STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
The Sun Valley Wellness Festival returns in its new time and venue Thursday through Monday, June 28-July 2 at the Community School Campus.
And there will be plenty of free events for the public to take part in, along with presentations by experts in the fields of mind and body, the gut microbiome and other areas of health.
“We’ve got so many events that don’t cost a penny, including an opening ceremony featuring an Emmy Award-winning singer, free guided hikes, free meditations, a dance party and, of course, the Experience Hall with a lot of the latest products and services,” said Festival Director Heather LaMonica Deckard.
The 21st Annual Sun Valley Wellness Festival will kick off with a Gratitude Water Ceremony acknowledging the role water plays in the lives of the planet and its citizens at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 28, in the Campus Quad.
More than 30 presentations will follow.
Dr. John Medina, author of “Brain Rules for Baby” and “Brain Rules for Aging Well,” will talk about “Mindfulness, Nostalgia and the Human Brain” on Friday, June 29, at the Sun Valley Opera House. Then he will turn around and talk about “Attack of the Teenage Brain: Understanding and Supporting the Weird and Wonderful Adolescent Learner” on Sunday, June 30.
Dr. Steve Gundry, heart surgeon and author of “The Plant Paradox,” will discuss how to save your life with food (it’s not the foods you think) at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 30, in the Opera House.
Warren Farrell, author of “The Boy Crisis,” will talk about “The Boy Crisis: Why Boys are Struggling and What We Can do About It.” And Dr. Stephen Barrie, who patented many of the present-day laboratory tests used for understanding the root causes of chronic diseases, will discuss “The Brain-Gut Connection: Your Microbiome and Your Brain, Who Really is in Charge?”
Returnees include Dr. James Doty, a professor in neurosurgery and the founder and director of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research, who will talk about “The Power of Compassion to Change Your Life” at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 30. Also, Joan Borysenko, a world-renowned expert in the mind-body connection.
The Wood River chapter of Girls on the Run is excited about the chance to share Molly Barker, author and founder of the Girls on the Run program, with the local community. And Lea Flocchini, Char Roth and others are excited about the opportunity to hear from Preethaji, internationally known spiritual philosopher and co-founder of One World Academies in India.
The change to late June from Memorial Day Weekend is allowing a lot of second homeowners who haven’t attended the festival before to take part, said Deckard. Ditto for others from all over the country, who can take advantage of direct flights to Sun Valley that are available during summer but not during late May.
“We’re happy to have them,” said Deckard. “And, of course, everyone is excited about the vast amount of content we have—we even have a Nobel Peace Prize winner.”
The new venue, which was named one of the country’s most beautiful private high school campuses by “Architectural Digest,” will allow some of the movement classes and lectures to be held outside, while there is space inside for cooking demonstrations.
There will be food trucks set up on campus serving organic food.
Deckard said the number of presentations was pared this year based on feedback from attendees who said they were feeling a little squeezed by having to choose from four or five presentations at the same time.
Passes good for a variety of talks and movement workshops range from $100 to $500. Tickets for individual lectures start at $20.
To see the entire schedule and to purchase tickets visit www.sunvalleywellness.org/