Hozho Wellness

In our culture, “Hozho” means balance, harmony, and life. To walk in Hozho’ is to be in a state of balance with our mind, spirit, and creation. We rebuilt our “Old Hospital” as the Hozho Wellness Center to serve Navajo women and families. We seek wellness and Hozho’, and the Hozho Center will be a  safe place to heal intergenerational trauma, which has caused addiction and disharmony. With advancing technology and a fast-paced world, we scramble to stand on our own two feet, fighting alcohol and drug abuse, diabetes, and domestic violence. We find that returning to our roots, our legacy of traditional values of ke’ (family), is the source of our healing. Our Wellness Center will help us do this.

The “Old Hospital” has served our Navajo People for over 100 years. We want to bring it back to life to help our people again. We will offer support, counseling, and various classes, from parenting, gardening, and cooking to Navajo storytelling, nutrition, and art. Unfortunately, Covid has diverted our plans of safely gathering and utilizing the space. Still, we found a new, much needed ministry to the community from this temporary diversion, the Feeding Program.

The Hozho Center has been the hub of ECN’s feeding program through the height of the pandemic in early 2020 and continues today. When times seemed bleak, our Clergy and Laity picked up and delivered food to hundreds of families spanning hundreds of miles. The Hozho Center stands 101 years old, once one of the first hospitals to serve Navajo people, and continues to serve Navajo People when we need help the most. We were given the gift of stories as we handed out food boxes. Elder community members reminisce about playing on the playground,  receiving snacks from the kitchen window, and of themselves or their siblings being born upstairs. We are surrounded by stories, culture, and memories that we hope will continue for many years.