Natural Awakenings Northern New Mexico April 15 Edition 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

FREE

NATURE’S INNATE WISDOM

Why We Must Listen

EIGHT STRATEGIES FOR A TOXIN-FREE HOUSE

Low-Cost Steps to Take Right Now

Backyard Organic Gardening 10 Time-Saving Tips

Five Life Lessons from Martial Arts

Teaching Calm, Presence, Discipline April 2015 | Northern New Mexico Edition | Albuquerque - Santa Fe - Taos NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com

Ju ly 4 , 2015 Marathon | Half Marathon 5K | Kids Run

Run i n the beauty o f Angel F i re, New Mexico ! Infor mation & Registration:

www.angelfireadventure.com

ACADEMY MAY EVENTS Inspire Santa Fe Festival of Learning Lifesongs In Concert 2015 May 1

5:00pm - 8:00pm

Farmer’s Market Pavilion in the Railyard Join us in the Railyard for a public festival of learning. Youth protégés from across Santa Fe will share what they have learned through their mentorships in fields like belly dancing, the science of complexity, wild horse management and baseball. The program will begin with exhibitions and displays, and then move into presentations and performances. Bring the family and see where learning happens!

May 9

7:00pm

at the Lensic Performing Arts Center Lifesongs Concerts are the culmination of months of creative exchange between artists, community members, elders, youth and people in hospice. The performances celebrate the voices of our elders, the insights gained at end-of-life, and the extraordinary alchemy of intergenerational creative exchange.

Refreshments provided • FREE

Lifesongs

SANTA FE

Creating Communities of Care

Learn more about what lives behind

A love of learning®

5 0 5 . 9 9 5 .18 6 0

Northern & Central New Mexico

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natural awakenings

April 2015

22nd Annual Women’s Health Fair Saturday, April 25th NOW ACCEPTING VENDOR REGISTRATIONS Call Ellen at 505-982-2655. New Mexico’s permier health event for women and their loved ones featuring over 90 vendors, entertainment, specialty services and body work, and a plethora of merchant and vendor giveaways!

Over 50 unique stores, restaurants and theater • 505-982-2655 • devargascenter.com North Guadalupe & Paseo de Peralta • Free Parking! • Walking Distance from Railyard & Plaza

Celebrating 30 Years in Broadcasting

Transitions Radio Magazine

Find Relief And Balance Within Your Mind, Body And Spirit.

UPCOMING GUESTS & TOPICS

Specializing in Treating Chronic Headaches, TMJ, Shoulder Pain, Hip Pain, and Low-back Pain.

with Alan Hutner, Elizabeth Rose & Beth Wright

Philip Shepherd: "New Self: New World – Recovering Our Senses in the Twenty-first Century" Thomas Moore: "The Two Minute Drill on Religion and Spirituality" Thomas Huebl: "More on Waking Up and Growing Up: exploring the power of presence in our everyday lives"

Live Sunday Mornings 8 -11 AM on FM – 98.1 Radio Free Santa Fe On-line – Live Streaming & Archiving All Shows at:

TransRadio.com The Voice & Music Of Presence

Find The Latest Updates on Transitions MultiMedia

Call for Guest and Sponsorship Information: 505.466.2616 4

Northern & Central New Mexico

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A Unique Blend of • CranioSacral Therapy, • SomatoEmotional Release • Therapeutic Bodywork

A New Experience to Make a Difference!

New $ Clients

First Hour Session Call for Your Appointment Today!

Jonathan Moore-Garrison Santa Fe • 505-252-1691

BlueBuddhaBodywork.com bluebuddhabw@gmail.com

New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts SPRING ENROLLMENT

• Massage Therapy • Somatic Polarity Therapy • Dual Massage/Polarity

Whether you have dreamed of having your own business or working with others, now is the time to sign up at New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts to become a Massage or Somatic Polarity Therapist. Have your diploma in just nine months! What are you waiting for?

ENROLL TODAY!

SPRING CLASSES START APRIL 13, 2015

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization & NM Registered Massage Therapy School Accredited by the Commision on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA)

501 Franklin Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501 ~ www.nmhealingarts.org ~ (505) 982-6271 ~ rec@nmhealingarts.org

natural awakenings

April 2015

letterfrompublisher He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe. ~Marcus Aurelius believe we can also find inner harmony by creating harmony in our surroundings. We hope to inspire you with our articles about creating a healthy environment inside and outside your home. Take little steps. Make small changes such as replacing Teflon coated pans with stainless steel or enamel coated pans. In our home, we’ve replaced Tupperware with glass jars. Say goodbye to the TV and cellphones in the bedroom, keep the windows open and see how much better you sleep! When it comes to food more evidence supports the fact that organic foods are the safest for us to eat. Although organic food can be pricier than non-organic, most farmer’s markets and health food stores have specials on organic foods, particularly when bought in season. Organic frozen fruits and vegetables are also reasonably priced. Buy wild caught fish and meat from animals that have been raised without hormones or antibiotics. You can even use food stamps to buy organic. The more we vote with our checkbooks, the more affordable organic food will become. How about growing your own? Read the article “How to Grow Your own Organic Food” on page 18. You’ll also find some tips on tackling weeds. Container gardens are idea for year-round growing since they continue to produce even in the winter. With the weather getting warmer we can go outside more often and experience nature. Turn off your phones and connect to the great outdoors! Not only is it healthy, but it’s fun to discover something new. Being outdoors is natural medicine for our immune system. Mother Earth grounds us and being around trees enhances our immune systems. On page 9 we introduce you to a class on Earthing. How about a sabbatical? Paul Stutzman’s story about taking time off from his corporate job and hiking the Appalachian Trail is very inspiring. He hiked the trail solo and learned invaluable lessons about himself. To inspire you to get out and connect, here is a photo taken last year at Tent Rocks.

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

contact us Publisher – Andrea Schensky Williams Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com 505-999-1319 6612 Glenlochy Way NE Albuquerque, NM 87113 NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com

Advertising Sales Andrea Schensky Williams 505-999-1319

Art Director Kurt Merkel

Editor

Erin Floresca

Production

Martin Friedman

Contributing Writers

Photo by Allen Winston

Printing provided by: Vanguard Printing, Albuquerque, NM 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. © 2015 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. 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.

Northern & Central New Mexico

tiMeLeSS WiSdoM from a MaSter

Jill Brown Mari Lyford Antonia Montoya Keri Ports

Learn Meditation with Shiva rudr a Balayogi

Quiet the mind for peace and happiness. Improve focus, energy and well-being. Expand awareness and Self-knowledge. DISCOURSE - MEDItatIOn - Q & a’S Santa Fe - May 17, 7:00-9:30 pm Santa Fe Center for Spiritual Living

info: Ivy (505) 466-7662 ivyom@hotmail.com

Albuquerque - May 19, 7:00-9:30 pm Old Town Farm, 949 Montoya St. NW info: Al (505) 307-8892 lalita1023@gmail.com Programs by donation www.srby.org

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contents 12

8 newsbriefs 10 healthbriefs

12 globalbriefs

13 EARTH DAY 2015

1 3 earthdayevents

by Julianne Hale

14 healingways 16 fitbody 18 greenliving

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.

21 inspiration

Hope for Our Future

14 SPRING GREENING

Easy Ways to Detox a House by Lane Vail

16 MASTERING THE FORCE

22 wisewords

The Martial Arts Hold Deep Inner Lessons

28 calendar

18 HOME-GROWN

31 resourceguide

ORGANIC MADE EASY

10 Time-Saving Tips for a Healthy Garden

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. Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month. Editorial submissions Email articles, news items and ideas to: Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com. Deadline for editorial: the 5th of the month. calendar submissions Email Calendar Events to: Calendar@ NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com. Deadline for calendar: the 15th of the month. Fax 888-900-6099. 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.

by Barbara Pleasant

20 WHOLE LOTTA

SHAKIN’ GOIN’ ON:

How Tension Release Exercise (TRE®) Can Reduce the Effects of Stress on the Body by Mari Lyford

21 SPIRIT IS TALKING.

ARE YOU LISTENING?

by Keri Ports

22 HEALING JOURNEYS

Paul Stutzman Finds Universal Truths on His Treks by Randy Kambic

24 NATURE’S WISDOM Its Lessons Inspire, Heal and Sustain Us by Christine MacDonald

NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com natural awakenings

April 2015

newsbriefs

Yraceburu EarthWisdom Creates Womyn’s Community Garden and Butterfly Oasis

DeVargas Center Annual Women’s Health Fair

his spring DeVargas Center puts wellness first during the 22nd Annual Women’s Health Fair being held April 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Santa Fe. In addition to approximately 90 vendors from all over northern New Mexico, DeVargas Center will unveil its own strong pulse on health and wellness in its newest tenant, Light Vessel. Light Vessel will join an impressive lineup including vendors and health providers ranging from the traditional to the alternative while mixing in a plethora of heralded services such as medical health screenings, massages, spiritual readings, makeovers and the like. All vendors come with the desire to reach out to, educate and heal northern New Mexico women and their families. This year’s featured health screening provider is CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Laboratory. The lab will include the standard annual screenings for cholesterol, blood glucose, and thyroid, and more. Entertainment, complimentary classes and the ever popular giveaway packages round out the day. Cost: admission is free; nominal fee for some health screenings. Location: corner of Paseo de Peralta and N. Guadalupe Street. Vendor spots still available. For more information, call 505-982-2655 or visit DeVargasCenter.com. See ad on page 4.

Yoga Master Babaji Returns to Santa Fe and Albuquerque

hiva Rudra Balayogi, also known as Babaji, returns to Santa Fe and Albuquerque May 17 and 19 to teach two meditation programs. The first program will be held May 17 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Santa Fe Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Fe. The second program will take place May 19 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Old Town Farm in Albuquerque. Babaji is a lifelong monk and exemplifies the traditions of deep meditation and advitya (Oneness). He teaches from the authority of personal experience with an exceptional ability to communicate essential spiritual truths in a clear and relevant way. He always encourages people to become aware of how they exist as the immortal Self. During his world tour, Babaji continues to promote his message that with regular meditation, humankind can live a beautiful life full of happiness, love and honor for one another. During the events participants will learn to meditate, have the opportunity to ask questions and receive personal blessings.

Cost: free; donations appreciated. Santa Fe location: Santa Fe Center for Spiritual Living, 505 Camino de los Marquez. For information call Ivy at 505-466-7662 or email ivyom@hotmail. com. Albuquerque location: Old Town Farm, 949 Montoya St. NW. For information email lalita1023@gmail.com , call 505307-8892 or visit SRBY.org. See ad on page 6.

