NA New Mexico September 2017 8 29 17 by Natural Awakenings New Mexico

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

H E A L T H Y

P L A N E T

feel good • live simply • laugh more

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Yoga as a Way of Life Rodney Yee’s Advice for Staying on Track

FLOATING Away Stress Isolation Tanks Induce Deep Rest and Healing

Special Local

YOGA

Edition

CREATIVE

AGING Gloriously Enriching Our Later Years

Pages 21-25

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September 2017

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September 2017

contents Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more balanced life. In each issue readers find cutting-edge information on natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.

13 OPEN YOUR MIND AND

Come see our new location!

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16 STEPS TO A ‘ZERO WASTE’ SANTA FE

Donna Carol

by Adam Schlachter

17 SOLAR HEATS UP

Clairvoyant Medium and Energy Healer

Demand Surges as Prices Fall by Jim Motavalli

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20 RODNEY YEE ON YOGA AS A WAY OF LIFE Simple Strategies for Staying on Track by Marlaina Donato

21 LOCAL YOGA SECTION 26 ZAYA AND MAURIZIO BENAZZO

Joining Science to Spirituality by Linda Sechrist

27 THE PATH TO INTENT: An Interview with Malika Chopra

by Giovanna Rossi

28 FLOATING

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AWAY STRESS Isolation Tanks Induce Deep Rest and Healing

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31 AGING WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE

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Finding Fulfillment, Creativity and Meaning by Deborah Shouse

34 MUSING ON

CONSCIOUS AGING by Dr. Joan Borysenko

36 ELDERSHIP,

CONSCIOUSNESS AND SACRED ACTIVISM by Andrew Harvey

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8 newsbriefs 12

healthbriefs

14 globalbriefs

17 greenliving 3/25 yogaprofiles 2

20 fitbody

Special Free Class

Activate Your Mind Power Tuesday, Oct 3, 7pm Also learn about helping people heal with hypnotherapy

26 wisewords 28 healingways 39 calendar 41 classifieds

41 resourceguide

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 505-999-1319 or email Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com. Fax 888-900-6099. Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Deadline for Articles: the 5th of the month. Deadline for News/Health Briefs: the 10th of the month. Email to: Editor@NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Submit Calendar Events online at: http://naturalawakeningsnnm.com/calendar-options/ Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month. REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 505-999-1319. For franchising opportunities call 1-239530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

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T Serving Central and Northern New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos and surrounding communities

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Contributing Writers Dr. Joan Borysenko Andrew Harvey Jeff Primack Giovanna Rossi Adam Schlachter

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Digital email subscriptions are available free, compliments of publisher, by emailing to above email address your name and email information. DISTRIBUTION: Natural Awakenings free publication is delivered to more than 500 business locations in Northern and Central New Mexico monthly. Would you like to receive Natural Awakenings monthly at your place of business and receive benefits? Contact us for more information. © 2017 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

he September issue has been an interesting experience in terms of production challenges. With mercury in retrograde and the total solar eclipse upon us tomorrow, Monday, August 21, which simultaneously is also the press release date for this issue, I’ve had challenges with missing emails and attachments. I’ve had an on slew of last-minute submissions and revisions. And for some reason I felt propelled to take on transcribing over two hours’ worth of audio conversations that we could turn into editorial that I really wanted to share with you. The Universe works in mysterious ways and I truly believe there was a grander reason I attended two important events preceding the production of this issue. Both outings prepared me and the other attendees to act and think like peaceful warriors so we could better cope with all of the planetary unrest that is taking place during this time. I was very inspired by many of the wisdom keepers during the first inaugural Qi Gong and Conscious Aging Conference that took place the first weekend of August at the Chi Center for Wisdom Healing Qigong in Galisteo, New Mexico. We are sharing with you highlights of two talks which address different aspects of Conscious Aging. Dr. Joan Borysenko is a distinguished pioneer in integrative medicine and a world-renowned expert in the mind-body connection and shares her secrets about healthy lifestyle practices including diet, telomers, the brain and gut, blue zones and more (see page 34) We also share excerpts of Andrew Harvey’s speech on page 36. Andrew Harvey is an internationally acclaimed poet, novelist, translator, mystical scholar, and spiritual teacher. His talk truly set the audience on fire and educated us on the attributes of a productive Elder in this current era. The following weekend I was with Rebecca Skeele in my third Sacred Ambition experience. Rebecca is a Heaven on Earth Mentor, Wisdom Teacher and Counselor, ordained minister and author. She is well-known as an expert in teaching the inner spiritual tools to initiate a major life shift in consciousness. One of the big takeaways for most attendees was the rekindling of our listening skills. While this was something I learned nearly 10 years ago, somewhere along the way I stopped practicing. Good listening skills are an acquired practice, because so often we anticipate what people are saying or we don’t listen because we are eager to wait for our turn, or we over talk people. How about listening for possibility? It’s a technique where you leave space when the other person speaks which creates a positive field where miracles can occur. Oh, and did I tell you about Radical Loving? There have been so many messages from trusted wisdom keepers regarding the time period fortified by this total solar eclipse. They say that now is the time to powerfully set new intentions and visions for our lives while strongly encouraging us to let go of all the things that no longer serve us. In other words, forgiveness work and clearing.

Please join me. The time is now. Sending blessings.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.

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September 2017

newsbriefs Ki-Gong and Body Alignment Workshops

egendary Ki-Gong and Body Alignment Master Chung Suk will be coming to New Mexico for a Body Alignment Workshop being held October 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 6 to 9 p.m. and a Ki-Gong Training being held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 6:30 to 9 p.m. on October 13. Through the Body Alignment workshop participants can check their body structure and discover ways to align their physical body in daily life. The practice of Ki-Gong promotes the flow of ki (energy) in the body. Attendees will learn to open acupressure points by stretching and twisting the body in repetitive and precise movements. Relaxation and deep breathing are a part of this practice, allowing the ki to flow. Master Suk has been studying, researching and teaching body-mind healing principles for over 25 years. “We have common misconceptions that it’s natural to have a weaker and less-balanced body as we grow older, leading to lower physical energy. I developed these workshops for you to regain healthy functioning of the body’s systems, overall energy circulation, and emotional well-being,” he says. Cost: Sign up by September 30 for only $100 each. Location: 6300 San Mateo Blvd NE #C2, Albuquerque. For more information, call 505-797-2211 or visit BodynBrain.com See ad, page 24.

Eight Gateways to Accessing Wisdom

he Council of Understanding presents Eight Gateways to Accessing Wisdom with WindEagle on September 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Unity Santa Fe. WindEagle will focus on The Council, an ancient way using eight gateways to open our access to the deep wisdom of the Universe. WindEagle is a Keeper of the Origin Teachings of the Delicate Lodge, an ancient wisdom way arising from the indigenous People of the Americas. She is the co-founding director of Ehama Institute in Abiquiu, dedicated to Mending the Sacred Hoop of the People. “In today’s polarized environment, now, more than ever, it is vital to listen to the voices within and around us to seek the wisdom to find a peaceful path to create our future together,” she says. “Join us for a special day of opening our individual and collective awareness of how we can come together once more as the people, and bring creative solutions of a harmonious nature.” Cost: $50; Preregistration encouraged. Location: 1212 Unity Way, Santa Fe. Call 505-989-4433 for more information and to register. The world’s leading source of media research

Natural Awakenings Ma gazine is Ranked 5th Nationally in Cision’s 2016 Top 10 Health & Fi tness Magazines List 8

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Aging Gracefully

“O

ur spa at Casa Verde Salon and Spa is truly a center of transformation,” shares Emily Kohen, head makeup artist, esthetician, and Aveda freelance artist at Casa Verde Salon and Spa in Albuquerque. “We offer facial and body treatments that utilize Aveda products to help achieve your skincare and bodycare needs.” According to Kohen, the top three global skin concerns are aging skin, fine lines/wrinkles, and uneven skin tone. “These concerns can all be addressed with a customized Tulasara facial treatment,” she says. “To achieve fresher, younger looking skin we recommend adding on the Perfecting Plant Peel to your next facial treatment. This plantpowered thermal peel provides the instant exfoliation and radiance benefits of a 30 percent glycolic peel without the associated redness and irritation.” This treatment can also be performed as a stand-alone service. “For optimal results, your esthetician will go over a homecare regimen that best fit your skincare needs and desired results,” says Kohen. “A fan favorite is the Tulasara firm concentrate, a 97 percent naturally derived treatment serum that lifts and firms the look of skin to help restore its radiant, youthful appearance.”

Location: 5113 Comanche Road NE, Albuquerque. For more information, call 505-881-0464 or visit CasaVerdeSpa.com. See ad, with special offer on page 3.

New Mexico Company Wins Best Natural Beauty Product Award

axandjane’s Transilience Calming Cleanser won in Yoga Journal’s 2017 Natural Beauty Awards for the best new natural face cleanser. After undergoing rigorous review and testing among a competitive lineup of products, including those from much larger companies, Transilience Calming Cleanser rose above its competitors for effectiveness, and natural high grade ingredients and formulation. Transilience Calming Cleanser is a gentle, low foaming gel, providing exceptional cleansing for all skin types, including sensitive. At the same time, it is thorough enough to remove mascara. The cleanser is formulated from all-natural botanical ingredients and is designed to maintain the skin’s balance and luminosity through skin-identical ingredients. Many of the ingredients are grown using biodynamic and organic methods, on the company farm in the high desert of New Mexico. No synthesized ingredients are used in any the company’s seven products. “This is a major award, and we are pleased to see our dedication to pure products using skin-identical ingredients recognized among industry leaders in natural Skincare” says Susan Nichols, co-founder and formulator for maxandjane’s skincare line. Transilience Calming Cleanser comes in a three-month supply pump bottle, and sells for $19. Visit MaxAndJane.com for more product and ordering details. See ad, page 33.

Discover the Role of the Psoas in Emotional Well-being

he Cranio Sacral School of the Masters is excited to present a workshop titled The Psoas: Its Role in Pelvic Integrity and Emotional Well-being is being held October 20 to 22 at Blue Desert Hale in Tijeras. In this three-day class, attendees will explore the structure and function of the psoas and its interrelationship with the pelvis, breath, alarm system, emotions and more. “Our psoas is the only muscle to connect our upper body to the lower. Its location deep within the core puts it in touch the enteric, central and autonomic nervous systems. This large and dynamic muscle passes through the pelvis, has direct contact with the kidneys and diaphragm and is part of the deep front fascial line,” explains workshop facilitator Etienne Peirsman, MM, founder of the Cranio Sacral School of the Masters. “As the container for our most primal fears and our everyday stresses, the psoas reflects how safe and empowered and how centered and congruent we feel. Its health is critical to our feeling grounded and at ease in the world.” Location: Blue Desert Hale, 38 Pine Haven Road, Tijeras, New Mexico. For more information and to register, call 505-503-5137 or visit CranioMasters.com. See ad with up and coming classes on page 3.

The Women of Light Convention

he Women of Light Convention (WOL) is being held September 16 from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Albuquerque Convention Center. In its inaugural year, WOL is New Mexico’s only conference of its kind, bringing more than 1,500 women together of all walks of life to be inspired through illuminating messages, to ignite connection with other women, and to brightly serve our community. WOL provides an all-inclusive platform for the brilliant work women are doing to be highlighted, and to share with the community about their lives, failures, and success through a seminar-conference setting. These experts bring dimension and accredited knowledge to topics that all women can be passionate about, including education, fitness, entrepreneurship, social issues, leadership, and so many more! By shedding light on such a diverse group, WOL creates a unique draw that allows the boundaries of politics, religion, socioeconomics, and generational differences to be bridged with light. National speakers include Elizabeth Smart, author, speaker and survivor; Stephanie Nielsen, author, speaker, blogger and burn survivor featured on Oprah; and Meg Johnson, author, motivational speaker and paraplegic. Location: 401 2nd St. NW, Albuquerque. For more information, call 505-585-3831 or visit TheWomenOfLight.com. See ad, page 7.

