When Jessica Rodriguez stepped up to address the audience in Washington, D.C. along side of Hillary Clinton at the first Pathways to Prosperity Women Entrepreneurs Conference in October, it was a step that few would have imagined her taking just one decade ago–least of all, perhaps Jessica herself.

But the journey that led her to be chosen as an honored guest at the U.S. State Department’s Pathways to Prosperity Program, recognizing woman-owned businesses throughout the developing world, was one that Jessica set in motion many years ago, with the support of Indigenous Designs, a fair trade and organic fashion company, based outside of San Francisco, CA.

Jessica’s story begins in a small, remote community in the Andes of southern Peru, where she was inspired to make a difference in womens lives. Jessicas artisan community was experiencing crushing poverty and hope for prosperity was as scarce as the jobs that never seemed to materialize. That is, until Jessica created a foundation to train women for job opportunities and connect the artisan knitters in her community to the U.S based organic fashion company, Indigenous Designs. Jessica committed herself fully to creating not only sustainable jobs, but a community connected by family, tradition, and commitment to mutual support and success.

Although there was no viable industry to speak of in Jessica’s isolated Andean community, it did possess a generations-old tradition of artisan textiles. Among those plying this knitting trade were Mario and Maria Huisa. In their one-room, 8′x8′ house that doubled as a knitting space, the Huisas worked on a single knitting loom to create handmade works of wearable art. The income stream was small, but it was honest work, and it honored their heritage. When Jessica met the Huisas, she saw a spark in them that deeply inspired her. “They had passion,” she explained, “and they wanted to make a difference within their village and family, but because of their distant location, the opportunity for work was scarce.”

Each night the cold high desert air would sweep through that room, leaving the Huisas concerned for their children’s health.

“Children are dying in the highlands during the winter months and it is a big problem,” Jessica said. “It is not their fault that they were born in a poor area with no opportunity for work and such desolate conditions. I met these people and I just wanted to do my part to bring them work and opportunity.”

One day in 1998, Scott Leonard and Matt Reynolds, two young social entrepreneurs and co-founders of Indigenous Designs, walked into the lives of the Huisa’s. They came with a unique, sustainable, fair-trade business model that respected both people and the environment. Jessica’s efforts to employ the women of the region appealed deeply to the young entrepreneurs, and the Huisa’s artful skill and determination was a catalyst for expansion. Soon Scott and Matt made plans with Jessica to oversee the Indigenous Designs fair trade production model in the south of Peru so that she could hire more artisan knitters and in turn, pay them better wages.

Jessica is now responsible for over 700 families, with each family earning good, fair living wages through Indigenous Designs production. The Huisas are still producing for Jessica and Indigenous. Through their hard work and initiative they have built a bigger, warmer home, and their workshop has grown to have ten hand powered knitting machines, providing work for more than 35 artisan knitters in their local community. The commitment and vision shared by the Huisas, Jessica, and Indigenous Designs has led to their joint success. “We shared a fundamental belief that with opportunity and sustainable planning, positive change would happen,” Scott Leonard said.

It was precisely this belief that the State Department sought to recognize when they invited Jessica to speak and tour as part of its Pathways to Prosperity for Women Entrepreneurs. The program recognizes woman-owned businesses throughout the developing world that provide an example of entrepreneurship and empowerment that can help lead communities out of poverty and into shared prosperity.

During the conference, Secretary Clinton discussed how empowering women was integral to progress, prosperity, and peace in every country, and praised women like Jessica Rodriguez for having the courage and commitment to work for a better future.

Fifteen years ago Indigenous embarked on a journey that required creating a unique, one of a kind foundation with community and the environment as corner stones. Sustainability, patience, passion and love define the seeds that took root to form Indigenous. It was these seeds that forged the Indigenous path in remote cottage industry communities throughout Peru and Ecuador.

“Working one step at a time, the growth we have helped accomplish within our cottage industry communities has been transformative, empowering and uplifting. Today, we provide work to over 1,500 artisan families throughout South America,” Matt Reynolds said.

Indigenous has won awards for its ability to form networks that provide education, fair trade and organic certification, opportunities for advancement, and other vital forms of assistance to help elevate these talented artisans onto the world stage. The company takes a sustainable approach to fashion, focusing on attention to style, detail, and luxurious eco fibers, while embracing fair trade principals and the time honored skills of artisans.

