13th Annual Women's Wellness Forum

Register now for the Women's Wellness Forum


Registration is now being taken for the 13th Annual Women's Wellness Forum which takes place 7 a.m. till 2 p.m. Saturday, March 12 at Payson High School Auditorium. The theme this year is "Women's Health - It's Not Rocket Science".

Below is an account of the 11^th Annual Women’s Wellness Forum “Pearls on the Path.” Written by Payson Daily Bugle editor Carolyn Wall:


An 11^th century philosopher once said, “The soul speaks to the body through symptoms.”

“How would you dialogue with that wound that you have?,” Pauline Napier asked the women in the Payson High School Auditorium Saturday. Napier and her daughter,  Michelle Napier-Dunnings, co-authors of the book, “Trust Building, An Experiential Approach,” were the keynote speakers at the 11^th Annual Women’s Wellness Forum “Pearls on the Path.” Napier and Napier-Dunnings also led workshops in three interactive sessions during the morning. Some 250 women who attended the forum had each signed up in advance for three of the hour-long workshops that began at 9 a.m. Some of the participants warmed up for the event by shaking, shimmying and burning up calories in the Drama Room at PHS during an early morning session of Karoomba! Zumba led by Christy Walton. They then went on to register and enjoy a continental breakfast in the lobby of the PHS auditorium.

Napier, who follows the philosophy of Karl Jung, told the women who gathered in the auditorium for the keynote address, “At the moment of conception, you are born whole. I’m 80 years of age and I still don’t know what my wholeness is, but I’m searching for it.” Her daughter, Napier-Dunnings,  talked about how a pearl is developed when a piece of sand gets in a shell and irritates the animal within. “The idea is the thing that irritates might make us stronger,” she said. “How do you do it? How do you start? It’s important to be who you are.”


At the “Wisdom of Wellness” workshop, Kendra Ringle gave participants a short overview of the central nervous system and illustrated the connection with the digestive system, and the brain and bowel connection. Annemarie Eveland, who led the workshops in Face Reading, told the women in her group, “Everything we discover today is a gift and a challenge.”

Following Saturday morning’s workshops, participants gathered in the PHS gym for a healthy lunch of turkey and vegetable wraps, pasta salad, chips, apple tarts and beverages provided by RC Catering. They strolled along the perimeter of the gym where 36 booths were set up to provide information on health products and services available locally. Many received door prizes donated by businesses and merchants from around the Rim Country.

The Annual Women’s Wellness Forum, now a tradition and a popular event for women who return to the forum each spring to share their experiences and learn from others about their health and well-being, is presented by the Women’s Wellness Forum Committee along with founding sponsors MHA, PRMC, RTA Hospice, Soroptomist, Rim Country Rotary, Arizona AHEC, APS, Payson Rotary, Payson Apothecary Pharmacy, ERA Community Fund and Gold and Bronze Level Sponsors.

Vendor space is now available. Call MHA at 472-2588 or Debra Isaac at 472-2775 to reserve a table.

Register for classes by phone at 472-2588 or by mail: MHA, 308 E. Aero Drive, Payson, AZ 85541. Registration fee: $10 includes a continental breakfast, a choice of three breakout sessions, and lunch in the PHS Old Gym. 


Women requiring financial assistance to attend the 2011 Forum can contact the MHA office at 472-2588.