mental health

Whether you feel you are mentally healthy but you’d like to get rid of certain undesirable feelings and cultivate more desirable ones, or if you believe you may have mental health issues that you are seeking to heal, such as depression, mood swings, anxiety, sadness, anger, shame, guilt, etc., we are here for you. In all instances we believe we have created the perfect atmosphere for whatever you hope to achieve.

We offer solid and trustworthy support, but in a very different way than one normally finds in other programs. The best way to describe our way is that we don’t try to control the process, rather we let it unfold naturally. We start with the premise that there is no right, wrong or normal (though there is pain), but an opportunity to understand and learn from our feelings, and not judge them. All emotions are welcomed - the painful and the enjoyable ones - and all are valid. In fact, they are our best teachers.

We allow you the space to express freely (should you wish to), and support you as you grow into the person you long to be (should there be one, and should that be your interest). We do this through combining -

• lots of listening and talking and learning,

• meditation, contemplation and breathing,

• healthy exercise and yoga,

• the healthiest vegan, body and mind diet,

• chemical free, 100% outdoor venue,

• the ultimate airy, safe and cozy sleep situation,

• nature, beaches, mountains, temples, cafes, forests, village life...

Check out the Raising a Black Dog, a new book by Monet Tiran about healing from depression

and these three are one

We believe that physical, mental and spiritual health are all related, and that’s why we work on all three, or at least acknowledge that in the world people talk about mind, body and soul, and create specific methods for taking care of each of them. We will not only focus on your mental health quest, but also ensure your spiritual journey is combined with a physical one.

Our experience is that mental health can be continually improved by healthy living habits, something that is being more and more acknowledged in the world of science and medicine, though there is still a long way to go. Take dairy as one example. Dairy is known to cause respiratory problems such as asthma in many people. If one can’t breath properly, stress hormones increase, and sensitivities with it. Normal life issues can then become full on nightmares. Add to this what’s known about volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in our homes and work spaces, and all the other toxins we breathe, and you see how easy it can be to find solutions.

fresh air, sleep and care

If we are known for anything it would be that we are the first to use Mind Detox and that is still our main focus. At O·live we believe that the body needs attention and care, but the mind is what sometimes needs a Boot Camp to figure out what one really wants and not what one has been told to want.

A dialogue on the subject of our minds and our mental health in general is a big part of the program, depending on what you want. Every day, as an integrated part of our meditation program, we review the world of thought and feeling in a set of dialogues that include insights from the scientific and spiritual worlds. We call it our O·live 8 (O8) Mind Detox Dialogues, with them you’ll understand why we think the way we think.

the O·live 8

1. Properties, not principles (is there a right or wrong in the universe?)

2. You are a process (how do we find the true us in time and space?)

3. Body chemistry is boss (how much of my feeling is physical matter?)

4. Humans are just another species (what does it mean to be a living creature?)

5. Words are like maps (who are we outside of the language we use to talk about ourselves?)

6. Become better than "God" (what do religions expect from us, authority?)

7. Imagination is the first solution (are health and creativity correlated, and what can I do to heal?)

8. Have faith, everything's going to be ok (the power to believe, or not to believe)

meditation - find the center

It is said that meditation is one of the most powerful ways to become healthy, and we agree. Meditation boosts our immune systems, raises our energy levels, alleviates or eliminates anxiety and depression, raises our sense of self esteem, helps us make decisions, lowers inflammation, brings awareness, peace and tranquility, rejuvenates, boosts creativity – and more! We therefore combine meditation with a fresh look at ourselves in light of modern research, and roll this all up into a creative lifestyle with the best vegan diet, gentle yoga, healthy exercise, beauti(ful) sleep, love and a few other essentials like friends and this and thats. 

In Khao Tao we are in the core of the Theravada Buddists, and enjoy the well known temple and it’s meditation centre. We review various historic forms of meditations and awareness and then quickly jump to the O·m, a more modern and creative practice to get the most of our connection with the universe to support our health. We don’t force anything, especially our minds. We allow them to roam the history of our existences and settle into a peace and acceptance with what the universe has given us.

