I am very honored and grateful to be the 2016 recipient of the Immigrant Entrepreneur Award from Global Pittsburgh in recognition of my achievements and enriching the Pittsburgh region with my talent and tenacity since my arrival in 1998.
Please enjoy this article, which I wrote for an Immigrant Entrepreneurship writing contest in 2014:
Circling into Happiness
A life not reflected upon is a life not lived. Today, as the owner of a successful Holistic Medicine business and award-winning author living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I continue to be amazed at how it all unfolded.
The place of my youth was a secluded and serene dairy farm in Germany’s Lower Rhine Valley. I rode horses, milked cows, cleaned stables and dreamt of becoming an artist.
My life unfolded in a meaningful way and now as I look back, it all makes sense. During my journey, however, there was plenty of uncertainty about how the next step would reveal itself.
I first jumped into the unknown when I took off to Brazil. I was 21 and had sincerely tried to be the obedient daughter, tried to follow my down-to-earth parents’ wishes, who considered Fine Art to be lofty and breadless. I had dabbled in different impossible career choices: two months of secretarial school, one year of agriculture training on a farm, two semesters of agriculture studies at the university in Bonn, 10 months of studies in the hotel industry. Nothing felt right. I was suffocating and with growing urgency, I knew there was a life to be lived and there was no more time to be wasted.
I booked a ticket to Rio de Janeiro and went on a solo backpacking-trip determined to figure out who I really was and what I wanted to do with my life. The 10-week adventure taught me to flow, trust the moment and pay attention to the voice inside my heart. Fellow Israeli travelers pointed out that my name was of Hebrew origin. I was baffled, growing up as a Catholic girl, my mom had no idea what inspired her to call me Dorit, an unusual name for Germany’s countryside. People always asked if my name wasn’t Doris or Dorothy.
Clearly, the next step of my adventure unfolded: I felt called to go Israel. In 1989 I arrived in Tel Aviv, enrolled in Hebrew language school, then was accepted to the Avni Art Institute and studied painting. I was happy and living my dream. My life unfolded, new possibilities opened and I trusted the inner voice that guided me step after step. I began practicing Yoga, got training in Energy Healing and then enrolled at the Mahut College for Complementary Medicine and Holism to study Holistic Reflexology and Guided Imagery. I also got my motorcycle license, bought my first motorcycle and enjoyed exploring the historic sites and visited secluded Mediterranean beaches.
My graduation year, 1996, brought a tough decision. The reasonable choice was to settle down and open my own Holistic Medicine practice in Tel Aviv; but I felt torn between Germany and Israel. The unceasing terrorism drained my soul. I needed some distance to review my life and decided to return to Germany for one year and figure out what to do next. I could always return to Israel, I thought.
In August 1997, I went to Germany, to only stay for 10 months. It was then, that the possibility emerged to move to the United States.
My arrival in Pittsburgh in May 1998 marked the next in chapter in my life. Within the first year, doors opened that I didn’t even dream of. I was working at the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and offered meditation courses for Highmark. Patients with high blood pressure, depression, chronic pain and sleeping disorders where referred to the classes I taught. My life philosophy–when things are meant to be, everything flows and falls into place easily–was validated.
Eight years later, when I turned 40, I knew that I had to embark onto an epic journey. I love travel, meeting people and exploring new places, but I hadn’t had time to explore America while I was busy building my career. In the summer of 2006, I went on a six-week solo-motorcycle adventure across the US to walk labyrinths, a form of walking meditation. I then wrote a book about my modern-day pilgrimage, “Girls Don’t Ride Motorbikes – A Spiritual Adventure Into Life’s Labyrinth” which recently won second place in the autobiography category at the Author’s Zone Contest. That 7430-mile cross-country journey inspired me to become a citizen and call America my home.
Following the book project I then spent a year and a half translating my Holistic Reflexology course material from Hebrew to English. While Holistic Reflexology and its benefits are not very well known in the US, in Israel, it is covered by health insurance and physicians write referrals. Health insurance companies have their own Holistic Medicine Clinics where they offer integrative treatments: Acupuncture, Shiatsu and Reflexology. Holistic Reflexology is a calm and soothing stimulation of the pressure points of the feet and based on Chinese Medicine. It offers lasting solutions to most chronic ailments, which is scientifically proven and therefore is an integrative part of medicine in many countries. I am the only Holistic Reflexology teacher in the state of Pennsylvania offering a 300-hour certification and am proud to see nurses, midwives, nutritionists and physical therapists among my students.
We live in a time where people realize that there are limitations and shortfalls to today’s high-tech medicine, which sometimes treats the human body as if it were a machine. My hope for the future is that the culture in the US will enter an era where allopathic and integrative medicine work hand in hand for the benefit of all. I continue to develop and teach course material that fosters integrative methodologies for businesses and individuals. Recently, I created a class that I teach for the Work Certified Academy called ‘Happiness, Satisfaction, Fulfillment & Why Self-Employment Is Best For You!’
I am grateful to be in a position to share with others everything I have learned on my journey and inspire them to listen to their hearts and live their best lives.
Live an Inspired Life. Sign-up for an Online Meditation Course with Dorit. Register today. Live your Best Life!
Meet Dorit – You are invited to view the Guided Imagery Videos, Spiritual Teachings and Spiritual Journeys on Dorit’s YouTube Channel.
Learn about Holistic Reflexology and how it may benefit you.
Join the free lecture: Everything you ever wanted to know about Holistic Reflexology.
The 300-hour Holistic Reflexology Certification starts every September.
Bringing Wellness to your Workplace: Corporate Stress Reduction & Meditation Seminars
Contact Dorit and schedule your individual stress reduction seminars, management coaching through meditation and longer-range benefit programs tailored to your needs for maintaining a healthy, relaxed and successful work environment.
On November 1, 2012 Dorit was filmed for ‘Envoyé Spécial,’ which reported how meditation at the workplace helps employees in the US. ‘Envoyé Spécial’ is compared to CBS’s “60 minutes.”