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Awakening to SPIRIT Prayer and Meditation Heal and Free Us
Recipe for a HAPPY
NEW YEAR Fail-Proof Ingredients for a Glorious
2016
Pint-Sized
GIVERS Teaching Kids how to Care and Share
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Onboard Yoga Stretches Ease Air Travel
December 2015 | Buffalo, NY Edition | BuffaloAwakenings.com natural awakenings
December 2015
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newsbriefs healthbriefs globalbriefs ecotip inspiration community spotlight consciouseating healingways fitbody healthykids wisewords naturalpet calendar classifieds resourceguide
advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 716-909-7805 or email Publisher@BuffaloAwakenings.com. Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Editor@BuffaloAwakenings.com. Deadline for editorial: feature articles are due by the 5th of the month, news briefs and health briefs are due by the 10th. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Email Publisher@BuffaloAwakenings.com or visit BuffaloAwakenings.com for more information. Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month. REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-449-8309. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.
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.
10 RECIPE FOR A
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
Fail-Proof Ingredients for a Glorious 2016
12 SWEETLY VEGAN No-Bake Holiday Treats Worth Celebrating by Judith Fertig
14 HEAVENLY SCENTS
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How to Make Your Own Natural Oil Fragrances by Kathleen Barnes
16 AWAKENING TO SPIRIT Prayer and Meditation Heal and Free Us by Richard Davenport
20 AIRPLANE YOGA Six Easy Stretches Ease the Journey by Cynthia Bowman
22 GENEROUS
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PINT-SIZED GIVERS
Teaching Kids How to Care and Share by Jennifer Jacobson
25 SHARON SALZBERG ON MINDFULNESS
Simple Ways to Be in the Present Moment by April Thompson
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26 EAT, BARK AND BE MERRY
Healthy Holiday Treats for Our Pets by Sandra Murphy
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December 2015
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letterfrompublisher My good friend Suzanne called me the
other day to catch up. Knowing that I’ve
recently begun publishing this magazine, she has been envisioning my days filled
contact us Publisher Sally Hess Gower Editor Brad Gower Assisting Editors S. Alison Chabonais Julianne Hale Randy Kambic Sara Peterson Linda Sechrist Design & Production Stephen Blancett C. Michele Rose Sales & Marketing Sally Gower Ida Pannozzo Multi-Market Advertising 239-449-8309 Franchise Sales 239-530-1377 Buffalo Natural Awakenings P.O. Box 108, Buffalo, NY 14226 Phone: 716-909-7805 Fax: 716-970-4712 Publisher@BuffaloAwakenings.com BuffaloAwakenings.com ©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.
SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe online to receive FREE monthly digital magazine at BuffaloAwakenings.com. Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.
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with drinking green tea, practicing yoga and carefully preparing healthy, raw-food vegetarian feasts for dinner. I responded to her perceived vision with a bit too loud and annoyed rebuttal, filling her in on my crazy schedule, which currently includes planning two weddings for my daughter and son, arranging an engagement party and bridal shower and planning a visit with my mom in Florida. That’s in addition, of course, to busily pulling together the myriad components of Natural Awakenings of Buffalo each month. Suzanne’s response was a blunt “Get real! You write about balance and priorities and practicing mindfulness, and yet here you are stressed as much as anyone I know. You might try actually practicing what you preach.” She’s right, and it was a real eye opener. I need to walk my talk. The exchange again highlighted the importance of keeping in touch with close friends and other good people in our lives that are willing to hold up a mirror to remind us of what’s most important. I am deeply thankful for every friend and family member that helps me keep it real and keep life healthy. Saying goodbye to 2015 and welcoming in 2016, a new year brimming with possibilities and special holidays with loved ones, is conducive to reflective moments—if we pause from the hustle and bustle to be present with ourselves. This month, Sharon Salzberg encourages us to be ever mindful and aware in our lives by revealing simple ways to be more consistently in the present moment; check out our interview with her on page 25. Our December issue is filled with such inspirational messages. As we each contemplate sailing into new beginnings and how to make the most of healthful changes in ourselves, our home and our community, let’s resolve to use many more present moments to bless one another. A smile, a thoughtful gesture, a random act of kindness: these small and inexpensive blessings can mean much to someone struggling along the way. Like the timely phone call from my friend, they may well be received as invaluable gifts of kindness, awareness and friendship. Peace, joy and love to you all,
Sally Gower, Publisher BuffaloAwakenings.com
newsbriefs Mindgardens Offers Meditations for the Holidays
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he holiday season can cause stress, sadness and other difficult emotions. Mindgardens, a mindfulness and meditation practice in Buffalo, is offering One Day Mindfulness Experience, a four-hour course to help reduce these symptoms and make the holidays more enjoyable, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., December 12. David Evans and Greg Bodekor, co-founders of David Evans Mindgardens, will facilitate the course Previous experience with meditation is not necessary for this course, which teaches both beginners and experienced practitioners mindfulness techniques to cope with the holidays. By the end of the course, participants will be able to practice mindfulness on their own, manage and prevent stress and difficult emotions, increase the ability to relax, improve the capacity for decision making, create harmony between body and mind, and reduce selfcriticism and pondering. Cost: $25. Location: 484 Connecticut St., Buffalo. For more information, call 716259-2994 or visit Mindgardens.net. See ad, page 7.
Shari Friedrichsen Leads Holiday Programs at Himalayan Institute
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hari Friedrichsen, a nationally known yoga instructor who is a key facilitator for the Himalayan Institute teacher certification program and a member of the 500-hour teacher training faculty at 8 Limbs Yoga, in Seattle, Washington, is leading two programs at the Himalayan Institute, in Buffalo, during the holiday season. Healing through the Holidays will take place Shari Friedrichsen from 7 to 9 p.m., December 3, and helps participants deal with holiday chaos and stress using asanas and pranayama practices. Friedrichsen will also present Luminous Joy: An Exploration of Pranayama and Meditation from 7 to 9 p.m., December 7. This class helps participants refine the five-step meditation process and learn the advanced pranayama and concentration techniques that are referenced in the Yoga Sutra. Both teach a deeper understanding of meditation and give participants the tools to continue the practice at home. Cost: $30 for each class. Location: 841 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. For more information or to register, call 716-883-2223 or visit hiBuffalo.org. See ad, page 17.
ACUPUNCTURE Accepting New Patients
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newsbriefs Acupuncture Works Opens New Location
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cupuncture Works will open a second location at 6435 Webster Road, in Orchard Park, on December 1. Housed within Destination Wellness, a nurse practitioner-owned family medical practice, the new location will offer acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy and yoga, in addition to family medicine. To accommodate the growth, Acupuncture Works is adding Licensed Acupuncturist Laura Jean Castelluzo to the practice. The existing location, in Williamsville, will remain open and both offices will see patients five days a week. Acupuncture Works accepts health insurance, including no-fault and workers’ compensation, and offers free consultations to those interested in treatment. Other location: 1961 Wehrle Dr., Ste. 7, Williamsville. For more information or an appointment, call 716-983-9842 or visit wnyAcupuncture.com.
Mangia Café Encourages Healthy Holiday Eating
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angia Café, in Lewiston, is continuing its 35-year tradition of serving natural, delicious food this holiday season and offering a special holiday event. Owner Beck Poletti is bringing author Kathleen Downing to the café to sign her book Healthy is Delicious, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., December 23. The event is part of a larger effort by Poletti to help hungry customers find food that is both healthy and delicious. In addition to offering cooking classes and seminars at her restaurant, Poletti serves breakfast and lunch Tuesdays through Sundays, featuring gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options, as well as organic coffees and loose leaf teas. Location: 621 Center St., Lewiston. For more information, call 716-754-1517. See ad, page 8.
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Comprehensive Nutrition Program at Buffalo Spine and Sports Medicine
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uffalo Spine and Sports Medicine, a physical medicine and rehabilitation practice with three Western New York locations, is offering Eating Healthy for Life, a program that guides participants through a 12-week journey to change their lifestyle through nutrition. A free seminar for individuals interested in the program will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., January 5, at the Williamsville office. Presented by Dr. Corine Cicchetti and Dr. Frederick McAdam, with the help and guidance of Robbie Raugh, the program begins with a seven-day detoxification tailored to each individual. It includes personal consultations from physicians at the practice, as well as educational lectures and demonstrations. Class participants learn about low glycemic eating, how to prevent and reverse disease through nutrition, how to read labels, body composition, exercise and more. Each student will receive a notebook and journal, along with healthy recipes; information on the food industry, genetically modified organisms and pesticides; information on supplementation and why it’s important; and a supermarket tour to learn how to shop, what to buy and why. Location: 100 College Pkwy., Ste. 100, Williamsville. For more information or to register, call 716-650-3101 or visit BuffSpine.com. See ad, page 21.
kudos The Buffalo Niagara International Airport has opened a dedicated lactation room that will allow mothers to nurse babies in private. The room is located across from gate 14 in the east concourse of the terminal. Breastfeeding mothers will have access to such amenities as counters and tables, running water and comfortable seating. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority began the process of adding the lactation room after a bill was introduced by State Sen. Timothy M. Kennedy, D-Buffalo, requiring airports to provide accommodations for nursing mothers. The airport serves millions of passengers each year and is the busiest in upstate New York.
healthbriefs
Spirituality is Beneficial for Cancer Patients
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ccording to a new review of research published in the journal Cancer, a strong religious or spiritual belief system may improve a cancer patient’s prognosis physically, emotionally and mentally. Researchers from Florida’s H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and North Carolina’s Wake Forest School of Medicine reviewed clinical studies that included more than 44,000 cancer patients. The first review focused on physical symptoms and found that patients with stronger religious and spiritual beliefs reported fewer cancer symptoms and better physical health. They also showed enhanced capabilities in managing their daily lives. “These relationships were particularly strong in patients that experienced greater emotional aspects of religion and spirituality, including a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as a connection to a source larger than oneself,” states Heather Jim, lead author of the first review. The second review focused on mental health and found reductions in anxiety, depression and distress among those with greater spirituality. Lead author Dr. John Salsman comments, “Also, greater levels of spiritual distress and a sense of disconnectedness from God or a religious community were associated with greater psychological distress or poorer emotional well-being.” In the third review, the researchers found that patients with a stronger spiritual well-being reported better social health, as well.
FREE Introduction to Mindgardens Services: Fri, Dec. 18, 6PM
S uccess is finding satisfaction in giving a little more than you take. ~Christopher Reeve
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healthbriefs
Digital ‘Blue Light’ Reading Disrupts Sleep Rhythms
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ecent findings from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, has determined that reading from a light-emitting tablet or computer before bedtime will disturb sleep and may change the circadian rhythms that govern the body’s clock. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, tested 12 people for two weeks. On five nights during one week, the subjects read ebooks on an iPad for four hours before bedtime. Another week, they read from printed books for the same duration. During the five days of iPad reading, the participants fell asleep later and spent less time in rapid eye movement (REM)-stage sleep. The light-emitting tablet altered the circadian rhythm, changing the body’s natural sleeping pattern. The researchers also tested other blue-light emitting devices, including laptops, tablets, other eReaders, cell phones and LED monitors. “We found the body’s natural circadian rhythms were interrupted by the shortwavelength enriched light, otherwise known as blue light, from these electronic devices,” says neuroscientist Anne-Marie Chang, Ph.D., one of the study authors. Dr. Charles Czeisler, Ph.D., a leading sleep researcher, remarks, “In the past 50 years, there has been a decline in average sleep duration and quality. Since more people are choosing electronic devices for reading, communication and entertainment, particularly children and adolescents who already experience significant sleep loss, epidemiological research evaluating the long-term consequences of these devices on health and safety is urgently needed.”
