CATALYST Magazine December 2019 by CATALYST Magazine

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C TALY CA CAT LYST RESOURCES F O R C R E AT I V E LIVING Kawase Hasui, Snow at Kiiyomizu Hall in Ueno, July 1929, woodblock print, ink and color on paper. Published by Kawaguchi Jirō. Car ved by Maeda Kentarō. Printed by Komatsu Wasankichi. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gifftt of Paul Schweitzerr,, PP.77.28.10. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Art.

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ON THE COVER

December 2019 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET 5

Snow at Kiyomizu Hall in Ueno, by Kawase Hasui

July 1929, woodblock print, ink and color on paper. Published by Kawaguchi Jirō. Carved by Maeda Kentarō. Printed by Komatsu Wasankichi. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Paul Schweitzer, P.77.28.10. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Art.

awase Hasui (1883-1957) is considered one of the three masters of Japanese landscape prints, along with his predecessors Hiroshige and Hokusai. The most prolific woodblock print artist of his time, Hasui was one of the great masters of the shin hanga (“the new print”) movement, a new art form developed in response to Japan’s rapid Westernizaton and industrialization. Hasui’s work will be on view in Seven Masters: 20th-Century Japanese Woodblock Prints early next year at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition features seven artists who played a significant role in the development of the new print and whose works boldly exemplify this new movement.

Seven Masters: 20thJapanese Century Woodblock Prints was organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Art and is toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. A companion exhibition, Beyond the Divide: Merchant, Artist, Samurai in Edo Japan, features scrolls, screen dividers, sculpture, prints and samurai armor and weapons from the Museum’s own collection. Both exhibitions open to the public February 6. Curator Andreas Marks, head of the Japanese and Korean art department at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, will discuss the artists and stories behind shin hanga in a free talk Wednesday, February 5 at 7 pm. Visit UMFA.UTAH.EDU for details. ◆

CATALYST Magazine is a project of Common Good Press, a 501(c)(3) Common Good Press aka CATALYST explores and promotes ideas, events and resources that support conscious, empowered living for people and the planet.

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6 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

December 2019

ENVIRONEWS

BY AMY BRUNVAND

Dewatering GSL could cost billions Allowing the Great Salt Lake to dry up could not only suck billions of dollars out of Utah’s economy but actually reduce water supplies, according to a new report from the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council. Costs include impacts to mineral, brine shrimp and recreation industries as well as health costs from increased dust. Without the lake effect, Wasatch Mountain snowpack would be reduced by an estimated 5.1 to 8.5%. Environmental degradation would affect human quality of life, making Utah a less attractive place to relocate. The report notes that Great Salt Lake is part of the state’s identity so that losing the lake would involve cultural and spiritual losses as well. Great Salt Lake water comes from the Jordan, Bear and Weber Rivers, as well as from precipitation and groundwater. The report says that human water use has already reduced the lake level by 11 feet, decreased its volume by 48%, increased lake salinity and exposed approximately 50% of the lakebed. The good news is that conditions are not yet beyond repair. New policies are needed now to avoid environmental catastrophe and future costs of mitigation. Assessment of Potential Costs of Declining Water Levels in Great Salt Lake: FOGSL.ORG/IMAGES/ASSESSMENT_OF_ POTENTIAL_COSTS_OF_DECLINING_WATER_LEVELS_IN_GREAT_ SALT_LAKE.PDf

Wildlands tourism booming in Utah Utah’s national parks, state parks and ski resorts experienced record visitation in 2018. A new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy In-

stitute says that visitors spent $1.2 billion in gateway communities near national parks and monument, and generated 18,700 jobs. While the report highlights the importance of natural areas to Utah’s economy, it also implies a threat of overtourism exacerbated by lack of planning. In 2018, visitation to Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument surged by 17.8% to over a million visitors. At the same time, the Trump administration has issued new plans that prioritize mining and grazing, including re-instating retired grazing leases along the Escalante River. In Bears Ears, the only visitor center is the Bears Ears Education Center set up by Friends of Cedar Mesa, a citizen conservation group founded by retired river ranger Mark Meloy. In the absence of responsible planning, tourism can become yet another destructive land use. Combined with Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda of leasing and development, the tourism boom is a double whammy to Utah’s public lands. The State of Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry, 2018: GARDNER . UTAH . EDU / WP - CONTENT / UPLOADS /T RAVEL- AND TOURISM-REPORT-NOV2019.PDF

More threats to national parks Thanks to public outcry the National Park Service quickly withdrew an order issued last September that would have allowed ATVs into Utah national parks. But that doesn’t mean the Trump administration is backing off from efforts to monetize and overdevelop national parks. The latest threat is a misguided plan cooked up by the “Made in America” committee formed by former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. The plan calls national park camp-

grounds an “underperforming asset” and outlines ways to squeeze more money out of park visitors by leasing popular campgrounds to private companies. These companies would be allowed to modernize/citify campgrounds by installing camp stores, food-trucks, wi-fi, electrical outlets, equipment rentals and other tourism infrastructure currently the role gateway communities. Perhaps the worst idea is a recommendation to replace the RECREATION.GOV reservation system with a system of campsite scalping for the profit of third-party vendors. It’s clear that more public outcry is needed to keep national parks unspoiled and affordable. “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee: WWW.NPS.GOV/ORGS/1892/MADE-IN-AMERICA-RAC.HTM

Republicans plotting public land grab In October Utah Senator Mike Lee (R) invited a group of Republican senators and other politicians to Moab, Utah trying to persuade them to hand over federal public lands to the State of Utah. At the meeting, Lee said that “garden variety BLM Land” should be sold by the State of Utah in order to fund education, law enforcement and emergency medical services. Lee believes that if local government could profit directly from sales they would support privatization of federal public lands. Lee praised Utah’s for-profit land management agencies, but failed to mention the downside. In Utah, the State and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) which manages land to raise revenues for education has become notorious for acting against the public good. For example, a massive new frac-sand strip mine near Kanab is using SITLA land to get a foot in the door; Uinta Basin tar-sand strip min-

ing is also on SITLA land; A SITLA gravel pit near Torrey sparked a citizen lawsuit; SITLA land near Bluff was sold to a private owner, creating an inholding in Bears Ears National Monument; and when SITLA holds property with recreational value, the public had to pay full price to keep these places public. Lee also pointed to Utah state parks as an example of good management. However, in 2011 the Utah Legislature requested a performance audit of Utah state parks which were “under pressure to reduce use of taxpayer funds.” The report suggested reducing park staff and law enforcement, managing parks like independent businesses, and park privatization. Worse, the report suggested closing parks that didn’t generate enough visitor revenue. In fact, the Utah State Park system is highly vulnerable to the whims of the Utah Legislature and offers no process for public scoping or stakeholder input.

