Open days to learn more about alternative therapies

Melissa Toleman set up The Alternative Healthcare Centre in Haywards Heath to combine Eastern and Western natural therapies after the experience of these treatments during her son’s illness. It specialises in Ayurvedic medicine, a form of ancient Indian alternative therapy. As part of their plans to reach more people staff at the centre are running events to get people involved in trying what is on offer. The first one takes place on March 24, with a ‘Yoga for Sportsmen’ session which will allow members of the Newick first Cricket Team to have a private Yoga session with the centre’s resident Yoga Master, Shine. Plans are also in the pipeline for open days so that people who are curious about alternative therapies will be able to see what is going on at the centre. Last month, the centre ran a community detox in order for people to cleanse their bodies after the Christmas period. It was so successful for some of the participants – one person lost a stone over the month – that they will be running this again in future months. Melissa is ‘dedicated and passionate about helping as many people as possible’ following her son Louie’s diagnosis of Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in 2013. After being told in England that there was zero chance of recovery for the then nine-year-old Louie, the decision was made to travel to India to try Ayurvedic medicine. A programme of treatment was designed for Louie to follow and three months after beginning this he was completely symptom free and has not experienced any symptoms for over four years since, Melissa says. This journey into Ayurvedic medicine is what inspired the opening of The Alternative Healthcare Centre and began Melissa’s campaign to get Ayurveda into the mainstream healthcare system. She said she believes this would help to improve the ‘health of thousands of lives’ and reduce some of the strain that the NHS is currently experiencing from autoimmune diseases which could be treated using traditional Ayurveda methods. The latest development for the centre has been to start the process of setting up a charity. The aim of the Alternative Healthcare Charity will be to help people who are unwell and cannot afford to access the treatment provided at the Alternative Healthcare Centre. This will mean that more people will be able to experience the ‘comprehensive approach to healing’ offered by the business. The vision for this healthcare solution is to build the community with healthcare at heart, using personalised treatment plans combining multiple alternative treatments with Yoga therapy. They want people to be aware of the healing power of Ayurveda and be more conscious of their own health choices. There are currently roadworks on the road leading to the Alternative Healthcare Centre, but it is open as usual.