Finding calm amidst the chaos, bringing like-minded people together, and getting to a point where a life threatening disease can be dealt with in a healthy way through spiritual healing and alternative medicine is the goal of Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program (UZIT) at UCLA, which launches today, November 17, 2011.

The idea for such a program was born when world-renowned fashion designer Karan felt a deep desire to see that her husband Stephan Weiss, who was dying of lung cancer, received the soul healing spiritual care not offered by traditional Western medicine.

Today, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is partnering with Karan’s UZIT to become the first hospital on the West Coast to offer yoga therapy, mindfulness meditation, nutrition, Reiki, and aromatherapy for patients at their bedside and beyond.

According to Dr. David Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System, CEO of the UCLA Hospital System, and associate vice chancellor for health sciences, UZIT works perfectly at UCLA as it matches their mission of treating the whole patient rather than just the symptoms of a particular illness.
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Gwyneth Paltrow at the Bent on Learning charity event.

It is not just adults who are down-dogging these days, it is also kids. And kid’s yoga is proving to be a huge hit for these young yogis.

Bent on Learning is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance physical, emotional and cognitive abilities in New York City-based school children through yoga. With support from yoga devotee Gwyneth Paltrow and Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation, Bent on Learning is bringing yoga into select New York City public schools and also offering workshops to teachers to incorporate simple yoga techniques and mindfulness training into their teaching.

With the support of some of New York City’s most accomplished and passionate yoga instructors, Bent on Learning is holding weekly classes at select NYC schools. Each class teaches yoga postures, or asanas, breath work and meditation. The program is also aligned with New York state and national physical education standards.
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