http://www.amwellness.org/

Wellness center uses natural therapy to heal

By Cris Evert Lato
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 13:19:00 04/27/2009

Filed Under: Lifestyle
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Repeat clients do not spell success to this wellness center in barangay
Pagsabungan, Mandaue City.

"We target them (student-clients) come once only, get healed and go home and
continue to become better. To us, that is the perfect system of promoting
the center and bringing more people," said Dada Dharma, founder of Ananda
Marga Wellness Center (AM Wellness).

Ananda Marga, which literally means path to blissful being, practices a
holistic approach to health and well being through various natural
therapies, yoga practice, meditation and vegetarian diet.

While non-profit organization, AM Yoga started the center, Dada said
Filipinos, mostly coming from Davao and Cebu, run the center with each one
serving as its stakeholder.

AM also has a center in Metro Manila and another yoga center in barangay
Capitol Site, Cebu City.

Not for profit

Dada said the center has been visited by several individuals, including
government officials, who suffered from diabetes, severe acne, headaches and
back problems among others.

But he said that the center's goal is not just to make money.

"Our purpose is not to make money. This center is run like a cooperative.
All staff have a direct stake with the center since 100 percent of the money
that comes in the center is circulated among them. As a result, th people
give their best in running the center."

Dada however admitted that the center had its own set of financial
challenges.

"For the first two years, I have been facing the financial headaches in
running this but upon closer look,

The unique dome-shaped structure makes the center conspicuous to those who
happen to go inside Green View village, barangay Pagsabungan.

But Dada said the structure and its other facilities were built out of the
donations of 1,000 outpatients worldwide. Donations reached P6 million and
they were able to start construction in 2003.

No loans were obtained from the bank.

"We have to keep our minds free. When you take a loan, you're not free
because you keep on thinking about the money you have to pay," he said.

Since it opened in 2005, AM Wellness has been accepting clients, whom they
call students, who prefer to have their natural healing therapy in the
center.

Fifty percent of its students are foreigners while another 50 percent are
Filipinos. About 15 to 20 percent of its Filipino students come from Cebu.

Most of these students know about the center through the Internet or the
center's website, www.amwellness.org. He said their landline and mobile
numbers: 236 4797 and 0927 504 9061 have been helpful in communicating with
both local and international students.

Dada said the center's location creates a conducive place for healing and
meditation.

The center has six rooms where students can read, do yoga and meditation and
other exercices. Each student room can accommodate two students.

"The mind of our students is tremendously important to us. We want them to
be very happy. We keep them busy with therapeutic games, theoretical
classes, sports and beach outings."

Treatment

Dada, who studied naturopathy in Calcutta, India, said he envisioned the
center to be the global model for natural healing centers where people can
find alternative way of curing their illnesses and diseases.

He said a natural health clinic provides natural cleansing process which
enable the body and mind to fully eliminate the cause of the disease.

Dada said treatments takes between 12 days to four weeks depending on the
nature of the illness but the center has short classes ranging from two to
seven days for people who choose to take short courses on meditation and
healing.

"The usual system of natural healing detoxification. The simplest and
slowest way to detoxify is to eat only fruits and vegetables," he said.

This is why the center also offers short cooking classes, which make eating
raw food appetizing. It also emphasizes the importance of drinking water.

He said AM Wellness serves 60 percent raw food and 40 percent cooked food,
which is a practical way of getting students used to healthy eating.

"Healing should be comfortable and painless. If it's painful, then it's not
correct," said Dada.