I have found that there are two camps of people when it comes to the desert — those who just do not get the arid, seemingly harsh, barren landscape, and those who bloom like wildflowers in its warm embrace. I am in the latter camp. To me, the desert isn’t empty; far from it. It hums with a subtle magic and offers gifts. Each time I arrive, my shoulders drop, my heart rate slows, my “monkey mind” takes a recess, and I shift right into relax mode. In my experience, the desert is about tucked-away treasures, subtle beauty, and hidden oases. And We Care Spa is one such refuge.
When I arrive at the gated compound, the winds are howling, causing the nearby windmills to spiral manically, and massive tumbleweeds to whisk across the horizon. “Winds of change,” my guide says with a smile, as he leads me to my executive suite — a modern glass box beauty with a sunken tub, massive bed, outdoor living room, fire pit, and expansive mountain views. Paradise.
I toss my bags, ditch my phone, and shut the door, shedding the cloak of reality in record time.
Photos by Mimi Towle
I start the journey in the garden with the instruction to open my heart and release what is no longer serving me. Setting an intention, I strike the gong, sending my thoughts into the wind. Jim Root, We Care’s GM and thoughtful wellness expert, takes me on a flora and fauna walk, pointing out the green-barked Palo Verde trees, golden bougainvillea, and yellow trumpet flowers. Roadrunners dart in the distance, desert cottontails weave through the brush, while hummingbirds buzz the purple skyrocket clusters tipped toward the sun.
We stop at the Medicine Wheel, a circular rock formation in the shade of the mesquite trees. Guided through an Indigenous people’s ceremony, we walk slowly, silently, deliberately, clockwise, listening for the quiet pull toward a direction, only stopping when we discover a spot that speaks to us. North for wisdom, East for new beginnings, West for introspection. I land in the South, the direction of youth, fire, and energy. I accept this as a message, as I have been struggling with aging, alarmed by how rapidly life is passing, so I take note that perhaps this experience is about taking care of my body to reconnect with my youthful, high-energy self.
For the next few days, as I learn at the orientation, I will follow the liquid-only protocol and undergo a series of colonics and spa treatments, engaging in a rigorous cycle of physical and spiritual purification. Food is replaced by nutrient-dense juices, light broths, and fiber shakes. This nutritive fast is well calculated. By removing the taxing labor of digesting solid food, the body frees up enormous amounts of energy, which is rerouted to cellular repair. This process, known as autophagy, allows the body to break down and recycle old, damaged cells, literally rebuilding itself from the inside out.
Sounds like a plan.
The physical centerpiece of the We Care protocol is daily colon hydrotherapy, which is essential to the cleanse. Presented as a vital part of the physical release, this ritual ensures that accumulated waste and toxins are expelled efficiently, preventing their reabsorption and drastically reducing the debilitating headaches and lethargy common in other fasts. The spa’s various classes—yoga, breathwork, and nutrition—work in harmony and serve to cleanse the spirit and educate the mind.
The roots of this transformative sanctuary trace back to the 1980s, founded by the visionary Susana Belen. Driven by a profound personal journey of healing, Susana started the program and was later joined by her daughter, Susan, with the simple yet radical idea of combining a rigorous liquid fast with daily colonics to facilitate deep, lasting cellular renewal. The philosophy—that detoxification is necessary to live in harmony with oneself—has since evolved the spa from its humble beginnings into a world-renowned, 20-acre holistic luxury retreat where celebrities, CEOs, and committed clients make an annual pilgrimage not to eat.
Before arriving, I followed a pre-fast diet, focusing on fresh organic fruit and steamed vegetables to prepare. At We Care, the daily, check-the-box charts are critical to monitor water intake and remind guests of the long list of liquids to imbibe and supplements to swallow. Mornings begin with lemon water flushes and food enzymes, followed by green drinks and fresh-pressed juice. Later, fibrous detox shakes laced with olive oil are followed by aloe vera and fresh apple juice. There is no lack of liquids, as in addition to the wealth of water and fresh juices, there are hot teas to clean the liver and kidneys and to purify the blood. An end-of-the-day award arrives as a hot mug of organic soup—seemingly the best thing you will ever taste, especially when you are famished at the beginning of the cleanse.