Hearing addresses violence against land managers In October the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a hearing to address growing threats of violence against public land managers. A Government Accountability Office report says that from 2013 to 2017 the FBI investigated nearly 100 domestic terrorism threats motivated by antigovernment ideologies. In one incident, individuals holding antigovernment beliefs “followed a teenage girl wearing a BLM shirt around the local grocery store and threatened to burn her house down.” This violence is related to the transfer of public land movement which portrays the federal government as an illegitimate land owner. At the hearing a spokeswoman for the rightwing Heritage Foundation suggested ceding “local control” to the militants and arming government employees. However, Peter Walker, author of the book Sagebrush Collaboration: How Harney County Defeated the Takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge had a better idea. Walker testified that communities like Harney County in Oregon have diffused violence with public dialog: “The community bet that better solutions could be found by building relationships and really listening to each other—humanizing those with whom they might see things differently. For decades, over countless one-on-one phone calls and cups of coffee at kitchen tables, the community created their own ways to solve problems. When outside militants proposed violent confrontation, the community had a better way.”

No More Standoffs: Protecting Federal Employees and Ending the Culture of Anti-Government Attacks and Abuses: NATURALRESOURCES.HOUSE.GOV/HEARINGS/NPFPL-OVERSIGHT-HEARING3

BLM leases suspended for ignoring climate The Utah Bureau of Land Management has suspended 130 oil and gas leases in Utah in order to analyze impacts from greenhouse gas emissions. The improper leases were challenged by two similar lawsuits, WildEarth Guardians et. al. vs Zinke; and Living Rivers, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Center for Biological Diversity vs Hoffman. Nearly a quarter of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels extracted on public lands. A moratorium on new leasing could help the United States meet goals for greenhouse gas reduction. The oil and gas industry has stockpiled unused oil and gas leases on nearly three million acres of Utah’s public lands, so even under a leasing moratorium the fossil fuel industry would continue to operate during an energy transition to cleaner renewable energy sources.

Utah oil and gas watchdogs foster ‘culture of noncompliance’ For decades Utah’s oil and gas industry has gone largely unregulated due to a “culture of noncompliance” in the Oil and Gas Program. The program, under the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, not only promotes exploration and development of oil and gas but is also responsible to enforce regulations that protect the environment and human health. A legislative audit released in November found that despite 105 unresolved “noncompliant issues,” the agency could not provide documentation for having ever issued a fine. Performance Audit of Utah’s Oil and Gas Program (2019): LE.UTAH.GOV/AUDIT/19_11RPT.PDF

Navajo generating station closes The largest coal-fired power plant in the Four Corners region has been shuttered due to the low price of natural gas. The Navajo Generating Station burned 24,000 tons of coal per day and released more than 19 million tons of atmospheric CO2 per year. Its emissions caused regional haze that obscured views in Grand Canyon National Park. The plant held water rights to 34,000 acre-

feet/year of Colorado River water from Lake Powell. It is not clear who will get the water.

Just say no to Little Colorado River Dam A coalition of environmental groups has filed a Motion to Intervene in order to stop a private company from damming the Little Colorado River on Navajo lands in Arizona (The Navajo Nation has not approved the water project). The Little Colorado has springs near the confluence with the Colorado River that provide habitat and spawning grounds for endangered humpback chubs. The confluence is also a sacred site for many Native American tribes and is said to be the place where ancestors of the Hopi people emerged into the world. Groups fighting the dam include Save the Colorado, Grand Canyon Trust, Living Rivers & Colorado Riverkeeper, Sierra Club, Waterkeeper Alliance and WildEarth Guardians.

Envision Utah Common Good Awards Envision Utah has announced the 2019 Common Good Awards for people and organizations doing amazing things to make Utah a better place now and in the future. The winners are (drumroll, please) Utah Governor Gary Herbert for championing long-range strategic planning for the future of Utah; Neighborhood House for providing services to enrich the lives of Utah's low-income children and adults; and Marathon Petroleum, Chevron Corporation, Sinclair Oil Corporation and Silver Eagle Refining Inc., for reducing emissions from Utah cars by moving forward to provide Tier-3 fuel. Envision Utah is a public/private partnership formed in 1997 that works with business leaders, civic leaders, policy-makers and community to help plan future growth in the Greater Wasatch Front area. The efforts of Envision Utah are often cited as a model for how to create sustainable change in a Red State. Envision Utah: ENVISIONUTAH.ORG

e have a pretty good understanding about air pollution in relation to respiratory illnesses like asthma and COPD, and know there’s a link to cardiovascular disease. But it turns out air quality also affects how well we sleep. In 2004, the EPA awarded the University of Washington a research grant to study how air pollution affects the development of cardiovascular disease in healthy people. The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) also looked for correlations between exposure to air pollution and the quality of sleep of 1,974 people in six U.S. cities: Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore, St. Paul, New York City and Winston- Salem. The researchers focused on two measures of sleep quality: sleep efficiency (the total amount of time actually spent asleep) and the frequency of awakenings after falling asleep. They compared this data set with information about the concentration of two major air pollutants around the participants’ homes: nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate pollution (PM2.5). NO2 forms when fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas, diesel) are burned at high temperatures. Common sources of PM2.5s are motor vehicles, airplanes, wood burning (residential and forest fires) and dust storms. The researchers took this information from the EPA’s monitoring sites similar to the monitors we have in Utah’s non-attainment areas (areas where air quality fails to meet the standards set by EPA). When the original study was completed in 2014, initial findings showed there was about a 60% decrease in sleep efficiency if you had exposure to more air pollutants. The higher the concentration of indoor air pollution, the greater the number of people experiencing poor quality sleep— and less of it. Because the study was not a randomized controlled trial, the

BREATHE

Air quality affects sleep quality

Common sources of PM2.5s are motor vehicles, airplanes, wood burning (residential and forest fires) and dust storms. NO2 forms when fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas, diesel) are burned at high temperatures. The study found a participant’s odds of having sleep apnea increased by: • 60% for each five micrograms per cubic meter increase in yearly PM2.5 exposure

And a lot depends on a good night’s sleep! BY ASHLEY MILLER results found an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship, between air pollution levels and sleep quality. The researchers don’t exactly know how air pollution may affect sleep, but there are many possible mechanisms in which air pollution could be causing people to toss and turn. Researchers also found that since exposure to air pollution affects upper airways with respiratory illness and inflammation, it could lead to an increase in sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is the more common type, occurring when the throat closes and blocks the flow of air. An estimated 22 million Ameri-

cans live with this condition, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association. In a followup study, published last year, the link between air pollution and sleep apnea remained, even after the researchers took into account other factors that could have affected the results like body mass index, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking. Potential allergens such as pollen, mold spores and dust can also increase symptoms of sleep apnea. Indoor and outdoor pollution can damage the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, so some doctors think there’s a link between nasal congestion and sleep apnea, but most agree that further study will have to be done to find conclusive evidence.

