Global Wellness Day 2023!

Rainbeau Mars teaches yoga at Yoga in the Sky on Helipad at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at ... [+] Beverly Hills for a previous Global Wellness Day celebration.

I spoke at the first Global Wellness Day in June 2012, at the Richmond Nua Wellness-Spa in Sapanca, Turkey, a two-hour drive from Istanbul. Global Wellness Day was the original brainchild of Belgin Aksoy, whose family owns Richmond Nua. At the time, there were 150 people in attendance.

Eleven years later, Global Wellness Day has spread to 170 countries around the globe, bringing millions of people together on the second Saturday in June–Global Wellness Day will be held on Saturday, June 10 this year–to celebrate wellness and raise awareness about the value of living a healthy lifestyle.

Aksoy came up with the idea after recovering from thyroid cancer at age 29. She began to exercise regularly, eat healthfully and "made radical changes in my life," she says. "After seeing the positive effects of those changes, I couldn't sit still, I had to do something," says Aksoy. She asked herself a simple question: "Living well is the common dream, but why don't we have a globally dedicated day to living well?"

With that question in mind, Aksoy determined to create Global Wellness Day and grow its influence around the globe with the overarching goal of inspiring people to prioritize wellness and integrate a wellness practice into their lives.

Global Wellness Day founder Belgin Aksoy. #DanceMagenta

Based on a seven-step manifesto—walk for an hour, drink more water, don't use plastic bottles, eat healthy food, do a good deed, have a family dinner with your loved ones, go to sleep at 10 pm—the purpose of the not-for-profit Global Wellness Day, she says, is for each of us to ask the question, even if just for one day, "How can I live a healthier and better life?"

Global Wellness Day celebrations include free workouts, nutritional counseling, workshops, cooking classes, lectures, celebrity performances and presentations from musicians, competitive athletes and thought leaders around the globe, including, in past years, Oprah, Gayle King, Reba McEntire and Matthew Kenney.

Myndstream, a platform that creates music designed for health and wellbeing, is the official audio partner for 2023 and curated the Global Wellness Day anthem "Good to You" by Academy Award/Golden Globe Award-nominated songwriter Taura Stinson with producer Darien Dorsey. The anthem, performed by Brianna Mazzola, will be released globally on June 10, 2023.

This year's Global Wellness celebrations will span tens of thousands of locations all over the world, including Ibiza, Ghana, Belgium, Tanzania, Bhutan, Seychelles, Cameroon, Mauritius, Senegal and Tunisia, the newest nations to join the celebration. Wellness-focused resorts and spas with Global Wellness Day programming include Chiva Som in Thailand, Four Seasons Beverly Hills, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace in Switzerland, Hyatt Palace Taghazout Bay in Morocco, Mandarin Oriental UAE and many, many more.

The theme of Global Wellness Day this year is Dance, and it's called #DanceMagenta, because magenta is the signature color of Global Wellness Day, and the upbeat shade was selected the Pantone color of 2023. "For us, living is dancing," says Aksoy. "The music of the universe never stops. Those who manage to become one with music are happy people," she continues. "Dancing is not just a physical activity. Those who choose to live well are those who come to realize that dancing is also a way of thinking."

To #DanceMagenta you do not need to be a professional dancer, or even know how to dance. It starts with three easy steps that we all can follow:

Whatever style you choose! Dance is a unique form of exercise. Dancing is good for your body. "Dancing means getting away from stress, exercising your body and spreading happiness at the same time," says Aksoy.

Add dance to your meditation while relaxing. Dance in your mind. Free your dreams.

Stay in the flow and trust the process. Add music to your life. Let music bring you happiness. Start your day with music, fall asleep with music. Take control of the rhythm of your life.

Golden Globe-nominated songwriter Taura Stinson wrote "Good for You," this year's anthem for Global ... [+] Wellness Day. The song will be released globally on June 10, Global Wellness Day, and is performed by Brianna Mazzola.

"I’m a strong advocate of the understanding that living well is a simple necessity for every human being on the planet and that wellness is not a luxury but the inherent right of every individual," says Aksoy. "My goal with Global Wellness Day was to create a day that would empower individuals and communities to prioritize their well-being and embrace positive lifestyle choices. Although Global Wellness Day lasts for 24 hours, our message is intended to last a lifetime," she continues.

Happy Global Wellness Day!