Canaan, CT—Mountainside will be hosting its first ever Holistic Wellness & Recovery Day in New York City on Saturday, September 10th, in addition to its 2nd Annual Alumni Retreat on September 24th to celebrate National Recovery Month.
According to SAMHSA, Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to educate Americans that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life. It’s a way to celebrate the millions of Americans who have transformed their lives through recovery.
Open to the public, Mountainside’s Wellness Day will highlight some of the holistic therapies used as part of its Integrative Care Model. Participants in Wellness Day will have the opportunity to experience mindfulness techniques such as meditation, Qi Gong, and yoga.
“We have been successful in treating our clients with holistic practices to cultivate total wellness and help to strengthen their recoveries for years now,” said Mountainside Alumni Services Manager Jessica Dunn. “We are now offering this event in New York during National Recovery Month to support the sober community at large, so more people can benefit from these amazing, healing practices.”
The addiction center will have its Adventure Based Counseling, Mind Body Spirit, and Acupuncture teams at the event to lead invigorating sessions throughout the day at The Center in the West Village.
In an effort to further serve the community, Mountainside is asking that attendees of the free, sober event bring in five non-perishable food items that can be donated to City Harvest to help feed the 1.4 million individuals in New York City who are struggling to feed themselves and their families.
Mountainside’s New York City-based Director of Recovery Coaching, Bill Blaber explained, “We wanted to give back to the general community too, so this is our first effort in perhaps getting involved with other organizations that provide much needed services throughout New York City.”
Mountainside will also be commemorating National Recovery Month by hosting its 2nd annual Alumni Retreat: Enjoy the Journey. The retreat is a day where alumni come back to attend restorative activities and workshops on campus to help strengthen their commitment to recovery in a fun and exciting way.
Some of the event’s featured activities include hiking, yoga, outdoor sports, giveaways, and the option to camp overnight on the mountain.
“I always tell our alumni that it is a lot like a reunion where they can come back to where their recovery started in an almost nostalgic way,” added Dunn. “They truly get to see just how far they have come in their recovery while they enjoy time with their family, friends, and those who helped them get to where they are today.”
The annual retreat will reflect this year’s theme for Recovery Month – our families, our stories, our recovery. Mountainside alumni are encouraged to bring a person in recovery, a friend, or a family member with them to the retreat to commemorate the commitment they made to recovery at Mountainside.