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raceburu EarthWisdom, a non-profit eco-spiritual church in Las Vegas, New Mexico, is accepting the New Mexico Women’s Organization challenge to adopt and maintain women’s healthy lifestyle programming. With this in mind, Yraceburu EarthWisdom is implementing a Womyn’s Community Garden and Butterfly Oasis Project to help women heal while working the land. “Isolation causes nearly half of all PTSD in women each year, making PTSD the number one threat to women’s health,” says Maria Yraceburu, philosopher, Native American author and master ceremonialist. “Imagine what it would be like to have a community to support and honor life changes, answer questions, and help you see how and where you fit into this world.” Yraceburu EarthWisdom is seeking the support of the community. Financial contributions as well as in-kind donations such as complimentary fertilizer, mulch, compost, surplus seeds, hoses, building materials for boxes and greenhouse structure are needed. Yraceburu EarthWisdom has provided programming specifically designed around the healing of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder since 1972. The community can help those who serve the women by contributing to their efforts. To support this programming contact Lynda Yraceburu, council head, at yraceburuearthwisdom@yahoo.com or 505414-1583. Learn more at Yraceburu.org.

See ad on page 14.

Unity Santa Fe Celebration Service

Sundays at 10:30 am A Positive Path for Spiritual Living We are a diverse, embracing, interspiritual community for those seeking to transform consciousness, embody practical spiritual teachings, and be centered in light and love. Rev. Brendalyn Batchelor Unity Santa Fe Relationship Labyrinth

1212 Unity Way Santa Fe, NM 87506 505-989-4433 Join us at www.unitysantafe.org www.facebook.com/UnitySantaFe

See details in the calendar section for upcoming events.

Fundamentals of Energy Medicine

Healing Touch Program Level 1 class is being offered at UNM Center for Life April 25 and 26 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. This twoday class incorporates the fundamentals of energy anatomy, theory and practice using lecture and experiential work. Attendees will get a chance to learn about and experience the benefits of energy medicine in this mini-retreat. The Healing Touch Program is a standardized, international, multi-level, continuing education program in energybased therapy, the first to incorporate a certification in energy medicine. Class instructor, Barbara Welcer, RN, has over 20 years’ experience in energy medicine working in hospital settings, out-patient clinics, community centers and private practice. “Classes are open to all who have an interest in energy therapy and a desire to engage in their own self-care,” says Welcer. One former Level 1 student shares, “Barb and this course have opened my mind and heart to the possibilities of energy healing in my life. This is an amazing and powerful practice!” Nurses and massage therapists receive 16 continuing education credits. Cost: Early bird tuition of $325 paid in full by April 13. Pre-registration is required and class size is limited. Contact Barbara Welcer at 248-882-1706. See ad on page 19.

Earthing and Wholeness

r. Suchinta Abhayaratna will demonstrate how to combine Earthing and the Wholeness Exercise for stress management in a presentation being held April 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Santa Fe Soul. “Earthing, as the term suggests, is about connecting and aligning ourselves to Earth’s frequencies to support the proper functioning of the body’s electromagnetic energy system,” says Abhayaratna. “Research shows that regular Earthing can heal several chronic illnesses.” According to Abhayaratna, Earthing is simple. “Go outside and take your shoes off. Stand, walk, sit or lie down on the ground about 30 minutes or as long as you want. Surfaces of stone, concrete, brick or grass will work too,” she explains. The effects of Earthing can be further enhanced by combining it with the Wholeness Exercise, the central component of the subtle energy based Creative Holistic Integration (CHI) self-care system. “In a recent research study at Holos University, participants who practiced the Wholeness Exercise shifted from a state of deep stress to a state of high coherence in five minutes,” says Abhayaratna. Cost: free. Location: 2905 Rodeo Park Dr. E #3, Santa Fe. For more information, call 505-474-8555 or visit SantaFeSoul.com. See Calendar of Events for details.

Beyond Surviving Workshop

Beyond Surviving workshop is being held at the Canossian Spirituality Center in Albuquerque April 24-26. The course is designed for those seeking new tools to move out of a life of surviving into a life of thriving. “It set in a beautiful location to assist anyone who is ready to move through the negative consequences and beliefs from past abuse or trauma,” says workshop facilitator Rev. Stephanie Jaeger, CHT, world renowned educator and creator of Beyond Surviving and The Sheltered Heart Foundation. Stephanie Jaegar is a certified hypnotherapist and an expert in identifying and modifying negative behavioral patterns. Sought the world over by companies, individuals and government agencies alike, her revolutionary programs have taught thousands how to replace negative thoughts and actions with positive patterns that produce desirable results. The workshop is open to men, women and children over the age of 13 if accompanied by an adult. Limit 12 participants to ensure individual attention and support. Cost: $550. Food and lodging, the course and all related materials are included. Location: 5625 Isleta Blvd. SW, Albuquerque. For more information, call 505-898-6540 or visit ShelteredHeart.org. See ad on page 15.

See ad on page 25.

natural awakenings

April 2015

QI REVOLUTION: Healing Event JUNE 13th-16th Santa Fe Convention Center $149 for 4-Days of Amazing Qigong Healing

fter 100 events and 50,000 attendees we’ve upgraded the curriculum to what people said in surveys was “most useful in life”. QI REVOLUTION focuses on Food-Healing protocols for cancer, diabetes and heart disease. New in 2015 is a greater “Scientific and Evidence-Based” approach to our presentations. Lineup includes a big Qigong/Energy component to the experience. Breathing techniques are the best natural high and creativity activators. Correct food, breath and blood-circulating exercises will open root chakra, which releases internal energy (some call it Kundalini) up spine boosting endocrine system, and therefore our longevity. Qigong Practitioner Jeff Primack and 20 other instructors will be leading a large group to practice together at this year’s event at the Santa Fe Convention Center. Cost is only $149 for all 4-Days. (800) 298-8970 www.QiRevolution.com See ad on page 3.

Humanitarian Message from The OakRose Academy of Light

“H

umanity now has the opportunity to bring the patterns of love, compassion and forgiveness through the divinity of our hearts,” says Rev. AliceAnn Saunders, Ph.D., founder of The OakRose Academy of Light. “As the earth comes into compliance with the new protocols of Nova Earth through the transformative energies now coming forth from heaven, people will come to realize a new and sustaining reverence for all life, global solutions found, and wrongs righted. A new understanding of one’s own divine purpose will be attained, and a sense of unity, peace and prosperity will prevail.” The OakRose Academy of Light has been posting messages of hope and love for years while assisting people of all faiths to a greater awareness of their own divinity and ability to affect change on their spiritual path. “We are a spiritual-educational, nonprofit organization that brings light into every aspect of our humanitarian service,” says Saunders. “Our goal is to bring the Ascended Master Teachings to more people throughout the world and to expand our teaching facility, where people may come to experience a deeper connection with their own true divinity. To read more of this humanitarian message visit OakRoseAcademyOfLight.org/ pdf/humanitarian_message.pdf. For more information and to make a tax-deductible donation, contact Reverend AliceAnn at Rev.AliceAnn@OakRose.net or visit OakRoseAcademyOfLight.com. See ad on page 5.

healthbriefs

Affordable Health Care from Mother Nature

nlike their Eastern counterparts, North American and some European herbalists seek to directly mitigate health issues or facilitate specific bodily functions using particular plants, roots and barks. Native Americans embraced the belief that Mother Nature provides, contending that the herbs of a local environment provide for all of the needs of the people dwelling there. For example, snake weed is prevalent in the Southwest, where encounters with rattlesnakes are frequent. Herbs such as comfrey, arnica and sage, which are found from coast to coast, are used to heal wounds, relieve pain and get rid of parasites, maladies common to people everywhere, according to the Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. Every culture in the world has developed and maintained a system of healing based on their indigenous plants, relying on these natural pharmaceutical entities for thousands of years. A human that lived 5,000 years ago found preserved in ice in 1991 was carrying herbs and mushrooms to mitigate health conditions that scientists confirmed were present in his body. Despite their effective use for millennia, many modern-day people still question the efficacy and safety of medicinal herbs. Instead of looking to pharmaceutical companies—born of an industry with less than 200 years of experience—to handle our healthcare needs, perhaps the real affordable care act can be found in the plants, roots and barks provided by Mother Nature. For more information, call 888-465-4404 or visit NaturesRiteRemedies.com. See ad, page 14.

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Practicing Gratitude

finding the good even when things are going bad by Antonia Montoya

Recharge Yourself with Tesla Energy Lights

esla Energy Lights are a personal energy management system designed to recharge and permeate one’s subtle energy bodies with compatible high frequency subtle energies. They are specially formulated with low voltage output so the energy can have a permeable influence of compatibility with the body’s fragile electrical systems and soft, delicate bio fields. The lights are designed to generate ultra-high frequencies of low voltage electromagnetic and photonic subtle energy. “Exposure to these frequencies can empower the user to manage their thoughts, feelings and belief system and therefore can serve as fuel to achieve the goal to change,” says Dr. Robyn Benson, DOM. “Many report a profound calming influence of the TEL on the system.”

eople who have a written gratitude practice feel better about their lives, are more connected to others, more optimistic and even sleep better. Renowned researchers and experts on the science of gratitude, Dr. Robert Emmons and Michael E. McCullough, revealed this in their controlled experiments on gratitude and thankfulness with participants who wrote five things they were grateful for each day before going to bed. Gratitude is like a muscle; the more we use it the stronger it gets and the easier it is to use. Feeling grateful is a choice and like all choices it can become a habit through practice. When we consistently practice gratitude it becomes easier to choose gratitude at any given moment. We then expect to feel more appreciative for our lives. But even those who practice gratitude daily are not always grateful. Researchers Michele M. Tugade and Barbara L. Fredrickson found that resilient people still felt as many negative emotions as less happy people. But they felt more positive emotions which made them better able to rebound from adversity and stress and ward off depression. Their increase in happiness came from feeling good; not from avoiding feeling bad. A gratitude practice can be done in many ways: written, spoken, contemplation, through movement and/or art. The important part is making it a regular practice. Sharing your practice with others can provide support, guidance and accountability to keep going when things are not going as well. Antonia Montoya, MS, is a certified Health Education Specialist who specializes in gratitude. To become a member of Our Gratitude Collective and participate in the webinar Finding Gratitude on a Bad Day, visit OurGratitudeCollective.com/webinar. See ad on

page 9.

