ZOOM | Fall/Winter 2018

HEALING. PEACE. INSPIRATION. There’s no one who
doesn’t need a little (a lot, usually) of these in our anxious, distracted,
careworn times. The Sunshine Coast has long been a draw for those
seeking themselves: path and purpose, innate health, and the divine.
The Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre has been in Halfmoon Bay
since 2003 (and before that in Gibsons since 1995), with the objective of
helping others achieve essential healing and peace regardless of belief,
background, race, or income. It is one of five non-profit centres around
the world established by Mata Yogananda.
THE
HEALING
PATH
The centre provides counselling and help with healing as well as ongoing
courses in pure meditation, natural spiritual healing, animal healing,
and weekly transformation Hatha yoga classes. It also aims to help
those in the caring professions maintain their health and balance by
providing workshops. The centre regularly adds courses and offerings
to meet the changing needs of their clients. Popular with locals are the
meditation gatherings available to drop-ins every evening. People who
live on the Coast also take “staycations” or personal retreats to recharge
and contemplate without having to travel. Silent retreats are offered
throughout the year for those who wish to deepen their spiritual practice
with the surprising and powerful practice of quiet.
Kathseva and Andrew Fentiman run the centre in Halfmoon Bay and
warmly welcome visitors from all over. They are seeing more and more
people from Vancouver and western Canada who are booking short stays
to recharge and regroup. Kathseva says that many clients are expressing
feelings of being overwhelmed by work, technology, noise, long hours,
little nature, and financial stresses.
A HALFMOON BAY SANCTUARY
It’s easy for Coasters to forget how increasingly rare and wonderful our
natural setting is. It is also easy to forget that living here can make us
more fun, more serene, better hosts. Kathseva elaborates:
WORDS | NANCY PINCOMBE
“The Sunshine Coast’s natural beauty and slower pace have a very
calming effect on people. We notice that after the first day of their stay,
guests are looking and feeling more relaxed and often tell us that they
are ‘feeling more themselves,’ more connected to nature, more aware
of their surroundings, and they notice the quiet and darkness of the
night sky due to the absence of city lights. Guests also comment on how
friendly people on the Coast are: ‘strangers’ offering them rides, the
kindness of the bus drivers and shopkeepers, and the smiles they receive
from people they see out on their walks. The Sunshine Coast does attract
people who are seeking a slower-paced lifestyle, one more in harmony
with their environment and their community—this comes through to
those who visit.”
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT SELFREALIZATIONCENTRECANADA.COM.