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September 2017

newsbriefs Well Woman Life SuperPower Retreat

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ell Woman Life founder Giovanna Rossi, along with Lindsay McCoy and the rest of the Well Join the movement to begin Woman Team, are excited to announce Well Woman Life’s Life! Here are four simple wa SuperPower Retreat is being held October 26 and 27 at Sunrise 1. Join the Facebook commu Springs Resort in Santa Fe. www.wellwomanlife.com This event, geared toward teaching women to find and use 2. Complete the five day cha their superpowers in both their personal and professional lives, activate your Well Woman features world-renowned guest speakers and women leaders www.wellwomanlife.com that will empower attendees to live a Well Woman Life. 3. Become a member to acc “You are committed to your work, to your family and community of Well Women friends, and you make a difference in your community. But www.wellwomanlife.com it’s a lot to handle and keep track of, and sometimes you lose 4. Listen to the Well Woman p yourself,” shares Rossi. “Come connect with yourself and with www.wellwomanlife.com other powerful women, as we journey together to find and use 89.9fm or show on KUNM the superpowers that make us the awesome women we are.” Attendees will be inspired by guest speakers such as Vera social. supportive. De Chalambert from Kali Takes America and Jacquette M. Timmons, financial behaviorist as seen on FOX, CNN and Good Morning America. “Enjoy the beauty and ambiance of a five star resort with food that nourishes the body and an environment of healing and rejuvenation,” says Rossi. “This is the perfect way to take time for you and connect with other powerful women.” Location: 242 Los Pinos Rd., Santa Fe. For more information, email info@wellwomanlife.com or visit WellWomanLife.com/retreat.

Reiki Certification and Special Rates

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ealing practitioner, Reiki Master and ordained minister, Jan Walker, is excited to announce several upcoming Reiki events. On September 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. she will offer a Reiki I Class and Certification in Albuquerque. The class includes meditation, attunements, the history of Reiki, and learning basic hand positions for treatment. Pre-registration is required and the fee is $175. In addition, Walker is offering special half off rates for the month of September including a one-hour Reiki healing or a one-hour foot reflexology treatment for only $60 each session. “Plus, all are welcome to join my free Group Healing/Meditation Circle that meets weekly on Monday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.,” she says. Jan Walker has been teaching all three levels of the Usui method since 1993. She creates sacred space for others to experience healing, inspiration, ceremony and gatherings. Location: St. Thomas Episcopal, 245 University Blvd. NE, Albuquerque. Call 505-835-5440 to schedule an appointment, register for a Reiki class, or to RSVP for the free group healing/ meditation circle. For more information, visit AwakeningSpiritMinistries.org. See Community Resource Guide, page 43.

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Chaos to Coherence Retreat with Gregg Braden and Bruce Lipton

rom Chaos to Coherence: The Power to Thrive in Life’s Extremes is being held September 28 to October 1 at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. During this special four-day retreat, attendees will get a chance to spend close, rare time with renowned best-selling authors and speakers Gregg Braden and Dr. Bruce Lipton as they lead the group through some of the most recent discoveries merging science and spirituality in the alchemy of the human heart. Braden and Lipton provide a paradigm-shattering syn-

thesis of ancient wisdom and frontier science, new knowledge that reveals the planet is experiencing an extraordinary evolutionary event—the dawn of a new civilization. The duration of each day spent up close with their teachings, all set in the rugged beauty of New Mexico’s high desert and on the native Santa Anna pueblo, contributes to a unique personal experience that’s just not possible at the larger keynoteoriented conferences. Presenting new research ranging from human evolution and epigenetics to the new field of neuro-cardiology—the bridge between the brain and the heart—the pair describe discoveries that overturn 150 years of conventional scientific knowledge. For more details visit ShalohaProductions.com. See ad below.

natural awakenings

September 2017

esearchers from Helsinki, Finland, analyzed data from 2,000 people to find out how sleeping patterns affected their food choices. They discovered individuals that wake up early make healthier food choices throughout the day and are more physically active. “Linking what and when people eat to their biological clock type provides a fresh perspective on why certain people are more likely to make unhealthy food decisions,” explains lead author Mirkka Maukonen, from the National Institute for Health and Welfare, in Helsinki.

Meditation and Music Aid Memory in Early Stages of Alzheimer’s

A Less is only more where more is no good. ~Frank Lloyd Wright

new study from West Virginia University, in Morgantown, reveals that listening to music and practicing meditation may help improve memory function for those in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers asked 60 adults experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a common predictor of Alzheimer’s, to engage in kirtan kriya musical meditation or listen to other music for 12 minutes a day for three months, and then consider continuing for an additional three months. Scientists measured the memory and cognitive function of the 53 participants that completed the six-month study and found significant improvements in both measurements at the three-month mark. At six months, the subjects in both groups had maintained or improved upon their initial results.

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EARLY BIRDS EAT BETTER AND EXERCISE MORE

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healthbriefs

Open your Mind and Heart for Deep Healing and Fulfillment with Wisdom Healing Qigong

“D

id you realize that a lifetime of unreleased stress and trauma can contribute to chronic pain, disease, and a loss of vitality?” asks Master Mingtong Gu, founder of the Chi Center for Wisdom Healing Qigong in Galisteo, New Mexico. “Over the years we accumulate and store stress and trauma which causes energetic blockages in our organ systems. This creates imbalances detrimental to our long-term emotional and physical health...and are the root causes of most age-related illnesses.” Master Gu shares that Wisdom Healing Qigong practices are designed to remove energetic blockages stemming from negative emotions and situations that may have been building up since we were young children. “Imagine the levels of health and freedom when you finally release this lifetime of ‘energetic residue.’ You become more resilient and have increased capacity to harness your personal power and creativity...which is essential to the world during uncertain times like these,” he says. Once a person’s energy systems are allowed to flow naturally, the additional benefits are profound, transforming

day-to-day stress and tapping into higher levels of consciousness and wisdom. “When we’re stressed, we’re often only reacting to life because our response is not coming from a deeper, expansive place of ease,” explains Gu. However, the gentle movement, sound vibration, and meditation practices of qigong cultivate the expansiveness of one’s heart, mind and spiritual energetic spaciousness... so they’re able to have a much wider and more whole perspective of living. “For example,” shares Gu, “when you are stressed, constricted or contracted, you might think, ‘Physically, I’m separate from everyone else. I’m isolated in my particular disease and condition. I’m limited by what has happened to me in my past.’” As an alternative, with energetic spaciousness, one’s mind and heart can open wide—even beyond the size of planet earth. “You can sense your energy linked to our collective experience and the universal potential. You can sense your connection to the whole cycle of life,” says Gu. “The beauty of energy is that, on one hand, it’s an ocean of totality and it is non-local. It’s everywhere. It’s undifferentiated, permeating all form and formless. And yet, with intention and practices like qigong, you can localize it anywhere—including in your body—to release stress and trauma, accelerate healing, and promote joy and peace.” A Wisdom Healing Qigong practice can activate every cell in every part of one’s body to awaken to greater intelligence, energy and love. “No matter what your life stage or challenges, it’s a potent resource for your personal source for health and happiness,” adds Gu. To learn how to transform your life challenges through Wisdom Healing Qigong, join Master Mington Gu for a September/ October Healing Intensive Retreat at the Chi Center, located at 40 Camino Vista Clara in Galisteo, NM. To register or for more information, call 800-959-2892 or visit ChiCenter.com/Retreat. See ad, this page.

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September 2017

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News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.

Free Wheeling Abel Zyl/Shutterstock.com

Architecture Becomes Portable Innovative, moveable mini-houses, tents and wagons are gaining advocates amid a trend toward traveling light with style. Designs range from the functional to the outlandish, and also encompass forms of transport from tugboats to tractors. The four-wheeled Collingwood Shepherd Hut wagon has a shingled exterior and wood-burning stove. Some options can provide ready shelter during a crisis or protection in extreme weather. The Rapid Deployment Module temporary dwelling can be assembled in an hour; DesertSeal’s inflatable, lightweight tent can ward off extreme heat. The experimental Camper Kart turns a shopping cart into a mini-home with a roof, sleeping deck and storage, all of which can be folded right back into the cart. The Portaledge is a small hanging tent that climbers can affix to a rock face and sleep in safely partway up the rock. Golden Gate 2 camper features a rounded timber frame, portholes and a spot for a surfboard. Find fun pictures at AtlasObscura.com/articles/mobile-architecture-tiny-houses.

Easy Mark kaipadhking/Shutterstock.com

Lasers Stamp Prices on European Produce Food retailers are aiming to cut plastic and cardboard packaging by ditching stickers on fruits and vegetables, instead using high-tech laser “natural branding” and creating huge savings in materials, energy and CO2 emissions. Pilot projects are underway in Europe with organic avocados, sweet potatoes and coconuts. The technique uses a strong light to remove pigment from the skin of produce. The mark is invisible once the skin is removed and doesn’t affect shelf life or produce quality. The laser technology also creates less than 1 percent of the carbon emissions needed to produce a similar-sized sticker. Source: The Guardian

Bat Banter

Computers Decipher Animal Language

Rosa Jay/Shutterstock.com

The Egyptian fruit bat is a highly social mammal that roosts in crowded colonies. A machine learning algorithm helped decode their squeaks, revealing that they speak to one another as individuals. The research appears in the journal Scientific Reports. Researchers at Tel Aviv University, in Israel, discovered that the bats exchange information about specific problems in four categories. Ramin Skibba, at Nature, notes that besides humans, only dolphins and a handful of other species are known to address individuals, rather than making broad, general communication sounds. Studies allow that it may eventually be possible to understand nuanced communications in other species. 14

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Plutonium Problem Glass or Cement May Encase Nuclear Waste

Congress might consider authorizing the U.S. Department of Energy to encase much of the nuclear waste at the Washington state Hanford Nuclear Reservation, the nation’s largest waste repository, in a cement-like mixture, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. It states that when burying the waste, cement would be less expensive and faster than vitrification, an alternative process currently used to turn the waste into glass logs. A $17 billion vitrification plant, one of the federal government’s most expensive construction projects, is intended to separate much of the waste into high- and low-level radioactive material, but construction has stalled over design and safety concerns. After the highly radioactive waste is immobilized in the glass logs, it would theoretically be shipped to an as-yet-nonexistent national repository proposed for Yucca Mountain, in Nevada. The 56 million gallons of waste in question is left over from plutonium production for nuclear weapons since World War II, and the site itself has a history of leaks. The Department of Energy likes the cement burial, but state officials believe the best way to safely deal with the waste and protect the environment is by turning it into glass. Source: enews.earthlink.net

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September 2017

OCT

Steps to a ‘Zero Waste’ Santa Fe

Coming Next Month Chiropractic

CARE Plus: Transformative Travel October articles include: Selecting a Chiropractor Bone-Density Exercises Life-Changing Travel and so much more!

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by Adam Schlachter

“Z

ero Waste” means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. The redesign process focuses on reuse, recycling, composting or upcycling to manage items once they reach the end of their useful life. Santa Fe is moving towards zero waste as our solid waste programs evolve and change. The new automated recycling carts have allowed the City to significantly increase the amount of materials being diverted from the Caja del Rio landfill. A big factor in a successful zero waste program is making sure that participants understand their actions will either contribute to the success of the program or have a negative impact. Changing behavior is very important and starts with looking at how people buy things. Every company has different packaging and not all of it is accepted in local recycling programs. For instance, if a specific type of packaging cannot be placed in the curbside recycling program, purchasing products that are in acceptable packaging boosts the success of that program. Unfortunately not all items can be purchased in alternative packaging. Items purchased, which cannot be placed in local recycling programs, should not be placed into your cart. Wishful recycling leads to increased cost, increased contamination and reduced recycling. NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com

One of the biggest challenges to local efforts to move toward zero waste was a lack of composting capacity in the region. Over the last year, two new composting facilities have come online which can accept food waste and other organic materials. Reunity Resources operates a facility at the Santa Fe Community Gardens (San Isidro Crossing) and Payne’s Nurseries operates a facility co-located at the Caja del Rio Landfill and on Agua Fria. Both of these facilities have been able to increase the availability of composting in Santa Fe. Eldorado 285 Recycles and the Zero Waste Committee of the Sierra Club have both started to enable zero waste events in Santa Fe. Combined, they have ‘revamped’ five events attended by over 1,500 people. Their success in changing how these events was managed helped to divert 300 pounds of material to recycling and over 200 pounds of organics to composting. This was accomplished through using compostable consumables on site (e.g. plates, bowls, cups, etc.), clearly marked containers for each type of material, and volunteers on site to help. ESD (Environmental Services Division) plans to focus on ways to help our local events move towards zero waste as they continue to flourish in Santa Fe. Adam Schlachter is the education and outreach coordinator for the agency that handles waste and recycling in Santa Fe.