For more information, call Santa Fe Soul at 505-986-1089 or visit SantaFeSoul.com. See ad on page 10.

Saturday, April 4th - 5pm Full Moon Eclipse Gongs

$20

Saturday, April 18th - 5pm

New Moon Gongs

$35 TWO Players

(reg. $20 per gong player)

Tuesday, April 30th - 6pm

$20

Power Gong Voyage Call DeeDee at The Gong Studio in Santa Fe

Reservations required. 480-766-6535

TheGongStudio.com natural awakenings

April 2015

globalbriefs Soil Salvation

Organic Farming May Counteract Greenhouse Effect The nonprofit Rodale Institute, the United Nations and the Soil Association are reporting that modern, chemical-intensive industrial farming is stripping the soil’s natural ability to take carbon back out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it in the soil. Rodale researchers say that by returning to small-scale organic farming, more than 40 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions could be captured in the soil, and if the entire world’s pasture and rangelands were managed using regenerative techniques, an additional 71 percent of those emissions could be sequestered. Further, organic practices could counteract the world’s yearly carbon dioxide output while producing the same amount of food as conventional farming. Rodale claims that using regenerative organic agriculture—like low or no-tillage, cover crops and crop rotation— will keep photosynthesized carbon dioxide in the soil, instead of returning it to the atmosphere. The institute cites 75 studies from peer-reviewed journals, including its own 33-year Farming Systems Trial, which directly compare organic farming with conventional farming. Source: OrganicConsumers.org

Curbside Composting

No Food Scraps Need Go to Waste People in the United States waste more than a third of all of the food they produce, but more than 180 cities and towns are beginning to realize that wasted food can be valuable; they are asking residents to separate unwanted food from the rest of their trash and put it in a curbside compost bin. The idea is to stop sending food waste to the landfill, where it generates harmful methane gas pollution, and start turning it into something useful, like compost. In 2011, Portland, Oregon, launched a curbside compost program in which residents are encouraged to put food scraps into the city’s green yard waste bin. Since then, the amount of garbage sent to the landfill has decreased by 37 percent. According to Bruce Walker, the city’s solid waste and recycling program manager, the program also reduces the environmental footprint of the trash heap. Getting people to separate their food waste, however, can be difficult. To motivate its residents to put more food waste in the compost bin, the city of Seattle, Washington, has proposed both making curbside composting mandatory and fining residents a dollar every time they put a disproportionate volume of food waste in their trash. Source: NetNebraska.org

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Buzzing Buddies

‘Flying Doctor’ Bees Prevent Cherry Disease University of Adelaide researchers are introducing a “flying doctor” method of employing bees as preventive medicine. Project leader and bee researcher Katja Hogendoorn, Ph.D., says, “All commercial cherry growers spray during flowering to control the later development of cherry brown rot. Instead of spraying fungicide, we’re using bees to deliver a biological control agent right to the flowers, where it’s needed.” The innovative delivery works via entomovectoring. This is a new technique for Australia, with potential application in many horticultural industries. The biological control agent contains spores of a parasitic fungus that prevents another fungus that causes the brown rot from colonizing the flower. Future applications of the small, winged medics are expected to become available for disease control in almonds, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears and stone fruit. Source: Adelaide.edu.au

earthdayevents

EARTH

DAY 2015

Hope for Our Future by Julianne Hale

hen we learn about the condition of our most valuable resource—this spinning planet we call home—we may feel a sense of urgency, desperation or even defeat. Global climate change is a powerful foe, and current efforts may seem like a losing race against time. Yet, mounting evidence suggests that the global community is making progress, giving rise to the possibility that climate change may not be the insurmountable obstacle we once thought. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) article, “We Can Do This: 10 Reasons there’s Hope for our Climate,” by Dan Upham, summarizes a speech given by EDF President Fred Krupp at the 2014 Aspen Ideas Festival (Tinyurl.com/HopeForTheClimate). Here are some encouraging highlights. The price of solar energy panels has dropped by 75 percent in the U.S. since 2008, and affordable wind energy is increasingly available. According to a study published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, carbon dioxide emissions from energy in this country dropped by 10 percent between 2005 and 2012. In addition, China, the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, is actively seeking ways to reduce emissions. Proof of progress is also found in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan to cut billions of tons of pollution, a goal supported by two-thirds of Americans, according to a survey conducted by Harstad Strategic Research. Aligned with this, the government is requiring that manufacturers double automobile fuel mileage by 2025. Perhaps the best argument for hope reflects the priorities of America’s younger generations. A recent bipartisan poll of young voters conducted by Benenson Strategy Group and GS Strategy Group suggests that 80 percent of voters under the age of 35 support the president taking action to address climate change, making it an issue that both major political parties must take seriously. It’s time to realize that mankind is making decided progress, that the majority of us do care, that what local communities accomplish has a positive effect and that the global community can take the steps needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Become a part of the solution by attending one or more of the community events listed at nnm.finditnaturally.com/ category/calendar. natural awakenings

April 2015

healingways Learn TRE™ Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises * Relieve everyday stress and tension. * Reduction in pain, increased mobility,

resiliency, and profound healing. * Learn about the psoas muscle and the body’s tremor response. * Help heal past injuries.

TRE® Release Tension and Trauma Workshop

Saturday 4/18 -1-3 PM

$50

Body Balance Yoga 3705 Westerfeld Drive NE ABQ Register @ TraumaRecoveryCoaching.com 15% OFF first private session for new clients Call 505-463-2043

Spring Greening Easy Ways to Detox a House

Mari Lyford, LMSW, R-YT, TRE™ Practitioner

by Lane Vail

1201 EUBANK BLVD NE, #2, Albuquerque, NM 87112

or most individuals, odorous chemicals are simply unpleasant. For those that are sensitive and susceptible, however, even common chemical exposures may evoke a toxicant-induced loss of tolerance (TILT) marked by multiplesystem symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, autoimmune disease, asthma, depression and food intolerance. Since the post-World War II expansion of petrochemicals, the incidence of TILT has increased dramatically, says Claudia Miller, a medical doctor, researcher and professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and co-author of Chemical Exposures: Low Levels and High Stakes. “Fortunately, public awareness has also grown significantly in the last few years,” says Rick Smith, Ph.D., a Canadian environmentalist who co-authored Toxin Toxout. “Now companies and governments worldwide are moving toward making safer products.” We can support progress by leveraging some practical tips in greening our home. Start somewhere. Many volatile organic compounds (VOC) that in-

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clude formaldehyde and benzene are concealed in household items such as couches, chairs, particleboard furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpeting, rugs, synthetic flooring, wallpaper and paint. Green TV host and Fresh Living author Sara Snow implores us not to become overwhelmed, disheartened or fearful. “Creating a healthy home is a gradual process that doesn’t require throwing all the furniture out,” she advises. Start by scrutinizing labels and choosing not to bring new toxins in. For example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is widely found to be associated with reproductive toxicity and is found in many waterproofed and flexible plastics. Select PVC-free toys, shower curtain liners and mattress covers. In the kitchen, avoid potentially carcinogenic perfluorinated chemicals (PFC) found in nonstick coatings of pots and pans. Toss the Teflon when it scratches, says Snow, and upgrade to stainless steel or cast iron. Weed out bisphenols, the DNA-disrupting chemicals found in plastics and epoxy resin can liners. Even “BPA-free” products likely contain alternative and equally harmful

substances, according to a recent study published in Chemosphere. Choose clear glass instead of plastic containers. When remodeling, look for zeroVOC items, Miller says, plus materials free of stain-resistant sprays and flame retardants whose efficacy is questionable. Consider natural fiber rugs like jute or wool. Forest Stewardship Council-certified hardwoods or alternative flooring like cork or glass tile are safer investments in long-term well-being. Clean green. Conventional cleaners are among the worst offenders, and even some “eco-cleaners” can be deceptively unsafe, says Smith. He recommends avoiding antibacterial products containing triclosan, which proliferates antibiotic-resistant bacteria that prolong and exacerbate illnesses, as well as phthalates, a chemical oil that carries artificial aromas and has been repeatedly linked to cancer and abnormal fetal development. “Even so-called natural fragrances are often complex petrochemicals that outgas and contaminate the air,” notes Miller. Snow advises formulating products at home using staple pantry ingredients, including distilled white vinegar for disinfecting, baking soda for scouring, liquid castile soap for sudsing, lemon juice for degreasing and olive oil for polishing. Freshen with fresh air. Americans spend about 90 percent of their time amid indoor air pollutants that are significantly more concentrated than outdoor pollutants, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports. “Most energy-efficient homes are well sealed with ventilation systems that recirculate indoor air, so opening the windows helps dilute accumulated airborne toxins,” says Miller. Snow further recommends bringing air-purifying plants into the home such as Gerbera daisies, bamboo palms and English ivy. Vacuum and dust. Vacuuming with a high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filter and dusting with a moist cloth eliminates allergens such as pet dander, mites, pollen and mold, and helps remove phthalates, flame retardants, lead and pesticides that “latch onto house dust and accumulate in dust bunnies,” says Smith. Weed out lawn chemicals. “Organophosphate pesticides are profound-

ly neurotoxic,” says Miller, especially to the developing brains of children. Instead try integrated pest management, which involves controlling pests’ food sources and applying non-toxic deterrents. Eliminating potentially carcinogenic herbicides might mean managing more weeds, says Snow, but it’s worth it. Eat green. “Buying produce as close to its source as possible, from a farmer or farmers’ market, provides threefold benefits,” says Snow—less wasteful packaging, reduced exposure to chemical plastics and greater concentration of health-promoting nutrients. Buy in bulk and favor glass containers or rectangular cardboard cartons. Take tests. Radon, an invisible, odorless gas that can emanate from the ground and accumulate in homes, annually causes 21,000 U.S. lung

cancer deaths, according to the U.S. EPA. Lead, a neurotoxin that may occasionally leach from home water pipes, can also hide in pre-1978 paint. Testing for both and implementing reduction or precautionary measures is simple, advises Smith. Most hardware stores stock test kits. Take action. Join with other concerned citizens by launching a pertinent petition at Change.org; campaigning with organizations like the Environmental Working Group (ewg. org) or Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families (SaferChemicals.org); and supporting cleaner, greener companies with family purchases. Lane Vail is a freelance writer and blogger at DiscoveringHomemaking.com.

