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In a message dated 5/9/02 11:41:43 AM, Shelly writes:

Dear Rhio,

I'm wanting to do a 2 week water fast under supervision. Can you recommend any places to me? Do you think it is necessary to do enemas while fasting? The clinics that I'm aware of as follows and since they all belong to Natural Hygiene, they don't do enemas.

1). True North in California
2). Rest of your Life Retreat in TX
3). Loren Lockman in Maryland
4). Dr. Scott in Ohio.

I appreciate your help! Thank you very much.

Love,

Shelly

Rhotline@aol.com writes:

Dear Shelly,

I am not a practitioner of any kind so please accept the following only as an exchange of information and ideas.

I do believe in doing enemas when fasting on water. There have been studies that have shown that, when fasting, the body expels 600% more toxins into the intestines, than when eating normally. If you become a regular faster - that is, someone who fasts periodically - then after the first few fasts - I do not believe in taking the enemas any more. By then, you will have achieved a good degree of cleansing and could continue to fast periodically without the enemas. This easing out of using the enemas is only if you have been steadfast with your raw food lifstyle, and have not slipped back into cooked eating.

If you go to one of the places that you mentioned, you could still do enemas if you want to - nobody has to know what you are doing in your room.

This is one of those areas where there are many differences of opinion. The pro-enema people and the anti-enema people. The anti-enema people don't think enemas are natural and that is true - but what gets people into situations where they need to do fasting and enemas also is not natural. In other words, it isn't a natural life or diet that brings people ill health. When you have ill health (I'm not saying you do - perhaps you are just fasting as a preventative measure and that is the best way), but when you have ill health, it is usually because you have not been following the laws of Nature. In our modern world, it could also be because you have been directly exposed to the pesticides or dangerous chemicals which are everywhere so prevalent.

I come from the group that believes that even if you have to use some seemingly unnatural methods to help your body along, it is worth it to speed up the process. So I also believe in colonics, saunas, onion poultices on the stomach, clay packs on the spine, castor oil packs, massage and many other things that can be done to help the body along the path to greater well-being. After all, the main thing is that you want to expel the toxicity as efficiently as possible. Once you've mobilized this release of toxicity through fasting, you don't want it hanging around or being reabsorbed.

I would also do a course of probiotics, either along with doing the enemas (some teachers say not to do it then), or immediately after your fast. Probiotics are the friendly bacteria that populate many areas of our body such as the intestines, nose, eyes, ears, mouth, etc. We need those little critters, as enemas will wipe most of them out of the colon.

Even without enemas, through fasting the body will eventually detoxify and purify.

Out of the places you mentioned, I am only familiar with Dr. Lockman; I've met him at raw retreats where we've both been speakers. But I do not know too much about his program.

I've gone to the Ann Wigmore Institute in Puerto Rico and fasted on the water from the green water coconuts they always have available there. This water is a clear neutral tasting water. It doesn't taste real sweet like the Thai coconuts. I find the water from green water coconuts to be excellent for fasting.

Hoping I have been of some help.

With blessings and peace,

Rhio

Dear Rhio,

How wonderful of you to give me such a detailed answer. Thank you so much for your perspective on this.

Personally, I'm kinda caught in the middle on the question of enemas. I know when I water-fasted for 2 days, and did an enema, I expelled some strange looking things - which without an enema, I don't know if they'd have necessarily come out as soon as I started to eat again. At the same time, I know enemas have been kind of ennervating for me at different times - I don't always feel great after I do them.

As far as the clinics I mentioned go, they all belong to the Natural Hygiene school and don't believe in enemas. So I was wondering if there are non-hygiene fasting clinics and haven't found one. Actually, I haven't looked into the Hippocrates Health Institute and Ann Wigmore's clinic. The latter being in Puerto Rico, would be impractical for me right now.

You alluded to the state of my health in your email. I am not in any kind of serious ill-health. Since I started to eat more and more raw (and now 11 months on 100% raw), I stopped menstruating (it's been 2 years now); also, I have a distended stomach - that appears more distended after eating sweet fruits and nuts for a meal. I've been told that I have parasites. These are my health issues that need attention. And I've felt a 2 week fast would do me a lot of good.

Again, dear Rhio, thank you for your reply.

With love and blessings,

Shelly

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