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greenliving

Technical Breakthroughs

SOLAR HEATS UP Demand Surges as Prices Fall by Jim Motavalli

ow is a good time to buy a solar system and get off the grid. Solar photovoltaic prices have fallen 67 percent in the last five years, reports Alexandra Hobson with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). It’s a boom period for solar—a record 14.8 gigawatts were installed last year in the U.S. Solar represented 39 percent of all new electric capacity added to the grid in 2016, surpassing natural gas (29 percent) and wind (26 percent). In the first quarter of this year, solar and wind together comprised more than half of all new U.S. power generation. The Solar Investment Tax Credit was extended for five years at the end of 2015, so homeowners and businesses can qualify to deduct 30 percent of the installed cost from their federal taxes. Also, there’s no upper limit on the prices for the qualifying panels. There are 1.3 million solar systems in the U.S. now, with a new one added every 84 seconds. Some 260,000 people currently work in the industry, double the figure of 2012. California is the leader in installed capacity, followed by North Carolina,

Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Utah.

In 2016, the average residential solar system produced seven kilowatts, at an average installed cost of $3.06 per watt, according to Hobson. A system costing just over $21,000 before taking the income tax credit yields a final net cost of $15,000. “It’s a perfect marriage for residential customers,” says Bill Ellard, an energy economist with the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). “The systems will produce electricity for about five cents per kilowatt-hour year-round compared to the average electric price of 10.34 cents per kilowatt hour tracked in March 2017.” New solar panel designs coming online mean even greater savings. Panels with built-in micro-inverters are cutting home installation costs for large central units (although their long-term, all-weather durability isn’t clear yet). A breakthrough at Japan’s Kobe University means single solar cells could achieve 50 percent efficiency, up from the 30 percent formerly accepted as the upper limit. Ugly panel frames may also be a thing of the past. More aesthetically pleasing frameless panels are expected

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September 2017

this year from big players like SolarWorld, Canadian Solar and Trina Solar, with adapted mounting hardware. Producers like Prism Solar and DSM Advanced Surfaces are also working on frameless clear panels, with cells bound between panes of glass. These attractive clear panels are highly resistant to fire and corrosion. Tesla, which recently acquired

Aging is not lost youth,

but a new stage of opportunity and strength. ~Betty Friedan

SolarCity, is marketing tempered glass photovoltaic shingles that integrate with tile roofing materials to make the installation nearly undetectable. Tesla claims they’re three times as strong as standard roof shingles and guarantees them for the life of the house.

Solar Works for Many Now

For an average household electric load of 600 kilowatt-hours per month, for example, a daily dose of five hours of direct sunlight and four-kilowatt system will likely meet demand. For households with higher usage, especially in the South and West, bigger installations are the norm. “Solar system sizes have been growing fairly steadily as the price has come down,” Hobson notes. Thanks to Google Earth, solar installers usually know if a property has the right conditions; avoiding the fee for an onsite inspection. Houses with a southern orientation within 40 degrees of direct southern exposure are golden. Those with flat roofs work well because the panels can be tilted for maximum effect. Adjustable panels can also be adapted to the best angle per season. Panels can’t be in shade for a signifi-

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cant part of the day. Rooftop installers can work around vent pipes, skylights and chimneys. If major obstructions are a problem, ASES suggests a ground-mounted array or solar pergola, a freestanding wooden frame to mount panels. Solar systems heat swimming pools, too, offering huge operational savings over conventional heaters. They start at around $3,500 and average $5,500, compared to an average $2,664 for a fossil-fuel heater, reports HomeAdvisor.com. Determine if a state has net metering laws, which make it easy to sell excess power from a whole-home system back to the grid. Check for local tax subsidies on top of the federal 30 percent. The beauty of solar is that once the system is in place, operating costs are negligible. The lifespan of today’s panels is two decades and the payback is just two to three years. Jim Motavalli is an author, freelance journalist and speaker specializing in clean automotive and other environmental topics. He lives in Fairfield, CT. Connect at JimMotavalli.com.

Why Do Veterans Love QIGONG? by Qigong Practitioner Jeff Primack

Author Jeff Primack has practiced Qigong for 20 years and trains thousands of people annually at Qi Revolution seminars held across the United States.

igong Practitioner Jeff Primack has practiced qigong for 20 years and trains thousands of people annually at Qi Revolution seminars held across the United States. He shares that qigong helps overcome trauma with an “energetic solution” as opposed to pharmaceutical or psychological approaches. “A Qigong Master I studied with was imprisoned by the Chinese government and while in a jail cell, he practiced qigong for many years and was strengthened. At age 80 he still practices,” says Primack. “The postures develop a ‘magnetic energy’ that gives peace, increased faith and creates a tangible increase in energy on command.”

“QIGONG is a very positive natural modality we are proud to offer for our men and women who served our country.” Alina Mayo, MD – Veteran’s Hospital – Bay Pines, FL 20

San Diego Edition

Dr. Alina Mayo, MD, of the VA Hospital in Bay Pines, Florida, says that qigong with Supreme Science Qigong Center instructors has been well received at the hospital. “When veterans do qi breathing, trust issues and whether the teacher is also a vet becomes less important,” says Primack. “Old mind patterns are temporarily bypassed as the ‘feeling of qi’ is strong enough to give a natural high. Many vets report this has been invaluable to replace harmful addictions. Skeptical views on qi are instantly overcome by the tangible waves of vibration that dissolve tension and relax tight muscles.” Todd Nichols is a brave teacher sharing Breath Empowerment with more than 1,000 veterans. “Sometimes in lockdown facilities where chairs are held down with bags of sand it can be challenging to lead qigong breathing. Frequent outbursts and flickering florescent lights compound the dif-

ficulties of teaching in the VA buildings themselves. Veterans are guarded and apprehensive,” explains Primack. “Todd draws them in and challenges them to take huge breaths, swallow it and hold it in their belly. A crammed room becomes momentarily silent, smiles and then scattered giggles. All it takes is their breathing participation and it works.” Primack shares that while traumatic memories are not erased, their grip on muscles and mind is temporarily lessened long enough for veterans to realize they have control over their mind with their breath. “Our technique 9-Breath Method oxygenates to the core creating a wave of peace that shuts down over-thinking. Breath Training is the best thing veterans can use to regulate stress without drugs.” Qi Revolution is the event where most people first encounter Primack and his instructors. “When hundreds of people do qigong in one room, a profound group energy is created. It quickens people’s ability to feel qi and progress. We keep the conference price affordable and free of vendors to maintain integrity and focus at our trainings,” he shares.

QI REVOLUTION QI REVOLUTION comestotoSAN Santa Fe comes DIEGO SEPTEMBER 15 T0 17 Convention Center. $149 for 325–27 Days AUGUST Veterans Free $149 for 3 Days For Tickets Call Veterans Free 800-298-8970 Acupuncture 19 PDA Hours QiRevolution.com 800-298-8970 SeeQiRevolution.com ad and event information on the back cover.

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September 2017

fitbody

Rodney Yee on Yoga as a Way of Life

You can blink and half your life is gone. You can’t always be busy, busy, busy; you have to decide how to fill your life.

Simple Strategies for Staying on Track by Marlaina Donato

enowned yogi and international teacher Rodney Yee, of New York City, has maintained an inspired yoga practice for 37 years while juggling career obligations, fame and family life. While the benefits of yoga are increasingly well known—from stress reduction and pain management to a more limber body and inner peace—Lee is also aware of the challenges to maintaining a consistent practice. Here he shares insights on the pitfalls encountered by both beginning and advanced students. “My advice is to first get rid of self-berating behavior, including judgmental inner dialogue. In many aspects of life, we are constantly measuring ourselves against a standard, which is a waste of time and energy,” says Yee. With a professional background in classical dance and gymnastics, Yee decided to give yoga a try at a nearby studio when he craved more physical flexibility. “As many people do, I came to yoga for a reason. I was a dancer with tight joints. After the first class, I couldn’t believe how I felt. It was not at all like an athletic high; I had a sense of well-being and knew what it means to feel peaceful and clear.” For people with jam-packed lives, finding time for exercise can be daunting. Yee suggests a relaxed approach to scheduling yoga into a busy day. “As the rishis [Hindu sages] say, we shouldn’t ‘try’ to meditate, not try to force a natural state. To say, ‘I have to do yoga,’ just puts another thing on our to-do list. Sometimes discipline is needed, but another part of discipline is not about force.” 20

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Different approaches to yoga abound, and part of staying motivated may include exploration of a variety of traditions as individual needs change due to lifestyle, health, interests or simple curiosity. Yee reminds us to go with the flow and follow how we feel in the moment. “Different schools of yoga exist because each offers something different. There is a form for all of our moods and a practice for how you feel at any given time.” Reflecting on how his own practice has evolved through the years, Yee recollects, “In my 20s and 30s, my yoga practice was arduous, including three to four hours of strong, physical work and a half hour of pranayama [breath work]. Then for 20 years, it involved a lot of teaching. Over the past 17 years, my practice has become more subtle, with a focus on sequencing and meditation; it’s about how to do this all day long in the context of my body and my life; about being both centered and in the world. In some way, we’re always doing yoga, as we already take 20,000 breaths a day. From a philosophical and ethical point of view, yogis have no choice but to practice.” Because many American women have found their way to a yogic path, men often assume it’s primarily a women’s niche. But yoga has been a male practice for nearly 2,500 years in other countries. Yee encourages men to not feel intimidated. “Why not try something that can help you improve your business, family life and even your golf game?” he queries. While Yee believes in a no-pressure approach, he also suggests inviting ways to foster consistency. “If you are just beginning, set aside a half-hour before going to bed or get up a half-hour earlier. Also note that pain is less to be avoided than learned from.” Wisdom can come from dedication to a yoga practice. Yee’s philosophy is, “You can blink and half your life is gone. You can’t always be busy, busy, busy; you have to decide how to fill your life. As spiritual teacher Ram Dass counsels, ‘Be here now.’ Train yourself to bring body, mind and heart together and fully drink from that.” Learn more at YeeYoga.com. Marlaina Donato is a freelance writer, author and multimedia artist. Connect at MarlainaDonato.com.

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Yoga NEWS Labor Day Weekend Yoga Fiestas

T The Remedy Day Spa Re-Launches Yoga Program

ust in time for fall, The Remedy Day Spa & Wellness Center in Albuquerque is opening their yoga studio with a new complete set of daily classes. “We are excited to reintroduce yoga as an addition to our offerings,” shares owner Mandy Warr. “We believe in wellness and want to offer our community a full spectrum of services and classes. We know that self-care includes mind and body, so yoga is the perfect addition to your day at The Remedy!” Location: 113 Vassar Dr. SE, Albuquerque. For more information, visit TheRemedyDaySpa.com or call 505-265-9219. See The Remedy Day Spa ad on page 18 and upcoming yoga classes in this section on pages 24/25.

he Santa Fe Yoga Festival (SFYF) is excited to announce Yoga Fiestas being held September 1 and 2. Joining together with the historic Fiestas de Santa Fe festivities, SFYF will offer yoga classes, guided meditations, Native ceremonies, music and more. We will gather at Fort Macy Park on Friday at 4 p.m. before the burning of Zozobra as a way for us to clear out old troubles and worries and create fertile grounds for rich new beginnings to grow,” shares Santa Fe Yoga Festival Executive Director Kurt Young. Following Friday’s yoga and opening ceremony, participants are invited to join for socializing and libations courtesy of Sneha Blue Yoga Studio. The Yoga Fiestas will continue on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. on the Plaza with premier yoga instructors and musicians from both Santa Fe and Albuquerque and commence with a closing ceremony, music, and delicious local food. Santa Fe has celebrated the traditional Burning of Zozobra for over 300 years as a way to overcome gloom in an ageless dance that mirrors the eternal battle between darkness and light. It is Santa Fe Yoga Festival’s deepest intention to raise the positive vibration of our community’s collective spirit, enrich our daily practices and remind us all that we are one. Cost: $65; includes Yoga Fiesta 2-day pass and Burning of Zozobra pass. Limited to 50 people. For tickets visit EventBrite bit.ly/2viA6LI

TIAS & SURYA LITTLE

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P R A J N A YO G A

200 AND 500 HOUR TEACHER TRAINING S WORKSHOPS AND C O N T I N U I N G E D U C AT I O N

Yin Deep Stretch Level I Mon @ 6:00 pm Power Sculpt Yoga | Tue @ 5:00 pm Hatha Yoga | Wed @ 6:00 pm Yoga Dance Dynamics | Thurs @ 5:30 pm Pilates Yoga | Sat @ 4:00 pm

P R A J N AYOGA . C O M

•

S A N TA F E

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505.988.5248

September 2017

Yoga briefs Yoga Increases Healthy Brain Marker

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study from Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, in São Paulo, Brazil, suggests a link between regular yoga practice and an increase in brain cortical thickness, associated with memory and attention. The researchers used brain imaging scans (CT) to measure the cortical thickness of 42 Brazilian women older than 59. Twenty-one of the subjects had practiced hatha yoga regularly for at least eight years. These women were compared to 21 other women matched for age and education that engaged in other physical activity comparable to hatha yoga. The researchers found that the cortical thickness in the yoga practitioners was significantly greater in the left prefrontal lobe of the brain. This portion of brain gray matter is linked to awareness, attention, executive function and memory, suggesting that hatha yoga practice may be associated with cognitive preservation. The scientists added, “The present results parallel those previously reported in which younger yoga and meditation practitioners had greater gray matter volumes than non-practitioners compared to non-practitioners in the following brain regions: larger gray matter volume in the right anterior insula and right inferior temporal gyrus.”