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April 2015

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MASTERING THE FORCE

The Martial Arts Hold Deep Inner Lessons by Eric Stevens

ew words are as oddly coupled as martial and arts. The first means “relating to war and soldiers,” while the second means “something that is created with imagination and skill, and is beautiful or expresses important ideas or feelings.” All martial arts represent a paradox of push and pull, yin and yang, external and internal. Their practice represents the blending of our physical lives in harmony with our emotional makeup, allowing our external activity to mirror our internal being. Seldom is the fusion of body, mind and spirit easily achieved with one activity, but martial arts are an exception, because they focus equally on internal and external well-being. Here are five key life lessons that martial arts can teach us. Learn how to breathe. True connection with our breath permeates an artist’s realm. A vocalist must reach deep within the diaphragm to sing proficiently and a dancer must learn to time their breath while performing. A martial artist learns to control breath with stillness and speed, like juxtaposing yoga with intense contact sports. Breathing properly makes the practitioner a better martial

artist and a healthier one. According to a study published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, hypertensive qigong program participants were able to both lower their blood pressure after 10 weeks and increase their oxygen uptake by 20 percent. Avoid conflict by developing character. While it may seem counterintuitive that learning how to fight could avoid conflict, it’s an essential part of martial arts. The philosopher Lao Tzu said the best fighter is never angry. The martial arts are primarily about discipline, heightened awareness and honing an ability to face our own internal conflicts. Several studies corroborate that practicing martial arts produces positive behavioral changes. For instance, according to a study published in the Journal of Adolescence, participating students in the martial arts were characterized as being less impulsive and less aggressive. Connect the external (body movement) with the internal (energy movement). The energetic force that catalyzes expressive kicks, punches, blocks and other outward forms is as essential as the movements themselves. In Chinese

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martial arts, that force is referred to as qi, the life energy that intrinsically unites body, mind and spirit. Be both an artist and athlete. Artistry and athleticism need not be divergent forces. The martial artist combines the grace of a creator and skill of a warrior, and watching a martial arts competition can be as riveting as watching a ballet or sports event. Most of us may not be talented artists or natural athletes, yet all students can learn how to integrate both worlds by blending physicality with stillness and expression through action. Let go of ego, find mental clarity and access the present moment. Jirōkichi Yamada, a master of Japanese kenjutsu, said, “The way of the sword and the way of Zen are identical, for they have the same purpose; that of killing the ego.” The focus of all true martial arts is the process, not the outcome. Whatever the style of execution, preparatory practice and meditative application, they all require the discipline of being purely present. Gaining such clarity requires grappling more with ego than with opponents; the real battle of a martial artist is waged within. Bruce Lee, the film star who revolutionized Western awareness of martial arts and founded jeet kune do, realized that martial arts’ transcendent philosophy gives us many lessons to draw upon. He suggested, “Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.” Eric Stevens has been a fitness professional and martial arts coach for 15 years. He writes about related topics from Denver, Colorado. Connect at EricChristopherStevens@gmail.com.

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April 2015

Three Ways to Eliminate Weeds by Jill Brown

t’s another beautiful morning as you walk out your front door and there they are again: the weeds. Goat heads are lining the front walk and ragweed is poking through your landscaping. They’re not pretty and can require back-breaking yard work to remove them. Below are three simple ways to eliminate weeds from your landscape. 1. Kill them with kindness: Don’t douse weeds with chemicals. Instead, pull them by hand. Yanking them—roots and all—is by far the best way to remove weeds from your landscape. To avoid feeling overwhelmed by this prospect, set aside five minutes each day to weed—it’s therapeutic. For the most stubborn weeds, use your bare hands. If they still don’t bulge, dig around the base with a weed tool and pop them out. 2. Prevent them with layers: Weeds thrive in bare dirt, so take away their habitat by creating layers. Install a permeable weed fabric that allows water to pass through for an extra layer of protection. Place the fabric 3 inches below the final surface of your garden or yard. Next, add some mulch on top of the fabric. Put at least 3 inches of a mulch layer on top of the dirt. This may be shredded bark, pine needles or leaves. Depending on your preference, you could top it with crushed rock, like pea gravel or crusher fines instead. 3. Overplant: Weeds don’t grow where other plants are already growing, so the more you plant, the fewer weeds you’ll have. With a little more initial effort through design and planting, you’ll benefit later with a weed-free yard. Jill Brown, is the owner of Brown, green & more in Albuquerque where she does landscape coaching for homeowners. For more information, call 505-2469027 or visit mylandscapecoach.com.

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Home-Grown Organic Made Easy 10 Time-Saving Tips for a Healthy Garden by Barbara Pleasant

Organic gardening experts share strategies for growing a great garden and having a life, too.

he arrival of planting season has a stunning effect on veggie gardeners. We talk to our seedlings as if they were children, and don’t mind working until dark if that’s what it takes to get the fingerling potatoes in the ground. Then, complications like crabgrass and cabbageworms appear, and keeping up with all the details feels impossible. We can lighten looming chores by using these time-saving tips, which will reduce later workloads when storms and the hot summer sun threaten to squelch the magic. Mulch to reduce watering and prevent weeds. “You can cut your watering time in half by mulching crops with a three-to-four-inch layer of straw or shredded leaves,” says Niki Jabbour, award-winning author of The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener and Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden. “Crops like tomatoes, potatoes, kale, broccoli, cucumbers and squash all benefit from a deep mulch, which reduces the need to

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water and also prevents weeds, saving even more time.” Grow herbs in convenient containers. Family cooks will harvest kitchen herbs every day, in all kinds of weather, so don’t waste footsteps. Grow some parsley, basil and other herbs in large containers near the kitchen door. Try promising perennials. Plant them once, and vegetables like asparagus and rhubarb come back year after year in cold winter climates like the Midwest and Northeast. Where winters are mild, artichokes or chayote (pear squash) are long-lived and productive. Many resilient herbs will return each spring, too, including sage, mints, thyme and oregano. Tarragon and marjoram make trusty perennial herbs in the Sun Belt. Stock up on organic seeds. “As a year-round vegetable gardener, I try to come up with a list of all the seeds I’ll need for every season when I place annual seed orders,” Jabbour says. “That way, I will place fewer orders and have everything on hand at the proper planting time, saving both time and money.”

Organic seeds in consumer seed catalogs and retail racks won’t be genetically modified or treated with pesticides. Be generous with organic compost. With each planting, mix in organic compost along with a balanced organic fertilizer. Food crops grown in organically enriched soil are better able to resist challenges from pests and diseases, which simplifies summer tasks. Grow flowers to attract beneficial insects. Reducing or eliminating pesticides and increasing plantings of flowers can radically improve the balance between helpful and harmful insects in a garden. Horticulturist Jessica Walliser, co-host of Pittsburgh’s The Organic

Gardeners KDKA radio show and author of Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, recommends starting with sweet alyssum, an easy-to-grow annual that can be tucked into the edges of beds or added to mixed containers. “The tiny blossoms of sweet alyssum are adept at supporting several species of the non-stinging parasitic wasps that help keep aphids and other common pests in check,” Walliser says. In warm climates where they are widely grown, crape myrtles have been found to serve as nurseries for lady beetles, lacewings and other beneficial insects. Protect plants with fabric barriers. Pest insects seeking host plants won’t find cabbage or kale if they’re hidden beneath hoops covered with fine-mesh fabric like wedding net (tulle) or garden fabric row cover. “Cover the plants the day they are transplanted into the garden,” advises Walliser. As long as the edges are securely tucked in, row covers will also protect plants from wind, hail, rabbits and deer. Hoe briefly each day. Commit 10 minutes a day to hoeing. While slicing down young weeds, hill up soil over potatoes or clean up beds ready to be replanted. Look out for small problems to correct before they become big ones. No more misplaced tools. Time is often wasted searching for lost weeders, pruning shears and other hand tools, which are easier to keep track of when painted in bright colors or marked with colored tape. Jabbour uses a tool stash

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basket placed at the garden entrance. Stop to smell the flowers. Use moments saved to sit quietly, relax and soak up the sights, sounds and smells of the garden. Pausing to listen to the birds or watch a honeybee work a flower is part of the earned reward of any healthy garden that can’t be measured by the pound. Barbara Pleasant, the author of numerous green thumb books, including Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens, grows vegetables, herbs and fruits in Floyd, Virginia. Connect at BarbaraPleasant.com.

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April 2015

Whole Lotta Shakin’ Who Can Benefit from TRE ? T Goin’ On: ®

How Tension Release Exercise (TRE®) Can Reduce the Effects of Stress on the Body by Mari Lyford

hen we encounter stressful situations, whether it’s a physical or emotional trauma, or the daily stress of living in the modern world, our bodies contract. It’s a normal reaction, to curl inward, to protect ourselves and our vital organs in dangerous situations. But somehow along the evolutionary road our brains began to take over and we convinced ourselves that the tremors that naturally happen after the danger passes should stop. And we’re often managing chronic stress in the form of ongoing physical or emotional trauma or the stress from modern living. Now, instead of releasing that stress, we hold onto it and it can have damaging effects on our bodies. Effects of Stress Long term effects of stress can manifest both emotionally and physically. Emotionally, prolonged stress can lead to depression and anxiety, and even eating disorders or substance abuse. Physically, prolonged stress can result in headaches and muscle aches, skin and hair problems, sexual dysfunction, menstrual problems for women, digestion issues, and even high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition, stress lowers the immune system: people living with stress get colds and flues more often. And stress costs money. OSHA considers stress a work-

he phone is ringing, someone else is texting, your inbox is overflowing with email, your kids need you, your mother needs you, your boss needs an answer now, you just blew a deadline, and someone wants you to volunteer for something, there’s a traffic jam, you’re late for work, and you just bounced a check. And it’s only Monday. If any part of this sounds familiar, you may be dealing with chronic stress. You’ve survived an accident or injured your body, you’re managing an illness, you’re experiencing Post Traumatic Stress or the loss of a loved one. If this sounds familiar, you may be dealing with chronic stress. Whatever the cause of your physical and/or emotional stress, TRE can help you release the tension from your body, alleviating the negative effects of stress, and promote a feeling of well-being. Visit www.traumarecoverycoaching.com for the full length article, the author’s bio, references, and resources.

place hazard and the World Health Organization calls stress “the health epidemic of the 21st Century.”

What’s a Body to Do?

