A Little Slice of Heaven! Friday, 19 March 2010 14:55 Written by Julia Taylor

Last October I decided to take myself off to Thailand for a holiday.  I know when people mention heading to Thailand we all conjure up images of cocktails at the beach and partying until the early hours of the morning.  That has to be the complete opposite of what my holiday was about!

A little background information before heading into the life-altering holiday that I went on.  When I arrived in Shanghai over three years ago my company shipped me off to humid Guangzhou and while I was there I got incredibly sick with salmonella poisoning!  Not a pleasant experience and I was then chronically ill for 10 months until I flew back to Australia to see my doctor.  Long story short there was an unusual strain of bacteria living inside me which needed an extremely strong course of two different types of antibiotics to kill them off.

Needless to say it took me years to feel normal again…

This is the reason I ended up in Thailand looking for a place to get healthy again.  Nestled in a small beach section of Koh Phangan is “The Sanctuary Resort, Spa & Detox Centre”.  It was established in 1991 as an alternative healing centre.  After so many years of just not feeling right and thinking about all those antibiotics I had taken I wanted to do something about it.  This place really is a little piece of heaven!

They have a whole myriad of different kinds of wellness options, from fruit fasts & gentle cleanses to full detox programs.  They also specialize in realistic, gentle weight-loss and Candida programs.  There are 3 yoga classes on offer per day, which cater from the total beginner to the advanced Yogi.  If you are looking to have a change in your life/health and you want to be surrounded by other like-minded people then going to a place like The Sanctuary is one of the best options.  There are a few reasons for this with the first one being the setting!  It is easy to stick to a fast when you are around other people going through the exact same thing and the fact that all you have to do each day besides taking your supplements and not eating is lying on the beach or sleeping.

When you arrive at the Wellness Centre you will be greeted by the ever-friendly Moon, who is an absolute wealth of knowledge on all things wellness!  He is like a father figure to all the fasters and is so over protective of the Wellness Centre that if you are not fasting you will not even be allowed entry!  The Wellness Centre has the most amazing energy, not only from the fasters, but from the fact that it is protected from anything that will tempt you into breaking your fast.

You will start with a mini-detox before arriving and then off you go.  One of the huge benefits about doing the fast at a place like this is the support network.  You are able to pull energy from the other fasters around you and just knowing that they are going through the same thing as you is motivation in itself.

Even if you don’t want to do a fast or detox this is an amazing place to hang out.  They have a vegetarian / seafood restaurant, which has some of the best food I have eaten.  The first part of the menu is dedicated to the before and after of a cleanse.  This is where I started to realized the huge benefits of eating raw foods.

Some of the permanent guests in the Wellness Centre - the fasters have about the same amount of energy as this!

Detox and Fasting Options Available at The Sanctuary:

Detox Programs and Packages

Special 9 Night All-Inclusive Complete Fasting Package offers accommodation, 7 day complete cleanse, spa, yoga and much more.

Weight Loss Program. This all inclusive program aims at a life style change as well as weight loss -14 days /16 nights

Fasting & Detox Programs

7 Day Complete Cleanse. This is a full 7 days of detox and fasting including 1 colonic therapy per day. Obviously this is the maximum benefit cleanse. Extra days can be added.

5 Day Cleanse. 5 days for fasting and detox with 1 colonic therapy per day.

Mini Fast. This 3 ½ days fast and detox program is for those in a hurry or wishing to take a step further into health and detox – 1 colonic therapy per day.

Quick Detox. This 1 day program is an ideal introduction to fasting and offers a day of health to detox & purifying and treating acute illness – includes 1 colonic therapy.

Gentle Cleanse. This 1 to 7 day program is a soft detox and gentle fast. There are daily healthy meals & supplements and no colonics.

Fruit Fast. Want to improve your health but don’t feel ready for a full on colonic program … yet? This 4 day program involves a fruit diet with herbal supplements and activities to enliven you.

Candida Cleanse. Have you ever suffered from symptoms like headaches, fatigue, mood swings, poor concentration or sweet cravings? If so, and you don’t know why, there’s a good chance you might have too much of a yeast named Candida Albicans in your gut.

Liver Cleanse. One of the main functions of the liver is to remove and breakdown toxins from the blood. Your liver is your bodies filter and it functions best when cleaned out once in a while.