Asbestos Found in Crayons and Children’s Toys
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esearch from the Environmental Working Group’s Action Fund has determined that some popular children’s toys contain a chemical that previous research has linked to lung disease and lung cancers. The researchers tested 28 boxes of crayons and 21 crimethemed toys at the Scientific Analytical Institute in Greensboro, North Carolina. They found that four of the crayon brands and two of the crime-scene toys contained asbestos. All of the asbestos-containing toys were manufactured in China. The products included the Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle brands of crayons, the EduScience Deluxe Forensics Lab Kit and the Inside Intelligence Secret Spy Kit. The latter two brands contained asbestos within the fingerprint powders. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asbestos from all sources is responsible for up to 15,000 U.S. deaths each year.
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globalbriefs News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.
Fungus Among Us
Mushrooms Offer Pesticide-Free Insect Control Paul Stamets, one of the world’s leading mycologists, invented a fungus (mushroom)-based pesticide in 2006. An industry executive states, “This patent represents the most disruptive technology we have ever witnessed.” This “smart” pesticide provides a safe and nearly permanent solution for controlling more than 200,000 species of insects. Entomopathogenic (insect-destroying) fungi are altered so they don’t produce spores. This actually attracts the insects, which then eat them and turn into fungi from the inside-out. The invention has the potential to revolutionize the way humans grow crops. Source: Earth. We Are One. View the patent at Tinyurl.com/FungusPesticidePatent.
Post-It Progress
3M Requires Paper Sources to Meet Sustainable Standards A new sustainability policy by the 3M Corporation, maker of Post-it notes, has drawn support for its goal of making a minimal impact on forests, wildlife and human rights. 3M paper-based products and packaging require pulp and paper from sources around the world. Working in collaboration with ForestEthics and Greenpeace, the company launched a comprehensive review of all of its pulp and paper procurement expectations to ensure the materials are produced from sustainably logged timber. 3M will now hold paper and pulp suppliers accountable to one of the highest standards in the industry for environmental protection and respect of human rights, including tracing origins and obtaining consent of indigenous peoples and local communities before logging operations occur. The company intends to publish semiannual updates of its progress online. Source: ForestEthics.org
Good Tithings
Lend a Hand to Causes While You Shop This holiday season, every gift purchased through GoodSearch.com can earn a donation of up to 30 percent of its value for a favorite charity, along with moneysaving coupons for the customer. More than 2,500 national retailers are participating in the program, including Apple, Target, Toys “R” Us, Ralph Lauren, Macy’s, 1-800-Flowers, PetSmart and Expedia. Instead of limiting qualifying purchases to a particular product and charity, the campaign includes nearly every product in the store. The donation goes to the charity or school of the shopper’s choice with the cooperation of the organization’s GoodShop, which has raised more than $9 million for charities ranging from The American Red Cross and ASPCA to local homeless shelters and schools. Each Internet search through the website also earns the charity about a penny. With GoodDining, meals at more than 10,000 restaurants earn donations, with more than 100,000 charities and schools benefitting. UNICEF has used money from GoodSearch and GoodShop to provide clean drinking water to more than 200,000 children.
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inspiration
ecotip Shipping News
Early Bird Gift Shipping Saves Stress, Money and Resources Last-minute online shopping can be costly in both dollars and pollution. Choosing next-day delivery puts purchased products on a plane that burns far more carbon-producing fossil fuel than ground transportation. But there’s a better way, and how we package gifts for shipping counts. Order and ship early. Building in more lead time affords less costly shipping options. Eco-wise, if the shipper has some freedom in scheduling deliveries, it can choose to hold up a delivery truck until it’s full, rather than sending one out half-empty. Also, if a package doesn’t have to reach its destination by a particular day or time, the company can choose the most efficient local delivery routing. A recent University of Washington study found that a community using grocery delivery services slashed carbon emissions when compared to individuals driving to the supermarket. Plus, they achieved their biggest gains—80 to 90 percent lower emissions—when they could plan deliveries around customer locations, rather than precise delivery windows, thus minimizing driving distance and time on the road. Seek out available boxes. Many grocery and beverage stores don’t immediately break down incoming cardboard shipping boxes. Ask a store attendant if they have any available. Reusing saved paper bags from checkout (for those that don’t bring reusable bags) can serve to cushion gift-wrapped boxes. GreenAmerica.org suggests repurposing gently-used wrapping paper or old fabrics, newspapers, magazines or calendars for a creative look. Return any foam peanuts in received packages to a pack-n-ship shop for reuse. Know the options. While U.S. Postal Service (usps. com) Priority Mail offers flat rates to any state regardless of weight (up to 70 pounds), package tracking and other yearround features, the cost of using other carriers varies by destination zip code, package size and weight. Verify price and timing options, making sure packages arrive in good time to be under the Christmas tree before December 25.
T he greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.
~Hubert H. Humphrey 10
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RECIPE FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR Fail-Proof Ingredients for a Glorious 2016
Take 12 whole months. Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness, hate and jealousy. Make them just as fresh and clean as possible. Cut each month into 28, 30 or 31 different parts, but don’t make up the whole batch at once. Prepare one day at a time with these ingredients: Mix well into each day one part each of faith, patience, courage and work. Also add to each day one part of hope, faithfulness, generosity and kindness. Blend with one part prayer, one part meditation and one good deed. Season the whole with a dash of good spirits, a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play and a cupful of good humor. Pour all of this into a vessel of love. Cook thoroughly over radiant joy, garnish with a smile and serve with quietness, unselfishness and cheerfulness. You’re bound to have a happy new year. ~ Author Unknown
communityspotlight
Ancient Far East Healing Arts Susi Rosinski sees how animals help us all heal by Brad Gower
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usi Rosinski has it better.” Working with always had a special animals involves passing a place in her heart great deal of information for animals—particularly and training to the owner. horses. That’s where it all A typical first session started, with riding horses, with an animal involves watching over them, a process that Rosinski observing what was keepsays is akin to releasing ing them healthy. “I was the water in a dam: using holistic vets, and I “Once I’ve opened up that started asking lots and lots circuit of energy, it takes of questions,” Rosinski the first 24 hours to sort recalls. “So they sort of things out. The second 24 started teaching me little hours, things are flowing things, and I ended up bemuch better. The third 24 Susi Rosinski ing the liaison between the hours is when we see the conventional veterinarians maximum benefits, and and the holistic veterinarians.” now we want to keep that flowing.” After noticing how well her horses This is when Rosinski relies on owners responded to alternative treatments, she to continue the work between sessions, dedicated herself to learning techniques and when the owners learn that in helpthat would allow her to better care for ing the animals, they may experience them, including massage therapy for ani- healing of their own. mals, acupressure, Reiki and medical qi- “I tell the owners that they’re actugong. Now, Rosinski is a well-respected ally going into a slight state of meditaWestern New York practitioner, working tion while they’re doing this, and it benlargely with animals, and one of the few efits the owner, as well as the animal,” that combines Reiki with qigong. says Rosinski. This relationship is part The story of her foray into the healof what makes working with animals ing arts is quite impressive. There are the so rewarding for her. “Humans tend to initial success stories of when the aniwant us to fix themselves completely mals’ human companions began asking in one shot, but there’s always multiple Rosinski to work on them. There’s the layers,” Rosinski explains, insisting that mysterious and serendipitous introducit takes a special commitment to reap tion to Grand Master Yuanming Zhang, the benefits of her work; a commitment the Chinese guru who would become that is more easily discovered in aniher long-term teacher and mentor, and mal-human relationships. “The people her series of retreats in China and Tibet, who have the animals and then become where she studied at Zhang’s center clients of mine tend to be really great in China, Tianlonggong. Even more clients, and are more compliant in what interesting than Rosinski’s fantastic story, I tell them to do. They learn to take care however, is how it reveals what animals of themselves from the animal.” can teach us about ourselves. According to Rosinski, our own “I see a variety of conditions, anyculture is ahead of other parts of the where between animals having diabetic world when it comes to our healing problems and thyroid problems; skin relationship with animals, including issues are a big thing, and pancreatitis,” some of the places her methods came Rosinski explains. “It doesn’t solve it from. It’s ironic to hear that while she completely, but we’re able to manage has learned so much about how to heal
After noticing how well her horses responded to alternative treatments, Susi Rosinski dedicated herself to learning techniques that would allow her to better care for them, including massage therapy for animals, acupressure, Reiki and medical qigong. animals from Chinese culture, they don’t yet see animal healing as a viable profession. “People are very much appreciative of their animals, but it’s a different mindset than what we’re used to hearing about here,” Rosinski explains. “They’ll say, ‘I can do that with a dog?’ They haven’t quite gotten it yet, but they’re getting there slowly.” Working with other cultures is something that Rosinski counts among her long-term goals. She would like to broaden her teaching internationally, developing programs for people of all cultures to work with animals. “While I’m teaching them about the animals, I have to teach them things for themselves, as well, so it’s a nice win/win program,” Rosinski says. “I love to teach, and that’s probably the biggest part of what I do, is to teach people the aspects of this, and there are lots of little things that they can do to help themselves.” Among these exciting goals is another burning desire for this animal lover who has dedicated her life to helping animals and their human companions. Rosinski lost her last horse last year and finds herself too busy with teaching and traveling to care for a new animal at the moment. Still, she says, “I go to these events and I’m like, I really want a greyhound.” Susi Rosinski practices energy medicine, qigong, Reiki and chi’atsu on both animals and humans at her practice, Ancient Far East Healing Arts at 3110 Eggert Rd., in Tonawanda. For more information, call 716-803-0113 or visit AncientFarEastHealingArts.com. See ads, pages 13 and 14.
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consciouseating
No-Bake Festive Vegan Desserts
SWEETLY VEGAN
No-Bake Holiday Treats Worth Celebrating by Judith Fertig
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isions of sugar plums” have been part of holiday mindsets since the advent of Clement Moore’s classic 19th-century poem commonly known as ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. We love to give and receive special treats and our tastes are evolving. Instead of yesteryear’s sugary bonbons loaded with calories that we’ve come to regret, today’s preferred confections focus more on naturally sweet dried fruits, bestquality chocolate, healthful coconut and crunchy nuts. Vegan, gluten-free delicacies from chefs and culinary experts the world over help us celebrate the season in a deliciously healthy way, including those we highlight this month. “Christmas isn’t Christmas without a traditional pudding,” says Chef Teresa Cutter, author of Purely Delicious. Cutter is founder and director of The Healthy Chef company, in Sydney, Australia, which creates functional foods for taste and optimal health. Her no-bake desserts such as miniature Christmas puddings and carrot cake take only minutes to make.
