Supporting Father Rick at NPH Saint Damien’s Hospital, Haiti

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 April 2012 07:12 Written by Urban Zen Tuesday, 24 April 2012 07:02

by Janera Soerel

Father Rick. He is American—from Connecticut, in his 50s, tall, fit, and very handsome, with neatly trimmed hair. Wearing khaki pants, sneakers, a snugly fitting t-shirt with a leather string tied around his neck, from which a wooden cross dangled, he was polite when we were introduced, but his eyes darted away as we shook hands. He was a busy man.

A medical doctor as well as a priest, Father Rick’s career as a humanitarian has taken him to Mexico and Honduras. He has been in Haiti for the past 25 years, working for Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH), an international Christian mission that shelters orphaned, abandoned, and other at-risk children.

The Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) Program is supporting the efforts of Father Rick at NPH Saint Damien’s Hospital, a pediatric facility that treats its young patients without compensation. Teams of UZIT-trained integrative therapists have been traveling to Haiti to provide doctors, nurses, staff and relief workers as well as pediatric patients.

A Gift to the Community

Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 December 2011 05:26 Written by Urban Zen Tuesday, 13 December 2011 05:12

by Luana DeAngelis-Halpern, Founder/President of You Can Thrive!

You Can Thrive! provides a weekly forum for community members to volunteer to help their neighbors with breast cancer receive access to integrative care, “when they need it most and can afford it least”. The Grand Re-opening event on December 4th, 2011 saw a partnering with the Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program. Through this outstanding event, not only did we care for the women in our community undergoing a cancer diagnosis, we cared for the caretakers of these women — because we all know that caretaking is a stressful situation. That day over 80 UZIT and other treatments were offered!

The climate in the waiting room was one of bliss and love. The clients who came for treatment floated out to find a lovely cancer fighting meal, and I heard so many times the statement “I never want to leave”. The UZITs contacted me and remarked how much they enjoyed the experience, and a large percentage of them have expressed a desire to go back on a regular basis to give service. The survivors were full of gratitude and received such amazing benefits from the therapy provided, as did the volunteers; proving that in giving we receive. The holiday community service day is a great opportunity to really get to be a part of something altruistic and rewarding for everyone.

UZIT Program: Yoga Therapy with Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee

Last Updated on Tuesday, 8 November 2011 06:06 Written by Urban Zen Monday, 31 October 2011 06:24

“This weekend is for you to fill up. Nothing is a problem. Don’t be afraid of looking foolish. We welcome your questions. You are significant.”

These were the words of wisdom and encouragement offered by Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee as they led our Urban Zen Integrative Therapy students through a grounding yoga practice to kick off a weekend of education and training. It was a fitting statement as UZITs spent the weekend deeply exploring the healing properties of yoga therapy.

Surrounded by the whirling winds of rain, sleet and snow, the Urban Zen Center offered a cozy haven of healing and ground-breaking education. Rodney and Colleen provided concentrated focus and guidance for every student as they worked with each UZIT to assess their progress with the yoga modality component of the program.

Thriving After Breast Cancer

Last Updated on Monday, 31 October 2011 06:24 Written by Urban Zen Monday, 24 October 2011 12:35

The thing about breast cancer – it’s so close to the heart. And it has definitely felt that way to me. I have lost too many very important people in my life because of it. This isn’t a disease that just happens to the individual – it touches all of us.

In our Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program, we have had more than a few students who’ve known this disease. For many, it has been the well-being catalyst in their lives that has inspired them to enroll in the UZIT program – a community that is committed to using holistic healing modalities to shift the healthcare paradigm.

I believe in the power of our stories – they bare our souls. I am so honored to be able to share the stories of some of our UZIT students with you. I invite you to read on and let the voices of our UZIT Breast Cancer Thrivers touch you the way they’ve touched me.

This Week’s Community Highlights!

Last Updated on Friday, 14 October 2011 05:47 Written by Urban Zen Friday, 14 October 2011 05:47

This week, conversations with @Urban_Zen spanned the whole spectrum of our initiatives. We asked our members if there was a time when they responded with understanding rather than with anger. @thepathtochange learned about empathy from his experience witnessing mistreatment of the mentally ill. @sunnycoastbb shared with us her painful experience with an abusive partner, learning about patience and restraint. As @guerillacharity stated, unconditional love is innate—not learned. @DadaMamA3 and @CultureDoctor expressed their thoughts on our Preserving Cultures initiative, pointing out valid issues facing the third world as they engage philanthropic efforts arriving from developed nations. @AAPremlall shared her thoughts on using essential oils for wellness and @Tao23 remarked on the need for an expanded view on healthcare by moving beyond the Western paradigm. We are thrilled whenever #uzfevent guests such as @daffneemichelle join our online community. With our new store opening in Los Angeles, we look forward to our growth as more and more communities begin to the encounter the interconnected philosophy of mind, body, and spirit that Urban Zen represents.