• 39% for each 10 parts per billion increase in yearly NO2 Air quality improvements may have an unrecognized benefit, the researchers summarized: better sleep and better health Next month CATALYST will address how to improve your indoor environment. In the meantime, think of a good night’s rest each time you choose to: turn off your engine instead of idling; trip-chain your tasks while the car engine is warm; carpool; take public transit; honor a no-burn day; turn down the thermostat... You know the drill by now. Studies are starting to prove what is, after all, logical: Whether it’s inside or outside of our bodies, cleaner air means a better quality of life for all. ◆ Ashley Miller, J.D., is the vice-chair of Breathe Utah. She is the vice-chair of Utah's Air Quality Policy Advisory Board and a member of the Salt Lake County Environmental Quality Advisory Commission.

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December 2019

KIN

What if we stopped “itting” the world? From nature as a resource to a giver of gifts

o describe Robin Wall Kimmerer as a scientist tells only part of the story. She has a Ph.D in botany, teaches courses in ethnobotany and the ecology of mosses at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in New York, and has published dozens of scientific articles. She is also an indigenous woman whose writing draws on her culture to bring science to life and to advocate restoring the relationship between people and the land. Her influence reaches well beyond science. Her first book, Gathering Moss, inspired Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel, The Signature of All Things. Next came Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, a sort of bible for the green generation, a beautiful collection of essays through

Adopting the grammar of animacy is subtle, but revolutionary. Animacy dethrones humans as the supreme rulers of this world.

which she shares sacred teachings with readers as though confiding in trusted friends. Plants have been her teachers since she was a child, so it seemed natural that she would become a botanist. After memorizing thousands of Latin names for plants, she found that those names did not tell the whole story of the living world. “Science is a language of distance which reduces a being to its working parts, the language of objects,” she writes. And then, reading a book by an indigenous ethnobotanist, she discovered a native word—

BY JODI MARDESICH SMITH puhpowee: the force which causes mushrooms to push up from the earth overnight. “The makers of this word understood a world of being, full of unseen energies that animate everything,” she writes. “As a biologist, I was stunned that such a word existed. “I longed for the people who gave a name to the life force of mushrooms." This word, with no equivalent in science or the English language, catalyzed a shift. She began studying Potawatomi and native culture to push past the boundaries of science. Learning Potawatomi expanded her perspective. “Scientific language describes the boundaries of our knowing,” she writes. But something was missing—“the same something that swells around you and in you when you listen to the world.” That missing something was more than nouns. It was an entirely different Robin Wall Kimmerer with Jodi Mardesich Smith

way of seeing and addressing the world. Some languages, notably native languages, recognize the animacy, or beingness of nonhumans. Animacy is a structure that conveys the life within the nouns or pronouns we speak. Acknowledging the life and sentience of a plant, rock, body of water or even a force of nature subtly changes our relationship to it. English is a language dominated by nouns, which makes sense for a culture so obsessed with things, Kimmerer says. In English, we use

pronouns—he, she or they—when addressing or talking about other humans. Anything other than human, however, is an it. This conceit makes it easier for us to think of trees as lumber, rather than living beings. It makes it easier for us to use them as we see fit, rather than consider them sovereign beings, older than humans, who give us oxygen to breathe, who we can learn from. Poet Robert McFarlane writes of the power of language to shape the way we see and interact with the world. “The real underland of language is not the roots of single words, but rather the soil of grammar and syntax, where habits of speech and therefore also habits of thought settle and interact over long periods of time. Grammar and syntax exert powerful influence on the proceedings of language and its users.” Kimmerer has a radical proposal for healing the world—to restore human relationship with the land by adopting what she calls the “pronouns of the revolution.” Adopting the grammar of animacy is subtle, but revolutionary. Animacy dethrones humans as the supreme rulers of his world. Recognizing plants, trees, animals and other members of the natural world as sovereign beings brings us into relationship with

them. We see them as givers of gifts, not as resources. And then we naturally want to give back. The pronoun “it” objectifies the world and basically gives us permission to exploit it. “But when we say she or he, we have to stop and think about the personhood of that being,” Kimmerer says. Rather than it, she suggests words inspired by the Potawatomi language: ki as the singular form, or for plural, kin. “Not property, not stuff, but our kinfolk,” she says.

Kimmerer spent almost a week in Utah in October, where she spoke at a fundraiser for the Permaculture Collective, at the Salt Lake Public library,to the University of Utah’s Environmental Humanities department, and at the Utah Humanities Book Festival at Utah State University in Logan. No two speeches by Kimmerer are exactly alike. She has a wealth of work to draw from, and whether the topic is the grammar of animacy, studying the native language of her ancestors, explaining the honorable harvest, or a requiem for the prairie, she always begins by greeting her audience and introducing herself in Potawatomi, breathing life into the endangered language. Each speech becomes an act of reclamation. She teaches respect by acknowledging and expressing gratitude for the land and people who have come before—at USU,

harvesting from taking everything to taking only what we need and giving something in return—a simple act that works to heal the land and its people. In essence, it involves introducing yourself and asking permission before taking, and giving something back. “Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need. Take only that which is given….Never waste what you have taken. Share.” I had the good fortune of studying with Kimmerer for a weekend last spring at the Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference. Having the luxury of more time with those who came to learn from her, she expanded what she’d shared about native culture. Her way of beginning by giving thanks swelled into a version of the Haudenosaunee thanksgiving address—“the words that come before all else.”