Emily Holmes, a Queensland, Australia, wellness coach who blogs at Conscious-Foodie.com, says her favorite is Holmes’ Chocolate Cherry Mini-Cupcakes. She serves them with a pot of peppermint tea. Houston-based Joshua Weissman is the author of The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook and blogs at SlimPalate. com. He shares his philosophy on holiday treats: “My first thought is that I don’t want to feel guilty after eating it. My second is that I still want it to taste and look good.” His Almond Butter Pumpkin Pie Truffles fit the festive bill. In New York City, noted vegan cookbook author and Pastry Chef Fran Costigan is an expert in all things chocolate, including her Chocolate Orange Sesame Truffles. “When you make something really delicious with real ingredients, your mouth knows it, your brain knows it, your body knows it. You feel satisfied,” she says. Judith Fertig blogs at AlfrescoFood AndLifestyle.blogspot.com from Overland Park, KS.
Natural Awakenings recommends using organic and non-GMO (genetically modified) ingredients whenever possible. 12
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Photo by Stephen Blancett
Teresa Cutter’s Healthy Christmas Puddings Yields: 6 to 8 small puddings 8 oz fresh pitted dates—approximately 10 to 15 dates, depending on their size Zest from 1 orange 9 oz dried apricots, chopped 11/2 cups almond meal/ground almonds 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 /4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 /4 tsp ground ginger 1 to 2 Tbsp orange juice 3 oz white chocolate, melted, for decoration (optional) Combine dates, orange zest, apricots, vanilla, ground almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a food processor. Process until mixture is combined and looks like fine crumbs. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl. Add the orange juice, and then mix again. Pudding mix should come together when lightly hand-squeezed. Divide into 6 small puddings. Line the base of 6 small decorative molds with plastic wrap and firmly press the puddings into them.
Once firmly packed in the mold, invert the pudding and remove the plastic wrap. Melt white chocolate in a small bowl set over a simmering pot of water. Spoon a little white chocolate over the tops of the puddings if desired and garnish with goji berries, fresh cherries or another fanciful topper. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Serve puddings with chilled mango coconut custard. Mango Coconut Custard 1 mango, chopped 1 /2 cup coconut milk Juice from 1/2 orange Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Serve chilled with the puddings.
salt into a food processor and run it until mixed and finely chopped. Add dates and apricots. Process again until thoroughly mixed. Add grated raw carrot and vanilla and then process again until combined. The mix should now form a nice dough. Spoon into a bowl. Add and knead oats through the raw carrot cake mixture. Press cake firmly into a 6-inch round baking dish lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until ready to serve, allowing at least 2 hours for the cake to rest. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Enjoy as is or garnish with macadamia nut cream, a drizzle of honey and walnuts. Note: Other raw nuts can substitute for walnuts—try pecans, almonds or macadamia nuts. Macadamia Nut Cream Combine 1 cup of raw cashew nuts or macadamia nuts with ½ cup of orange juice or coconut water and a little vanilla. Blend in a high-speed blender like a Vitamix until smooth and creamy.
Teresa Cutter’s No-Bake Carrot Cake Yields: 16 servings 21/2 cups (91/2 oz) shelled walnuts 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed or whole chia seeds 1 /2 cup (2 oz) rolled oats (or gluten-free almond meal) 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 /4 tsp ground ginger 1 /4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 /4 tsp sea salt 1 cup (61/2 oz) of 12 large fresh dates, pitted 1 /2 cup (3 oz) dried chopped apricots or pineapple (sulfur-free) 2 large raw carrots, grated Zest from 1 orange 2 tsp vanilla bean paste Combine walnuts, flaxseed, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, orange zest and sea
Adapted from Vegan Chocolate, by Fran Costigan, used with permission.
Place all ingredients into a blender, preferably in order above. Blend until a smooth, creamy consistency. Top with granola or maple chipotle walnuts if desired. Eat and enjoy. This can also be turned into an ice cream using an ice cream maker if desired. Nutrition Information: Serving size: ¼ cup; Calories: 247; Fat: 1 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 54.8 g; Fiber: 8.3 g; Protein: 7 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg Jessica Meyers Altman is a certified plantbased chef with certification in plantbased nutrition. She has taught science, community gardening and food education in Western New York for the last 17 years. Find more recipes like this one at her blog, GardenFreshFoodie.com.
A Local Choice From Jessica Meyers Altman of GardenFreshFoodie.com: Perfect Pumpkin Pudding Yields: 4 servings Perfect Pumpkin Pudding is nutrient packed and can even be a breakfast. 1 can pure pumpkin (preferably Farmer’s Organic BPA-free) 1 can cannellini beans or 13/4 cup, rinsed and drained 1 /4 cup almond milk or milk alternative 7 dates, pitted 2 tsp cinnamon 1 /4 tsp nutmeg 1 /2 tsp ginger Granola or maple chipotle walnuts (optional) natural awakenings
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healingways
HEAVENLY SCENTS smile
How to Make Your Own Natural Oil Fragrance Blends by Kathleen Barnes
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whiff of sweetness can communicate a personal signature of tranquility, alertness or romance, or it can cause a bout of miserable sneezing, wheezing or nausea for those in the vicinity and even the unwitting wearer.
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“When you see ‘fragrance’ on a personal care product label, read it as ‘hidden chemicals,’” warns the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit watchdog Environmental Working Group (EWG). “A major loophole in the [U.S.] Food and Drug Administration’s federal law lets manufacturers of products like shampoo, lotion and body wash include nearly any ingredient under the term fragrance without actually listing the chemical.” Companies that manufacture personal care products are required by law to list the ingredients they use, but fragrances and trade-secret formulas are exempt. What’s known as a dirty little secret in the fragrance industry is the unlabeled presence of toxic chemicals not only in perfumes, but in any personal care product that includes a scent. Lab tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and analyzed by the EWG confirm the presence of parabens
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that interfere with hormone production, cancer-causing phthalates, and synthetic musks that have been linked to hormone disruption, among many other ills.
Naturally Safe Scents
“Opting for natural scents from organic essential oils not only offers a toxinfree alternative, the oils’ aromatherapy benefits have time-proven therapeutic value,” suggests Dorene Petersen, president and founder of the American College of Healthcare Sciences, in Portland, Oregon. Recent research from the Pontificia Universidade Catolica, in Brazil, confirms that lavender oil has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and pain-relieving properties similar to those of a mild-dose narcotic. Plus, it smells heavenly, says botanical perfumer Roxana Villa, of Woodland Hills, a California-based spokesperson for the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. “Considering the part of the plant used will give you an idea of its therapeutic value,” says Villa. “A root base will be good for grounding. Since bark is like skin, oils such as birch will benefit skin and muscles. Oils from flowers are excellent for anything related to the head and mind.”
Oregano and cinnamon oils have powerful antifungal properties, even against Candida-type fungi resistant to prescription drugs, according to Brazilian research from Universidade Federal. A groundbreaking study from the Slovak University of Technology, in Slovakia, even suggests that rosemary oil can kill cancer cells. These are all scents that can be the foundations of do-it-yourself perfumes.
Customized Blends
“It’s fun to experiment with organic essential oils and create that unique blend that becomes a personal signature,” says Charlynn Avery, an aromatherapist with Aura Cacia, in Norway, Iowa. She explains that essential oils have three basic “notes” and blending them correctly will result in a fragrance suited to last throughout the day. “The base note is heavier and lasts the longest. Patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, cedarwood and jasmine hang around longer in the atmosphere and on the wearer,” she explains. Blending the base with a slightly lighter middle note like lavender, rosemary or clary sage and a light and short-lasting top note like orange, lime or peppermint will create a complex and pleasing blend. “That’s the beauty of the art of it,” says Avery. “You can create synergistic blends that harmonize and complement the attributes of each to such an extent that you may not be able to detect the scents of the individual oils.” There are no hard and fast rules, but our experts offer a few guidelines
for creating our own unique blends that will be well-received as holiday gifts. Use a base of oil like jojoba or sweet almond to create a perfumed oil. Note that oils undiluted by a carrier can burn the skin. For oil-based blends, use a ratio of 50 drops of bottom note oil, 30 drops of a middle note and 20 drops of a top note in two ounces of carrier oil. Another option is to use an alcohol base of either isopropyl rubbing alcohol or 85-proof vodka to make a spray perfume; the alcohol will evaporate quickly. Alcohol-based blends generally last longer, especially with fragile citrus oils. A usual ratio is 10 to 20 drops of essential oil per ounce of alcoholbased carrier. Oil-based blends are ready to use almost immediately. Alcohol-based blends should age a week or two at least and will become more strongly scented in time. Store fragrances in bottles in a dark, cool place. Bottles with tiny rollon caps are commercially available. “It’s very much trial and error to arrive at a preferred scent, so be creative and keep careful notes of experiments and improve on them as you gain experience,” counsels Avery. “If you crinkle your nose at patchouli, you probably won’t like an oil blend with it, either. Choose scents you like.”
GIFT BLEND FOR MEN Western cultures value “manly” Earth scents like sandalwood and cedarwood, while in other cultures, flowery scents are acceptable for men. An appealing woodsy blend for an American male blends cedarwood, clary sage and lime.
Kathleen Barnes is author of numerous natural health books including Food Is Medicine. Connect at Kathleen Barnes.com.
The 1-2-3s of Blending Oils Base Notes Middle Notes Top Notes sandalwood lavender orange jasmine bergamot lemon myrrh geranium grapefruit vetiver rosemary eucalyptus patchouli tea tree lime cedarwood clary sage peppermint A general ratio of 50 percent base note oils to 30 percent middle notes and 20 percent top notes is recommended. Source: courtesy of AuraCacia.com natural awakenings
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AWAKENING TO SPIRIT Prayer and Meditation Heal and Free Us by Richard Davenport
By its intimate connection with divine love, Spirit infuses human experience with qualities of amazing grace—unexpected clarity, vision, wisdom, peace, compassion, emotional release, inspirational epiphanies, deep understanding and comprehensive healing of mind, body and soul.
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hile society abounds with scientific research, products and practices that promise to enhance our mind or body and the mind-body connection, without Spirit in the mix, neither rises to its full potential. A heart open to a higher power exponentially multiplies the effects of this crucial connection. “Just as a candle spreads light in a darkened room, people who are living in-Spirit give off a higher energy that can bring light to our hearts and minds. In other words, we can be inspired just by being in their presence,” according to renowned bestselling author Wayne Dyer, Ph.D. Experiential, non-verbal and lifechanging encounters with the unbounded power and presence of Spirit in prayer and meditation are difficult to analyze in the same way as mind-body 16
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science. However, Dyer points to the works and outcomes of Spirit as visible evidence of how it lifts us up. We see individuals with rapturous hearts sending out signals that they love the world and everyone in it. Those that live in Spirit tend to see the world as a friendly place, are at peace with themselves, appear to be open and accepting rather than judgmental and harsh, and often report being healed of all sorts of diseases, relationship challenges, career fluctuations and questions of purpose and direction. They attest to how Spirit shines a triumphant light in the midst of dark nights of the soul, redefining the essence of life itself and declaring us worthy in our innermost reaches.
