By Al Warr

Mother Nature spent millions of years devising, refining and building our bodily systems. Much of what she did depends on inputs of food and exercise.

But we tend to spend our lifetimes abusing and neglecting the house that Mother Nature built. Most of us drift far beyond healthy living.

If we give the body what's needed, it can go a long way toward taking care of things. The problem is, we become couch potatoes munching on chips. Poor nutrition and no exercise.

For some time, Flemington has been attracting more and more professionals in the health and wellness sector. The annual Health & Wellness Fair is set to take place all day Saturday, Feb. 25. It will again focus the public's attention on staying healthy.

***

"We're excited to be part of the Health & Wellness Fair for this third year," said Karen Walsh. She runs Be Here Now Yoga located at 63 Main St. (Suite 202) in Flemington.

The doors will be open to all comers from 8 to 4 for the fair on Saturday, Feb. 25. Expect nine hours of free classes taking place every hour on the hour - yoga, meditation, nutrition and essential oils.

Yoga has become very popular and with good reason. It focuses the mind and provides exercise. Be Here Now Yoga is on top of the trends and provides useful programs in many areas.

Some of the sessions include Yoga for Beginners, Eating for Energy, Yoga for Arthritis, a stress management session, and yoga for those 40 to 70 year olds in their prime of life. At the end of each class, there will be a drawing for a free class.

For more information on Walsh's operation, including a description of each of those nine classes, visit BeHereNowYoga108.com or call 908-642-0989.

***

"The fair is a fun event to build community around health and wellness," said Nicole Maniez. "We have so many experienced practitioners in town offering free classes and workshops, along with cafes highlighting their healthy menu options. Come out and explore the various possibilities."

Maniez runs Jersey Community Acupuncture located at 117 Broad St. Here she offers short, introductory acupuncture treatments in a relaxed setting. Or, opt for longer treatments offered in treating pain, anxiety, allergies, depression, digestive issues and more.

The community setting is a method that demystifies acupuncture, she explained. And it is very reasonable. Also offered are cupping and herbal treatments.

For the Health & Wellness Fair, Maniez will be offering free sessions. In addition, at 1:30 p.m. there will be a nutrition talk focusing on fiber. And for two hours between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., free introductory acupuncture sessions will be available.

For more information, call 908-237-1076 or visit JerseyAcu.com. Also on Facebook.

***

Dr. Michele Gardner operates Gardner Family Chiropractic located at 84 Park Ave. This is chiropractic for everyone - from newborns to older seniors, with special emphasis on children and pregnancies. Offices here are open weekdays, with Saturday mornings reserved for acute care only.

For the Health & Wellness Fair, she will be offering sessions in the morning and afternoon.

"My focus is on children," Dr. Gardner explained. "We'll be offering a baseline assessment for children from 10 a.m. to noon. This is an opportunity for parents to learn more about the subtle signs of children - personality, insecurity, sensory integration, and more."

You must call and reserve a seat for this session.

"Then, a second class starts at 1 p.m. It's limited seating for adults, helping them develop a personal health plan, along with action steps," she said. Again, you must call to reserve a seat.

Call 908-782-7470 and visit DrMicheleGardner.com for more information.

***

Paul Mack runs the Shaolin Kung Fu Institute located in The Shops at Paul Bunyon Village, 117 Broad St. Mack will be participating in the Health & Wellness Fair.

"We teach Kung Fu here, the traditional Chinese self-defense martial art," said Mack.

Kung Fu teaches self-defense, physical conditioning, and the development of character, respect and self discipline. It is not Karate and it is not Tae Kwon Do.

"For the fair, we'll be doing free, hour-long sessions in mid-morning and again in the afternoon," he said. "Kung Fu is over 5,000 years old, and it forms the basis for many other forms of martial arts."

He accepts students of all ages, from age 7. There are sessions for beginners, intermediate and experienced students. Kung Fu teaches you to defend yourself.

For more information, call 646-831-1041 or visit ShaolinKungFuFlemington.com.

***

There is much more going on as part of the Health & Wellness Fair. Some 30 Flemington operations are participating in the event. The list includes many health and fitness places, cafes and restaurants, and other businesses.

Since it is being held on a Saturday, the Stangl Farmers Market will be open along with other businesses in downtown, the Stangl complex, Turntable Junction, Liberty Village, and those operations that line Routes 31 and 202.

Sponsors of the event include ShopRite, Hunterdon Medical Center, Flemington Community Partnership, and Software School.  

For more information about the fair, call and visit any of the businesses listed. Also visit ExploreFlemington.com, the website for the Flemington Community Partnership.

Al Warr can be reached at 610-253-0432 or visit AlWarr16@gmail.com.

Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.