At USU, Kimmerer called it a privilege to be standing in the original territories of the Ute and the Shoshone people, and thanked them for the land, their history and language, and for their wisdom. she called it a privilege to be standing in the original territories of the Ute and the Shoshone people, and thanked them for the land, their history and language, and for their wisdom. Her writing is an act of reclamation, full of longing, for species going extinct, for native culture the U.S. government nearly destroyed, for photosynthesis (“sometimes I wish I could photosynthesize so that just by being, just by shimmering at the meadow’s edge or floating lazily on a pond, I could be doing the work of the land while standing silently in the sun.”) But humans can’t photosynthesize, and we can’t live without taking life. The honorable harvest is a practice that instills gratitude and respect with reciprocity at its heart. It changes our concept of

It’s a practice of greetings and thanks to the natural world that begins by acknowledging the ground we are standing on, and spreads to the waters, fish, plants, animals, trees, birds, the elements, the sun, moon and stars. People are only mentioned once, because, as she says, “it’s not all about us.” The thanksgiving address puts things in perspective, and shifts us from observers, or dominators, into participants in relationship with the world. “I have a fantasy that Congress would open with this,” she told us, her eyes sparkling. When you see the world her way, no one is an outsider. We are all kin. ◆ Jodi Mardesich Smith is a writer and worshipper of nature and maker of Haven Terrariums (@haventerrariums).

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December 2019

GOOD NIGHT!

Beyond Sleepytime tea BY JOSH WILLIAMS Herbs and essences for sleep and dreams

tion like caffeine, sugar or screen time too close to curfew, our systems are often at a loss as to when we should actually be taking rest. Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) to the rescue! This “all purpose” herbal ally speaks to many types of people and is fantastic for many aspects of sleeplessness. The gentle sedative nature of passionflower helps ease us through the veil into sleep without the heavy, foggy effects of many pharmaceutical alternatives. Passionflower plays well in a nightcap herbal tea blend with peppermint, holy basil, lemon balm or chamomile. Taking sleep herbs in tea form is a great way to receive their benefits as they’ll fully metabolize long before morning, leaving you refreshed and ready to adventure the day.

Tough cases

PHOTO BY JERI GRAVLIN Josh Williams is a traditionally trained clinical herbalist and owner of Greenthread Herbs, a full-service herbal apothecary.

leep is sacred. Rest is our opportunity to process the adventures of the day—its twists and turns, ups and downs. It’s our time to rejuvenate, restore and reharmonize. Without proper sleep, the line between yesterday and today becomes blurry and we miss our opportunity to begin again with fresh, vibrant new energy. When our sleep is plagued with a mind that won’t stop chattering, muscles that jolt us to full consciousness just as we’re about to drift off, emotions and anxieties that run wild with catastrophic fantasizing or that feeling of being “tired and wired,” we have incredible allies with the herbs. While plant medicine can be helpful in all ways, I have found that the green world really shines in helping harmonize our most essential needs: sleep, digestion,

peace, nourishment and protection. I’d like to share a few of my favorite sleepy, dreamy herbs with you here and invite you to bring them into your own bedtime rituals for deep, replenishing sleep tonight and every night.

Sleeping with monkeys One complaint we hear most often here at the apothecary is “my mind won’t shut off at night.” The minute the lights go out, the atmosphere quiets down, and the head hits the pillow, “monkey mind” fires up and plagues us with a litany of thoughts, concerns and global problems that need solving… right now! We call it monkey mind because the mind jumps around from thought to thought like monkeys swinging from limb to limb in a tree; and it’s an easy

way to lose sleep since the thoughts can work us into an anxious frenzy even in the coziest of beds. My favorite herbal ally for monkey mind is skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). This mint family member gets its name from lovely little flowers that look like bonnets— but the name also helps us remember what this herb can do for us. Skullcap cools, quiets and relaxes the mind. This herbal ally helps us shut off our problemsolving mode so that we can rest up and wake up feeling ready to find some real solutions tomorrow.

Getting on track Many bodies aren’t sure when bedtime is. The human being thrives on pattern, so when bedtime is either sporadic throughout the week or offset from stimula-

For those folks who simply cannot sleep no matter what they try, I like to look at some of our stronger herbal allies. Hops (Humulus lupulus), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and catnip (Nepeta cataria) all have that perfectly dreamy effect that can soothe the nervous system, quiet the mind, relax the body and give us just enough sedative energy that we can finally get the sleep we need. These herbs are best in a blend with other sleepy allies. They really shine when given by a studied herbalist who can help fine-tune the right choices to match your personal constitution, challenges and goals.

Sweet dreams Essential to effective sleep is dreaming. Dreams allow us to process complicated patterns, detox the conscious mind from the day’s barrage of information, and organize thoughts, feelings and energies. Dreams are incredibly therapeutic and can give us insights into our inner workings and the aspects of our beings that are often hidden below the surface. For those who don’t dream, don’t dream deeply or have poor dream recall, I love working with

mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). Mugwort is spiritually celebrated as an herb of the unknown, the hidden, the underworld. This plant ally gives us access to the hidden realms which is why itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just as popular as an herb for intuition and divination as it is an herb for dreaming more vividly. Burning a smudge bundle of mugwort before bed or applying an infused oil of mugwort to the pulse points inspires visionary dreams and cathartic dreamtime adventures.

While plant medicine can be helpful in all ways, the green world really shines in helping harmonize our most essential needs: sleep, digestion, peace, nourishment and protection. Sage (Salvia officinalis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) are all herbal allies I call on when people have a hard time bringing the messages or meanings of their dreams back to waking consciousness with them.

Lullaby herbs For the little ones, many of the herbs mentioned above can be fantastic allies when given in doses and in formats suggested by your herbalist. One of my favorite herbs to help children embrace bedtime is chamomile (Matricaria recutita). It can be made into a warm or cool tea to sip as the evening winds down. A little apple juice added to chamomile tea brings out the naturally apple-like flavor of these sweet flowers and makes them more palatable for kids who may not otherwise enjoy the taste.

Crafting sleep A fun and surprisingly effective way to work with many of the herbs listed above is to create a small sachet or pillow stuffed with the dried herbal material. These herbal bundles can be tucked into pillowcases, hung above the headboard or set on a nightstand. Try stuffing a small linen sachet or sewing up quilting fat quarters (approximately 18-by-22-inches of fabric) with hops, lavender and sage. Good night, and sweet dreams! â&#x2014;&#x2020; Josh Williams is a traditionally trained clinical herbalist and owner of Greenthread Herbs, a full-service herbal apothecary in the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City.

CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

December 2019

Sleep

GOOD NIGHT!

