Wellness event returns with focus on mental health

A worldwide event targeting health awareness will return to Macau in the middle of this month with this year’s focus being mental health, Cintia Martins, co-organizer of the event, announced yesterday.
The event is known as the Global Wellness Day (GWD). It has seen previous editions held at the St Regis Hotel. This year, it will be relocated to the Macau Tower Amusement Area with more events on its program than previous editions.
“According to the WHO, one of the top health problems in the world is depression, an affliction that is linked to sleeplessness, stress and obesity,” the organizing committee noted at a press conference. “The focus of this year has been entitled as protecting our mental wellness.”
The program will include
sports activities, such as aerial silks, Zumba dance, pilates and stretching; workshops such as kombucha making, nut milk making; as well as lifestyle activities, such as aromatherapies and massages.
When questioned how the local version of the worldwide event will embody this year’s goal of mental health awareness, Martins revealed that there will be sessions of seminar talked by a life coach, among other speakers, on the topic. Details on the seminar sessions have not yet been confirmed so it will only be announced in due course.
This year, at the GWD Macau, local companies will be offering the community a handful of free experiences such as farming, massage and game zones. The organizing committee aims to make the event a family-friendly occasion.
Meanwhile, it also aims to collaborate with local small and medium sized enterprises by providing them a location to expose their business and create a business network platform related to health and wellness.
Participation in most of the events this year is free-of-charge. Martins stressed that interested individuals can simply walk-in to the main event and most activities on the day. However, in order to achieve better flow control, registration is required for workshops as there are limited spaces. There will also be “a lot of events” catering to parents and children.
This year, the event has seven goals, which the brand referred to as “seven steps to better wellness.” They include drink more water, walk for an hour, shop locally and eat organically, stop using plastic bottles, do a good deed, eat a family dinner and go to bed at 10 p.m..
The GWD, which is said to be a non-profit project, was created in Turkey in 2011. Its global entity, the Global Wellness Institute, noted that the world has 10% of its population live with a mental health disorder. It finds necessary steps to protect mental health crucial.
This year’s event will be held at the Macau Tower on June 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m..
The GWD Macau is held be Mana for People, of which ManaVida is a core movement. It focuses on building social and physical awareness, by empowering individuals within all ages and communities as well as charities, and corporations.