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South African spas, salons, health & wellness centres, fitness centres and hotel properties are encouraged to participate in Global Wellness Day (GWD), which takes place on 8 June and will be celebrated by more than 130 countries at approximately 5,000 locations around the world.
A non-profit initiative and social project, GWD is dedicated to the concept of ‘living well’.
Says Celeste Peters, GWD Ambassador for South Africa: “Any event that takes place on GWD is provided as a complimentary activity – no costs to participants are allowed, no discounts for products are allowed, and sponsors who do not promote a healthy lifestyle are not encouraged to be involved.
“Last year 99 active events took place in South Africa as part of GWD 2018. This year 150 events are expected. With South Africa recently being labelled as the most unhealthy country in the world according to Indigo Wellness Index, covering 191 countries, wellness is a topic that should be addressed urgently in South Africa.”
The GWD mission statement reads: “All of us would like be healthier, to look better, and to live well both physically and spiritually. Living well is almost the entire world’s shared dream. With the slogan – ‘One day can change your whole life’ – we celebrate Global Wellness Day on the second Saturday of June every year as an international day.
“The purpose of Global Wellness Day is to ask the question, even if for just one day, ‘How can I live a healthier and better life?’. GWD aims to direct the thoughts of both individuals and society towards ‘living well’ and to raise awareness.”
GWD’s main aims are:
· To recognise the value of our lives
· To pause and think, even if for just one day of the year
· To be free from the stress of everyday city life and bad habits
· To make peace with ourselves
· To raise awareness about living well and increase motivation, not just for today, but for the remaining 364 days of the year
First celebrated in 2012, Global Wellness Day was established in Turkey as the ‘first’ day dedicated to living well, and has now been accepted worldwide. In 2018. GWD Day was celebrated simultaneously in 115 countries at 5,000 different locations with different events ranging from the GWD flag reaching the summit of Mount Everest, to giving medical care to children at the Thailand and Myanmar border, and visiting an elderly people’s home in Brazil.
If anyone in South Africa is interested in hosting an event on GWD or getting involved, please email Celeste.Peters@globalwellnessday.org
Follow @GWDSA. Facebook page for updates