Dear Life Stages Community,

This fall season can mean a new journey, a new beginning, or a new start–whether these are expected or unexpected changes in our lives. Change can be hard but it can also give us an opportunity to increase our resilience and self-confidence, especially with the right support—and we’re here to help! Our Life Stages team and platform is here to aid you through these changes by continuing to share research-based topics and guides (merch!)

Plus, our website and approach is getting a big revamp to better help you build everyday wellness and self-connection. Full site will be up in October with our full interactive app coming in early 2024– keep scrolling to become an-app tester to provide crucial feedback and build on your everyday wellness! ✍

This newsletter is dedicated to a team member of the Life Stages Team, Kevin Mooney, and his family. Learn more about our team member’s father, John Mooney, and his legacy, as well as ways to support at the bottom of the newsletter.

Thank you for being a part of the Life Stages Community!

What is Forest Bathing? And How Do the Cells in our OWN Body Play a Role?

With the fall weather taking place in September and the days getting colder, you might have looked outside the window and noticed the change in color of the leaves of trees. At first glance, forests may just be seen as carbon sinks (anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases) or a home for many ecosystems. But by taking a second look, forests actually have so much to offer for our physical and mental health.

One example is forest bathing. This is a form of eco-therapy where people take a short, leisurely visit to a forest in order to become relaxed, lowering heart rate and blood pressure. This effect is partly explained by natural killer (NK) cells, which are a subset of lymphocytes that kill certain target cells to protect the human immune system. In forest areas, NK cells respond and are activated much more in the human body in comparison to urban areas. Studies have found that increased NK cell activity has lasted for more than seven days after the forest trip! Now, feel free to take that walk outside into the open forest, knowing that your own cells can greatly benefit your own wellness journey.

If forest bathing caught your eye and you want to learn more, access Forest Bathing information and resources on our online platform here, Inner Sanctum!

Forest Bathing Resources on Inner Sanctum

A Couple of Life Stages Updates!

By October, our website will be fully revamped–a new look and an updated service model—maximizing the ultimate experience of what Life Stages can bring to you!

As we move away from a hybrid model to a primarily digital approach with further in-person and hybrid enhancement opportunities, getting involved is just a click away. Through our upcoming interactive wellness app, you’ll see our updated personalized approach that will allow you to rewire unhealthy default thought and behavior patterns at your own pace and time! All while helping you bridge the gap between the digital and natural world around you! Learn more by checking out our new Introduction to Life Stages video below.

To make your future experience with Life Stages even better, you can help inform us and be one of our first app-testers! Fill out our initial interest & app feature form OR click on the button below!

Register to Become an Influential App-Tester!

Community Wellness Hike & Resource Fair!

Sponsored by Molina Healthcare in Vancouver!

Closing out the month of September is an in-depth mindfulness hike for healthcare professionals—allowing them to take a moment for themselves to ground and learn everyday mindfulness and de-stressing tools. Following it will be a community wellness fair with local health and wellness practitioners to help spread healthcare knowledge for the local community of Vancouver. This free and public fair enables anyone to access new knowledge and begin incorporating it into their own wellness journey! Did we mention take-home wellness swag and resources?

Check out the link below to see what Life Stages offer more through this event!

Take a closer look here!

The Official Release of Our Store!

Life Stages is so excited to announce the release of our Store!

• Weather-Proof Beginners Wellness Guides – To hone on your mental game when things get tough, having these guides are especially impactful! These guides consist of three double-sided, weather-proof wellness packets of clinically-based wellness techniques and knowledge.Comes in a ring to keep them together!
• Digital Services & Tools – Whether it’s through our research-packed webinars or virtual workouts, you can immerse fully into an environment where you can start focusing on yourself in innovative and fresh ways!

Life Stages Store Website

In Memory Of

John Mooney (1950-2023)

One of our own Life Stage community members has recently lost someone close to them; we’d like to share his legacy and invite you to help join the family in this moment of healing and grieving.

A Chicago-native, John Mooney graduated from the Naval Academy in 1972 before joining the Marine Corps and serving for six years as a helicopter pilot. John went on to receive his MBA from Stanford (‘87) and worked in computer sales before settling in finance for Goldman Sachs. The Mooney family and wider community mourn the early loss of John Mooney, who leaves behind five children and a wife along with a legacy of contribution, potential, and community.

If you’d like to support the family, please contribute what you can and/or share with your wider networks the GoFundMe. We appreciate your support!

GoFund Me Link