At the second annual Athabasca Community Wellness Expo Saturday, visitors learned plenty of ways to improve their overall well being.
Held at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex, the Expo showcased all of the wellness-related products and services available in the area, noted this year’s main organizer, Joelle Jackson.
“This started out as a similar event run through Athabasca University and we have since opened it up to the community,” Jackson said, adding that organizers of the event are more than just university staff members and are made up of all kinds of people from the community at large. “The goal is to provide people with exposure to free information about products and services through demonstrations of various wellness related things in Athabasca.”
Jackson said that when the event was run for Athabasca University staff, it focused on five dimensions of wellness: physical, social, emotional/spiritual, intellectual, and occupational/environmental. These five dimensions of wellness are the basis for the Expo.
Products that were showcased included candles and room scents, essential oils and more.
On the health-related side of things, vendors and businesses included weight loss/management programs and products, crystal and gems tables, and meditation magnets. There were also display tables on services provided in the community such as the Athabasca and Area Prevention of Relationship Abuse Action Committee (PRAAC), which supports individuals affected by relationship abuse of all kinds. There were also seminar presentations on things like restful sleep, mindful nutrition, and children and anxiety.
Overall, Jackson said that the event was a real success and saw about 450 people walk through the doors, 50 more than last year’s event, and she hopes to continue growing more next year.
