Your frequently asked questions,
our answers!

Many of our guests attest to this: time flies when you fast. We often arrive with big goals: reading a lot, painting, visiting the region, etc. All of this is possible, of course. But don't forget that your body needs rest first and foremost. There are already some fun activities on offer on site, as described in the stays section. Yoga, themed workshops, naturopathic discussions, visits... and in Valbonne, pétanque: it's a sport (yes, really), not very strenuous, which goes well with fasting, and requires a certain amount of concentration. The games are wild, even without pastis 😊!

Studies show that fasting combined with gentle activity, such as hiking, does not cause any muscle loss.

Here is the link to the study to learn more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcsm.12766

During a fast of up to 1 week, it is rare to experience intense healing crises. Most symptoms are short-lived: aches and pains in the joints or muscles, rapid heartbeat, alternating fatigue and renewed energy, shortness of breath while hiking, etc. Most symptoms are normal and perfectly manageable. We discuss them during the stay and generally find the most appropriate way to relieve them.

If the symptom persists, a mono diet may be a suitable solution. This involves eating only one type of food per day, usually fruit (summer) or rice (winter). This does not prevent the body from cleansing itself internally because digestion is simplified by a single food. However, the fast is interrupted because the body absorbs more than 250 calories per day.

Stress is "too much." We eat too much... but that's not all. We think too much, we stress too much, and the pursuit of performance induces this stress. How can we cope with this excess?

Fasting works on three levels to help us better manage our stress, prevent burnout, and avoid depression.

A fascinating article on this question is available here, on the FFJR portal: https://www.ffjr.com/le-jeune-est-il-un-moyen-de-lutter-contre-le-stress/

It's not easy to go from a world of abundance to one of emptiness. Losing that comforting ritual of eating 3 times a day or more. Who isn't a little afraid of this emptiness? Below, we answer your most common fears, hoping to convince you that your adventure in the "fullness of emptiness" will go wonderfully!

First of all, it's important to differentiate between hunger and the desire to eat. After drinking a glass of water, if the feeling of hunger disappears, it's definitely a desire to eat.

Hunger during fasting can occur when the intestines are not completely cleansed and have waste stuck to the colon wall and dead cells that have not been eliminated. This causes peristalsis in the intestines and creates that feeling of hunger.

We often hear these words when faced with someone who doesn't want to eat: "You have to eat to have strength." Certainly, but know that you'll have energy without eating! It's mainly after digesting food that we have energy. We all know those moments of drowsiness after a large meal. If we had to eat to have energy, all athletes would binge before the competition. In short, the body knows how to do one week without eating, since it's written in its genes.

Your body will feed on its own old and dysfunctional cells: this process is called autolysis and was highlighted by the Japanese Nobel Prize winner Oshinori Ohsumi in 2016. Eliminations must be monitored so as not to be too sudden or too weak. The idea is to allow this autolysis to take place under good conditions. After fasting, it is possible to notice the disappearance of fibroids, cysts, eczema, etc.

Gradually, autolysis will begin with:

-Waste circulating in the blood, more easily mobilizable: lymph and serum.

-Stagnant fats and waste from cells, such as lactic acid.

-Waste embedded in tissues and outside circulation pathways.

-Chemical molecules: eliminated last because they cannot be transformed (long fast).

During a fast of maximum 1 week, it is rare to experience intense healing crises, most of the symptoms being of short duration and of more or less intensity depending on the vitality, the overload of the terrain, the preparation for fasting, the psycho-emotional state...

If you're wondering who fasting and its contraindications are for, the link is here:

https://academie-medicale-du-jeune.fr/professionnels-de-sante/les-indications-et-contre-indication-du-jeune/

A month before the course, we'll send you your companion guide, so you can prepare and learn more about the course. The food drop-off takes place over a week and allows you to do a pre-cleaning from home. On the last day, we'll share a colorful and festive reunion meal full of surprises. We celebrate the reunion with a sense of taste and an appetite for healthy and nutritious products! It's a true joy.

The resumption of eating follows the same principle as the descent, but in the opposite direction. It also lasts 1 week.

We discuss this in detail on the last evening to meet everyone's expectations.

Yes, when you fill out the registration form, please specify your request and we will arrange a shuttle from the train station or airport. If you arrive outside of this shared shuttle, we will do our best to accommodate you.

Minimum 4 people excluding activity leaders. Maximum 10 in Valbonne and 14 in Tarifa.

Depending on the group, we will of course adapt our teaching in English, French, or Spanish, but the minimum requirement is to be able to speak a little English so that participants can communicate with each other. Unless, of course, the entire group is French.

Indeed, massages must be booked in advance. A simple email specifying the number of massages desired is sufficient (maximum 1 per day).

In the event of a last-minute cancellation (less than one month before the start of the stay), the stay will not be refunded. However, a credit for a future stay will only be issued if you provide a medical certificate justifying your inability to participate.