I am Imani Joye, founder of HURU. Here’s my story.

Blue. Not the blue that defines the classic, democratized denim trend which has served as an expression of individualism. Not the eye color that once symbolized a “superior” race and oppressed tens of millions in a tragic world war. Not even the daughter of one of the most powerful and influential individuals in the world. Blue is merely the color of the sky. One that many have finally had the opportunity to see for the first time in more than six years.

A bit about me.

I am Imani Joye Sanders Samuels, born and bred in Charlotte, North Carolina to two loving parents. I am married to my dear husband and we have two beautiful, brilliant black girls, Paz & Noire.

Despite my contentment with life, I found myself retreating each morning to meditate on the beauty of waking up. I carved out this time because my spirit was broken and my mind was fried. In an effort to launch one of the most revolutionary social change loyalty platforms in the world, I pushed myself to work all day, averaging an unsustainable amount of hours per week, all while trying to cultivate two little girls with a partner whose demands are legitimately among the most critical in the nation.

Each day, my soul nearly crippled. I forced myself to push through despite acknowledging that my body was craving rest. It became so debilitating that the concept of freedom felt far from reality. I read articles, literature and devotions about how to tackle stress, reclaim joy, and not give a *expletive.* It didn’t work.

Then one day, I went cold turkey and stopped working at 3 a.m. I still woke up, with an urge to get up and be productive, but instead of working, I just laid there and breathed. Sometimes slowly, sometimes anxiously.

It was at that point that I knew the antidote for the compound burnout accrued from my 14-year run at a career, was nothing more than rest.

I am not alone.

In a hyper-capitalist, commerce-dependent, high-performing society, it is challenging to navigate through life with adequate rest. Not the type of sleep deprivation one might acquire upon bringing a newborn into the world. Rather true, authentic rest. The kind of rest that allows clarity, discovery and affirmation.

Americans have diminished our value as running an endless, self-defeating, pointless pursuit, affectionately referred to as the “rat race.” We’ve also rekindled a motivation of status, ego and money that inform how we allocate every second of every day, chronically over-connected, perpetuating the imbalance of work and life. This epidemic is agnostic of age, race, sex and income.

There have been phenomenal gains across a variety of industries as a result of our incentivized workaholic culture, but we have lost the ability to understand our drivers, identify our passions and groom our dreams. We’ve lost our freedom.

The Huru spirit.

I am excited to scale that long-lost freedom for humans around the city, in a meaningful, counter-culture way. Our purpose is to create the sacred space where individuals can rest in the heart of the country, Washington, D.C. Introducing Huru, Swahili for “free.”

God made it abundantly clear that I needed to pursue a path that curates a sensible rest experience. In this spirit, Huru‘s mission is to help you discover (or rediscover) inner-peace through rest, and adopt the practice in your life.

Our lofty vision.

When each of us take full reign over our emotional wellbeing, we collectively become postured to institute peace in our local communities, state and federal governments, and, ultimately, global industries. This is the modernization of peace-building, and rest is the prerequisite — one individual at a time. We are interdependent on each other to extend grace and embrace peace.

When introduced appropriately, the state of inaction has the power to free us from some of the most grave societal ills, and foster an incomparable peace of mind and spirit. It is our belief that once we transition into a mindset of rest, so much can be revealed. Its illuminating attributes are precisely the intention for you and each of our guests.

While I am saddened by the millions of lives lost due to COVID-19, I am grateful that factories have been mandated to temporarily shut down - because, now, our friends around the globe are finally able to see that the sky is blue.

Welcome to Huru.