Personal Healing
When a 19-year-old woman entered basic military training at Lackland Air
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Force Base, in San Antonio, Texas, and was undergoing initial medical and psychological screening, she was identified as having body and mind issues that would require her to be separated from the service. These problems included organ failures and spinal misalignment, as well as severe consequences of an emotionally abusive upbringing. It was determined that she could not handle the physical and mental demands of military life. Because the policy was to not treat such problems if identified upon entering the service, authorities allowed her to remain in training until her separation from the Air Force could be processed. The woman was impressed and also distressed by the finality of the verdict and assessment tools used by mind and body experts among the medical staff. In talking with a chaplain on the base, she came to understand that she could choose to appeal her case to another jurisdiction, a “higher” court of Spirit. Focusing on the voice of divine love, she grew to see Spirit as more than a higher power. She saw Spirit as a higher authority. She surrendered to divine love’s authority as ultimate law, supremely qualified to reorder her whole being. She trusted that aligning with spiritual power could change her view of her identity and the seemingly inescapable consequences of genetics, environment and human history denying her desire to serve her country in this way. Listening to a higher witness testifying on her behalf and identifying her authentic being as the magnificent expression of the magnificent Creator, she felt encouraged to the point that her mind and body stopped arresting her progress and became more effective servants, responding with greater freedom and joy. One limitation after another fell away, and the military and medical authorities seemed pleased with her progress as she neared completion of training. Finally, performing a mile-and-a-half run within a required time remained the only obstacle to graduation, and she was still 45 seconds too slow. This helpful passage from the Hebrew prophet Isaiah became central to her prayer and meditation as she approached her last running attempt:
Young people will get tired; strapping young men will stumble and fall. But those who trust in the Eternal One will regain their strength. They will soar on wings as eagles. They will run—never winded, never weary. They will walk—never tired, never faint. ~Isaiah 40: 30-31 (The Voice) She passed her final attempt with 18 seconds to spare, running on eagles’ wings. So, how can we all discern such a divine witness to our original authentic being amidst loud testimony of all the voices and labels shouting in our head and body, including those imposed by others?
Prayer and Meditation
There are two approaches to listening to the voice within, whether we name it God, higher power, Spirit, grace, Eternal One, or divine love or Love. Complementary, rather than mutually exclusive, both approaches require a capacity, gained through patient practice, of quieting the inner and outer chatter and learning to hear that which calls us to be more than what human experience suggests is possible. It’s who we are in the eyes of grace. Sanford C. Wilder, of Grafton, Illinois, author of Listening to Grace, offers personal growth and development programs through EducareUnlearning.com that encourage prayer and meditation that emphasize listening. He practices both approaches and makes distinctions between them. “When I pray, I am directing my thoughts toward God, listening and often affirming what I know to be divinely true. I am yearning to surrender my will and affections in conscious connection with the divine such that I or another receives a blessing,” shares Wilder. In such prayerful listening, he hopes to gain something, often a new insight and corresponding manifestation. “When I meditate, my intention is to sacrifice every thought, concept, image and feeling to God, the only consciousness. I trust that listening and observing with nonattachment helps me release conscious and unconscious
To feel Spirit’s presence, we must surrender our own sense of how it will work, its timeline and the impact on our ego or status quo. As with anything worthwhile, conscientious practice is essential. conditioned thought patterns permeated by a human sense of self.” Through meditative listening, he hopes to release everything rather than receive anything, accepting that everyone is equipped and able to be open to, witness and experience nonstop blessings. Helen Mathis has been an educator in the Philippines and Swaziland as well as the U.S., including an instructor of religion at Principia College, near St. Louis; she is now part of a Centering Prayer Circle in Stockton, California. She explains that centering prayer may be seen as a hybrid that embraces both prayer and meditation, nourishing what’s beneath the preoccupied self to awaken a deeper and vastly more authentic self. Mathis appreciates what Cynthia Bourgeault explores in her book Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, that, “This confusion between small self and the larger Self… [the] ‘True Self,’ ‘Essential Self’ or ‘Real I’—is the core illusion of the human condition, and penetrating this illusion is what awakening is all about.” Like Bourgeault, Mathis believes that it’s not about the absence of natural awakenings
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A DV E RTO RI A L
Pamper Your Skin With Natural The Awakenings Best Nature Has To Offer Advanced Healing Skin Cream
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The holidays are occasions for celebrations and good will toward all. Don’t let chapped or dry, flaky skin get in the way of your enjoyment. Natural Awakenings Advanced Healing Skin Cream, a soothing therapeutic balm made with exclusive Manuka Honey from New Zealand, makes a great stocking stuffer for a special someone.
Restore Your Skin to Natural Youthful Beauty You’ll love Natural Awakenings’ therapeutic cream’s clean, fresh botanical fragrance. Discover what our amazing skin cream can do: • Provides Ultra-Hydration of Skin • Enhances Anti-Aging and Skin Renewal • Soothes Dry, Itchy, Cracked Skin • Relieves Most Burns Including Sunburn • Comforts Wounds and Sores MANUKA HONEY is produced by bees that pollinate New Zealand’s Manuka bush. Advocates tout its antibacterial properties.
Therapeutic Qualities
Natural Awakenings Advanced Healing Skin Cream combines botanicals and a unique blend of essential oils for a deep moisturizing therapy. It soothes and relieves dry, itchy or cracked skin quickly while restoring moisture and provides ultra-hydration protection and soothing comfort to wounds, sores, cuts and burns. Manuka Honey also relieves the pain and itch of psoriasis and other skin conditions. Besides its potent antibacterial properties, honey is also naturally extremely acidic, and that will eliminate organisms that decides to grow there.
Our Skin Cream Contains: Essential Oil of Rosehip Peppermint Nutmeg, Clove Black Pepper Lavender
Manuka Honey
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Hydration is a Must
The skin has a water content of 10 percent to 30 percent, which gives it a soft, smooth and flexible texture. The water comes from the atmosphere, the underlying layers of skin and perspiration. Oil produced by skin glands and fatty substances produced by skin cells act as natural moisturizers, allowing the surface to seal in water. Natural Awakenings Advanced Healing Skin Cream, applied after a shower or bath as daily maintenance, will improve the appearance of skin and heal unwanted conditions. Natural Awakenings Advanced Healing Skin Cream also combines pure botanicals and a unique blend of essential oils for a deep moisturizing therapy.
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Manuka Honey is gathered in the wild back country of New Zealand from the native Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium). The bees don’t use the pollen from a variety of other flowers or plants, so the content of the honey is very consistent. A 2013 study in the European Journal of Medical Research used Active Manuka Honey under dressings on postoperative wounds for an 85 percent success rate in clearing up infections, compared with 50 percent for normal antibiotic creams.
Through conscious listening we discover that our true nature—as witnessed by Spirit—though sometimes obscured from view, is never altered from its original beauty and wholeness. ~Helen Mathis thoughts so much as detaching from our thoughts, trusting that we can let go and be safe, consent to surrender human will and forgo personal agendas. Only then can spiritual sense come into play. “The goal is to awaken to, open to and get in touch with our innermost being and Spirit,” Mathis affirms. “Clearly, centering prayer assumes we each have a spiritual awareness of the divine within us that acts, as Bourgeault puts it, as ‘a kind of interior compass whose magnetic north is always fixed on God.’”
Core Shift
We often approach a Spirit dimension with the attitude of “what it can do for me.” The higher practice that mystics and other deep thinkers of various faith traditions ultimately arrive at instead centers on transforming our whole self to align with Spirit’s purpose for us, which changes everything. Reverend Dr. Michael Beckwith, founder of the New Thought Agape Spiritual Center, in Los Angeles, and a spiritual mentor to Oprah Winfrey, believes, “The relationship we have with the infinite is more about how we are to serve it than it is to serve us.” Beckwith describes three primary stages of realizing the power and purpose of divine Spirit expressed as our spirit. The first is that of a victim (feeling powerless, unable to effect change). The second is when an individual learns the existence of universal law that responds to our thinking, emotions and attitude; we learn how to use it to stabilize life structures and demonstrate health and well-being.
“Ultimately, in stage three, we become a vehicle of life in service to life. Instead of using the law, the law uses us. Life fulfills its own nature through us,” he says. “All of life is conspiring for our freedom, liberation, wholeness and health.” He urges us not to stop and stagnate at stage two, using divine laws only to manifest personal conveniences, stuff and even people for our use; this can hijack views of abundance into materialism and consumerism. He quips, “We are not here to go shopping.”
Dwelling in Spirit
Grace and Spirit work in us, through us and between us, yet we can’t simply summon them up or outline their outcomes.
To feel Spirit’s presence, we must surrender our own sense of how it will work, its timeline and the impact on our ego or status quo. As with anything worthwhile, conscientious practice is essential. Life, defined by Spirit, gives fresh strength and impetus to mind and body. All three are vital elements of the dance of life. Richard Davenport is a spiritual life educator (HigherGroundForLife.com) and the founding executive director of an inclusive nationwide Bible and spiritual life community (BibleAndSpiritualLife. org). Now based in St. Louis, MO, he is a retired Air Force chaplain, having served at Lackland and other U.S. Air Force bases on three continents.
FIVE WAYS TO PRAY FROM THE HEART by Richard Davenport
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rayer from a heart willing to surrender, change, learn, grow and bless others works to keep us centered on pure motives like wellness, wholeheartedness and compassion. Such prayer can help us progress spiritually. These five forms of prayer, found in the Bible, have a universal application to any spiritual practice. Although differing in their approach, all share the purpose of creating a fuller mindfulness of our true identity and relationship to the divine, while enhancing our capacity to bless all creation. If we are not feeling the desired breakthroughs using one form, perhaps the one most familiar or comfortable to us, we might do well to explore others. Praise – a posture of adoration, honoring and surrender to a power, vision, and authority greater than our own. Thanksgiving – or better yet, for its consistency and permeating of our whole self, thanks-living. The garden of our spirit is enriched by embracing a gratitude attitude in all we do. Petition – a relational posture that opens our heart as we learn to ask for help, to seek perspective beyond a limited self, beyond a smaller, egodriven orientation.
Intercession – praying for others; blessing, honoring and cherishing them as God sees them. When we feel burdened and blocked by our own trials, expressing empathy and compassion for others can unlock our heart and mind. We can lovingly witness the true nature of those that are seemingly tangled in forces blocking or opposing their higher good. Affirmation – release and rest in divine authority, acknowledging the uni-verse as literally one song reflecting the singular harmony that Spirit knows and is unfolding in every moment to meet our need in forms we can see and feel right now.
