Holistic retreat teaches how to live happy life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Shelbey Hernandez

Associate Managing Editor

 

People can increase their happiness by paying attention to their health, wealth and consciousness.

During a day retreat at Gesstwood Camp and Retreat Centre, three women who practice holistic medicine focused on how individuals need to regain control of their lives and do what makes them happy.

This retreat was called a holistic retreat, with a focus on spiritual elements. Those who practice holistic medicine believe if someone’s emotional or spiritual self isn’t working correctly, it can affect the physical body. Using yoga, meditation and crystals is common in holistic practices. Holistic therapy does not use medications to help with ailments. Nearly 40 per cent of American adults use some form of alternative medicine which includes non-traditional therapies.

Although some people support the use of alternative therapies, others argue there is no proof holistic therapies help. When people say the therapies help them, it’s often assumed to be a placebo effect. A placebo effect is when someone is told something will react a certain way and because they are told that beforehand, their body mimics the reactions.

The host of the event, Heather Chauvin, is a mental health and self-esteem expert with a bachelor’s degree in social work and a number of holistic therapy certifications. Chauvin also works on the medical advisory board for Enchanted Makeovers, a not-for-profit organization that transforms women’s shelters by funding renovations. In her presentation, she talked about how dealing with cancer changed her. She also said it is important for mothers to not feel guilty taking time for themselves and that people should not let their lack of confidence get in the way of doing what they want.

Heather Nodello is a spiritual counselor who helps people deal with family, relationship and divorce issues, she created Truthful Healings in 2010. She and two others, use a holistic approach to counsel people by focusing on what they really want in life. At Truthful Healings she offers services including intuitive readings, counselling and emotional freedom techniques. She said people assume the more friends they have, the happier they will be. However, according to Nodello, the need to get approval from others can actually do more damage to someone’s happiness.

Chauvin said the retreat was able to teach women about things they may not have been taught before.

“I think health, wealth and consciousness are three main areas of our lives that we kind of don’t know how to bring abundance to and we’re not really taught these things. We’re not taught in school, it’s not in the mainstream typically and it’s all connected,” said Chauvin. “When you understand how to better them, your whole life is transformed.”

Near the end of her talk, Nodello had the participants meditate. She also had people take a 10 minute walk. She said in every retreat, she has tried to get participants to go for a walk because doing so helps them get connected to nature.

“When you go out for walks, nature and energy go together. So when you’re out for a walk, especially on a retreat, I like that break so that people can go in their own thoughts,” said Nodello. “The outside helps them because it just increases everything plus it’s a beautiful setting so every retreat I make people go outside.”

The last speaker Christa Realba, a yoga instructor, encourage participants to have confidence in themselves and worry less.

“We create a life we love by doing what we love,” said Realba. “It’s not rocket science.”