Frontline health workers have been urged to take some time out and rejuvenate after months of hard work battling the COVID crisis by engaging in a world-first festival which kicks off this weekend.

VITALity Festival is a nine day virtual festival kicking off this weekend which brings health and wellness experts together in one place to connect with frontline workers to help turn some of those feelings of isolation, anxiety, uncertainty and stress around and offer a chance for those people who have been at the coalface of keeping us safe to take some time out for themselves.

In August of 2020, VITALity co-founders Tanya Levy and Vikki Friedman were struck with an ambitious idea. What if you could bring together the world’s more forward-thinking health and wellness experts and connect them with some of the people who need them the most – stressed and lonely frontline workers?

With COVID-19 settling in as a dominant part of our lives, the decision to launch the VITALity Festival was made and now forgotten community heroes can engage with experts from around the world and be inspired, nurtured and empowered during this challenging time.

During the nine days of classes and events participants can explore a range of topics and practices including:

• Business leader Braith Bamkin’s three styles of breathing to help with challenges at home or work.
• Leadership and communication expert Renee Giarrusso on identifying habits and how to use them to your advantage.
• Director of Cool Karma Collected Marike Knight and her three emergency hacks to find more balance in your day and avoid burnout.
• High performance, strength, and conditioning coach Ronnie Hampel on finding the source of muscular pain and techniques to stop you being held back by pain.
• Centre of Optimism’s Victor Perton explaining why optimism is actually a superpower.
• Founder of Memory Health Made Easy David Norris showing you how to sharpen your mind and prevent memory loss.
• ARIA nominated musician Katie Underwood on using sound as therapy and harnessing mental relaxation.

Tanya says the lockdowns have impacted everyone, but she’s ended up grateful for her experience because it allowed her to reach beyond her typical thinking.

“I do think for those of us down here in Melbourne that we had quite a different experience between our first lockdown and our second lockdown,” she said.

“So in our first lockdown it was all very new and for me personally I felt very much like I was back to basics, it was very much to do with making sure my family were fed and cared for and well and happy.”

“I did at that time feel that I was very much just looking after my immediate family and immediate situation, but I was aware of the fact that I wanted to help in some way.

“We felt we’d dodged a bullet and came out of our lockdown quite quickly and we thought things were going to get back to normal and we were going to be able to start running our retreats… and then our second wave came along and were put into a much harder lockdown.

“It’s been hard for people but ironically enough for me the second lockdown has been an incredible gift and the gift has been us realising we couldn’t run retreats face-to-face and discovering that we still have something to give and coming up with the VITALity Festival and getting cracking with it.

“It’s actually been an incredible period of growth and excitement and seeing the possibilities.”

Vikki said while COVID has been extremely testing for all of us, her own experience has highlighted the importance of focusing on our health and wellbeing.

“It’s really been about prioritising what’s important in our lives and then investing in the things that work for me, and some of that’s been trying new things because I think we’re in a position where we need to,” she said.

“Things aren’t the same as what it was and I think coming out of this is not going to be the same so we need to really look at what’s in front of us and see within our own self what flicks our switch, what makes us happy, what lights us up again and I think that’s really important.”

The VITALity is endorsed by Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg who says the festival is an opportunity for frontline workers to focus on their own health and take much needed time for themselves.

Participation in the VITALity Festival isn’t limited to just frontline workers and can include anyone who wants to take some time to nurture themselves after this testing period.

Registration is free and you’ll get access to any of the live classes and lessons during the nine-day festival, plus receive a recording of the entre festival once it’s wrapped and we’ve all taken our collective breath.

For more details on speakers, registration, and scheduling visit vitavibeevents.com