These are some resources, available online. I found some of these very interesting and appealing. There is a whole range from only classes to full retreats with services and therapies as part of their program. I feel that if I were to do something like this I'd probably go for the full thing and experience it on a retreat setting. The more beautiful the place the better. However there are programs for all types of people, ranging from very serious, medically based ones to programs in which people share their personal healing experiences resulting from living a raw food lifestyle.
The list:
USA
ARIZONA
http://www.treeoflife.nu/
This is a community centered around a Dr. called Rebbe Gabriel Cousens. They offer different programs and options with a spiritual focus. I can't fully comment on something I haven't experienced myself, but this seems a little new agey for me.
CALIFORNIA
http://www.therawretreat.com
The place looks very beautiful and what they offer seems interesting, but the website seems out of date. It is also focused on individual needs and not for groups.
http://jinjee1.securesites.net/retreat/
This place is still under construction. The place also looks beautiful in a different way. The owners/developers seem to be very convinced about the benefits of raw foods and they have build a whole website with pictures to prove it.
PUERTO RICO
http://www.annwigmore.org/
Also based on Dr. Ann Wigmore's ideas (and they make sure you know it), who according to the website spent time there teaching, when she was not in Boston (or elsewhere). They don't have retreat facilities, but you can stay at nearby apartments and hotels. They are close to the sea. Their focus is educational as they are not 'a spa nor clinic'.
FLORIDA
http://www.hippocratesinst.org/
This is a fully fledged program, probably the most professional. They have spa services and intensive workshops leading to certification. The original Ann Wigmore's school. If I were serious about raw foods, I'd probably give this one a chance.
http://rawfoodsretreat.com
This is more of a luxury type, personal retreat place. Things get organized around the individual needs.
http://www.circle-of-life.net/
They offer individualized programs in Florida as well as group retreats in other parts of the world. They focus too on juice fasts. The Florida programs do not offer accommodation as part of the retreat.
GEORGIA
http://www.livingfoodsinstitute.com
The owner/teacher seems very upbeat and willing to teach anyone. Her transition into raw foods was due to an illness. This is also mostly educational (although she offers therapies and treatments - colonics, reflexology, Bach flowers, etc) as part of the program. People stay at hotels or nearby homes as she does not provide retreat facilities. Her prices are a bit higher, but she offers different packages to match different budgets.
HAWAII
http://www.vacationinnparadise.com
They provide you with everything so you can do it yourself.
ILLINOIS
http://www.naturesrawenergy.com
Five and 12 days detox retreats based on classes. Their prices seem to be affordable and include room and board and classes.
Based on Dr. Ann Wigmore's ideas.
MICHIGAN
http://www.creativehealthinstitute.com
Based on Ann Wigmore, they offer teaching retreats and support afterwards.
NEW MEXICO
http://www.wigmore.org/
Very secluded. Also based on Ann Wigmore's philosophy.
PENNSYLVANIA
http://www.purejeevan.com/
Individual guidance with raw foods or some group retreats done in a separate place.
TENNESSEE
http://www.serenitycove.com/
Also focused on individual needs. The owner offers other services. One that promised interesting results was a massage based therapy called chi nei tsang.
TEXAS
http://www.roylretreat.com/
They are closed at the moment, but including it since they seem serious enough.
WASHINGTON
http://www.cedarsprings.org/
The are looks beautiful, probably close to Canada. They make emphasis on the weight loss aspect of eating raw foods. They also have programs with horses.
OTHER:
http://www.optimumhealth.org/
They have two places one in San Diego and one in Austin. They hold full retreats, but focused on teaching, not on spa therapies. Their philosophy is Christian based.
OUTSIDE THE US:
AUSTRALIA
http://www.alivefoods.com/
They offer detox retreats on a yatch and other similar classes (not specific to raw foods).
BELIZE
http://www.vidaclara.com/
They offer water fasting, raw food retreats and Natural Hygiene programs, in beautiful lush surroundings. The retreats are individual with the support of one of the owners, Dr. Sniadach who offers personal support and assistance.
COSTA RICA
http://www.pachamama.com
They are a community based on Osho principles and practices. They offer raw detox as part of one of their longer workshops. The place looks beautiful.
http://www.waterfallvillas.com
They are not specifically raw food oriented. It is more like a spa retreat where they also have raw foods.
PANAMA
http://www.tanglewoodwellnesscenter.com/
Their specialty seems to be water fasting. Not my piece of cake, but perhaps some people will find it interesting.