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Airplane Yoga Six Easy Stretches Ease the Journey by Cynthia Bowman
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he majority of the symptoms we can experience during flying—stiffness, poor circulation and swollen feet—are due to lack of movement rather than the altitude or pressurized cabin air. Knowing this can make healthy flying easier. Drinking lots of water and moving about and stretching every two to three hours on long flights is key; trips to the bathroom naturally help fulfill this. We also can keep blood from collecting in our lower extremities by finding a way to elevate our legs and feet periodically. Wiggle all 10 toes, shift positions and go for these six discreet airplane yoga stretches. Etiquette tip: Do the first two stretches at the back of the plane with adequate space and a wall to lean on. Don’t do these in the aisle; hanging on to someone’s seat back rocks it and can be annoying. A quad stretch involves the shoulders, upper legs, calves and ankles, while elevating each foot and getting the blood moving. Hang on to a wall, grab an ankle and bring the heel as close to the butt as possible. Then rotate the ankle in a circular motion. Do this as long as it feels worth doing, and then switch arms and legs. A calf stretch is a simple way to target calf and hamstring muscles, as well as ankles. Stand facing a wall, placing both hands at shoulder height on the wall for Quad Stretch balance, elbows bent. Take one foot 20
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Megan Callahan, of Yoga Parkside
have flown a lot. Some of my flights have been across the ocean to Russia, Denmark, England and Ireland. I began experimenting and getting creative on ways to incorporate yoga into the flight to help with tension and stiffness, as well as to keep circulation moving. Inevitably, some flights were delayed or I was stuck on the plane a long time. Pranayama (yogic breathwork) has been especially helpful for anxiety, stress, feelings of helplessness and even anger. A few years ago, when I was pregnant and on a supposedly short flight from Buffalo to JFK, we got stuck on the jetway a long time after landing and I was incredibly nauseous. I started doing some uujaii breath and it helped tremendously. Neck rolls, seated twists and some chair yoga versions of forward folds are fabulous and easy for most individuals. Incorporate mindful breathing and do a few sets on each side. Sitting in half lotus, or sukhasana, is possible if your neighbor is friendly or you are flying with a loved one. My legs personally feel better whenever they are elevated while in flight. For adventurous yogis on longer flights, I do a variation of vipati karini (legs up the wall). I renamed it “legs up the seat,” As long as the person in front of me isn’t too tall or too grumpy, I put my legs up on the seat in front of mine. I’ve also turned around, put my legs up on my own seat for a few breaths and let my head drop back. Yes, I got looks from nearby passengers. My go-to practice on a plane is seated meditation. I skip the movies and sit with my spine erect, supported by the chair in an upright position, with legs either flat on the floor or pulled up in easy pose. I focus on my breath, connect with the wind, air and clouds around me; and do a metta (loving kindness meditation), sending goodwill and gratitude to the pilots and passengers. All of this helps me become really present, and rather then watching the clock for the flight to be over, I’m grateful for the time to just be, while suspended magically above the Earth. Now that I’m a mother who has flown with her baby and toddler, the meditation takes on another dimension of directing peace and protection to my child. Sometimes I practice tonglen meditation when there’s a crying baby on the flight, breathing with the baby, the parent and all those around me. I touch into our shared humanity. Airplanes really are these incredible places for self-study and shared practice. Try it out. Location: 2 Wallace Ave., Buffalo. For more information, visit YogaParkside.com.
Calf Stretch
Upper Body Stretch
Neck Stretch
Twisting the Torso
Bending Forward
forward and rest it on its heel, with toes pointing up and resting on the wall. Lean forward to the point of feeling a good stretch in the calf. Stretch 30 seconds per foot, gradually going deeper into the pose after a few breaths. Etiquette tip: The next four stretches can be done in an airplane seat or in the back of the plane. The upper body stretch targets wrists, hands, arms, shoulders, back and the upper body in general. Sit upright with feet firmly planted on the floor. Lift arms up and interlace fingers before turning palms to face the ceiling. Relax the shoulders and neck. The arms shouldn’t be covering the ears and can be adjusted by moving them a few inches forward or back. Tall individuals may need to bend their elbows, which still allows for stretching of the upper body. Neck stretches release tension and stiffness by tilting the head from side-to-side. Don’t make circular motions, as they can cause neck and spine compression. If holding the head to assist a deeper stretch, be considerate of neighbors by pointing the raised elbow forward to cradle the neck instead of resting it on a seatmate. Twisting the torso benefits both the spine and back muscles. Yogis believe that twisting motions also massage internal organs. While twisting, hang on to the armrest with both hands and sit as upright as possible, with legs together and feet firmly planted. Don’t bounce into the pose or shift or lift buttocks off the seat, but make slow, fluid movements. Bending forward while seated gives the back, neck and legs a good, deep stretch. All of these movements work well while we’re in the air and are equally useful on road trips, in the office or whenever we need a break.
Michael Sutton, of Rising Sun Yoga Center
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recently returned from Turkey. For two weeks next June, I will return there and go on to Greece to teach yoga on the Mediterranean. There are a number of poses and exercises that I do before, during and after the flight. While my routine includes homeopathics, I make sure that I have had adequate rest before the trip, but mostly afterwards. Healthy meals and plenty of movement (yoga and specific exercises I have adopted from years of practice) keep my body toned and limber, as airline seats are generally not comfortable. On the flight, I will stand up periodically, walk the aisles, stretch, forward fold, twist, lean to the side and stretch my quads. Whatever muscle is feeling tight or talking to me, I find a stretch to loosen it up. Meanwhile, everyone is looking at me, wishing they were doing the same. Location: 5225 Sheridan Dr., Williamsville. For more information, visit RisingSunYoga.com.
Cynthia Bowman is a freelance writer in Los Angeles, CA, who specializes in travel, culture and lifestyle topics. Visit JoyJournist.com. natural awakenings
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Generous Pint-Sized Givers Teaching Kids How to Care and Share by Jennifer Jacobson
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mong a parent’s greatest rewards is seeing their children grow up to be productive, contributing members of society, including knowing how to give back and enrich the communities in which they live. Children can start participating in the giving process as toddlers. Having them observe regular charitable acts can make a strong impression and catalyze later independent initiatives. Learning how to give and developing the associated skill set is a lifelong journey. Giving becomes a way of life—of looking at the world and determining how to help the causes they feel passionate about. Here’s how to take those crucial first steps. Ask kids how they’d like to help. If giving to a cause is new to the household, explain that the family has many opportunities. Then engage children in a conversation about the general areas they may feel strongly about supporting—perhaps individuals or families in need, animals or wildlife habitat— and start a list of those that the family is interested in. Next, start researching related local organizations, facilities and institutions, and matching them to the topics on the list. Ideas may include food kitchens, pet shelters and animal
rescues, nature parks, senior citizens’ residences, camps for low-income or physically or mentally challenged children, zoos, museums, aquariums and local libraries. Make a game plan. Get creative about how to actually help the selected causes. Talk it through together, map out activities—like visiting, donating funds or materials or participating in fundraising efforts—and post the results somewhere at home that is highly visible. “Gamify” it to some degree with tasks that turn into goals that turn into accomplishments that result in chits. Quick tasks can make a big difference. Clear the clutter. Every six to 12 months, launch an all-family household closet cleaning day that includes the toy chest and maybe the garage. Add nonperishable healthy food items they’ve picked out while grocery shopping. Make a “donate box” positioned where kids can add to it and deliver the donations often, even if it’s small. Find ways to raise money for donations. Organize a family or neighborhood yard sale or organic bake sale that involves kids at all stages of the project, and give all or a portion of the proceeds to a selected charity. Associate getting with giving. For birthdays and holidays, include a
handwritten “certificate of giving” that specifies the amount of money available for them to gift to their favorite charity. Take the child to the charity site to make the monetary donation in person, if possible. For non-local organizations, write a check and have the child include a letter with their thoughts and mail it. Volunteer to do community service. Public gardens need weeding, historic buildings need painting and food banks need hands. Find goodwill tasks that are age-appropriate and engaging. Grow the mindset. Tell real-life stories about kids or groups of kids that have found creative ways to give back. Encourage empathy by sharing appropriate stories of struggle. Ask kids, “How would you want people to help you in this situation?” Explain the action the family is taking and the resulting benefit to the recipient. The conversation might be, “We don’t need to store all this stuff when someone else could really use it.” Or, “I bet there is a kid out there who would really like playing with this toy. I know you used to love it, but how about if you pass it along to someone else so they can enjoy it as much as you have?” Keep the focus on the people in need and your child’s ability to share an experience through an item. Establishing an impermanent connection to material things can help kids understand the importance of nurturing relationships over acquiring goods. Develop a language of giving in the household by creating opportunities to incorporate it into regular conversation. Appropriate comments could share concepts such as seeing ourselves as stewards of the planet and the things we think we own; it’s our duty to help those in need when we have abundance; and if there is ever a time when we are without, we hope that others will think of us and help us. Teaching children how their thoughts, words and actions impact those around them is a lesson that bears repeating. Jennifer Jacobson lives in Seattle and has served on the boards of several influential nonprofits and other organizations focused on conservation, education and community.
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tonic comes with approximately 258 calories for a 12-ounce glass, while a martini has 295 calories per four ounces. Additionally, after a couple of drinks it’s easy to lose control over food choices. Other options are to alternate water in between alcoholic drinks and mix liquor with water instead of soda.
Lighten Up the Holidays by Karen Calandra
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here’s so much happening during the holidays: shopping, cooking, entertaining, decorating and parties. For most people, free time decreases and stress increases. There’s limited opportunity for exercise and an abundance of high-fat treats. Beginning around Halloween through New Year’s Day, the average weight gain is five pounds—sometimes more. Experts agree that having a plan in place can help people handle all of the parties, celebrations and festivities involving eating and drinking. Here are eight strategies to help keep weight in check: Keep an exercise routine through the holidays, whether it’s walking daily or going to the gym. Movement is vitally important, especially when consuming a few extra calories during this time. Make exercise a new holiday tradition. Go for a walk with the family before or after a meal, dance to music or play active games like charades. These measures help set the right mindset mentally and physically and get people off the couch and away from food. Plan ahead. Never leave the house hungry, and don’t skip meals before going to a holiday event. People that skip meals or try to save up calories tend to overeat everything in sight when they get to a party. Eat something like an apple, celery and hummus or a handful of almonds before going to dinner or a party. Put away elastic and stretch pants during the holidays. Always wear slacks that have a button and zipper. Clothing, and how it fits, is a perfect indicator of weight gain or loss. Step on the scale daily to see if any weight has been gained. Do not wait until January 1 to see the damages. Always bring a favorite low-calorie treat to someone else’s home. Make a healthy recipe or bring a veggie platter or a fruit plate for dessert. Lose the liquid calories. Water should become a best friend during holiday celebrations. Quench thirst with water first before having an alcoholic beverage. Avoid juices and sodas. Add lemons and limes to water to add flavor. Be mindful of alcoholic choices and how much is consumed. A typical 12-ounce bottle of beer has 130 calories, and one five-ounce glass of wine has 143 calories. A vodka or gin and
Use smaller plates and bowls. This will help to control portions and serving sizes. Be mindful of choices—it can be very easy to consume 3,000 calories after only a few hours of holiday partying. Some examples to be mindful of: one slice of apple pie has 414 calories, which takes two hours of walking to burn off. One cup of scalloped potatoes has 228 calories, amounting to one hour of walking. Try to survey the food first before deciding in what to indulge. Plan a dessert strategy using the three-bite rule—limit tasting to three bites. The first bite is to experience how the food is expected to taste; the second bite is good, but usually not as good as the first; and the third bite isn’t any better, so it’s a perfect time to stop. Take just enough to enjoy three bites worth or give food away after finishing the three bites. Fill up on veggies, hummus, fresh salsa and the like before moving on to fattening, sugary foods. Let the mind, and not the stomach or mouth, guide choices. Moderation is key. Eat, drink and be merry throughout the season of joy, but learn how to politely say, “No thank you.” Enjoy the company of friends, which is so much more important than the food. Be choosy with sweets. Although stressed spelled backward is desserts, do not eat lots of high-sugar foods. Stay away from foods that spike blood sugar quickly. This will only set the stage for failure and leave us wanting more. Excess sugar adds to the stress already placed on the adrenal glands from daily life. When the body takes in too much sugar, the pancreas and adrenals produce extra insulin and cortisol to handle the sugar and excess calories. Over time, this can lead to adrenal fatigue, low energy levels and general lack of enthusiasm. Do not sample many desserts. Instead, be selective and pick just one. Add fruit to the dessert plate. Grapes satisfy a sweet tooth, as does a piece of dark chocolate. High fat, greasy, cheesy or salty foods should be avoided. Pick salads, veggies, fruits, nuts and legumes that are filling and so much better for the waistline, weight and health. At the end of the day, these healthier choices will help keep weight stable during the holidays. Follow these tips for smooth sailing into 2016 without a pound of weight gain. Enjoy the holidays and the reason for the season. A good thought to remember is, “Lose the sugar, you’re sweet enough.” Karen Marie Calandra is a registered nurse and certified holistic health coach. The author of Lose the Sugar, You’re Sweet Enough, she will speak on the dangers of sugar and also these holiday tips at the Audubon Library, in Amherst, at 7 p.m., Dec. 15. For more information, email Salkarc56@gmail.com or visit Karen CalandraHealthCoach.com. natural awakenings
December 2015
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wisewords
for changes during the active course of daily life and query: How am I speaking to myself or to others? Am I more present? Am I more at ease in letting go? It’s important to look for these subtle changes rather than to set unrealistic expectations for ourselves such as being mindful all day.
