April gives us permission to exhale. As the air warms and the world begins to bloom, we’re reminded that growth is still possible, even after the harshest seasons. This month, as we explore the theme Wellness Reimagined: Mind, Body, and Soul, we’re also called to recognize another reality, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. For many women, the journey to wellness hasn’t been about spa days or smoothie cleanses. It’s been about survival. Rebuilding. Reclaiming what was taken. And choosing, every single day, to begin again.
Sexual assault doesn’t just leave physical wounds. It can shatter a sense of safety, disrupt trust, and take over the way someone sees themselves and the world. But healing is possible. Not easy. Not linear. But possible. And within that healing lies a powerful form of wellness. One that honors every scar, every silent battle, and every brave step forward.
Let’s talk about wellness of the mind. For survivors, it might start with therapy, but it also happens in small moments. In writing a truth no one else has read. In learning to silence the inner critic. In realizing that being here, breathing and living and continuing, is already a form of strength. Sometimes healing looks like going back to work. Other times it’s just getting out of bed. And both are valid.
Wellness of the body can be the most complicated. Our bodies hold memory, and sometimes that memory isn’t kind. But survivors find power in movement, in stillness, in choosing what happens to their bodies from now on. That might mean yoga or strength training. It might mean walking barefoot in the grass, going to a doctor who actually listens, or simply choosing to rest. There’s no one way to reconnect with your body. The important thing is that it’s your choice again.
And then there’s the soul. That quiet space inside of us that can feel heavy, dim, or distant after trauma. But the soul is resilient. It can be nurtured through prayer, through art, through deep conversations or long drives with music turned up. It can be held by community. It can be lifted by purpose. Sometimes the soul just needs space to feel, without fixing, without rushing, without judgment.
This month, as we reimagine wellness, let’s expand what that really means. Let’s remember that healing doesn’t always look graceful. Sometimes it’s messy, angry, exhausted, and still beautiful. Let’s make room for the women who are still figuring it out. And let’s remind every survivor that they’re not alone.
You deserve healing. You deserve safety. You deserve joy. And you deserve to define wellness on your own terms, mind, body, and soul.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available. You are not alone.
Local Support in Southeast Minnesota:
Women’s Shelter and Support Center (Rochester, MN)
24-hour crisis line: (507) 285-1010
www.womens-shelter.org
Offers emergency shelter, legal advocacy, and support groups.
HOPE Coalition (Red Wing and surrounding areas)
24/7 crisis line: 1-800-369-5214
www.hope-coalition.org
Provides trauma-informed care, transitional housing, and survivor advocacy.
Olmsted County Victim Services
(507) 328-7270
Support for navigating the legal system, safety planning, and counseling referrals.
State and National Resources:
Minnesota Day One Crisis Line
Call or text: 1-866-223-1111
www.dayoneservices.org
Connects survivors to shelters, resources, and advocates across Minnesota.
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
24/7 confidential hotline: 1-800-656-4673
www.rainn.org
Live chat and crisis support available nationwide.
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
www.nsvrc.org
Offers education, resources, and survivor-centered tools.
