The spark of life requires renewing. The fuel requires refreshing. The fire inside keeps burning. In a culture so conditioned to snacking, the idea of going without food for days may sound crazy. But fasting is one of the oldest known health remedies and modern science is now beginning to understand it's power, which comes town to autophagy, a fancy word for the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells. When we stop providing our bodies with constant sources of fresh calories, it turns inward for fuel. Imagine you lost electricity to your house in the middle of winter and had to start burning stuff around the house for fuel - you wouldn’t start with your new table would you? You’d start with the scrap wood and work your way up from there, getting rid of anything old or broken. Our body does the same thing when we fast, providing it with an excellent opportunity for deep cleaning that it otherwise wouldn’t get around to. This explains how fasting can promote longevity and reduce inflammation. In addition to the 5-day coconut water fast, participants will benefit from the inspiring natural setting of our retreat, the daily yoga, meditation, facilitated journaling and hydrotherapy, as well as workshops that provide education about the physiology of fasting and optimal nutrition for daily living. This retreat includes one and a half days pre and post-fast for "re-feeding" with nutrient-dense foods so that participants depart feeling fully replenished.
As a team we have experience in preventative medicine, emergency medicine and yoga, but most importantly, we have life experience that has lead us to be passionate about creating opportunities for people to learn about themselves and experience optimal health.
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Lodging
All meals
Daily yoga classes
Daily meditation
Journals
Physiology of Fasting workshop
Optimal Nutrition workshop
Airport transfer at set times
Daily on-site activities
Airfare
Off-site activities
Cozy private yurt.
FROM$2,499.00/pp
A large and luxurious private cabin with its own bathroom - all to yourself!
FROM$2,999.00/pp
Shared cabin for females with large porch and en suite bathroom.
FROM$2,499.00/pp
Shared cabin for females, no en suite bathroom.
FROM$2,199.00/pp
Shared cabin for males with large porch and en suite bathroom.
FROM$2,499.00/pp
Private room next to yoga hale with patio and lava flow views.
FROM$2,499.00/pp
Shared cabin for males, no en suite bathroom.
FROM$2,199.00/pp
Cozy private cabin with porch.
FROM$2,199.00/pp
Private cabin with porch. No en suite bathroom.
FROM$2,499.00/pp
- Non-toxic bath products and sunscreen - Casual and comfortable clothing - Swimsuit - Beach towel - Walking shoes - Sandals for the beach and communal showers - Warm layer - Rain-jacket (just in case) - An extra pillow if you sleep with more than one. - Flash-light - Non-plastic water bottle - Most importantly, a sense of adventure, openness to new ideas and experiences, and compassion for yourself and others.
- Strongly-scented perfumes, shampoos, lotions, etc. - Bed linens and bath towel (provided) - Yoga mat (provided - unless you prefer to use your own) - Speakers (please use earbuds if you would like to listen to music during your down-time) - Food (may not be kept in the cabins, as it attracts insects and other creatures. Plenty of food will be provided during our retreat, and we encourage you to use this time to stick to the nutritional guidelines we recommend.) - Laptops, tablets and other work (cabins do not have wifi, and we strongly encourage participants to completely disconnect during their retreat) - We encourage you also to leave behind any expectations that you have for yourself or others during your retreat. Allow yourself to go with the flow and be open to the results.
We are looking forward to hosting you at the Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center, near Hawaii's stunning Puna coast. Our group will have exclusive access to this peaceful 10-acre property, now protected by new walls of lava rock from the 2018 Kilauea eruption . Although off-grid, the center has flushing toilets and hot water, with well-appointed and comfortable cabins. Yoga sessions will be held in the open-air yoga hale, with lava-flow and ocean views.
The kitchen staff at Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center have thoughtfully designed a whole-foods, phytonutrient-rich menu with organic and locally sourced foods where possible. Meals will be vegetarian and free of refined sugars, gluten and dairy. If your typical diet is lower in fiber and/or you are not used to eating legumes, we suggest bringing digestive enzymes to help your body make the most of these nutrients!
We will be within a 15-minute tree-covered walk from the ocean, but the closest beach is now covered in fresh lava, which offers a powerful experience but is not ideal for swimming. We will be a 5-minute drive from a newly-formed unnamed beach where we will hold our closing ceremony. We will be only a 20-minute drive from Kehena beach, a beautiful black-sand, clothing-optional beach which lines a small swimmable bay frequented by dolphins.
The Hawaiian Puna coast is renowned for its rugged beauty and black sand beaches. You'll find that within an hour's drive of our location the scenery may change dramatically, from regenerating lava fields to lush rainforest to arid mountains. We encourage you to extend your stay and explore more of the awe-inspiring scenery of Hawaii's Big Island. Here is a list of nearby attractions you may wish to visit in your free time.
Each day will include opportunities for down-time. Some days may have enough down-time for you to take a walk to the coast or even drive to Kehena beach. We discourage you from planning to venture further afield during the retreat as you may miss out on scheduled activities and essential quiet-time. If you'd like to visit sites that are more than a 30-minute drive from our location, please plan to do so before or after the retreat.
Because Hawaii is so careful about screening for COVID with mandatory testing or vaccines, and because all group activities (including meals) will take place in outdoor settings, mask-wearing will be optional at the retreat.
Vaccination will not be required to participate in the retreat - unless mandated by the state of Hawaii for entry.
Rest assured that if the whole retreat has to be cancelled due to a COVID-related change in Hawaii's policies, you will receive a full refund. However, if you are not able to come to the retreat due to a personal COVID-related incident (like testing positive before your flight) we will not be able to offer a refund. For this reason, we strongly suggest purchasing travel insurance at the time your book the retreat.
We strongly recommends the purchase of travel insurance to ensure that you are covered in case of any unexpected event. Many events may prevent or interrupt your travels, like personal, professional, medical, environmental or weather related events. Even though those events are rare, they can occur and reinforce the importance of being covered by travel insurance. Should you elect to not purchase travel insurance, you will be assuming 100% of any costs incurred for trip cancellation or trip interruption. All payments made to Presh Health are non-refundable and non-transferable. TravelEx and World Nomads are two reputable organizations. There is a broad spectrum of policies and options, so make sure you are clear on what exactly is covered.
You may fly into one of the two airports on the Big Island, both within a reasonable drive from our retreat location.
Kona International Airport (KOA) in Kona to the west is a 2-3-hour drive to the retreat venue depending on the route you take. This drive offers the opportunity to explore other parts of the island.
Hilo International Airport (ITO) in Hilo to the east is a 1-hour drive to the retreat venue.
There is also the option of flying into Honolulu International Airport (HNL) on Oahu first and then taking a short, 35-40 minute flight to the island of Hawaii.
We offer a complimentary shuttle from Hilo airport to the retreat center on March 10th at 3:30pm, and one from the retreat center to Hilo airport on the last day of the retreat on March 18th at 11:30am. Space on this shuttle is limited, so please contact us to reserve.
Renting a car for the duration of your stay will allow you the flexibility to fly into Kona airport and enjoy a longer and more scenic drive to our venue. It will also facilitate optional visits to nearby attractions such as Kehena beach (a 20-minute drive from our location).
If you do not plan on renting a car, you can get to Kirpal by Uber or taxi from the Hilo airport. The ride will be about 60-minutes and the cost is approximately $75 one-way. You will pay your driver directly.
The staff at Kirpal will also arrange airport pick-up at Hilo for $80 one-way. Their vehicle can hold up to 6 guests. This option must be arranged through the Kirpal center and payment will go to them directly. We are happy to put you in contact with them upon request.