The Mountain and the Cirque Lodge Helicopter
Today the Cirque Lodge helicopter was used as a part of the experiential program. The weather was nice and it was ideal for taking residents on a private flight. The helicopter flight is a unique piece to alcohol and drug rehab at Cirque Lodge. Residents who are working on their 3rd step of recovery are given a chance to take a trip into the mountains within this luxury flying machine. Nature and the beautiful landscape are seen from an entirely different point of view.
The 3rd step focuses on turning one’s will over to a higher power. At Cirque, the mountain is used as a safe haven for making connection to a power greater than one’s own. The Cirque helicopter lands upon a remote ridge in the mountains and residents are given some time to themselves for meditation and spiritual connections. It can be quite the process to turn a will over to a higher power. One can need spiritual experiences and an internal change to accomplish such a thing. At Cirque Lodge, activities like the helicopter flights and excursions into the mountains strive to provide such experiences.
A top this mountain peak, residents are encouraged to leave a promise or message. They take markers and pens and leave these promises on the stones of the mountain. In the beginning the stones were piled into a small cairn. With the expansion and growth of the Cirque drug rehab program, the stone cairn of promises has become quite the impressive mound. Some leave messages of hope for themselves, their higher power or a loved one. Some are humorous, some are serious, but all have intended messages of recovery. It is the combination of these unique things with the traditional parts of addiction treatment that makes the Cirque such an engaging recovery program.
