The Healing Power of Community

There’s something about the feeling of community at an OHI holistic healing retreat that is unparalleled. When guests arrive for their first time, they’re greeted warmly and assigned a “OHI Buddy” to help orient them in this new environment while answering any questions their soul may have had before fully indulging in organic, plant-based, raw food! There are moments where everyone shares spiritual messages or inspiration with each other which creates such love between all those present – it really feels like one big family here…A beautiful transformational scenario plays out every day as you’ll see when looking into our San Diego and Austin campuses (or maybe even better yet–head over now!).

Strong Bonds 

Strangers become friends, and all are enveloped in the accepting, non-judgmental OHI community that supports and encourages them through each moment of their 21-day stay. During classes like Food Combining, Self Esteem, and Conscious Breathing, guests assist and reassure each other, sharing their fears, their hopes, and their laughter. Strong bonds are formed, and many coordinate return visits so they can enjoy “reunions” while rededicating themselves to strive for optimum health in body, mind, and spirit. This community-building dynamic that has been at the heart of OHI since day one is now being corroborated by scientific research. Clinical studies show the validating experience of being accepted into a group of positive, like-minded people can set significant healing transformations into motion.

“Humans are wired for connection with others,” says Matthew Lieberman, UCLA professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral science. “Life does not usually go well when we try to live it on our own. Oftentimes, when we face a problem or crisis, we feel as if we can and should handle it by ourselves, but it’s the opposite. We need to handle it with the help of others, even if only with one person.”  Dr. Lieberman is one of the founders of social cognitive neuroscience, a discipline analyzing how brain function underlies social thinking and social behavior.

Dr. Dean Ornish Says…

This healing power of community has such a profound and measurable influence that cardiologist Dean Ornish writes in his book Love and Survival: The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy, “I am not aware of any other factor in medicine – not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery – that has a greater impact on our quality of life or incidence of illness. Anything that promotes a sense of isolation often leads to illness and suffering, while that which promotes a sense of love and intimacy, connection and community, is healing.”

One thing OHI guests mention repeatedly is how their interaction with others facing similar opportunities gives them strength and hope. Instead of feeling alone, they experience a powerful connection with others whether they’re on the same path or not. They can develop a sense of accountability to each other, which helps them collectively stick to their goals.

Hard Wired to Help 

Clinical research supports that healing benefits occur within the cooperative dynamic between the person providing help and the person receiving help. Dr. Sara Konrath, a faculty member of the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan, writes, “Social connections can be good for us. We are hard-wired for face-to-face contact, which includes a lot of eye contact, touch, and smiles. Such interactions release a hormone called oxytocin, which helps us to bond and care for others, and helps us to handle stress better.”

Experience the healing power of community during an extended stay at OHI San Diego or OHI Austin. Visit our website at www.optimumhealth.org, and call us at (800) 588-0809 to make your reservation.