Sharon Salzberg on Mindfulness Simple Ways to Be in the Present Moment
Do you have other enabling practices for people new to the state of living mindfully?
by April Thompson
N
How do you define mindfulness? Mindfulness is the quality of awareness. When we are mindful, our perception of the present moment isn’t so distorted by bias, adding our own storyline to
reality and pushing away what’s happening.
photo by Fabio Fiippi
ew York City-born Sharon Salzberg experienced a childhood full of loss and upheaval, losing her parents and living in five different household configurations. In college, she discovered the power of meditation to transform suffering and cope with life’s neverending changes. Born into a Jewish family, Salzberg first encountered Buddhism in 1969 in an Asian philosophy class, inspiring her to undertake an independent study program in India, where she was initiated into the practice via an intense 10-day retreat. “It was very difficult and painful. I sometimes doubted that I’d succeed, yet I never doubted that there was truth there,” she says. Upon her return home, Salzberg dedicated herself to the path of vipassana- (insight) meditation, becoming a renowned teacher and co-founding the Insight Meditation Society, in Barre, Massachusetts. Today she teaches and speaks to diverse audiences worldwide about the power of mindfulness. Salzberg has authored nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness, Real Happiness at Work and Lovingkindness.
Is it possible to be mindful without having an established meditation practice?
Yes, theoretically, but I suspect it’s hard. I honor my own meditation practice for making mindfulness highly accessible for me. It doesn’t take many hours of prep work and is open to everyone. It’s really a practice, like strength training—you have to exercise the mindfulness muscle to reap the benefits.
What’s the best way to arrange time for meditation, and what can motivate us to practice regularly? Having a sense of structure has helped me the most. I believe strongly in the value of a daily practice, however simple or short. We can ritualize certain practices to help remember to pause and be mindful. For example, every time the phone rings, let it ring three times and use that as a trigger to breathe. When you’ve finished writing an email, take a few conscious moments before sending it. There are lots of ways to cut through the momentum of the busyness and craziness of our lives to return to mindfulness. Make a commitment to practice for a certain period of daily time for a month or two, and then reassess. Look
Movement meditation is a good place to start; if you’re walking somewhere, try to be more present and feel your feet against the ground. Also, just focus on one thing at a time; instead of multitasking, just drink the cup of tea. We can also use breath to focus concentration. The breath is a tremendous tool, it’s always with us. If you’re in a contentious meeting and tempers flare, you don’t have to pull out a meditation cushion and sit in a funny position; you can work with your breath right where you are.
How can meditation help to ease suffering? Sometimes, we think we can ease suffering by only having pleasant feelings and beautiful thoughts. Rather, we can ease suffering by changing the way we relate to our thoughts and feelings. If something unpleasant is happening, most of us flip into an internal monologue about how, “Bad things always happen to me,” or “This is my fault,” or “I shouldn’t feel this.” We compound our suffering by adding judgment and by pushing away discomfort. Instead, we can learn to observe our reactions and release them. We also tend not to feel pleasure fully or think that something else or more should be happening instead of simply enjoying the moment. We wait for some sense of intensity in order to feel alive, rather than experiencing the ordinary to the utmost. Meditation trains us to be present with pleasant, unpleasant and neutral experiences and stay connected, no matter what’s going on. Reach freelance writer April Thompson, of Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.
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naturalpet
Eat, Bark and Be Merry Healthy Holiday Treats for Our Pets by Sandra Murphy
A It’s in Our DNA to Be Successful We can help you thrive. Advertise in our special
Health & Wellness January Issue To advertise or participate in our next issue, call
716-909-7805 26
Buffalo, NY
s with families everywhere, special taste treats are on the menu for many dogs, cats and wild birds during the holiday season. Owners are cautioned not to share rich, unfamiliar foods from the table that can be detrimental to an animal’s health. Better fare are homemade treats of organic, safe and tasty ingredients—true gifts from the heart. Homemade assures the quality of ingredients, avoids unhealthy additives and allows the giver to adjust for individual taste or food sensitivities. Most healthy recipes can be made from readily available ingredients.
Wild Birds
Offer them a variety of seeds and fresh water. Always use unsalted, unseasoned seeds. Mix harder-to-crack striped sunflower seeds with the smaller black oil version to attract the largest number of birds. Organically grown peanuts in the shell, dried fruit, oranges, pomegranates or rehydrated raisins offer a burst of energy. Impale round fruits, halved, on a small dowel rod attached to the feeding table to hold them in place. Note that oats go to waste, shelled sunflower seeds spoil and cracked corn attracts raccoons. Pass on any kind of popcorn.
DIY Suet
Mix one part organic peanut butter with five parts organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) corn meal. Smear into a pinecone to hang from a branch or directly on tree bark for woodpeckers and wrens to
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enjoy. Don’t use low-fat peanut butter because birds need to pack in the calories in order to stay warm.
Cats
Organic catnip, fresh or dried and baked into a crunchy treat, will bring kitty running. In recipes, avoid canned tuna because of bisphenol A (BPA) concerns; also minimize the frequency and portion of tuna and salmon treats due to mercury accumulation in the fish. Unseasoned tuna or salmon packed in water in a pouch is a better choice. Many recipes labeled for dogs can be converted for cats by making them into smaller bites.
Dogs
“When possible, I put organic and local foods, non-GMO, hormone-and antibiotic-free, grass-fed and humanely raised properties at the top of my list. A healthier dog means fewer
vet visits and more years together,” says Tonya Wilhelm, a dog trainer in Toledo, Ohio. “Buy in bulk from a co-op or farmer and maybe share with friends to get the best price.”
Dehydrated Foods
Dehydrating removes moisture from food while retaining nutrients, and comprises a distinct cooking method. Stephanie Raya, resident chef at Excalibur Dehydrator, in Sacramento, California, recommends, “For safe chicken and pork, pre-cook before dehydrating. Beef can be dehydrated from a raw state. My Boston terriers also love dehydrated, sweet potato chips.” A number of commercial dehydrated meat and fish jerkies have been recalled (search DogFoodAdvisor. com/?s=treats). Homemade treats offer superior control of ingredients. “When I make my pets’ treats, I know what’s in their food, including the herbs used for flavor,” says Raya. After she’s ensured that the food is thoroughly dried, she packs it in vacuum bags and stores them away from light. She notes that dehydrating takes longer than baking, but is cost-effective at 25 to 50 cents an hour. Veggie options include dehydrated zucchini chips, butternut squash chips, cherry tomato bites, matchstick carrots or peach or other fruit slices.
Make it Festive
A cat’s sense of smell is 10 to 15 times better than ours, but is still modest compared to dogs that out-sniff us by a factor of 30 to 60 times; that’s why putting wrapped treats under a holiday tree or in a stocking is a bad idea. Store them securely and then bring them out when it’s time to open gifts. Use blue tissue paper for easy-to-open Hanukkah gifts, red or green for Christmas (bows, yes; ribbons, no). For dogs that love puzzles, placing treats inside a wrapped box adds to the fun. Remember that rich or unfamiliar foods can make pets sick. Instead, gift them with their own healthy, safe treats from known ingredients so that everyone has a happy holiday. Connect with Sandra Murphy at StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com.
Special Holiday Pet Recipes Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Dog Biscuits Yields: 36 biscuits 1 sweet potato, boiled or baked 1 /4 cup peanut butter, low in fat, sugar and salt 1 egg 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 Tbsp coconut oil 1 tsp cinnamon, ground 11/2 cups organic old-fashioned oats (aka rolled oats)
Coconut Bites Yields: Approximately 20 cookies 1 orange, peeled, seeded, chopped into bite-size pieces 1 banana, peeled, chopped into bite-size pieces 1 /2 cup coconut flour Lemon zest Preheat oven to 275° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Boil or bake sweet potato. Allow to cool before removing the peel if baked.
Put the orange and banana into a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth. Combine blended fruit and coconut flour. Mix well. Form into 3-inch flat discs and place on a lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Lightly sprinkle lemon zest on the uncooked treats.
Heat oven to 350° F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use a mixer to blend all ingredients together except the oatmeal. Once combined, fold in oats with a spoon. If dough is too wet, add more flour.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden on the bottom. Remove cookies and place them on a rack to cool.
Roll out cookie dough to ¼-inch-thick sheet and cut with any shaped cookie cutter. Fill cookie sheets.
Tip: Keep a few treats in an air-tight container and freeze the remainder for later.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until biscuits are hard to the touch.