THAILAND
http://www.dharmahealingintl.com/
Their program is a spiritual in nature and includes raw foods. These are some of the activities they advertise as part of their program: Meditation, Yoga, Qi Kung, Water Exercise, Raw Food Preparation, Spiritual Nutrition, Vibrational Sound Healing, Dharma Talk, Kundalini Colonic-Acupressure, an Iridology reading and personal psycho/spiritual counseling. Might be a good option if you can afford the trip to Thailand.
UK
http://www.livingfoods.co.uk/
Their focus is day in day out. They offer courses, consultation and practitioner trainings.
http://www.suradetox.com/
They seem to know what they are doing. Their retreats are for 7 days in countryside UK. They put emphasis on colonics and they have a lot of information about them on the website.
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If anyone reading this has any suggestions or comments regarding the above, please share!
Showing posts with label raw foods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label raw foods. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Food, health and freedom
Food is one of those things that most people tend to underestimate. It is so much part of being human that we either give it too much importance or completely neglect it.
Throughout my life I have been changing my diet. As a teenager I would eat anything, (including lots of chocolates) and I would gain or loose weight accordingly. I think I ate a bit too much though.
Later in life I became vegetarian (only cheese and eggs included), then I changed to the blood type diet (according to which I was incidentally supposed to be vegetarian) and so on.
With all these said, there have been times when I am so immersed in whatever I am doing that I completely forget to eat. There have also been times when I have found eating such a weird experience. A particular time I remember, working in a company that had a dining room for their employees, I sat there with my selection of food and looked around the room. Everyone was munching away, sharing stories (or gossip) and I thought 'how strange this is that we humans have to put some foreign matter into this thing called mouth to be able to live'. Bizarre.
As time passed by. I lost quite some weight and muscle (probably as a result of lack of exercise). Weight that I have not been able to put on. I decided to go back to eating protein. I started with chicken and fish and every now and then sea food (it was too strong for my palate). Red meat has not been an option, unless I really, really crave it, which is almost never.
The thing is, food is a vital part of inhabiting a human body (unless you are an ultra advanced yogi). However as time has passed I realized that instead of following some external diet, I need to tune into my body and see what it needs. This way it is possible to eat whatever one wants instead of following a set of external rules. The problem with this approach for some people is that they are so out of tune with it, that it is almost impossible to know what is the best thing to eat.
A question I ask myself often is, what would it take to be free of the food slavery. My answer to this has been, let the body eat what it needs. Freedom... !
Lately I have been exploring the idea of trying the raw foods diet, despite the fact that Ayurvedic doctors have advised me to eat cooked food. So in the process of deciding if this is something my body needs/wants I have been exploring what is available on the net. My main intention is to do a thorough detox as I feel I have accumulated all sorts of things that are not supporting my body's well being.
A list of resources to come.
Throughout my life I have been changing my diet. As a teenager I would eat anything, (including lots of chocolates) and I would gain or loose weight accordingly. I think I ate a bit too much though.
Later in life I became vegetarian (only cheese and eggs included), then I changed to the blood type diet (according to which I was incidentally supposed to be vegetarian) and so on.
With all these said, there have been times when I am so immersed in whatever I am doing that I completely forget to eat. There have also been times when I have found eating such a weird experience. A particular time I remember, working in a company that had a dining room for their employees, I sat there with my selection of food and looked around the room. Everyone was munching away, sharing stories (or gossip) and I thought 'how strange this is that we humans have to put some foreign matter into this thing called mouth to be able to live'. Bizarre.
As time passed by. I lost quite some weight and muscle (probably as a result of lack of exercise). Weight that I have not been able to put on. I decided to go back to eating protein. I started with chicken and fish and every now and then sea food (it was too strong for my palate). Red meat has not been an option, unless I really, really crave it, which is almost never.
The thing is, food is a vital part of inhabiting a human body (unless you are an ultra advanced yogi). However as time has passed I realized that instead of following some external diet, I need to tune into my body and see what it needs. This way it is possible to eat whatever one wants instead of following a set of external rules. The problem with this approach for some people is that they are so out of tune with it, that it is almost impossible to know what is the best thing to eat.
A question I ask myself often is, what would it take to be free of the food slavery. My answer to this has been, let the body eat what it needs. Freedom... !
Lately I have been exploring the idea of trying the raw foods diet, despite the fact that Ayurvedic doctors have advised me to eat cooked food. So in the process of deciding if this is something my body needs/wants I have been exploring what is available on the net. My main intention is to do a thorough detox as I feel I have accumulated all sorts of things that are not supporting my body's well being.
A list of resources to come.
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