YOGA BHAVA YOGA STUDIO

Marisol Brito or Sarah Silverman 520-A Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102 505-842-1080 info@bhavayogastudio.com bhavayogastudio.com

BHAVA YOGA STUDIO is a destination yoga space in Albuquerque’s East Downtown (EDO) area where, since 2006, students can practice and study yoga. We are proud of our experienced, knowledgeable and passionate instructors, who help guide students to feel better, smile more and get in shape. Bhava is committed to maintaining the highest standards and, as a Yoga Alliance registered school, Bhava trains and certifies new yoga teachers. At Bhava, there is something for everyone. There are classes ranging from The Fundamentals of Yoga to Advanced Yoga Practice. New Students can explore Bhava’s many offerings by taking advantage of the introductory offer to try 30 DAYS FOR $30.

BLUE MOON HOT YOGA

826 Camino de Monte Rey, A5 Santa Fe, NM Info@bluemoonhotyoga.com HotYoga-SantaFe.com

We recognize your face, know your name, help you improve your practice through individual attention. Hot Vinyasa Flow, Interval, Restorative, more.

Yoga Eases Eating Disorders

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esearchers from Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, have found that regular yoga practice can help reduce anxiety and depression in young women with eating disorders. The scientists followed 20 girls between the ages of 14 and 18 that were enrolled in an outpatient eating disorder clinic that comprised the larger control group. Those selected agreed to participate in a weekly yoga class and complete questionnaires after six and 12 weeks, assessing their anxiety, depression and mood. Of those that started the study, five attended all 12 yoga classes and six completed between seven and 11 classes. Researchers found decreases in anxiety, depression and negative thoughts among those that participated in the yoga classes, with no negative side effects. Another study from the University of Delaware, in Newark, supports these results. Half of the 38 residential eating disorder treatment program participants did one hour of yoga prior to dinner for five days and the other half did not. The yoga group showed significant reductions in pre-meal anxiety compared to the control group.

Northern & Central New Mexico

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NEW MEXICO SCHOOL OF YOGA 1111 Carlisle Blvd SE | Albuquerque, NM www.NMSchoolofYoga.com

Certification courses in: Hatha Yoga, Prana Vinyasa Flow, Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist and Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy. Offering donations based classes and workshops. Private yoga instruction and yoga therapy.

YOGASOURCE

901 W San Mateo 815 Early St Yogasource-Santafe.Com

Voted Best Yoga Studio. YogaSource makes the transformative benefits of Yoga practice available to all. We offer over 50 classes per week to students at every level of practice.

Yoga Profiles N

ew Mexico School of Yoga Director, Maria E Garré, has been an educator, author and practitioner in the field of wellness, yoga and Ayurveda for over 20 years. She is an Ayurvedic practitioner, Ayurvedic yoga therapist and prana vinyasa trainer. Her lifelong dedication to studying and teaching brings forth an integrated and practical approach to all of life. Academically she has studied philosophy, biomedical science, education and Ayurveda. Garré’s root teachers in yoga, therapy and Ayurveda—including Janine Galati, Shiva Rea and Vasant Lad—have inspired an integrated, yet authentic approach to uniting the wisdom within the Vedic healing sciences. Her teachings are also fertilized by her more than 12 years of travel to India to learn from the source. Join or connect with Maria Garré through her various retreats, trainings and online offerings throughout the world. Maria E Garré, M.Ed, AP, AYT, ERYT500 MariaGarre.com NMSchoolOfYoga.com

hea Rollins, owner of Blue Moon Hot Yoga in Santa Fe, chose to teach hot yoga because she had experienced a deep physical transformation in just three months of daily practice. “Twenty years of chronic, debilitating lower back and knee pain were gone. The frozen shoulder I’d had for nine months was resolved. I was determined to maintain my newly functional body and I wanted to help others create ease and comfort in their own bodies,” she shares. Rollins had already been practicing massage therapy for 15 years when she earned her certification to teach Bikram yoga. After teaching Bikram Yoga for four years she trained with Jimmy Barkan for certification as a Hot Vinyasa Flow instructor. In January 2011 she opened her studio. “I’ve been teaching hot yoga for 14 years. During this time I’ve seen positive changes in students, such as increased strength, greater flexibility and ease of movement, weight loss and re-distribution, greater balance, and elimination of exercise-induced asthma symptoms, to name a few,” she says. “Students also talk about feeling more balanced mentally and emotionally.” Shea Rollins HotYoga-SantaFe.com 826 Camino de Monte Rey, A5 in Santa Fe

alanced Life offers a wide variety of styles for your every mood. The studio features hatha yoga, Pilates, fitness yoga and meditation from five 200 or 500 hour certified instructors. “We offer two large changing rooms, plenty of space for your yoga mat, and friendly like-minded students,” says studio owner, Donna Damazyn. “This month, be on the lookout for our beautifully remodeled studio.” Damazyn shares that Balanced Life also has great rates for new students, including your first class for $7.50 and 7 classes for $40. There are also specials for ongoing students.

Balanced Life 417 Tramway NE, #7, Albuquerque 505-220-1084 YogaABQ.com

oin Bhava Yoga Studio co-owner Marisol Brito, YA 200-ERYT, and Mikhayla Anderson, YA 500-ERYT, for a 200-hour teacher training starting September 29 at Bhava Yoga Studio in Albuquerque. The program, entitled A Homecoming of the Heart, is for students who are interested in deepening their understanding of yoga and also for those interested in sharing yoga with others. Students will learn to deepen their understanding of poses, strengthen their body, find and empower their voice, develop their meditation practice, master basic alignment techniques, discover the healing power of Ayurveda, expand their knowledge and experience of everyday yoga anatomy, creative expression in a yoga art studio, and more. The training will be held for 10 weekends through April 2018 and all trainees will receive unlimited free classes for the duration of the classes. Guest teachers include Bea Doyle, Tim Butler, Kendra Rickert, Ben Kramer and Darci Lobdell. Register at BhavaYogaStudio.com.

Bhava Yoga Studio 520-A Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque 505-842-1080. BhavaYogaStudio.com. natural awakenings

September 2017

calendar

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

Santa Fe Yoga Festival Presents ZoYoga at The Fiestas – 4-8pm. 4pm Yoga & Native Ceremony at Fort Macy Park, 6pm Sneha Blue Social, 8pm Burning of Zozobra. $65. For 9/1 & 9/2 tickets visit EventBrite bit.ly/2viA6LI. Fort Marcy Park, 490 Bishops Lodge Rd, Santa Fe. Sneha Blue Yoga and Energy Boutique, 112 W San Francisco, St, Ste 104, Santa Fe.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 Santa Fe Yoga Festival Presents Meditation and Yoga on the Plaza – 8:30-11am. 8:30am Morning Meditation on the Plaza, 9am Yoga on the Plaza, 11am Closing Ceremonies and Yoga at Sneha Blue. For 9/1 & 9/2 tickets visit EventBrite bit. ly/2viA6LI. Sneha Blue Yoga and Energy Boutique, 112 W San Francisco, St, Ste 104, Santa Fe. AcroYoga Therapeutics – 11am-1:30pm. A combination of Thai massage, partner yoga and basic acrobatics. A gentle way to get upside down and allow gravity to do its healing work. No partner necessary, though welcome. Sliding scale, $10-20, $10 online in advance. The Remedy Day Spa, Hyder Park, 700 Pershing NE, Albuquerque. RSVP: 505265-9219. TheRemedyDaySpa.com.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 Monday Cup o’ Yoga Gentle – 10-11am. Get Monday off to a positive start. Easy, gentle movements; move in your body just the way to want to. Modifications offered, full instructions given, no experience necessary. $7.50/first class, $40/7 classes for new students. Balanced Life - Featuring Yoga & Meditation, 417 Tramway NE, #7, Albuquerque. 505-220-1084. YogaABQ.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Let My Light Shine: A Powerful Guided Meditation – 1:30-3:30pm. Are you willing to ascend to your highest spiritual frequency? Do you desire to access your Akashic Records or connect with angels? If so, you must attend this meditation guided by Mary-El. $20/advance, $25/door. Balanced Life Yoga, 417 Tramway NE, #7, Albuquerque. 505-2201084. yogaabqnm.com/workshop-2/.

3 NM LOCATIONS

Albuquerque 797-2211 Cottonwood 792-5111 Santa Fe 820-2211

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

SATURDAY – MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 - 11 Yoga Camping Get Away @ San Antonio Hot Springs – Get Away with us this to relax and end the Summer in the beauties of the Jemez Mountains and the restoring hot waters of San Antonio Hot Springs. With two yoga classes and 5 miles hike to the Springs you will get plenty of exercise, fresh air, soothing water soaking, and feel renewed when you get home. Bring a friend and enjoy camping near the river, go fishing or biking too. $60. 505-407-4020. HigherAltitudeYoga.com

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Menaka Desikachar: A Life in Yoga – 6-8pm. Enjoy an evening of stories, question and answer discussion, and interactive chanting as Menaka Desikachar shares her experience as a student and teacher of yoga, yoga therapy and Vedic chant as well as her unique relationship with the great yoga masters. $50. 505982-0990. Yoga Source, 901 W San Mateo Rd, Santa Fe. YogaSource-SantaFe.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 The Belly Mind w/Christine Bednarek – 1-4pm. An anatomical tour of the abdominal organs; discuss organ innervation and the enteric nervous system. Asana, meditation and simple healing sound practices release stagnation and awaken their innate vital force. All levels. $40. Yoga Source, 901 W San Mateo Rd, Santa Fe. 505-982-0990. YogaSource-SantaFe.com. Yoga and the Tides of the Fluid Body – 2-6pm. In this yoga immersion, you will sense and feel the tidal rhythms while directing the movement of blood into your connective tissues, organs and cells. $90. Prajna Yoga, TaoSatva Center, Taos. 505-988-5248. PrajnaYoga.net/Schedule/Yoga-Tides-Fluid-Body/.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Tuesday with Tias and Surya – 2-5pm, Work with Tias and Surya in the Prajna Temple. In the midst of an all too busy life, each class is like a mini retreat. Classes are small and students receive individual attention. $60. Prajna Yoga, 11 Toltec Rd, Santa Fe. 505-988-5248. PrajnaOffice@gmail.com. PrajnaYoga.net/Schedule/.

Yoga-Dance-Glow – 8:30-10pm. Glow in the dark and activate your body and mind through yoga poses and dance with a live DJ. Let your body move freely and release unwanted negative energy. No experience required. $10. Sneha Blue Yoga and Energy Boutique, Downstairs in the Plaza Mercado, 112 W San Francisco St, Ste 104, Santa Fe. 505-365-8788. SnehaBlue.com.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14 The Heart of Silence: A Winter Retreat – Dec 14-17. 9:30-5pm. This silent retreat near the winter solstice is designed to bring you back to your very source; your breath, bone and spirit. $695; includes training manual, handouts, vegan lunch, snacks, filtered water and tea. Prajna Yoga, 11 Toltec Road, Santa Fe. 505-988-5248. PrajnaOffice@gmail.com. PrajnaYoga.net/Schedule/Winter-Immersion/.

ongoing (ALL MONTH LONG)

DAILY Anatomy of the Chakras –Take a deep dive into these vital energy centers with a new course, Anatomy of the Chakras. Video chats, lively discussion, and more on YogaGlo.com. $349. Prajna Yoga and Yoga Glo. 505-988-5248. PrajnaOffice@gmail. com. TeacherTraining.YogaGlo.com/Courses/17. Group Yoga classes schedule – Buy 1 class $16 or a 10 class pass $120 (+tax), Senior discount (65+) Find out more and call 505-407-4020. Higher Altitude Yoga, 12504 Highway N14, Sandia Park, NM 87047. HigherAltitudeYoga.com. Rise and Shine Hot Vinyasa Flow – 6:30-7:30am. Mon, Wed, Fri. $15 or class pass. Blue Moon Hot Yoga. 505-795-7778. Info @bluemoonhotyoga.com. HotYoga-SantaFe.com. Morning Vinyasa w/Mari – 6:30-7:30am. Mon, Wed. For details go to the website or call. The Remedy Day Spa, Hyder Park, 700 Pershing NE, Albuquerque. 505-265-9219. TheRemedyDaySpa.com. Hot Hatha Yoga – 9-10am. Tues, Thurs. $15 or class pass. Blue Moon Hot Yoga. 505-795-7778. Info @ bluemoonhotyoga.com. HotYoga-SantaFe.com.

