Hearts Opening Together

A Program to Heal and Prevent Heart Disease

When you are diagnosed with heart disease, life as you know it must change. Changing is never easy but taking charge of your health is now critical.

The Program: What is it?

H.O.T is a program designed to improve your health by helping you adopt a healthier way of living. You will discover how diet, exercise habits, stress levels, and underlying attitudes can perpetuate harmful habits and you will stay motivated to be in control of your health. Improving physical health will boost your energy, revive your enthusiasm, and enhance your outlook.

How it Works:

Motivation to move in new directions is generated through a combination of:

• Individual coaching and consultation
• Peer support
• Educational tools and techniques

By attending to multiple aspects of wellness including core issues that make it difficult to change, you will begin to open new doors that facilitate your own path to healing.

The Research: Why it works

This program is based on the scientific research of Dr. Dean Ornish whose proven techniques, outlined in his book Program for Reversing Heart Disease, extended the lives of many. He showed heart disease patients could reverse the effects of the disease when they ate a healthy diet (non-fat vegetarian is what he recommends), performed daily exercise, practiced relaxation, and decreased isolation. These comprehensive lifestyle changes gave them more freedom, energy, and joy to live life.

The Faciliator

Rachel Kelts is a licensed psychotherapist, advanced yoga practitioner, strict vegetarian, and health enthusiast. She strives to live a life in balance and built this program to inspire others do the same. Guided by leading research conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish who proved that when patients made drastic changes in how they lived, they reversed the damage caused by heart disease.

“I was eager to develop a program where people have choices and feel excited to become active participants in their own health care.”

The Support

You can benefit by attending individual and group meetings. According to Dr. Dean Ornish, “Those who participated in the support groups showed the most significant improvement since they were more committed and more likely to try new things”.

The community of support will provide a non-threatening place that will challenge you to face difficult emotional issues, share goals, remove obstacles, celebrate victories, and reach greater levels of intimacy.

Perhaps the most important part of the program involves love and intimacy. Study after study are showing that people who feel lonely and depressed are more likely to get sick and die prematurely than those who have a strong connection, caring, and community. — Dr. Dean Ornish