Inside the secret retreat loved by Hoda Kotb and Katy Perry where participants forgo exercise, alcohol, sex, and phones to ‘change their entire lives’ in just SEVEN days

A therapeutic wellness resort in California has completely transformed the lives of celebrities in just seven days.

Founded in 1967, the Hoffman Process is an intensive, week-long retreat in which participants learn to “live more consciously” by identifying and dismantling behavior patterns.

In order to dig deeper and get in touch with their authentic selves, participants must disconnect from anything that might have a vice or stress-relieving effect on them, such as electronic devices, alcohol, sex, and even exercise.

Famous fans include Katy Perry, Sienna Miller, Justin Bieber and Maria Shriver.

Participants pay US$5,350 for the week-long retreat, which includes everything from accommodations and food to teaching materials and more.

Founded in 1967, the Hoffman Process is an intensive, week-long retreat in which participants learn to “live more consciously” by identifying and dismantling behavior patterns.

The process begins several weeks before participants begin the retreat. Participants must speak with multiple counselors and fill out extensive forms to identify their behavior patterns, vices, and fears.

The registration process, which can take up to 12 hours, also requires participants to delve into their childhood and relationships with their parents or caregivers.

Hoffman coach Matt Brannagan tells DailyMail.com that candidates come to the program to deal with everything from issues at work and parenting to finding purpose in life.

“It’s not like we say, ‘Oh, this is for people with childhood issues.’ We say, ‘This is for people who want to improve their lives now.’ We just know that we can support that by looking at someone’s life holistically,” he explained.

Once inside, participants engage in a number of daily activities including viewing presentations, guided meditation, visualization exercises, and journaling.

“A lot of people recognize that they have to work through some elements of anger, resentment, and addiction. So we have experiences that deal with that, including a kind of cathartic release,” Brannagan shared.

There is no special treatment for celebrity contestants; A-list members must participate along with the regular contestants.

Other famous fans of the Hoffman trial include Sienna Miller, Hoda Kotb and Maria Shriver

Participants complete a number of daily activities, including viewing presentations, guided meditation, visualization exercises, and journaling.

There is no special treatment for celebrity contestants, with A-listers required to compete alongside regular contestants

“Everyone, including the celebrities who are on the show, is on the same show,” Brannagan said.

“I think that’s part of what they appreciate about it, right? The opportunity to come in and be in an environment where they feel supported, where they’re in a group of people who are working on themselves as they are, without any need to be special or seen as different,” he continued.

“And I’ve heard from a number of celebrities, some of whom have made their actions public and some of whom have not, that that’s been one of the most satisfying experiences: just to be in a group of people who aren’t treated differently and who aren’t treated differently.”

In an interview with Jamie Kern Lima in early AugustToday co-host Hoda Kotb credited her 2021 performance at Hoffman’s retreat as making her a better parent and indicated it may have inspired her to call off her engagement to ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman.

“When you went there, did it change everything in your whole life, your relationship, everything?” Lima asked her.

“Yes, that’s right,” Kotb replied. “It was part of something that brought things to light.”

She added: ‘I just learned not to pretend to be someone you’re not, to be authentic and to know what you deserve.’

Today, co-host Hoda Kotb revealed that her performance at the 2021 Hoffman Process retreat may have inspired her to call off her engagement to ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman. (Both pictured)

“I learned not to pretend, to be authentic, and to know what you deserve,” Kotb said of her time at the retreat

Kotb entered the Hoffman trial in December 2021 and announced her split from Schiffman just a month later.

Pop star Katy Perry also had a transformative experience with the Hoffman trial, after her 2017 album Witness was poorly received and she suffered from situational depression.

“I was ready to let go of everything that was holding me back from being my ultimate self,” she said Fashion magazine.

“I valued the audience reaction so much, and the audience didn’t react the way I expected… it broke my heart.”

After working with the program for a while, Perry compared it to rebooting a computer that has been infected with a virus.

The Roar singer found her time there so valuable that she now hands out Hoffman gift cards to friends.

“I recommend it to everyone, my good friends and other artists who are looking for a breakthrough,” she said.

“There are a lot of people who self-medicate through public validation, through substances, through constant running away from their reality – denial, withdrawal. I did that for a long, long time.”

However, some celebrities find the intensive program too much.

After a few days, Bieber left the Hoffman Institute, finding it too difficult and uncomfortable with the group exercises.

Pop star Katy Perry also had a transformative experience with the Hoffman trial after the poor reception of her 2017 album Witness left her suffering from depression

Justin Bieber left the Hoffman Institute after a few days because he found it too difficult and felt uncomfortable with the group exercises

“There were these seances,” he said Fashion magazine. ‘Or not really seances, but these traditions. They light candles and I was a little shocked. You sit on a mat, you put a cushion down and you beat out your past.

“I’ve overcome the fact that my mother was depressed for a lot of my life and my father has anger issues. Things that they passed on to me that I’m a little angry about.”

Brannagan tells DailyMail.com that it is “very rare” for participants to leave the program early, largely due to the extensive and thorough enrollment process designed to filter out anyone who isn’t a good fit.

In addition to the main locations in California and Connecticut, Hoffman Process retreats are also available in Canada, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Austria, Brazil, and Argentina.

As the Hoffman Institute grows and expands, it recently spent a staggering $11.5 million on a new retreat location in California.

They also offer a two-day virtual program for those who cannot commit to a full week-long in-person retreat.

Retreats for the remainder of 2024 are completely sold out at all US locations.

“We focus on creating a place of emotional growth and self-awareness, where people can recognize the limited value of their patterns and become better able to make choices in their lives,” Brannagan said.

“We often act in the world in a compulsive and automatic way. When we step back and become more aware, we realize that we have a lot of choice in how we live our lives,” he continued.

“The process is largely about helping people recognize the areas in which they can make choices and supporting them to apply those choices more fluidly in their lives.”

He added: ‘We are convinced that people can benefit from this.’