Healing in Wollongong - the Spectacular Illawarra
Aboriginal Heritage
Wollongong is home to the Dharawal people, one of the oldest Indigenous cultures in Australia. The Dharawal people have a rich spiritual heritage, deeply connected to the land, water, and sky and they believe that everything in the natural world has a spiritual significance, including the stars, the moon, the sun, the rivers, and the mountains. One of the most sacred sites in the Illawarra is Sandon Point, which is about 3 kilometres away - an easy walk along the coast.
The Aboriginal people in the Illawarra and South Coast had specific areas set aside for initiation ceremonies. Sandon Point, in particular, is understood as a highly significant meeting place for Aboriginal people along the east coast of NSW and inland as far as the Blue Mountains. The connection between this land and Aboriginal people is long and ongoing. As a ceremonial site, this area saw exchanges between people from surrounding language groups including Gundungarra and Wiradjuri people travelling to the coast to exchange foods and raw materials, whilst the Dharawal and Awabakal (Central Coast region) shared ceremonies. Both historical accounts and contemporary studies have indicated that Sandon Point was also a burial site and contains high density artefact scatters identified north of Sandon Point, in an undisturbed back dune system. That is to say the area Heart Based Healing Centre is located in has deep ties to indigenous culture.
Buddhist Temple
Twenty minutes' drive south of the Heart Based Healing Centre is the Fo Guang Shan Nan Tien Buddhist Temple (the Southern Heaven Temple). It is the largest Buddhist temple complex in the southern hemisphere and the site twas reputedly chosen due to its proximity to Mount Kembla, which is said to have an auspicious resemblance to a recumbent lion. It overlooks both Mount Keira and Mount Kembla.
From an energy healing perspective, the temple holds great significance. The temple's location, architecture, and spiritual practices were carefully selected and crafted to create an environment that promotes positive energy flow, promotes healing, and helps visitors achieve a state of inner peace. This unique combination of energy healing practices, combined with traditional Buddhist teachings, makes the Nan Tien Temple an ideal place for those seeking to improve their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. A few years I completed a multi-week guided mediation course at the temple and found the experience very profound, both energizing and calming, and inspired me to deepen my meditation practice. We are blessed with so many options for healing in Wollongong.
Indian Temple
Heart Based Healing Centre
Due to our proximity to the beach, and regular rainfall (due to the closeness of the escarpment) our micro-climate is able to support a bit of a tropical oasis – including fruiting banana trees, bamboo, frangipani, jasmine, birds of paradise and bougainvillea. Behind our home is a small stand of Blackbutt eucalyptus trees with many over 20 metres tall growing above a stream which feeds into Collins Creek. The whole space is serene and provides an opportunity to connect with nature, and so is often referred to as spiritual with a very grounding and nurturing feeling. We believe that sitting, preferably barefoot, in the garden is healing in itself - another factor that makes the Heart Based Healing Centre so unique. We hope you can visit soon and experience a Healing in Wollongong for yourself.
