Wellness is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “The quality or state of being in good health as an actively sought goal.” Dominican Hospital Foundation Board members have taken this principle to heart with the recent establishment of The Women of Wellness (WoW) Council, borrowing an idea from a similar successful program. The winter issue of Focus on Wellness magazine stated that over 75 years ago when the hospital was founded by the Adrian Dominican sisters, their ongoing intention was to improve women’s services.
Membership is composed of women pledging to make an annual donation of $1,000 for the privilege of examining and improving health issues in our community. To date, there are 55 members, and the hope is to gain a total of 100 women in the first year. Allison Niday, WoW Chair, says “The goal will be to encourage a broad range of women to help chart the course for the future with regard to women’s health needs.”
Toby Alexander, Vice Chair, feels that there now is a greater need to be active in keeping and increasing services to women and children. She says, “The women of this group have the opportunity to put our money in an area of our choosing. We will learn a lot more about the hospital, what it offers our community as well as get to know some interesting like-minded women.”
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Council member Carolyn Hyatt, actor, playwright, and well-known community benefactor is also impressed by the fact that donors have a say in how their money is delegated. “So often the funds you donate are spent with nothing more than your general permission/acceptance. With WoW, these involved women are not only donating, but learning where monies are really needed. Tours are coming up for the group to learn about the different departments of the hospital and to see how best they can help with the funds available.”
Another local group dedicated to wellness is the Natural Healers Network of Santa Cruz, made up of holistic practitioners gathering monthly to inform, inspire and share ideas. Meetings begin with a guided meditation followed by an expert guest speaker. Members are practitioners with known modalities like reiki, massage, yoga or acupressure plus others who are not as mainstream, including sound healing, plant spirit medicine, healing touch, bio-resonance therapy, feng shui, and holistic chefs. Trades for services are offered among members and the group Facebook page is available for announcements and requests. I offered my proofing and editing services for trade with integrative energetic healer Maggie Wilson while I was suffering from vertigo. She performed a specific treatment tailored to balance and fortify my energy system and to ground me. Coincidence or not, I felt so much better after the 20-minute treatment and my vertigo subsided. wilsonmaggie85@gmail.com
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Elizabeth Jones, pioneer and founder of The College of Botanical Healing Arts in Capitola, a non-profit organization founded in 1997 also deserves recognition. She is an educator, healer, and advocate of the use of essential oils in integrative medicine.
She served on the education committee at Alliance for International Aromatherapy, working towards regulating national standards of aromatherapy education.
Along with husband and chemist Larry Jones, she established Elizabeth Van Buren Inc., producing a line of botanical products used by 24 hospitals nationwide. Graduates of the College of Botanical Healing Arts train hospital nurses in the proper use of oils for the therapeutic well being of patients.
The state of wellness and wellbeing is alive and thriving in our county. This belief is supported by my own Dignity Health/Dominican physician, a certified family specialist. He says, “We have an abundance of holistic practitioners and our numerous local farms provide healthy, organic food for all. Because of the incredible beauty of our environment, like-minded- people want to live here!”
Dominican Hospital Foundation 462-7712
Natural Healers Network of Santa Cruz www.facebook.com/events/246998...
College of Botanical Healing Arts 462-1807