Zena Cheza Oriolla is the title of the story of a spirit’s purpose and journey rather than a person’s name per se. The words can be translated from several languages and have a variety of cultural and celestial references. All in all it expresses the bringing forth of joy and healing through creativity and balance.

I attended and graduated from the City College of New York, with a B.A. in Liberal Arts and Sciences. However, my first love in life was art and story telling. I grew up listening to my mother read from books and tell stories from “down home”. I would never tire of them and would greet each one with fresh ears each and every time.

As I grew up I developed an interest in all beings’ ability to communicate amongst themselves and with one another; therefore I initially studied the sciences and attempted the path of becoming an ethologist (one who studies animal behavior-especially in their environment). I soon found out my spirit could not be subjected to the continuous dissections and experimentations that were required for that venture so I changed my major to Speech Pathology and Special Education.

The clinical practicum was intense. It wasn’t about the books any longer, but real people with challenges such as cerebral palsy, aphasia, mental retardation, autism, etc. I found myself in the deep end of the pool, and had to learn quickly through experience and my determination to serve their needs to the best of my abilities. Though I found the clients and students very challenging and interesting and was putting my heart into what I was doing, I did not feel completely fulfilled. I also took music and theatre arts classes, voice lessons, dance classes and wrote poetry. The artist in me was very much alive and I created colorful tools to use with my clients in the clinic and classroom. Though the ideas, tools and methods I developed were successful, many of the professionals I encountered in the field were not open to anything other than what they knew from standard text book training.

Life offered me an opportunity to pursue education in the culinary arts; and being a lover of preparing and eating delicious food, I welcomed the opportunity. Shortly after I landed a job with a catering company and worked my way up to the position as head chef.

After a few years of a life style of partaking in foods laden with butter, white refined sugar and flour, salt, too much animal protein and a variety of food additives- coupled with a fast paced polluted environment-I became stressed and toxic.

A quest for Higher learning and the need for spiritual and physical healing lead me to the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix for a 2 week vacation that lasted for 10 years. The energy of the land and the Caribbean Sea, along with the incredible people I met was transformational alchemy.

My education continued informally and formally at the feet of shamans, healers, herbalists, clergy, artists, simple bush folks and other teachers; who sat with me one on one around a fire or in classroom and seminar sessions. Through the years I studied, practiced and learned how to balance, cleanse and heal my life. I also learned how to fast as well as prepare delicious and wholesome foods that fed my body, mind and spirit.

I met many people who had approached education, healing and art in a way that acknowledged the entire person-including the consideration of culture, learning style, environment ancestral history and spirituality. I became a member of a grass roots educational collective and later on a teacher at a Montessori based school.

Out of all of my teachers and mentors Nature is the most powerful and persuasive. I learned through the sound of crickets, rain, streams and the sea; through plants, stones, horses, mongoose, centipedes, goats, cattle and every other living thing I encountered (without any dissections or experiments). I even learned humbling lessons through the storms. Hurricane Hugo taught me how truly healing story telling is, how children and adults can listen and appreciate simplicity, and how to outreach and counsel in a time of devastation, destruction and rebirth.

One of my biggest lessons in the Caribbean sun was how to shine and assist others in sharing their light. I participated in community theatre in the smallest and largest venues in the Virgin Islands. The spark of creativity ignited and at full blaze, I wrote, produced and directed, designed customs and performed as much as I could. I developed therapeutic and educationally artistic programs for youth in conjunction with the public libraries, and non profit organizations.

After traveling to other areas of the Caribbean and to West Africa it was time to return to the continental U.S. My career in the “healing arts and arts that heal” continues to develop and expand through the years. I have received attunements in Reike, certification in Stone Therapy and have become certified and licensed as a Naturopath and have undergone a number of initiations and rites of passages for women of color and those who simply wish to evolve and connect with one’s ancestry.

I continue to work with community based non profit organizations: Bamboula Haven Foundation, Community works Afrikan Poetry Theatre, Afrikan Folk Heritage Circle; governmental agencies: Brooklyn and Queens Public Libraries, New York City Housing Authority, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens; various adult and youth correctional facilities; schools: Charles Drew Early Childhood Learning Center and other educational institutions, health facilities, spiritual and religious organizations families and individuals. I facilitate workshops and provide performances and presentations, and officiate ceremonies and services where ever, with and for whoever wishes to bring forth balance through peace, joy, love and light - our true purpose.