March 2000 

Blue Ridge Mountains Offer Health and Enlightenment

by Rolf Erickson 

The January 2000 issue of Town and Country magazine featured an article on the new direction that spas and health centers are taking in the 21st century. Prominent on its list of the top five spas leading the charge was The Raj, located in Fairfield, Iowa.

A full-page write-up on The Raj noted "…visiting The Raj means getting back to basics: quiet surroundings; simple food; soft voices; gentle hands." It also declared: "You Must Meet: Rogers and Candace Badgett, and Candace’s equally charming sister, Lindsey Oliver."

Based on their success in Iowa, the Badgetts are now thinking bigger and aiming higher—specifically at the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. In January, during meetings with Maharishi in Holland, they founded The Heavenly Mountain Clinic at The Spiritual Center of America.

The Badgetts plan to open this spring with 50 guestrooms in brand new hotel buildings offering beautiful mountain vistas. Later they’ll expand to 200 rooms, including 20 large houses with lovely forest views. Eventually, only electric cars will be allowed on the property, to eliminate pollution and uphold the sanctity of the place.

A Gift from Nature
For the past year, Rogers and Candace had been searching from California to New York for suitable land to build a new health center. Suddenly, everything fell into place. "This property is a gift from Nature," says Rogers. "It’s a blessing to have these rooms immediately available."

"We’ll provide all 40 aspects of Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health," adds Candace. "There will be a big emphasis on Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology. The whole goal will be to give quick relief in the first few days, and then offer programs to stabilize those quick results so the relief will be thorough and long-lasting."

Since all the programs offered are Vedic, the focus will be on enlivening the inner intelligence of the body. Clinic programs will include Vedic recitations to address specific health concerns, one of the practical applications of the discovery by Professor Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D. of Veda and the Vedic Literature in human physiology.

The Right Time and Place
Four factors contributed to the decision to create a large clinic at The Maharishi Spiritual Center of America. First, The Raj and other clinics have shown that Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health programs are effective, and that we have the ability to offer these programs in a first-class setting with first-class service. "We’ve witnessed so much success at The Raj with Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health," Rogers says. "Now we’re very excited to offer it on a larger scale."

Second, there are new buildings available right now with proper Vastu, proper placement and design. "Vast will give help physiologically and psychologically to those who come here," says Candace. "We’ve seen this influence so many times at The Raj."

A third point is that there is a great demand in society for natural health care. Maharishi’s programs have become quite mainstream today, as evidenced by the article in Town and Country. This makes it very timely to create a large clinic along the lines of the Mayo Clinic, but one which offers a natural approach to both prevention and cure.

Finally, there is currently a relaxing of the laws regulating natural health care in response to the growing demand for alternatives to modern medicine. And in the near future, insurance companies may start to cover Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health programs.

Perfect Health for Enlightenment
The Badgetts report that Maharishi has expressed great enthusiasm for the new clinic. Rogers comments, "Maharishi’s whole life has been devoted to eliminating suffering and bringing enlightenment. He is concerned with the health of everyone. He really wants to eradicate sickness and bring perfect health to the world."

Although there will be a strong focus on bringing relief to those with chronic disorders, The Heavenly Mountain Clinic will also offer in-residence programs for prevention, as well as the profound Spiritual Development program for those who are healthy. In fact, these two goals are intimately related. The Badgetts say that the theme for the new clinic can be summed up in this one phrase: "Perfect health for enlightenment, and enlightenment for perfect health."

Rolf Erickson is editor of Enlightenment magazine

For information or to make a reservation at The Heavenly Mountain Clinic, call toll-free 1-877-890-8600.