A little bit about the creation of the Dayton Wellness Collective
The Dayton Wellness Collective was birthed into existence in Autumn of 2023. Some of you may have heard us tell the story of how the concept was created at a Dayton brunch get-together (that is absolutely true – a beautiful testament to the power of champagne and a *spritz* of OJ in the morning). But it wasn’t just the mimosas that sprang us into existence. It was an accumulation of many elements that we were all feeling. We all had a deep desire to share our knowledge in our chosen fields with our community. We wanted to find and create really vibey spaces in which to do so. And we wanted to merge our careers with a life-long passion project that felt aligned with our soul. But perhaps the biggest driving factor that propelled us forward to launch this Collective could probably be summed up by three of our favorite c words – connection, community, and curiosity.
Connection: I’ve been an RN in Dayton for over 18 years. What started as a fascination with the science of the mind and body turned into a stark realization – healthcare in America is void of a driving force that keeps the heart, mind and soul in a state of wellness- connection. We, as a country, are starved for actual connection. Although tech has greatly served us in some areas of our life, it has robbed us of that element that kept us feeling human – a steady dose of connecting with our thoughts, our environment, other people. We want to be a resource that helps empower people to generate their own wellness plans through facilitating connection – with our heart, our mind, our body, our food, the Earth, the seasons, and our community by relearning the wisdom of our ancestors.
Community: For much of our history, a community was something one was born into. Perhaps it was a village, a large sprawling farm family, or an affiliation with an organization of some sort. It served it’s purpose – we relied on one another more for daily life. In modern times however, with all of our technological advances, we are no longer living in community, but in a silo of our own making. It’s no surprise that we are reaching staggering new heights of a loneliness epidemic in our country. But a silver lining is that we have the option to be more selective when finding our chosen community. It is no longer something we are born into but rather something we must seek out and/or create for ourselves. Studies have shown that friendship and community helps you live a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life. And because the topics covered in our wellness workshops address a myriad of things that help people live a longer and healthier life, facilitating it in a warm space of a circle seemed to align perfectly with our vision.
Curiosity: In an age where we are subject to the echo chambers of our chosen social media – it can be easy to lose the beautiful quality of curiosity – the desire to learn something new, unusual, or slightly different from our previous perspective. We feel that a healthy dose of curiosity can leave our minds open to new topics, ideas, paradigms, and more. And what better way to feed your curiosity than with a community of kind individuals that are drawn to feeling more connected?
We are thrilled to be here, and thrilled that you are here too. We hope that this content, our workshops, and are general vibe help serve you in some way. In times like these, it’s imperative that we come together and lean in. Our hearts and souls deserve it.
-Carolyn
Dayton Wellness Collective 