Where is the best place for health and wellness gurus, yogis and world-renowned body, mind and soul experts to gather? That would be the Sun Valley Wellness Festival that kicked off the evening of May 23 and concluded May 27, 2013. Gaining momentum, the event has nearly doubled in attendance since 2010 and is a great boost for the Wood River Valley. About 55 percent of ticket sales were to people from outside the local area.
Keynote speaker Dr. Eben Alexander, author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife, hosted a sold out event on Friday night. All together, about 50 presenters and movement specialists were part of the event. Local raw food aficionado and nutritionist Molly Brown, owner of Glow Live Food Café, hosted Spiritual Nutrition. The Forbes sisters, Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes, led a presentation about clearing out the negative energy in the home to make rooms for dreams to come true.
For patrons who wanted to connect more physically, there were about 10 various movement classes taught by local and visiting yoga instructors. Beth Stuart led a Sweaty Honey Flow class that was invigorating and challenging. Pilar Tumolo, Lauri Bunting, Cathie Caccia, Jessica Kisiel and Richard Odom guided students through meditation, poses and breathing in classes such as Detox Vinyasa, Yoga and Awareness and Becoming the Breath. Tommy Rosen, a notable yoga and addiction recovery expert from Venice, California, taught Kundalini Yoga and Meditation.
The festival category "Next Generation Wellness" piqued my interest and I focused on a particular speaker, Christine Hassler, from Los Angeles, California. Hassler is a Life Coach, author, blogger and overall high achiever. Her presentation, "Relationships 2.0: Upgrade the LOVE in Your Life" was revealing and relevant to the category. The class was packed with people of all ages in various relationship standings from single-and-looking to married-and-happy. Most couples will find themselves in one of five relationship categories, according to Hassler. No matter your status, it is important to know what kind of relationship you are in and in what direction it is going.
So how does a couple make a relationship last? According to Hassler’s presentation, it is important for each person in the relationship to understand how the other thinks. Men for instance, she says, compartmentalize their thinking meaning they sort and pay attention to one thing at a time. Women on the other hand do many things at once, and they are good at multitasking. The problem occurs when one assumes the other thinks like him or her.
Hassler also discussed the importance of balancing and maintaining the masculine and feminine energy in any relationship. Both men and women radiate some level of each, but it varies among individuals. Hassler has studied the teachings of other experts such as David Deida and Alison Armstrong and incorporated her own experiences to help others. Hassler writes a weekly blog on related topics and her most recent book, 20 Something Manifesto, is written for both men and women and talks about Expectation Hangovers® —Hassler’s trademarked term for what people experience when things don’t go as planned.
Helping others is what the Sun Valley Wellness Festival is about. Whether that be sharing experiences as a speaker or leading a group of students through a yoga class as a teacher, there is something for everyone to learn or to take from this festival. For those who stuck around this Memorial Day Weekend, they enjoyed an event that was truly special.
