Over the years, many have come to us with concerns about the colonics, preferring not to engage with this aspect of the program.

This can be for a physiological reason, such as scar tissue within the colon, but usually it is simply because of the projected ‘yuck’ factor.

And it is often the case that after a day or so, once their comrades on the retreat are expressing the simplicity, cleanliness and deep relaxation that comes from the colonic, their prejudices often crumble and they end up giving it a go, only to find the hidden delights of such practices.

Either way, our facilitators apply no pressure. But it is useful to understand why the colonics are in the mix, and what is lost if they are abstained from.

Colonic Context

On a day to day basis, there is no need to artificially stimulate bowel movement, except under particular remedial circumstances.

This is because there is the background pattern of ‘stomach-filled, bowel empty’ stimulation from eating.

When fasting, this normal pattern is lost, and the bowel falls into a kind of stagnation.

All the toxic material moved from the tissues, to the blood, and through the liver down into the bowel has nowhere further to go.

But if we would like this material to exit the scene completely, then we need to awaken the gut without stimulating the digestive processes that would steal resources from fasting’s focus upon detoxification.

The persuasive effects of the psyllium, bentonite and herbal laxatives are currently at work moving material from the small intestine into the colon, and the colonics themselves are helping them to leave the body entirely.

That is why these components are in the protocol.

Under the effects of these supplements, the bowel will fill twice each day, and thus the program contains two colonics - keeping this through flow. Material that is trapped in the gut for longer will naturally migrate back through the bowel wall, and need to be addressed again by the immune system - at the blood level - and reprocessed back through the liver to the gut once more, wasting energy and incurring unnecessary symptoms.

Without Colonics

If we use all the other ingredients, but decline the colonics, it is true that the bowel will slowly move on its own anyway.

That said, we may need to adjust the proportion of laxative to psyllium to bentonite to promote sufficient movement, but we can negate the cursory need for colonics, for those that are opposed to them for some reason.

Lost Colonic Advantages

There are some effects of the colonics that are lost through this approach.

The colonics expand the bowel wall, washing away any remaining psyllium.

This gentle massaging of the bowel wall is helpful in releasing long-held tension and encouraging the release of its associated emotion.

Often times, a colonic brings great relief from low moments of headache, nausea, or a foggy /depressed mind, because they can be symptoms of material accumulating in the gut or upper bowel - swiftly shifted by the colonic process.