Starting a New Life Together, With Wellness Top of Mind
Kara Ladd-Blum said she was 'pushed into the wellness world' after being diagnosed in 2016 with synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer affecting the body's soft tissues.
'I became hyper-aware of what I was putting on and in my body, and that evolved into this spiritual awakening,' said Ms. Ladd-Blum, 32, of Brooklyn, who has been cancer-free for eight years. Now, she works with wellness brands as a conscious marketing consultant and hosts a podcast focused on mindful living.
While planning their Sept. 15, 2024, wedding, she and her husband, Brandon Blum, 32, who runs a content marketing agency and apparel brand, were eager to incorporate some of their favorite wellness practices. On the morning of their wedding, they meditated and journaled together, as they often do at home, and incorporated healing crystals and tarot cards into the celebration.
'I feel like weddings are just an extension of people's energies,' Ms. Ladd-Blum said. 'We both love, live and breathe that world.'
For many couples, health and mindfulness are an integral part of their everyday lives, and they want their weddings to reflect these values. And with more event planners and venues catering to the needs of those who prioritize wellness, it's easier to accomplish that.
'It definitely has weaved its way into weddings and events,' said Ali Phillips, the owner of Engaging Events by Ali in Chicago. She said around three-quarters of the weddings she planned each year contained a wellness element.
At Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club in Brewster, Mass., wedding groups can enjoy candlelit floating sound baths, acupuncture happy hours and beach yoga sessions. At Canyon Ranch Woodside in Woodside, Calif., couples and their guests can sign up for spiritual growth sessions, botanical tea making and strength-training workshops.
Miraval Berkshires Resort and Spa in Lenox, Mass., specifically offers a mindful weddings program, which includes spa treatments and guided morning meditations. There's even an anniversary 'reflection visit' for couples, where they can participate in a sacred stone ceremony, hike or work out in a nature ropes course.
'We live in this fast-paced, extremely distracted world where self-care and also relationship care can often take a back seat,' Danielle Vega, a senior group sales manager at Miraval Berkshires, said.
On the morning of Ms. Ladd-Blum's wedding, at Corrida, a Spanish restaurant in Boulder, Colo., she met with Maureen Dodd, the spiritual mentor she had worked with throughout her cancer treatment, to engage in a solo healing session, which she described as 'a self-love ritual.'
'As someone highly sensitive to others' energy, I wanted to anchor in my own energy and love before welcoming others into the space,' Ms. Ladd-Blum said.
While getting ready for the wedding ceremony, she listened to some of her favorite so-called love frequencies, or frequencies of sound waves believed to have healing properties. Ms. Ladd-Blum also performed other rituals like a lymphatic drainage massage. She then met a few of her closest friends and her mother for a bridal blessing, which Ms. Dodd, who is based in Phoenix and Sedona, Ariz., also led.
To ensure positive energy for the day ahead, Ms. Ladd-Blum placed her engagement ring and wedding band in a selenite crystal bowl, which is said to have protective properties. But her favorite practice from the day involved having guests — who received welcome bags that included palo santo sticks, which are meant to help get rid of negative energy — pass around and bless a heart-shaped twin crystal during the wedding ceremony. 'They were all infusing it with good energy,' she said.
Samantha Cutler, 33, and her husband, Trevor Mengel, 36, who live in Delray Beach, Fla., have also actively embraced wellness practices as a couple, some of which they integrated into their May 4, 2023, wedding at the Addison of Boca Raton.
'Wellness and nutrition and all the pieces of health have really been a core foundation of my lifestyle and my relationship with my husband as well,' said Ms. Cutler, the founder of Mindfull, a meal planning and health coaching app. 'There was wellness sprinkled throughout our entire wedding.'
She described the welcome bags that she curated for guests with Mr. Mengel, the founder and chief executive of Cloutdesk, a creator marketing platform, as a 'wellness bundle.' The bags included vitamin supplements and a copy of 'The Five Minute Journal,' which is designed to promote reflection and gratitude.
The day after their 69-person celebration, the couple hosted a wellness day at the Ray Hotel in Delray Beach, where guests were treated to matcha, vitamin B12 shots and drip IVs containing electrolytes and vitamins claiming to revive the body following alcohol consumption, stress and more. After a Pilates session led by one of Ms. Cutler's fitness instructor friends, attendees could participate in a golf session or relax by the pool.
