Our Commitment to Creating Sustainable Sanctuary
HONOR THE COMMUNITY
In creating the sanctuary and facilities at Nourish Wellness, our core value of ahimsa (non-harming) was placed paramount in every building material decision. Our choice to honor the health and history of our community and protect our environment have been in mind at every step of the way. To do this, we have used the LEED-rating system, to guide the construction, operation, and maintenance of Nourish Wellness, utilizing local and recycled materials wherever possible and taking care that all paints and new materials release no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) to protect the interior air quality of our space for our community and patients.
HONOR THE HISTORY
The sanctuary building was built in 1925 and for many generations, operated as a place of worship, as a Jewish synagogue, a Lutheran church, and important community center. We honor the history of these many years of devotional practice by placing the ancient and universal image of the Hamsa at the altar of the sanctuary room, which will be used for yoga practice and community workshops. The Hamsa is a symbol honored by Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist communities. It represents Divine protection and is believed to bring good health and abundance.
HONOR THE LAND
Our organic kitchen garden has been created using sustainable, local materials, non-gmo seeds and plants, and 24,000 pounds of Indiana organic soil and compost. Our intention for the garden is to emphasize the importance of mindfulness in our food cultivation and nutrition choices to protect the health of our communities and our Earth. Indiana has rich agriculture and depth of wisdom regarding cultivation. In recent generations, the development of commercial farming dependent on agrochemicals has caused harm to our land, our waterways, and the health of our community. We wish to demonstrate how our daily food choices can impact our health and our communities in a positive way. The Nourish Garden will serve as a space of beauty and inspiration for meditation and contemplation, as well as a classroom to support our mindful nutrition workshops and classes.