Hawaii Big Island Whole-Person Cleansing Retreat

Dr. Connie Hernandez, ND contemplates a bowl of fresh tropical fruit grown on the property of the Hawaii Peace Garden Retreat.
Dr. Connie contemplates fresh-picked tropical fruit at the Hawaii Peace Garden Retreat.

by Dr. Connie Hernandez, ND

Back in the long-ago time when Dr. Marcel and I were in naturopathic medical school, the go-to detox therapies were the liver and colon cleanses.

We often also prescribed water fasting, or fasting with medicinal foods.

As a milder alternative, we mostly advised elimination diets.

The results were excellent, and the therapies were simple and easy.

Nowadays, detox has become more challenging – thanks to the proliferation of toxic influences in our everyday environment: electromagnetic frequencies, excessive screen time, GMOs and pesticides, air-borne toxins, chemicals in the water, and ever-new and evolving viruses.

Consequently, comprehensive detoxification has become the order of the day. 

Dr. Connie Hernandez
Dr. Connie Hernandez, ND

What this means is stricter adherence to the naturopathic principle of addressing all 360 degrees of possible toxins in our lives: body, mind, heart, spirit, and environment.  

Many of us, feeling burdened by fatigue, illness – or a deep urge to get away to rest and rejuvenate, long for an opportunity to conduct a comprehensive detox that will return us to our everyday lives feeling comprehensively renewed, rested, renovated, and restored.

Too often, though, finding time to detox is difficult. Also, the options can be overwhelming.

Fortunately, there are a number of convenient packaged options to help get you started with detoxing for the organs of elimination: colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph, and skin.

The simple dietary restrictions are fairly intuitive and well known. 

Even so, for a very long time now, Dr. Marcel and I have dreamed of being able to offer a comprehensive holistic cleanse for small groups in the wonderful healing environment of our Hawaii Peace Garden Big Island retreat center.

We’ve often thought of how lovely it would be to offer something akin to the renowned European sanitarium retreats that were extremely popular in the early twentieth century.

They were educational, social, holistic, effective, and (yes!) even fun. They were held in wonderful natural surroundings, far away from the cities, in the mountains, at the seaside, or by tranquil rivers and serene lakes.

For our graduation from medical school in 1991, the faculty put on an amusing skit to celebrate our accomplishments. At the time, our classmates and teachers were deeply aware of our great interest in nature-based wellness retreats, since we tended to talk about the subject with gleaming eyes, big smiles, and skin flushed with enthusiasm.

In the skit, the faculty “graduated” Dr. Marcel and me for the stated reason that they knew with a sure and certain intuition that we would one day develop an ideal healing retreat center in Hawaii. 

As it happened, the prophecy came true, though not without difficulty.

We spent many years doing hard physical labor to clear the land and restore the authentic Hawaiian plantation house on the Big Island property that we’d acquired.

“Overgrown” has a very special meaning in the incredibly fertile soil and moist tropical growing environment of the Islands!

After years of digging, burning, plowing, planting, hammering and sawing, and painting, we were required to spend a great deal more time – years, in fact – completing the complex legal process of applying for and receiving a permit to operate as a healing retreat facility.

Now that Dr. Marcel and I have shifted our northern California practice to part-time, we are at last free – and thrilled – to offer our first intimate (limited to 4-6 people) cleansing retreat.

What do our guests receive? We are blessed to draw upon three and a half decades of naturopathic medical practice and lifestyle counseling, plus our strong personal background living the spirit and natural healing teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda.

Of course, we also take full advantage of the healing Aloha vibrations of Hawaii.

  • Our healing retreat invites guests to enjoy the infrared sauna, hot/cold water contrast therapies, and massage.  
  • We connect with the earth through dew walking, with fire through trips to the volcanic caldera, and with the natural light of sun, moon, and stars; with water through ocean bathing and waterfall viewing, with air through tropical breezes that blend beautifully with yogic breathing practices, and with subtle etheric currents in meditation.
  • Field trips to tropical gardens, beaches, and volcanic landscapes immerse us in the unique beauties of this Big Island tropical paradise.
  • Fire ceremonies help us burn away toxic emotions and habits that no longer serve. Distancing ourselves from screen time quiets the mind. Affirmations set a tone, activate the will, and imprint resolve into the consciousness.
  • Meditation brings calmness and contemplation. Group discussions bring insight into the whys and wherefores of what we are doing. Thematic movie nights bring insights and comic relief. 
  • The shared daily schedules make the gentle cleanse a breeze for the participants, inviting us to drop busy thoughts of planning and just be.
  • We offer a creative gourmet elimination diet, with medical food supplementation, cleansing botanicals, electrolyte drinks, and herbal teas prepared by the retreat staff. 

Breaking news!

Our previously sold-out March 10-18 retreat has had a cancellation. We now have room for one more person or a party of two. Reserve now! You can contact either of us:

Drs. Connie and Marcel Hernandez

DrConnie@DrsHernandez.com

DrMarcel@DrsHernandez.com