101

Neglect not the obvious BY NICOLE DEVANEY

oooo… I don’t want to go to sleep!” we may have wailed as children, preferring to run, play or even hide to avoid the confines of a bed. This approach to nighttime has been known to last a couple decades. As we age, however, and take on the stressors of adult life, sleep becomes the new party. I don’t know about you, but a good night’s sleep is pretty high up on my list of favorite things to do. Did you know that stress can kill you faster than a bad diet and no exercise? Before you invest in high-priced supplements or bio-hacking gadgets, it’s a good idea to take full advantage of the free habitual healing modalities of ancient man: Hydration, proper breathing and sleep will do wonders for energy levels, pain

and disease. Address these habits first. Here’s how to show up to your slumber party in style and get the best night of sleep ever. Sleep is like the control-alt-delete mechanism the human body (including the brain) needs in our high-stress world. Don’t let the pace of modern life rob you of this high-quality rehab.

To realize the full restorative benefits of sleep, we have to work with the rhythms of nature. The chart on this page, from the book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek, shows

a hormonal rhythm of a healthy person in a 24hour cycle (also known as a circadian rhythm). The black line represents cortisol, aka the stress hormone. Cortisol gets a bad rap these days as people blame it for the spare tire around their midline. In reality, however, we need cortisol to wake us up. When the sun hits the horizon your body begins to flood with this hormone, giving you the energy needed to face the day. The white line on the graph represents the “rest and repair” hormones. As the sun begins to set for the day, so does cortisol. A variety of other hormones begin to dance through the blood stream, making us sleepy.They are ready to repair the damage done to our body/mind during the waking hours. The human body naturally wants to heal, love and support itself.

However, due to many beautiful gifts of modern man, most peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hormonal rhythms look a little more like the second chart. There are things we do throughout the day and night that prevent a natural rhythm. When we take small steps to change habits that keep our cortisol levels from dropping, we can begin to get the â&#x20AC;&#x153;quality highâ&#x20AC;? that sleep offers. Your body does so much to support you; loving it back is a gift that keeps on giving!

Sleep tips Let the sun and moon be your guide: The body repairs itself between the hours of 10pm to 2am and the brain reboots from 2am to 6am. If you are awake during this time, you miss out on the physical and psychological repair that can keep you from needing physical therapy and antidepressants! Caffeine, sugar and alcoholâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; oh myâ&#x20AC;Ś: These substances can have a detrimental effect on your sleep cycle. But do not fearâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you do not have to eliminate them completely; just use them wisely. Caffeine has a half-life of six hours so cutting it out of your day by 10am will allow the cortisol to fall naturally with the sun. Sugar and alcohol can lull you to sleep with a nice â&#x20AC;&#x153;highâ&#x20AC;? but what goes up must come down and usually does so in the middle of the night. When our blood sugar crashes and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hear the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s messages to eat, we often are flooded with adrenalin and cortisol, usually at 3am. This will either wake us up in the middle of the night or make us feel like we ran a marathon in our sleep. If you have a sweet tooth or like a glass of wine to end your night, follow it up with a good fat and/or protein to give the body something to keep the blood sugar from falling so hard. Even better: Get your wine and sugar in and done by 6pm before a good dinner. Screen time: Ancient man used fire to light his way after the sun. By contrast, most Americans lull themselves to sleep in front of an electronic screen. But our bodies register the light from this technology as sunlight. The bright blue lights lull our bodies into thinking the sun is rising, and with

it, our cortisol rises. If you want to enjoy evening screen time, you can program your electronics to dim the blue light with Nightshift (on iPhone), Flux (free online software) or purchase a pair of glasses that have red or orange lenses. EMFs: Although we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hear it with our ears every time our phone checks for messages, the electromagnetic frequencies disturb our cellular rest. To remedy this, switch your phone to airplane mode before sleep. Keep your wifi router some distance from the bedroom or put it on a timer so that it shuts down nightly at 10pm. Lighting and bedtime routines: The more we can prepare the body to calm down, the easier it is to fall asleep and rest deeply. In my home, we begin using dimmed lighting (salt lamps and candles) around 9pm. Activities that settle the mind and body such as stretching, baths, meditation, deep breathing, journaling or audio books after the day comes to a close give my body the nudge it needs to let go and drift into slumber. Grounding sheets: Earth has a natural hum called the Schumann resonance. This resonance has the capacity to decrease inflammation and activate the parasympathetic nervous system that helps recovery in the body. We connect to it naturally when our skin touches the earth. Companies like EARTHING.COM make sheets containing silver threads that act as a conduit for this energy. Sleeping on an earthing sheet has changed my life; I give them every year for Christmas presents to share the healing they bring. We are now entering the darkest time of the year; the nights are much longer than the day. Bears, bees and even trees hibernate. Maybe we humans, too, should try it. So as you cook, clean, wrap and party, take some time to give yourself the gift of good sleep habits. I promise it will help you enjoy this season and beyond to the fullest. â&#x2014;&#x2020; Nicole DeVaney is an instructor for the CHEK Institute as well as a medical intuitive, writer, speaker and self-proclaimed â&#x20AC;&#x153;how-toâ&#x20AC;? healer. She has a private holistic practice at Cutting Edge Physical Therapy in Murray, Utah. NICOLEDEVANEY.COM/

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16 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

December 2019

GOOD NIGHT!

Sleep, medication and Alzheimer’s A team of USU researchers find curious correlations BY EMILY SPACEK “The last few months of her life my dad would simply hug me and thank me for the visit. Words I exchanged with my mom soon were reduced to simple words I uttered: ‘It’s great to see you, mom,’ ‘You’re looking great,’ and, ‘I love you.’ She forgot who I was, did not recognize my voice or appearance. Her eyes were often vacant, staring into unknown faces, places or maybe they were distant places or faces. Despite the repetitive conversations, my corrections about who was who and the moments of silence near the end, I knew my mom was still my mom, and I still was her daughter. I knew that I would never forget the memories we built together though they were mine, now, to keep and share.”

lzheimer’s disease is a progressive dementia disease that robs the afflicted of their memories and various cognitive functions. Currently, the disease devastates the lives of roughly 5.8 million Americans and their families—as it did to mine earlier this year when my mother (who writes above) lost her own mother and I, my grandmother. Anyone who has witnessed a loved one struggle is all too familiar with the frustrating truth of how little is known about the disease. Its cause is still unknown, and we don’t know definitively how to prevent it, slow it or cure it. Nonetheless, plates may be shifting. We are reaching the years where the first wave of the massive baby boomer generation is in their early 70s. Federal funding for dementia research is at an all-time high. With new findings published more and more frequently, hope might be on the horizon. Breakthrough connections are being seen between Alzheimer’s and factors such as inflammation, the human microbiome and sleep. Sleep, quite the scientific mystery in and of itself, is known to be extremely important for brain health and memory consolidation. New research over the past few years has shown a correlation between lack of quality sleep and risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. It appears that during non-REM sleep, the brain flushes itself of toxins that, when left behind, may misshape or fold into the plaques and tangles that are commonly associated with Alzheimer’s.

