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One of the ten best detox retreats in the world as listed in The Times, January 2016. The original concept, inspired by the pioneering work of Bernard Jensen, Swami Sivananda, and Dr. Gerson, in the fields of cleansing and detoxification and was further motivated by the healing effects of yoga, meditation, fasting and alternative therapies. These influences all contribute to Moinhos Velhos Detox Yoga Retreat Centre's comprehensive juice detox program for body, mind and spirit.
Please note: due to restrictions related to Covid-19, the option to book the shared dorm, shared twin room and shared cottages are only presently available to 2 people attending together from the same household. If you are attending alone, please select one of the single room options.
There are various accommodation choices. a mixture of shared and single cottages, rooms, and cabins with an attached bathroom. An individual patio, relaxation, or reading area adjoin each room. All rooms have a Wi-Fi connection. In the main house, there is a central computer for internet access. The central clinic building houses consist of the treatment rooms, the QRS magnet healing bed, foot detox equipment, zapping equipment, a relaxation area, and a small library.
For the past 30 years, Moinhos Velhos Detox Yoga Retreat has facilitated their concept of a detox juice fasting retreat for the body, mind, and spirit. 25 years ago, they were guided to establish Moinhos Velhos in the Algarve, Portugal, where they have fine-tuned their program to achieve a complete cleansing and detoxification on all levels, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Different areas of the program facilitate physical, mental and emotional detoxification and purification. People come from all over the world to participate for many reasons such as; detoxing, quitting smoking and addictions, reappraising and re-evaluating life purpose, losing weight, getting rid of stress and simply achieving optimal health maintenance.
Moinhos Velhos Detox Yoga Retreat knows what works best to achieve purification on all levels. Many of their participants have experienced a life-changing transformation and their programs are also very attractive to those who wish to simply deepen their knowledge and experience of natural and holistic health practices and take that awareness back out into daily life.
Moinhos Velhos Detox Yoga Retreat is in a tranquil valley 14 kilometers from Lagos. They are situated in a nature reserve, away from the traditional tourist areas and energized by a multitude of tiny crystals in the surrounding hills. Here, they go to bed with the silence of the stars and wake up to the songs of the birds.
You will have a vegetable soup on Saturday evening then you will be fasting from Sunday morning onwards. The juice program is a simple juice diet with various supplements to assist your body with the detoxification process, and to push toxins out of your digestive system. At all times, Moinhos Velhos will provide lemon water and herbal teas which you can take freely. If for any reason you break the fast early, Moinhos Velhos will not be able to provide regular meals during the fasting programs.
Please note clysmatic personal colonics are used twice a day.
According to the purists, this program is not a real fast, as you will take fruit and vegetable juices as well as vegetable broth along with herbs, vitamins, minerals, etc. To the purists, fasting means only water.
However, a Swedish doctor, Ragnar Berg, one of world's foremost authorities on nutrition and biochemistry, stated that during fasting, the body burns up and excretes huge amounts of accumulated wastes.
You can help this process by drinking alkaline juices instead of water. Juice fasting is therefore the very best form of fasting. Furthermore, you will cleanse the entire gastrointestinal tract with the herbs and the Clysmatic (a gravity type colonic) cleanses and stimulates the lower intestine.
The various treatments available five days a week assures the elimination of toxins and the balancing of your entire system. The sauna cleanses through the skin, and the yoga and meditation facilitates the purification of the mind and the spirit. All of this in a most serene and pure setting.
On the first morning, a schedule is open to make your therapy reservations. Moinhos Velhos will also show you how to use the Clysmatic, a gentle colonic cleansing system you administer yourself in the privacy of your bathroom.
Each morning at 8 a.m., there will be a meditation and yoga session while every evening, there will be a meditation session or workshop. The evening workshops can include a Biodanza movement session and a Sivananda tradition inspired fire ceremony alongside a beautiful spiral walk letting go and visioning ceremony to end the programme.
These sessions are designed to assist the detoxification process, as while you are detoxing, blockages and tensions held in the physical, mental, and emotional levels of the body are released. These practices help you to let go of them, to relax properly, and to sleep more comfortably.
During the day, you can relax, swim, have a therapy session, explore, and walk around the area and even help out in the organic gardens. There is a collection of videos and DVDs of related subjects and movies to watch. The sauna is on in the early evening and the hot tub is on every day.
The combination of gentle moving, stretching, and twisting together with deep breathing, speeds up the detox process. The lymph and blood transporting the released toxins are pumped through the body at a faster rate, improving drainage of toxins and speeding up the elimination process. The state of relaxation brought about by yoga causes the healing, restorative parasympathetic nervous system to take over from the autonomic nervous system. Then, the body starts to clean and heal itself.
The practice of yoga helps boost energy levels, as you take in and store abundant amounts of prana (energy) whilst holding postures and doing pranayama. The more you detox, the clearer the energy channels become, and the greater the effects of the yoga practice. Not only is this highly beneficial both short term and long term, but it also makes the detox process easier and a lot more enjoyable. You feel psychologically uplifted, and the mind is strengthened to carry on. It also gives you a clear indication of the energetic effects of yoga.
