Videos of the 2020 Summit are available, including these highlights from day two
Nicola Finley, MD, health & healing, Canyon Ranch; James Nestor, best-selling author, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art; and Vivek Murthy, MD, 19th US Surgeon General, best-Selling author of Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World were among the keynote speakers who help make the GWS the leading conference on the business of wellness. Click here to register for On Demand access and view speakers, panels and interviews. Plus, receive the Global Wellness Institute’s new report on the mental wellness economy.
Nicola Finley, MD, Health & Healing, Canyon Ranch
Dance is undervalued in wellness as it is actually the best way to cultivate it. It affects the whole body and mind and is powerful medicine for everything from obesity and diabetes to anxiety and depression – and it is uniquely causes joy and laughter. We need to write prescriptions for dance just as we do for medical prescriptions.
Dr. Finley led the delegates and attendees in dance, which was one of the high points of Day Two.
James Nestor, Best-Selling Author, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
While ancient humans took easy breaths (and didn’t suffer from things like crooked teeth, asthma or snoring) now, because our mouths have shrunk over these tens of thousands of years, we are the only species that does not breathe correctly. This has a terrible impact on our health, longevity and happiness and breathwork needs to become a pillar of wellness. Simple hacks can help us breathe better: Breathing 5 seconds in and 5 seconds out, breathing through our nose not our mouths, and breathing less (take six rather than 20 breaths a minute). This simple practice can positively impact everything from our weight to our heart health to our immune function to our mood.
James Nestor’s book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, is a must read for anyone who wants to understand why breathing correctly can be life changing.
Vivek Murthy, MD, 19th US Surgeon General, Best-Selling Author of Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World
Identifying loneliness may not be taught in medical school, but it should be, because the science overwhelmingly shows its incredible impact on our health: leading to everything from heart disease, to dementia, to early death. We need to work harder on our social relations and connection in all aspects of life–at work, in schools, and not just with close family and friends, but in the simple ways we connect with strangers. This is why there is so much division and polarity: there is no real dialogue because dialogue is based on actual human relations. Meaningful social connection is medicine and every one of us can be a healer by being kind, compassionate, loving and by simply sharing with one another.
US President Elect Joe Biden named Dr. Murthy co-chair of a team of public health and science experts who will create a blueprint for fighting the coronavirus. During his tenure as Surgeon General, he led the public health team that dealt with Ebola and Zika and the Flint water crisis. After watching Dr. Murthy, it’s easy to see why he was selected for this crucial role.
Register for On Demand access and watch Summit presentations any time/anywhere. And be among the first to receive the GWI’s highly anticipated findings on the $120.8 billion mental wellness economy. Register here.