TRE® practice is designed to induce tremoring—the body’s natural way of releasing the tension in our muscles. Developed by Dr. David Berceli, TRE is a self-help tool that includes a series of seven simple and gentle exercises. The exercises are designed to activate the tremors, releasing the tension held deep in your body, particularly in the psoas muscle. This muscle connects your upper and lower body and contracts most in response to stress, often without you even realizing those muscles are engaged. The tremors then cause your muscles to relax which in turn causes the brain to register reduction in pain and signals the release of hormones that promote healing. See ad on page 14.

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very easy for them. Shadows and orbs: Spirits can manifest themselves to come through in shadows, or illuminated energy such as orbs. Catching it with the naked eye can sometimes be tricky, so capturing with a camera with no flash is helpful.

Spirit is talking. Are you listening? by Keri Ports

Birds and animals: Yes, Spirit can take the form of an animal or bird, so if a loved one used to love blue jays and you see them and think of them, more than likely that is a sign. Your higher self: Your own soul talks to you. Trust that “gut” feeling and listen to that voice in your head that is telling you something specific.

pirit is always communicating with us. Whether it’s a family member, friend, pet, spirit guide, angel or even your own higher self, Spirit is constantly trying to help guide us so we can fulfill our purpose here on earth. Recognizing how they are coming through is important, but even more important is hearing what they are trying to tell us.

Telepathically: Spirit can transmit verbal messages, images, thoughts and feelings from them to you. If, out of the blue, your beloved dog that passed when you were a child pops up in your consciousness, trust that it is them making their presence known to you.

There are many ways Spirit tries to communicate with us. Here are just a few examples: Dreams: This is when our subconscious is most alert and receptive. If your grandmother on the other side comes through to you in a dream, trust that is her spirit coming to you.

Keri Ports is a human and animal psychic/ medium who offers both private and group readings, and also guided chakra meditations. Sessions can be conducted in person, phone or Skype. For more information, visit KeriPorts.com or Facebook.com/keriports.

Electronics: Spirit operates on a higher vibration, so switching lights on and off or making a fire alarm go off is

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April 2015

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Healing Journeys

Paul Stutzman Finds Universal Truths on His Treks by Randy Kambic

aul Stutzman was a successful executive with a family restaurant chain and a happy father and husband married for more than 30 years when his wife, Mary, passed away from breast cancer in 2006. Questioning his faith as to why this happened, Stutzman quit his job to hike the 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail (AT), advising everyone he encountered, “Don’t take spouses and families for granted.” His book, Hiking Through, recounts this extreme adventure and relates his subsequent thoughts about grief, healing and life. Stutzman chronicled his second journey, a 5,000-mile-plus crosscountry trek, in Biking Across America. This time, he perceived a “noble, yet humble America that still exists and inspires.” More recently, the author has turned to fiction with The Wanderers and Wandering Home, both enriched with reflections upon the values of his Amish Mennonite upbringing and marriage.

What kept you going? Early on, I realized how soothing nature was to my grieving soul. Still, there

were times it would have been easy to abandon my journeys and head for the safety of home. The desire to discover if my life held any meaning after such a great loss kept me moving forward. I kept telling myself on both journeys, “If my wife can fight cancer for four years, I can overcome any obstacle I encounter.” I was determined to write about what I was being taught by nature. I also believed books written by and about someone seeking solace via an incomplete pilgrimage would be cheating the reader.

What do such journeys teach about nature and our response to experiencing it? I find comfort in nature. I believe the beautiful streams and waterfalls, the grand views from mountaintops and the wildlife were all created for our enjoyment. When we absorb this beauty and wonderment, the stresses in life slowly melt away. Granted, not everyone will be able to do what I did; however, a stroll through a local park, along a beach or in a flower garden can have similar effects.

Did these extended physical endeavors make mental demands that catalyzed unexpected self-growth? Treks like these into the unknown are physically demanding. With time and effort, one’s body gets into shape for extended hiking and biking. The mental hurdle must be crossed next. You’ll miss home and loved ones. Loneliness will set in. This is where you discover who the real you is. Are you tenacious enough to push through the desire to abandon the pilgrimage or will you succumb to the allure of comfort and safety? On my journeys, I had to make difficult choices. There is a saying that applies to folks planning to hike the AT end-to-end through 14 states: “If hiking the entire Appalachian Trail isn’t the most important thing in your life, you won’t accomplish it.” My daughter gave birth to my grandson while I was hiking. Although she asked that I come home for the event, I declined. I kept on hiking because I knew I wouldn’t return to the trail if I went home. I’d spent my lifetime trying to do the right things for my three children, but now had to do what was right for me.

What did you learn about Americans along the way? I discovered that most Americans are kind, law-abiding citizens. Most are still willing to help a stranger in need. Unfortunately, I feel we focus too much time and energy on the minority of malcontents.

How have these experiences informed your creative process? America is a great country. The beauty I’ve witnessed from a bicycle seat and on two feet hiking the mountains is a continual source of inspiration. Many folks are unable to do what I do. My ongoing desire is to describe the images imprinted in my mind in such a way that others can feel as if they are there walking with me. For more information, visit PaulStutzman.com. Randy Kambic is an Estero, FL, freelance writer and editor who regularly contributes to Natural Awakenings.

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April 2015

Nature’s Wisdom Its Lessons Inspire, Heal and Sustain Us by Christine MacDonald

The environment is not separate from ourselves; we are inside it and it is inside us; we make it and it makes us. ~ Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, Amazon shaman

hile the idea that we humans stand apart from—or even above—nature is a prevailing theme in much of modern civilization, naturalists and other clever souls throughout the ages have observed that the opposite is true: We are part of, depend on and evolve with nature— and we ignore this vital connection at our peril. “If one way is better than another, that you may be sure is nature’s way,” admonished the Greek philosopher Aristotle, in the third century B.C.E. “Time destroys the speculation of men, but it confirms the judgment of nature,” Roman politician and philosopher Cicero ruminated two centuries later. Nobel Prize-winning physicist and philosopher Albert Einstein remarked, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Today, more of us are looking to nature for ways to improve physical, mental and emotional health, develop

intelligence, innovate, overhaul how we build homes and neighborhoods, and raise our children.

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Healthful Nature

As Henry David Thoreau wrote in his classic 1854 book Walden, “We need the tonic of wildness.” While we know firsthand how walking in the woods can elevate mood, scientists have documented that a regular dose of nature has other far-reaching benefits. It can lower stress hormone levels, blood pressure and undesirable cholesterol; help heal neurological problems; hasten fuller recovery from surgery and heart attacks; increase cancer-fighting white blood cells; and generally aid overall health (Health Promotion International research report; also Nippon Medical School study, Tokyo). Regular playtime outdoors helps children cope with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders, accord-

ing to research published in Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care. Exposure to nature can help adults escape from today’s wired lives; reinvigorate, be fitter and less likely to suffer from obesity, diabetes and heart disease, as reported in studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and a University of Washington research summary. It can also unlock understanding of the spiritual essence of life. Hours regularly spent by youth outdoors stimulate imagination and creativity and enhance cognitive development, helping them learn. Nature also helps youngsters develop social awareness, helping them better navigate human relations (Tinyurl.com/OutdoorHealthBenefits Research). “It’s strange and kind of sad that we are so removed from nature that we actually have to ask why nature is good for us,” says Dr. Eva Selhub, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, author of the new book Your Health Destiny, and co-author of Your Brain on Nature. “The fact is our brains and bodies are wired in concert with nature.” Recognition of nature’s positive effects has grown so much in recent years that physicians increasingly write their patients “prescriptions” to go hiking in the woods, counting on the healthy exercise and exposure to sunlight, nature and soothing views to address health problems stemming from poor diets and sedentary lifestyles. Healthcare clinics and hospitals in Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Indianapolis, Albuquerque, New Mexico, California’s Bay Area and elsewhere have launched Prescription Trails programs aimed at objectives from preventing obesity in children to healthful activities for retirees (Tinyurl. com/AmericanHealthTrails). Bestselling author Richard Louv calls the positive nature effect “vitamin N” in The Nature Principle. He contends: “Many of us, without having a name for it, are using the nature tonic. We are, in essence, self-medicating with an inexpensive and unusually convenient drug substitute.”

Such ideas are commonly accepted in many cultures. The Japanese believe in the restorative power of shinrinyoku, which could be translated as “forest medicine” or “forest bathing”. Indigenous peoples like the Brazilian tribe led by Shaman Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, fighting to preserve their land and way of life in the Amazon, profess to be at one with the innate riches of sustainable rainforests (SurvivalInternational.org/parks).

Innovative Nature

Scientists, inventors and other innovators are increasingly inspired by nature. Biomimicry, part social movement and part burgeoning industry, looks to how Earth’s natural systems work and solve problems. University of Utah researchers, inspired by the durable homes built by sandcastle worms, are creating a synthetic glue that one day could help repair fractured bones. Architectural components manufacturer Panelite makes energy-efficient insulated glass by mimicking the hexagonal structure that bees use in honeycombs. (Find other precedents at Tinyurl.com/ BiomimicryCaseExamples). The inspiration for biomimicry comes from many places, says Dayna Baumeister, Ph.D. co-founder of Biomimicry 3.8, a Missoula, Montana, company working with other companies and universities to propel biomimicry into the mainstream. “People are recognizing that they’ve been disconnected to the natural world,” she says. “We also realize that [as a species] we are in trouble. We don’t have all the answers, but we can look to other species for inspiration” for clearing pollutants from our bodies and environments. Plants and fungi are now commonly used to clean up old industrial sites that resemble nature’s way of removing pollutants from water and soil. A University of California, Berkeley, meta-study confirms that farmers currently using organic farming methods and solar power achieve roughly the same crop yields as conventional techniques with far less dependence on fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gases and petrochemical pesticide and fertilizer pollution.