This program is also available for longer stays of 11 days.
For more information on the longer programs please send an inquiry to Moinhos Velhos Detox Yoga Retreat Centre.
One day per week we have an outing, The destination will either be to Lagos or to one of the beautiful local Algarve beaches, depending on the weather.
Chris and Karen are originally from England and have been living here in Portugal for many years. Both are qualified Sivananda yoga teachers. They both studied in Kerala, India, while they also facilitated of Moinhos Velhos fasting programs during the off season. Chris became holistic in 1971 after being referred to a naturopath and later being introduced to a faith healer. He has had some wonderful teachers, one being the late Jack Temple, a renowned dowser and healer as well as a pioneer organic farmer. Jack was able to introduce Chris to dowsing and the benefits of organic gardening.
Debbie is one of the yoga teachers and facilitators. After working 11 years as a nurse in a Dutch hospital, she started to develop more interest in alternative ways to heal the body and mind. After leaving the Netherlands and traveling for 2 years through Asia, she arrived together with her husband, Ed in 2016. In 2017, Debby got her a scholarship for the Sivananda yoga teacher training in India. After successfully completing the training, Debby has been teaching yoga and giving meditation classes here at Moinhos Velhos for the past 2 years.
Ed arrived together with his wife, Debby in 2016 at Moinhos Velhos. Originally from the Netherlands after traveling for 2 years through Asia, they have now settled in Portugal. Ed is part of the facilitation team as a nutritionist. He uses an evidence-based approach to cut through the confusion about nutrition and will give you advice that’s firmly rooted in science. He has previously worked as a plant-based chef in a restaurant and can thus provide you with lots of tips and ideas for a healthier diet. He as well studied Thai massage in Thailand and gives treatments.
Sivananda Hatha Yoga instructor Karen is one of our Yoga teachers and facilitators, she has 15 experience here at Moinhos Velhos helping support and guide our clients through all aspects of the Juice Fasting programme. ‘Regular cleaning of the body is essential for good health, shining from the inside out’. Karen believes in empowering ourselves and others and works for the benefit of all. Karen is also a trained Martin Brothman Foundation Chakra Healer and a keen organic gardener. With her husband Chris, Karen co-facilitates the Juice Fasting programmes in the Sivanada Ashrams in India
Richard has over 20yrs experience in wellness and specialises in 5 Elements acupuncture, Dru yoga, wellness coaching and the Environment-Body-Mind connection. He began at Moinhos in 2014 and is passionate about understanding and creating what you need to have a successful life – measured from the deepest level of your own perception, not through achieving in the eyes of others! He previously developed his Creative Yoga brand into one of London’s most unique projects and has a successful corporate branch to his business, designing wellness programmes. His first book will be published in 2020!
Moinhos Velhos is a secluded valley near the Barragem da Bravura. It is close to Lagos, on the Algarve coast in Portugal. Algarve is a well known region of Portugal with a laid back lifestyle. The western Algarve is perfect to unwind and recharge with some deserved rest and recuperation, explore the fantastic culture, and unspoiled countryside that still retains its natural charm.
Travelling just half an hour from either the south or west coast up through the countryside to the Monchique mountain at 1000 meters, the whole area is speckled with small villages and towns with one foot in past.
Away from the popular tourist areas, Moinhos Velhos lays on 16 hectares (40 acres) in an area of several thousand hectares of natural beauty. It is a protected area where you will wake up to the songs of the birds in the morning, and retire with the silence of the stars at night.
No food will be given during this fasting detox retreat. However, you will not feel hungry as you will receive direct nutrition from the juices, and in addition to the powders and herbal pills taken to eliminate toxins, you will receive supplements to keep your energy level up. Commonly, after a few days, you will probably feel more energetic than you have in a long time!
In between the juices-broth, there is time for the guests to experience the various therapies that are available. Or take a walk along the dam in the peaceful nature.
As extra treatments, Moinhos Velhos offers Swedish massage, lymph drainage massage, Thai yoga massage, sacro cranial therapy, bio resonance therapy, reflexology, healing, Reiki, acupuncture, physiospect, and re-connection healing. The cost for the extra treatments is from 65 EUR per session.
Faro Airport
68 km
Transfer available for additional US$93 per person
The nearest airport is Faro Airport (FAO). Faro is an international airport with direct flights to most major European cities. For those cities that do not have a direct flight, connection is made at Lisbon.
Airport transfers from and to Faro Airport (FAO) is available on request. If you would like Moinhos Velhos to pick you up at Faro Airport, please advise them your flight number and the time of your arrival and they will be there to meet you. A single ride costs 78 EUR per person whereas shared rides cost 45 EUR per person for two people and 35 EUR per person for three or more people.
If you like to travel by train, you can take a taxi from the airport to Faro train station at the cost of 8 EUR. Train from Faro train station to Lagos costs from 7.50 EUR per person one way. From Lagos, Moinhos Velhos can pick you up for free or if you want to take a taxi from Lagos, it will cost from 15 EUR.
You can take a taxi from the airport to the retreat center with the cost from 100 - 125 EUR one way.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookYogaRetreats.com. All major credit cards supported.
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