Collins dictionary definition of holistic: considering the complete person or animal, physically and mentally in the treatment of an illness.
Our staff assure you of a friendly welcome and first class care for your pets at the Croft Veterinary Clinic
You will always receive a warm welcome at Reception!
At the Croft we have modern well-equipped operating theatres and consulting rooms
At the Croft we have a wide variety of high quality Food and goodies for your pets
Dom John Main - the founder of the modern Christian Meditation movement. John Main rediscovered the authentic practice of mantra-based christian meditation by studying the ancient works of John Cassian.
Visit - the World Community for Christian Meditation website.
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Bere Island: The birth place of Laurence Freeman's mother and a place to which he has returned from time to time for periods of prayer and solitude. In his book “Jesus, the Teacher Within”, Laurence uses his rediscovery of the island as an allegory of the search for personal identity and the gradual separation of reality and illusion we all need to make in order to grow spiritually.
Hove: scenes from the sea front.
Laurence Freeman: a Benedictine monk and priest of the Congregation of Monte Oliveto, and director of WCCM. He is also the founder and director of the John Main Center for Meditation and Inter-religious Dialogue at Georgetown University, and author of many books and articles for the Tablet particularly, and a member of the Board of Medio Media.
Central London, viewed from Greenwich Observatory. Can there be space for quiet contemplation in a city like this? Well yes actually! Saint Marks Church in Islington, hosts the London Christian Meditation Centre. Cockfosters Retreat Centre also offers a range of meditation retreats throughout the year, and further meditation events take place at St Peter’s Centre for Meditation and Peace, at Vauxhall, and at Westminster Cathedral
Views, from Loweswater Village Hall. Usually, once a year in the summer, the Cumbrian Christian Meditation group meet here. The hall provides one of the most panoramic views in the Lake District looking up the valley that holds Crummock Water and Buttermere, to Great Gable, which is wreathed in cloud on this occasion.
The Newsletter is released quarterly and is the main source of information for many many members of the Community. In it you will find sections covering news of the Community's leaders, forthcoming retreats and events and a message from Father Laurence Freeman. Contact Saint Mark's Church if you want to receive it. There are details at the foot of this webpage.
North Staffordshire includes the City of Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme and their surrounding areas. There are currently three groups in the area: May Bank (Newcastle), Longton (Stoke) and Stone.
Benedictines: John Main, the founder of the World Community for Christian Meditation, and Laurence Freeman, the Community's current leader; a sketch of the Christian Meditation Retreat Centre at Cockfosters and one of the corridors at the monastery of Monte Oliveto.
The Open Gate: a retreat house run by the Community of Aidan and Hilda on Lindisfarne, Northumberland. Courses and retreats on many aspects of christian spirituality are provided each year.
Oxford: Britain's oldest university town.
Portsmouth Catholic Cathedral was built in 1882 and is situated close to the City centre and the home of the Royal Navy.
Waterfall, in the grounds of Rydal Hall, near Ambleside. Meetings organised by the Cumbrian Christian Meditation group often take place here. The mountains of the Lake District make an inspiring backdrop to the grounds of the hall and remind us that although the path of meditation can sometimes appear rather steep and craggy, there is a way to the summit.
Autumn Colours, in the grounds of Rydal Hall, near Ambleside. Meetings organised by the Cumbrian Christian Meditation group often take place here. The mountains of the Lake District make an inspiring backdrop to the grounds of the hall and remind us that although the path of meditation can sometimes appear rather steep and craggy, there is a way to the summit.
Shrewsbury: typical half timbered houses in the town and plate glass windows in the cathedral
Lindisfarne Slakes, in the fading light of a late February afternoon. The tranquility of the sea and sky on this day, might remind us of our quest for tranquility of mind and spirit during meditation.
Staffordshire Moorlands at the southwestern end of the Pennines, provides an opportunity for solitude. The Staffordshire Peak District is distinctly quieter than its more famous Derbyshire neighbour!
Painted Ceiling, in one of the corridors of the Vatican Museum, leading to the Sistine Chapel.
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Our Ethos
Being kind to the environment
At the Croft we approach pet wellbeing and health care from a holistic point of view. This means that we have looked at how we
do things at the clinic and the impact it has on you as owners, your pets and inevitably on the environment.
We stock a full range of Arden Grange pet foods
The first step some years ago was the choice of life-stage diets we stock at the clinic. Arden
Grange foods have been formulated to include only ingredients which are beneficial to the body and so promote
health and wellbeing from inside out. The components of the food are readily used by the body with less waste
being produced. The food has a 110% guarantee. The range has increased over the years and treats and wet food
have also been added. You can visit the Arden Grange website here.
There are some things we have no choice over as our industry is regulated by laws and legal requirements
but as far as possible we try to minimise the impact our services have on the environment. In doing so it, in
turn, has an impact on you and your pets when you visit the clinic.
Simple things like changing from plug in air fresheners to ones made from essential oils. When
looking for the safety data on the plug ins we found that research has shown that they have a detrimental effect
on people but even more so on animals as they are situated at an animal’s level. They can contribute to depression
and migraine, irritability and respiratory problems. It also reduces our carbon footprint by using, if only
slightly, less electricity.
We use energy saver bulbs including the tubes and have the ones which emulate daylight again to
stay close to natural light and save energy.
We have recently changed to Ecover products for the general cleaning adding in the regulatory ones
for infection control where indicated. These products contain plant based ingredients to do the work and have
less or no harmful ingredients. You can visit the Ecover website here.
Updated 12/11/2009
