Italians tend to view autumn as the start of the calendar year since summer festivities conclude, our routines resume and children go back to school. As we now are officially in the fall season, obvious signs are the landscape changes, dip in temperature and shorter days, but we must not forget the internal shifts as well: stress, weakened immune systems and an altered circadian rhythm. In the health and wellness community, many will collectively agree that wellbeing starts in the depths of the mind and this autumn it’s important to incorporate rituals to keep you grounded, balanced and centered. There are many healing modalities, some of which suit you more than others to help you maintain your health through this seasonal shift and beyond. Healers and non-conventional medicine practitioners in the Florence area were researched and interviewed to help you on your journey towards wellbeing.
For happiness
As the fall is typically a time to exhale, let’s talk about the importance of breathwork. The Art of Living offers a “Happiness Program” (October 29-31, 2021), which is a three-day journey that teaches you how to breathe to help boost the immune system and subside panic attacks and negative emotions. Meditation and yoga are also incorporated to gain a positive state of mind. Inquire about discounts if you are facing financial struggles or a student as creative director Jaya Speranza emphasized, “We are flexible with the costs as our main objective is people to be healthy and happy.” You can also enjoy free classes Monday at 7pm at the center or virtually every Wednesday and Sunday evening at 7pm.
For balance
Naturopath Elisa Pasquini offers energy rebalancing treatments that include crystals and sound healing to help clients reach optimal health naturally. Not only alluring to the eye, crystals have also been proven to help improve your physical health. For example, for those with an iron deficiency, the chemical composition of hematite “improves the assimilation of iron by the small intestine and stimulates the production of red blood cells. This increases the supply of oxygen to all tissues of the body, with a consequent improvement in the general health conditions of the individual,” explains Elisa. She is a certified practitioner in Tibetan singing bowls as well and explained they have different effects when put on the body as opposed to just listening. Depending on the size of the bowl, the vibration can either energize or be calming. Elisa’s treatments are individually curated to her client’s specified needs.
For calm
Giulia Paolini is a naturopath in traditional Chinese medicine and her philosophy is listen to your body, communicate with your mind. She believes this can be achieved through the different treatments she offers at Florence Dream Lab. Foot reflexology focuses on the lower limb to reduce pain in specific areas in your body since the belief is the feet are connected to every part of your body. She also offers Tui Na massage, which “involves the same points as acupuncture, but instead of applying needles, manual maneuvers are applied which help to regain psycho-physical balance.” Giulia also incorporates aromatherapy in her practice which she believes is especially important nowadays when we are required to wear masks for extended periods of time. If you are experiencing headaches, anxiety or insomnia, this is a natural alternative you can try and “you’ll see the changes in your body and will quickly see the changes in your mind because they are connected,” expresses Giulia.
For healing
Jen Warakomski, the owner of Tuscan Wellness, explains, “I think that we’re always healing from something every single day, no matter what season it is, but especially coming into the season of fall from summer, the re-intro can be a little shocking because in summer we have a lot of spaciousness and relaxation. We allow ourselves to let go of rituals and routines a little more than we might at other parts of the year and then suddenly it’s like we are set back into this cycle.” She offers one-on-one mentoring programs that support you in creating a healthy routine through a combination of Reiki energy work, physical movement through yoga and mindfulness meditation. Her goal is, “to introduce and guide individuals to recognizing that they are their own healer.” Business owners know that the morale of their employees is paramount. Research shows incorporating a wellness program led to a decrease in healthcare claims and stress while boosting productivity. Due to the increase of smart working, these programs are currently done virtually since many still have not returned to the office.
