If improving your health, wellness and overall happiness are on your agenda and you need a little guidance on ways to improve your self-care, don’t miss the 13th Annual Wellness Expo hosted by Georgian Court University this Saturday, April 13, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Casino Building.
The Wellness Expo is FREE and open to the public and features a combination of indoor workshops and outdoor activity sessions featuring wellness practices every thirty minutes presented by experts in the field. There will also be a wellness vendor fair showcasing close to 50 local businesses.
Topics include energy therapy, healing inflammation, mindful munching, Chinese medicine (Qigong), gender revolution, hospice evolution, and the science of happiness. Attendees can also participate in gentle grounding yoga, shamanic drumming, Shinrinyoku (forest bathing) and sound bath meditation.
GCU’s Department of Integrative Health & Exercise Science coordinates the Expo which was created in 2012 to promote community wellness through education and activities. “We want to connect the community intergenerationally, cross-culturally and beyond the lines of different disciplines – bringing human touch and connections back to the community,” said Expo Organizer Sachiko Komagata, an Associate Professor and Director of Integrative Health at GCU.
The Expo is a campus-wide event that draws faculty, staff, and student volunteers from across all GCU schools. Over the years, students in Visual Arts, Graphic Design and Digital Media have designed the program cover. Health Science and Health Profession Studies majors contributed health education and advocacy flyers. Exercise Science majors have offered fitness screenings, and members of student organizations like the Social Work Club also volunteer. While many contribute just to help, students can gain service-learning hours, and Exercise Science majors can apply their experiences as part of the Exercise Testing and Prescriptions classrooms and lab.
Alumna Jennifer Cacciarelli, who earned an MA in Integrated Health, is an active Expo Volunteer. “The Expo is an enjoyable event where community and like-minded people can come together,” said Cacciarelli, a Wellness Coach and Educator who specializes in Lifestyle Medicine and Integrative Health in Monmouth and Ocean County. “My passion is empowering people to create overall wellness in their lives and being a part of this event is giving back to a program and department that models my beliefs,” said Cacciarelli.
Her connections also helped facilitate the participation of more than a dozen National Honor Society Students from Howell High School who volunteered last year and plan to do so again. “This experience not only helps NHS students fulfill their volunteer hours but gets them to highlight their strengths and take ownership over their involvement,” noted Cacciarelli. “I watched students use their talents to enhance our event and they not only grew as individuals but quickly learned to work as a team.”
According to Professor Komagata, the Expo is a great way to give back to the community and showcase all the Mercy Core Values: integrity, respect, service, justice, and compassion.
“We sincerely welcome everyone and visitors who come back yearly have told us that we treat them and one another with respect and compassion. We show our integrity by offering scholarly sound and up-to-date workshops that are tailored to all people. This event is not possible without the service each of us contribute to make this community outreach possible,” she added.
For more information about the workshops, speakers, schedule and vendors visit: https://georgian.edu/event/annual-wellness-expo/