Indigenous provides shoppers with alternatives to conventional fashion by offering organic, eco-friendly creations and novel designs that result in a cohesive collection of go-to favorites for the modern woman, without submitting to a unethical manufacturing processes that are short-sighted and harm the environment.

“We design and produce fashion that honors both people and the planet,” says Leonard, “Our designs appeal to both the fashionistas and sophisticated consumers. Our customer is looking for premium quality ethical fashion with ‘go anywhere, always-appropriate’ styling.” Thats what we do, and we are proud to bring our designs to the world through empowering production partners like Jessica Rodriguez.

Several decades ago, a few creative thinkers started redefining the traditional idea of home. From coast to coast, people started looking at their environment and began building with eco-inspired homes.

Hawaiis famous Onion House is one popular example of a creative idea, now a national landmark and a beautiful testimonial to shift toward bio-architecture. Designed in tune with the curves of an onion, with a layered feel that mirrors the lucid skins of an onion, the house is a beautiful demonstration of the possibilities when nature if design icon.

Further down south in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, the Shell House takes the idea literally by designing a house that looks like a magnified shell. Senosian Arquitectos has the same idea with their design called “The Nautilus”. This Mexico-based design firm went beyond a shell exterior and designed an entire home patterned after a shell with a winding organic interior.

Nature is the Best Designer

A student of the worlds best designer, bio-architecture seeks to emulate the principles in naturally occurring constructions. In studying the natural principles of the most long-held designs, this form of aesthetic design looks at fundamental shapes in nature – the most recognizable being the seashell.

The seashell is the best representation of a math-centric natural element that shows why nature is the best designer. Encompassing the Fibonacci Sequence, or “the Golden Ratio”, a seashell shows perfection in proportion that has been the foundation for some of the greatest designs, including the Parthenon, and by some of the greatest minds, including Leonardo Da Vinci. The pattern has also been replicated in some of the worlds most cherished poetry by regulating rhyme and meters, as well as in music, such as Beethovens Fifth and many of Mozarts sonatas.

The term “bio-architecture” is also often referred to as “organic architecture”, a thinking that has gained popularity with the rise in eco-awareness. A shift toward green thinking took bio-architecture a step further and had creative-minded people thinking of how building could merge with the environment as well as reflect it.
Working with the Environment

Bio-architecture can not emulate natural designs, but can also become a part of natural constructions. Rather than create jarring buildings jutting out of plains, this type of architecture looks to emerge as a part of natural settings such as mountains, caves, and wooded areas, as well as present a home that uses resources wisely by cutting utility costs.

Even though these newer designs are based on older shifts toward innovative thinking, the earliest and most architecturally stunning design is still the pyramid. First built in 2700 BCE, pyramids reflect that most natural and easily recognizable natural element, the sun, by building a structure that represents the descending rays of light. These ancient structures are still being replicated today with the Louvre and Kazakhstans Palace of Peace and Reconciliation.

Bio Architecture: Designing with Nature in Mind is written by freelance writer Shireen Qudosi. Follow her on Twitter @ShireenQ or email her at shireen.qudosi@hotmail.com

If you could bite down on a crispy, crunchy potato chip that was “natural”, tasted great and totally good for you, youd probably buy it, right?

Makers of potato chips, corn chips, pancake mixes, frozen waffles, frosted breakfast cereals, ice cream and other taste tempters think so too. Thats why the word “natural” appears so frequently on food packages these days. Marketing experts know that, for many consumers, “natural” equals “healthy”, and “healthy” sells.

In fact, the word “natural” on a food package means next to nothing because “natural” has no meaning in law or regulation. For these reasons, the use of “natural” on food products all too often detracts attention from more important considerations.

“Natural” and “Organic” may even be misleading if it implies that the product is free of chemical additives (often not the case) or that competitors products are “un-natural” and therefore bad for you.

Almost all foods today are processed in some way, and unless you are able to buy exclusively from a farmers market or grow your own fruits and vegetables, much of what you eat have seen the inside of a lab, factory or high-tech warehouse. Food science has become so sophisticated that it can be difficult to know where natural and organic ends and unnatural and organic begins.

