Deep Detox: 21-Day Water Fast and Ashtanga Yoga Retreat in Phuket

The retreat is built around a water fast of up to 21 days, but that is only part of the story. The first few days are spent preparing the body by eating only light fruit and vegetable smoothies while the digestive system adjusts. Then you move into the fasting phase, where for roughly two weeks you consume only water plus herbal drinks designed to support immunity and kidney function, along with coconut water. The fast is monitored daily by the therapist, who can shorten or extend it based on how you're responding.

Yoga is the other pillar. Each day includes Ashtanga yoga practice, pranayama, and meditation, all taught by Rich and Sofya. Their background is serious: both study with R. Sharath Jois at the Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Institute in Mysore, the global centre of traditional Ashtanga. Yoga here isn't just gentle stretching to pass the time during a fast; it's an active practice that the body uses to shift into burning fat rather than muscle for energy.

Therapeutic treatments are woven in throughout, chosen individually for you. These can include Thai oil massage, cupping, Su Jok (Korean hand acupuncture), ice water treatment, and enemas for colon cleansing. All of it is coordinated by the host therapist, who adjusts things based on how you feel from day to day.

The location is a quiet corner of Phuket in Chalong. The yoga shala sits by a lake, surrounded by a park and residential streets, with the Big Buddha visible in the distance. It is peaceful in a way the beach areas of the island aren't. The final stage of the fast is the exit, when you gradually reintroduce foods like vegetable broth, steamed vegetables, rice, and fruit, always in a way that leaves your digestion working properly again.

What's included

- 20 nights accommodation in a private room - 3 daily meals (preparation and exit phases) - All water fasting program supervision - Daily yoga classes - Daily meditation classes - Daily pranayama classes - Herbal drinks to support immunity and kidney - Detox water and coconut water - Enema (colon cleanse) treatment - Su Jok (Korean acupuncture) - Thai oil massage - Cupping treatment - Ice water treatment - Consultations with the therapist - Airport pickup and drop-off - Welcome pack (bag, t-shirt, bottle, notebook, pens) - Pre- and post-retreat support - Wifi connection - Parking

What's not included

- Flights costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Additional treatments - Tours and travels around Phuket