The imagination is a powerful instrument. Many first time colonic clients have a range of emotions, thoughts, anxieties, fears…or (yes, we know) jokes and embarrassed giggles when thinking of their first colonic.  Perhaps this page will put some people at ease.

Upon entering the studio the client will be asked to fill out a questionnaire providing general information on health, diet and other information pertinent to the colonic procedure. The therapist accompanies the client to the treatment room in order to explain the equipment and the colonic procedure. Afterwards, the client is shown to a private bathroom where he/she removes his/her clothes and changes into a clean, open-backed hospital gown provided by the studio. If desired, we also offer a specially designed open backed boxer short to combine with the gown, providing the utmost modesty while still allowing the therapist to fully do their job. Upon returning to the treatment room, the client then lays on their back on a comfortable massage table that is covered with a new, sterile pad.

At this point the therapist will answer any questions the client has before proceeding. Depending on the preference of the client, music may be played and the lights set according to the nature of the experience the client wishes.  Some clients wish to talk and question the therapist while others prefer a more quiet, meditative type session. Make sure to make your wishes known or ask questions about anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or piques your interest before proceeding. This is a very personal experience and your wishes are paramount.

Next, the client is asked to lay on the side and the therapist assists the client to insert a sterile, new speculum which is then connected to the FDA approved hydrotherapy machine.  After making sure the client is comfortable, the therapist will start the flow of filtered water into the colon until the client expresses a feeling of “fullness,” while the therapist follows the pressure gauge on the hydrotherapy machine.The water is then turned off and the therapist will massage the abdomen through the gown, using light pressure to break up or dislodge old waste or empty out any pockets that may have filled over time on the colon’s walls.

The therapist will then reverse the process on the machine and release the water while continuing to massage the abdomen. The waste passes, odorless, out of the body through a separate part of the hose to avoid any chances of cross contamimation or backflow into the machine itself. Through a mirror at the side of the table and the clear glass front of the machine, the clients can view, if they wish, the flow of waste before it flows away – a real surprise and educational experience for many. This process is repeated several times during a 45-55 minute session where somewhere between a  ½ gallon to 2 gallons of water will be introduced and released. The amount of water depends on the health, diet and over all well being of the client’s colon.

When the session is finished, the speculum is removed and thrown away along with the hose and the table padding.  The table is thoroughly disinfected and the colonic machine is also put through an automatic, complete sterilization process between each and every client. The clients may wish to use the bathroom to make sure all the water is evacuated from the colon, use the bidet to freshen themselves and then change out of their gown and back into their street clothes. When finished, they are given a complimentary drink to replenish the electrolytes lost through the flushing of the system and encouraged to sit and relax for a few minutes. Some people experience a brief period of lightheadedness or a “light” feeling after a colonic.

People take away from a colon hydrotherapy session different things, often based on their standard of health and the shape their colon is in. People with a poor diet full of fat & processed foods and low in fiber may find that it is difficult to get water inside the colon at all and might need two or more sessions to completely cleanse the colon, but will have a more profound physical experience once the colon is cleansed. Vegetarians or athletes very often assume they have no need for colonics at all and are very often shocked that “all that came out of me?!”  But there are several things almost everyone will have in common when adopting colon hydrotherapy into a health regimen.

1. A Clean Colon: Toxic material is broken down and removed so it can no longer harm your body or inhibit absorption of water and nutrients. Even waste built up or hidden in pockets over a long period can be removed in a series of treatments. Your colon can begin to function properly again.

 2. Renewed Colon Muscles: The build-up of toxic waste weakens the colon and impairs its functioning. In fact, many people’s colons no longer work through the natural movement of peristalsis (wavelike muscular contractions that push matter forwards), but instead work through gravity (when more and more food comes in and the colon is stretched and swollen to bursting and something has to be pushed out the other end). The gentle filling and emptying of the colon that occurs during a colonic improves peristalsis by which the colon naturally moves material through the body.

3. A Reshaped Colon: Although the colon in its natural shape is only 4.5 feet long and two inches wide, years of constipation without proper evacuation can stretch the colon completely out of proportion, sometimes to the size of a large man’s thigh.  Cleaning out the colon, and thus eliminating bulging pockets of waste and narrowed, spastic constrictions, may enable the colon to resume its natural state if taken care of properly.

