MEMBERSHIP
The Atlanta Bar Wellness Committee : Changing of the Guard
T he Atlanta Bar Wellness Committee is gearing up for another year of wellness-centered events for our members . From hiking , to yoga , to mindful breathing , we try to incorporate different techniques and activities that help and support our members to live their best lives . I have been the Chair of the Wellness Committee for five ( 5 ) years now and it has been an amazing experience . I have met amazing people and tried some new things – with varying degrees of success ! It was all in fun and all in furtherance of the Committee ’ s goal : to help lawyers balance the stress and hectic nature of our work with taking care of ourselves and taking time for ourselves . This year , I am stepping down as Chair and Ashley M . Bowcott ( Berman Fink Van Horn PC ) will be filling the seat . Ashley has been an invaluable asset to the Committee . As I step down as Chair , I am excited about the energy , diligence , thoughtfulness , and creative thinking that Ashley will bring to the position . I am looking forward to continuing to be a member of this wonderful Committee and seeing what new and exciting things are in store with Ashley at the helm !
MINERVA STEELE Steele Injury Law msteele @ steeleinjurylaw . com
I am thrilled to be taking over as Chair of the Wellness Committee of the Atlanta Bar Association for the upcoming year . As a young lawyer , I got involved in the wellness committee during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic : a time when wellness should have been prioritized , but often fell by the wayside , especially for attorneys . It is an important but often overlooked aspect of any career , especially in the legal field . I have enjoyed the sense of community , both through virtual events and our in-person opportunities , such as The Legal Runaround 5k and our wellness hikes . I see such an opportunity for this committee to connect all Atlanta Bar members , including law students , newer attorneys , and those who have been in the practice for many years .
When we hosted our inaugural wellness week this summer , discussed more below , it was one of the busiest weeks of my career . Every day that we had a wellness event , I wondered how I could possibly fulfill my work obligations and make it to the special events we had planned around town . I considered skipping out on certain events to get a couple more hours of work done . It is at those times when we need to prioritize our health — however that may look for each of us — so we are better positioned to show up in our profession . As Chair of this committee , I look forward to offering programming and a sense of community that stresses this importance to everyone .
Wellness Week
The Wellness Committee hosted its first Wellness Week July 10-14 , 2023 . The week aimed to connect Atlanta Bar Association members and focus on various events that promote mind and body wellness . We kicked off the week with a barre class at Barre3 Druid Hills . Barre is a workout with components of ballet , yoga , and Pilates . It is a full body strength training workout , but also focuses on mental wellbeing as each class begins with setting an intention and ends with breathwork and gratitude . We had a great turnout of seasoned barre-goers and newcomers alike , and our instructor Allie did a great job pushing us all while meeting everyone at their specific ability levels . It was a high-powered way to start the week .
The next day , we headed to Odyssey Jiu Jitsu for a primer on self-defense . Our instructor Ian taught us some basics such as falls before we broke into groups to practice physical techniques , including breaking grips and getting out of chokeholds . We even ended the class practicing how to flip attackers over our shoulders . Although it would be impossible to teach all skills necessary to defend oneself in an hour , it was an instructive class and contained a multitude of practical tips to keep us safe .
We closed out wellness week with strategic self-care and yin yoga hosted by Anana Parris . The class opened with a brain dump where we quietly journaled all of our thoughts to get them out of the way for the practice . We then turned to different areas of needs , including physical , social , emotional , and financial , and shared the
36 August / September 2023