January 2017

She had witnessed and been through tough times in her own life

An Indian expat living in the UAE for over a decade, Aishwarya Joshi started out as a junior architect in 2005 and moved up the ladder to become a design architect, before venturing out to build better lives.

The reason that propelled her to make the switch? She had witnessed and been through tough times in her own life. Orphaned at a very young age – losing her mother to breast cancer and father to a heart attack – Aishwarya decided to take this leap of faith. Thus began her journey of making corporates socially responsible through her corporate social responsibility (CSR) firm named The Lighthouse Cohort, in 2014.

The Lighthouse Cohort, she said: “helps corporates rethink causes and utilise its resources for social good; it aims to create an impact by contributing towards peace-building in the lives of the distressed; building humanitarian architecture to provide the needy with access to usable water and energy; trauma relief, poverty alleviation and quality education.

“It all started on a humble note, to support the labourers of a construction site in Palm Jumeirah. I am glad that within just a couple of years, The Lighthouse Cohort has grown and is today providing professional expertise to corporates in helping them craft meaningful interventions for the underprivileged. We operate through a strategic CSR collaboration, hand-picking subject matter experts in UAE, who can contribute to the upliftment of people through different projects.”

NOVICE (Nurturing of Values in Children Everyday) – in association with the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) – is the latest project Aishwarya is working on. IAHV is registered as a non-profit at the International Humanitarian City in the UAE. The project aims to promote personal transformation for sustainable happiness and peace amongst the refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, a first-of-its-kind initiative with origins in the UAE. A four-day workshop, lasting four hours a day, it involves bringing together children in the age group 8-12, to participate in activities and games, such as storytelling. These revolve around one sole objective – that of trauma release and nurturing human values. In 2016, over 200 children from Syria, Gaza and Jordanian tribal communities, taking refuge in Jordan and Lebanon, benefitted from these workshops held at the refugee camps by IAHV trainers.

Extending her support to the labour community in the UAE even today, Aishwarya will be playing an important role in upcoming projects with SmartLife foundation, a registered NGO with the Dubai Community Development Authority. These involve: Smart Distribution (distributing daily essentials among labourers), Smart Cup (supporting the education of labourers’ children) and Smart Idol (talent hunt among labourers to promote recreational activities in their lifestyle). Another groundbreaking initiative is the ‘solar project’, in collaboration with Beacon Energy Solutions. Aishwarya said: “This project initially started in 2015, with 200+ UAE school students. However, in 2016 we scaled up the project and took it forward to benefit labourers and fishermen in the UAE by donating them solar powered products.” Till date, it has benefitted over 500 students across various schools. Solar products – provided by Beacon Energy Solutions and activity supported by the NGO, Mission to Seafarers – were also distributed to 120 fishermen at Ghalilah port in RAK.

Joshi believes that 2017 being the UAE’s Year of Giving, all these projects will get a bigger response than in previous years.

SOURCE COURTESY : www.khaleejtimes.com

If you are stressed out about President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration, you are not alone. Many people around the country are feeling anxious and scared about the impending presidency of the controversial businessman.

So if the idea of watching Friday’s events makes you uneasy, turn off the TV and make the day about you. From soothing salt baths to calm magnetic healing, check out these five spa treatments in Los Angeles that will help you relax on Inauguration Day.

Multiple Locations

The ancient yet ageless practice of Ayurvedic medicine has been in existence for more than 5000 years. In Ayurveda, health is defined as the dynamic state of balance between mind, body and environment. Using traditional herbal blends and warm aromatherapeutic essential oils, time-honored Ayurvedic body treatments provide the ultimate in relaxation and restoration as they calm the mind, balance the three doshas and create a profound sense of bliss and contentment. Shirodhara is a deeply soothing traditional Ayurvedic treatment that calms the central nervous system and integrates the mind and body to achieve a heightened state of awareness, relaxation and contentment. Your treatment begins when you select the herbal massage oil specific to your mind-body constitution (dosha). You will be expertly massaged with the warm herbal oil, ending with the traditional Shirodhara, a constant and gentle stream of oil poured over the third eye to create a profound state of happiness and mental clarity.

80 minutes for $215 ( $169 for members)

Himalayan Salt Room and Dead Sea Salt Float at Grotto de Sal

145 N La Brea Ave., Suite E, Los Angeles

Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Grotto de Sal is the first wellness center of its kind, committed to making the healing properties of the mineral-rich Dead Sea accessible and attainable to all. Step into the Himalayan Salt Room and breathe in dry salt aerosal and refresh the lungs in this claryifying treatment. A great place to meditate, grab a warm cup of tea and enjoy as you rest in our salt room. The halo-generator does all the work for you, all you have to do is sit and breathe. Then take a dip with the Dead Sea Salt Float, a luxurious, private Dead Sea salt bathing experience that soothes sore muscles and aches, as well as gently exfoliates the skin.

$30 for 30 minute in salt room

$80 for 45 minute float

Body Scrub and Body Care at Beverly Hills Hot Springs

308 N. Oxford Ave., Los Angeles

Beverly Hills Hot Springs is Los Angeles’s only 100 percent Natural Hot Springs Spa. It is believed that Hot Springs water help stimulate circulation, relax muscles, combat fatigue, alleviate skin disease and cure arthritis, anemia, neuralgia (painful nerve disorder), high blood pressure and certain gastrointestinal diseases. Try the spa’s signature Body Scrub, an invigorating scrub with seaweed soap that exfoliates and cleanses the skin, removing dead layers of skin and improving circulation. Follow up with a Body Care treatment featuring a soothing skin conditioning massage with milk, oil, cucumber mask and yogurt that leaves the skin feeling satin smooth.

Magnesphere at SaunaBar

11677 San Vicente Blvd #208, Los Angeles, CA 90049

SaunaBar’s Magnesphere (magnetic resonance therapy) is the ultimate high-tech healing treatment. As guests sit in a space-like chair where an invisible electromagnetic field surrounds them, realigning the body’s cells on a molecular level. By realigning, they mean restoring cells to their greatest level of vibration. Or simply put, it helps the body work the way it was meant to. Patients remain awake for the 30-minute sessions, but have been known to drift into comforting slumber because the magnetic hum of the two copper coils on each side of the cockpit are so comforting. Magnetic resonance therapy helps to relieve pain, stiffness and stress. It also can aid on a mental and emotional level.

$70 for 30 minutes

The Japanese Experience For Two at Tomoko Spa

141 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills

Have a partner that needs an escape too? Head to Tomoko Spa in Beverly Hills for the premiere treatment, the Ashiyu, a detox foot soak that begins to calm the tension of your feet and body, beginning a journey of peace and joy. Move on to Ofuro (a Japanese natural bath) treatment along with the 60, 80 or 100 minutes of the signature couples Tomoko massage, which includes a private suite with private shower and tub, organic green tea, Japanese fine sweets and sushi from Sugar Fish.

SOURCE COURTESY : https://www.ibtimes.com/