4. Stimulated Reflex Points: The colon connects to every system and organ of the body by reflex points. A colonic stimulates these reflex points, thereby affecting the corresponding body parts in a beneficial way. Even if we cannot immediately feel it, this process can increase our health and feeling of well being in a myriad of ways.

5. A Healthier Diet: Most people extend their colonic experience and new knowledge to launch a better dietary program. A clean, healthy, functioning colon promotes weight loss and, in most people, a desire to take better care of themselves and think about the things they eat. This is, of course, dependent on the individual and not the colonic itself, but for many it is a natural byproduct.

While everyone can agree that a healthy colon needs a good portion of fiber, exercise and lots of clean water, very often the damage has already been done.  Research has shown that over 50% of Americans have fecaliths, (small, hard pieces of dried fecal matter trapped in pockets of the colon wall) that good diet and exercise cannot reach, but over time may create major health problems including intestinal blockage and leakage of waste into other organs. Filling the colon with purified water and the subsequent massage of the abdomen during hydrotherapy can reach those pockets in a way that good diet or exercise never can.

Laxatives work by drawing the liquid from your cells and tissue and dumping this liquid in large enough ammounts to flush out the large intestine. Please don’t be fooled. The amount of water evacuated through laxatives is by no means the way to measure the amount of fecal matter removed. It is quite possible for water to be lost as what we all think of as diarrhea, while leaving behind the majority of the compacted waste.  Laxatives, in addition to not always being able to reach and remove waste or fecaliths, very often deplete the body of important nutrients, electrolytes and can cause dangerous levels of dehydration, especially if misused. Laxatives have been known to cause cramps and vomiting, and over time the body may build up a tolerance to them and a higher and higher dosage is required to induce the same effect. In extreme cases, people have been known to become addicted or psychologically dependent on laxatives, especially when combined with the “promise” of weight loss. Colon hydrotherapy on the other hand infuses the body with filtered water often leaving more fluid behind than the body started with and the inflow and outflow of water combined with massage, removes much, if not all, of the matter inside the large intestine.

Enemas done at home, while perhaps “better than nothing” normally  clean out only the 5-7 inches of the average rectum, but cannot begin to reach the 5-6 feet of the large intestine like a hydrotherapy session does. Comparing an enema to Colon Hydrotherapy is like comparing chewing gum with a Thanksgiving dinner.

Are colonics embarrassing?
Honestly? There is probably not a single one of us who didn’t ask ourselves this or let our imaginations run wild over this question before our first colonic. Considering the territory, it’s completely understandable to be embarrassed at first, but unnecessary.  Our therapists are professionals who have done hundreds of colonics, have “seen it all” and understand your anxiety. The atmosphere is more like that of a massage session than a doctor’s visit and the experience itself is often so moving or educational that you soon forget any thoughts of embarrassment.

Are colonics safe?
Unlike more intrusive rectal procedures such as barium enemas or endoscopic procedures (sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, ect) that physically enter the large intestine and pose a high risk of damage, the speculum used in hydrotherapy is just three inches long and inserted into the rectum only to the point where chances of injury are nearly non-existent. Colonics are primarily a natural process and there is virtually no danger in a colonic treatment.  Only fresh sterile water is used during treatment. Our therapists are extensively trained and certified and our equipment, the Aquanet EC2000 is the most advanced and safest hydrotherpay machine on the market.

Are colonics messy?
Colonics are mess, noise and odor free. The equipment is designed to make sure that waste, water and odor are eliminated discretely without ever coming into contact with the client. 

Is the equipment safe?
The Aquanet EC2000 is the “Lexus” of colonic machines. It is specially designed with pressure fail saves, a three stage water filtration system, the most advanced duel safety disinfecting system and the only colonic machine that allows for a duel mode of gravity or pressure treatment to accommodate the client’s level of tolerance and sensitivity.

As well, all supplementary equipment (hoses, speculums, pads, etc.) are new, individually packaged, sterile for each and every client, and disposed of immediately after treatment. 

All of the equipment is FDA approved.

