Type I Diabetes (Pancreatitis), Anxiety, Alcohol Addiction

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What I Learned:

My deepest pain comes from my relationship with my wife. My perfectionism, low self esteem, need for others’ approval, and my guilt over my son, proved less painful than my dysfunctional marriage and the desire for a perfect romantic love. Here, I learned how unhealthy that relationship was, and also how unrealistic the idea of perfect romantic love is. I learned that I am all I need, that I can be alone with myself and at peace, that I don’t need another to complete me.

I have spent years analyzing, journaling and talking about my precise issues, but never reduced the pain in my heart or the warring voices in my head. I used to argue with my false beliefs all day long, and then feel fatigued, depressed and like a failure at the end of the day. At the Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center, I learned not to fight, instead to detach from those thoughts, either by becoming mindful and concentrating on a flower or my breathing, by simply watching the thoughts and being detached from them, or by recognizing that they are all a part of the agreements imposed on me when I was young and that I need not acknowledge them today. I let things go. I don’t resist reality. I accept whatever is.

Mindfulness

Natural food satisfies my body unlike the empty calories of processed food. The empty calories made me alternatively sluggish and buzzy, up and down, and helped fuel the confusion of voices in my head. A mostly raw food diet using organic ingredients will keep me calmer. I really don’t need coffee….

My body is full of toxins and heavy metals from years of processed food and working on boats, etc. Cadmium can cause kidney dysfunction. Mercury is linked to anxiety, sleeplessness and depression. Lead and lead encephalopathy are linked to sleeplessness, restlessness and concentration difficulties.

I used to not permit myself to take care of my body properly – it was always a lower priority than work, other peoples’ needs, etc. Here I learned that my body can help me be happy and peaceful, if I honor and care for it. The EFT work showed me that the body has unconscious mechanisms that have eased both physical and emotional pain for me. Listening to my body puts me in touch with the present, and out of my mind. It also tells me what I really need.

Anthony
October 2013

Reconnecting With Self, Finding Purpose

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I came to Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center with the intention to focus on regaining my health and energy, but I have gained so much more than that. Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center is truly a magical place. I have learned so much about myself here. From being healthy and happy to balanced and free. With every ah-ha moment I experienced during my stay I could feel my energy and happiness growing stronger and stronger. I had the opportunity to get to know each person working at the retreat on a one on one basis. Although different in their roles, they are all beautiful people inside and out. All involved in doing amazing things to help others, including myself, find their health and their path in life. At the retreat I not only learned about the importance of nutrition and taking care of my body but I also learned a lot about the real me that was hiding behind my ailments. I feel part of an outstanding group of people whom I now consider to be my Hawaiian Family. Always greeting you with open arms, never judging and wanting to spread positive, healthy and happy energy to everyone they meet. I will always have a part of the Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center family with me everywhere I go. I am eternally grateful for being part of this life changing retreat.

Aloha and Mahalo,
xoxo
Anna
16 April 2013

Detoxification, Raw Food Diet, Parasite Cleanse

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The reason I participated in this venture was initially to tag along with someone else. When I arrived and was asked why I was there, I shared that I had had health issues in the past. These issues were twofold; one from many years prior and only lately realizing that it was probably parasites, and the other more recently being the result of a drug that I was prompted to take for prevention of another health issue. That drug that did not agree with me at all and caused more health issues until I stopped taking it and did a cleanse, which made me feel much better.

The protocol I was on at the retreat involved detoxification and a parasite cleanse, the result of which I lost a consistent 2 pounds a week and am now over 20 pounds lighter than when I arrived, losing some of the weight that was gained in the parasite years. I eat the same amount of food or more than I ever did and look and feel better and lighter than I have for years. With the raw food idea, I learned to eat totally different and initially spent a lot of time in the kitchen. I had a lot of compliments from friends and family telling me how good my eyes and skin looked and how slim I am, and wanting to know how they can become the same. This is a totally different way of preparing food and I love it and love eating this way.
I would definitely recommend this program to anyone, and two of my neighbors may attend soon.
My physical health is in top form today except for my stomach lately, due to stress as this change has not been embraced by all of my family. Hopefully, this negative attitude will pass and I can get back to feeling at the top of my game.

Love to all who helped me reach this road in my life.
C Gaucher
July 2012

Overweight & Chronic Back Pain

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Chronic Back Pain, Overweight, Low Energy – My 10 Day Detoxification

I was feeling like a low energy slug, overweight and burdened with chronic back pain. I spent thousands of dollars on treatments and supplements which gave me partial and temporary relief over years of efforts. I fasted for 10 days with Maya’s guidance, wisdom and care. My pain steadily decreased. I broke my fast on fresh juices and raw, organic living foods. Both juices and raw foods are still the main stream of my diet and I love it!

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I feel so good that I have become a true believer in the power of living nutrition. My tastes have adjusted to enjoy raw simple foods more than other junk. I have more energy and enthusiasm for exercise and have kept my weight off. I am now 10 pounds lighter, pain free, happier in my body and brimming with vitality. I no longer have body odor and my vision has improved. I am so thankful to Maya for her care and expertise and I strongly recommend fasting with her as it will surely be a very powerful, insightful and rewarding experience for you too.

