How do we practice wellness? This is a conversation I've been having with myself for months, maybe even years. Is it self care? Is it healthcare? Is it knowing yourself? Is it exercise, eating, drinking, talking, laughing, listening, feeling, sleeping, silence? Yes. I think it is all of it. But more importantly, it is finding out which of those things makes you well. But not in a way that hides or covers up pain or the ugly parts, but in a way that exposes and heals. Helps you feel whole. So how do we practice wellness? I think it is a practice of listening and learning. Listening to our own needs and learning what tools and practices help us to love ourselves more and feel ourselves more. For me it has been trusting doctors, trusting myself, working with naturopaths and reiki healers. It has been massage and therapy and walking and journaling and sleeping and science. It has been connecting with a medium to feel my son on the other side and digging into childhood trauma and learning what foods my body needs. It’s a journey that only years of getting it wrong and deep listening, can morph into feeling right. Practicing wellness is about loving yourself enough to care about you. Our guest contributor, Melissa Pachak, is deeply dedicated to the wellness of you, of me, of us. The FM Wellness Collective has created a community of wellness that provides connection and compassion wherever we are in our wellness.
Healing Together: A Revolution in Community Wellness and Connection
By Melissa Pachak, Founder of FM Wellness Collective and Simply Well
I see many people seeking more health and wellness support than just from the traditional medical system, feeling like the care they are receiving isn't fully meeting their needs. This growing sentiment is leading many to explore other modalities for their healing.
It's time for a cultural revolution in our community, a move towards greater wellness that could ripple outwards, impacting the world and our society in profound ways.
This vision propelled the creation of the FM Wellness Collective.
FM Wellness Collective was born out of a sense of isolation I felt as a solo wellness entrepreneur. I am a holistic nutritionist, herbalist, wellness coach, and energy worker. I strive to utilize all of these modalities to help women heal from the constant busyness that our society has placed us, but I recognize that the personal healing journey can only take you so far. We need to heal as a community. Like many, I found myself spending endless hours in my office, creating Canva handouts, providing one on one coaching, and managing numerous tasks, all while craving real, authentic community and connection. The realization that many other practitioners felt the same isolation highlighted the need for a collective space. The FM Wellness Collective was designed to fill this gap, creating a community where wellness professionals could come together, support each other, and thrive.
The idea was to create a community where we could become a beacon of wellness for all those individuals looking to improve their lives. We wanted to spotlight the incredible practitioners in our community who are doing amazing work.
The goal is to shine a light on their efforts and provide a space where community members can find the support they need on their wellness journey. One of the primary missions of the FM Wellness Collective is to create a robust network of support for wellness practitioners through our wellness networking events and personal and professional development workshops. We know that supporting someone's healing journey often requires referring them to other practitioners who offer different modalities. This collective approach creates opportunities for collaboration to more fully address a person's wellness needs.
The FM Wellness Collective provides a space for wellness professionals to share each other's struggles, challenges, and wins. It's a network designed to foster mutual support and encouragement among practitioners, recognizing that our combined efforts are vital in the overarching goal of community wellness.
Accessibility is another cornerstone of our mission. By creating a supportive network of practitioners, we aim to make wellness services more readily available to everyone in the community. We envision a future where people can easily find and utilize the wellness services they need, regardless of their circumstances.
This accessibility isn't just about physical proximity or financial affordability; it's about creating an environment where people feel supported and empowered to seek out the wellness practices that work best for them.
To further this goal, we've developed an online Practitioner Dashboard. This digital platform provides community members with easy access to a directory of wellness professionals, helping them find the right practitioner for their specific needs.
Impactful community events are at the heart of what we do because we believe they create real change in a community. One of our most exciting initiatives is the launching of Fargo Wellness Week—a week-long celebration of wellness in our community. It kicks off May 28th from 4:00-7:30, with a party at Inspire Health and Wellness Spa featuring live music, food trucks, and outdoor yoga.
In addition, we're organizing FM Well Fest, a vibrant wellness bash to bring freshness and vitality to our community. This will take place on Thursday, May 30th, from 4-8 PM at Brewhalla. This family-friendly event will include everything from a kids' yoga workshop to collaborative songwriting and sound healing demonstrations.
Over 30 practitioners will provide services and share their incredible offerings to enhance our community's wellness.
FM Well Fest is designed to be a fresh and vibrant event that appeals to everyone interested in improving their well-being. Unlike many wellness events that might feel a bit too far on the "woo" side, this event is inclusive and accessible to all. It's a celebration of wellness for the whole family, and we invite everyone to join us in this journey towards a healthier, happier community.
The impact of this collective approach to wellness can be far-reaching. When a community embraces a holistic view of health, it influences all aspects of society. From better mental health outcomes to increased productivity and a more profound sense of community belonging, the benefits are manifold.
But the change doesn't stop at the community level. By becoming a beacon of wellness, the FM Wellness Collective can inspire other communities to adopt similar models, creating a broader cultural shift towards wellness. This ripple effect has the potential to touch lives far beyond our immediate vicinity, fostering a global movement towards a more holistic and inclusive approach to health.
As we move forward, we invite everyone—wellness practitioners and community members alike—to join us in this journey. Whether you're looking for support in your wellness practice, seeking new modalities for your healing journey, or simply interested in being part of a community that values holistic health, the FM Wellness Collective welcomes you.
Together, we can create a cultural revolution in wellness. We can become a beacon that shines a light on the incredible work being done in our community and helps spread the benefits of holistic health practices far and wide.
Let's come together to support each other, share our knowledge and experiences, and build a community that prioritizes wellness in all its forms. Join the FM Wellness Collective and be a part of this exciting journey towards a healthier, happier world.
-Melissa
Melissa Pachak
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