Omega Institute Holds Annual Conference in NYC, Plans to Launch Women’s Leadership Center

More than 1,400 people seeking to renew their spirits gathered at the annual Omega NYC conference this weekend where they learned how living more holistically can change both their lives and the world. The conference, held at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers , was sponsored by the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, a non-profit organization founded in 1977 and based in Rhinebeck, N.Y. Omega’s mission strives to awaken the best in the human spirit and to provide hope and healing for individuals and society. Each year, 23,000 people journey to Omega’s educational workshops, conferences and retreats held on its 195-acre campus in the Hudson Valley and locations around the world.

The Omega NYC conference featured more than 16 popular, inspiring authors and teachers who offered unique tools for living more holistic lifestyles. Conference participants had a choice of seven in-depth workshops focusing on themes such as the meaning of happiness, meditation skills, breaking through fear, balancing energy, taking care of their minds and bodies, and more.

Together with folk singer-songwriter David Wilcox, Elizabeth Lesser, Omega co-founder and author of “Broken Open” and “The Seeker’s Guide,” led a program designed as “spring cleaning for the heart and spirit.” Lesser spoke eloquently about how to find peace and vitality in your life during stressful times. She stressed the importance of optimism in the midst of fear and uncertainty, citing studies that show that optimism is critical for happiness and that optimistic people are more likely to enact change throughout the world simply because they believe change is possible.

Geneen Roth, New York Times best-selling author of “Women, Food and God,” gave a keynote address discussing the relationship between food, money and what is enough. Roth, who has become an authority on the topic of emotional and compulsive eating disorders, openly discussed the lessons she learned following the loss of her entire life-savings in the Bernie Madoff scandal. She discusses this crisis and the parallels between her relationships with food and money in her most recent book, “Lost and Found: One Woman’s Story of Losing Her Money and Finding Her Life.”

A pre-launch reception was also held at the conference in anticipation of the opening of Omega’s Women’s Leadership Center (OWLC), which is scheduled to launch this September. The OWLC is comprised of a 16-member advisory council of visionary leaders, who stressed the need for women to lead from their authentic voice, values and vision. The OWLC will be a hub for global leaders, activists, students, workers, professionals, artists, mothers, spiritual seekers and social visionaries to come together to explore the nature of power and to create new ways of leading. The OWLC has already raised more than $9 million toward a five year, $14 million initiative and are actively seeking generous sponsors to meet the goal required to develop the OWLC curriculum and programs.

To learn more about the programs offered at the Omega Institute or on how to make a contribution the Omega Women’s Leadership Center, visit www.eOmega.org or call 800.944.1001.