Ari Vandershoot

November 2003

Weight Loss, Emotional Healing & Water Therapy

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Dear Dr. Baylac,

Thank you so much for your whole-soul approach in helping me physically and emotionally!! What a beautiful expression of love for life and truth you are! Thank you for honesty and your patience with me, I know my path forward now to reclaim my health will be slow, but you’ve given me good guidelines to follow. When you told me my first day here, that you represented my commitment to myself, I felt relief. At last! A doctor whose interest and determination lies not in just making money, but in really taking a patient’s health seriously enough to ponder in depth over the course of action to take, to bring about a healthy body & mind.

Water therapy! …wonderful experience. I felt like a little orbiting sphere at the mercy of nature, but trusting that good would happen! I will work on maintaining the unresisting spirit I felt in my spiritual path and stop focusing on the problems.

Anyway – thanks for everything!
Meg

kapfloat

P.S. The following is how I felt about the water therapy treatment. It is said that touch has an honesty beyond words. I found this to be so true as I experienced the Water Therapy Treatment at the Hawaiian Naturopathic Retreat Center!!

The experience gave me memories I will never forget! Gently swirling in a volcanically warmed pool, framed by softly swaying palm trees, and cooled by the occasional light wave from the ocean, I felt: unresisting, submissive, free of judgment…(no thoughts of fat, thin, good, bad), new, in awe, sense of wonder, innocent, silent communication, raised up…exulted, like a leaf in a gentle current, fragile and at the mercy of nature – yet trusting that good will happen, buoyant, expectant, exciting, surprised, playful, and love.

The Water Therapy Treatment touched me on a physical, emotional and spiritual level!! Thank you Dr. Baylac!! That was a truly wonderful and unforgettable moment!!

Meg
August, 2007

Fasting For Overweight & Severe Arthritis

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Water Fasting & Green Juice Fasting: Arthritis, Swollen Knees, Spinal Cord Injury, Overweight

In 2006, I was overweight and also had arthritis in my knees. My knees were swollen, kept swelling and I was in such pain that I could not walk. I am a health care professional, but didn’t know much about proper foods for health. I was always a conventional eater.

When I met Dr. Baylac, I asked if I could work at her retreat to learn about healthy living. While I was there, I developed an arthritic condition of both knees. I asked Dr. Baylac to help me. First I went on a green juice fast for 25 days. The juice fast went fine. Except for the first 3 days, when I had headaches, due to detoxifying from smoking, eating chocolate, sweets and conventional foods. I was very grumpy those first days. But on the 4th day I was feeling fine.

After 25 days on green juices, my knees were still swollen. Dr. Baylac put me on a water fast. I was very fearful of the water fast and did not really want to do it because I did not want to lose more weight. The weight loss was the side effect of the green juice fast. Anyway, upon Dr. Baylac’s insistence, I started the water fast and was on it for 12 days. During the water fast, I felt good, energetic, the swelling disappeared 90%, and my knees returned to normal. Except for the first few days, I went through the 37 days of first juice fasting and then water fasting without any problem.

After the fast I went on a raw diet. But since Dr. Baylac suspected food allergies, I had to start with one food at a time. The first day I had lettuce, and I broke my fast on lettuce leaves. All went fine. The next day I had lettuce and tomatoes – and this time my legs started swelling, almost immediately after the meal. So, I had a sensitivity to tomatoes, and had to avoid them.

In this way, we went through one food after another, all raw, to weed out the foods I couldn’t eat. Carrots were OK. But one day someone squeezed orange juice on my grated carrots – and my knees started swelling, immediately. I was sensitive to orange. I was OK with lime, lemon and grapefruit. But I had many other food sensitivities.

After one year on vegetarian mostly raw foods, my health is so improved that I do not have any food sensitivities any longer. Today I can eat both tomatoes and citrus, and any other food I earlier was sensitive to.

I also have an old spinal cord injury, which has made my balance unsteady. I often lost my balance and fell, while walking, and I had broken my nose from these falls, on several occasions. Due to my lack of balance I couldn’t climb trees. Would this improve as well? Yes, it improved – especially during the year after the fast. Right after the fast I started exercising. Dr. Baylac gave me simple exercise tasks for my balance and gait that I performed 3 times a day. I also added some exercises that I knew from my professional experience as a rehabilitation specialist. At this point, I had lost more than 40 pounds and it was easier for me to get around. I could start practicing going up and downhill without fear of falling. One year later – my balance has improved so much that I can climb trees. (I climbed a tree last week to pick fruits, a sour sap), and hike without falling. Today, I went on a 4.5 miles hike in the Volcano Park at a fast pace with other experienced hikers. My last fall was about 7 months ago.

Not only did I get well, I also lost 40 lbs during my first month at the retreat. I now feel fantastic, and I do athletic sports, like paddling Hawaiian canoe, a popular team sport here.

Without Dr. Baylac’s knowledge I would have been following the conventional way of treating arthritis with steroid injections and bed rest and gotten worse. Instead, today I am very happy and satisfied with my health.

I am so grateful that I was lucky enough to be on her path, that I continue to help her today in her beautiful magical and compassionate work.

Margo, summer 2007