Together, We Feel Better: Wellness Week at Chapters

“Together, we are stronger” is the theme of this edition. What changes when we experience wellbeing collectively, and what can a community offer that we cannot find alone?

We can do so much on our own, but community is where we find consistency and courage. When you exercise, meditate or simply share a difficulty with other people, you realise you are not the only one experiencing certain things. That alone makes them feel lighter.

I see it every day with CIAOMONDO.world: people return for the classes, but also because they feel part of something. Community gives you a mirror, encouragement on the days when you are struggling, and the joy of celebrating small milestones together. When wellbeing is shared, it becomes less about performance and more about connection.

How did Wellness Week come about, and what personal ambition inspired you to create it? What did you feel was missing in Milan and in the wider conversation around wellbeing?

Wellness Week began with a very simple desire: to bring people together through activities that help cultivate awareness, creating an experience we could share in person.

Milan is full of energy, but it also moves very quickly. We often take care of ourselves in a rush, squeezing it in between commitments. I felt we needed a space where we could really pause, meet and talk about wellbeing in a complete way: beyond the body and exercise, including emotions, relationships, sexuality and life choices. My ambition was to create a place where all these aspects could be part of the same conversation.

Today, wellbeing has its own aesthetic, language and expectations. How do you create a space where taking care of yourself does not become another standard to live up to?

This is a question I care deeply about. The risk today is that wellbeing becomes another list of things we have to do well: the perfect routine, the perfect body, the perfect breakfast. It can end up creating anxiety instead of relief.

For me, taking care of yourself starts with listening to yourself. Some days, an intense workout feels good; other days, rest is what you need. Both are valid. A healthy space is one where nobody judges you for where you are, where you can arrive tired, insecure or out of shape and still feel welcome. Wellbeing is a way of being with yourself.

Your October 7 conversation with LELO at Chapters brings sexuality into the wellbeing discussion. Why was it important to make room for pleasure and intimacy, and which assumptions would you like this conversation to challenge?

Because wellbeing cannot stop at the bedroom door. We talk openly about sleep, nutrition and exercise, but pleasure and intimacy are often left out, as though they were secondary subjects or something to feel ashamed of.

I would like to challenge the idea that pleasure is a luxury or a frivolous topic. It is about health, self-knowledge and our relationship with our bodies. I would also like to dismantle the idea that there is a “right” way to experience sexuality. Everyone has their own pace, desires and history, and everyone deserves respect.

We are increasingly encouraged to care for our bodies, yet talking about desire and pleasure can still feel uncomfortable. What needs to change for sexual wellbeing to become a natural part of self-care?

We need to normalise the language. As long as we talk around the subject or lower our voices, we keep suggesting that there is something to hide. Speaking about it simply, in safe and respectful settings like those we are creating this week, is already a first step.

We also need information: to understand our bodies, how desire works and that it is normal for it to change over time. And we need kindness towards ourselves. Sexual wellbeing is about listening to ourselves, without pressure to perform. Like every form of care, it deserves time, curiosity and no judgement.

On October 8, Chapters will host a discussion on social egg freezing. Why include this subject, and how can we create an open, informed conversation without putting pressure on whether or when to become parents?

Because it is a subject that concerns so many people, particularly women, yet it is still discussed too little, or only in private. Many discover this possibility late, or receive fragmented information, and find themselves making important decisions without all the tools they need.

Our aim is not to tell anyone what to do. We want to offer clear information through expert voices, and a space where every choice is respected: becoming a parent, choosing not to, waiting or not knowing yet. Being informed does not mean making a decision. It means having greater freedom to do so.

Through its partnership with Chapters, Wellness Week enters a space dedicated to fashion and culture. What interests you about bringing these worlds together, and what would you like people to take away beyond the events?

It interests me because fashion, culture and wellbeing all speak about identity: how we feel, how we express ourselves and how we exist in the world. Bringing wellbeing into a space like Chapters means taking it beyond its niche and making it part of everyday life, where it belongs.

What I would like people to take home is a feeling, rather than another rule or piece of advice: the feeling that they are not alone. I hope they leave this week with a few new questions, a little more kindness towards themselves and perhaps a few more people with whom to share their experiences. Because together, we really are stronger.