'It was just really fun seeing your husband and your best friends working out with your parents,' Ms. Cutler said. 'It felt like a family affair in so many ways, without it feeling too gimmicky.'
Even an hourlong meditation session before the wedding can be helpful for wellness-focused couples. Katharina Kutscher, 30, and Zane Witherspoon, 28, who runs a tech startup, hosted a small wedding celebration on Aug. 30, 2024, in Central Park but started their day together at the Ludlow Hotel.
'I was very nervous for the wedding day,' said Ms. Kutscher, who lives in Manhattan. She tapped a meditation and mindfulness coach friend to lead a meditation session for her and Mr. Witherspoon via Zoom.
While completing breathing exercises and setting their intentions for the day, Ms. Kutscher, a content creator who also works in marketing, was able to reflect on what was truly meaningful. 'The whole goal of this day is to get married to the love of your life,' she said, 'and that's the most important thing.'
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Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
Strangers in the middle of a city: The John and Jane Does of L.A. General Hospital
He had a buzz cut and brown eyes, a stubbly beard and a wrestler's build. He did not have a wallet or phone; he could not state his name. He arrived at Los Angeles General Medical Center one cloudy day this winter just as thousands of people do every year: alone and unknown. Some 130,000 people are brought each year to L.A. General's emergency room. Many are unconscious, incapacitated or too unwell to tell staff who they are. Nearly all these Jane and John Does are identified within 48 hours or so of admission. But every year, a few dozen elude social workers' determined efforts to figure out who they are. Too sick to be discharged yet lacking the identification they need to be transferred to a more appropriate facility, they stay at L.A.'s busiest trauma hospital for weeks. Sometimes months. Occasionally years. That's an outcome no one wants. And so hospital staff did for the buzz cut man what they do once every other possibility is exhausted. Social workers cobbled together the tiny bit of information they could legally share: his height and weight, his estimated age, his date of admission, the place where he was found. They stood over his hospital bed and took his photograph. Then they asked the 10 million people of Los Angeles County: Does anyone know who this is? Just before 8 a.m. on Feb. 16, paramedics responded to a medical emergency at 1037 N. Vermont Ave. The man was face-down on a stretch of sidewalk lined with chain-link fences and sandbags, near a public restroom and the entrance to the Vermont/Santa Monica subway stop. Pink scrape marks blossomed above and below his right eye. Paramedics estimated he was about 30 years old. Hospital staff guessed 35 to 40. He had no possessions that might offer clues: no phone, no wallet, no tickets or receipts crumpled in his pockets. He could not state his name or answer any questions. The hospital admitted him under a name the English-speaking world has used for centuries when a legal name can't be verified: John Doe. The vast majority of patients admitted as John Does leave as themselves. The unconscious wake up. The intoxicated sober up. Frantic relatives call the hospital looking for a missing loved one, or police arrive seeking their suspect. None of these things happened for the man from North Vermont. When he finally opened his eyes, his language was minimal: a few indistinct words — possibly English, possibly Spanish — and nothing that sounded like a name. Social workers wrote down everything they knew for sure about their patient: his height (4 feet, 10 inches), his weight (181 pounds), the color of his eyes (dark brown). Then they started following the trail that typically leads to identification. The ambulance crew didn't recognize him, and the run sheet — the document paramedics use to record patients' condition and care — had no revelatory details. They checked Google Maps. Any nearby shelter whose manager they could call to ask about a missing resident? Nope. Was there an apartment building whose residents might recognize his photo? Nothing. They clicked through county databases. His details didn't align with any previously admitted hospital patient, or anyone in the mental health system. No missing-persons report matched his description; social workers couldn't find a mention of someone like him in any social media posts. An anonymous patient is an administrative problem. It's also a safety concern. If a patient can't state their name, they probably also can't say if they have life-threatening allergies or are taking any medications, said Dr. Chase Coffey, who oversees the hospital's social work team. 'We do our darndest to deliver safe, effective, high-quality care in these scenarios, but we run into limits there,' he said. Federal law requires hospitals to guard patient privacy zealously, and L.A. General is no exception. But given that virtually every hospital deals with unnamed patients, California carves out an exception for unidentified people who can't make their own healthcare decisions. In such instances, hospitals can go public with information that could locate their patient's next of kin. On March 3, nearly two weeks after the man's arrival, a press release went live on the county's website and pinged in the inboxes of reporters across the region. 