“You got WHAT put WHERE?” This was my friends’ reaction when I told them I got colon hydrotherapy. You can probably guess what this is but in case you can’t, it is a tube that puts water into your backside,in order to cleanse your colon and clean you out. Surprisingly, colon hydrotherapy has been around since the ancient times, and several wellness gurus swear by this treatment for a healthy gut.
I couldn’t deny that I was curious. But while I love trying new health and wellness fads, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t freaking out before my treatment. Luckily, Alexandra Defacio, the founder and owner of Green Star Wellness, was extremely informative and did a fantastic job of putting me at ease beforehand. She also gave me several tips: I learned that breathing in sweet orange-scented essential oil is great for digestion and circulation, what her recommended probiotic is (Prescript-Assist advanced formula), and that most people lack the proper daily intake of magnesium and iodine. In case you’re interested in this treatment but have some nervous jitters like I did, here are five thoughts that ran through my mind before/during/and after the process.

Can she tell how nervous I am? Because I’m flipping out.

The answer was yes, she could. She spent the first five minutes looking over my very detailed questionnaire responses, and studying my body in order to give me the time I needed to prepare for what was about to occur.

Ok… the stomach lymphatic drainage massage feels pretty nice. I feel relaxed..

The first part of the treatment was a lymphatic drainage massage. She pushed on different parts of my body to see where I held tension. She could also literally feel that I was about to get my period due to feeling the excess water I held in my legs. (This blew my mind). The lymphatic system is what grabs the toxins and helps eliminate them from the body. So, in a lymphatic drainage massage, you are moving the fluid and toxins towards the lymph nodes throughout your body. She also rubbed my body with these tools that looked like glowing light bulbs and sent micropulsations into my body, in order to open up my lymph nodes so the toxins could move into there. This was all done to prepare me for the tube that was soon to be inserted.

BREATHE. RELAX. Oh…It’s happening. 

The water is pumping in and I’m having a lot of mixed vibes right now. I’m freaked out, but she walked me through the entire process, so I strangely don’t feel a thing. Hasta la vista to the vodka shots and pizza I consumed this weekend? Alexandra also reassured me that the first time is the most uncomfortable, due to fear, but that the second and third times people are so relaxed they fall asleep. Say whaaat?!

It happened. Bathroom plz!!!

After the tube is removed, you’re sent to the bathroom. No comment necessary on that part. I feel like an entirely new woman. A lighter, more purified me! I definitely try to stay on track with my fitness and nutrition habits but on the weekends, that can sometimes get thrown out the window. I go out with my friends and sometimes (always) give in to $1 NY pizza. That happened this weekend and while I can’t say that this treatment completely cancelled that out, I do feel like this was a perfect way to begin to cleanse. 
If you’re looking for a new way to regulate your digestion and purify your colon, I would seriously suggest trying colon hydrotherapy. This treatment can be pricey and while it isn’t completely necessary, if you have some money saved up and a bit of curiosity, I’d try it out. Alexandra, my practitioner, said the full experience is best when you go once a week for three weeks, while maintaining the diet she recommends. Though three times back-to-back is likely a little unrealistic for most people my age, this treatment will definitely be a key part of helping me achieve my beach bod this summer!