Overcoming yoga fear, Merijn's detox trip debut.

Out of his comfort zone

Five cups of coffee a day, terrified of yoga and allergic to anything that’s ‘out there’. Meet Merijn, who went way out of his hustling bustling city tripping comfort zone, to brave the serene world of detox holidays. We catch up with him to find out what it’s like to be a man on a five day solo juice fast in Shanti Som, Malaga.

How hard was it?

I didn’t get dizzy, but for the first two days I did feel a bit weak. The intake took an hour, but after the first half hour I could barely retain any information. Still, not eating turned out to be easier than I had expected. The first few days I had a pretty bad headache despite already having had cut down on coffee before the trip. This was quite an eye-opener. Luckily, I normally don’t drink much alcohol, but the guests who did were also feeling the effects of not consuming any alcohol. The daily enema wasn’t too bad either. They are not as complicated or scary as they sound. By the third day I felt really clean and refreshed. I ended up juice fasting for four days.

Four days? Not five?

Right, but not because it was too difficult. It’s just that the kitchen prepared such enticing dishes I simply had to taste them. And since I had already lost eight pounds by that point, I thought that was quite enough. Also, I wanted my body to get accustomed to solid food again. And I wanted to know what to eat, to eat healthy.

Are you less skeptical now?

I don’t know if you really need a detox to cleanse your body. But if you believe in it, it will work for you. Such is the case with many things. At one point I had to soak my feet in a special foot bath. Apparently the color the water turned into gave an indication about the toxin levels in my body. I don’t know if that’s true or just plain mumbo jumbo. Google didn’t help settle the matter either. I think it’s more a matter of committing to something, give it your all and finish what you start.

And then you had to get on the mat for the first time. How was your yoga debut?

I know! Normally when things get a bit esoteric or ‘out there’ I tend to run away as fast as I can. But at Shanti Som every day starts with an hour and a half of yoga before ‘breakfast’. The first day my teacher was a yogi master who could practically tie himself into a knot. Dear Lord, I thought, if this is what I’m up against, then this will be my first and last yoga lesson ever. I was definitely the stiff in the room. But after that first class, the other days were great. I was flanked by some rather ‘big’ guys who couldn’t stand on one leg if their life depended on it. It wasn’t anything like the pretty pictures you see in all those yoga magazines. Everyone followed the class at their own level. The trick is to not to put too much thought into it. Just do it.

Is yoga for guys?

I work out at the gym three times a week. So I have a lot of muscles, but they are quite short. This is the case for all men who run a lot or do powerlifting. Yoga elongates the muscles. It doesn’t really make you sweat but it is very intense. It’s not so much about brute strength, it’s much more subtle than that. If you don’t have a strong core it can be quite challenging and feel almost acrobatic. I thought it was hard to do. But it amazed me how quickly my body understood. By the end of the week I was much more flexible. Practicing yoga daily doesn’t fit into my busy life, but I’m no longer afraid of it. I really benefitted from the breathing exercises and enjoyed the extra flexibility. I’d like to incorporate one yoga session into my weekly work out.

Would you recommend men to go on wellness vacations?

Normally, I’m not really into relaxing while on vacation. Good thing there was so much to do. Nonetheless, when you return from your trip you are well rested, definitely more rested than after a citytrip. Here’s how I see it, you can go to an all-inclusive resort with an all-you-can-eat buffet filled with greasy options. You’d come back relaxed but carrying an extra eight pounds. Or you could go here, eat delicious yet healthy meals, return recharged and eight pounds lighter than you were.

So are you in? Will we see you at our holiday destinations from now on?

Sure, I would love to go again. But I’d change it up a bit. I would incorporate more fitness training and eat healthy meals, so no juice fasting. The kitchen at Shanti Som puts out beautiful dishes filled with crispy vegetables and fresh fish. Juice contains no protein. Muscles need protein to perform. Another thing I enjoyed was the amount of people that were traveling solo. It was nice to talk to the other travelers and I had some pretty good conversations with them. If you do want to be alone, you can just sit by yourself, which was absolutely fine as well.

What do you take home from this?

I try to live a healthy life, but I’m not perfect. Often people make great resolutions but it’s hard to stick to them. I’m no different. At times I eat too much or grab too many snacks. I have limited my daily coffee intake form five to three cups a day or I choose decaf when I want more. And I want to start practicing yoga. I really should start looking into that. But I haven’t yet. See what I mean? I’m a realist. You do what you can, but sometimes it’s just not happening. You just can’t seem to lift off and make the right choices. Being on vacation can make things easier. There are no distractions and everything you need is available at your beck and call. A wellness vacation can really be a kickstart to a healthier life.

View Shanti-Som in Spain here.