At Alessandrina Lerner's Mind-Body Cleanse, Miami Can Shed Toxins Without Spending A Fortune

Many people I know who go to extremes in the world of health have been driven there by extremely negative or toxic experiences. Alessandrina Lerner is no exception. A French expat, Lerner was handed over to the care of the state at the age of 14 when her alcoholic father was deemed a risk to her safety. "It's not a very good story. He was very abusive," she said.

That's the same year Lerner became a vegetarian and began a journey of cleansing and self-discovery. "From there, my awareness kept growing. [When I ate animal products] I could just feel the suffering of the animals, so I just couldn't do it. I found yoga through meditation, and continued to try to figure out why I'm here and who I am."

Now in her early forties, she's a vegan who fluctuates between raw foods and macrobiotics. More importantly, she's dedicated herself completely to helping others detoxify both physically and spiritually. She's just recently teamed up with a Sadhu, a local Kundalini yogi and a spiritual guide to augment her program further. Together, they offer a thorough week-long detox program that even non-celebrities can afford.

Joseph Cardenas

Alessandrina Lerner's Gumby-like yogic ability

Her path to this point has been long and winding. She earned an MBA and moved to Miami at 27. She quit her job at American Express' headquarters when she became pregnant with her daughter Amandine, making the decision to pursue something more meaningful instead.

Under the constant guidance of an Indian swami, she studied yoga, meditation, and vegetarian nutrition and purification until her ex-husband's jealousy forced her to give up the discipleship after a few months.

"The swami gave me massages. Of course they were nothing, but my ex found out and freaked out." But she didn't stop learning, continuing to read spiritual books and to practice yoga. "I would do asanas three or four hours a day and read, read, read."