Happy Place: A Wellness Symposium

Written by Greta Feeney

Photography by Charity Grace Mofsen

True holistic fitness, for example, includes the impact our thoughts, words and actions have on ourselves and those around us. Thom Bond—founder and director of education at the New York Center for Nonviolent Communication, creator of the global Compassion Course and self-described “peace engineer”—has taught compassionate communication to people around the world. At the wellness symposium, he’ll guide attendees in understanding compassion as a practical, learnable skill—one that can radically transform our relationships, deepen our self-awareness and strengthen our communities.

It’s the “connection and consciousness” layer of wellness and a timely reminder to take a breath and lead with empathy, especially while sitting in summer traffic. David McLain, a veteran National Geographic photographer has documented the lifestyles of the world’s longest-lived communities, known as the “blue zones.” His mission “to understand how the world’s oldest, healthiest people got that way” and then share that wisdom so “we may all live longer, healthier, happier lives” connects directly to the symposium’s themes of health, happiness and longevity. Showing how community, purpose and environment can foster well-being at any age, McLain invites us to apply those global lessons to our own blueprints for a happier, healthier life.

One of the wellness symposium’s central themes is the invitation to rethink how we engage with life’s most uncomfortable truths—especially around death and dying. In a post-COVID world, candid conversations about mortality might feel like a step backward. But what if they’re the key to moving forward? Jodi Wellman, a positive psychologist and author of You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets, suggests that reflecting on our mortality isn’t morbid—it’s motivational. To jolt us out of autopilot and into a more intentional life, she argues, we must confront the end. Only by facing death head-on can we awaken to a deeper sense of purpose, urgency and joy.

What if we reimagined movement not as punishment or performance, but as nourishment—something essential to our well-being? That’s the shared philosophy behind two of the wellness symposium’s featured speakers, who bring radically refreshing perspectives to our increasingly sedentary lives. Biomechanist Katy Bowman studies how the body moves and responds to physical forces, reframing movement as a form of daily nutrition vital not just for fitness but for cellular health. In her book Move Your DNA, she challenges us to move more and move differently, showing how even subtle motions—yes, even fidgeting—can feed the body. Her work invites us to reshape our environments to support more natural, varied movement throughout the day.

Ryan Hurst, fitness expert and co-founder of GMB Fitness, builds on this idea by transforming exercise into a practice of play. Instead of chasing reps or aesthetics, Hurst emphasizes the beauty and intention behind every movement. His approach fosters strength, ease and genuine joy—helping people feel more confident, capable and connected to their bodies. Together, these philosophies underscore a key message of the symposium: Wellness isn’t a grind—it’s a practice in presence, pleasure and daily renewal, and one that can add years to your life.

For Joann Burnham and well-being of our beloved island. ”The symposium is as much a local labor of love as it is a global gathering of minds. Peter Palandjian, CEO of Intercontinental (Marine Home Center’s parent company), emphasized the importance of such initiatives: “We take seriously our responsibility as an employer and supplier to the Nantucket community. Supporting the Happy Place aligns with our values around mental and physical health.” Late yoga instructor B.K.S. Iyengar imparted a lesson from yoga that hits the nail on the head: “Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.