Cyclical Nature

These breakthrough technologies emulate the way nature uses the building blocks of life in an endless cycle of birth, reproduction, decay and rebirth. It’s part of a broad rethinking of the principles behind sustainability—building, manufacturing and living in greater harmony with natural systems, perhaps eventually eliminating landfills, air and water pollution, and toxic site cleanups. “A toxin is a material in the wrong place,” says architect William McDonough, of Charlottesville, Virginia. The only individual recipient of the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development, he is co-author of Cradle-to-Cradle, a groundbreaking book that calls for re-envisioning even the nastiest waste, and The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability—Designing for Abundance. McDonough imagines a world where waste becomes raw material for new buildings, furniture and other goods—akin to how a forest reuses every deceased tree and animal to nourish the ecosystem and spawn new life. With 80 percent of U.S. residents currently living in

urban areas, architects, builders and municipal planners are likewise pivoting toward nature, prompted by the scientific evidence of the many ways that human health and general well-being rely upon it. While this contact is preferably the kind of “stopping by woods” that inspired New England poet Robert Frost, even a walk in a city park will work. “Urban nature, when provided as parks and walkways and incorporated into building design, provides calming and inspiring environments and encourages learning, inquisitiveness and alertness,” reports the University of Washington’s College of the Environment, in Green Cities: Good Health. The American Planning Association stresses the importance of integrating green space into urban neighborhoods. Not only does so-called “metro nature” improve air and water quality and reduce urban heat island effects, urban wilds

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such as Pittsburgh’s Nine Mile Run and Charlotte, North Carolina’s Little Sugar Creek Greenway also restore natural connections in densely populated city centers.

Natural Intelligence

A growing number of scientists say that research about our place in nature has sparked fresh thinking about our role and devastated quaint notions about our species’ superiority. “Single-celled slime molds solve mazes. Brainless plants make correct decisions and bees with brains the size of pinheads handle abstract concepts,” points out Anthropologist Jeremy Narby, author of the groundbreaking book Intelligence in Nature. At a national conference of Bioneers, an organization based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and San Francisco that gathers nature-minded social and scientific innovators, Narby said: “We are nearly identical to many animals. Many behaviors once thought to be exclusively human are shared by other species. The zone of the specifically human, as determined by science, has

been shrinking.” We haven’t lost the ability to tap that primal animal inside, even if most of us are more likely to “venture into the forest” by watching a movie or playing video games. We may feel cut off from our instincts, but studies show time in the woods can do wonders to restore the keenness of our senses to connect with the subtle changes in natural habitat, the movements of other species and the changing seasons. The rise of human civilizations may have taken “survival of the fittest” in new directions, often decidedly tamer ones, but experts ranging from scientific researchers to lifestyle analysts say humankind is still hardwired by our more primitive past. Despite the ingenious ways we’ve devised to exploit other life forms, capitalize on Earth’s resources and protect ourselves from nature’s sometimes terrifying power, our fate remains linked to natural laws and limits, from nurturing our body’s immune system to resolving planet-sized problems like climate change. “‘Nature’ is our natural environ-

ment,” according to Selhub. We don’t have to move to the country to reconnect, she says. “Even spending 20 minutes a day outside has an effect.” Houseplants, nature photos and aromatherapy Earth scents can also help indoor environments better reflect our own nature. The wealth of research and common sense wisdom is aptly summed up by celebrated author Wendell Berry in The Long-Legged House. “We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it’ll be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it.” Christine MacDonald is a freelance journalist in Washington, D.C., whose specialties include health and science. Visit ChristineMacDonald.info.

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calendarofevents SATURDAY APRIL 4 Naked Food Festival – 10am-5pm. delicious foods, seminars, workshops and cooking demonstrations. Numerous local restaurants, shops and chefs will also be in attendance offering tasting samples between 10 a.m. and noon. Vendor spots available at $150 per booth. 777 1st Street SW Albuquerque. To apply: www.NakedFoodFair.com. Full Moon Labyrinth Walk – 12pm. Facilitated by Gillian Corcoran. Unity Santa Fe Relationship Labyrinth. Unity Santa Fe, 1212 Unity Way, Santa Fe. 845-417-1345. PeaceWalk@gmail.com. Full Moon Eclipse Gongs – 5pm. $20. Reservations required. Call DeeDee at 480-766-6535. The Gong Studio, 1807 Second St, Studio 80, Santa Fe. HYPERLINK “http://www.TheGongStudio.com” TheGongStudio.com

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 Fierce Love: Empowering Women to Lead – Apr 8-12. Explore practices of art, yoga, music, prayer, worship, ritual and times of sacred conversation. Designed for healing and renewal of our bodies and souls. $545-$725 all-inclusive. Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM. 505-685-1000, GhostRanch.org. META-Health Presentation – 6-7:30 pm. An approach to healing that addresses the connections of how traumatic experience processes through our thoughts to our beliefs, our emotions and organs, resulting in certain stress or disease states that manifest outwardly. Free, space limited. Obsidian HEALth and WELLness, 2420 Juan Tabo NE, Albuquerque., RSVP: 505-715-3452.

FRIDAY, APRIL 10 A Gathering of Waters – Apr 10-12. The future of water is at hand. Whose hand shall determine its fate? Become an ambassador of change and influence for water. Featuring Sandra Postel, director of the Independent Global Water Policy Project. $395-$550 all-inclusive. Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM. 505-685-1000, GhostRanch.org. What the Bleep do We Know!? – 7pm. Join us for a special screening of What the Bleep Do We Know!? Q&A to follow with filmmaker Betsy Chasse. $10. Everyday Center for Spiritual Living, 1519 Fifth Street, Santa Fe. 505-629-9633. EverydayCSL.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 11 Albuquerque Journals Spring Wellness Check – 8am-4:30pm. Osteoporosis screenings at OsteoStrong booth. Stop by and receive a guest pass for 2 free visits to one of our wellness centers. Free. Coronado Mall, Albuquerque. 505-294-8227. OsteoStrong.me. Teacher Renewal Workshop – 9am-3pm. This program is for anyone who works with children in a K-12 classroom setting, public or private. Teachers, counselors, administrators, substitutes, educational assistants, librarians and more can exploration experiential learning pedagogy. Free. Academy for the Love of Learning, 133 Seton Village Rd, Santa Fe. 505-995-1860. Learn@aloveoflearning.org.

La Montañita has samples, a cooking demo featuring Chef Jonathan Perno from Los Poblanos, and a seminar – Buying Organics on a Budget – will featuring Ro D’Attilio from the Rio Grande store. ABQ Rail Yards. Info, tickets: For NakedFoodFair.com. Tipping Sacred Cows – 10:30am-12:30pm. The uplifting story of spilt milk and finding your own spiritual path in a hectic world. Join Betsy Chasse, co-creator of the film What The Bleep Do We Know!?, for a morning romp through your own pastures of beliefs and let’s tip some sacred cows! $25, includes book and coffee, tea and light snacks. Everyday Center for Spiritual Living, 1519 Fifth Street, Santa Fe. 505-629-9633. EverydayCSL.org. Women’s Community Garden & Butterfly Oasis – 1-4 pm. For ladies of Las Vegas and surrounding area interested in growing food but who don’t have the space at home or think it’s too much for to do alone. Taa-naash-kaa-da Sanctuary, Las Vegas. 505414-1583. MeetUp.com/Taa-naash-kaa-da.

SUNDAY, APRIL 12 2nd Sunday Holistic Healing Fair - 1-5pm Santa Fe’s finest intuitives, energy healers, theta healings, tarot, astrologers, reflexology, chakra balancing, sound and light healings, palmistry and more. Free. Blessings in the DeVargas Mall, 528 Guadalupe St., Santa Fe. 505-670-3961 Intuitive Readings & Animal Communication – 1-5pm. 2nd Sun Holistic Healing Fair. Blessings spiritual cooperative. Devargas Mall,564 N Guadalupe, Santa Fe. RSVP: 505-466-3764. ConsultGalaya.com. Sacred Gong Meditation – 2-3pm. The gong is an ancient instrument, and its healing vibrations help people to achieve a deep state of meditation, stilling the mind and strengthening the nervous system. No experience needed. $20. Unity Santa Fe, 1212 Unity Way, Santa Fe. 505-989-4433. UnitySantaFe.org. An Evening with the Ascended Masters – 7-9pm With Rev. AliceAnn Melchizedek. Receive clear, up-to-date guidance about nova earth and ascension from the ascended master-teachers. Teleconference: 619-326-2772, access code 7325118. 109 Michelle Dr, Santa Fe. 505-490-8855. OakRoseAcademyOfLight.org.

MONDAY, APRIL 13 Program Start Date: New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts – Stop by for a tour. Apply online today. 501 Franklin Ave, Santa Fe. NMHealingArts. org/Nmaha-Programs/Program-Schedules A Working Retreat for Creatives – Apr 13-19. If you are a writer, artist or other type of creative person you know the value of extended time without distractions and structure. Away from activities on the main campus, Casa del Sol is the perfect location to develop that idea. $285-$750 all-inclusive. Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM. 505-685-1000, GhostRanch. org.

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

La Montañita Co-op/Naked Food Fair – 10am5pm. Vegetarian food festival offers tastings, cooking demos, seminars, workshops and yoga classes.

Process Painting – Six sessions through May 6. Weekday, 6-9pm; Sat, 10am-4pm. Expand your creativity, release creative blocks, and unfold periods of transition, all leading to increased intuition.

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Paint, without regard to technique, skills or meaning. Find new passion in your creativity, within a community of painters. $195/six sessions. Creative Wings Studio, just east of Nob Hill, Albuquerque. 630-530-5697. CreativeWingsStudio.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16 Meeting Our Environmental Crisis – 6:30 -9pm. A collective inquiry into our ecological leadership. We invite you to participate in a community conversation about the leadership practices we need to cultivate during this time. Free, space limited. Academy for the Love of Learning, 133 Seton Village Rd, Santa Fe. RSVP: 505-995-1860. Learn@ aloveoflearning.org.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17 Awakening Self through Adventure – Apr 1719. A weekend of play and adventure to awaken dormant aspects of ourselves, enliven our dreams and visions, so that we embrace the positive side of change to live richer, fuller lives. $325-$435 all-inclusive. Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM. 505-6851000, GhostRanch.org. Creative Holistic Integration (CHI) Self-care System: Intro – 7-9pm. Learn easy ways to improve health and wellbeing by accessing the energy field. Experience immediate, measurable stress relief. Free. Santa Fe Soul, 2905 Rodeo Dr, E #3, Santa Fe. Suchinta Abhayaratna: 571-422-6734. CHISuchinta@yahoo.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 18 Creative Holistic Integration (CHI) Holistic Self-care: Workshop – 9:30am-5pm. Practice wholeness and manage stress; balance & energize your chakras; body-mind communication 1. $150, free/reviews. Santa Fe Soul, 2905 Rodeo Dr, E #3, Santa Fe. Suchinta Abhayaratna: 571-422-6734. CHISuchinta@yahoo.com. Past-Life Regression Group – 1-3pm. Regress to a past life and discover, access and activate a positive inner resource to benefit oneself and other people in one’s life today. $40. Crystal Dove Metaphysical Book Store, 525 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque. 505-918-6555. TRE® Release Tension and Trauma – 1-3pm. With Mari Lyford, LMSW. Explore an innovative method for recovery and self-healing using the body’s own tremor response. Learn 7 exercises to help the body release stored tension and trauma. Cost: $50. Body Balance Yoga, 3705 Westerfeld Dr NE, Albuquerque. Info: 505-463-2043. Preregistration required. traumarecoverycoaching.com. Intuitive Practitioner Certification – Sat through 2015. 1-4pm. Learn to identify, strengthen and trust in your own intuitive wisdom to use it on behalf of your own and others’ spiritual healing. Certification upon completion of course requirements that will prepare the trainee to work with clients in his or her own practice. $980.00. 1300 Luisa St, Santa Fe. Info, signup, Chantal Fidanza: 505-438-1074. YourDivineLight.biz. Women’s Moon Lodge – 6:30-9:30pm. Womyn’s spirits - womyn’s energy - womyn’s health. Women’s Moon Lodge was founded so that women could share their love of earth. $35/donation, no one turned away. Taa-naash-kaa-da Sanctuary, Las Vegas. 505414-1583. MeetUp.com/Taa-naash-kaa-da. New Moon Gongs – 5pm. Celebrating with two gong players and eight gongs. $35 per person (a

reduced rate, usually $20 per person per gong player). Reservations required. Call DeeDee at 480-766-6535. The Gong Studio, 1807 Second St, Studio 80, Santa Fe. HYPERLINK “http://www. TheGongStudio.com”TheGongStudio.com.

