On Saturday, November 1, 2008 The Saint Johnsbury Academy Field House hosted the First Annual Health and Wellness Expo co-sponsored by the Saint Johnsbury Academy Field House and the Integrative Therapy Institute and local area practitioners. This event also raised over $472 money and 267 items of food for the Kingdom Community Services Food Shelf in Saint Johnsbury. The donations were received by Ted Merchant of Saint Johnsbury, Vermont. The Kingdom Community Services helps coordinate the food baskets that are put together by Saint Johnsbury Academy Students during the holidays.

The Health Fair is a day “to increase awareness of a healthy living in our community," according to organizer and Director at Integrative Therapy Institute, Jean O’Neil. She said that “We are looking at the future of medicine, because true healing comes through many doors. Whole health can be accomplished when there is successful communication with all of the patient’s providers and practitioners.” The event also provided free entertainment by local comedian & musician Bob Wolk of Glover, VT. Not only did the fair receive a good public turnout, the fair also gained assistance from 30 different health care providers. Jim Hutchins of Saint Johnsbury Academy said, “For a first run, this day was a success.”

Every health care provider at the fair provided services or information for the guests Services included massage by Maryann Gummere (Saint Johnsbury) and Darcie Shedd (Bethlehem, NH). There was also a bodyworker, Rahn Bouffard from Satori Studio in Barre. Other forms of therapeutic practices such as Reiki were prominent during the expo. “Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy.” So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy." (www.reiki.org) Reiki was administered by The Crow Sisters (Sandra Barrett, Sali Tetreault & Corey Raynor), and independent local practitioners Phoebe Sol (Newbury), Nancy Gonyaw (Hardwick), and Susan Sanders (Saint Johnsbury).

There were free physical assessments and bodywork by the Ben McCormick’s (PT) team from Northern Physical Therapy of Lyndonville. Northern Vermont Regional Hospital also had a booth staffed by Betsy Merrill (Medical Librarian) that advertised the hospital’s health & wellness programs. Other businesses that took part in the Health Fair included Amy Wheeler of The Acupuncture Works (Barnet), Susan Sanders of Willoughby Reflexology (Westmore), Magdalene Miller of Four Life Aromatherapy (Saint Johnsbury),  Patty Younce (Cabot) and John Young (East Haven) with a Yoga Clinic, and Leslie Shields (Walden) who provided Circle Dancing.

As part of the Mind, Body & Spirit theme for this expo, in attendance at the event was Reverend Brendan Hadash and Church Board Members Chris Brimmer from the Saint Johnsbury Unitarian Universalist Church, Maria Pawlowski of Joy Way Spiritual Readings (Saint Johnsbury), Nan Kenney (Peacham) of Lumiere Life Coaching & Quantum Biofeedback, the Northeast Kingdom Psychotherapists group (with Sarah Demetry & Deborah Goldberg). Deborah, who is a local psychologist, also had information at her booth for the Saint Johnsbury Food Coop and the Community Links Brochure. 

Vendors providing food, coffee, and wares, who are also vendors at the Saint Johnsbury Farmer’s Market, were Yves Morrisette & Rob Larabee of Vermont Kingdom Coffee Roaster (VKCR, McIndoe Falls), Sharon Eustace, & Judy Brown Market Café & Catering (Saint Johnsbury) and Donna from Ellery’s Old Red Store (McIndoe Falls), who sold crystals and jewelry. Yves and Rob from VKCR both said that “This is great; we need to have something like this every year to bring the community together when the Farmer’s Market shuts down for the winter.” The Saint Johnsbury Academy Field House and the Integrative Therapy Institute would like to thank all present for the success of the expo. Talk about the next expo is underway. If you would like to receive information on being an exhibitor or to get notifications of the next event please call 802-748-3400 x 2 or visit www.integrativetherapyinstitute.com

More pictures to come!