Michelle Benjamin, Stillpoint
by LARISSA BUIJS
In the midst of chaos, there is beauty. Few have experienced this as profoundly as Michelle Benjamin, who has endured “multiple near-death experiences” and lived with chronic pain that, until five or six years ago, severely compromised her faculties. What turned the ship? Determination, kinship with animals, and a persisting sense of appreciation for beautiful things.
“Human beings need beauty; it’s part of our nature,” says Benjamin. “It is very clear to me that the experience of pain has a tendency to compromise a person’s sense of identity. To be able to appreciate beautiful things and cultivate beautiful relationships with people and animals is key to recovery.”
With this knowledge, Benjamin and husband Dr. Greg Blaney began the Stillpoint Centre for the Healing Arts (now known simply as Stillpoint). Based on the osteopathic principle that the body has the ability to heal itself, the centre helps patients manage chronic pain. Central to the practice is a gallery in which waiting patients can appreciate a variety of art.
Today, however, you can find Benjamin with a few of her favourite friends at her in-home avian retirement sanctuary, It’s For The Birds. Here, Benjamin leads her popular parrot parties and, soon, workshops on building stronger connections with animals. All in the name of good health.
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