Editor’s note: The following article by Katie Lloyd was previously published in One Earth Magazine Issue No. 06, Spring 1992. 

About eighteen months ago, One Earth published an article by Cornelia Fellner, the Foundation’s ‘barefoot doctor’, called ‘A Vision of Holistic Health’. She described her idea to create a health centre in Findhorn that would provide holistic health care and education to the local population and the Findhorn Community’s members and visitors.

A group practice consisting of a medical doctor and complementary therapists (homeopath, acupuncturist, herbalist, massage therapist, and so on) would work together as a team, giving
each other peer support and supervision and encouraging patients (or clients) to take an active part in their own health care.

This would be backed up with education in self-help, healing, relationships, counselling, nutrition, etc, to foster prevention of illness and ‘dis-ease’ (while also acknowledging that sometimes illness can offer great lessons). Similar centres already exist; for example, the Marylebone Centre in London.

Unique to this centre, however, would be the Findhorn Foundation’s commitment to spiritual growth and awareness, which would infuse the work, environment and communication between all concerned.

I’m happy to say that the project is now firmly grounded and growing steadily towards physical reality.

New community healing facility

In September, the Holistic Health Department (formerly Health and Wholeness) moved into its new home in the ground floor of ‘Meridian’, one of the recently constructed ‘eco houses’ in Pineridge. In this beautiful, peaceful corner of The Park we have two warm, light-filled healing rooms with new linen, pillows and blankets; a multi-purpose room for the office, afternoon reception, group meetings and library; a bathroom with shower; and a place to make tea. It is a pleasure to work in this new environment.

(A note about the name – we feel ‘Meridian’ conveys a sense of direction and clarity. Also, we liked part of a dictionary definition which said: “n. Mid-day; point of greatest splendour … an imaginary line in the heavens passing through the zenith of any place.” This is the perfection that we are aiming for!)

‘Meridian’ is really the incubator for the Findhorn Bay Holistic Health Centre. Not only does it house in miniature many aspects of the planned centre (treatment rooms, etc) but it is from here that we generate the Holistic Health Education Programme and a growing network for fundraising, information sharing and conferences.

21st-Century Community Health Care: Developing a Model and Applying it to the Findhorn Bay Holistic Health Centre

This conference (September 5-11, 1992 at the Findhorn Foundation) draws together individuals who want to explore holistic health care for the future, looking at issues of: interface and cooperation between orthodox medicine and complementary health care; educating clients and practitioners; group dynamics in practice; wellness/illness, disease and crisis; holistic diagnosis; the arts in holistic health care; funding and financing; ecological design; community outreach/family; spirituality in our work.

Broadly speaking, we expect the conference to appeal to doctors, complementary practitioners. health workers, health centre staff, administrators, therapists, practice managers, psychologists, social workers, counsellors, business consultants and, last but not least, clients and patients.

We will invite participants to create together a ‘blueprint’ for the Centre, covering all aspects from its philosophical and ethical basis to the practical needs of the population it will serve, its day-to-day administration and the building itself. Thus, it will be a working conference with a certain number of clearly defined tasks. Within this framework, though, we will offer plenty of time for dialogue, sharing, creativity and fun.

The people who come will have the chance to explore their visions of ideal community health care and to see some of these ideas implemented in the Centre, as well as getting inspiration for new approaches in their work situation al home.

Holistic health education

The educational programme is now in its fourth term of courses and workshops and has grown into quite a substantial syllabus, covering a wide range of topics. The courses are scheduled at weekends or in the evening to fit in with a normal work schedule.

Some local people have attended classes and a few individuals have travelled long distances to join us – we expect this to increase as the word is spread because there are not many offers of this type of education in this corner of the country and the quality of the instructors and the courses is so high.

Within our education programme we are steadily moving towards more professional training for our Findhorn Community practitioners. This year a group of us are studying for the ITEC (International Therapy Examination Certificate) qualification in massage, which, under European laws of professional practice, could be an important qualification in the future.

We also have a practitioners’ group (the seeds of the Centre’s group practice) and have drawn up a Code of Ethics and Practice, to be understood and signed by everyone who uses Findhorn Foundation property for professional therapy sessions.

The local perspective

Our connections with health professionals in the local area are continuing to strengthen. This is very much in line with our desire for holistic health care to be an integral part of the planetary village growing up around the Findhorn Foundation, as well as becoming an inspiration to individuals and communities further afield-throughout the planet, in fact.

A local doctor has agreed to join the Board of Advisers for the Findhorn Bay Holistic Health Centre. He and some of his colleagues are now starting to refer some patients to our department for consultations. Other local contacts include a local government councillor and a social worker who will also be on our Board of Advisers. Their perspective, coming from the “real world’, is invaluable to us because it balances the nuts and bolts or the local situation with our ability to dream creatively, and we learn how to cooperate with the National Health Service and public authorities.

The Third Way Trust

ln our efforts to find a suitable site for the Centre, we are negotiating with Judith Meynell at Minton House. We are hoping to build the Centre on a plot of Minton’s grounds, overlooking Findhorn Bay, and together we are looking into setting up The Third Way Trust.

A number of holistic health education workshops have already taken place successfully in the house and we are establishing an excellent rapport with Judith and the other members of the household. There will be two aspects to the Trust: the Findhorn Bay Holistic Health Centre, and the ongoing educational programme at Minton which includes holistic health courses, business workshops, spiritual education, and personal and organisational transformation.

Money: Manifesting on the material plane

All of our plans need funds to bring them into being on the physical level. Last year we drew almost £70,000 to the project, covering the costs of ‘Meridian’, its furnishings and office equipment. Now, outline planning permission is being put forward for the Centre to be located on the hill overlooking Minton House and when that comes through, we will need to find £10,000 towards the land costs. A further £40,000 will be needed by the end of the year. Estimated costs for the Centre’s actual building, fully equipped, are about £500,000. We are actively looking for people to support our work, in whatever form they feel most inspired, be it money, advice, contacts or whatever.

For me, this is the most exciting place to work in the community. I like the personal contacts with members, guests and local people who come to use our services. I am inspired by the idea of a health centre that will offer real choices to its clients – and l feel challenged and stretched as I expand the way I work to include Spirit, meditation and visualisation to help the creative juices flow.

For further information please contact Katie Lloyd, Findhorn Foundation Holistic Health Department, ‘Meridian’, The Park, Findhorn, Forres IV36 0TZ Scotland.