In March the Newtwork of Entrepreneurial Women kicked off the new year with a wellness session.

Hosted by Ellis Therapy & Fitness,  attendees were treated to delicious snacks, introduced to fabulous business ladies, and given tips on how to keep wellness at the forefront during busy business-growing lifestyles.

We met Andrea Weisbond, owner of Ritual in a Box. The first box is called Boyfriend Bonfire and designed to move on from an ex. However, Andrea says the only time you acknowledge your ex is by thanking him/her for starting you on this journey. The toolkit is designed to help you with your own sense of self and emotions.

Parting Tails, on healing from the loss of your pet, is coming soon.

Ariele Riboh, MS, R-DMT, LPC is one of the counselors at Ellis Health & Fitness. She has practiced yoga and pilates for 8 years and integrates movement into her therapy sessions. She works with clients ages 4 and up. Her focus is on anxiety, depression and body awareness with adolescents.

She distributed biodots for us to place on our hands prior to leading us into a chair yoga session. By giving us tips on doing a five minute Yoga session, she gave us the tools to balance ourselves amidst a busy workday, simply by stretching and doing breathing exercises at our at our desks. The biodots indicate stress levels with color transitions, like a mood ring. Mine didn’t change, but others’ did.

Julie Kapecki is a new intern to Ellis Therapy & Fitness. She is trading a career in marketing for a Masters in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling and will be getting her practical training at Ellis.

Wendy Helton owns Swan Dive Center for Pilates in Northbrook  which focuses on massage therapy, Pilates and other exercise methods to improve the health and well being of our clients. She started out as a dancer, and experiences with conditioning and rehabilitiation helped Wendy realize the benefits these functional fitness elements could bring to improve the balance and mobility of her clients. She has worked one-on-one and in small groups for 15 years and enjoys helping people gain more energy and strength in their lives.

Psychotherapist Jennifer Daniels, PhD, LCPC, incorporates traditional talk therapy with mindfulness-based approaches to help individuals in their journeys towards balance and peace. Her focus is on trauma and she uses her Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) certification with numerous clients.

Jennifer gave us a refreshing introduction to essential oils mydoterra.com/jenniferadaniels, having us inhale peppermint oil and rub it on our neck for an energy boost. She also showed us other essential oil samples and discussed the benefits of using scents to change our moods, enhance our health and help us rest. She cautioned that not all essential oils are created equal, and that we should look for natural ingredients.

Kathy Miller, owner of Mindfulness Matters , is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) serving adults and couples of all kinds. Kathy facilitates a weekly mindfulness meditation group at Ellis Therapy & Fitness and hosts quarterly Death Cafes. At Death Cafe  people come together to discuss death and dying over tea and cake, without an agenda or judgment. She is planning on creating a self-care workshop for healing practitioner as well.

Debbie Ellis, LCSW, CPT-PMA, CAFS, owner Ellis Therapy & Fitness has been working with children and adolescents with low self-esteem, ADHD, anxiety, depression and autism spectrum disorder for the past 20+ years. She veers mostly toward middle school age with a focus on movement therapy. When creating the space, Debbie wanted to counteract the focus on computers and mobile screens and get her clients back into nature and their bodies. The center houses a climbing wall, punching bag, a Pilates studio and numerous tools to get clients moving and exercising.
We toured the building, which also houses an architectural firm.

Debbie’s Pilates studio offers personal training for adults as well. It holds two Pilates Reformers and also has room for mat sessions. She finds that her clients look forward to practicing Pilates as it helps them connect with their feelings and gives ADHD patients a way to control and focus their thoughts.
Kathy reminded us to start each day with purpose. She said to sit on the edge of the bed upon waking and get centered into your body and being aware of how it is feeling. Then take 3-5 deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth to engage your parasympathetic system.  Then you should set your intention for the day, whether it is to be kind to yourself, ask for help, take a walk. Then throughout the day make sure your actions are in support of your intention. You can write sticky notes and put them on your mirror, dashboard, electronic screen, or fridge to remind yourself. By creating a habit of being intentional, you exercise self-care throughout the day.

Our next NEW event will be a fundraiser for On Your Feet Foundation. We are collecting silent auction items, and are looking forward to an all-day pizza party in Mount Prospect and Schaumburg in honor of the foundation. Moretti’s will donate a portion of the proceeds to our cause. Our networking event will be held at the Mount Prospect location from 6 pm to 8 pm, with a silent auction, networking bingo, and fabulous pizza! Check out our event page for more information.

Ellis Therapy & Fitness is located in Prairie View, Illinois, nestled in between Buffalo Grove and Lincolnshire. The company provides a unique and stimulating environment that encourages clients to develop strategies and techniques to reduce stress and learn new coping skills. The focus is on bridging a connection between the body and the mind to promote the overall wellness of clients. Healthy changes are generated by integrating evidence-based therapeutic practices with mindfulness, meditation, movement, yoga and pilates.

NEW – The Network of Entrepreneurial Women is a group of Chicagoland business women who are upgrading business networking with fun and creative events that inspire attendees to work together, refer each other and most of all cheer each other on as the membership succeeds. Events rotate around various suburbs on a semimonthly basis, usually the 2nd Wednesday and 4th Thursday of the month. RSVP for our upcoming events at Meetup, or like us on Facebook and check up on the calendar there.