Wellness is not a fixed point. There’s no “X” on a treasure map to tell you you’ve arrived, no final score that means you’ve won the game. It’s part of the stream of life, a quest to perpetually improve.
To that end, wellness is an integrated journey. There’s not only physical wellness, but spiritual wellness, mental wellness, social wellness, and so many more. There’s even a Japanese business concept of Kaisen, which means making small, incremental changes to improve oneself and one’s workplace.
Committing to wellness is a choice that leads to a litany of choices that can seem overwhelming. Yet ironically, it’s not an uphill climb. As you decide to focus upon your wellness, there’s a cumulative effect that carries you further. It becomes a personal, positive force in how you feel, how you interact, and how you view the world.
Embracing wellness is transformative.
But first, it’s a process. It takes a series of steps, usually including awareness, assessment, goal setting, action, monitoring, reflection, adjustment, and finally integration. And it helps if you’re not taking it all upon yourself alone. In fact, it would be nearly impossible to curate all the experts and experiences required to achieve true well-being.
That’s why we’d like to introduce you to Loopwell, the first well-being social club in the country. in nearby Montclair.
“Well-being goes far beyond wellness. It's a consistent, balanced approach to your mental, physical, spiritual, social and emotional needs. That’s why we have what we call our Loopwell Wheel, to help assess and guide wellness needs.” It has six basic pillars:
Be Well: Spiritual
Think Well: Mental
Work Well: Occupational
Live Well: Social
Eat Well: Nutritional
Move Well: Physical
The beauty of wellness is that it isn’t “all or nothing”. Each pillar is important to your overall well-being, but it’s not a zero-sum game. As you strive to improve one part of your life, it has a cumulative effect. The difficult part is in knowing where to start – and how.
“For me, it started with my own personal well-being journey,” shares Loopwell co-founder and CEO Debbie Looney. “I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease years ago and there was limited access to information, experts and solutions. I read countless books, found integrated medical experts practicing outside standard care and tried alternative modalities and wellness retreats. We learned that everything was so expensive and usually required travel. We asked ourselves 'why was something so natural, so expensive?' I just knew that this should be available to the masses. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to piece this all together and forever grateful for what I’ve experienced. The whole mission for Loopwell was born out of that, bringing access for well-being to everyone seeking it.”
Loopwell hosts science-backed wellness events throughout the year, bringing in luminaries such as Deepak Chopra, wellness thought leaders and authors, workshops and guided sessions from on-staff licensed coaches and their own in-house Reiki Master. Each event is available to the public, with a recent option of a membership program for an even more personalized experience. From Human Design and breathwork to certified Wim Hof Cold Immersions, yoga, Pilates, journaling and vision boarding, there are a full range of experiences to help you better connect with yourself and others. They have also overhauled the typical corporate off-site retreat with engaging well-being activities hosting companies like the NBA, Volvo and Loreal, to name just a few.
They call this Gather for Good®.
“Community is the new influencer,” co-founder Sean Looney explains. “Loopwell provides a welcoming, comfortable space where people can holistically and consistently improve their well-being together. Knowing that you’re not alone in your journey is powerful and why people are really benefiting from their experience here. I never previously engaged with so many of the experiences here and I’ve learned more than I could have ever imagined.”
Both Debbie and Sean have a passion for giving back and doing good in the world. Both are information gatherers and know from personal experience how hard it can be to focus upon well-being in today’s world. Launching Loopwell became their outlet and their salvation. As they learn, they share. Intentionally being a purpose-driven operation reinforces their commitment to their own wellness and helps manifest that for all who come to their events.
And it seems to be working, as with their second location, a 30-acre mountain-top retreat, opens in the Hudson Valley region this fall.
It’s often been said that the hardest part of a journey is the first step. Wellness is indeed a journey, not a destination. Thankfully, there’s a place where you can go that’s already created a roadmap and seeks to share the experience with you, together.
Loopwell is located at 80 Maple Street in Montclair. To find out more about their calendar of events, go to loopwithus.com. On the website you can also find information about becoming a member, presenter, and hosting your own event, including unique corporate gatherings.