Dayton Wellness Collective

How the Dayton Wellness Collective was birthed into the world

A lot of beautiful things happen at brunches. The magical feeling of reconnecting with friends. Savory crispy potatoes paired with bright citrus tinged bubbles. And for us, one lovely October Saturday afternoon, the first spark of an idea that eventually became the Dayton Wellness Collective. 

It was Fall of 2023 and we were packed into an oversized booth chatting, cackling, and reveling in each other’s company. After everyone’s updates, the conversation drifted to a more existential question (as it tends to do in our circle of friends) : What do we think is our soul’s purpose here on Earth? It was a deeply reflective question, and the energy of the table shifted to a sacred safe space. Ashley shared that her deep love for Ayurveda felt like her calling; to be able to pass along the wealth of knowledge that she’s accumulated over the years. Emily reflected on how her life-changing yoga retreat in Peru had inspired her to host workshops abroad – lighting the fire of passion and curiosity in others that would transcend them into a higher version of themselves. I had mentioned my dream of creating several wellness centers- starting local and then eventually branching out (my last 20 years as a hospital RN illuminated how desperately that is needed here and beyond) The rest of the group shared their aspirations to a circle of excited, encouraging faces and then we concluded with a toast to the manifestation of these beautiful dreams. But as the conversation moved on, my thoughts lingered. I sipped the rest of my bubbles as my mind started turning. What if the three of us teamed up to lay the groundwork required to bring these dreams into reality? And if not now, when?

The time passed sweetly as late morning gave way to early afternoon. Checks were delivered, promises were made for the next brunch date, and warm swaying hugs were shared. I asked Emily and Ashley if they had time to see my newly acquired photography studio, and one enthusiastic yes later, we made our way across town. My studio was in an old industrial building that had been slowly converted into a creative haven for local artisans over the last four decades. Ashley and Emily stepped inside and looked around at the high ceiling with massive wood beams, the old creaky wooden floors, the enormous bookend windows. Their eyes widened with excitement.

“We could start with mini workshops!” 

“I could do an Ayurvedic Cooking Class!”

“We could offer a spectrum of wellness classes!”

“Who knows a yoga teacher that would fit this vibe?”

And so a spark became an idea. A few months later, in January of 2024, we debuted our very first wellness workshop- New Year, New She. We featured Breathwork, Yoga, and Ayurvedic Mini Classes. It was exciting, it was FREEZING (seriously it was so cold in my studio we could literally see our breath), and it was beautifully motivating. It was an insane amount of work to prepare and host a workshop. But we loved getting the opportunity to share our education, expertise, time, and energy with everyone in attendance. And the reception we received felt so genuine and warm, it completely lit up our insides. The enthusiasm that fills your soul when you feel fully aligned with your life’s path feels… effervescent. And for us, that first experience (though riddled with learning curves) felt like we had arrived at the trail head, eager to explore what this journey had in store for us.

We organized three more workshops and several events for the first half of 2024. We introduced some new faces to the DWC, hosted some incredible guest presenters, and wrapped up the first half of the year with a summer solstice event. But our busy lives got busier, especially over the summer. Kids were home from school, vacations and trips were scheduled, and we all still had our full time jobs. In July we decided that, due to the busy nature of the second half of the year, it would be best to pause and regroup for 2025. And so, in the second half of 2024 I did quite a bit of reflecting. There were still some pressing questions for this Collective and our objective. One of which being: what is wellness? 

The ‘wellness industry’ has ballooned to a 6.8 TRILLION market value in 2025. From culturally appropriating indigenous practices to glamourizing routines for the ultra privileged, the top tier of the market, unsurprisingly, catered to their shareholders by commodifying wellness. Wellness influencers pranced around their homesteads raking in tons of viewers (and tons of cash) and further painted a very narrow (and unattainable) picture of what health and wellness should look like- giving viewers insatiable longing instead of the healing balm that actual wellness education should provide. Experts who were drawing on traditional methods for health and wellness were often discredited by major corporations who seemed to prefer the status quo: health and wellness are a privilege only accessible through a subscription based model. It seemed pretty clear to me that in order to distinguish ourselves from this late-stage capitalist approach to wellness, we needed to define our mission.

“We, as a culture, are untethered” I would frequently reflect while chatting about wellness with others. Our culture is lightning fast, highly distracted, frequently under-resourced, and disconnected from our planet. I wanted to create a space and an experience that felt grounding. A place to remember how to reconnect, with our heart, mind, body, soul, the seasons, the Earth, each other. A place of healing. And the tether that could bring us from the stratosphere of technological dissociation down to the present moment? Grounding practices. It was clear, then, that the common thread that we had weaved into all of our offerings, workshops, and events were the multifaceted aspects of grounding. Eventually sorted and organized into 5 different aspects, we now had a touchstone for our Collective; that wellness is supported and nourished by grounding.

2025 came, and with it the birth of Resista – meetings that would feature a grounding practice as well as a community activist. The year started with a country in upheaval, a flurry of massive change enacted from an administration built on fear, classism, and racism. Friends and family were all desperate to help, terrified of the backwards trajectory of our country. We started showcasing a local hero who could share what they were doing to make our community a better place and how we could help them. 

We hosted several amazing workshops and community events and were able to extend our outreach to local businesses and non profits that were featured throughout the year. I loved networking with other groups in the area, opening up our doors and merging our growing communities. It was truly starting to feel like a Collective.

And now here we are knocking on the doors of 2026. I’ve almost completed the line up for January – June and feel so thankful to still be holding this space for folx. I’m looking forward to our new monthly features, showcasing a local practitioner or expert who shares our mission. I’m eager to schedule more Resista meetings, community events, and wellness workshops. We hold so much gratitude for all of you who have attended one of our events, brought a friend to the next one, shared with your circle, or followed on social media. We wouldn’t be here without you and we are so incredibly honored to have so many beautiful souls along with us on this journey. 

– Carolyn