SUNDAY, APRIL 19 Intuitive Readings & Animal Communication - 10am-4pm. Railyard Artisan Market, Farmer’s Market Pavilion,1607 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe. RSVP: 505-466-3764. ConsultGalaya.com. La Montañita Co-op’s EarthFest – 10am-6pm. The Co-op brings the community together to cultivate a sustainable future for our planet. Visit educational, farming and gardening booths, explore arts and crafts booths, sample local and organic food and listen/watch live music and dance. Silver Ave behind the Nob Hill Co-op. Info, Robin Seydel: 505-217-2027. LaMontanita.coop.

MONDAY, APRIL 20 Fresh Start: Revitalize & Thrive – Apr 20-24. – 7am-6pm. Santa Fe Soul Center for Optimal Health is offering you a fresh start. Our over-stimulated minds demand too much of our exhausted bodies. A relentless cycle of chronic fatigue – often overpowered with stimulants – keeps you spinning, yet still drained and perhaps off your right path. If this sounds like you, this program will change your life. Santa Fe Soul, 2905 Rodeo Park Dr E, Bldg 3, Santa Fe. 505-984-8733. Register: FreshStartSantaFe.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 21 Finding Gratitude on a Bad Day – 5:30-7pm. Online webinar on finding gratitude even when things aren’t going so well. This webinar will help people keep their practice going strong during the

difficult times when they need it the most. Participants will learn information and tips, discuss the days that have been challenging to their practice, share what has worked for them nd learn from each other’s experiences. Info, register: 505-333-9336. OurGratitudeCollective.com/webinar.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 NES Total Wellness Demonstration – 6-7:30 pm. Energy and information control biology. NES Total Wellness System is designed to read, communicate with, and correct distortions in the energy of the human body-field. With NES ProVision you can visualize the body’s bio-energetic systems. Free. Obsidian HEALth and WELLness, 2420 Juan Tabo NE, Albuquerque., RSVP: 505-715-3452.

FRIDAY, APRIL 24 Beyond Surviving: Weekend Retreat and Workshop – Apr 24-26. Fri, 2pm to Sun 2pm. Survivors of abuse/trauma learn to move into a life of thriving – breaking free of any continuing affects of the event. $550; includes food/lodging/course materials. The Cannossian Spirituality Center, 5625 Isleta Blvd SW, Albuquerque. RSVP: 505898-6540. Info, Stephanie Jaeger: 505-898-6540. ShelteredHeart.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 25 Healing Touch Program Level 1 – Apr 25-26. 8am-6pm. Healing Touch certificate program. This course allows persons with varying backgrounds to further develop concepts and skills in energybased therapy. $325/by Apr 13, $365/after; level 1 notebook included. UNM Center for Life, 4700 Jefferson Ave NE, Albuquerque. Barbara Welcer: 248-882-1706.

Intuitive Readings & Animal Communication - 9am-3pm. 22nd Annual Women’s Health Fair. Devargas Mall,564 N Guadalupe, Santa Fe. RSVP: 505-466-3764. ConsultGalaya.com. New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts: Women’s Health Fair – 9am-5pm. Visit our booth at the DeVargas Center. 564 N Guadalupe St., Santa Fe. Creative Holistic Integration (CHI) Holistic Self-care: Advanced – 9:30am-5pm. The body computer; trapped emotional energy release (TEER); self-reprogramming (SRP); generational ancestral process (GAP$150, free/ reviews. Santa Fe Soul, 2905 Rodeo Dr, E #3, Santa Fe. Suchinta Abhayaratna: 571-422-6734. CHISuchinta@yahoo.com. Discovering the Self through Self-Portraits – 10am-2pm. Explore your creative self in a nonthreatening, supportive environment. Workshop helps you find your inner-artist/self, with an exciting and eye-opening step-by-step approach to drawing portraits. No art experience necessary. $75, $10/art materials. Unity Santa Fe, 1212 Unity Way, Santa Fe. Amy: 505-983-2069 AmySteinArt.com An Alternative Approach to Osteoporosis – 6-7:30pm. Kathy Porrello, Ph.D. PT, tells her story of reversing her bone loss. Attendees will receive osteoporosis screenings. Free. OsteoStrong Wellness Center, 9577 Osuna Rd NE, Ste J, Albuquerque. 505-294-8227. OsteoStrong.me.

SUNDAY, APRIL 26 Spiritual Cinema Circle Potluck – 11am-4pm. Films of inspiration and motivation with thoughtprovoking, uplifting stories. Enjoy full-length features, documentaries, short films and discussion with other participants. Free, space limited. Obsid-

May 2 -3, 2015 Holiday Inn and Suites at the Airport Albuquerque, NM Southwest Barter Club’s 2015

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April 2015

ian HEALth and WELLness, 2420 Juan Tabo NE, Albuquerque., RSVP: 505-715-3452.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 Evening of Exploration: Our Sacred Bodies – 6:30-9pm. Explore and cultivate the connections between our relationships with our own bodies, the body of humanity, and our Earth body. Community potluck. Free, space limited. Academy for the Love of Learning, 133 Seton Village Rd, Santa Fe. RSVP: 505-995-1860. Learn@aloveoflearning.org.

Thursday, April 30th Power Gong Voyage – 6pm. $20. Reservations required. Call DeeDee at 480-766-6535. The Gong Studio, 1807 Second St, Studio 80, Santa Fe. HYPERLINK “http://www.TheGongStudio. com”TheGongStudio.com.

planahead FRIDAY, MAY 1 Weekend Painting Workshop – May 1-3. Longing for the return of your creative self? Join facilitator Debbie Purdy in a 3-day process painting workshop. Reengage your creative passion and connect with your intuition, without regard to technique,skills or meaning. $295, $260/with a friend. Creative Wings Studio, just east of Nob Hill, Albuquerque. 630-5305697. CreativeWingsStudio.com. Inspire Santa Fe Festival of Learning – 5-8pm. Youth protégés from across Santa Fe will share what they have learned through their mentorships in fields that range from belly dancing to the science of complexity to wild horse management; exhibitions, displays, presentations and performances. Refreshments provided. Free. Farmer’s Market Pavilion in the Railyard, Santa Fe.

SATURDAY, MAY 2

savethedate Bollywood Club Invasion – 7pm-12am. Evening of community and dance. Eastern and Western dance rhythms, astrology readings, chair massage, henna tattoos, Indian bazaar. Savory treats, beverages and Indian chai for sale. Proceeds benefit charitable projects of Amma Center NM. $15, $7/children under 12. Sanbusco Market Center, 500 Montezuma Ave, Santa Fe. FaceBook.com/BollywoodClubInvasion. Gathering of Healers – Workshops and private healing treatments. Vendor spaces available. $100. For details contact Shirley Shaan at 505-715-2889. Holiday Inn & Suites by the Airport, 1501 Sunport Place, Albuqerque. www.southwestbarterclub.com. Free Composting Workshop – 9am-4:30pm. Open to all. Bernalillo County Extensions Service Office, 1510 Menaul Blvd, Albuquerque. 505-929-0414. Pre-register: register@nnmcomposters.org.

SATURDAY, MAY 9 Lifesongs in Concert – 7pm. Lifesongs Concerts are the culmination of months of creative exchange between artists, community members, elders, youth and people in hospice. The performances celebrate the voices of our elders, the insights gained at end-of-life, and the

Northern & Central New Mexico

extraordinary alchemy of intergenerational creative exchange. Academy for the Love of Learning, Lensic Performing Arts Theatre, 211 West San Francisco St, Santa Fe. RSVP: 505-995-1860. programs@ aloveoflearning.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 Bluegrass Camp – May 13-17. Learn the basics of bluegrass on your choice of five instruments, along with ensemble playing, lead and harmony singing, performance and song writing. $450-$900 all-inclusive. Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM. 505-6851000. GhostRanch.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Where’s my Money Workshop – 11:30am12:30pm. Free one hour seminar. “The Wealth Within: Mastering your Money Personality”. Reserve your Money Discovery Session now. Register at bit.ly/1b5iqcw. 505-974-0104. Greatrelationshipsnow.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 12

with qigong, breathing and imagining to create a full body-mind experience. $15. Santa Fe Soul, 2905 Rodeo Park Dr E, Bldg 3, Santa Fe. 505-501-9300. Essential Oils – 6:30pm. Please bring someone who might benefit from learning more about essential oils. Free, space limited. New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts, 501 Franklin, Santa Fe. RSVP: Sarah Valencia: LivingEnergyTherapy@gmail.com.

tuesday Yoga – 1-2pm. Vinyasa flow open to all levels. Please bring your own mat. $7. New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts, 501 Franklin Ave, Santa Fe. 505-982-6271. NMHealingArts.org. Beginner’s Tai Chi – 5:30-6:30pm. Tai Chi Chuan is a slow moving, meditative, martial art good for health, relaxation and self-defense. $48/monthly, collected at the first class of each month. Santa Fe Soul, 2905 Rodeo Park Dr E, Bldg 3, Santa Fe. 518-929-1161.