There are breakfast cereals made from organically grown wheat with raisins made from organically grown grapes. But the cereal itself can have lots of preservatives. Or it may contain lots of added aluminized salt and processed sugar which are “natural,” but in the quantities that you find in breakfast cereals, theyre not healthful and can be very harmful. Even natural and organic foods require some degree of processing. “Is it organic? Is it natural? Well, NO.” Not if natural in this case means: “the way nature made it”.

When it comes to shopping for items in the fresh fruit and vegetable aisles, be aware that the nutritional content can vary considerably from store to store. A good question is, how long ago were they picked? You never know for sure how long fruits and vegetables have been on the shelf or even on the truck in the warehouse.

Fruits and vegetables loose nutritional value over time. If they are fresh when you bring them home be sure to eat them within 3 or 4 days of purchase or they will have lost so much of the nutritional value youd be better off buying frozen.

So whats my recommendation? Wherever possible, buy organic, locally grown produce that has recently been picked. Its best not to buy produce that has been transported, stored and refrigerated for days and weeks on end, even if it does carry an “organic” label. First and foremost, I always choose fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables and enjoy them within the first few days of taking them home.

Defining Natural Foods written by Don Tolman. Copyright Don Tolman International 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Don Tolman International publishes the popular P.O.W.E.R. (Pearls of Wisdom, Enlightenment and Results) weekly eZine with over 9,800 subscribers from all over the globe. If youre ready to discover the wisdom and power of Self-Care and Self-Education and receive FREE tips and EVENT news from Don Tolman International, join our online community today and youll immediately be emailed a FREE eBook entitled “WHAT MAKES A BALANCED DIET”. Subscribe to: P.O.W.E.R. now

If you’re planning a trip to San Francisco, be sure to check out (or into) the Orchard Garden Hotel, one of California’s greenest.

As proud sister to the award-winning Orchard Hotel, the $25 million Orchard Garden, this boutique accommodation is a short stroll from Union Square shops and theatres, blocks away from the Financial District dealmakers and San Franciscos famous cable cars, and just steps from the Chinatown Gates.

As one of the State’s first hotels built to the specifications of the “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design” (LEED

By Shireen Qudosi

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away and this year we have a few green additions to our family. With my newly turned eco leaf and with one of our family members going vegetarian, this year Thanksgiving presents a whole new set of challenges.

But the idea of a green or even a vegetarian Thanksgiving seems like blasphemy to die hard turkey stuffers. To ease them into what will inevitably be a culture shock, I already started dropping the idea of a green feast that goes beyond just an organic turkey. When asked how theyd “green” their Thanksgiving, I got all sorts of responses from “add more plants to the dinner table” to “use green dye on the turkey”.

If were to be literalists, then Id rather go cold turkey than sit across the table from a green turkey.

Rethinking the Main Course

The veggie kick brought with it the “Tofukey”, a tofu turkey that received grimaces from most non-vegetarians, including myself if only because of the horrid name for it. Another option is to try a soy-seitan turkey – (for a great recipe, check out Chef Bryanna Clark Grogan). Soy is an alternative to tofu, and for many it has a much more appealing taste.

Most people are immediately turned off when thinking of vegetarian alternatives to traditional meat dishes. But this isnt because of experience, (since mostly like theyve never even tried it), but rather because of conditioning. Were brought up being programmed to think fowl when imagining a Thanksgiving meal. Itll take a lot of deprogramming and a little willingness on peoples part to taste a soy turkey – but once they try it, theyll be one step closer to rethinking their attitude.

Your part in all this is to make sure you dont botch it up. Find a great recipe, and do quick pre turkey day test run. This way you can rest assured on the big day and know your feast will be a big hit, with some turkey somewhere thanking you for being spared the gauntlet.

DID YOU KNOW: Approximately 45 million turkeys are (killed) cooked and eaten in the U.S. on Thanksgiving? Thats about a sixth of all turkeys sold in the U.S. each year.

With facts like these, its all the more important that we do our part to bring this number down.

Why You Should Green Your “Meat”

Not to long ago, there was a bigger to-do about our carbon foot print. More recently, people started looking at the carbon foot print of cattle, or what they called a “cow emission”. According a 400 page report by the U.N.s Food and Agriculture Organizations report entitled “Livestocks Long Shadow”, the worlds 1.5 billion cattle are responsible for 18 percent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than all other forms of transportation combined.