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Hot Vinyasa Flow – 9-10:30am. Sun, Mon, Fri, Sat. $15 or class pass. Blue Moon Hot Yoga. 505-795-7778. Info @bluemoonhotyoga.com. HotYoga-SantaFe.com. Restorative Yoga (Lunch Hour) – 12-1pm. Tues, Thurs. For details go to the website or call. The Remedy Day Spa, Hyder Park, 700 Pershing NE, Albuquerque. 505- 265-9219. TheRemedyDaySpa.com. Stretch & Restore Yoga – 6-7pm. Tues, Thurs. For details go to the website or call. The Remedy Day Spa, Hyder Park, 700 Pershing NE, Albuquerque. 505- 265-9219. TheRemedyDaySpa.com. Slow Mo’ Hot Vinyasa Flow – 6:15-7:15pm. Mon, Tues, Thurs. $15 or class pass. Blue Moon Hot Yoga. 505-795-7778. Info @bluemoonhotyoga.com. HotYoga-SantaFe.com.

MONDAY In Support of the Sacrum – Sep 11-Oct 2. 3:30-5pm. A gentle series to explore the main stabilizing muscles of the pelvis and low back. Develop a practice of soma tics, postures and breath awareness that support the cultivation of steadiness and ease; w/Shawn Paulazzo. $60. 505-982-0990. Yoga Source, 901 W San Mateo Rd, Santa Fe. yogasource-santafe.com.

WEDNESDAY Yoga for Lunch – Sep 6-Oct 18. 10am-1pm. Try something different during lunchtime: do yoga. This class is a fun, invigorating way to restore energy, calm your mind, and eliminate those afternoon blahs. $85. UNM Continuing Education. CERegistration@unm. edu. CE.UNM.edu. Donation Yoga – 5:30-6:45pm. All levels of Prana Vinyasa Flow Yoga classes taught by experienced, certified yoga teachers; director Maria E Garre. Enjoy creative flows, peaceful movement, healing rhythms. Donation $5. New Mexico School of Yoga at The Source. 505-508-1331. NMSchoolOfYoga.com. Acroyoga – 6-8pm. Learn basing, flying, and spotting techniques. Classes involve games and partner acroyoga moves and flows with a focus on fundamentals. No partner or experience needed. Disrespectful or unsafe behavior is not tolerated. $10, cash, sliding scale. The Remedy Day Spa, Hyder Park, 700 Pershing NE, Albuquerque. 505- 265-9219. TheRemedyDaySpa.com.

The Power of Practice and Deep Silence Immersion

rajna Yoga Hosts 7 Day Yoga Immersion. Prajna Yoga announces their upcoming 7 Day Immersion being held October 25 to 28 and October 29 to November 1. “The Immersion is a deep dive into your core strength, inner essence and being,” says Prajna Yoga founders Tias and Surya Little. “Join us for sacred time to strengthen your yoga practice, meditation, dharma and silence.” The Power of Practice, which is held the first 3.5 days, is designed to inspire and challenge students to new levels of practice through dynamic, fun and creative sequencing. The remaining 3.5 days, Dropping into Deep Silence, are devoted to silence as a potent means to deepen one’s practice. “Through the alchemy of SATYA, yoga practice and seated meditation, the silent retreat setting helps awaken new insights into the mind, body and heart,” assures Surya. “Being removed from the demands of our daily rhythms and responsibilities for seven days, we hold sacred practice, sacred space and sacred silence together,” says Tias. “The retreat time is an invaluable way to nourish ourselves, while establishing an antidote for the ‘habit body and habit mind’.” This Immersion provides one silent retreat requirement for candidates of the Prajna Yoga 500 hour program and 45 certificate hours. It is ideal for students with a strong, dedicated yoga and meditation practice. Register for The Power of Practice and Dropping Into Deep Silence and receive 10% off each event for a total discount of 20% off the 7 day immersion. For more information, contact Prajna Yoga at 505-988-5248 or PrajnaYoga.com. See ad, page 21.

Yoga Profile H

SATURDAY

igher Altitude Yoga is your local yoga studio nestled in the East Mountains of Albuquerque, NM where traditional yoga teaching is preserved by Marie-Aude Préau, an Experienced Yoga Alliance Certified (E-RYT 200) Teacher. “Get inspired, connect to your subtle self, and transform to a new and better you,” invites Marie-Aude, who shares that classes are tailored to the different needs and levels of students. “Restorative Yoga Flow emphasizes passive stretches to improve mobility. Therapeutic Flow brings the beginner or active senior student to regain balance and flexibility. Vinyasa Flow is more of a workout keeping you completely focused on yoga asanas and yogic breath,” she explains. As a holistic health coach, Marie-Aude helps people change their lives by regaining their health naturally through wholefoods, herbs, yoga and posture. Chronic issues can be overturned with the right approach. She specializes in restoring gut health, hormonal balancing, weight loss, and reshaping with yoga.

Basic Yoga – 10-11:10am. Gentle exercises for all ages and capabilities to help energy flow, relax the brain, free the mind and restore the body. Includes deep meridian stretching, core strengthening, meditation, and cool-down. Body & Brain Yoga & Tai Chi. RSVP: 505-797-2211. Albuquerque@ BodyNBrain. com. BodyNBrain.com.

Higher Altitude Yoga 12504 Hwy N. 14, Sandia Park 505-407-4020 marieaude@higheraltitudeyoga.com HigherAltitudeYoga.com

Restorative Wednesday – 6:15-7:15pm. Class focuses on slowly, gently opening the body by holding postures for minutes at a time. This facilitates a release of the deep tissues and promotes relaxation of the nervous system. $15 or class pass. Blue Moon Hot Yoga. 505-795-7778. Info @bluemoonhotyoga. com. HotYoga-SantaFe.com.

THURSDAY Curvy Yoga – Sep 7-Oct 5. 6-7:30pm. Want a yoga body? You already have a body, so you can do yoga. Curvy Yoga is about making our yoga practice work for us. $85. UNM Continuing Education. CERegistration@unm.edu. CE.UNM.edu.

natural awakenings

September 2017

wisewords Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo

JOINING SCIENCE TO SPIRITUALITY

by Linda Sechrist

n 2008, the Sebastopol, California, filmmaking team of Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo created Science and Nonduality (SAND), which later became a nonprofit organization aimed at fostering a new relationship with spirituality that is free from religious dogma, based on timeless wisdom traditions, informed by cutting-edge science and grounded in direct experience. The next year, they organized the first SAND conference, exploring nonduality and the nature of consciousness. Since then, the duo has been producing short films that contribute to the expansion of human awareness, and hosting annual conferences in the U.S. and Europe involving leading scientists, academics and other pioneering thinkers. Thousands of participants from around the world interact in forums and respectful dialogues with luminaries such as Menas Kafatos, Ph.D., a professor of computational physics at Chapman University, in Orange, California; Peter Russell, a theoretical physicist and author of From Science to God: A Physicist’s Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness; Robert Thurman, Ph.D., professor of Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia University, in New York City; evolutionary biologist Elisabet Sahtouris, author of EarthDance: Living Systems in Evolution; and Robert Lanza, physician, scientist and co-author of Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe.

Where do revelations about a deeper reality begin? MB: Individual and communal explora26

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tions often occur around life’s big questions, such as what it means to be conscious and to seek meaning and purpose; the possible place of intuition as the edge where knowledge meets the unknown and unknowable; and how crucial individual awakening is to social transformation.

What is meant by nonduality? ZB: Nonduality is the philosophical, spiritual and scientific understanding of fundamental oneness in which there is no separation. Through quantum mechanics, Western science has reached an understanding of what Eastern mystics have long understood. Duality, generally determined in terms of opposites such as self and other, conscious and unconscious, illusion and reality, as well as separation between the observer and the observed, is an illusion. Nonduality is the understanding that our identifying with common dualisms avoids recognition of a deeper reality. Until recently, human sciences have ignored the problem of consciousness by calling it the “hard problem”. This has led to our present fragmented worldview rife with chaos, conflict and crises. It may be time for scientists to accept the discoveries of the mystics and consider consciousness intrinsic to every observed scientific phenomenon. Understanding that consciousness is the key to the universe, reality and ourselves may be the missing link in bridging science and spiritualty.

What difference can exploring the nature of consciousness make? NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com

ZB: Understanding the new science that points to consciousness as allpervasive and the fundamental building block of reality—that we are all made of the same essence, like drops in the ocean—can change how we approach and harmonize day-to-day living. We can be far more open, peaceful and accepting of others. Absurd violence, as well as economic, social and political crises, could all be things of the past, based on a new quantum understanding of our interconnectedness and oneness.

How has the nonduality movement evolved? MB: SAND has evolved into something we never imagined when we began discussing the ideas that the true spirit of science and spiritually is best supported by an open mind and a non-dogmatic inquiry; while science seeks to understand our external reality and spiritual thinkers seek to understand our inner, personal experience of consciousness, these seemingly different disciplines rarely come together in open dialogue. It became more evident that we weren’t looking for scientific answers or proof of what spiritual wisdom traditions teach, but rather to expand the questions asked of both science and spirituality. Open-ended questions arise such as: What if space and time are just useful maps and quantum mechanics is pointing us to a deeper reality more mysterious than we can ever imagine? What if science and spirituality, while responding to our collective aspiration to grow and progress, would no longer need to carry the burden of having all the answers? What if we considered our search open-ended, rather then having to arrive at a grand theory of life or final state of enlightenment? What if, while we probe deeper into reality and who we are, we realize that knowledge gathered will always be just a steppingstone? For information about the 2017 conference in San Jose from Oct. 18 to 22, visit ScienceAndNonduality.com. Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

I is for Incubate N is for Notice T is for Trust E is for Express N is for Nurture T is for Take Action

GR: Let’s talk about the first one, Incubate, because that is such an important part.

The Path to Intent: An Interview with Mallika Chopra by Giovanna Rossi

allika Chopra, founder and CEO of Intent.com, is the daughter of wellrenowned Deepak Chopra, mom to Tara and Leela, and the author of three books. Her experience includes launching MTV in India, Michael Jackson’s Heal The World Foundation, and working with various internet companies. She holds a B.A. from Brown and an M.B.A. from Kellogg University. In this interview, we get a chance to talk about living with intent and why it’s so important to be true to your deepest desires. Giovanna Rossi: I want to ask you about your book Living with Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace and Joy. I love it. It’s messy, the whole journey of balance. We, as women, juggle so many things in our lives. What lessons have you learned from your busy life? Mallika Chopra: This project came about when my kids were about 10 to 12 years old. I found that every day I was running around, getting my kids to school, then calling my investors, getting the dry cleaning, going to the grocery store. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. If you’d asked me what I did during the day I really had no idea and so I began this process to understand what it really means to live with intent.

GR: So you started Intent.com before you wrote the book. And what does the company do? MC: Intent.com is basically a social media platform where people are sharing their intents and supporting each other from all over the world. Intention was a part of my upbringing. When I grew up my dad had us think about our intents every day. My first book 100 Promises is about my intents to be a mom. I reached out to some of my mentors and teachers to really think about what does health, wellness, balance, happiness, and living a life of purpose actually mean. Out of that I came up with the path of intent which I talk about in the book. It is around the acronym I.N.T.E.N.T.

MC: One of the things I realized about doing this work for many years is that often when we ask people what their intent is, they don’t know. I think many women don’t know because there are so many demands on us that we have not had the chance to think about what we want.

