Picture this: 5,000 people, 150 experts, and three days to transform your outlook on health. That's what the mega wellness summit known as Eudēmonia promises.
In late November, I headed to West Palm Beach, FL, to gather with the top visionaries and thought leaders in the wellness space. (Think: Function Health's Mark Hyman, actress and menopause revolution leader Halle Berry, and biohacking phenom Dave Asprey.)
Throughout the weekend, I had access to coveted expert sessions and panels, wellness treatments, buzzy workouts, and tech demonstrations. By hour two, I was overwhelmed by the choices as conversations like "Redefining Women's Healthspan" (hello, longevity!) ran simultaneously with "Floating Functional Movement," a class centered around silk hammock swinging.
I wound up choosing neither, since I discovered Gabby Bernstein was speaking at the same time, and that turned out to be one of my favorite conversations of the entire summit. There, I was introduced to the concept of Internal Family Systems (IFS) via Bernstein's conversation with Dr. Richard Schwartz, founder of the method.
The psychotherapy model views "every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts led by a core Self." The goal is to access and heal those inner parts so that you get to a point where you're speaking "for the part, rather than from the part," Bernstein told the packed summit hall. As someone who has been in therapy on and off for decades still learning to address my trauma, I loved this concept and the idea of finding new strategies for healing. Immediately, I was hooked and eager to collect more takeaways.
The next lesson came in the form of a Derek Beres talk. In a much smaller room, the author and host of the "Conspirituality" podcast gave a talk on wellness conspiracy theories and the rise of pseudoscience. In the context of the summit, Beres even pointed a finger at some of the headliners promising to transform your life with a single blood test or hack your biological age with a regimen of supplements. It was a bold choice on the part of Eudēmonia's leaders to feature such extreme perspectives, but it's one that I applaud. I'd argue we need more critical analysis of the wellness world, where it's getting harder and harder to suss out what's really worthwhile.
That brings me to all the product exposure. Just a walk around the corner from Beres was the Exposome hall. There, I found myself surrounded by every out-of-the-box technology, tool, and supplement you can think of — from Ammortal's $160,000 wellness chamber for human optimization to Fatty15, the $150 supplement that promises to slow down cellular aging.
Being eight months pregnant, I didn't feel comfortable trying most of the products and tech. But if there's anything I took away from the packed exhibit hall, it's that now more than ever people are looking for ways to better themselves: mentally, physically, and emotionally. And I love that for us.
It's inspiring, but I also recognize the inherent vulnerability in the quest. As we head into the new year and pressure to "transform" kicks in, please know that expensive tools, products, and pills aren't the only way to kick-start better health habits. And I don't think that's the point of Eudēmonia either (though the supplement presence could have been toned down).
"We set out to create a gathering where science meets soul, a place where people are not only inspired, they are equipped," said Sean Hoess, Eudēmonia Summit's founder and CEO, in a press release. As an attendee, I'd say Hoess achieved that goal. I left inspired, excited, and more knowledgeable about what the next frontier of wellness could look like.
But as a health and fitness editor, my skepticism remains intact. There's a lot coming down the wellness pipeline, and I caution anyone hoping for a transformation to use your critical thinking skills and healthcare provider's input (!!) before adapting your life to any new product or routine — no matter who's giving the stamp of approval.
To borrow cautionary words from Beres: "Watch what they say, and then watch what they sell."
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