A great measure of how much awareness is spreading about this issue is to look outside of the green community. When my non eco friends started discussing it, I knew were starting to gain ground on the importance of the impact cattle has on our environment.

Its a more commonly known fact that cows produce a tremendous amount of methane a year, adding to an already increased global warming problem. As a natural part of a collective species, its a small and likely insignificant “contribution” – but when considering cattle is farmed to sustain a billion dollar beef industry, we can start seeing the compounded impact to our ecology.

Cows arent the only one. Any livestock that is farmed bears a similar burden on the environment. And if you recall the number of turkeys harvested and killed to cater to a Thanksgiving feast, you can start using your abacus to tally up the figures.

The Problem with Turkey

Turkey dinners have their own carbon foot print, or in this case a “wing print”, according to NPR, which did a piece on tracking the amount of resource it takes to raise a turkey and then transport it to its final destination. Each step along the way burns natural resources from farming turkey to the fuel it takes to transport them.

DID YOU KNOW: A landmark study at Cornell University revealed that turkey meat “production consumed energy in a 13:1 ratio to protein output.” The study goes on to add that:

Animal agriculture is a leading consumer of water resources in the United States.
Livestock are directly or indirectly responsible for much of the soil erosion in the United States
According to David Pimentel, Professor of Ecology at Cornell University, “More than half the U.S. grain and nearly 40 percent of the world grain is being fed to livestock rather than being consumed directly by humans.”

With these clear cut facts, we find ourselves hard pressed not to switch out turkey for soy even if just for one day. My recommendation is to email this article to your friends and family, particularly your guest list to get them thinking about the importance of an eco-friendly Thanksgiving feast.

At the end of the day, Thanksgiving is not about the food as much as it is about community – a gathering of loved ones over a feast regardless of what type of feast it is. And its hardly a celebration of gratitude if youve forced a turkey sacrifice for it, who Im sure isnt very grateful to have been included as an unwilling participant.

If youve got to get people to consider alternative lifestyle choices by hook and by crook, then so be it. Were on about 45 million turkeys here that will be very grateful to you for your efforts.

“Your Green Guide to Surviving Thanksgiving” is written by Shireen Qudosi and brought to you by http://www.heater-home.com, where youll find an abundance of heater articles to help guide you through a cold chilly winter. Follow them on Twitter@HeaterHome.

The worlds first non-profit and luxury eco-resort community, which will commit 100 per cent of operating profits to environmental protection and social improvements, is set to be built on a 124 acre private island in the Calamianes archipelago, at the northernmost tip of the Palawan Biosphere Reserve in the Philippines.

The Cacao Pearl will occupy an entire private island, with 124 acres of lush rainforest and towering coconut trees fringed with over a mile of pristine beaches, according to its operator, Cacao Resorts. This new approach to resort-communities is nestled within the eco-tourism destination of Palawan, Philippines, a stunning eco preservation area within sailing distance of two UNESCO World heritage sites & four marine reserves.

An eco-chic low-density boutique resort concept, The Cacao Pearl is promising sustainable development and sustainable enjoyment – designer homes with zero carbon cost, five star service, an infinity pool, wreck and reef diving, a secluded destination spa, organic gardens and bar, restaurant, private media rooms and designer details.

“Forget old luxury, welcome green luxury!” said Joel Cere, CEO of Cacao Resorts. “Cacao Resorts is offering eco-aware urban escapees the luxury of private island home ownership with the launch of a truly guilt-free investment: The Cacao Pearl, Palawan.”

“In a world of homogenous, over-developed concrete destinations, disinterested developers, fake themes and over-priced mini-bars, token green gestures and disenfranchised communities, Cacao Resorts provide an authentic experience for the grown-up backpacker, a guilt-free option for the traveler with conscience, a breath of fresh tropical air for sophisticated urban escapees.” Designed exclusively for Cacao Resorts by former film art director, Antonio Calvo (“Love Actually,” “Alexander”, “Pride & Prejudice”.) 60 off-plan private residences are available to investors, who want to own a chic eco-home with a conscience and investment-grade security with an option to buy, re-sell or rent.

Cacao Resorts operates a “greenprint” for operations and, with development partners Barefoot Investments and Abode Management, benefit from sustainable construction methods employed, ethical management practice observed, and ecologically responsible operations as standard.

