| Healing Weekend Philosophy |
| Comments From Healing Weekend Participants |
| The Facilities |
| Goals For The Weekend |
| What To Bring |
| Workshops |
| What To Expect |
| Registration |
| Healing Weekend Application |
| "I enjoyed all the workshops I attended this weekend. I got a lot of valuable info. from them. They made me look at things in a different perspective." |
| "The experience made me feel better about the physical problems I’m having, it worked and I thanked all of them." |
| "I love all of them and I would love to come back." |
| "Being totally open feels great - hearing of and sharing experiences was educational, sad, funny - real rewarding." |
| "I am more clam and relaxed. I am very energized. I’m looking forward to next year. |
| "Fears gone, many friends and much knowledge gained. I’ve found my loving family." |
| "I had bad thoughts about this place. But now that I’ve been here, it really does have purpose, great I loved it." |
| "Very relaxed and feel better about myself. Met new friends and had a wonderful time." |
| "A tired but uplifted spirit." |
| "Energized, more positive outlook." |
| "I was able to be bold and very open." |
| "The journey is the same - more viewpoints yields more understanding." |
| "I have learned some new tools to help my situation." |
| "Everything is going to be changed when I leave." |
| -My first concern about this weekend is get more information on HIV/AIDS. I really want to reach the Afro-American community. But don’t get me wrong. I’m going to relax and enjoy myself this weekend. I promise it won’t be all work and no play. Thanks for having me. |
| -I would like God to show me how I can help people with HIV the way he helped me and gave me the power to over come this thing. It’s really worth helping people, because it help’s me a lot. |
| -I want to chill out and learn some new things to take back to Louisville and maybe some new ideas. |
| -I came to the healing weekend to hopefully find more serenity, meet new people, relax and hopefully hear something I can take home to help someone else. Also hopefully be able to find something to say to someone that may help. |
| -Give a brighter insight to someone who just became infected and wants to give up. Just to let them know to keep the faith and take care of their selves. I also like to learn more about educating the community and how to get involved. |
| -I hope to be able to more about what I have because I am still not believing that this has happened to me, so it is very hard for me because I am an addict. I would like to get more out of this weekend, to help me live a better life. |
| -I want to be able to know more about myself and AIDS. I want to love myself. |
| -I came to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I plan to meet new friends and not be alone. |
The Facilities Back to Top The Marydale Retreat Center is located just south of Cincinnati, Ohio in the rolling hills of Northern Kentucky. The center contains dining facilities, a large central lounge with fireplace, pleasant meeting rooms and comfortable sleeping rooms. Each guest room will accommodate one person. All workshops and activities will be held in one building. Several acres overlooking a quiet lake are available for peaceful walks. SMOKING will not be permitted inside of the building. Goals For The Weekend
| To expose participants to a number of complementary and alternative healing approaches. |
| To provide both didactic and contemplative workshops to help meet the needs of participants for information and practical experiences. |
| To provide free time for socializing with other participants, a healing aspect in itself, as well as to allow time for rest and relaxation. |
| To provide large-group sharing times as well as small group activities. |
| To increase self-empowerment and to take control of our lives: to learn even more ways to survive and thrive in this crisis. |
| To be able to practice a variety of healing techniques at home after the weekend. |
What To Bring Back to Top There are a few things you may wish to bring along with you:
| Bring comfortable clothing to wear (weather permitting, we'll be going outside for some events). |
| Each morning we offer stretching and aerobic exercise classes, so if you're interested, bring your exercise clothes and shoes. |
| Bring any medications you may need. Refrigeration is available. |
| You may wish to bring a journal, meditation readings, crystals, teddy bear, etc. to help you explore healing possibilities. |
| You may bring a camera, but please realize that you must not photograph anyone without first getting their permission. |
| The only other things you will need are a receptive mind, a willing spirit, and an open heart. |
| IMAGERY AND CREATIVE VISUALIZATION - This workshop will help you explore the reasons why creative visualization can help you better control your body and enhance the effectiveness of your immune system. A series of creative visualizations will be completed by capturing your imagery on paper. |
| MASSAGE THERAPY TECHNIQUES - This workshop is about touch, massage, and energy, finding ways to use physical touch to release tension or energy that is blocked. We will practice self-massage and learn simple ways to extend touch and massage to others, with special emphasis on using appropriate techniques for HIV-challenged persons. |
| GRIEVING, HEALING AND LOVING - Many of us have learned to suppress our ability to grieve because of old self-defeating messages. We will affirm our right to grieve all the losses of our life, and affirm all the ways we can let go of feelings related to grief, from anger to long-held feelings of hurt and abandonment. Then, using music and meditation, participants will be helped to open their hearts to their grief and pain. As we allow ourselves to grieve as fully as possible, we open ourselves to the healing power and love and life. These are just some of the workshops we might include in the Healing Weekend. The actual schedule of workshops will be available when you arrive. |
