The workouts are grueling, the food meager and macrobiotic, the accommodations reminiscent of summer camp. But there’s a reason the Ashram, an intimate wellness retreat in the Santa Monica mountains, has engendered a cult-like following. “It’s extremely difficult, but incredibly rewarding,” says Lisa Wolf, CEO of Jaqua Beauty, who went in March 2007. A working mother, Wolf arrived feeling sluggish and tired and wanting to lose weight. After a few days of the Ashram’s intense regimen—seven-to-ten-mile hikes, swimming, yoga, meditation, and a raw-food diet (no caffeine, no sugar)—Wolf soon discovered it was not just her body that was getting a make-over. “The staff creates a space where you can let go of all your worldly possessions and go on an inner journey,” she says. “You hike up mountains that are so steep you think you’re going to die, but you learn to pace yourself. Everything is choreographed to create an equilibrium between your mind, body and spirit. There was not one person in my group who did not have a life-changing moment sometime during their trip.” A year later, Wolf eats better, sleeps better and still feels more energetic and centered. “There’s a plaque above the fireplace in the Ashram that says, ‘Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am. Be still and know. Be still. Be.’ It’s as if every day you spend there, you go down deeper, stripping off what is unnecessary until you can just be. I have never felt so awake and alive and tuned in to the wonder of life as I did after a week there.” $4,000 for a week, including meals, activities and massages.

Read a postcard from Samantha Gregory about the Ashram.