Self-care is often marketed as an individual, consumption-driven activity. A new wellness series in St. Louis is challenging that by encouraging people to care for themselves in community.
Created and organized by a local group of entrepreneurs called the Soul Spa Collective, the Self Care Sunday series promotes connection and self-care through free, themed sessions that include discussions and activities.
“Self-care isn't just this buzzword – this ‘Go take a bubble bath and then things will be OK,’" said Jessica Wernli, co-founder of the Soul Spa Collective and co-organizer of the event series. The question she said the collective members were asking was, “How do we integrate [self-care] into our culture and our community?”
The series of free events began in May with a session focused on mothers and caregivers. Another in June was geared toward men because they are often left out of self-care conversations, said Steven Hunt, who co-founded the collective with Wernli.
“For me as a Black man raising two Black boys, I didn't feel like there was a space for me to go and be comfortable to get a pedicure, a massage,” Hunt said, adding that the series is breaking down social and cultural notions “that self-care isn't for men.”
This month’s Self Care Sunday session is all about play, with a focus on kids and their parents and caregivers. Through immersive activities like yoga, dance and sound baths, as well as a curated group of local, mission-driven vendors, the Aug. 25 event – like the ones before it – is free, and meant to create an accessible space for people who often lack access to the wellness world.
As to the role of play, Hunt said he hopes the upcoming Self Care Sunday allows room for youth to enjoy play as self-care, which he didn’t see his parents partake in for themselves.
“For my mom, my dad and my elders … I just always saw them in the hustle and bustle. I don't want the same for my kids. And being outside playing jumping rope, throwing a ball around, blowing bubbles, I want us as adults to not lose that feeling [of play], to see how much it meant to us when we were kids.”
Related Event
What: The Play edition of the Soul Spa Collective’s #SelfCareSunday
When: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 25
Where: St. Louis Artworks, 5959 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112
To hear more from Jessica Wernli and Steven Hunt about why self-care is a community practice that’s important to learn from a young age, listen to the full St. Louis on the Air conversation on Apple Podcast, Spotify and YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Ulaa Kuziez, Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
