What used to be an almost imperceptible cottage industry in Egypt, alternative and holistic wellness is poised to become one of the fastest growing segments of the healthcare market. This weekend, Spirit of the Middle East is presenting the first Mind, Body, and Spirit Festival of Giving ever held in Egypt. This event is a one-stop shop for gathering alternative healthcare practitioners, suppliers of natural and holistic products, and experts. So, if you're interested in holistic wellness, or just a tad bit curious, head down to the Ramses Hilton over the weekend. If nothing else, it'll be an eye opener. "'I had no idea places like this even existed in Egypt,' is something I hear on a fairly regular basis, remarks Insight Inside's John Dougherty. As the person in charge of running Cairo's foremost center dedicated to total well-being (holistic health), Dougherty has first hand experience of the growing interest. Once of the strongest indicators of the growing demand for holistic wellness options is the Mind, Body, and Spirit Festival of Giving this weekend. The three-day event aims to create an atmosphere of unity and joy, offering a chance for everyone to explore a personal path to self-discovery, experiencing new alternative therapies, inspirational talks, workshops on interactive healing, dance and movement, a journey into sound, and many other exciting opportunities, explains the Spirit of the Middle East website. An array of international presenters will be featured at the festival. For novices, there will also be stands selling candles, ethnic clothing, beautiful bags, creative jewelry, as well as natural skin and body products and aromatherapy oils. With an array of activities taking place, Suzanne Mitchell-Egan, the festival's organizer, recommends simply browsing through the schedule and choosing a workshop that appeals to you. Or you can choose to photograph your aura, enjoy a reflexology massage, or simply wander around the vendors' stalls. With over 40 professionals and experts attending the festival, there's bound to be something for everyone. The underlying message of the event, according to the organizers, is the importance of children. "It's our responsibility to guide, protect and nurture them, states the website, "showing them the path of self discovery and harmonious living through holistic education, tolerance, and love. The four elements of earth, fire, water, and air will be represented at the festival by the four children's charities: Hope Village Society for street children; the Children's Cancer Hospital; the Progressive Learning Center for children with learning difficulties; and the Foundation for Children with Special Talents. On Saturday, four children - one from each charity - will release more than 100 birds to symbolize the dream of freedom, hope, equality, and world peace. There's no need to leave the children at home. The festival offers a full children's program of events and activities. They can watch a puppet theater; attend a workshop making healing dolls, yoga for kids, or dance and movement classes. The festival is the brainchild of Mitchell-Egan. Twenty years ago, she decided to abandon her stressful lifestyle and the demands of modern living to develop her intuitive and healing abilities and become involved in holistic education. After qualifying as an ITEC practitioner (in complementary therapy), she graduated from the Institute of Education in London, gaining her Cert. Ed and is now an ITEC lecturer teaching aromatherapy, reflexology, anatomy and physiology, holistic and Indian head massage. She is also a genuine Reiki Master. Until the eleventh hour, she wasn't certain that the festival she spent over five months preparing for would actually take place. "I had to overcome insurmountable obstacles, she told Daily News Egypt. The toughest challenge was educating the higher authorities needed to grant her permission. She found that the word "spirit usually raises alarm bells. Mitchell-Egan had to overcome these misperceptions by explaining that the spiritual revolution does not undermine the traditional belief systems, but rather enhances individual religious convictions. Given the challenges she and her team had to overcome, the fact that they managed to secure over 40 professionals and book a full schedule is impressive. "I'm magnoona [crazy], Mitchell-Egan jokes, "I've always been like this. The harder the challenge, the more I go for it.