Recipe courtesy of Tonya Wilhelm
Cool and place in an airtight container. Recipe courtesy of Livia J. Washburn, Trick or Deadly Treat
natural awakenings
December 2015
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calendarofevents NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Review guidelines for submissions at BuffaloAwakenings.com or email Publisher@BuffaloAwakenings.com for more information. “Sip and Shop” for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation – 3-8pm. Fundraiser pop up boutique at Tres Aurae Spa. Gather with friends to sip and shop at favorite local vendors and enjoy wine, holiday shopping and light fare for a good cause. Tres Aurae Spa, Wyndham Hotel, 5195 Main St, Williamsville.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3 Essential Oils 101- Health Made Simple – 7-8pm. All are welcome, whether you’re ready to live a more natural life or just learn a new approach. Learn how to live a healthier life using what our beautiful Earth provides. Free. 755 Center St, Ste 3, Lewiston. RSVP required: 716-523-3738. MaureenKemeney.com. Healing Through the Holidays – 7-9pm. With nationally known yoga instructor Shari Friedrichsen. Practice asanas and pranayama to access and rest in one’s inner light, joy and peace. It’s always there, with or without the season, so come find your own sanctuary in the midst of busyness. $30. Himalayan Institute, 841 Delaware Ave, Buffalo. 716-883-2223. HIBuffalo.org.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 M & T First Fridays – 10am-10pm. On the first Friday of every month admission to part of the museum and select events are free to everyone. Art classes and certain tours are available to the general public for a fee. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, 1285 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo. 716-882-8700. AlbrightKnox.org. Holiday Live at Larkin – 5-8pm. Live at Larkin returns for the holidays with a night of original live music by Robot Holiday, a holiday mini-market and dozens of food trucks. Free. Larkin Square, 745 Seneca St, Buffalo. LarkinSquare.com.
WE STILL ON? Call ahead to confirm that the event details haven’t changed and tell them you saw it in Buffalo Natural Awakenings.
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Buffalo, NY
A City of Buffalo Artists Market – 4:30-9pm. Featuring local vendors offering unique holiday gifts hosted by Sarah Danielle Women’s Boutique. The event will also feature food trucks, gift wrapping and a cash bar. Free. Ellicott Square Building, 295 Main St, Buffalo. EllicottDevelopment.com/ArtistsMarket. Stress Management 101 – 5:30-9pm. Understanding stress as it relates to your life for better health, happiness and peace of mind with Suzanne Bracci, MS, LMHC, CAS, Certified Stress Management Coach. $75. Complete Wellness Arts and Science Center, 1515 Kensington Ave, Buffalo. StressLessForABetterLife.com.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1
Essential Oils and Natural Approaches to WellBeing – 6:30-8pm. Introduction to the benefits of essential oils and how to apply them to gain greater awareness of your physical, mental and spiritual needs. $25. Iroquois Central High School, 2111 Girdle Rd, Rm 160, Elma. RSVP required: 716-5606552 or WNYLifeCoaching@gmail.com.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5 Queen City Market 2015 – 11am-5pm. This event will promote the city and the people in it by featuring more than 50 local vendors selling either handmade or vintage items, including jewelry, ceramics, vintage clothing and housewares, local food and much more. Free. Karpeles Manuscript Library, 453 Porter Ave, Buffalo. Yoga and Meditation for Anxiety and Depression – 1-4pm. Become more confident in your ability to create calm and to focus when you are anxious and emotionally upset. This slow-paced, internally focused workshop facilitates mental clarity about what occurs from moment to moment in your physical and emotional reality. $30 includes take-home materials. Himalayan Institute, 841 Delaware Ave, Buffalo. 716-883-2223. HIBuffalo.org.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 Maintaining Your Bike Through Fall and Winter – 8am-5pm. Bikes ridden through rain, salt, snow and sludge need a little extra attention. Learn how to keep your ride in tip-top shape and also share tips for winter riding and choosing a winter bike. $10 suggested donation. GObike Community Workshop, 98 Colvin Ave, Buffalo. 716-320-0193. GoBikeBuffalo.org.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7 Yoga Reset: To Relieve Tension and Stress – 1011am. Six weeks. This class will focus on the art of relieving stress through posture, breathing techniques, systematic relaxation and meditation. $90. Buffalo Spine and Sports Medicine, 100 College Pkwy, Ste 100, Williamsville. 716-650-3101. BuffSpine.com.
Breath Work – 7-8pm. Breath helps with stress reduction, pain management, lowering blood pressure and eliminates disease state from forming. Life Coach/Meditation Trainer Shawn Marie Cichowski will explore various breathing techniques and mind-easing practices to promote optimal well-being. $10. Iroquois Central High School, 2111 Girdle Rd, Elma. RSVP required: 716-560-6552 or WNYLifeCoaching@gmail.com.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11 Tree of Hope Celebration – 4:30-6:30pm. Experience all the sights, sounds and smells of the season. Bring your family and friends as we light up the night sky in an annual tradition of offering hope for all those touched by cancer. Free. Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Kaminsky Park, Elm & Carlton St, Buffalo. RoswellPark.org.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 One-Day Mindfulness Intensive Experience – 10am-2pm. Drop-ins welcome. $25. 484 Connecticut Ave, Buffalo. 716-474-3490. MindGardens.net. Holiday Open House and Market – 6-8pm. Free. East Meets West Yoga & Pilates Loft, Buffalo Foundry, 1738 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo. 716-885-9100.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 Rope Wall Yoga Class – 10:45-noon. With Michael Sutton. $15. Rising Sun Yoga, Georgetown Square, 5225 Sheridan Dr, Williamsville. Registration required: 716-632-5802. Bike Crafts – 6-8pm. Have some fun and get creative. Learn how to make unique bikecentric jewelry, home décor, and more. Limited to 10 people. $10 suggested donation. GObike Community Workshop, 98 Colvin Ave, Buffalo. 716-320-0193. RSVP: Stacy@GoBikeBuffalo.org. GoBikeBuffalo.org.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 Yoga Reset: To Relieve Tension and Stress – 1011am. See Dec 7 listing. Buffalo Spine and Sports Medicine, 100 College Pkwy, Ste 100, Williamsville. 716-650-3101. BuffSpine.com.
The Season of Moving Inward – 6-7:30pm. Three weeks. Contemplate and study oneself through meditation, pranayama and discussion of inspiring works from various traditions. Participants will explore yoga philosophy, quantum physics, folklore and Christianity, and how they interrelate and move one in the direction of understanding the purpose of meditation and spirituality. $40. Himalayan Institute, 841 Delaware Ave, Buffalo. 716-883-2223. HIBuffalo.org.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15
Luminous Joy: An Exploration of Pranayama and Meditation – 7-9pm. Join nationally known yoga instructor, Sherri Friedrichsen, to refine the five-step meditation process and learn advanced pranayama and concentration techniques that are referenced in the Yoga Sutra. $30. Himalayan Institute, 841 Delaware Ave, Buffalo. 716-883-2223. HIBuffalo.org.
Audubon Library Holistic Lecture Series – 7pm. Tips for Controlling the Sugar over the Holidays with Karen Calandra, a local registered nurse and author of the book, Lose the Sugar, You’re Sweet Enough will speak and provide guidance. Free. Audubon Library, 350 John James Audubon Pkwy, Amherst. Preregister: 716-689-4922.
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The Season of Moving Inward – 6-7:30pm. See Dec 7 listing. Himalayan Institute, 841 Delaware Ave, Buffalo. 716-883-2223. HIBuffalo.org.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 Introduction to Mindgardens – 6pm. Find out what Mindgardens, LLC, has to offer. Free. 484 Connecticut Ave, Buffalo. 716-474-3490. Mindgardens.net.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 Stress Management 101 – 8:30am-noon. Understanding stress as it relates to your life for better health, happiness and peace of mind with Suzanne Bracci, MS, LMHC, CAS, Certified Stress Management Coach. $75. Complete Wellness Arts and Science Center, 1515 Kensington Ave, Buffalo. StressLessForABetterLife.com.
ongoingevents NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Review guidelines for submissions at BuffaloAwakenings.com or email Publisher@BuffaloAwakenings.com for more information.
Peace, Joy and Relaxation: A Yoga Holiday Workshop – 10am-noon. Remain calm and grounded throughout the season. Be the change you wish to see in the world. $20/person. Buffalo Spine and Sports Medicine, 100 College Parkway, Ste 100, Williamsville. 716-650-3101. BuffSpine.com.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 Fix a Flat – 6-8pm. Learn the ins and outs of fixing a flat. Includes hands-on instruction on tube patching, tube and tire removal and reinstallation. Different types of punctures and flat prevention will also be discussed. Limited to 10 people. $10 suggested donation. GObike Community Workshop, 98 Colvin Ave, Buffalo. 716-320-0193. RSVP: Stacy@ GoBikeBuffalo.org. GoBikeBuffalo.org.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 21 Yoga Reset: To Relieve Tension and Stress – 1011am. See Dec 7 listing. Buffalo Spine and Sports Medicine, 100 College Pkwy, Ste 100, Williamsville. 716-650-3101. BuffSpine.com. The Season of Moving Inward – 6-7:30pm. See Dec 7 listing. Himalayan Institute, 841 Delaware Ave, Buffalo. 716-883-2223. HIBuffalo.org.
plan ahead TUESDAY, JANUARY 5
savethedate TUESDAY, JANUARY 5 Eating Healthy For Life – 6:30-7:30pm. With Dr Corine Cicchetti and Dr Frederick McAdam. Learn how to change the way you look, feel and live through a healthy eating lifestyle. Free. Buffalo Spine and Sports Medicine, 100 College Pkwy, Ste 100, Williamsville. 716-650-3101. Preregister: BuffSpine.com/Seminar.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 7
savethedate THURSDAY, JANUARY 7 10 Easy Tips to Detox Daily – 6:15-7:15pm. When toxins build up in the body, people can get sick. Attend this wellness workshop to learn 10 daily tips to help promote health and to enhance your body’s ability to detoxify. Free. Inner Balance Chiropractic, 2800 Sweet Home Rd, Ste 1, Amherst. 716-210-1060. InnerBalanceChiro.com.
sunday
saturday
Hoop and Wine with Nicole – 3-4pm. 1st, 2nd & 3rd Thur. Learn movements for beautiful, flowing, hoop dance and techniques for core hooping. For beginner- or intermediate-level. $15/class; first class free. Complete Wellness Arts and Science Center, 1515 Kensington Ave, Buffalo. RSVP: 716-5399355. NDBrown33@gmail.com.
North Tonawanda Farmers’ Market – 7am-1pm. Payne Ave at Robinson St, North Tonawanda. 716830-6025.
tuesday North Tonawanda Farmers’ Market – 7am-1pm. Payne Ave at Robinson St, North Tonawanda. 716830-6025.
wednesday Yoga – 5:30-6:45pm. 1st & 3rd Wed. With Leanne Oldenbrook of Crescent Moon Yoga. Gentle hatha yoga designed for all ages and fitness levels. $15/ class. Buffalo Botanical Gardens, 2644 South Park Ave, Buffalo. Register: 716-864-1194. CMYoga.com.
thursday North Tonawanda Farmers’ Market – 7am-1pm. Payne Ave. at Robinson St, North Tonawanda. 716-830-6025. Drop-in Yoga Class – 5:30-6:30pm. Beginner level. $10. Himalayan Institute. 841 Delaware Ave, Buffalo. 716-883-2223. HiBuffalo.org. Hoop and Wine with Nicole – 5:45-6:45pm. 1st, 2nd & 3rd Thur. Learn movements for beautiful, flowing, hoop dance and techniques for core hooping. For beginner- or intermediate-level. $15/class; first class free. Complete Wellness Arts and Science Center, 1515 Kensington Ave, Buffalo. RSVP: 716539-9355. NDBrown33@gmail.com.
