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Five days of water fasting and two days dedicated to nutritional reintroduction, accompanied by moments of learning, gentle body-based practices, meditation, individual listening and group sharing. A time during the season of transition to prepare ourselves more lightly for winter.

Led by Elena Mangia

at Centro Yoga Agricola Samadhi

The Meaning of the Experience

The retreat offers an immersion in self-awareness through water fasting, experienced as a time for listening, simplicity and a pause from everyday habits. The experience combines explanations about fasting, mind-body practices, moments of rest, meditation, sharing circles and brief individual consultations.

Particular attention will be given to preparation, moving through the different stages of fasting, and nutritional reintroduction.

The programme is intentionally gentle and measured: each participant will be able to respect their own pace and choose not to take part in a practice whenever they feel the need for rest or quiet.

The purpose of the retreat is to provide knowledge about fasting and self-awareness during the practice, so that each participant can recognise their own physical, mental and emotional responses and develop tools to approach any future fasting experiences with greater confidence and autonomy, while respecting their individual circumstances.

Body Practices During the Fast

During the fasting days, Elena will guide group mind-body practices aimed at encouraging gentle movement of the organs and viscera and mobilising the neuromuscular fascia, meridians and connective tissue.

The focus will change each day and the practices will be adapted to the group, with variations provided where individual needs require them.

Before and After the Retreat

• Before confirming participation, participants will be asked to complete a health questionnaire; where necessary, an individual consultation will follow.
• Guidance on meal preparation in the days leading up to the fast, information about the gastroenterologist to contact for hydrocolon therapy, and guidance on nutritional reintroduction will be provided in a dedicated handbook once registration has been completed.
• In the days leading up to the retreat, participants will be added to a dedicated WhatsApp group for ease of communication.
• A brief follow-up conversation will take place approximately one week after the retreat ends.

Before participation is confirmed, the questionnaire will collect information about any medications being taken, specific health conditions and previous medical procedures, in order to assess each individual’s suitability for fasting.

In case of doubts or circumstances requiring particular attention, participants are advised to consult their doctor.

Preliminary Guidelines

• Hydrocolon therapy is recommended before the fast and guidance will be provided on whom to contact. It is recommended but not mandatory.
• Please bring a travel enema with you, available from pharmacies.
• Participants are advised to undergo cleansing treatments before the retreat, such as bloodletting and/or scarification cupping. Further information is available in the video “Bloodletting and Cupping” and in the content published by Elena Mangia. There will also be dedicated days in Bari. These treatments are recommended but not mandatory.
• Please bring three sterile urine containers for the tests scheduled during the retreat and one week afterwards.
• Please bring a container for the meal on the second day of nutritional reintroduction if you will not be eating at Agricola Samadhi.
• If possible, please bring a copper tongue scraper, as well as your toothbrush and natural toothpaste. Please avoid using creams and deodorants so that the skin can remain naturally cleansed.

Daily Programme

Sunday 1 November | First Day of Fasting

Monday 2 November | Second Day of Fasting

Tuesday 3 November | Third Day of Fasting

Wednesday 4 November | Fourth Day of Fasting

Thursday 5 November | Fifth and Final Day of Fasting

Friday 6 November | First Day of Nutritional Reintroduction

Saturday 7 November | Second Day of Nutritional Reintroduction

The Rhythm of the Retreat

Group activities and collective moments at the end of the day will take place in the dedicated rooms.

During the rest of the day, each participant may follow their own needs and inner rhythm in their room, if staying on site, or at home if staying elsewhere, or in a shared space if they choose to remain at Agricola Samadhi during free time (recommended).

Each participant is free not to take part in certain activities whenever they feel the need for rest or solitude. Timings may be adapted according to the development of the group and may also change at short notice.

During Free Time

Participants are encouraged to bring something to read or an unfinished activity: writing, colouring mandalas, working on a hobby, completing a puzzle, or organising notes or ideas about something that has been left “unfinished”.

Upon arrival, we will share guidelines for experiencing the retreat, including very limited use of phones and computers during designated periods.

For those not staying at Samadhi, we ask that participants attend the scheduled activities. A shared rest space at Samadhi will be available during free time.

If necessary, we will also discuss how to organise the transition back home, including arrangements concerning family members and pets.

The retreat takes place with respect for oneself, the journey of the other participants, the place hosting the experience and the people staying there.

Nutritional Reintroduction

During the two days of nutritional reintroduction, meals will be prepared by Agricola Samadhi using its own organic produce.

The meal on the final day may be eaten together with the group or taken away.

Optional Individual Activities

During the stay, participants may request, subject to availability and scheduling, a naturopathic consultation, a body treatment, an Anima Reading or an Akua treatment with Elena.

Additional individual activities will be arranged directly on site.

Led by Elena Mangia

Naturopath, Shiatsu practitioner and qualified physiotherapist, with expertise in Nutritional Biotherapy, Anima Reading and psychophysical practices, Elena Mangia has been supporting people for more than twenty years on journeys towards well-being, awareness and psychophysical balance.

Her work integrates body practices, manual therapies, psychosomatic approaches based primarily on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Shiatsu, natural nutrition, and tools for self-awareness and self-knowledge.

For several years, she has studied and personally explored fasting: she has undertaken fasts of different durations, including four-, six- and ten-day fasts, observing certain internal organ parameters using dedicated instruments and exploring what emerges through the experience.

She dedicates periods to cleansing through practices such as bloodletting, cupping and fasting; she also engages daily in spiritual practices for energetic cleansing.

She also sees fasting as an opportunity to create mental space, temporarily interrupt everyday rhythms, habits and stimuli, and regain a greater sense of presence and clarity.

She founded Kalikardia in Sogliano Cavour (LE), a project and space dedicated to a holistic approach to the individual, the sharing of practices and collaboration among professionals working in the fields of well-being and health.

She believes that a person’s understanding and support can be more effective when different forms of knowledge and expertise come together.

During the fasting week, she will accompany participants with presence, attentive listening and practices designed to support the body and encourage a more conscious experience.

An Invitation to Presence

The retreat is a shared space and, at the same time, a deeply personal experience.

Each participant is invited to experience it with respect for their own process, the group, the place hosting the retreat, and the time needed for rest and self-awareness.