| MEDICAL ASPECTS OF AIDS - This presentation will focus on the current medical developments in the AIDS crisis, with emphasis on new approaches to treatment. You will also learn what to expect if you enroll in an experimental treatment program. |
| HEALING CIRCLE - This experience provides an opportunity to "speak your heart song" and participate in a healing meditation to open your heart, mind, and spirit for the day. A time for all of us to be replenished as we share healing energy that has flowed through each of us during the weekend. A time to share our healing love and receive the healing power of others. |
| ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO NUTRITION - This workshop will explore ways to strengthen the immune system through diet. We will focus on the choices we have to strengthen ourselves through healthy nutrition rather than looking for causes outside the body. We will explore how alternative approaches to nutrition have lead to long-term survival for people with HIV. |
| POLARITY THERAPY - This workshop focuses on how the energy system of polarity applies to the healing arts. Polarity is the study of life as it creates and sustains the body. It explains how energy can become sluggish or misdirected, and how we can restore balance through attitude, diet, exercise, and polarity manipulation. After an introduction to theory, there will be hands-on work and polarity self-help exercises. |
| REFLEXOLOGY AND YOGA - In the reflexology workshop, you will learn some techniques to unlock stress in the body by working on the feet. You will have a chance to practice, so you will need a mat or a blanket. In the yoga workshop, you will breathe - stretch - relax; enjoy a "gentle" yoga class that will help you relieve tension by careful movement of the body. |
| CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY - Many participants have asked for a place to explore their attitudes and needs concerning their alcohol and drug use. This workshop will provide a safe and non-threatening environment for participants to look at the issues they may have. Here is a chance to ask questions and explore the possibilities of recovery from chemical dependency. |
| HEALING THE CHILD WITHIN - Personal transformation - This workshop will help us discover the child within ourselves, and to bring healing to the child through love and acceptance. Many of us dissociate from our child due to painful or traumatic experiences in which we felt powerless. We will do exercises that will encourage the child to feel and/or express what he/she needs to shut down to survive. We will explore the judgments we have against our child and bring love, acceptance and healing to our child. Then you will be able to regain the beauty of the child and combine him/her with the wisdom of you as an adult, offering yourself a much richer life. |
| POSITIVE SEXUALITY-SAFER SEX - People living with HIV/AIDS have a right to have satisfying sexual and intimate experiences. In this workshop, you will have an opportunity to playfully explore positive aspects of your sexuality and, yes, to play more safely. We will also learn more about negotiating for safer sex. |
| REBIRTHING - This is an experimental workshop to help you remember and re-experience your birth physiologically, psychologically, and spiritually, to release the trauma and feel the inner cleansing of conscious breathing. This form of therapy has been effectively utilized on the West coast with people living with AIDS. |
| THERAPEUTIC TOUCH - Therapeutic Touch (TT) is derived from the ancient cross-cultural practice of restoring balance and harmony to another's being and body, thus achieving: decreased anxiety, increased psychological relaxation, decreased pain, etc. In the workshop, we will discuss the background of the theory of TT, demonstrate the technique, then guide each participant through the experience of providing and receiving TT. |
| The Healing Weekend is made up of a series of workshops, group experiences, guided meditations, and small-group sharing. The workshops include introductions to many forms of complementary therapies and alternative approaches to health care ranging from Polarity Therapy to Attitudinal Healing, Rebirthing to Nutritional Alternatives, as well as updates on current medical treatments. You will get hands-on experience with healing techniques that can be incorporated into your daily living to complement the medical treatment you receive. A long-term survivors panel offers insight into living long and living well with AIDS. |
| To further enhance the experience of healing, trained massage therapists offer massages to participants during the weekend. For those in the recovering community, we offer two 12-step meetings. In addition, a nurse is available during the entire weekend to assist with any medical emergencies. |
| There's plenty of fun, too. Friday is packed with activities like games, socializing, and dancing. Saturday is especially entertaining with a special surprise group activity. |
| All these components, mixed with love, laughter, and tears, make the Healing Weekend an uplifting and vitalizing experience. |
| Professionals are invited to offer workshops and small-groups facilitation for the weekend. |
Registration Back to Top To register for the 5th Healing Weekend at Marydale Retreat Center, print and complete a Healing Weekend Registration Form and return it with your payment to AVNK Healing Weekend: c/o Herman Kamlage, 1200 Highway, Apt. 416, Covington, KY 41011 . If you need more registration forms, contact your local AIDS organization or AVNK. The deadline for registration is April 15, 2000. Acceptance letters will be sent after this date.
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Webmaster: Michael L. Connley, e-mail: mconnley@cinergy.com
Date Revised: Wednesday, April 18, 2001