Wellapalooza 2016 is a destination 3-4 day integrative health and wellness conference/retreat. Think vacation, calm, fun, and informative – the perfect way to recharge your mind, body, and soul!

Scheduled dates: June 9th – 12th, 2016

Where: Haven on the Lake (Fingers crossed!!! Working on official confirmation as I type this)

Website: www.havenonthelake.org

City/State: Columbia, MD

Who should go to Wellapalooza?

Everyone! Wellapalooza is the coolest integrative health and wellness conferences (& retreats!) ever!

And no, you don’t have to have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), Mast Cell Activation Disease, or any of the other 50 billion other chronic illnesses that I regularly post about being related to EDS and MCAD to attend. Even if you have other “issues,” but they aren’t EDS or MCAS, trust me … this conference still applies to you and will be well worth it.

You should also come because you want to be part of the cool kids and attend something new, fun, and hang out with me. 🙂 Or, maybe you will want to visit because Haven on the Lake is the an amazing new wellness facility with incredible amenities and an impressive spa. You also don’t need to be a patient to attend – this conference most certainly is beneficial for all healthcare providers.

Confirmed speakers are:

– Dr. Clair Francomano (EDS/Genetics)
– Dr. Larry Afrin (MCAS & Author of Never Bet Against Occam: Mast Cell Activation Disease and the Modern Epidemics of Chronic Illness & Medical Complexity)
– Rebecca Snow (Nutritionist/Herbalist/Chef)
– Abby Peterson (Acupuncturist)

Planned seminars & presentations (speakers/instructors need to be confirmed before announcing names. All activities, and speakers are subject to change at any time):

– Gentle Yoga for hypermobility and chronic illnesses
– Meditation & Mindfulness therapies for chronic pain
– Natural Movement/Physical Therapy
– Pilates
– Natural Healing
– Chronic Pelvic Pain & Women’s Health
– Separate seminar(s) for healthcare providers (possibly)
– and more!

Special guest speakers:

To be announced, but I’m hopeful that we may have a special guest or two from other well-known organizations, who come to Wella to either guest speak or host a display table during the retreat.

Pricing:

To be determined, but the cost will be a bit higher per day than Wellapalooza 2015. The reason is that the expense of the conference will include daily access to Haven on the Lake’s healing environments (they have their own salt cave!) and classes, in addition to classes that are part of Wella.

Haven on the Lake has an amazing spa as well. All spa services are separate, but we will provide all information necessary for you to make spa services if you wish.

We will have options for daily attendance, attendance for the entire retreat, and options if you need accommodations as well.

Food will not be included, other than light snacks and drinks, food that is part of a seminar or presentation, and any light food/snacks and drinks that may be served during a book signing event/reception with Dr.Afrin. The reason we are not planning on including food is because it helps keep costs down, and there’s a massive Whole Foods one floor above. It’s also nearly impossible to provide food to our very sensitive community(ies).

Retreat Schedule (i.e. what you will be doing each day):

One of our primary goals for Wellapalooza 2016? We will be moving more than we did during the one day Wellapalooza in November. Additionally, we will be working on more comfortable seating options for when we do have to sit through presentations. And the plan is not to jam pack the schedule. You may not see a ton of speakers listed or each day packed with activities, but that’s not the point of a Wellapalooza. You can attend any of the other large medical conferences to hear the most top specialists speak on a given day, or to have your day packed with activities.

Wellapalooza isn’t mean to compete with the learning conferences put on by any of the large foundations – it’s intended to compliment them. Wellapalooza’s mission is to serve as a vehicle to help you establish a solid basis for gaining strength and overall wellness – a retreat (AKA – wellness “vacation”) where you can try various integrative therapies in a safe, relaxing, and positive environment. Wellaplaooza conferences and retreats will always be held in an area or at a venue that we *think* you would want to visit, even if Wellapalooza were not being held there. For Wellapalooza conferences and retreats that are more than a day, we will plan the daily schedule to allow as much time and freedom to relax, heal, and enjoy the amenities as possible while also attending the seminars and classes that are part of Wellapalooza.

About Wellapalooza 2016 – Haven on the Lake is located on “the lake” in Columbia, MD.  And because Wellapalooza is in June, the lake offers paddle boating, a 3-mile walking trail around the lake, live music on the weekends, and Have on the Lake even offers yoga on the lawn. I also believe that Haven on the Lake *may* have childcare available, but I’m not sure if that will be an option for Wellapalooza attendees, or what the cost is if they have to do offer childcare.

Last, we will be using the MindBody app for conference registration. The MindBody app will also serve as your “conference planner,” if you decide to attend. The MindBody app is a free download and is a great way to register for countless other classes and events with hundreds of other wellness-related companies and organizations.

The official announcement and confirmation of details should be posted later this week, including registration!

Questions? Info@Wellapalooza.com

***Please note – Wellapalooza 2016 is scheduled on the heels of the EDS International Symposium; however, the actual number of attendees that we can accommodate will be limited – registering early is important. We do recognize that both the speakers and venue will be big attractions, and we are working to allow for as many people to attend Wellapalooza as Have on the Lake can comfortably accommodate. Actual dates and number of days may change, but the weekend in June will not.***