'Los Angeles General Medical Center, a public hospital run by the L.A. County Department of Health Services, is seeking the media and public's help in identifying a patient,' the flier said. In the photograph the man gazed up from his hospital bed, eyes fixed somewhere past the camera, looking as lost as could be. The buzz cut man from North Vermont was not the only Doe in the hospital's care. On the same March 3 morning, the county asked for help identifying a wisp-thin elderly man with a grizzled beard and swollen black eye who'd been found in Monterey Park's Edison Trails Park. Three days later, it sent out a bulletin for a gray-haired Jane Doe picked up near Echo Park Lake. In her photo she was unconscious and intubated, a bruise forming on her forehead, wires curling around her. By the end of the month, L.A. General would ask the public to identify four more men and women found alone in parks and on streets across the county, people whose cognitive state or medical condition left them unable to speak for themselves. All of the hospital's Does are found in L.A. County. That doesn't mean they live here. L.A. General is 2 miles from Union Station, where buses and trains deposit people traveling from all over North America. A few years ago, Coffey and social work supervisor Jose Hernandez found themselves trying to place an elderly couple from Nevada, both suffering from cognitive decline, who arrived at the station and couldn't recall who they were or where they meant to go. Fingerprinting is rarely an option. The federal fingerprint database can be accessed only for patients who are dying or are the subject of a police investigation, hospital staff said. Even if those criteria are met, the database will only yield a name if the person's fingerprints are already in the system. And even that's not always enough. Late last year, law enforcement ran the prints of an unidentified female patient who had been involved in a police incident. The system returned a name — one the patient adamantly insisted was not hers. 'Now the question is, is she confused? Do we have the wrong fingerprints-to-name match? Is there a mismatch? Is there a person using a different identity?' said Coffey. 'Now what do we do?' In end-of-the-rope scenarios such as this, the hospital turns to the public. The press releases are carefully phrased. The hospital can disclose just enough information to make the patient recognizable to those who know them, but not a word more. Federal laws forbid references to the patient's mental health, substance use, developmental disability or HIV status. The releases are posted on the county's website and social media channels. Local media outlets often publicize them further. In 'the best outcome that we get, we send [the notice] out and we get a hit within a couple of days. We start getting calls from the community saying, 'Oh, we know who this patient is,'' Hernandez said. About 50% of releases lead to such positive outcomes. For the other half of patients, the chance of being named gets a little smaller with every day that the phone doesn't ring. 'If we don't know who you are after a month, that's when it becomes decreasingly likely that we're going to figure it out,' said Dr. Brad Spellberg, the hospital's chief medical officer. On April 9, nearly two months after the buzz cut man's arrival at L.A. General, the hospital sent out a second release about him. His scrapes had healed. His black hair was longer. His stubble had grown into a wispy beard. 'Patient occasionally mentions that he lives on 41st Street and Walton Avenue,' the release said. 'Primarily Spanish speaking.' But he still had no name. It is possible for a person in this situation to be stuck at L.A. General for the rest of their lives. One man hit by a car on Santa Monica Boulevard in January 2017 lived for nearly two years with a traumatic brain injury before dying unidentified in the hospital. As of late 2024, a few Does had been there for more than a year. If a patient has no identity, L.A. General can't figure out who insures them. And in the U.S. healthcare system, not having a guarantee of payment is almost worse than not having a name. Skilled nursing facilities, group homes and rehabilitation centers won't take people who don't have anyone to pay for them, Spellberg said. The county Public Guardian serves as a conservator for vulnerable disabled residents, but can't accept nameless cases. Unless a patient recovers sufficiently to check themselves out, they are stuck in a lose-lose scenario. They can't be discharged from L.A. General, whose 600 beds are desperately needed by the county's most critically ill and injured, but also can't move on to a facility that provides the care they need. 'We're the busiest trauma center west of Texas in the United States,' Spellberg said. 'If our bed is taken up by someone who really doesn't need to be in the [trauma] hospital but can't leave ... that's a bed that's not available for other patients who need it.' L.A. General is staffed to handle crises, not long-term care of people with dementia or traumatic brain injuries. Bedbound patients could get pressure sores if they aren't turned frequently enough. Mobile patients could wander the hospital's corridors, or fall and injure themselves. 'You're trapping the patient in the wrong care environment,' Spellberg said. 'They literally become a hostage in the hospital, for months to years.' The man found in Edison Trails Park eventually left the hospital. So did the gray-haired woman, whose name was at last confirmed. The man from North Vermont is still at L.A. General, his identity as much a mystery as the day he arrived four months ago. The Does keep coming: An elderly man found near Seventh and Flower streets. A young man found near railroad tracks. A man with burn injuries and a graying beard; another unconscious and badly bruised. All sick or injured, all separated from their names, all their futures riding on a single question: Does anyone know who this is? If you have information about an individual pictured here, contact L.A. General's Social Work Department from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at (323) 409-5253. Outside of those hours, call the Department of Emergency Medicine's Social Work Department at (323) 409-6883.