On my first day, I start the healing journey with a lemongrass full-body scrub to stimulate the lymph system and begin the detoxification process. A rhythmic massage follows to calm the mind and reorient the self into a peaceful state, a welcoming shift away from the chaos of real life. I wander the property’s garden nooks and discover the floating bed that rocks and sways in a quiet corner, mimicking the womb state. After the evening’s yam soup, I slink into the hobbit house-styled infrared sauna for a sweat, then retire to my private sanctuary for a salt bath soak. I melt into a cocoon of my bed and sleep as deep as an exhausted toddler.
On the second day, I rise early to start the liquid protocol and head to a gentle yoga class that is peppered with breathwork. After sitting for a while on a vibrational plate to stimulate the lymph, I head to the treatment rooms for my first colonic. Without going into vast detail, as many people fear or are intimidated by the idea of this waste elimination process, I will simply say it’s all utterly professional in a comfortable setting with amazing practitioners. Once over the initial anticipation, it becomes a quest to release and shed.
That afternoon, after enjoying the cinnamon-laced detox shake over crushed ice, I lay on a heated amethyst mat while my therapist covers my body in castor oil in rhythmic sweeps. She cocoons me in a wrap, so the heat and oil can both soothe the abdomen and stimulate the liver and bowel to detox. This System Recovery Master Treatment, a signature experience at We Care, harnesses the powers of castor oil. I enjoy a foot and head massage as the body absorbs the oil and I drift off.
Over the course of any three-, five-, or seven-day stay, there are myriad experiences to choose from with over 40 spa treatments and spiritual journeys. Think meditative sound baths, shaman healing sessions, hydration IVs, biofeedback, thermal mud wraps, Thai massage, cranial-sacral therapy, cupping, card readings, superfood facials, and more.
In the morning sunshine, we walk the labyrinth, mindfully stepping across its flat stones on the winding path that leads to an open grotto, a place to make a prayer, set an intention, or reflect on gratitude. There’s more yoga, floating time in the 86-degree mineral pool, and garden wanderings under the watchful gaze of giant buddhas; classes on unwinding the mind, the importance of alkalizing the body, nutrition, healthy food prep; and ceremonies that involve manifestation prayer ties and fire. I fall into the rhythm of the place, slipping into its pace. Slowing down, sipping liquids, listening to the birdsong. Walking barefoot in circles around a giant Buddha on the white sands of the reflection path, watching the late afternoon sun bleed orange and purple over Mount San Jacinto. All of it makes me appreciate the gift of this time for inner work and confronting challenges like willpower.
Honestly, there is something incredibly satisfying about overcoming the sensation of starvation and hunger, disciplining the mind and body, and squelching the panic or discomfort of not consuming any food.
One comes to appreciate the ritual of a warm cup of tea; the delicious flavors and nuances of fresh-pressed juice. The experience makes you meditate on your own consumption and mindless eating. With focus acute and discipline strong, a sense of virtue overtakes you.
How often do we choose to do uncomfortable things? Breaking habits, pushing boundaries, expanding willpower? Things that truly challenge us that take us way beyond our day-to-day routines?
I have always found that when fasting, that by Day Four, I turn the corner where the cravings disappear, the headaches dissipate, and a welcomed high and newfound energy step in. Suddenly, you feel like you can fast forever. And that your body is truly a temple.
This process and shift also leads to a sense of calm, peace, and clarity; a profound personal realization that purification rituals can truly be tied to spiritual enlightenment. I go deep.
At the end of your stay, you might not want to leave, or decide, as I did, to carry on for a few more days of fasting and cleansing at home (which is 100x harder when you leave the bubble of We Care, trust me). I recommend committing to at least five days on property, so you can discover the blissful side of the purification process.
We Care is the ultimate reset. Over 70% of guests return each year and I now understand why. And while you will never spend so much money not to eat, We Care is about stretching your willpower, cleansing the body, and feeding the soul.
When I drive away a few days later, some 11 pounds lighter and about a thousand pounds sprightlier in spirit, I feel grateful for this gift from the desert.
Deets
Good news for newbies, the property has opened up stays to less than a week. Expect to pay around $1,200 a day for luxe lodging, all supplements, liquids (dinner is soup) and classes (nutrition, yoga, sound baths) and colonics, and when you leave, you’ll be asked for tips on top of every treatment. While some treatments are offered as a package(s), a la carte treatments are allowed as well.
18000 Long Canyon Rd, Desert Hot Springs, 800.888.2523