O·ga - liberate your mind

The Yoga (or stretching if you like) with the O·method. Everyone, advanced or beginner, will learn how to connect to the body and mind, and how to go deep in order to “diagnose” oneself with this unique practice.

Learn how rocking and self-reflexology with specific acupressure points enhances the mental healing process in a natural, healthy way. A flexible and relaxed body and mind is more likely to be a happy body and mind. We teach the ancient teachings of Yoga, the Ashtangas, or the 8 limbs of Yoga, which tells us how Yoga is as much a mental exercise as a physical one. This is when students finally 'get it' and love it. The body and mind and spirit become one - they feel it. No competition, no struggle, just the experience of being a living organism in the flow.

Every morning we start the day with a sunrise yO·ga at the beach, or in the canopy of trees on our own O·shala. We adapt to your needs, flexibility and strength. All levels of experience are welcome - from beginners to intermediate and even the most advanced. All sessions are followed by breathing exercises, or Pranayamas, and meditation or relaxation. Extra afternoon sessions are offered for those who wish.

O·foodies - the bottom line

Food is very important not only for physical health, but also for mental health. A quick review of the health conditions in developed countries with poor diets will reveal how terrible we feel when we eat poorly and are physically sick. At O·live we make and serve a delicious, homemade, nutrient-packed, all vegan diet as nature produced it (non refined) without sugar, gluten, yeast, etc. Why only plants? Because the data is clear that it's simply the best food for every part of you. You won't be hungry, tired or sluggish, the contrary. We teach you to read your own nature, your body, to restore and maximize your health on all levels. You will be delighted by our colorful food, we promise. Read what the media says.

Once upon a time we hosted a food critic for The Independent who specializes in French food and wine. She said that her week with us was “the best food week of my life.” In another case, the most successful restaurateur in Ireland said, and still says, our food is “the best I’ve ever had, like.”

exercise - sweat and forget

Exercise is an essential part of being mentally and physically healthy. Not only to lose weight. You have probably heard of the dopamine effect and the happy hormones, but it also strengthens the muscles and as such detoxes us through the lymphatic system. It helps your heart pump oxygen and clear your respiratory system. Even the microbiome and the gut love exercise, and the skin the sweating. The liver is helped and the bones get stronger and the liquid in the joints returns. . . we could go on forever on why O·exercise - a gentle caring practice - of anaerobic and aerobic exercise ultimately increases the likelihood of being happier and healthier, living longer, and leads to greater peace of mind now.

This doesn’t imply breaking any endurance records (not so healthy as many think), however. We integrate exercise in all we do so that you won't even notice that you have done it. We bike to the pueblo to get tomatoes, we hike up the mountain for a sunset meditation, we explore the temple on the hill, or you might like shopping at the evening market, run at the beach, or swim after the morning yoga. Whatever you like is what you are going to keep doing back home.

daily schedule

You don't have to do anything, it’s all optional but preferable. If you come to relax and sleep that's what you need. 

07:00 Yoga/healthy stretching to get your detox going, after we do Pranayamas & Meditation.
08:00 Breakfast; a protein boost for the hungry, a pleasure for the body and the mind.
10:00 Body (& Mind) Health Dialogue/Class; to make friends with your body.
13:00 Lunch; from nature to nurture with all the spectra of light from the source.  
14:00 – 17:00 Free time/massages/cooking classes/one-to-ones/walks & hikes/special activities/etc.
17:00 Mind (& Body) Health Dialogue/Class to figure things out.
18:00 Exercise; to fill you with the mountains, the animals, the forests, and astonishing views.
19:30 Dinner; to calm our senses and prepare for the beauty(full) sleep.
21.00 Evening activity; we just hang out, see a movie or go for a guided tour into the subconscious. 

Timing is loose and weather dependent. 

Sunset at the beautiful beach Sai Noi, just a skip through the forest from us. Here is where we sometimes do yoga, swim, meditate, walk, our just hang out. Climb the rocks and go through the temple and you get to the larger beach in Khao Tao. Both are amazingly free, clean and perfect for contemplation.