm hangry, irritable, tired, but that's okay! I'm accepting it.  I'm choosing to be here. This morning we had the Enema & Digestive workshop. This is one of my favorite workshops. Not only do we get to talk about what comes out of our systems from our enemas, but also where it call came from in the