Qi Revolution – June 12-16. Participants receive a world class education with live music and animation. Qigong makes your energy strong and builds energy using breath & movement. Learn breathing exercises that deliver a full body vibration in 45 seconds, qigong exercises that create a highly-tangible healing energy and a proven Food-Healing system entitled Conquering Any Disease. $149. Santa Fe Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy St., Santa Fe.

Pranic Healing Clinic – 6:30-8pm. 1st & 3rd Tue. Experience no-touch clearing of congested energies and energizing and balancing of the energy body. Free. First Unitarian, Social Hall, 3701 Carlisle Blvd NE, Albuquerque. Rita: 505-298-4823.

SATURDAY, JULY 4

Qigong & Healing from Within – 10:30am-12pm. Taoist, yogic & shamanic practices cultivate vitality, inner strength and awareness with energy healing, movement, sound, breath work and meditation. $12, free/1st class. Santa Fe Soul, 2905 Rodeo Park Dr E, Bldg 3, Santa Fe. Allison Lasky: 505-984-8733. AllisonLasky.com.

Angel Fire Adventure – Marathon 7:30am, Half Marathon 7:45am, 5K: 8:30am. Angel Fire, located in the Northeast corner of New Mexico is situated at 8,300 feet and boasts amazing natural beauty – a runner’s paradise! Gemini Virgo Productions, 480-646-3366. For registration go to gv-p. com/events/angel-fire-adventure-marathon.

ongoing events sunday Transitions Radio Magazine, FM 98.1 – 8-11am. With Alan Hutner, Elizabeth Rose & Co-Hosts. Celebrating 30 years in broadcasting. For guest and sponsorship call 505-466-2616. Online, live streaming & archiving of all shows at www.transitionsradio.com. Qigong in the Park – 11am-12pm. Enjoy a vitalizing Qigong practice every Sunday morning with certified Qigong instructor Loretta Shiver. Qigong supports optimal health and well-being, is easy and fun to do. Free. Robinson Park, downtown Albuquerque, 8th & Central. 505-681-1924. qigonginthepark.com.

monday Gentle Yoga Chi – 5:30-6:45pm. Learn conscious awareness, being present to your journey of mind, body, breath. Several yoga traditions are combined NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com

wednesday

thursday Yoga – 5:30-6:30pm. Vinyasa flow open to all levels. Please bring your own mat. $7. New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts, 501 Franklin Ave, Santa Fe. 505-982-6271. NMHealingArts.org.

saturday Intuitive Healing Sessions & Reiki – By appointment. Gain clarity, remove energetic blocks and negativity, strengthen your energy field, and heal physical and emotional imbalances and pain. Call for more info or to reserve your session. 1300 Luisa St, Santa Fe. 505-438-1074. YourDivineLight.biz. Qigong in the Park – 9-10am. Enjoy a vitalizing Qigong practice every Saturday morning with certified Qigong instructor Loretta Shiver. Qigong supports optimal health and well-being, is easy and fun to do. Free. Altura Park, Albuquerque, Morningside & Hannett NE. 505-681-1924. qigonginthepark.com.

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide email publisher@naturalawakeningsnnm.com or call 505-999-1319.

ART & CREATIVITY Creative wings Studio

Debbie Purdy Parkland Hills/ Nob Hill area 630-530-5697 debbie@creativewingsstudio.com www.creativewingsstudio.com When we paint without concern for technique or content, the intuitive self is revealed, and creative blocks are released. Connect with your creative freedom.

BODYWORK bluebuddhabodywork

Sante Fe bluebuddhabw@gmail.com 505-252-1691 www.bluebuddhabodywork.com

A unique blend of CranioSacral t h e r a p y, S o m a t o E m o t i o n a l Release and therapeutic bodywork, find relief and balance within your mind, body and spirit. Specializing in Headache Treatment. See ad on page 4.

BUSINESS COACHING Attracting Perfect Customers

Alan Hickman 505-474-5348 or 505-795-5100 alan@perfectcustomers.com www.perfectcustomers.com GET CERTIFIED in Strategic Attraction™ Planning. A step-bystep sales and marketing process that people from all over the world have used to build HeartCentered $MILLION businesses, write books, create on-line produces that sell, and global business and communities that are making a huge difference in the world. See ad on page 15.

Community Resource Guide, continued on back page

EDUCATION New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts

501 Franklin Ave, Santa Fe, NM 505 982-6271 www.nmhealingarts.org Massage Foundation, Polarity Therapy, Dual Massage/ P o l a r i t y, C r a n i o s a c r a l Certification, Continuing Education, Community Health Classes, Free Lectures, Space Rental. Your partner in natural healing since 1981. See ad on page 5.

WOMEN LEAD THE WAY

Hypnotherapy Academy of America™ 2132 Osuna Road NE, Suite B Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113 505-767-8030 www.hypnotherapyacademy.com

Accelerated Hypnotherapy 500 hour complete Training for Certification in Hypnotherapy. Experiential Education Format. Scope of Practice Protocols. Free Introductory Classes. Support after Graduation. Medical Hypnosis Training. See ad on page 2.

EDUCATION & RETREAT CENTER GHOST RANCH EDUCATION & RETREAT CENTER

1708A Highway 84, Abiquiu, NM 87510 505-685-1000 www.GhostRanch.org

Magnificent red rock landscape on 21,000 acres hosts workshops & retreats in themes of spirituality, art, sustainability, Southwest & more. Georgia O’Keeffe Landscape Tours, Hiking, Massage, Anthropology Museum & Tours, Paleontology Museum & Tours, Movie Site Tour, Horseback Riding, Challenge Course & Climbing Wall, Labyrinth & Karesansui Garden, Gift Shop, Lodging, Camping. 65 miles northwest of Santa Fe. See ad on page 12.

HEALING WISDOM

Advertise in

Natural Awakenings’ May Women’s Health Issue

Judith Harrington M.A.

Santa Fe 505 9017400 Sessions via Skype also judithharrington.wordpress.com Transforming suffering through – compassionate wisdom – releasing negative energies – insight into unconscious beliefs – support through channeled energy medicines. 35 years working with individuals, couples and groups. Call about groups forming in January.

To advertise or participate in our next issue, call

505-999-1319

natural awakenings

April 2015

communityresourceguide Health & Human Services The CanDO! Project

3411 Candelaria Rd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107 505-289-6971 info@pltc.org www.TheCanDO.org Cancer distress is over! The CanDO! Project provides FREE resource navigation, financial & emotional support for women with cancer to reduce distress for better health outcomes.

MYSTERY SCHOOL REVEREND ALICEANN SAUNDERS, PHD

The OakRose Academy of Light is a Mystery School founded by the Ascended Masters. The Academy holds to and teaches the Divine Law for the New Age. It is non-sectarian and nondenominational, open to all who seek the Higher Truth.

See ad on page 5.

Rev. Maggie De Vore, CHT

Natural/Organic Food Market

505-465-1546 mdevore@q.com

Rev. Maggie De Vore is an internationally trained Hypnotherapist who works with groups and individuals in their spiritual and emotional education and evolution.

INTUITIVE CONSULTATIONS GALAYA-INTUITIVE RESOURCES Santa Fe • 505-466-3764 Toll-Free: 1-888-326-0403 www.consultgalaya.com

F i n d C l a r i t y, I n s i g h t a n d Inspiration! Intuitive Readings, Coaching and Animal Communication. Clarify life choices and decisions. Activate practical solutions for your health, relationships, career and business.

INTEGRATIVE HEALTH Obsidian Health and Wellness 505-715-3452 obsidianhealwell.com 2420 Juan Tabo Blvd NE

Alternative Integrative Health. Create the change and restore health at it’s source with NES Total Wellness system. Re-assess, rejuvenate, re-imprint and rebuild.

La Montañita Co-op Natural & Organic Food Market ABQ/Santa Fe/Gallup www.lamontanita.coop

New Mexico’s largest communityowned natural & organic grocer, with locations in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Gallup. All our stores are open to the public. You don’t have to be a member to shop, but if you are, you’ll save even more. La Montañita believes in the shared benefits of healthy food, sound environmental practices and a strong local economy. Stop by and shop with us today! See ad on page 13.

Psychic Readings PSYCHIC READINGS & SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE Lisa Pelletier 505-927-5407 Energy Readings & Healings in Santa Fe PsychicLisaP.com

Your spirit awakens in resonant, gradual but steady ways as information is given in the form of color, symbol, story, amusement and non-judgment. Grounding gently guides you into — and past lives inform — your present. Receive an aura reading & clearing, learn what validates and supports your growth, ask questions, choose next steps. Recording emailed.

See ad on page 21.

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature. ~Gerard de Nerval

Northern & Central New Mexico

Keri Ports

Animal & Human Psychic/Medium High Priestess to the Order of Melchidezek (213) 999-9098 Santa Fe, NM Sessions available in person, phone or 505-490-8855 weekdays 11 AM – 2 PM. Skype • www.keriports.com Rev.AliceAnn@OakRose.net Private psychic/medium readings OakRoseAcademyOfLight.org for people and pets, guided chakra

See ad on page 5.

HYPNOTHERAPY

Psychic Readings

NaturalAwakeningsNNM.com

meditation, and group readings. Messages from spirit are guidance for your soul so you can fulfill your Divine purpose!

SKIN CARE/BEAUTY Jodie Cunningham

Beautycounter Consultant 505.238.8829 jodie.beautycounter.com Chic and luxurious, yet safe and effective skin care and personal care products for you and the entire family. A new line of color cosmetics scrupulously tested for heavy metals, setting a new standard in the industry. Explore the website and call to schedule your consultation.

TRAUMA THERAPY THE SHELTERED HEART FOUNDATION INC.

Stephanie Jaeger PO Box 3257, Corrales, NM 87048 505-898-6540 Chooselove@shelteredheart.org www.shelteredheart.org Wo r l d r e n o w n e d e d u c a t o r Stephanie Jaeger works with survivors of abuse/trauma to move Beyond Surviving into a life of thriving through her workshops and retreats. See ad on page 15.

WELLNESS CENTER OsteoStrong

9577 Osuna Rd NE Suite J 505-294-8227 osteostrong.me Wellness Center focuses on Age Management. We offer a Non-drug option for reversing and preventing Osteoporosis, improved strength, balance and pain reduction. Call for consultation. See ad on page 17.