The Art—and Health Benefits—of a Dance
“Food is your medicine or your poison—you make the choice every time you eat.†Amen learned early on that maintaining good health could yield great rewards. Her first belly dancing teacher was her grandmother, and Amen first practiced yoga with her parents, who owned a health food store in Harlem, the first such black-owned enterprise in the state of New York. “I saw that my parents managed stress differently from my friends’ parents,†she recalls. “They maintained their weight and didn’t suffer from illnesses like cancer or heart disease.†Inspired to share the lessons of her youth with others, Amen, who studied biology as a pre-med student in college and later worked as a health columnist, became a certified naturopath in 2000. She asserts that many physicians don’t follow the advice they offer: “Your doctor tells you to exercise and eat better, but doesn’t really show you how to do it. Have you seen your doctor naked lately?â€