Yahoo
2 days ago
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Dr. Nihar Gala Expands Healthcare Innovations with the Launch of CareIQ and Publishes New Book "The Strength to Endure"
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Cosmopolitan
3 days ago
- Cosmopolitan
Zel Punta Cana review: Rafael Nadal's wellness resort tested
Anyone feel like they can't move for wellness content right now? If it's not morning Pilates followed by a smoothie on Stories, or marathon training dominating my TikTok For You page, then it's couples sweating it out at a bootcamp in Ibiza. Think: back-to-back HIIT classes, green juices, and lights out by 9pm... not exactly how I remember doing Ibiza. It seems wellness has deeply woven itself into every aspect of our lives, spanning far beyond our day-to-day routines and into our holidays too. It's no longer something we leave at home, as evidenced by reports that suggest the wellness tourism industry is set to be worth a staggering $8.5 trillion by 2027. Clearly, our wellbeing is proactively shaping where we go – and what we do once we're there. As someone who works out regularly but still wants their holiday to feel like, well, a holiday, I wasn't sure where I fit into all this. I enjoy a morning gym session, sure, but I also want slow breakfasts, long lunches, poolside naps, and the freedom to switch off my alarm. So when I heard about Zel Punta Cana, tennis legend Rafael Nadal's new all-inclusive resort with Meliá in the Dominican Republic, I was intrigued. It promised a more relaxed take on wellness: workouts if you want them, cocktails if you don't. I set out to see whether a fitness-friendly trip could actually feel like a proper break, not a bootcamp in disguise. Here's what I found after my six days at Zel Punta Cana... Zel is a lifestyle hotel brand from Spanish group Meliá, created in partnership with Rafael Nadal, with existing locations in Mallorca and Madrid (and more on the horizon – watch this space). Its latest opening, Zel Punta Cana, brings the brand's signature mix of Mediterranean style and mindful movement to the Caribbean coast, with a promise to help guests unleash their inner athlete. Active wellbeing is at the heart of everything here. From my recent stay, I can confirm Zel Punta Cana ticks all the tropical escape boxes – beachfront setting, two palm-lined pools, garden suites with direct access to the water, and six standout restaurants, but what sets it apart is the sheer range of health and fitness-focused activities on offer (more on those below). This is far from your average all-inclusive. You can plan your day however you like (whether that's five fitness classes or zero) and all classes are included. Extras like tennis lessons or spa treatments cost extra and book up fast, so it's worth booking early. Spa treatments start at £37. If, like me, you're not into hardcore detoxes but still like to keep moving on holiday (I'll take a quick gym session in the morning and a margarita by sunset, thanks), Zel strikes the perfect balance. It's energising without being intense. You can move, you can rest, and you'll feel really good doing both. Book here I started my first full day with a guided walk along the beach. It's about a 15-minute walk from the resort, or you can hop in a buggy if you're feeling fancy. We then stuck by the water for a Hobie Cat sail — which, if you're wondering, is a small catamaran-style boat (I had to Google it too). It was less about actual sailing and more about kicking back and soaking up those dreamy Caribbean views (which suited me just fine). Later, I gave Pound a go, a high-energy workout that uses drumsticks and music to get your legs seriously burning. I'd never tried it before, but it was fun, sweaty, and surprisingly addictive. From there, every day struck its own perfect balance of chill and challenge, tailored entirely to how I felt. AeroYoga definitely tested me; I thought I was pretty flexible, but those poses pushed me harder than I expected. Thankfully, the instructor was great, guiding me through even the trickier moves like the inverted pigeon pose. Then there was BRRN, a slideboard workout where you wear slippery socks and glide back and forth to upbeat music. It sounds easy, but trust me, it really fires up your lower body and was unlike any workout I'd done before. There were also paddleboard yoga sessions, HIIT circuits, and group cycling. The five tennis