Vernon’s team found that women who self-reported experiencing sleep issues and who took any of the listed medications were at a 35% decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. To the contrary, both men and women who took the meds for reasons other than sleep issues experienced a fourfold increased risk of developing the disease. Building on this hypothesis, a Utah State University-based cohort of scientists wanted to see how sleep medications, which affect the sleep cycle, further affected the risk of Alzheimer’s. Elizabeth Vernon, a doctoral student on the research team, presented the new research findings this past July at the 2019 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. “Our hypothesis was that sleep medications affect Alzheimer’s development either by reducing risk because they help individuals get

better sleep, or by increasing risk because they change the sleep stages. Because other studies linked sleep to Alzheimer’s disease, we chose to treat the sleep as the problem,” Vernon explains. They studied a compilation of data that had been gathered 1995-2005. Cache County individuals without dementia aged 65 and over were asked to complete a lengthy survey. Questions included whether they took certain medications—benzodiazepines, tetra or tricyclics, antihistamines, antidepressants—and whether they experienced a sleep disturbance. For followup,their cognitive status was measured with exams in the third, seventh and 10th years. 3,656 (57% of whom were female) participated. Vernon’s team found that women who selfreported experiencing sleep issues and who took any of the listed medications were at a 35% decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. On the contrary, women who did not report sleep issues but who took any of the medications for other reasons were at a four times increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Men who took the meds, regardless of experiencing sleep issues or not, also had about a fourfold increased rate of developing the disease compared to men who did not use sleep medication. Vernon stresses the associational nature of the study—that though the associations are strong, the causes for those associations are unknown. One reason her study has received so much attention is due to its surprisingly sharp difference in results between the sexes. “There has been a growing understanding that there may be some differences between how men and women become susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease,” Vernon says. Obviously much more study is needed to make the appropriate determinants. All Vernon can say for now is that there is an association between a group of drugs and risk for Alzheimer’s. “We also know there are behavioral techniques for sleep issues that may be worth exploring... Research, too, should continue to look into these other interventions for sleep to see how they may affect someone’s outcome in reducing their risk for the disease.” ◆ Emily is a recent college graduate from California. Since August she has found home in Salt Lake City at CATALYST and as a junior high after-school teacher.

n young adulthood, when we first move out on our own and most of our possessions can fit in our cars, a mattress is a weighty investment. By design, it is large and bulky. It’s burdensome to move. A mattress signifies a commitment to a place and, sometimes, even a commitment to a person. To claim a mattress is to declare a personal, intimate space. It is a privilege that we know not everyone has. On days when the outside world feels threatening and oppressive, our mattress provides a temporary refuge. Pets, lovers, friends—we can be selective regarding who we let into this most personal of spaces. For practical reasons, a good mattress is important. But the idea of what a good mattress is seems to be drastically changing. In an age where modern habits eat up our downtime, sleep is both more elusive and more valuable than ever before. Getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night is difficult and many of us fall short. On top of economic and social pressures that prioritize a superhuman-like work ethic, our sedentary lifestyles, late-night screen usage and the growing collective stress (symptomatic of the current environmental and political climate) mean less time is allotted for a relaxed, quality sleep. The less time, then, that we devote to our sleep, the more we demand that the sleep we do get is perfect.

In an age where modern habits eat up our downtime, sleep is both more elusive and more valuable than ever before. To cope with our unwillingness to commit to lifestyle changes that directly lead to better sleep hygiene and improved sleep, we turn to the place with all of the promises: the marketplace. Capitalizing on our sleep struggles and the risks associated with them, the marketplace has exploded with a wide array of products, drugs and services that promise consumers the deepest, most genuine, sleep of their lives. Billboards advertise specialized mattresses and upgraded pillows. Social media ads promote over-the-counter supplements and apps that promise to have users asleep in three seconds. Nowadays you can get a factory-fresh mattress delivered to your door with just a click—

Our mattress obsession

Shopping therapy may (or may not) cure your sleep woes

perhaps from the Utah-based “bed in a box” retailer, Purple. While Tempur-Pedic was once known for having the finest mattress tech, today, Utah company Intellibed claims their patented “intelli-Gel,” which does not break down or compress over time, far surpasses. Across all brands and price tag numbers, ads claim their mattress will help alleviate neck and back pain, snoring, insomnia and any night movements made by your partner. We now can choose innerspring/memory foam/plant-based/ all-organic/zero emissions wonders of the sleep universe complete with state-of-the-art zoned support technology. Some of us are likely lying awake in complete comfort. I can relate to sleep trouble and the need for self-care to make up for our predominant burnthe-candle-at-both-ends lifestyle. But in the noble quest to find activities or relaxation techniques to help us prioritize our mental and physical health, marketed self-care tells us that the miracle solutions come out of a box. The mattress obsession is fueled by a strategic marketing reinvention to turn straightforward, low-cost items into trendy, pricy new gadgets. For better sleep, drop thousands on this 18-in.-thick, temperature-resistant, firm and soft, all-organic (but shipped in layers of plastic) California king that you will likely replace in nine years. In Thailand, where I lived for four months, a

thin, extremely firm mattress is the norm. In Norway, mattresses are thick and squishy. These cultures based their sleep medium on what was most appropriate for the weather

To cope with our unwillingness to commit to lifestyle changes that directly lead to improved sleep, we turn to the place with all of the promises: the marketplace. and people simply adjusted to it. If your current mattress still feels comfortable enough, you might try my go-to sleep aid: picking up a good book instead. Reading can reduce stress by 68%, according to a University of Sussex study. It allows muscles to relax and calms breathing. Reading is a fabulous bedtime ritual, with a far cheaper price tag. Maybe it will work for you. The truth is, your mattress may have very little to do with getting a good night’s sleep, or it may have a lot. In the end, only you will be able to decide if that new mattress is worth it. ◆ — Emily Spacek

18 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

December 2019

COMMUNITY

Where skiing, science and art intersect Ski map artist James Niehues visits Salt Lake