GR: It might be like ‘I just need to do the laundry’, or ‘I just need to get to work’. That could be my intent. MC: I thought a lot about word I would like to use for the ‘I’ in Intent. There were other attractive options like imagination, etc. Incubate for me represented the idea of being quiet, like during meditation. Honoring silence, but also honoring time. When we incubate we really have to go to a quiet place and we have to listen. It’s like having a baby. We incubate the baby for nine months of pregnancy. And intent is like planting a seed. We put it in the ground, put the dirt on it, and let the sun and the rain nurture it while trusting that it will blossom into something beautiful. It takes time to connect and really feel what our intentions are.

GR: Yes, that’s so important. It’s very difficult because we want to do, do, do. “How do we get there?” “How do we make this happen MC: Intent is very different from goals. Intents come from the soul. They come from a place where we ask ourselves: “Who am I?” “What do I want?” “How can I serve?” When we were young, my dad would always ask us “What do you want?” We would often say “Tickets to the Celtics,” “A trip to Hawaii” and then he’d say, “Well, what about asking for love, affection, inspiration?” So, we were taught that these qualities in our lives would make us happier, healthier and more connected. That’s what intentions are. They represent our deepest desires. Goals are different, they come from the mind. Like task orientation and end results. Intents are more like “What are the qualities that I desire in my life?”

GR: And as goal-orientated women, when we set an intention we sometimes turn it into a goal. MC: There definitely is a time for goals and to act. I see intents transforming into goals, but when you do it, having done these other steps, it’s coming from a deep, more authentic and effortless place because you’re really anchored in those deep desires. Giovanna Rossi is the founder of Well Woman Life. To hear the full interview, visit WellWomanLife.com/078show. To learn more about Mallika Chopra and her work, visit MallikaChopra.com or Intent.com. To read the entire conversation please go to NaturalawakeningsNNM.com. natural awakenings

September 2017

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healingways

FLOATING AWAY STRESS Isolation Tanks Induce Deep Rest and Healing by Gina McGalliard

ensory isolation in a floatation tank is known for inducing deep relaxation with subsequent improved health. A 2014 study published in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry investigating the effects of a series of flotation tank treatments for 65 participants, showed it to be an effective measure in decreasing stress, depression, anxiety and pain, while

enhancing a sense of optimism and quality of sleep. The Book of Floating: Exploring the Private Sea, by Michael Hutchison, reports on 20th-century research suggesting the therapy can help allay ailments like chronic pain, migraines and sore muscles. There’s also evidence for enhanced meditation, creativity and spiritual experiences.

Float therapy was invented by Dr. John C. Lilly, a neurophysiology specialist. The individual enters an enclosed tank containing 11 inches of water heated to 93.5 degrees—a normal temperature for human skin— and some 1,000 pounds of dissolved Epsom salt. The effect is like buoyantly floating in the Dead Sea, but in a clean, quiet, private realm. The water is typically filtered three to five times between each session and sanitized using UV light; some also use peroxide and ozone gas to purify the water. Without any sensory input—no sight, sound or tactile sensations—the floater typically enters a profound deeply calm state of theta brain waves that tends to bring the subconscious to the surface. It can take experienced meditators years to learn to consistently achieve this condition, remarks Bryan Gray, of Float North County, a spa in Solana Beach, California.

Ultimate Meditation Venue

Scientific research has shown that floating can release the feel-good neurotransmitters endorphins and dopamine, and lower the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Studies performed by the Laureate Institute of Brain Research, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which maintains a float clinic, have found the therapy is an effective treatment for patients with anxiety disorders. “It frees your mind of distraction

Coming Next Month Transformative Travel plus: Chiropractic

O C T

October articles include: Life-Changing Travel, Selecting a Chiropractor, Bone-Density Exercises and more!

To advertise or participate in our next issue, call 505-999-1319 28

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Float and become Pain Free

unil Pai, MD, and Maureen Sutton, LMT, owners of Sanjevani Integrative Medicine Health and Lifestyle Center, are excited to show the community their Sanjevani REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulus Therapy) Pod, a zero gravity environment that allows the mind and body to truly rest. “Floatation therapy is a special warm, super saturated solution of saline water with 1,200 pounds of Epsom salt,” shares Sutton. “With that amount of magnesium, your body becomes buoyant and floats on top of the water as if you are floating on air.” Without any effort the REST Pod relieves pain, accelerates healing, relaxes, improves sleep, and is fun. “If you suffer from chronic pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, muscle tension or have anxiety, depression or insomnia, the Sanjevani REST Pod will bring you fabulous relief,” assures Pai. Recently published in American Academy of Pain Management’s The Pain Practitioner: Integrative Pain Management for Optimal Patient Care showed therapeutic and health benefits of using the REST pod for:

R.E.S.T Pod Floatation Therapy

The Finest Zero Gravity Relaxation Experience

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arthritis muscle tension back injury/sports injuries fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue anxiety depression insomnia

Sanjevani REST Pod gives immense pain relief and immediate relaxation. This instant deep relaxation state allows the body to recover from stress and allows for deeper REM sleep following the session. Blood flow is stimulated through all the tissues, natural endorphins are released, and the brain is brought into alpha waves associated with relaxation, meditation and healing responses. Benefits carry over from one session to the next with progressive improvement. A recent pain study using the REST Pod showed 70 percent of participants had full pain relief during a float session. Sanjevani Integrative Medicine Health and Lifestyle Center is located at 9001 Holly Ave. NE, Ste. B in Albuquerque. The Center is currently offering floatation therapy specials including a 60 minute float for $60, four floats for $220 and a 60 minute float and massage special for just $130. Feel free to stop by to see the REST Pod and watch an instructional video. For more information, call 505-231-2461 or visit Floatabq.com. See ad below. Here is what some of their recent clients have experienced: “A float is an exquisite experience. It goes beyond. You experience relaxation, letting go of tension, floating and releasing. A rest in the Pod gives you optimal pain relief, stress reduction and a deep feeling of well-being that lasts for days. Give yourself the best gift ever!” ---Nancy “Complete silence, what a rare experience” --- Pauline

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September 2017

and puts it in a zone,” explains Gray. “It removes the need for fight or flight, so those hormones are reduced. That part of the brain mellows out.”

Marvelous Magnesium

Lying for an hour in water infused with Epsom salt, or magnesium sulfate, the body receives a huge infusion of magnesium, a mineral essential to optimal health. While calcium and vitamin D deficiencies get more attention, it’s even more likely most of us are low on this element due to magnesium-depleting drugs and inadequate farm soils. Many ailments shown by research to be helped by floating have also been linked to magnesium deficiency.The mineral is also essential for heart health, strong bones and central nervous system function, as reported in The Magnesium Miracle, by Dr. Carolyn Dean, a physician and naturopath in Kihei, Hawaii.

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Chronic pain sufferers often find relief through floating because the lessened gravity allows the body to fully relax. The accompanying serenity releases the brain’s natural endorphins, which act as natural painkillers, into the bloodstream, reports Hutchison. The sheer tranquility of floating can alleviate some mental health issues. “We’ve had several people with post-traumatic stress disorder. One man has returned six times and says he’s advanced more in the last three months while floating than he did in the prior five to 10 years,” says Andy Larson, owner of Float Milwaukee. Athletes also appreciate floating because it shortens injury recovery periods through enhancing blood flow, helping to heal sore muscles. The way it facilitates a calm state ideal for implanting ideas into the subconscious mind enables them to better visualize improved performance.

Discoveries Within

Floaters can fall into what sleep specialists call the hypnagogic state, meaning they are apt to have lucid dreams while awake. Also known as Stage 1 sleep, it is the drowsiest condition we experience while still consciously aware. This is the scientific explanation for reports of visions or “Eureka!” problem-solving moments in the tank, says Hutchison. This phenomenon can be especially beneficial for creative artists. “We have a girl that always emerges from the tank with an idea for a new painting,” says Gray. He also regularly hosts a composer that has worked with famous singers, who has experienced innovative musical breakthroughs while floating. Floating is among the rare healing modalities that can benefit body, mind and spirit in just one hour, with repeat benefits. Gina McGalliard is a freelance writer in San Diego, CA. Connect at GinaMcGalliard.com.

NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com

Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

Aging with Passion and Purpose Finding Fulfillment, Creativity and Meaning by Deborah Shouse

ant to age well? The answer isn’t in your 401k. Self-acceptance, a positive attitude, creative expression, purposeful living and spiritual connections all anchor successful and meaningful aging. In fact, these kinds of preparations are just as important as saving money for retirement, according to Ron Pevny, director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, in Durango, Colorado, and author of Conscious Living, Conscious Aging.

Savor Self-Acceptance

While most people believe adulthood is the final stage of life, Dr. Bill Thomas is among the creative aging experts that identify another life chapter: elderhood. “Elders possess novel ways of approaching time, money, faith and relationships,” says Thomas, an Ithaca, New York geriatrician and fierce advocate for the value of aging. “The best chapters may be near the end of the book,” Thomas continues. “Once you appreciate yourself and your years, you can relinquish outdated expectations and seek to discover your true self. Then the world can open up to you,” says Thomas. “Living a rewarding life means we are willing to say, ‘These chapters now are the most interesting.’” During this time, rather than feeling consumed by what we have to do, we can focus on what we want to do.

Fill the Funnel of Friends

For older people, relationships offer foundational connections; but as we age, friends may drift away, relocate or die. “Successful aging requires refilling our funnel of friends,” says Thomas, who considers socially engaged elders with friends wealthier than a socially isolated millionaire. “Notice opportunities for interacting and connecting,” advises Shae Hadden, co-founder of The Eldering Institute in Vancouver, Canada. Talk with the checkout person at the grocery store or smile at a stranger walking her dog.

Cultivate a Positive Attitude

Our beliefs about aging shape our experiences. A Yale University study found that older individuals with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those less so inclined. Connecting with positive role models helps us release limiting beliefs and embrace an attitude of gratitude instead. Other life lessons can be gleaned from observing how negativity affects people physically, emotionally, and socially. Holding onto regrets traps us in the past zapping energy and self-worth; it also keeps the best in us from shining out says Pevny. He suggests a simple letting-go ceremony, with friends as witnesses. If possible, hold it in a natural outdoor setting. natural awakenings

September 2017

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At one of his conscious aging retreats, Pevny created a fire circle. Mike, 70, had been a dedicated long-distance runner for most of his life. Now plagued with mobility issues, Mike decided to let go of regrets. He brought a pair of running shorts into the circle and talked about what the sport had meant to him—its joys, challenges and camaraderie. Then he tossed the shorts into the fire, telling his friends, “I am letting go so I can find a new purpose and passion.”

Understand Our Life Stories

Creating our own life review helps us acknowledge and understand our most significant experiences and reminds us of all we’re bringing to our elder journey. Pevny offers these approaches: n Develop a timeline, dividing life into seven-year sections. For each, write about the strongest memories and most influential people. n Consider what matters most, from people and values to challenges and dreams. n Write to children and grandchildren, sharing tales of our life’s most significant events and lessons. n Record key stories on audio or video.

The answers can lead to fresh settings, including local community centers and places of worship. Many universities have extension classes for lifelong learners. State arts councils support programs, and museums and libraries host helpful activities. Shepherd Centers encourage community learning and Road Scholar caters to elders that prefer to travel and study.

Older people are our greatest resource. We need to nurture them and give them a chance to share what they know. ~Susan Perlstein, founder, National Center for Creative Aging and Elders Share the Arts

The changes that aging brings can mire elders in depression and isolation. “Older people need to be brave and resilient,” says Susan Perlstein, of Brooklyn, New York, founder emeritus of the National Center for Creative Aging, in Washington, D.C., and founder of Elders Share the Arts, in New York City. “To age creatively, we need a flow of varied experiences, exploring new activities or reframing longtime interests from a fresh perspective.” Expressive arts can engage people’s minds, bodies and spirits. A George Washington University study shows that people engaged in the arts are happier and healthier. Perlstein understands this firsthand, having begun taking guitar lessons in her 70s. Motivated to play simple songs for her new granddaughter, she subsequently learned to play jazz and blues tunes and joined a band. “I’m doing something I love,” says Perlstein. “I’m meeting diverse people, learning new things and enjoying a rich life.”