That means 100% renewable energy, and for the first time in the hospitality industry, 100% of the resorts net operating profits will be used to support local environmental and social programs.

Priority is given to buyers with more than just a financial interest in the adventure: “We are now accepting interested buyers for our guilt-free residences in South East Asia,” added Cere.

The art of going green is as simple as rethinking the every day things we do (often without thinking). While many have the recycling basics down to a fine art, now it’s all about taking it to the next level for the sake of the environment and your wallet.

“Before you hop into your car, pull out your wallet or use three napkins for a spill … think!” says Kim Carlson, founder of the EarthSmart Certified Sustainable Product Standard.

Kim’s aim to is to encourage everyone to precycle, which involves reducing waste by not acquiring it in the first place. Purchasing with waste reduction in mind is a simple way to be eco-friendly, she adds.

“Precycling saves precious natural resources. It helps with greenhouse gas reduction and saves you money.”

Kim’s Top Precycling Tips

Read your news online instead of buying a newspaper;
Use a video service like Netflix instead of owning movies;
Give a gift of an experience rather than a thing – movie tickets, dinner gift certificate;
Buy music online rather than on a CD;
Buy rechargeable batteries;
Compost organic waste rather than throwing it away;
Rent or borrow whenever possible rather than purchase;
Share a lawn mower with several neighbors rather than each household owning their own;
Use a lawn service so that you dont need to purchase lawn equipment;
Bring a re-useable coffee mug to the corner Starbucks instead of taking the coffee in a paper cup;
Use a re-useable water bottle on the go rather than buying bottled water;
Bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store or any store;
Store left-overs in durable re-useable glass containers;
Buy in bulk whenever possible;
Avoid disposables and choose re-useable or refillable products – a refillable razor;
Buy local because not only less transportation is involved but less packaging too;
Use a permanent coffee filter;
Use a sponge instead of paper towel;
Use a bar of soap (made from 100% natural ingredients) instead of liquid soap that has a container;
Shop at a Farmers Market where there is minimal package from the farm to your table.

What effects do fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides used on residential lawns or on farms have on nearby water bodies like rivers, streams-or even the ocean for those of us who live near the shore? — Linda Reddington, Manahawkin, NJ

With the advent of the so-called Green Revolution in the second half of the 20th century-when farmers began to use technological advances to boost yields-synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides became commonplace around the world not only on farms, but in backyard gardens and on front lawns as well.

These chemicals, many of which were developed in the lab and are petroleum-based, have allowed farmers and gardeners of every stripe to exercise greater control over the plants they want to grow by enriching the immediate environment and warding off pests. But such benefits havent come without environmental costs-namely the wholesale pollution of most of our streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and even coastal areas, as these synthetic chemicals run-off into the nearby waterways.

When the excess nutrients from all the fertilizer we use runs off into our waterways, they cause algae blooms sometimes big enough to make waterways impassable. When the algae die, they sink to the bottom and decompose in a process that removes oxygen from the water. Fish and other aquatic species cant survive in these so-called “dead zones” and so they die or move on to greener underwater pastures.

A related issue is the poisoning of aquatic life. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Americans alone churn through 75 million pounds of pesticides each year to keep the bugs off their peapods and petunias. When those chemicals get into waterways, fish ingest them and become diseased. Humans who eat diseased fish can themselves become ill, completing the circle wrought by pollution.

A 2007 study of pollution in rivers around Portland, Oregon found that wild salmon there are swimming around with dozens of synthetic chemicals in their systems. Another recent study from Indiana found that a variety of corn genetically engineered to produce the insecticide Bt is having toxic effects on non-target aquatic insects, including caddis flies, a major food source for fish and frogs.

The solution, of course, is to go organic, both at home and on the farm. According to the Organic Trade Association, organic farmers and gardeners use composted manure and other natural materials, as well as crop rotation, to help improve soil fertility, rather than synthetic fertilizers that can result in an overabundance of nutrients. As a result, these practices protect ground water supplies and avoid runoff of chemicals that can cause dead zones and poisoned aquatic life.

There is now a large variety of organic fertilizer available commercially, as well as many ways to keep pests at bay without resorting to harsh synthetic chemicals. A wealth of information on growing greener can be found online: Check out OrganicGardeningGuru.com and the U.S. Department of Agricultures Alternative Farming System Information Center, for starters. Those interested in face-to-face advice should consult with a master gardener at a local nursery that specializes in organic gardening.