What should I do before my colonic?
Remember that the point of a colonic is to get the colon as clean as possible. The softer the matter inside the colon, the more successful the colonic. Therefore, diet is extremely important.  We strongly recommend that you not eat red meat, white bread, pasta or other simple carbohydrates and foods high in fat two days before your colonic. Instead, choose foods high in fiber such as fruits (except bananas) and vegetables, whole grain cereals and (if you need to eat meat) poultry or fish.  Alcohol, coffee and black teas should also be avoided due to their dehydrating effect.

Most people drink too little water. This creates hard, dried out matter inside the colon, prevents smooth bowel movements and also makes it more difficult to get water inside the colon during the colonic.  Increasing your fresh water intake to 8 glasses or more a day a couple of days before your colonic can make all the difference between an average colonic and a great one.

We ask that you eat or drink nothing two hours prior to having your colonic, as a full stomach or bladder can make the colonic experience less comfortable and less effective.

How long is a session?
The time involved with the hydrotherapy session  is anywhere from 45-55 minutes depending on the comfort of the client, the discretion of the therapist and the results of the colonic itself.  Another ten minutes or so for changing and cleaning up and perhaps a few minutes of relaxation afterwards, if needed. Many people easily fit their colonics in during lunch breaks from work.

Who should NOT have colonics?
- Small children, unless prescribed by a doctor or health professional as part of therapy, should not have colonics. Colonics, because of the large ammounts of water being flushed through the system, reduce the body’s supply of electrolytes for a short period of time and the small size of children may be problematic.

- Individuals with known medical conditions where pressure on the rectum, colon and intestines could prove harmful should not have colonics. If you have been diagnosed with diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, severe hemorrhoids, rectal or intestinal tumors, you would not be a candidate for colon hydrotherapy treatments unless advised by and under supervision of your health professional. While colon hydrotherapy can be a great benefit to the therapy of many different medical problems, including the above mentioned, we recommend anyone with a known condition consult their health professional before having colon hydrotherapy.

- Pregnant or lactating women should not have colonics. There are many different opinions on the safety of colon hydrotherapy on pregnant women. Research seems to show that up until the fourth month colon hydrotherapy is perfectly safe. Even so, many therapists don’t feel comfortable performing colonics on pregnant women.  Emptying the colon allows the body to once again start flushing out the toxins that have been backed up in other areas of the body but had nowhere to go. After a colonic, as the body starts its natural cleansing, large ammounts of released toxins may enter the breast milk of lactating women and therefore should be avoided. Again, we strongly recommend consulting your health care professional before having colon hydrotherapy while pregnant or lactating.

What can I expect after a colon hydrotherapy session?
The colon is the center of our bodies and many of us have lost contact with that center over the years. The movement of so much matter through intestines unaccustomed to such activity for such a long time is very often an exciting experience.  Depending on the intensity of the session, many people experience feeling “light” or relieved or emotional, and some people experience a short period of lightheadedness, euphoria and very often astonishment at the entire procedure and their response to it.

Each client is given a drink high in electrolytes to replenish those that may have been depleted during the colonic and we suggest a couple of minutes to sit and relax before leaving the studio. 

It is important to remind you that Colon Hydrotherapy is a detox procedure. A colon that has been impacted for a longer period time can be full of a host of things: toxins, allergens, remnants of medications, etc. While it rarely happens, there is a chance that after your colonic, as your body continues to empty out and detox, you may experience “flu like” symptoms in the evening; slight headaches or perhaps small bouts of nausea. A good nights sleep and drinking extra water should take care of this, or please feel free to call and speak with your therapist.

How should I chose a colon hydrotherapy studio?
Before choosing a colon hydrotherapy studio, make sure their equipment and therapists are up to modern standards. Except in the state of Florida, there are no set government standards for those who can perform colon hydrotherapy. This means anyone can perform colon hydrotherapy whether they have training or not using whatever materials they may have on hand. A modern, professional colon hydrotherapy studio should be clean, have therapists who are trained and licenced through a recognised, professional,  acredited institution and use machines and equipment that are FDA approved. FDA approved equipment features temperature controlled water mixing and back flow prevention valves, pressure and temperature sensors, and a built-in chemical sanitizing unit and/or water purification unit.  The equipment is designed to prevent infection by using sterile, individually packed single-use parts that are disposed of after one session.

Call the studio and ask about their equipment, their training and experience or go by and ask to be shown around the studio before making an appointment.