W.E.L.L. Summit 2016

If you follow me on any of my channels, you'll know for sure that I attended the 2nd Annual W.E.L.L. Summit last weekend in New York City! You might also remember how much I gushed about last year's summit and get ready, this year is a lot of the same. Spending time with friends from last year excited me. Making new friends was a goal as well. There were things I was super excited to take part in (Making Mala sesh with Satya Jewelry) but there were sessions that I signed up for that I did not know what to expect, and that's what I love. Really taking stock of where I'm at personally and trying to find the right "track" when choosing what I'll spend time doing. I did not regret one step that I took, except maybe walking to the wrong room a couple times!

Despite the pouring rain and my "delicate" state, I made it in one piece to the Friday VIP lunch with Dig Inn and Steaz, which obviously did not disappoint. I was ready and open to receiving some great messages while also kabitzing with my "tribe"! The ever wonderful and exuberant Sara Divello made sure that we left the lunch with a great outlook on what we could do, because this isn't just a one chapter journey. We can be open to new experiences and people, we just have to let ourselves be. I love her positive attitude and it really set the "mood" for me to allow myself to be open to all that the W.E.L.L. Summit had to offer over the course of two days. It's the type of message you'll need to receive in order to really get the most out of your time with like-minded people.

The opening keynotes were awesome. There was a clean beauty panel as well one on Fair Trade (which were both spot on and thought provoking) but it was Dr Drew Ramsey, who was a complete surprise... but the best kind. He's the type of guy that you'd probably have a laugh with but is so super smart that you can't help but take what he's saying to heart and be encouraged to make changes. I bought his book, Eat Complete and have the goal to make out with him our family healthier, more well-rounded eaters, one meal at a time. He's also suuuuuuper cute, so that didn't hurt things one bit. ;-) He was my "new find" from the W.E.L.L. Summit, hands down.

The second day of the WS was chock full of sessions that it was literally hard to build my schedule. There were certain time slots where I had to flip a coin because I just couldn't decide on my own what would be best for the goals that I had in mind. What I chose ended up being perfect for me. Like I said, I don't regret one step I took. One of my favorite sessions from last year, the wonderful Sacred Beauty Salon with Rebecca Casciano, yet again did not disappoint. I love open discussions about how we view ourselves, what we can do to be more positive and what we can do to uplift one another. I was so blessed to connect with Khaki of Khaki's Bomb Balm in what was another great exercise that Rebecca put out to us. The W.E.L.L. Summit really is all about connecting with people and finding our similarities while celebrating our differences all in the pursuit of personal wellness. I think that making the most out of your time with your people includes taking yourself out of your comfort zone. Whether it's opening up in a session like Rebecca's or attending a Tea Time Chat solo, you really have to put yourself out there to discover more about yourself. I hit up said Tea Time Chat on my own but I had the opportunity to chat with a couple of different fabulous ladies about life and wellness all while looking silly with our Josh Rosebrook facial masks. It really was one of those things where, sure, I could have gone to bed early, because it had been a long day. Instead, I put myself out there and did what I went to NYC to do. (Shout out to Emily of True Moringa for taking a face mask selfie with me and Rishi Tea for giving me all the samples of Blueberry Hibiscus!)

I took some major inspiration from my two days away from the norm and hopping around NYC. You'll see some of it manifesting in the coming weeks because it's really my goal to take the positivity that I harnessed at The W.E.L.L. Summit and spread it around if at all possible. It's tough to keep on a "high" but I'm as determined as ever to keep it going.

Oh and also, sure, the WS swag is great too! Shout outs to Eco Diva Beauty, Organic Bath, Steaz, Rishi Tea, Thoughtfully Magazine , Navitas Naturals and the list goes on because a little swag is always worth mentioning; it's part of the fun isn't it? All this combined makes for one wonderful and worthwhile weekend spent away. I can't wait to gear up for next year, where I'm going to try to recruit family and friends to experience it all with me!

Follow along on the W.E.L.L. Summit Blog to keep up with all the people that are involved with the event, whether they're sponsors, speakers, attendees or even people like me; it truly is a community!  Their social media is a great place to keep updated as well, so be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Will I see you next year?