CONTACTS: CDC, www.cdc.gov; Organic Gardening Guru, www.organicgardeningguru.com; USDAs Alternative Farming System Information Center, www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml.

Beauty buff and holistic entrepreneur Sam Sample follows a simple philosophy when it comes to beauty and believes you can ‘be’ it, rather than ‘achieve’ it.

“Beauty comes from within,” she says. “Being happy and healthy on the physical, emotional and spiritual level is what I believe makes a woman truly beautiful.”

With her natural approach and holistic know-how, Sydney-based Sam developed her beauty range, Be Genki. The collection brings together her deep interest in aromatherapy, well-being, meditation, and beauty care into a holistic synthesis to “promote optimum inner health and harmony amidst the fast pace of contemporary life”.

Each element of Be Genki, she says, has been carefully and thoughtfully selected for its excellence in design, quality, healing benefits, and ability to capture the senses.

“Be Genki is the only bath and body care brand to offer a complete 360 degree approach to holistic well-being, identifying four key areas that contribute to an individuals well-being and providing products that help create balance with a lifestyle approach,” Sam says.

The product line includes bath and shower oils, body oils, body creams, hand creams, face mists, oil blends, herbal teas and candles.

Sam studied make-up artistry and image training, nutrition, physical education, access energy transformation, aromatherapy, and skin care, and is also an avid proponent of Vipassana meditation. She says the peace and tranquility she found in meditation greatly influenced her products and their simplicity of use in daily life.

The Green Dove caught up with Sam to get an overview of the ranges – Vitality, Tranquility, Serenity and Sensuality – each attracting a huge following in Australia and abroad.

THE GREEN DOVE: What’s the Be Genki story?

SAM SAMPLE: For the past 10 years I have been studying various disciplines of health and wellbeing – make-up artistry and image training, nutrition, fitness, meditation, access energy transformation, skin care, and aromatherapy.

Whilst I was finishing up my Diploma of Nutrition and experimenting with aromatherapy one of my girlfriends was suffering from anxiety and depression and was taking anti-depressants. It upset me that a young woman in her mid-20s could be prescribed pharmaceutical drugs without her lifestyle being taken in to consideration first. No-one sat down with her to address what she was doing on a daily basis.

So I made her a blend of essential oils (the Serenity blend) and we chatted about taking time out at the end of each day to have a bath with the essential oil blend, shutting the bathroom door, turning the mobile phone off and creating a spa like experience in the comfort of her own home. We also spoke about nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices.

Two months passed and she came to me one day to tell me how much better she was feeling within herself and that she was thinking of going off her medication. Whether it was the act of running a bath and watching the water flow, having that half-hour by herself to relax and inhale the oil blend, or exercising, or eliminating processed foods from her diet it didnt matter to me. What mattered was that she was feeling more confident and happy. I believe it was a combination of all the new wellbeing rituals that she had started to implement in to her daily life. You can only imagine how happy this made me feel. Whatever it was that gave her the confidence to take control of her anxiety and depression and ultimately her life, was enough to inspire me to think of other areas of our lives that we need help with improving in todays fast paced world.

Whether its reaching for that 3rd cup of coffee during the day to get a burst of energy, tossing and turning in bed at night or relying on sleeping tablets to get to sleep, suffering from anxiety and depression, freaking out at the “little things” or losing your temper at those that you love most because you havent dealt with the issue appropriately, or simply “beating yourself up” and criticising yourself over something that really isnt that big a deal in the scheme of things; that is not what life is all about! So, I developed Be Genki – to help inspire and bring about holistic happiness by focusing on four key areas of wellbeing:

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There’s one way to find out exactly what’s in your beauty products-make them yourself. Learning holidays website GoLearnTo.com has an exclusive weekend course where natural beauty buffs can learn to make their own organic products, while also catering to their travel bug.

Spend a weekend in a tranquil retreat in the High Languedoc National Park, near Montpellier, France learning to create your own personalized beauty products using all natural, organic, locally-grown ingredients. The aim of the hands-on course is to completely personalize each product to each skin type.

The retreats English owner became interested in the healing power of plants following an illness. She now organically grows and dries (in a specially built sÃ