Dixon is a small Northern New Mexico artist colony, located in the picturesque Embudo Valley, which boasts a beautiful river with a strong and agriculturally active acequia (irrigation waterway) system. A number of local Churches and a hand-full of non-profit organizations, help to support and strengthen the Dixon community and it’s surrounding areas. Some of the local non-profits include the Dixon Arts Association, the Embudo Valley Library, Dixon CO-OP Market and Dixon’s own short wave radio station. All this plus the community’s art galleries and bed & breakfasts make Dixon home to long-time residents, a destination for weekend getaways and a new home for those looking for a simpler way of life.
The Dixon community’s intent to create non-profit health based organizations has been long-standing throughout the years. Many groups and individuals have cultivated ideas ranging from Healing Spas, Retirement Homes, Spiritual Retreats and HMO based organizations. A few years ago the vision of a Non-Profit Holistic Health Center began to solidify for the group of us, who have coalesced our like-minded visions into what has unified to become ‘The Carnelian Center’. Our goal is to finally bring the Dixon community’s long-time dream of affordable, holistic health care, to fruition.
The Carnelian Center will be a financially and environmentally self-sustaining, non-profit health care center with healing pools, whose function and intent is to cultivate self-awareness of body, mind and spirit. We will offer, both holistic and traditional western healthcare services, therapeutic movement and spiritual growth courses to the local community as well to visiting tourists.
The holistic health-care spectrum will include cultural and self-development education, including movement classes such as dance, yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, and other health-focused movement. The facility will offer a full range of treatments such as massage therapy, chiropractic treatments, and acupuncture, and will serve as a nexus for health-centered educations such as preservation of locally grown foods, herb walks, nutrition, cooking, gardening, counseling groups, and literary & visual art education. Western medical services will add desirable independence to this rural community. Housing different approaches to health under one roof will allow for valuable cross-referencing and give preventative health care access to all community members. Collaborations with public-health nurses, nurse educators, nurse practitioners and medical doctors will be of great benefit.
Patrons and practitioners will enter a space that is elegant, comfortable and welcoming to all. There will be a shop abreast the waiting area where clients may purchase locally crafted items or browse a library of health-related, self- help, and cultural or artistically inspiring literature.
Within ten-years, the Carnelian Center will include at least one hot pool, a cooler pool for treatments and an exercise pool. Classes in dance, yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, strengthening, personal training and other health-focused movement will be offered in a spacious room that could also house weekend (and longer) intensive workshops.
In the interests of helping to ensure financial and ecological sustainability, we will incorporate all appropriate alternative energy solutions in the initial construction of both the Center and pools. The Carnelian Center will utilize gray water systems where admissible, passive solar architecture and alternative energy support. Although the initial cost of alternative energy is greater, it will help to reduce long-term operating costs. The grounds will contain places of sanctuary with edible landscaping nourished by gray water wherever legally advisable. A state-of-the-art water treatment system will be installed and utilized for maximum therapeutic and ecological benefit of water resources.
The Carnelian Center will provide both full and part-time employment to a number of local residents, including cleaning, pool maintenance, ground keeping staff and office personnel. Workshop participants will be housed in local bed and breakfasts. When needed, local businesses could cater to the culinary needs of both workshop participants and instructors. All of these economic opportunities created by the active presence of the Carnelian Center, will bring a welcome financial boon to the local community.
The income of the organization will derive from membership fees and day passes offered to the public, as well as from rental fees garnered via independent contractors (e.g.: practitioners & teachers). Additional sources of income will be cultivated via various holistic health workshops and classes, with portions of the proceeds going to the coordinator and to facility maintenance.
Proceeds and grant monies will provide financial assistance for services to residents within the area. (We will employ the services of at least one full-time grant writer for this purpose). The Carnelian Center Board of Directors will oversee and exercise control over which individuals and/or groups have access to Carnelian Center assistance funds. Given the substantial need in our community for health-care, and health related education that encompasses integrative perspectives, The Carnelian Center will offer certain subsidized services for qualifying low-income clients. It is our belief that alternative healing modalities should not be limited to the wealthy. Contractors offering these services through our programs will be re-reimbursed by the Center’s scholarship monies as well as specifically appropriated grants.
The Carnelian Center is a non-profit corporation, run by a five-member Board that will act as a nexus for referrals and idea exchange. We will provide local practitioners with an established place of business and affordable workspace, offer greatly needed financial assistance to the community’s local clients, and provide a Center within which local practitioners and educators are able to work within their own community, rather than having to make long journeys to the nearest towns and cities such as Taos, Espanola and Santa Fe.
Our plan is to create a holistic health center that both caters to and employs our local community. We are driven, and feel that it is due time for a center of this nature to come into fruition and to serve as a greatly needed asset to Dixon’s beautiful community.