BY SOPHIE SILVERSTONE

and-painted ski map illustration has a narrow lineage that still triumphs over its digital competition. The majority of ski maps in North America are attributable to one artist, James Niehues, despite his career taking off at the same time computer-rendered maps were starting to compete in the 1980s and 1990s. Similar to a style popularized by famous Austrian cartographer Heinrich Berann and brought to the U.S. ski map industry by artists and predecessors Hal Shelton and Bill Brown, Niehues blends the science of cartography and art of scenery painting. Like a highly discerning fish eye, he enlarges important elements from an overhead perspective, putting the whole mountain into 2D space, and artfully distorts the horizon lines to appear from a straight-on, more scenic view. Niehues has mastered this niche, as Bob Ross would say, one “happy tree” at a time. At the age of 73, and over 260 maps later, he just came out with a coffee table book, The Man Behind the Maps. A recent cold November evening at Fisher Brewing Co., Niehues was visiting from Colorado for a book-signing. Salt Lake City was the first stop on his tour. Much to his surprise, peo-

ple came out in droves. Around 200 fans stood in line to meet Niehues. “This will be the book,” said “Instagram @SLCSki”-bum Dimitri Littig, eyeing the book that sold like hotcakes that night. Long before the event was over, Niehues had sold out of all 50

copies they had at hand. His wildly successful Kickstarter campaign had recently set a new record in the Art & Illustration category, making about $590,000 from 5,156 backers. Niehues was bewildered at the attendance. “The fans are just so into it—into the trail maps, into my work. I just never realized that would be the case,” Niehues told me in an interview

later. He admits he was not a big skier when he was younger, but as an artist, he admired the work of American ski map artists Shelton and Brown. In the early 1980s, around the age of 40, Niehues had left his position as partner graphic designer at an ad agency in Colorado, and was looking for more steady work with his freelance art. His timing for bringing his portfolio to Brown couldn’t have been more perfect; Brown was looking to pass the torch. Thus began his adventure of painting ski maps in North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and even at a resort in Serbia. His wife, Dora, who has been instrumental in Niehues’ trail map career, reminisced to me about sending out postcards to ski resorts back in the early days, asking for work. She did all the billing and marketing so Niehues could focus on the painting. She also helped Niehues stay good-humored. She’d watch him paint and tease him by saying, “You missed a shadow over there.” The process of producing a single map for a resort could sometimes take years, said Niehues, but if they got right to it, the fastest a map could be produced would be about two months.

He starts by looking at photographs or Google Earth, sometimes taking aerial photographs himself from a tiny airplane, and uses those for the initial sketches, which he sends to the resort for approval. This approval process may take months, especially if there are setbacks or budget cuts. Once the sketch is approved, however, it will take him about three weeks to paint the sketch onto the 40”x30” artboard. Unlike Shelton and Brown, who would sometimes block in whole areas of trees with sponges, Niehues paints each one. During the mid 1990s, when there were thousands of trees to be painted, he experimented with a bouncy-baby-seat-turnedarm-sling to hold his arm up during this process of painstakingly painting each tree. When asked if there was another artist banging down his door, ready to bear the torch of ski map illustration, he said yes, of course. An illustrator from Montana, Rad Smith (RADSMITHILLUSTRATION.COM), came to him in 2015. “He’s got

a different style, as he should. He knows his computers, but he couldn’t quite get the detail he wanted on the computer and GIS, so he’s been working with me on how to do it by hand,” Niehues said. James’ biggest fear in doing book signings, his wife told me, was that he’d be standing around twiddling his thumbs.

Quite the contrary. “The dude’s a legend!” Dave Amirault tells me, who’s been working in the ski industry for over 20 years now, most recently as the marketing director of Snowbird. Snowbird still uses the map that Niehues first painted for them in the ’80s. While so much of ski resort marketing has changed, as it now relies on digital databases and targeting, the map art largely stays the same, an incredibly important backdrop to all of their marketing efforts. They prefer the hand-painted style to the digital. Niehues’ style, now “heritage,” is familiar to many skiers, says Amirault. “It might be a new place you’re going to, but if Jim did the map, it just feels like home.” ◆ The Man Behind the Maps, by James Niehues. Publisher: Open Road Ski Co. $90, hardback. WWW.JAMESNIEHUES.COM

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20 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

December 2019

COMMUNITY

Paradise vs. a parking lot We often don’t know what we’ve got till it’s gone BY JAMES LOOMIS

he history of Salt Lake City is one of selfreliance, community and agriculture. When the Mormon pioneers first arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, they quickly went to work building their very own “Zion.” Taking advantage of the rich soils and fertile grasslands on the eastern side of the valley, early Salt Lake City’s residents produced nearly everything they consumed. Adopting the irrigation strategies of the natives they displaced, it was a famously hardworking commu-

nity rooted in agriculture. This celebration of hardworking self-reliance was evidenced by the adoption of a traditional bee skep as the symbol of this culture, which later became the “Beehive State.” Early church patriarch Brigham Young stated, “What is the duty of a Latter Day Saint? To do all the good he can upon the earth.” As the story so often goes, over time agriculture gave way to “progress,” and this religious movement rooted in land-based

self-sufficiency was eventually replaced by recommendations to hoard a two-year supply of canned food under the stairs instead. But not everyone yielded to this compromise: In green spaces scattered throughout the city, many modern residents of Salt Lake still hold true to the early Latter Day Saint vision of building community, and participating in creation, through the growing of one’s own food in a community garden.

“With the local population growing, and development increasing, such spaces should be treasured as highly valued centerpieces of our community. Once lost, spaces like this one are not easily restored. Fantastic parking lots do not improve our community, but this garden does. This land has been cherished and cared for by gardeners for decades. This garden is unique, special, and practically important. Losing this garden would be a major loss for our community and the people who love it.” — Wynn Shooter, gardener A hidden gem One of the largest and historically significant community gardens is the Outreach Garden, or “The Big Garden,” located on a two-and-a-half acre open space owned by and adjacent to the LDS 33rd ward on 1100 East, between 400 and 500 South. For over four decades, the church has generously offered up the space for gardeners of all walks of life to grow both food and community. The garden hosts over 40 large community garden plots, 12 beehives, 23 chickens, and orchard trees. It also serves as a critical venue for social interaction, both for members of the LDS Church and their non-member neighbors. “Working at the garden allowed us to meet and get acquainted with people in our community, people with different backgrounds, nationalities and social groups, including ward

members,” said Tina, a community gardener.. “We have since enjoyed every opportunity we can find to wander up into the peaceful refuge of the garden to check on the chickens or pull a few weeds. The garden is a gem in the city. It has helped tremendously in our transition to a new place and adds purpose, camaraderie, and beauty to our lives,” The garden also serves as a key piece of open space for nonhuman residents to enjoy as well. Countless pollinators and other beneficial insects, hawks, hummingbirds, owls and other birds, deer and other wildlife regularly share the property.