Clinton-Bailey Farmers’ Market – 7am-6pm. 1517 Clinton St, Buffalo. 716-822-2466. ClintonBaileyFarmersMarket.com. Drop-in Yoga Class – 9:30-11am. Experienced level. $12. Himalayan Institute, 841 Delaware Ave, Buffalo. 716-883-2223. HiBuffalo.org.
classifieds Fee for classifieds is a minimum charge of $20 for the first 20 words and $1 for each additional word. To place an ad, email Publisher@BuffaloAwakenings. com. Deadline is the 10th of the month. ADVERTISING ADVERTISE HERE – Are you: hiring, renting property/office space, selling products, offering services, or in need of volunteers? Advertise your personal/business needs in Natural Awakenings classified ad section. To place an ad, email Publisher@BuffaloAwakenings.com.
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December 2015
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communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide, email Publisher@BuffaloAwakenings.com to request our media kit.
ACUPUNCTURE BALANCE NATURAL HEALTH AND ACUPUNCTURE Monica Michaels, ND, LAc 110 Grey St, Ste B, E Aurora 716-652-8404
Treating chronic pain, arthritis, stress/anxiety, women’s health. Offering well-being, nutrition counseling, Chinese herbs and detoxification. Accepting new patients. See ad, page 5.
CONTEMPORARY DENTISTRY
Dr. Arlene Messer & Dr. Anna Belous 2052 S Clinton Ave, Rochester 585-244-3337 • DentistryWithAHeart.com At Contemporary Dentistry, we care about your total health, offering an individualized approach for cavity prevention, including saliva testing, biocompatible materials, safe mercury-filling removal, laser and minimally invasive dentistry. See ad, page 9.
FITNESS SHENDAO ACUPUNCTURE B.Schamberger, LAc 334 Bryant St, Buffalo 716-883-3166
Now offering a special, anti-stress treatment which rebalances energy; resulting in a calmer mind, healthier glow to facial skin and brightening of the eyes.
CHIROPRACTIC INNER BALANCE CHIROPRACTIC Dr. Alison Bramer Cummings & Dr. Tammy Bialek-Lehrer 2800 Sweet Home Rd, Ste 1, Amherst 716-210-1060 • InnerBalanceChiro.com
Gentle adjustments; no cracking, snapping or bending. Treating neck, back, shoulder pain, headaches, scoliosis, migraines, vertigo, digestive issues, behavior issues, sports injuries, carpal tunnel, TMJ and more. See ad, page 7.
DENTISTRY AESTHETIC ASSOCIATES CENTRE Dr. Todd Shatkin 2500 Kensington Ave, Ste A, Amherst 716-839-1700 • GR8Look.com ShatkinDentalOffice@gmail.com
Offering complete restorative and cosmetic dental care for adults and children. Includes bonding, veneers, bleaching, crown and bridge, dental implantology (all stages), mini dental implants and general dental care. See ad, back cover.
CITY OF LIGHT FITNESS
Jared Callahan, Owner, Fitness Trainer 716-866-3747 Info@CityOfLightFitness.com CityOfLightFitness.com Jared has developed a lifestyle approach to fitness and healthy living, integrating outdoor wateroriented sports like Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) with a structured strength and conditioning program. Call for a fun and unique style of fitness training.
STRETCH PILATES
1127 Wehrle Dr, Williamsville 716-626-7484 StretchWNY@gmail.com • StretchWNY.com A Pilates studio offering private and small group sessions focusing on stretching, strength posture a n d c o r e t r a i n i n g . Vi s i t Facebook, Instagram and the Pilates and fitness blog online. See ad, page 17.
HEALTHY DINING 700 CENTER ST – JUICE BISTRO & CAFÉ 700 Center St, Lewiston 716-429-5466 • 700CenterStreet.com
Serving a wonderful selection of natural and organic foods. Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free options. Healthy smoothies, organic coffee, wheatgrass shots, wraps, paninis, baked goods and granola made in house. A must visit in historic Lewiston. See ad, page 7.
The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love. ~Hubert H. Humphrey 30
Buffalo, NY
BuffaloAwakenings.com
MANGIA CAFÉ
621 Center St, Lewiston 716-754-1517 Naturally good food. Glutenfree and vegetarian options. Breakfast served all day and lunch; 8am-2pm. In the heart of beautiful, historic Lewiston. See ad, page 8.
HOLISTIC CENTER HIMALAYAN INSTITUTE 841 Delaware Ave, Buffalo 716-883-2223 HIBuffalo.org
Buffalo’s Center for yoga, meditation and wellness. Yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, homeopathy, yoga teacher certification, CEU’s for yoga instructors, bookstore and gift shop. Reconnect with your body, relax the mind and rejuvenate your spirit. See ad, page 17.
LIFE COACH EMERGING VIBRANT WOMEN EMPOWER AND AWAKEN YOUR FEMININE SOUL
Kohava Howard, LPN, LYYD, Reiki Master, Holistic Life Coach • E Amherst 970-208-2503 • KohavaHoward.com Intuitive, holistic, health and wellness life coaching for women over 40 that are experiencing major life transitions. Reclaim your vibrant inner joy and feminine power to live your authentic life. Private sessions, workshops, Skype or phone.
WNY LIFE COACHING CENTER – LIFE COACH
Shawn Marie Cichowski, Owner, Certified Life/Soul Coach 5500 Main St, Ste 313, Williamsville 716-560-6552 • WNYLifeCoaching.com Helping you help yourself naturally, healing from the inside out. Offering life products: Himalayan salt lamps and items, Essential oils, yoga, spa, meditation and wellness items. See ad, page 9.
MINDFULNESS MINDGARDENS
484 Connecticut St, Buffalo 716-259-2994 Mindgardens.net Cultivating transformation. Find a better direction in life. New lifechanging groups forming regularly. Free introduction to Mindgardens services on Friday, December 18 at 6pm. See ad, page 7.
ORGANIC SPA GREEN SPA VILLAGE HOLISTICS
Joei Marie Lucey, RN, Green Spa Owner 5526 Main St, Williamsville 716-635-6482 • GreenSpaHolistics.com Organic holistic spa focusing on health and wellness. Pamper your body, mind and spirit. Spa services include massage, facials, body treatments, energy balancing, life coaching, craniosacral, reflexology, Emotional Freedom Technique, hypnosis, aromatherapeutic touch and more.
PETS ANCIENT FAR EAST HEALING ARTS FOR ANIMALS Susi Rosinski 3110 Eggert Rd, Tonawanda 716-803-0113 • ReikiBySusi.com
Energy medicine, medical qigong, acupressure, Karuna Reiki and chi’atsu. Relief from stress, anxiety, behavioral issues, arthritis, immune deficiency, speeds healing of injuries, surgery and more. See ad, page 14.
PILATES STRETCH PILATES
1127 Wehrle Dr, Williamsville 716-626-7484 StretchWNY@gmail.com • StretchWNY.com A Pilates studio offering private and small group sessions focusing on stretching, strength posture a n d c o r e t r a i n i n g . Vi s i t Facebook, Instagram and the Pilates and fitness blog online. See ad, page 17.
PHYSICIANS BUFFALO SPINE & SPORTS MEDICINE 100 College Pkwy, Ste 100, Williamsville 200 Sterling Dr, Ste 200, Orchard Park 6000 Brockton Dr, Ste 109, Lockport 716-626-0093 • BuffSpine.com
One of the largest and most established physical medicine and rehabilitation practices in Western New York. Non-surgical rehabilitation and therapy for acute injuries and chronic conditions. Holistic care focusing on patients’ functions. Take back your lifestyle! See ad, page 21.
SPA
REIKI ANCIENT FAR EAST HEALING ARTS Susi Rosinski 3110 Eggert Rd, Tonawanda 716-803-0113 • ReikiBySusi.com
Medical qigong/therapeutic tai chi, Karuna Reiki, meditation. Relief from pain, anxiety, depression. Speeds healing of injuries and surgery. Boosts immune system and more. See ad, page 13.
GOOD VIBES HEALING
Debra Espe, Reiki Master, BioGenesis Practitioner, Herbal Consultant West Seneca • East Aurora 716-220-8907 • HolisticAndHealthyU.com A holistic approach that addresses your individual needs. By using energy techniques such as Reiki and BioGenesis combined with herbal and essential oils, we’ll work together to help you achieve a sense of well-being and optimal health.
WNY LIFE COACHING CENTER – REIKI
Shawn Marie Cichowski, Owner, Reiki Master 5500 Main St, Ste 313, Williamsville 716-560-6552 • WNYLifeCoaching.com Helping you help yourself naturally, healing from the inside out. Reiki master and certified meditation instructor. Self-care and stress management trainer. See ad, page 9.
SKIN CARE AESTHETIC ASSOCIATES CENTRE Dr. Sam Shatkin 2500 Kensington Ave, Amherst 716-839-1700 • GR8Look.com
Achieve natural rejuvenation with surgical and non-surgical services in the fields of plastic surgery and advanced skin care. Dr. Shatkin and his team of health professionals help clients look and feel better about themselves. See ad, back cover.
TRES AURAE SPA
5195 Main St, Williamsville 716-478-7546 SpaBuffalo.com Tres Aurae Spa offers a calm setting for all your spa needs. Services include their Best of Buffalo natural, seaweed-based facials, therapeutic massage, hair blowouts and styling, hair removal, and manicures and pedicures. Relax and enjoy spa services for individuals and groups in this award-winning facility.
SPECIALTY MARKET THE NATURAL LINK
Specialty Meat Market 105 Portage Rd, Lewiston • 716-754-1199 Facebook.com/TheNaturalLink Free-range chicken, wildcaught fresh seafood, Boar’s Head deli meats, Angus Reserve beef, local honey, maple syrup, farm-fresh eggs, goats and cows milk. Excellent service and friendly owners (Brian and Cathy). See ad, page 6.
THERMAL IMAGING DYNAMIC THERMAL IMAGING Carol Knapp, CCT, office manager 585-734-6083 NYDTI.com
Provides radiation-free, noninvasive clinical imaging for detecting and monitoring overall health as well as a number of diseases and injuries. Totally safe, FDA-approved and available to women, men and children. Take responsibility for your own health and be proactive with Dynamic Thermal Imaging. See ad, page 15.
WINE – ORGANIC ADDY’S FINE WINE AND SPIRITS 8584 Transit Rd, E Amherst 716-810-9495
Our friendly, warm staff, great wine and free weekly tastings will make you want to keep coming back. Large selection of organic wines. Check us out on Facebook. See ad, page 5.
AUTHENTICALLY YOU SKIN CARE
5842 Main St, Ste 2C1, 2nd Flr/Christopher Chiropractic Bldg, Williamsville 716-480-3999 • AuthenticallyYouSkinCare.com Facials, anti-aging treatments, back facials, facial waxing, hand treatments. You deserve an hour to reconnect with your authentic self. Visit our website to book appointment online or book through Vagaro.com.
LEXI’S FINE WINE AND SPIRITS 55 Crosspoint Pkwy, Getzville 716-689-2233
T he excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.
Our friendly, warm staff, great wine and free weekly tastings will make you want to keep coming back. Large selection of organic wines. Check us out on Facebook. See ad, page 5.
~Charles Dudley Warner natural awakenings
December 2015
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