“Someone has finally created a butt-kicking spa as tough as the Ashram but with beautiful rooms of your own and gourmet vegan food,” a dear friend called me to declare with great enthusiasm. I was skeptical; this wasn’t something I was praying for.
Of course, I had heard stories from survivors of the Ashram, the hard-core detox and fitness retreat in Calabasas, California. They told tales of incredible weight loss and of moments of transcendent clarity, but I had never wanted to spend time away...