The Healing Initiative: Partnering with BDAC to Build Resilience Through Yoga, Mindfulness, Movement, and the Arts

By Dr. Angie Holzer, Founder of the Healing Initiative, a project of WikiCharities

Across Utah—and especially here in Davis County—many people are seeking ways to slow down, reconnect, and find steadiness in a world that often feels overwhelming. Mental-health challenges continue to rise, reminding us how essential it is to have supportive, accessible spaces where individuals and families can heal and thrive. This is the heart of the Healing Initiative, and why our team is honored to partner with the Bountiful Davis Art Center (BDAC) to offer free, healing-centered classes to our community.

This year, we launched free community yoga classes, providing opportunities for gentle movement, breathwork, mindfulness, and shared connection. In 2026, we plan to expand this work through free art-healing classes, blending creativity, reflection, and grounding practices in a welcoming environment.

The Healing Method

Building on years of work at the intersection of wellness, movement, and emotional health, I developed The Healing Method—a practical and accessible approach designed to help individuals and communities build resilience, regulate the nervous system, and improve overall well-being.

The Healing Method centers on four interconnected practices:

• Mindfulness – cultivating awareness, presence, and grounding

• Movement – releasing tension and gently reconnecting with the body

• Breathwork – calming the nervous system and supporting emotional steadiness

• Creative Expression – using art to give form to emotions and insights.

When woven together, these practices help people navigate stress, deepen self-awareness, and restore balance in both mind and body. They are gentle, universal tools that anyone—of any age or background—can learn and incorporate into daily life.

The Role of Reflection

Within the Healing Initiative, reflection is one of the tools we encourage and support, particularly through journaling. While mindfulness, movement, and breathwork carry equal importance, reflective journaling offers its own unique benefits.

Research shows that when people journal about their feelings, the brain begins activating in more integrated ways. Emotional and reasoning centers communicate more effectively—an internal realignment that promotes clarity and healing. As psychiatrist Dr. Arif Khan explains, “The brain is learning to talk to itself. That is the hidden power of journaling. It’s not just reflection—it’s repairing.”

A 2021 Stanford study found that expressive writing helps the brain recover from stress by strengthening emotional regulation pathways and reducing neurological markers of overwhelm. In our classes, we create gentle opportunities for journaling and reflection so participants can access these restorative benefits.

While deeper digestion and integration continue at each person’s own pace, our classes provide practices that support that ongoing inner process—offering a safe environment for grounding, awareness, and healing.

BDAC as a Partner in Community Healing

The Bountiful Davis Art Center is a beautiful and inspiring space where we currently hold our free community yoga classes. BDAC’s creative and community-centered environment naturally nurtures expression, connection, and emotional openness—qualities that deeply align with the Healing Initiative’s mission. This partnership allows us to bring healing practices into a space already known for creativity, belonging, and artistic exploration.

As our Healing Initiative grows, we look forward to expanding the ways movement, mindfulness, and creative practices support emotional well-being in our community. Whether through yoga, reflective journaling, breathwork, or future creative offerings, our shared goal is to make healing accessible and welcoming for all.

A Community Path Toward Resilience

The Healing Initiative at BDAC represents a meaningful step toward strengthening emotional well-being in our community. Our goal is to offer practices that are restorative, inclusive, and accessible—helping individuals navigate stress while fostering a deeper sense of belonging.

We warmly invite you to join us—whether at a yoga class, a future art-healing session, or simply as a community member seeking connection. Together, we can cultivate a healthier, more resilient, and more connected Bountiful.

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About Dr. Angie Holzer

Dr. Angie Holzer is a leading expert in yoga for mental health. She taught yoga and mindfulness for mental health at Stanford University, where she also earned her certification in Yoga for Mental Health. Dr. Holzer is additionally certified in adaptive yoga, trauma-informed yoga, yoga for cancer survivors, and is a certified art therapy practitioner. Over the past eight years, she has taught wellness and healing programs in Costa Rica and at a luxury healing resort, integrating mindfulness, movement, breathwork, and creative expression into her work. She is excited to bring these healing-centered classes to Utah through the Healing Initiative, a project of WikiCharities.

The Healing Initiative is part of the Health Across the Lifespan spoke of the Bolder Way Forward in Utah—a statewide effort dedicated to helping women and girls thrive by improving access to mental-health and wellness supports.