Review: Byron Bay Detox Retreat
Have you ever felt like you really needed a reset?
Like you were a hamster on a wheel, running all day long but never really actually moving?
I have.
Actually, that’s exactly how i felt before going on my mini break a week ago.
I was caught in that rut, with the awareness that I was in the rut, and the frustration of not knowing how to break out of it. So I decided to get off the wheel, and go on retreat - and landed at Byron Bay Detox.
Whether you’ve heard about it or keen to hear about it, know i’m going to be 100% honest with you here - and it’s not all pretty.
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First up, it’s a juice cleanse. This means that three times a day, juice was on the menu, and in the evening, it was a mineral broth. And, if you were hungry, you could add protein powder in with your juices or on their own.
Now, funnily enough because I’m quite accustomed to fasting, I didn’t think this would be a challenge by any means. Ha. how wrong i was. See, although I tend to eat lightly through the day; what I didn’t realise is that I do so because I snack constantly - handful of nuts here, a plate of crackers with avo there, a piece of fruit or two. I may in fact be the snack queen.
So - take away my snacks and I realise that I’m actually not very good at fasting, and that doing a liquid only cleanse was actually really, really hard.
In fact, I found it so hard that day 3, you may have caught me in my closet snacking on my emergency stash of nuts, honey and crackers, and on day 4 I may have been seen eating a banana.
Although I aimed to complete the cleanse, what this came up against was my feelings of comfort. Especially when you’re in the lush surrounds of Byron Bay, sitting in a beautiful unit and have an array of healing therapies across your day like yoga, massage, sauna, colonics and meditation, the last thing you want to do is hear your stomach churn. So - I gave into temptation and have no regrets - trust me, the banana was worth it.
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You may be wondering - seeing as I’ve only recently restored my relationship with food after battling anorexia, why on earth would I do a juice cleanse? Fair question. First, it was definitely not a sneaky way to lose weight - actually, I love that i’ve gained weight. Rather, it was an opportunity to heal my gut.
After a very festive christmas period, indulging on an array of highly inflammatory foods like cheese, bread, wine, more wine, more cheese - my gut has not been in a great state. Especially because I’m gluten and dairy intolerant.
So what I noticed was that basically everything I ate - even something simple like a piece of fruit - would give me this intense bloating. So much so that throughout the period, it frustrated me so much that I gave in the towel on multiple times and thought - “stuff it, I’ll just eat the bread and the cheese, and drink the wine, my guts screwed anyway”.
Unfortuantely, this attitude does not lead to improved gut health, so it would seem.
Alas, over time my digestion became worse and worse, and I felt worse and worse, literally feeling drained from the moment I woke up (which may have also been because I was probably hungover).
So as you can see, I needed a reset - physically and mentally.
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Outside of my gut, I felt I was entering into situations I knew were not serving me - e.g. drinking alcohol often - but did so because I didn’t have a better option. And, just like I threw in the towel about eating whatever, I felt my mood was dull and unenthused more often than not, which again, lead m to overindulge in bad habits like drinking, which then depleted me even more.
Once I became aware of this, I knew I had to change, and that I needed a major overhaul to do so - cue the detox retreat.
Arriving, I had a mini freak out - 5 days of no food OR snacks, what ?! I took a trip to the local supermarket and stocked up on my emergency supplies - nuts, crackers and honey - and prayed they wouldnt search my bag.
Fortunately, they did not. Instead, what the team did was greet me with a smile, a hug and a coconut.
From the moment I arrived, they made me feel welcomed, nurtured and loved; a trend which continued throughout the week.
Scoping through the property, I knew I was in for a treat - there is a certain ambiance about the space, inspiring you to slow down and switch off. Whether it’s the luscious foliage or sounds of crashing waves in the distance, it’s definitely the healing space Nat (the founder of Byron Bay Detox) intended.
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So - what happened during the week?
While there was no standard day, I can say that yoga was 8am, followed by a 930 juice and an array of therapies - and for me, the highlights were Wim Hof Breathwork (including an ice bath, and YES I did get in), sound healing, spinal flow, my colonics and the raw food workshop.
While there was a lot on, there was also space for reflection and relaxation too - which is perfect for my introverted self. Especially with such powerful work in the treatments, I loved that between sessions I could duck out for a dip in the ocean - a mere 100m away.
I also loved that there was a variety of 1-1 treatments and group sessions too - the latter granting us space to collectively moan about our hunger, share excitement for feast day (the final day), and discuss our favourite sessions.
Outside of the food (or therelackof) and treatments, throughout the week we were also instructed to have a crafty concoction of cleansing supplements, such as bentonite clay to chlorophyll, to accelerate the healing process.
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So - end of the week, how did I feel, and was it worth it?
I’m happy to say that my intention to reset - mentally and physically - was blown away - way away.
Physically, it only took about 48 hours for my gut to be feeling back to itself (no bloating, no gas, just clean and functioning properly!).
Mentally, I continued to feel better and better as the week progressed - each treatment added value, so much so that by the end of the week, I literally felt like I was an overflowing ball of lov; eager to share joy, appreciation and gratitude with all those around me.
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In terms of being ‘worth it’; I guess it depends on how you define what something is worth.
My mental health? Worth everything.
My physical health? Worth everything too.
There is no amount of money that supersedes good health - so for this reason, I feel the retreat was 100% worth it, as it worked on both areas of my life.
However, while we are on the topic, I’ll be frank - it’s not exactly a budget trip. With the 6 night stay coming in at 4-5k (depending on your room), you may be initially hesitant - in fact, I was too.
However, if I was in the same situation prior to the retreat, I would do it all again.
Nothing is worth more than my physical or mental health - and when these are aligned, I create magic.
I saw this happen through the week; I’ve sseen it happen in the past and I know it can happen for you too.
So - if you are considering taking some time out for you, and heading up to the retreat, hold no bars - go there, go now, and go quickly.
Every day of inaction is another day you’re not living your best life.
Don’t wait a moment longer!
Your best life is waiting for you, just wishing you would connect in.
That’s what I did, and I know you can do it too.
Lastly, special thank you to the wonderful staff at Byron Bay Detox - you made the journey so special, and I can’t wait for more of my community to experience the same.
I came with the intention to reset, and you guys - and the retreat as a whole - enabled me to do exactly that.
So thank you - so much - for giving me the space to do so. Forever grateful, and forever appreciative.
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PS - While I have mentioned the hunger a few times, I will note - it wasn’t actually that bad. To be honest, many times I was completely satiated with my juices and (a LOT) of protein powder - which is no surprise, as they are carefully designed by Nat and her naturopathic team.
PPS - thanks again! I’ll be back again for sure.
