So grateful for my Wellesley Wellness Retreat co-founders, Stacy Kennedy & Cory Halaby! 

Photo: ©John Harmon

History of the Wellesley Wellness Retreat

The Wellesley Wellness Retreat first took shape soon after my move to Wellesley from Indiana with our four young children for my husband’s job as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics. I sought to find like-minded women by forming a wellness group within Wellesley Mothers Forum.

Read more on how my own motherhood, self-love and wellness journey led to my motivation on creating this event.

When WMF invited a well-known author from out-of-state to speak about self-care as part of their lecture series, I  was asked to consider arranging an additional workshop on the author’s behalf. I gave it some thought and decided if I was going to organize and promote an event, it would be better to feature the wellness experts I’d met in Wellesley.

I contacted Master Certified Life Coach and Yoga Instructor, Cory Halaby who is passionate about mindfulness and meditation, as well as Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN who is, among her many roles, a senior clinical nutritionist for Dana Farber/Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cancer Care and Adjunct Faculty at Simmons College.

We hosted the first Wellesley Wellness Retreat at the Wellesley Community Center in 2016. In subsequent years we moved to Elm Bank and added speakers such as primary care physician and holistic wellness advocate, Janine Pardo MD, and Kelly Caiazzo, author of the blog I Am Running This.

I love how Cory sums up our history.

You know what would be really wonderful?

We’ve been asking each other that question for years here at Wellesley Wellness Retreat HQ.

At first we thought, “You know what would be so helpful? A self-care retreat for moms that we could do in one day without having to travel.”

So we had our first WWR at the Community Center in 2016. 

Then we thought, “You know what would be even better? Expanding our audience to all women and hosting our one day retreat somewhere really pretty.”

So we had our second WWR at Elm Bank in 2017.

Then we thought, “You know what would be amazing? Making the retreat even more vibrant by collaborating with local women’s businesses. We could bring in new speakers, add more wellness expert services, host a pop-up shop, cater the retreat with super healthy and delicious food, rock out with some Zumba, get outside into nature, feature local artists, deepen our discussion about meaningful work, sample essential oils, non-toxic make-up, and clean-crafted wine…”

WWRs 3 & 4 kept growing in beautiful and rewarding ways.

Then we really went big. “You know what would be incredible?” we asked. “A beach retreat in January! A chance for our community of women to celebrate together for a few glorious days, feeding their souls with all of the ingredients for thriving—yoga, meditation, transformative workshops, adventures in a spectacular natural landscape, social connection, downtime for reflection and rest, fabulous and healthy food, being lulled to sleep by the sound ocean waves—having a spiritually enriching experience and coming home relaxed, renewed and inspired.”

That would be awesome. That would be a dream come true.

And that’s how the 5th Annual Wellesley Wellness Retreat sparked to life.

Our most consistent feedback from all of the WWRs so far has been, “That was wonderful. We’d like more.”

Well, we agree!

Check out more on our upcoming  trip to Tulum in January 2020 for the 5th annual WWR! 

2019 WWR

The 4th Annual Wellesley Wellness Retreat was held agin at Elm Bank in Wellesley. The retreat offered a speaker series focused on Self-Care for Positive Change, as well as a chance for guests to make individual appointments in a variety of wellness and self-care categories including Acupuncture with Stepping Stone Acupuncture and Wellness, Reflexology with Sabine Witek, Aspire with Aileen Career Coaching, Nutritional Consultation with Stacy Kennedy, RD, Astrology with Samantha Cameron, Angel Card Readings with Christine Grace, Chair Massage with Gerly Meade, LMT, and Reiki with Jeannie Goldstone. Optional group activities included Zumba with Michelle Lambi, Forest Cleanse with Carolyn Carney, an inspired group art project with author and illustrator, E.S. Redmond, yoga and an introduction to meditation with Cory Halaby, and Strength Training with Stacy Kennedy.

Key speakers included Dr. Pardo giving an eye opening explanation of gut health, Career Coach Aileen Axtmayer demonstrating how to “Do What You Love,” and Pear Associates Founder, Alison Glastein Gray, discussing “Bridging Professional Aspirations with Personal Passions.”

Donna McRae brought her exquisitely curated pop-up Laughing Lotus Boutique and Janine Malone set up a Scout & Cellar clean-crafted wine tasting. Five local women artists—Jenny Schneider, Julie Vari-Nikolewski, Julia Blake, Laurel Landers and Deborah Friedman—hung samples of their work to make the bright and spacious Carriage House at Elm Bank even more beautiful.

Generous sponsors supported the event: Mass Horticultural Society at Elm Bank, Steward Medical Group Weston Internal Medicine and Wellness Center, Pear Associates, Teri Adler of Pinnacle Residential Properties, Health Warrior Superfoods and Kerri Calistri Photography.

Together with a crowd of new and returning WWR guests, these women created a day of relaxation, self-care and community connection.