Coming Home to Myself: My Experience with the PachaMama Body Cleanse
The week before leading my annual women’s retreat in my home country, I got really sick. What was initially a misdiagnosed infection led me to take heavy medications, and while they helped my body recover, they left my gut completely out of balance.
I had already planned a visit to PachaMama afterward, but I hadn’t intended to participate in the body cleanse. It just so happened that the timing aligned—and looking back, I realize life had orchestrated it for me. I didn’t realize how much I needed a reset, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Stepping Into the Unknown
I’ve had profound spiritual experiences through fasting before. During my years at Sat Yoga Ashram, fasting was a tool for insight, clarity, and equanimity. But I hadn’t allowed myself the space for a deep fasting experience in a long time. This cleanse was different from anything I had done before. The protocol at PachaMama’s Prana Clinic involved an intensive juicing schedule and a hydrocolonic process—something I had never done and, honestly, was resistant to.
The first few days were tough. My mind filled with doubt: Why did I sign up for this? Why am I here, surrounded by strangers, doing something so vulnerable? The enemas (hydrocolonics) triggered deep resistance in me, and I even modified the enemas to make it feel less overwhelming. I spoke with Gaya, one of the facilitators, about my struggle, and she gave me a simple but powerful reminder: my body knows what it needs. It wasn’t about pushing through discomfort but about tuning in and listening deeply.
That conversation shifted everything. I softened. I started trusting my body’s process instead of resisting it. And in that surrender, I found an incredible sense of ease and self-acceptance.
Breakthroughs and Transformation
One of the most powerful moments of the cleanse happened during a Clarity Breathwork session. In that space of deep breathing and presence, I touched something vast—an all-encompassing love, a complete and compassionate acceptance of myself. The self-doubt, the fears, the shame and the limiting beliefs that had crept in over the past months… they dissolved.
I felt self-assured in a way I hadn’t in a long time. I remembered who I am. I reconnected with my own power, with an unwavering trust in my path and the goodness in my life.
On a physical level, the shift was undeniable. My skin started glowing, my breathing felt lighter. My mind clearer. My eyes glistening with a sense of awe and aliveness. I could spot limiting beliefs as they arose and immediately question their validity. As Omie told me, Fear is just False Evidence Appearing Real. And I no longer needed to hold onto it.
The Power of Community
Healing is a very personal and solitary journey that happens in the privacy of our own hearts, but it rarely happens in isolation. The guides and support team were caring, friendly, and truly relatable. And the group I journeyed with through the cleanse was incredible—each person bringing their own stories, their own intentions, their own willingness to surrender to the process. In a space so deeply vulnerable, we held each other up. There was laughter, shared struggles, and a quiet understanding that we were in this together—and we all had our own process.
And then there was my enema cabin crew: Sinja and Justine. If you had told me before this cleanse that I’d form a special bond with two incredible women over enemas, I wouldn’t have believed you. But there we were—supporting each other through the awkwardness, the discomfort, and ultimately, the transformation. It’s a rare and beautiful thing to find humor and camaraderie in such an unexpected place, but that’s exactly what happened. I am so grateful for them.
A Glimpse into the Daily Schedule
6:30am Noni Shot
6:45am Movement Class
8:00am Morning Juice (orange, lemon, blackberries, golden berries, apples, fresh aloe vera)
8:15am - 10:00am Morning Enema
After the enemas: Fiber drink (psyllium husk, flax seed, chia seed, diatomaceous earth)
10:00am Orange Shot (dehydrated noni powder, orange, fresh turmeric root)
10:30am Group Meeting (Lecture about health, Dance, Clarity Breathwork...)
11:30am Green Power Juice (carrots, celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, coriander, kale, chard, salt, garlic, coconut water, spirulina) + C Factor (moringa greens and lemon)
12:00pm Group Meeting
1:00pm Fresh Noni, coconut water, fresh turmeric and ginger
Rest
2:00pm Neem Shot
2:15pm Group Meeting
3:30pm Spicy Tea (lemon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne)
3:30pm Afternoon Enemas
After the enemas: Fiber Drink
5:00pm Light cleansing soup, cruciferous veggies
6:30pm Silent Sitting Osho Hall
7:30pm Chaga Tea
Listening to My Own Needs
While the protocol offered a structured approach, I listened to my body and made adjustments that supported my healing. The program guides talked about “Bio-Individuality” a concept that elaborates on how one person’s medicine can be someone else’s poison. I opted for fewer enemas and skipped the "Liver Flush" protocol, knowing it wasn’t what I needed at this time. I usually follow the "Push Catch Liver Detox" in the spring, and that approach resonates with me more. Through this, I gained an important insight: while moving past comfort zones and embracing the unknown is essential for growth, there is also deep wisdom in honoring familiar rituals that anchor us.
Returning to Wholeness
A week after the cleanse, I’m still integrating. My body feels nourished, and I’ve naturally returned to simple, whole foods. My pantry is stocked with local vegetables, and we’re preparing our seedlings to grow our garden for a second year in a row. I’m leaning into the insights gained from my journey of self-discovery, including my studies at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Though I graduated as a health coach in 2020, opened a yoga school for teacher trainings, I realize now I spent years hesitant to fully step into my power. Sharing who I am and what I know often felt cautious—like walking on eggshells, under the shadow of shame, afraid to shine too brightly. I struggled to embrace my strength, to own my story, to honor my lived experience. But now, I stand firm in my truth. I trust myself again, I trust my rhythms, and my intuition.
This journey has reignited something within me, and I’m ready to step into the full power of goodness. I’m here to share what I’ve learned and support others in their transformative journeys—from a place of deep, unapologetic authenticity.
Healing isn’t just about the body; it’s about the mind, the heart, and the spirit. When we give ourselves the space to listen, profound transformation unfolds.
Listening to the Body’s Wisdom
This cleanse wasn’t just about detoxing my body. It was about agency of the soul. About trusting my inner knowing. About coming home to myself.
More than anything, this cleanse reminded me of the profound intelligence of my body. Every symptom carries a psychosomatic message, a deeper wisdom waiting to be understood. This experience reaffirmed what I’ve always known but had forgotten in the busyness of creating a yoga school and launching Omprov Lab: my body is not just a vessel, but a guide. And when I honor its wisdom, I come back home to myself.
With love, deep trust, and a clove of raw garlic,
Prema
