KC Counts speaks with Janet Jones of Elite Events about the variety of wellness options available at Saturday's event. There are a limited number of scholarships available to attend which can be applied for via the 2025 Wellness Event's Facebook page.
KC:
So let's talk about the Wellness Expo that's coming up and why you decided to put this together.
Janet:
I was with a good friend of mine, Melissa Marie, and she is a doula and we were just talking about people's mental health needs and how difficult it is. Like after COVID, right, and so I know the doulas wanted to grow and just get in community with other people that wanted to figure out their own wellness through a holistic type of lens and that's how it came about. We were like, well, let's just bring all these orgs together and see how we can create something, and oh my God, it was beautiful. And now, everyone's like, you can't, like, not do it. You have to do it every year. So here we are. This is year #2. We're still focused on wellness; we're still focused on community outreach and providing services that are holistic, that can make people feel good because everyone's so stressed.
KC:
You mentioned kind of starting with the doulas, and I think sometimes we have a kind of a one-track mind about what that is. But there's all kinds of doulas. Which types did you bring into the fold?
Janet:
So we had, we had a lot of midwives there, we did have childcare, but there was one doula I remember meeting and learning about. She's going for a death doula. So if you have, like, a death in your family, they show up, they help you get out of bed, etc. I know of a sickness doula like if you're diagnosed with cancer, they will go with you to your appointment because you know it's just such a difficult time. You know, there are abortion doulas and, you know, childbirth. And I, my son and my daughter-in-law, actually, have used a doula to help them. They're young parents and so we're grateful.
KC:
Talk to me about other areas of Wellness that you brought together for this particular event.
Janet:
So this one we are very, very proud we have Judy Harmon. She's an herbalist. She runs Harmony House on Mesquite St. and it's all natural herbs. Natural healing. And so I'm super excited to have her. We have Doctor Deb Thorne. She's going to be talking about psychedelic mushrooms and how you can use that to heal yourself...
KC:
And that's something that just in the state legislature we got through the legislative process following in the footsteps of a few other states so far on that front. So it's very interesting, very interesting topic and and then let me apologize for jumping in there on that, but please continue.
Janet:
Yeah. We have a doula by the name of Taz Tampoi. She's going to be doing sonatic archaeology. We have doctor Nancy Thomas. She's doing a networking lunch and she is the director of the New Mexico Doula Association. And then we'll be closing out with City Councilwoman and Mayor, mayor Pro Tem Johana Bencomo. And she's coming in from a Wellness perspective on mental health. She is constantly being attacked on social media and I just had a really near and dear conversation like how and where do you get the strength. And so she's gonna come in and talk to us about that and I'm super excited.
KC:
And give us the nuts and bolts of when and where.
Janet:
OK. So it's April 5th at Hotel Encanto. First session starts at 9:00 AM. Registration will open at 8:30 AM. We have social work CVUS available for those social workers that need them. You can also pay with HSA and FSA card. It has been approved that it is a Wellness event.
KC:
You know, I think people are looking for ways, new ways, things they haven't tried before that might help with just whether it's basic stress from work and family challenges, whatever the cause is, I think there's myriad ways to destress that most of us haven't tried before. Janet, can you kind of talk about maybe something that folks might be exposed to at the Wellness event that maybe you had never tried before, but that you found was really effective for you? Maybe you can offer some examples.
Janet:
So, one of the ones that I had never done before and we did last year and she will actually have a breakout session was CR Marufo and she does a sound bath and I would have never thought that that was something that would call me and it was like the best.
