Last Sunday, the Urban Zen Center offered “A Day of Wellness in Support of Africa,” infused with the spirit of Kageno, which means “a place of hope.” Kageno is the name of the unique organization that benefited from the event, using this crucial support to offer hope to Kenyans and Rwandans, struggling to build lives of dignity and sustainability in the wake of their countries’ AIDS crises. The day’s proceeds will benefit Kageno health and educational programs that serve over 11,000 villagers.

Urban Zen Foundation Director, Joanne Heyman, spoke to one hundred thirty yoga garbed participants, ready for a day of healing, learning, and yoga. Springtime shone forth on the sunny day for this gathering on the beautiful outdoor deck outside the Urban Zen loft space.

“Urban Zen is first and foremost about promoting healing,” Joanne said. “Whether it’s individual, familial, communal, societal, or global—or all of them, that’s what we’re about. So we couldn’t have a better match than Kageno.”

Kageno founder Dr. Frank Andolino told the group that Kageno’s four main areas of activity are education, health, income generation, and sustainability, sharing a delightful story of how all key areas intertwine in even the simplest aspect of their program.

In the small school they support, they have hired three HIV-positive women to prepare and serve the children a porridge, which is cooked on a fire fueled by brickets that community members make from recycled garbage. The brickets are sustainable, provide income to the villagers who make them, and are used to prepare healthy food in the school. The women are provided both income and health support, while serving the school children. Kageno’s natural ecology resonates with its community, and was inspired in part by the Partners in Health (PIH) model which was developed in Haiti by Paul Farmer, who serves on the Kageno Board.

During the day long UZ event, participants could self-select from among several concurrent healing options, available throughout the day. There was a lecture on cleansing, by leading doctor, Alejandro Junger, MD, whose book Cleanse became a bestseller after his book launch party at Urban Zen nearly a year ago. Anusara Yoga teacher, Jordan Mallah, led enthusiastic yogis and yoginis in a vigorous yet relaxing class. Recent graduates of the Urban Zen Integrative Therapist’s program (UZIT) offered yoga therapy, massage, and Reiki sessions which featured Young Living essential oils.

I experienced first hand the UZIT Reiki-oils session, which was totally restorative and relaxing. I was also fascinated by Dr. Junger’s presentation, because it’s so rare for a conventionally trained physician to champion detox. Having enjoyed a healthy lifestyle growing up in Uruguay, Dr. Junger attended medical school in the U.S. where he developed standard American nutritional and lifestyle habits, that ultimately caused his health to seriously decline. He inadvertently discovered the virtues of cleansing practices which allowed him to recover his own health, and subsequently, used them to support many of his clients in healing from a wide range of illnesses.

Cleansing is a vital, but often overlooked aspect of health care, especially now that research has revealed that 95% of all Americans carry toxins from chemicals, industry, products, and the environment, which researchers link to rising rates of everything from obesity to cancer. For the first time in 34 years, Congress is looking at governmental regulations that have proved inadequate to assure chemical safety—a great opportunity to limit the chemicals we need to detoxify, and give ourselves a real chance to heal.

For health insight and links to crucial health actions, you’re invited to sign up at: www.HealthJournalist.com

As health care reform staggers along in the political realm, let’s feel grateful to those who don’t hesitate to stand up for the health of our children. With actions that speak louder than the words of a partisan political debate, two organizations, HealthCorps, launched by Mehmet Oz, MD and his wife, Lisa Oz, and Urban Zen, the foundation launched by Donna Karan, joined forces to share creative solutions for children’s health concerns. Since 2007, Urban Zen’s Health and Wellbeing Initiative has offered an ongoing series of public forums on wellness and nutrition for health, while HealthCorps’ school-based program has expanded nationwide to empower young people to become agents for healthy change.

A Weekend of Inspiration

The minute I heard of the Women in the World Conference, I wanted to be there. All my senses and emotions were evoked - from the heart to the mind.

I love seeing women supporting women. And these women, from a global perspective, are outstanding. It is impossible to acknowledge all of them, but if I could highlight just a few:

* Tina Brown - Journalist, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Daily Beast. She moderated a discussion on human trafficking, the world's third largest black market.

* Diane Sawyer - Journalist, ABC News Anchor, moderated a discussion on what it takes to undo misogynistic traditions in culture.

* Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan - UNICEF advocate, spoke on the urgent need to keep girls around the world in school and help them avoid early marriage and HIV-infection.

* Edna Adan Ismail - Maternal and Child Health Care Activist and

Former Foreign Affairs Minister of Somaliland, shared about her community hospital in Somalia.

Hearing these stories from a global perspective, and issues that we should truly all talk about, was a reminder to continue to find solutions. We at Urban Zen practice this on a day-to-day basis.

Please go to the Women in the World Website and enjoy what I enjoyed. It was an honor to witness the conference. The selection of minds, the intellectual approaches and the creativity of these people were an inspiration, and it would be a joy to return next year.

CONNECT

Women in the World

www.thedailybeast.com/newsmaker/women-in-the-world

Feb. 26 to 27, 2010

The last weekend of February brought together a group of UZITS at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium, which included many of our curriculum's guest speakers including Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Woodson Merrell. For two days, the Urban Zen Integrative Therapy booth welcomed more than 200 symposium guests as they experienced the calming influence of Reiki and essential oil therapy in the midst of lectures, homeopathic supplements and other alternative treatments. Our visitors agreed that their brief experience with the therapies our UZITS offered was not only restorative but a vital path to the future of integrative healthcare.

CONNECT

Integrative Healthcare Symposium
www.ihsymposium.com

Urban Zen Furniture Collection

The first time I went to Bali, I instantly and passionately fell in love. With the lush countryside, of course. But the furniture also captured my heart – and my imagination. Here was style, strong, simple and authentic. The teak did the talking, the artisan hand did the sculpting. I wanted to live this way in every room, in every home, be it city, beach, Parrot Cay. I designed pieces to suit my lifestyle. I met with local artisans and detailed modern proportions and the purest, most elemental, yet highly functional shapes. I brought it all home, and now through Urban Zen, I bring it all to you. Entirely handmade, these pieces are the essence of comfort, the contrast of strong lines and soft pillows. Elemental, timeless, sophisticated, luxurious, they work with any décor or sensibility. There’s a variety of colors/stains, be it natural, aged, golden honey, brown or black lacquer. You’ll love how the pieces entertain, and how they sleep. You’ll love how they seduce your imagination, taking you around the world, while being completely and sensually at home.

Now the journey begins. It is truly a pleasure and honor to be partnering with ABC Home and my dear friend Paulette Cole, to bring you this collection. What a beautiful environment to show something that is so exciting and close to my heart. Two hearts, two visions. Please enjoy.