Health News from Grammy Award Winner Erykah Badu

From her signature colorful headwraps to her ubiquitous ankh (the ancient Egyptian symbol of life) to her rich, soulful voice, Dallas-born singer Erykah Badu has been a beautiful and captivating presence on the music scene since winning two Grammy Awards for her 1997 debut album, Baduizm.

“Baduism” sold millions of copies and catapulted her to global soul superstar status. But Badu has a very private side combined with her passion for wellness that will become even more public this summer as she curates Merasa: 7 Days of Renewal, a wellness festival taking place from June 1-8 at Desa Potato Head, a beachfront resort in Seminyak, Bali. The unique five-star resort blends sustainability and wellness programming with a beach village vibe, recycled art installations and beautifully designed green indoor and outdoor spaces.

Merasa’s “Good Times, Do Good” program aims to enrich the body and mind as participants share new approaches to health and self-care. The lineup includes musical performances, panel discussions and talks, yoga, mindfulness and breathwork classes, movement, energy and crystal workshops, films and guided rituals, writing and poetry tutorials. It will blend traditional and contemporary Indonesian and Western wellness practices, art and music, including a talk and morning session hosted by Badu. The program will also feature KT The Arch Degree, Notep, Tjok Gde Kerthyasa, Fa’ Pawaka and Waangenga Blanco, each of whom will share their unique perspectives on health, aiming to “create healing vibrations,” according to Badu.

Badu herself was introduced to wellness at an early age, “when I was nine years old and participated in a summer dance program,” she says, explaining: “Creativity and wellness are intertwined, and you have to feel good to create.” According to Badu, Bali is “one of the best places to breathe and heal.”

The artist is a certified Reiki instructor, a doula, and a longtime vegan and holistic health practitioner. As the mother of three children, Mars, Puma, and Seven, ages 15 to 25, she says, “Everything my kids saw was part of instilling wellness in me.” For Badu, wellness means spending time outdoors in the sunshine, connecting with nature, moving, practicing breathing and meditation (“being quiet and with yourself”), and putting “the right kind of healthy foods” into her body.

Wellness is all about change, self-discovery, honesty and growth, she says, which makes sense for someone who is constantly evolving creatively, artistically and personally. Badu enjoys sharing her deep knowledge and experience with others, as she plans to do at Bali’s Merasa Wellness Festival. “It’s only after you’ve practiced something for 10 or 20 years that you start to have faith in it,” she says. “Now is the perfect time to bring out the best in yourself and share it.”

“Bali has a kind of vortex, a gravitational pull of energy,” Badu says. “We have the opportunity to share our therapies and tools with so many people there. I’m so happy to be part of a community that feels the same way I do about life and lifting.”