Musician John Blegen, of Kansas City, Missouri, was 73 when he realized his lifelong secret desire to tap dance. When Blegen met the then 87-year-old Billie Mahoney, Kansas City’s “Queen of Tap,” he blurted out his wish and fear of being “too old.” She just laughed and urged him to sign up for her adult beginner class. He asked for tap shoes for Christmas and happily shuffle-stepped his way through three class sessions. “Tap class inspired me, encouraged me and gave me hope,” he says. “Now I can shim sham and soft shoe. It’s a dream come true.” To unearth the inner artist, ask: n Which senses do I most like to engage? n Do I enjoy looking at art or listening to music? Do I like sharing feelings and experiences? If so, a thrill may come from writing stories or plays, acting or storytelling. n As a child, what did I yearn to do; maybe play the piano, paint or engineer a train set? Now is the time to turn those dreams into reality. n How can I reframe my life in a positive way when I can no longer do activities I love? If dancing was my focus before, how do I rechannel that energy and passion? If puttering in the garden is too strenuous, what other outdoor interests can I pursue?

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Explore the Arts

Northern & Central New Mexico

Discover a Purpose

Upon retirement some people feel purposeless and lost. They yearn for something that offers up excitement, energy and joy. Hadden invites people to be curious and explore options. “We’re designing our future around who we are and what we care about now,” she says. Try keeping a journal for several weeks. Jot down issues and ideas that intrigue, aggravate and haunt. After several weeks, reflect on the links between concerns that compel and those that irritate. Perhaps we’re intrigued by a certain group of people or a compelling issue. “A concern points to problems and people you want to help,” Hadden observes. This can range from lending a hand to struggling family members, maintaining our own health, volunteering for a literacy project or working to reduce world hunger. “Choose what inspires you to get out of bed each day, eager to move into action.”

Develop Inner Frontiers

People in their elder years may still be measured by midlife standards, which include physical power, productivity and achievement. “They come up short in the eyes of younger people,” dharma practitioner Kathleen Dowling Singh remarks. “But those standards do not define a human life.” Rather, aging allows us to disengage from the pressures of appearances and accomplishments. As we release judgments and unwanted habits, we can increase our feelings of spirituality and peace. “When doors in the outer world seem to be closing, it’s time to cultivate inner resources that offer us joy and meaning. We have the beautiful privilege of slowing down and hearing what our heart is saying,” says Singh, of Sarasota, Florida.

Acknowledge Our Shelf Life

“We cannot speak about aging and awakening without speaking about death and dying,” Singh believes. “We need to confront our mortality.” Meditating on the coming transition opens us up to the blessings of life. We can ask ourselves deep questions such as, “What am I doing? What do I want? What does this all mean? What is spirit?” Singh believes such searching questions are vital. None of us knows how much Earth time we have to awaken to a deeper, fuller experience of the sacred.

Help the World In today’s world of chaos and crisis, the wisdom of elders is more important than ever. “Older people need to be engaged, using their insights to help the Earth, community and world,” Pevny says. Creative aging is about improving the future for subsequent generations. In 2008, longtime educator Nora Ellen Richard, 70, of Overland Park, Kansas, wanted to be of greater service. She

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Nearly three-quarters of America’s adults believe they are lifelong learners. It helps them make new friends and community connections and prompts volunteerism. ~Pew Research Center

asked herself, “What if I housed a foreign student?” and found the International Student Homestay Program. She embarked upon an exploration of cultures from around the world without leaving home. Today, Richard has hosted more than a dozen female students and each

Health Puzzle? Let’s Put The Pieces Together!!

relationship has expanded and enriched her life. “We talk about politics, food, religion and cultures; we even pray together,” Richard says. She points to memorable moments of bonding and respect, appreciation and celebration, and says, “As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned how vital it is to nurture the world I am in.” Deborah Shouse is a writer, speaker, editor and dementia advocate. Her newest book is Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together. Connect at DementiaJourney.org.

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natural awakenings

September 2017

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Meditation is one way to deepen spiritually as we age. “Sit in solitude, gather your scattered thoughts and set an intention,” Singh suggests. “A daily practice shows what peace, silence and contentment feel like. As you become more comfortable, add time until you’re sitting for 20 to 40 minutes.”

Musings on Conscious Aging by Dr. Joan Borysenko

r. Joan Borysenko is a distinguished pioneer in integrative medicine and a world-renowned expert in the mind-body connection. Her work has been foundational in an international healthcare revolution that recognizes the role of meaning, and the spiritual dimensions of life, as an integral part of health and healing. By now, we all realize that stress, at any stage of life, makes it harder for the body to renew itself. The shortening of telomeres necessary for cell division and renewal is associated with an increase in cancer, depression, pulmonary fibrosis, dementia, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Thankfully, short telomeres can regenerate through healthy lifestyle practices including:

matory cytokines. Inflammation is a commonality in heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, the frailty of aging, some cancers and virtually all chronic illnesses. So how do we prevent this? Love is at the heart of all healing. TLC reduces inflammation and lowers cortisol levels while increasing beneficial HGH (Human Growth Hormone) levels. Loving feelings induce and sustain the self-healing mechanisms of the body. Love is an antagonist to stress. While it stimulates the body’s pleasure system—including increasing endorphins, endogenous cannabinoids, endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin, vasopressin and nitric oxide—it decreases anxiety and depression, enhances motivation and positive choices, increases overall well-being and decreases physical symptoms. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) helps neurons divide and create new connections. Including the following in one’s diet can increase BDNF: • Mediterranean diet rich in nuts, vegetables, fish and colored fruits • Green tea • Curcumin (found in turmeric) • Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA) • Walnuts and avocados • Low carb diet • Coffee • Fasting and calorie restriction BDNF is also increased by: • Qigong • Yoga • Mindfulness • Meditation • Exercise • Social connection • Sleep and adherence to the Circadian Rhythm • Sunlight

• Exercise • Meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and Qi Gong • Anti-inflammatory diet high in anti-oxidants and phytochemicals • The shelter of each other • Enjoyment of life On the opposite end of the spectrum, stress, anxiety, depression and negative emotions increase pro-inflam34

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BDNF is decreased by diets high in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, a sedentary lifestyle, and being constantly plugged in which can foster depression. Although most of us network electronically, in person social support is critical for both immunity and neuronal health.

Second Brain Our second brain is located in our guts and it’s imperative to foster a healthy digestive system. We are an ecosystem of 100 trillion bacterial cells and 10 trillion mammalian cells. The bugs that reside in our bodies help to synthesize neurotransmitters, vitamins and other micronutrients; create short chain fatty acids to keep our gut lining intact preventing inflammation and autoimmunity; protect the brain from Alzheimer’s, autism, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety which have all been found to be related to gut dysbiosis. Reducing our toxic load can help protect our brains, immunity, mood and overall health at any age. Foster a healthy relationship with the environment by using healthy building materials; organic foods, skincare products, laundry detergents, cleaning products, fragrances, etc. We can learn a lot about living healthier lives later in life from those who live in Blue Zones. Residents of the “Blue Zones” live in very different parts of the world. They are Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda CA. Studies show that those who grow

older in Blue Zones retain better health than U.S. citizens in the same age group. They experience more life enjoyment, less stress, live in supportive and loving communities, eat more real foods, and get more exercise. Thankfully, we don’t have to live in Blue Zones to experience better health. By practicing the following on a regular basis we can cultivate greater health at any age. • Practice mindfulness. Develop a curiosity and openness about your life’s experience • Let go of resistance to what is--like aging • Cultivate an attitude of forgiveness, gratefulness and love • Integrate your brain and life through a noble narrative of your own story • Follow Angeles Arrien’s Four Rules for Life: Show up. Pay attention. Tell the truth. Don’t be attached to the results.

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Did you know that health is intergenerational? What mom eats—and her pesticide exposure—affects future generations. SyNAPSE, Dr. Borysenko’s latest project, encompasses a lifetime of her mind-body research and teachings. SyNAPSE delivers personalized, heart-centered, mindfulness-based, meaning-full tools for your healthcare practice and for your life. A SyNAPSE retreat is being held October 17 to 20 at the serene IHM Center in the heart of Santa Fe. This event will incorporate the best of Science, Nutrition, Awareness Training, Positive Psychology, Spirituality and Epigenetics. Commuters are welcome. For more information, visit JoanBorysenko.com/synapse-october-2017.

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Interim, Medical Director

4700 Jefferson St. NE, Ste. 100, Albuquerque, NM 87109 Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm • CenterforLife@unmmg.org

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September 2017

Eldership, Consciousness and Sacred Activism by Andrew Harvey

ndrew Harvey was one of the keynote speakers at the Qigong and Conscious Aging Conference the first week of August at the Chi Center for Wisdom Healing Qigong in Galisteo, New Mexico. Natural Awakenings is pleased to be able to share some of the insights from his talk at the conference. O Love, O pure deep Love, be here, be now Be all; worlds dissolve in your endless stainless radiance Frail living leaves burn with you brighter than cold stars Make me your servant, your breath, your core. - Rumi It’s in honor of the Elders I know like Jane Goodman, Desmond Tutu, Vandana Shiva and the Dalai Lama that I ask this question: What is a true Elder? And it’s in honor of them that I write this for you, and for me: - A true Elder is a protector of life and a guardian of the wisdom for the thriving of the community. - A true Elder does not shy away from telling truth and acts fearlessly in the name of truth and compassion from an integrated, peaceful and passionate way of being. - A true Elder gives up all the games of status and success to enter the round of authentic freedom; modeling it with

tenderness, joy and unconditional love but also with divine veracity. - A true Elder becomes a kind but penetrating living flame of true joy, compassion and justice. That is what a true Elder being is! It’s in older age where everything that you’ve ever worked for, believed in and given your life for comes together. I plan to make my older age as scandalous, outrageous, exuberant, annoying, radioactive and passionate as possible. But now we get to the second question: what does it mean to be this kind of true Elder in an age of potential annihilation of the whole of life? I think one potential answer lies in the phrase Conscious Aging. You can look at that phrase in a very lemonady way or you can turn that word “conscious” into three very profound and challenging invitations. The first way is to say a true Elder has to be an elder that is conscious of the real state of the world. There can be no eldership without the courage and fortitude required to face reality as it is by facing the terrifying aspect of Kali the destroyer that it is now showing up. If you’re wanting to be an Elder and not wanting to do that work then you will never be an Elder. The second way is that a true Elder connects with the allembracing dance of consciousness in the entire universe. A true Elder is conscious of his or her Divine Self. A true Elder has done the vigorous discipline of sacred practice work over a lifetime. A real Elder models consciousness from a place of peace, joy, stability, strength, courage and deep commitment to the world that comes from being constantly grounded in their authentic, Divine Self. And here is the third way of looking at this word “conscious.” One of the things you come to learn on the long journey into the Self was beautifully stated by Master Ming Tong Gu (founder of the Chi Center for Wisdom Healing Qigong and host of the Qigong and Conscious Aging Conference) who said that the Self is totally transcendent, deathless, one with all things in all worlds, and present right now, right here in this world. So, the path of authentic eldership has nothing to do with golfing through long, lazy afternoons. The path of authentic eldership lies through the courage to face things as they are, the discipline to become one’s full divine human Self, and the responsibility to keep modeling what it is to live, love,

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act and serve from that grounded and divine reality that you are increasingly one with. So, let’s look at those three stages of Consciousness. Where are we? The Dalai Lama said two years ago that humanity is on the brink of extinction. We have about 5 to 10 years at most to act in sane, secretly inspired ways. And if we don’t rise to this terrifying challenge with Grace and passion and peace, dignity and enormous relentless courage, your children and grandchildren will inherit absolute catastrophe if they are alive at all. It is absolutely essential that everyone gets with that reality and stops pretending. So that is where I am and that is where a lot of the sacred activists and environmentalists in the world are and that’s where, in my opinion, all the authentic people who are truly seeing what’s going on find themselves. It’s an immensely sobering phase. Rumi has these two lines:

ber especially the animals. We were told by the World Wildlife Fund that in 2023 two thirds of the animal wildlife will be gone forever. We must face our responsibility and if called rise to protect the animal creation and stand up for their voices otherwise our world will become the site of the biggest genocide, the genocide of life itself and it’s beautiful innocent and holy forms. 4) Service to your local community while thinking global. Many have come up to me and said what is my mission? I cannot answer that question but I can tell you how to find it out. Ask yourself over and over until you get the answer and that is: What causes my heart to break the most? Read the newspaper, watch the news and find out what is so unbearable for you to even begin to think about. That’s when you know what God is calling you to speak up for. So, what’s your heart break? Claim it, discover the passion in it and do some-

thing real about it! You discover that this will make you finally human. We cannot do this work alone. This work will fail if we do it alone. We need to do it in groups, in circles. I created an organization called Networks of Grace. It was founded 10 years ago and is now all over the world. Usually 10 to 15 people will meet, calling their resources, praying and celebrating together, sustaining each other and choosing projects together in their local communities. This has proven to be a wonderful way of organizing sacred activism. 5) Service by embodying compassion, dignity and kindness. At this moment every word you say, every act you do, every look you give to another human being has enormous consequences. It’s either helping the death go faster or it’s nursing this fragile birth of a new humanity. So be very careful in what you invest in, what you live in, what you eat and where you travel. Let’s make our older age as scandalous, outrageous, exuberant, annoying, radioactive and passionate as possible! For the full version of this article visit NaturalAwakeningsnnm.com.

