For the second year, Heart of Biddeford is hosting a Wellness Crawl from Jan. 13 through Feb. 23 to encourage holistic well-being in the new year.

In the cold, dark winter months, many can find it difficult to get out of the house, let alone find time for self-care.

The Wellness Crawl is a good way to not only encourage wellbeing, but to provide opportunities for people to discover new hobbies, Heart of Biddeford Assistant Director Abby Leibowitz said.

“It’s really important to get people out into the community during the winter months,” Leibowitz told the Courier. “It’s good for mental health.”

With fewer tourists and even residents venturing into downtown, local businesses are also slower during the winter months.

Heart of Biddeford hopes that the Wellness Crawl, which is partnering with many local businesses, will encourage people to step into businesses they might not have visited before.

“Hopefully, people will go out with friends and discover businesses and classes they might not have known existed,” Leibowitz said.

A mix of local businesses will provide discounts, specials, free trials, and free classes during the crawl, including yoga studios and physical therapy offices.

Harmonic Egg in Saco is offering discounts for people to use their wooden resonance chamber, which creates an environment for deep relaxation and internal balance.

Ebb and Flow Energetics in Biddeford is also joining the 20 plus local businesses involved in the crawl, offering yoga and reiki.

One of the largest partners of Heart of Biddeford, North Sky Chiropractic, will host an open house to kick off the crawl on Jan. 13.

“We’re so excited to participate in the Wellness Crawl for the second year in a row,” Dr. Rebecca Brouillette said. “It’s an exciting time to celebrate and strengthen our local community.”

As part of the Wellness Crawl, North Sky Chiropractic will offer customized posture assessments and a workshop on the ‘Posture of Parenthood.’

They will also be involved in the end-of-event raffle, when those who attended any qualifying event during the Wellness Crawl will be entered to win a rewarding grand prize.

The event is a celebration of the “incredible array” of wellness resources offered in the Biddeford and Saco community, Heart of Biddeford Director Delilah Poupre said.

“At a time of year where many of the retail businesses are resting up after the holidays, our wellness businesses and organizations are more ready than ever to welcome new customers or people interested in self-care and wellbeing,” Poupre said.

A full list of Wellness Crawl offerings and a schedule can be found on the website heartofbiddeford.org/listing/biddeford-saco-wellness-crawl/.