Testimonials
From
the moment you are picked up at the
airport and driven to the retreat you know that you are in safe hands.
The villa is set deep in the hills of
Andalucia, surrounded by avocado trees and wonderful views in every
direction
all of which adds to the immediate feeling of peace and well being.
The
first morning was spent having 1 to 1
consultations with Surayah, you are weighed, measured and given an enema
bag! Surayah has spent years
searching for the knowledge which I now firmly believe makes her one of
the
leading authorities in the alternative health field today. She trained
at Hippocrates Health
Institute in America and has adapted her own program using a low fat
approach
with some fruit. She has tried and
tested everything she practices on herself so she knows exactly what
works and
how you are likely to feel. At the
outset we were all given a large file to take home, this included all
the
information you need to understand what makes this lifestyle work so
well.
Each day began with a psyllium bentonite
shake, followed an hour later by a cucumber or watermelon juice. They
use the
wonderful Norwalk Press Juicer so all the juices are positively brimming
with
life. For the next 2 hours you are
encouraged to exercise in the sun.
The villa had a large pool which was surrounded by rebounders and it
just felt totally exhilarating swimming and bouncing in the beautiful
autumn
sunshine. Added to this each weekday morning we were joined by Renate, a
wonderfully caring yoga teacher who nurtured us through a most relaxing
hour.
Some of us had yoga experience, others had none whatsoever, but it
didn’t
matter as Renate looked after us all as a group and individually to
ensure that
each person gained maximum benefit from the experience. Since coming
home I’ve
become an addict and even got my husband doing it!
At 11.00am
another juice arrived, this time
it includes organic greens and carrots, which were freshly bought that
day. After more sunning and
relaxation lunch is served. This
was either a wonderful large salad or fresh fruit plate again bought
that day
from the market. We were
encouraged to eat slowly and sparsely.
In the afternoons Surayah would give a talk on the many aspects of
nutrition or Mark would do a raw food demonstration.
At 4.00pm we
were served another juice and
then left to do enemas in the privacy of our own bathrooms. There were
always plenty of fresh
towels and also a laundry room at our disposal. Our bathrooms had
supplies of olive oil and salt so we were
encouraged to use these for oil pulling first thing in the mornings.
At 5.30 each evening during the first week
we had what can only be described as raw heaven on a plate. Mark, who
is a chef by profession also
trained at The Living Light under the supervision of Cherie Soria and
his food
is probably the best raw food I have ever tasted. His attention to
detail is second to none and the eye appeal
is first class. Every night we
were served raw treats which were nutritionally balanced by Surayah.
The portions were not huge but no one
felt hungry in the slightest.
Mark is totally passionate about food; prior
to going raw he ran a highly successful restaurant in Manchester. During
the
first week he took us on a culinary journey around the globe to taste a
world
of different cuisines, raw style.
The meals included a raw version of shepherd’s pie, a Thai curry spiced
to perfection and a pasta dish with wilted spinach and a fantastic
tomato
sauce. He also made a papaya soup,
which again had just the right amount of heat. But for me Mark’s
signature dish was a raw version of a
cheese and onion smoky bacon tart...wow... what a treat, again the eye
appeal
and attention to detail added to the amazing taste. Mark, like Surayah,
really enjoys what he is doing and
seemed to spend most of his time in the kitchen blending and conjuring
up such
new raw treats such as organic ginger and orange slices with a raw
“chocolate”
dipping sauce. Every meal left you feeling as if you had just eaten out
in a
top Michelin Star restaurant.
Overall the course is run so that you can
quite literally go at your own pace.
During the second week most of us decided to juice fast but during this
time food was still available if you decided not to fast. There was
also the option to do a liver
cleanse if both you and Surayah felt it would be of benefit. For the
first 2 weeks a Swedish massage
was included as part of the program. Surayah is a qualified massage
therapist
and can tell at a touch where needs special attention.
Evenings were spent either walking or
relaxing with our new found soul mates. My experience in Spain left me
feeling
fitter, healthier and in a far more positive frame of mind. One of my
colleagues on the retreat
came with type two diabetes but after just seven days her blood sugar
was
normal and she said that she constantly felt full which really surprised
her. I have brought back with me a
new-found energy and belief in the raw life style. If you only do one
thing to boost your health then do this
retreat and share the passion with Surayah and Mark.
Rosi P, North Yorks. U.K.
I just spent fantastic two weeks in the Living Raw Retreat in
Andalucia and I can warmly recommend it.
Because of some last-minute cancellations, we were a particularly
small group and thus got a super personalized service.
I had expected some degree of an ordeal from the detox but we were
spoiled! Besides juices and smoothies there was a light salad and
fruits near noon and a bigger meal at 5.30pm. Mark is a Living Light
gourmet chef, and he gave his heart and his personal touch into every
meal. Hard to say whether the looks or taste was more to behold.
The location is great as Mark made great use of the varied fresh
local vegetables and fruit. His take on Burritos and the Fantastico
Italiano composite were among the highlights. We also got great
demos in the kitchen so we can try some of these delights at home.
With Mark and Surayah, being spoiled does not mean sacrificing on the
health front. We felt healthier by the day and yet never really felt
hungry. Even the brief fasting around a liver flush went much more
comfortably than feared.
Surayah's classes taught us the basics, and more, on the benefits of
raw diet and natural nutrition, as well as practical advice on how to
live healthier at home. Succinct and non-preaching. Very helpful, and
surely even more so to guests with greater health issues than mine.
We also had massage treatments, lovely yoga/meditation sessions, and
there was still plenty of time to chill out and read in the sun, once
in a while dipping into a wonderful pool. Did I mention the weather?
28-32 degrees every day, with just one half-cloudy day among the
blue-sky days. If needed, we could access internet/TV and visit nearby
towns, but most of the time we were happy to chill out at the villa.
Since our small group did not have major illnesses, we could not
really test this retreat's good reputation on healing powers. We had
come to re-energize ourselves - and, oh boy, this we did. I am too
modest to post here my 'before' and 'after' pictures. But I can state
facts: I lost 5kg and went back home in glowing health.
Can detoxing really feel so pleasurable - not just afterwards but
during the experience? Here it can.
Antti Ilmanen, Germany