courts are a major draw at ZEL Punta Cana – no surprise, given this is Rafael Nadal's project. And there's more on the way: the Rafael Nadal Tennis Centre, opening in September 2025, will expand the facilities with four padel courts, six pickleball courts, a gym, changing rooms, and a gift shop. I booked in for a private lesson (currently free of charge), but the courts are also open for casual games at no extra cost if you fancy a rally with your mates. If golf is more your thing, there's a 27-hole course nearby. Meliá guests get 50% off green fees, with a golf cart included. Prices start from around £75 for either 9 or 18 holes. When it was time to unwind, I took full advantage of the spa's extensive facilities (note: access without a treatment costs £37 per person). There's a wide massage menu available for an extra cost, along with fantastic reflexology sessions. I can't recommend the ice bath enough — it's included in the all-inclusive package, and honestly, starting your day with a freezing cold plunge is oddly invigorating. Wellness here isn't just about exercise. I also got hands-on with local culture by painting a traditional Dominican espresso maker, the perfect keepsake from the trip. There were also candle-making classes with a local artisan, which added a lovely creative touch to the experience. Best of all, these classes are included in the price of your stay, so I'd 100% recommend getting stuck in! Booking's a breeze: you get a QR code on arrival to browse and sign up for everything from fitness classes to artsy workshops. Food is, without question, one of my favourite parts of any holiday — so I was thrilled that Zel Punta Cana offers six distinct dining venues, all included in the all-inclusive price. Breakfast was always at Parda, a buffet dream with fresh tropical fruits (I'm still thinking about that pineapple), made-to-order omelettes, and vibrant green juices. For lunch, we alternated between the Mediterranean buffet at Parda, perfect for creating your own salad, and Tacorini, a poolside spot with exceptional tacos and guacamole. My favourite, however, was Neguri, the beach bar. With its laid-back Ibiza-style atmosphere, rattan furniture, and ocean views, it's the ideal place to relax — especially during their late-night DJ sessions. Dinner was equally impressive. Volcán stood out for its smoky grilled meats, while Nokyo offered an entertaining teppanyaki experience with chefs preparing meals tableside. If you prefer something quieter, the à la carte menu is a great option. And when the night calls for it, Voltaje, the lively lobby bar, is the perfect spot for cocktails and dancing. Room rates start from £299 per night, all-inclusive. As mentioned earlier, some activities and alcohol have an additional add-on fee. Zel Punta Cana might feel like a splurge, but the all-inclusive setup means there's a lot rolled into the price. All meals across six restaurants, unlimited drinks (including daily restocked mini bar), and access to a wide range of fitness classes — from paddleboard yoga to AeroYoga — are all included. Even things like open-air cinema nights and creative workshops come at no extra cost. Given the quality of the food, the variety of activities, and the freedom to do as much or as little as you like, it offers great value. The only drawback? Spa access isn't included unless you're booked in for a treatment — a small detail, but worth noting in a place that leans into wellness. Zel Punta Cana genuinely shifted my perspective on what a holiday can be. I'm someone who enjoys a cheeky cocktail or two but also can't skip my daily workout — and this place struck the perfect balance between the two without ever feeling like a strict fitness retreat. What impressed me most was the flexibility it offers. Whether you choose to begin your day with a refreshing run or a yoga session, then spend the afternoon relaxing poolside with a margarita, everything unfolds on your terms. There's no rigid itinerary or intense 'wellness bootcamp' pressure, making it an ideal destination for both a girls' getaway or a couples' retreat where everyone can pursue their own rhythm. Six days honestly wasn't enough time to soak it all in. I left feeling recharged and eager to return, already thinking about when I can go back. Prices for a 7-night stay at Zel Punta Cana start from £299 per night on an all-inclusive basis (not including flights and airport transfers)
