| Health and Wellness Association and Opportunities Emerge in Huntingdon County |
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Health and Wellness Association and Opportunities Emerge in Huntingdon County
Huntingdon County is blooming with opportunities for individuals and our community to grow in health and wellness of body, mind, and heart through participation with the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association. We are a newly formed non-profit organization aiming to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and the community through the promotion of alternative, complementary and integrative health care and wellness initiatives. We are dedicated to cultivating experiences and partnerships that educate, empower and inspire individuals to actively pursue a healthy lifestyle.
The goals of the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association fall into three basic areas; education, health care, and wellness initiatives to benefit the members, community, and the county. In regard to education, we are working on ways to make people more aware of additional options for health, healing, and wellness. As one example, this new column, The Natural Connection, will appear biweekly and will highlight general information on various topics in the emerging field of complementary and alternative health, identify options for alternative therapies available in the area, and provide information about our upcoming events.
In the area of health care, the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association is currently working with J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital to develop a partnership to offer complementary and alternative health care services to the hospital staff, physicians, and patients. We are also working toward providing the association members and the community with a Wellness Center. The Center will serve as common ground for practitioners to network, teach, and share information about their alternative and complementary healing techniques. The Center will also offer our community and visitors a peaceful, safe, and healthy environment to learn about and participate in experiences that aid in well-being. Offerings at the Center may include holistic health services, yoga, massage, counseling, and other related therapies.
Wellness initiatives involving complementary and alternative therapies are also an important outcome of our vision. One of the best-kept secrets in Pennsylvania is that Huntingdon offers over twenty different kinds of alternative therapies. This asset, coupled with our natural beauty and rich history, makes Huntingdon County poised to attract people from around the state and beyond. Our efforts have already attracted the attention of Governor Rendell in connection with our kick-off celebration, Healthy Harvest Day, scheduled for October 25th. The event is our way of introducing ourselves and creating an opportunity to connect Huntingdon and surrounding communities with opportunities that inspire a creative and healthy lifestyle. It will take place on Washington Street and inside the Community Center. Association members will demonstrate their wellness offerings, artisans and crafters will offer their creations for sale, and farmers, merchants, restaurant owners, service organizations and others will also take part in the celebration. With the support of local merchants and political dignitaries, Governor Rendell has decided to issue a Proclamation on October 25, 2003 for “Healthy Harvest Day” across the state of Pennsylvania.
The idea for our group originated as a follow-up to a talk in May by Debra Kirchhof-Glazier, Professor of Biology and Director of the Juniata College Health Professions Program, that was sponsored by the Greater Huntingdon Chamber of Commerce. The presentation was entitled “Integrative Medicine: Exploring Partnerships and Opportunities in Raystown Country”. Interested individuals, including physicians, chiropractors, massage therapists and community members, met the following week to discuss ideas and to share their visions for the future of alternative and complementary therapies. Since then, we have engaged in regular meetings, elected officers, developed committees, formulated a mission statement, and filed an application for non-profit status and articles of incorporation.
Members of the association including artists, dentists, herbalists, holistic health practitioners, life enrichment consultants, massage therapists, magnetic therapy consultants, touch therapists, yoga teachers and supporters are sowing the seeds for this multi-branched effort. The Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association provides organization members the opportunity to network with like-minded practitioners and engage in activities that nourish individual practices and the well-being of the association and the community. We strive to educate individuals about healthy lifestyle choices and provide experiences through workshops, lectures, services and products that aid in well-being.
Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association members offer a variety of alternative and complementary therapies to the community, some of which have been practiced for over 5000 years. These include massage, yoga and aromatherapy, which aid in promoting relaxation and an overall sense of well-being. Massage therapists manipulate muscle and connective tissue to enhance function of those areas and to relax the body and mind. Yoga is a complementary technique where teachers lead practitioners through postures that enhance flexibility and promote ease of movement. Yoga practitioners also engage in meditation and breathing techniques that assist with promoting clarity of thinking and relaxation. Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils (extracts or essences) from flowers, herbs, and trees in massage oils, bath salts and vaporizers. Research shows that massage and yoga aid in lowering high blood pressure and help to relieve muscle tension. They also strengthen and assist the body’s natural ability to heal itself and restore and maintain balance to the mind, body and emotions.
The creation of the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association is in line with innovations in health care. The acronym “CAM”, which stands for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, is becoming more widely known. Integrative medicine combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness. Medical students are learning about complementary health care and hospitals are offering cost-efficient and non-invasive techniques that assist a patient’s healing ability. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a branch of the National Institutes of Health, is the federal government's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine. CAM therapies are currently outside the scope of conventional medicine but have great potential to enhance the health of our nation because of their focus on stress reduction, wellness, and natural ways to manage chronic illness. Offered in conjunction with conventional medicine, whose specialty is managing acute illness and providing emergency intervention, alternative and complementary health care can be a valued partner in health and healing. The next article in our news column will cover more details about CAM and integrative medicine.
The Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association continue to meet and plant seeds of health that will nourish the members and our community. Please join us in our efforts to inspire and empower individuals to pursue a healthy lifestyle. Anyone interested in supporting the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association is invited to our monthly meetings at the Juniata Brumbaugh Science Center, Room B200. The next meeting will be held on September 25 at 7 pm. You are also welcome to contact Jennifer Micija, President of the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association at 814-667-2097 or
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. The possibilities of health and wellness increase when we become mindful that we can grow toward a healthy lifestyle by nurturing a sense of responsibility and a compassionate attitude for all. The roots of wellness will spread and branch out to promote positive effects for individuals, our local communities, and beyond us, to our country and the world. As we attune ourselves naturally with our inner rhythms, harmony resides in the mind, body and spirit. Let us take part in sowing the seeds of wellness and harvest the abundance of benefits for ourselves and our community.
Jennifer Micija President, Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association and Certified Yoga Teacher
The Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association makes no medical claims or recommendations. Check with your doctor about your specific health care needs.
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