Be grateful for The Friend’s tyranny, not his tenderness, so the arrogant beauty in you can become a lover that weeps I invite you to combine Five Kinds of Service because being a true Elder is a monumental, grand, consummating achievement. The five types of service are these my friends: 1) Service to the divine by whatever name you call the divine. Get into connection through prayer and meditation and you will discover that it will guide you in the most miraculous and intimate way. 2) Service to yourself. But not in a narcissistic new age way. It means doing practices such as Heart and Prayer practices Shadow work and deep Sacred Body practices. 3) Service to all the living sentient beings. I would implode you to remem-

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calendarofevents FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 Archangel Channeling – 6:15-7:30pm. Clairvoyant medium Donna Carol will channel a loving message and powerful healing energy from the archangels. Coffee and tea service at 6 pm. $20. Resonant Essentials, 7413 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque. 505-515-5088. CrystalHealer555Wixsite.com/donna-carol.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 Movement, Meditation & Expressive Arts for Women 18+ – 3-5:30pm. Gentle yoga, qi gong, dance/movement and expressive art. No art or dance experience necessary. Use movement, music, meditation and art to access core thoughts, emotions, and insights in a safe, supportive environment. $39; includes supplies. Register: 505925-4551. MMHale@unmmg.org.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

Metaphysics - Creation – 5-7pm. How you understand Creation helps lay the groundwork for manifesting positive growth and awareness in life. The hows and whys of Creation explain the earth and this plane of existence. $50. Resonant Essentials, 7413 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque. RSVP: 505-453-7646. Michelle@resonantessentials.com. ResonantEssentials.net.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 Chakra Connections Class – 6-8pm. Learn about the dynamos of magnetism and propulsion along your spine, the chakras. Each of seven classes will focus on a chakra. Practice seeing/healing them, and clearing the flow between. Details at website. $150. Deep Roots Studio, 4195 Agua Fria St, Santa Fe. 505-927-5407. DeepRootsStudio.com. Loving Messages from The Other Side – 6:308pm. Intuitive medium Danelle Becklund will deliver messages of love from loved ones on the other side. $10; seating is limited. The Blue Room at Source, 1111 Carlisle SE, Albuquerque. RSVP: 505-321-4121, DanelleBecklund@yahoo.com.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Hispano Chamber of Commerce (AHCC) Business Wellness Symposium – 10am-4pm. The AHCC Wellness Symposium is intended to raise awareness of health and wellness in our culture. Open to the public. Free. Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, 1309 4th St SW, Albuquerque. 505-270-1315. Adriana@ahcnm.org. FaceBook.com/AHCC.BEOC.CT.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 Mariposa Woman: Female Creative Energy Class – 10:30am-12:30pm. You are capable of self-transformation with a unique way of creating. You’ll be guided in meditation, energy work, female grounding & restoration, to call in your healing mistress to manifest. $120. Deep Roots Studio, 4195 Agua Fria St, Santa Fe. 505-927-5407. DeepRootsStudio.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Cranio Sacral Babies and Small Children – Sep 9-12. 9am-6pm, Learn techniques to help restore alignment and correct imbalances relating to the birth experience. Communicate with the intelligence of babies. $645. Blue Desert Hale, 38 Pine Haven Rd, Tijeras. 505-428-9203. 505-503-5137. BlueDesert.org. CranioMasters.com. Intuitive Explosion: Class #1 – 10am-12pm. Learn about your gifts and new ways of accessing your intuition; strengthen what you’re doing. Reinvigorate your life and loose the drama by getting in touch with your inner guidance. Free. Resonant

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Essentials, 7413 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque. RSVP: 505-453-7646. Michelle@resonantessentials.com. ResonantEssentials.net. Chakra 101 Immersion Retreat – 11am-5pm. A special opportunity to explore the chakra system in a grounded, integrative setting. Educational programming as well and Art practices will be explored. Ideal for those with little experience. $175. MotherRoot Studio, 1413 2nd St, #4, Santa Fe. 505-252-2215. MotherRootStudio.com.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Psychic Fair – 12-5pm. Intuitive readings $20 ($1/ min); astrology $1/min; soma pi healing $15; chakra balancing/aura cleansing $20. Lectures every hour on the half hour on up-coming classes. Check website for details on readers and topics. Free. Resonant Essentials, 7413 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque. 505-453-7646. Michelle@resonantessentials.com. ResonantEssentials.net.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Metaphysics: Reincarnation – 5-7pm. Explore why we started incarnation and reincarnation, what we carry over from one life to another, why the level of understanding we held in one life is important, how it affects us now. $35; preregistration required. Resonant Essentials, 7413 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque. RSVP: 505-453-7646. Michelle@ resonantessentials.com. ResonantEssentials.net.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Unity World Day of Prayer – 7am-8pm. Centered on the theme Peace Within; hourly inspirational readings followed by prayer and meditation; 10:30am labyrinth walk; 7-8pm Taize service. All are welcome any time to experience Peace Within. Free. Unity Santa Fe, 1212 Unity Way, Santa Fe. 505-989-4433. UnitySantaFe.org.

savethedate SEPTEMBER 15 TO 17

3-Day Qi Revolution: Unlock Your Healing Power and Create Your Best Life – Hosted by Jeff Primack. Three-day event designed to help unlock your healing power and create your best life. These teachings give you energy using the most effective breathing techniques, Qigong and food-healing practices for a stronger body. $149/professional training others would charge thousands for, free/veterans. Santa Fe Convention Center, 201 W Marcy St, Santa Fe. Registration: 800-298-8970, or QiRevolution.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Practice Days: Brain I & II – Sep 16-17. Eight hours of supervised practice with Etienne Peirsman for students that have taken Brain I and/or II. $150/ per day. Blue Desert Hale, 38 Pine Haven Rd, Tijeras. 505-503-5137. BlueDesert.org. CranioMasters.com.

savethedate SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

La Montañita Co-op Organic Chile Roast – 11am-3pm. Pick your favorite Seco Spice chilies to be roasted while you wait. Enjoy lunch, live music, beer garden; sample, shop and stroll the chile roast market. Free. La Montañita Co-op Food Market, 901 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque. 505-217-2015. Lea. Quale@LaMontanita.Coop. LaMontanita. Coop/Chile-Roast.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

Women of Light Conference – 8:30am-5:30pm. New Mexico’s first large-scale, all-women’s event to connect, inspire, and serve, breaking down the religious, political, and social boundaries and coming together as women. More than 15 inspirational presenters, incl. Elizabeth Smart, Stephanie Nielson and more, will illuminate the minds and hearts of attendees. 200 local and national exhibitors showcasing products and services. ABQ Convention Center East Complex, 401 2nd St NW, Albuquerque. Tickets, sponsorship and vendor inquiries: 505-585-3831, or TheWomenOfLight.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 First Aid with Natural Remedies – 8:30am12:30pm, Learn to use natural remedies including: Chinese herbs, pharmaceutical grade essential oils, and miscellaneous items to administer first aid safely; how to handle small emergencies, speed healing and save money. $55. UNM Continuing Education. CERegistration@UNM.edu. CE.UNM.edu.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 Equines & Earth Helping Sensitive People – 123pm, Are you in a helping profession? With the help of equine friends, explore ways to strengthen your energy field, and feel more joy without losing our compassion. $125/one or $275/all three; space limited. Unicorn Mesa, LLC, dba Your Divine Light. 505-438-1074. UnicornMesa.com Psychic Hour – 4-7pm. Energy healers remove negative cords that keep you from having your own power, and guide you to your healthier path. Learn what is blocking you from happiness and abundance. $50/30 min, $80/1 hour. Sneha Blue Yoga and Energy Boutique, Downstairs in the Plaza Mercado, 112 W San Francisco St, Ste 104, Santa Fe. 505-365-8788. SnehaBlue.com.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Culinary Tour of Italy – 6-9pm. Italy’s regions are rich with delicious culinary ingredients. Go on a dining exploration and discover the delicious flavors of Italian cuisine. Recipes include Abruzzo Chicken and Eggplant Casserole. $59, UNM Continuing Education. CERegistration@UNM.edu. CE.UNM.edu.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 Maya New Moon Manifestation Meditation – 6-7 pm. Guided meditation teleconference to connect with the Maya Moon Goddess Ix-Chel to harness the power of the Divine Feminine, the New Moon, and Venus to aid in manifestation for the upcoming month. Call in free to 319-527-3182. PathwaysToTheDivine.org.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 Unity Santa Fe Healing Hour – 6:30-7:30pm. Good Vibrations Transformative Healing Hour features meditation, singing bowls, and gentle therapeutic touch, reiki, or non-touch vibrational healing. Remote healing offered for those at a distance. Love offering. Unity Santa Fe, 1212 Unity Way, Santa Fe. 505-989-4433. Catherine@unitysantafe.org. UnitySantaFe.org.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 Reiki I Class & Certification – 9:30am-4:30pm. Class includes meditation, attunements, history of Reiki, and basic hand positions for treatment. Reiki master Jan Walker has taught all levels of the Usui method since 1993. Preregistration required. $175. St. Thomas Episcopal, 245 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque. Jan Walker: 505-835-5440. AwakeningSpiritMinistries.org.

natural awakenings

September 2017

Deep Roots Psychic Faire – 11am-1pm. Get a short, intuitive reading by psychics trained to see the beautiful who of you. Receive spiritual information, a next step on your path, in a vibration of fun and truth. $20. Deep Roots Studio, 4195 Agua Fria St, Santa Fe. 505-927-5407. DeepRootsStudio.com.

savethedate THURSDAY – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 TO OCTOBER 1 Chaos to Coherence Retreat w/Gregg Braden and Bruce Lipton – 9am-6pm. Attendees will get a chance to spend close, rare time with renowned best-selling authors and speakers Gregg Braden and Dr. Bruce Lipton as they lead the group through some of the most recent discoveries merging science and spirituality in the alchemy of the human heart. $745/before Sep 20, $845/after. Airfare, transportation, accommodation, meals and extra services are not included. For more details visit ShalohaProductions.com/ greggbraden-bruceliptonnewmexico-retreatseptember2017. Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, 1300 Tuyuna Trail, Santa Ana Pueblo.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Nia Glow in the Dark Free Dance – 8-9:30pm. Guided dance practice uses soul-stirring music to help unleash movement, creativity, and promote healing. Cultivate a deeper connection to body and mind as you integrate new ways of moving. $10. Sneha Blue Yoga and Energy Boutique, Downstairs in the Plaza Mercado, 112 W San Francisco St, Ste 104, Santa Fe. 505-365-8788. SnehaBlue.com.

savethedate SEPT 29 - OCT 27

Healing Intensive Retreat w/Master Gu – 1 to 4 week options. The Retreat with Master Mingtong Gu is the most focused training retreat for people facing health challenges of body, mind, and emotions. You will be guided directly by Master Gu, world-renowned teacher and healer in Wisdom Healing Qigong. Limited space available for on-site accommodations. Admin@ChiCenter.com. Registration Info, Lin: 800-959-2892. ChiCenter.com/Retreat.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Healing/Message Circle – 10am-2pm. Relax in the Meditation Room. Intuitive readings $20 ($1/min) by Barbara Fox, Donna Lindbloom, Michelle Vidal. Release all negativity through Limpia Healing by Margarita Martinez, $45. Resonant Essentials, 7413 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque. 505-453-7646. Michelle@resonantessentials.com. ResonantEssentials.net.

savethedate TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3

Activate Your Mind Power– 7pm. Tim Simmerman Sierra, director of the Hypnotherapy Academy, will teach this class about practical spirituality, self-improvement and holistic healing. Learn about helping people heal through hypnotherapy. Free. Hypnotherapy Academy of America, 2132 Osuna Rd, NE, Albuquerque. To reserve a seat: 505-767-8030.