You will take part in a full daily program whilst living in a supportive community who deeply honour and respect who you are and where you’re at. What we ask of you is to be committed to and to take responsibility for your own healing journey. You will be supported by carers, who are survivors themselves, living in a quiet, safe and loving environment.
What happens each day?
On Tuesday you will meet the other guests and carers and be shown around so you can become familiar with your surroundings. The group will share dinner together, get to know each other, discuss what to expect from your time here and go through some safety agreements. You may also be invited to participate in a voluntary survey that helps us to research the success of our Healing programs. The following is a general format for the day, though we are not rigid or authoritarian. As carers, we know that we do not like being told what to do! We start our program fairly late in the morning in recognition of research which shows it’s hard for the adolescent brain to function well first thing in the morning.
Day Off:
The day off is usually free time to chill, read in our library, walk, chat, play some games, be creative, or watch some DVD’s. The week can be pretty full on so this is time to relax and prepare for the days to come.
Nutrition:
We provide our guests with the best food. All ingredients have been carefully selected for your well-being. Also Special diets will be available.
We work with fresh herbs, fruits and nutritional supplements. Our vegetables are grown organic and GMO free. Essential oils are available for our guests who want to follow a treatment from The Health Cure.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is the highest state of your soul. Meditation cannot be taught, because it is not something you can do. However, the process to enter meditation can be learned. This systematic process helps you to become healthier, balanced, focused, clear-minded, without tension, be unaffected by emotions and thoughts, experience peace and calmness, and most importantly connect to your true self. On the surface, meditation can be merely perceived as a relaxation exercise, though the science and spirituality behind meditation goes much deeper. For thousands of years, the process of meditation was taught to help purify the body and mind, so that a practitioner can burn karma and awaken their soul. This included breathing techniques, concentration, yoga postures, practicing non-violence, discipline of mind, body and speech, fasting, truthfulness, and non-attachment among others.
You breathe approximately 21,000 times per day. How many of those breathes are you aware of? By learning to use the breath as a tool you can change your emotional state and the way you think. Efficient breathing is a major component of good health and a great way to reduce anxiety, agitation and stress; while promoting relaxation, calm and inner peace.
We are not a medical or mental health facility, and can’t be responsible for administering medication or other medical care. If there’s an emergency, the facilitator and some of our carers are trained in first aid and if necessary ambulance services can be called. If you have an injury, have just been in hospital or need medical/dental surgery, we ask that you postpone your time here with us until you are well enough. At The Health Centre you will be valued for who you are, in a place where you can honour yourself and find the strength to heal. There is no judgment here. We don’t expect you to pretend to be someone you’re not. We want you to feel like you can be exactly who you are. All your feelings are valid and you should never be told not to feel them. Here we will encourage you to express those feelings safely, and we will be there to validate you in doing so. You won’t be alone in this. You will be surrounded by heaps of support. We know what it’s like to let down that wall that’s been protecting you for so long. It’s hard, but worth it!
We hope to welcome you!
Much Love, Warm Regards,
Brian & Simone