Donna Karna creates Zen hospital program

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. fashion designer Donna Karan says her Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program is being adopted at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Karan said when her husband, Stephan Weiss, was dying of lung cancer in 2001, she discovered there was no place in his New York hospital that offered yoga and other meditative therapies to ease his suffering.

"Much was missing from Stephan's care," Karan said in a statement. "He needed the knowledge of traditional Western medicine. But he also needed healing that can only be accessed from the heart and through the spirit. Out of my frustrations with the treatment at even the best medical facilities, a commitment was born. I am determined to do what I can to create a new model for wellness and patient care in hospitals and to address the needs of patients' loved ones and the staff who are on the journey with them."

Karan, the DKNY clothing label, took a combination of Eastern healing techniques that she found effective and developed them into a program.

In partnership with Karan's Urban Zen Foundation, the UCLA Health System will be offering an Eastern-style healing program designed to enhance the care of patients that will include:

-- Training of doctors, nurses and other hospital staff members in holistic practices to encourage optimal healing.

-- Introduction of Eastern healing modalities to patients, including yoga therapy, breath awareness, in-bed movement and guided meditation; Reiki, a Japanese vibrational energy therapy facilitated by light touch, on

or slightly off the body, that balances the human biofield; essential oil therapy; nutrition; and contemplative care.