Manchester Alum's Soulsational Festival Oozes Positive Vibes

Michelle Leonard's life revolves around sowing the seeds of positivity — in her family, in her community and any place she can possibly shine that light.

Positive thinking, after all, is one of the things she credits for getting her through the difficulties of battling the effects of Lyme disease, which left her legally blind and paralyzed from the waist down during her teenage years.

It wasn't just positivity that got her through, however; alternative medicine and healing methods, sought out by her parents when traditional Western medicine was giving Leonard no relief, changed her life.

It is the drive to share both with others that prompted the Beachwood resident and Manchester Township High School graduate to start a local one-day festival to bring people together for food and fun, while also giving them a chance to check out things they may not have considered when it comes to health and wellness.

On Saturday, Leonard's creation, the Soulsational Festival, will fill Veterans Park in Berkeley Township with music and yoga, food covering the spectrum from hotdogs and fries to gluten-free and vegan offerings.

The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is 100 percent volunteer run, Leonard said. Sponsorships and donations cover the operating costs, and the musicans and yoga instructors do not charge. Attendees are asked to bring donations of food for a local food pantry, or school supplies for children in need, or toys or holiday gifts for needy childen.

"This is meant to be a fun, family event," she said as she worked on final preparations for the event. "It's a vacation in your backyard."

The festival features live music, local health and wellness businesses and practitioners, giveaways, a silent auction, plus inflatables, pony rides and the typical fair food, along with "lots of opportunities to give back and unite the Jersey Shore community," she writes in the official news release about the event. Soulsational is sponsored and organized by Alternative Health Solutions of NJ and www.MichelleALeonard.com. This year's event also sponsored by Berkeley Township Recreation, The Zen Den, Shore Pointe Chiropractic, Weather NJ, and Glen Kelly Real Estate.

Soulsational "was created to honor, share, and explore the many healing modalities, practitioners, organizations, and businesses devoted to health and wellness right here on the Jersey Shore," Leonard's news release notes.

"I wanted a different way to reach more people," she said. With traditional health fairs it can be hard to reach people who aren't focused on a health issue or who aren't actively pursuing that lifestyle. The goal of Soulsational is to make it comfortably accessible, to allow people to explore things they have been curious about in a low-key way.

The event also promotes local businesses.

"We offer a unique interactive family experience for all those in attendance," Leonard said. "We together hope to motivate and inspire our community to find what brings them health and greater happiness while creating lifelong memories."

"We are being the change we want to see in the world," she said.

For Leonard, it is her personal experiences that motivate her to share the various avenues to pursue healing. She contracted Lyme disease at the age of 12, back in 1988, when Lyme disease was still somewhat unknown; 4, 572 cases of the illness were reported that year across the country, according to federal Centers for Disease Control. The bacteria had a severe impact her life: it left the middle school student legally blind and paralyzed from the waist down.

"The Lyme had gotten into my spinal cord," said Leonard, who lived in Manchester at the time. "I was legally blind until I was 22."

Leonard also was battling juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Frustrated with traditional Western medicine, she and her parents met with a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, Leonard said. Diet, detoxification, and herbs, along wih a combination of hypnotism, acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic care and physical therapy that included horseback riding finally helped her heal.

"It took a lot of patience and positive thinking," Leonard said. And determination. That determination led to her graduating from Manchester in 1994, then earning a pre-med degree from the College of Saint Elizabeth, all as she fought through the illnesses that plagued her.

"It was very slow coming back. It definitely was a journey," Leonard said. Soulsational "is my way of giving back."

Leonard, who is an advanced certified clinical hypnotist, said Soulsational started small with 75 vendors in 2011 and has grown organically since, to 150 vendors. About 5,000 people attended last year, she said.

"This is put together 100 percent by moms," she said. "We're promoting art, local musicians, and highlighting small businesses. We're providing income to families in our cmmmunities in a positive environment."

"It's just a family friendly event surrounded by health and wellness," she said. "We are planting the seeds."

"It's all about being positive and letting people make their own paths," she said.

Leonard said there are still moments she deals with issues but they are minimized by the healthier choices she makes.

"I'm the best me I can be," she said. She didn't always share the story of her health journey, but Leonard said she has begun to share it more so others can see there is hope. "Even if you have a chronic illness, you can strive to be the best you that you can be," she said.

The "30-ring circus," as she describes it, includes entertainment on two stages, numerous free group classes, a kids' village, an art gallery, poets corner and live demonstrations.

Some featured vendors include Hannah Mary Reiki, Move N Art Relaxation, Hot or Not Yoga, The Meaningful Mala, and Green Banana Wellness and more. The event will be rounded off with interactive exhibits, healthy food options and organic and local beer, and with numerous planned activities.

See the class schedule below:

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Photos by Michelle Leonard, published with permission