NETWORKING WITH PEERS
By Judy Di Canio
Envision a room full of chiropractors, massage therapists, homeopaths, energy healers, and practitioners of other healing modalities. Difficult to imagine? Well, this vision actually became a reality recently, at a Philly Wellness Guide event held at the Thomas Jefferson University, Bluemle Life Sciences Bldg in Center City Philadelphia.
A team of practitioners of various modalities worked together to create an event that drew responses from over 150 practitioners from the Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, and suburban areas.
Our goal was to give practitioners a networking opportunity that would promote getting to know new people, referral potentials, a sharing of ideas, and a day to enjoy potential friendships.
After a breakfast of bagels, coffee and tea, the attendees of the event, led by Matthew Cohen & Ute Arnold, relaxed, became centered, choose a partner, and then…. became spineful.
How do you become spineful? Imagine standing, resting your back against that of someone else, and then feeling the energy flow up and down their spine. You can feel the person’s vertebre, shape, ribs, pelvis, and know that you are supported while you support someone else. The experience was described as, “like floating while standing.”
People then sat, chose a partner, and participated in an additional challenge, to become like ice. One person was asked to be an igloo, and imagine a wall of ice around them. The other person was the heat and energy that could try to melt the ice. Fire and ice. Hot and cold. The room pulsed, people shivered, others started to sweat. By the end of the exercises, the goal of meeting others had begun.
Margie Unger and Reema Safadi then broke the attendees into groups. One of the main focuses was to generate ideas from the attendees for the future of the Philly Wellness Guide.
A representative from each group was given the opportunity to read the list of ideas that resulted from the intense discussions. Some of the suggestions included group health care, a conference, referral potentials, continuing education workshops, and quarterly networking opportunities.
At the end of the morning, everyone filtered into the room where six tables of lunch awaited. Humus, pita, falfel balls, fruits, vegetables, tomato pies, wraps, and holistic ice cream were just some of the tempting food that was sampled.
In the spirit of giving and receiving, business cards were collected, and each person’s name was entered in a raffle for services and items that ranged from a private consultation, to a massage session, to gift baskets.
There was much laughter, excited networking, and the opportunity to foster stronger connectiveness in a budding holistic community.
All the hard work and effort paid off as the feedback for the day exceeded expectations.
Many assisted in the planning of the event, and all the countless hours, sleepless nights, and brilliant planning, to name just some of the committee members who assisted to bring this event into fruition:
Margie Unger, the assistant event coordinator, Todd Hoover, Reema Safadi, David Marcmann, Matthew Cohen, Ute Arnold, Krista Burkholder, Linda Peden, Marge Ridall, Margaret Motheral, Robin Sapossnek, Linda Baker, Jane Hart and Idale Adams (our photographer).

Special thanks to our sponsors, who made it possible for us to offer this event to a holistic community that is ready to work together and grow. These include: Jefferson-Myrna Brynde Center for Integrative Medicine, Penn Herb Company Ltd., Standard Homeopathic Company, The Natural Lifestyle Network, Leslie Mac Lardy of Ecoquest International, Karen Knight - Remax of the Wildwoods, Trave’s Pizza Time Saloon, Norma’s Restaurant, Cedar’s Middle Eastern Cuisine, Starbucks, Safiya – Kovfoods.com, New Visions Magazine3, Wisdom Magazine, Yoga Living Magazine, Philly Fit magazine, and Susan Duval Seminars.
Our goal, to bring together a holistic community of practitioners was achieved. The food was plentiful, we made new friends, gathered many business cards, and now have the basis for an organization that can help serve the holistic community.
Until the next Philly Wellness Guide event, where I may meet you and say, “Hi, my name is Judy. I’m an energy practitioner, teacher, lecturer and Spiritual Advisor. I’d like to get to know you better. Tell me about you…..”
Networking. It’s how you meet students, clients, peers and friends, one practitioner at a time.

Sincerely,
Judy Di Canio
March event coordinator
http://www.Judydicanio.com





SPONSORS INCLUDED:

Jefferson-Myrna Brynde Center for Integrative Medicine
Penn Herb Company, LTD - www.pennherb.com
Susan Duval - www.Susanduvalseminars.com
New Visions Magazine - www.newvisionsmagazine.com
The Natural Lifestyle Network - www.NaturalLifestyle.net
Wisdom Magazine - www.wisdom-magazine.com
Philly Fit Magazine - www.phillyfit.com
Yoga Living Magazine - www.yogalivingmagazine.com
Norma's Mediterranean Restaurant - www.couscousnj.com/Normas
Ecoquest International - www.ecoquestintl.com
Cedar’s Restaurant - Middle Eastern and Lebanese Cuisine
Trave’s Pizza Time Saloon
South Street Bagels
Starbucks - www.starbucks.com
Karen Knight - Realtor - www.wildwoodknights.com
La Fitness – www.lafitness.com



A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!!!
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR GRACIOUS SPONSORS AND ATTENDEES!!!
SEE YOU NEXT EVENT.

Welcome to the Philly Wellness Guide. This Guide is designed to give quick access to Holistic practitioners throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area. Our team has invited practitioners throughout the region to join this free web guide as a service to the Wellness Community of Philadelphia and to the public.

Our intention for the site is to create the opportunity for easy inter-practitioner referral, quick information about practitioners, and as a forum to share ideas and interests to generate new possibilities for Health in our region.

While the website will be viewable by the general public, the listings are limited to practitioners.


If you are a Holistic practitioner within approximately 20 miles of center city Philadelphia, you can JOIN THE NETWORK by Clicking on the "Join In" button to the upper right of the site.


You will need the following information to complete the profile:

• Practice location and contact information
• Brief Training History
• Current Field of Practice
• Licensure type and status
• Years in practice
• Insurance Companies you accept
• Brief description of your practice, the events that led you to that practice, and which patients benefit the most from your services
• Picture file of yourself is optional (jpeg, tiff)

This community is being created by Integrative Medicine Practitioners for each other. So please invite other practitioners you know. Every member has unique knowledge and experience that collectively will form an incredibly valuable resource for all.

Be a part of Greater Philadelphia becoming a model for what is possible in Health and Wellness! Together we can do great things!!


Philly Wellness Guide Development Team:

Todd Hoover, MD (coordinator)
Cara O. Frank, R.OM, Dipl Ac & Ch.H.
Bernardo Merizalde, MD
Elsie Kerns
Maia Toll
Bonnie Carpenter, EdD
Robin Sapossnek, OD
Joel Zimmer, DC
Elisa Lang, PhD
Matthew Cohen, MA, LMFT
Elliot Diamond, DPM
Alan Krausz, DMD
Robert Toporek
Michael Dym, DVM
Sister Rose Carmel
Lucille Ballukian
Andrea Tickle, DC
Greg Tickle, DC
Andrea Stevens,M.S., C.N.S.