Vidia Doodnath

Health and wellness is the theme of this generation, and women are more aware of the importance of taking care of themselves, and not just physically. It’s all about taking care of the mind, body and soul.

Vidia Doodnath is dedicated to her own health and wellness and the peace of mind she found with it. This her motivation for founding the Restore Health and Wellness Centre, a one-stop facility in Valsayn that offers a variety of wellness services for the mind and body.

“After retirement, I started thinking ‘what’s next?’ I started thinking about what I can do to keep my mind and body together and I thought about wellness,” the retired business executive told WMN.

After doing some research she discovered there were no facilities in east, Trinidad that offered a complete package of health and wellness services under one roof. On property she owned, Doodnath decided to build the physical structure for the centre, contacted professionals in the medical and fitness field and put together the team which now operates out of the facility.

Doodnath, the general manager, explained that the centre focuses on two aspects of health and wellness: physical fitness and mental and medical well-being. It offers life coaching and psychological services, kickboxing, yoga, Tai chi and Thai yoga massages, belly dancing, and there are plans to introduce reiki later this year. There is also a medical GP and an aesthetic dermatologist on board.

The key, she said, was finding a team of people just as committed to the programme as she was. “I was lucky that I was able to find the right people.” She said everyone is certified in their respective field and dedicated to the idea of a holistic and reasonably priced approach to healthy living. “The idea is to feel well and look well”.

Restore Health and Wellness Centre only opened in January, but Doodnath said it is doing well. She said that her coordinating and administrative skills brought from her pre-retirement work are put to good use on a daily basis in running the centre. And her dedication to the project has also inspired her to take courses in natural remedies, something that many people opt for over traditional medicine.

However, she said although she is intrigued by the idea, it is not something she plans to introduce to the centre because she does not know enough about it and would not provide a service about which she is not educated.

When asked how she feels about the importance of mental health, Doodnath said the centre’s psychologist, provides therapy for individuals, couples, families or groups. She feels it is important to discuss mental health in the work place, and is currently in negotiations with companies to introduce psychological services to staff.