Notice to vacate One morning at the end of October the gardeners arrived to find a posted notice from the LDS Church informing them they had until the end of December to vacate their garden of Eden, after which point the garden will be shaved, paved, and become a parking lot and pavilion. The church announced plans to reorganize where different wards, or congregations of members, would meet. This has necessitated an increase in the amount of parking needed to accommodate the increase in members meeting at the 33rd ward. “It’s tragic. Unfortunately, agriculture and community gardens are viewed as placeholders until ‘real’ development can take place,” says Ashley Patterson, executive director of Wasatch Community Gardens. Understandably, this decision by the LDS Church has come as quite a blow to the residents of the area. “I thought I had found a little patch of peace of mind, and sanity, and growing things within walking distance of my home,” says Dan Lutton, who has gardened there for 10 years. “Oh well—like Joni Mitchell sang 50 years ago—you don’t know what you’ve got/till it’s gone/pave paradise/put up a parking lot.”

Many residents of the area are baffled, as replacing an important community gathering place with a parking lot that will sit empty most of the week just doesn’t make sense to them. Some members of the 33rd ward are also struggling to understand the church’s decision, which is at odds with church doctrine: The earth and all things on it should be used responsibly to sustain the human family. However, all are stewards—not owners—over this earth and its bounty and will be accountable before God for what they do with His creations. Approaches to the environment must be prudent, realistic, balanced and consistent with the needs of the earth and of current and future generations, rather than pursuing the immediate vindication of personal desires or avowed

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22 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

December 2019

rights. The earth and all life upon it are much more than items to be consumed or conserved. God intends His creations to be aesthetically pleasing to enliven the mind and spirit, and some portions are to be preserved. Making the earth ugly offends Him. Prudent, realistic, balanced, and consistent with the needs of the earth are four things another parking lot are not. Wynn Shooter, a gardener on the site, had this to say. “With the local population growing, and development increasing, such spaces should be treasured as highly valued centerpieces of our community. Once lost, spaces like this one are not easily restored. Fantastic parking lots do not improve our community, but this garden does. This land has been cherished and cared for by gardeners for decades. This garden is unique, special, and practically important. Losing this garden would be a major loss for our community and the people who love it.”

Is there salvation? As gardeners and members of the community search for a way to save their garden, they approach the situation from a position of gratitude. “We feel so fortunate that the 33rd Ward and LDS church have been so generous with their land,” said Sandra Phillips. “It is such a special place for gardeners, wildlife, birds, owls, chickens, local kids, bees, ward members, neighbors, and the surrounding community.

Continued:

PARADISE VS. A PARKING LOT

We so hope the LDS Church will reconsider its devastating plans for this beloved space.” At a Community Council meeting on November 21, residents and leaders from the church met to try and find a way to save the community’s sacred place. The meeting was heated at times, and many alternatives were offered up for the church leadership to consider. Encouraging residents to walk to church, since most LDS churches are placed strategically within the immediate neighborhood of its members, was an immediate and obvious solution. There is also another grassy area on the church grounds which could be paved to provide more parking, or to even rethink how the wards are being reorganized so that only two wards would meet at this building. Larger events could be moved to the U campus ward building, and there was even discussion about the possibility of building a parking garage which could house a replacement community garden on its roof. During the meeting, Patrick Risk, planning manager for the LDS Church in Utah and candidate for 3rd District City Council in South Jordan, stated that the church does not “dictate” whether or not its members should walk. Indeed, with the consolidation of the wards, more people will be traveling out of their neighborhoods to attend church. I reached out to Risk for this article, and received this response from Irene Caso, the LDS

Church’s media relations manager, “We express our appreciation to all those who attended the East Central Community Council meeting on Thursday, November 21st to ask questions and provide feedback on the Church’s plans to house an additional ward in this building – and the subsequent need for expanded parking. We are drafting responses to all who submitted comment cards. We are grateful for the productive dialogue that has been facilitated by the East Central Community Council, and we will be gathering additional feedback in the weeks to come.” The church has also agreed to postpone their date for clearing out the garden from the end of December to sometime in March. Gardener Sarah Dyer sums up her feelings, “Losing this garden feels like an enormous personal loss, but it also feels like a loss for the greater Salt Lake City community—there’s not another garden like it here; for the neighborhood—it is beautiful to see how happy the neighborhood kids are when they come to visit the chickens or play in the bamboo grove; for the animals that rely on this space for their survival—it’s a regular stomping ground for deer, hawks and owls; for our small ragtag community—this garden contributes to the well-being, food security, and health of many; and for the church itself. There are several church members among our community and families frequently spend time in the garden after church. “I felt a sense of ineffable gratitude and joy the first time I set foot in the garden, and I continue to feel it every time I visit. I’m profoundly grateful for the time I have spent in the space, and I hope this year won’t be my final season there.” ◆ James Loomis is a full-time urban farmer, educator and permaculture hooligan.

f you would like to become involved in helping to find a way to save this garden, please call or send comments to East Side City Council members:

Chris Wharton, District 3 CHRIS.WHARTON@SLCGOV.COM/ 801.535.7726 Ana Valdemoros, District 4 ANA.VALDEMOROS@SLCGOV.COM/ 801.535.7782 Erin Mendenhall, District 5 ERIN.MENDENHALL@SLCGOV.COM/ 801.535.7786 And the Mayors office: Jackie Biskupski MAYOR@SLCGOV.COM 801.535.7704

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24 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

December 2019

PROSE GARDEN

The campground

BY BENJAMIN BOMBARD

hen I show up at her trailer, Nicole’s dogs are in attack mode, barking murderously and threatening to break their chains. They’re tied up to a tall metal pole in the dirt plot that passes for the front yard. One is an enormous pit bull with a head like a battering ram. The other is a Dalmatian with skin so saggy the dog appears to be melting. Both of them still have their testicles. “Gus’ll hump anything in sight,” Nicole says, coming out from the trailer and looking down at the Dalmatian. The double-wide is fronted by a long deck made of two-by-fours painted the shades of the rainbow, only the colors are out of order so the place looks more like a carnival than a castle in the sky. She lights a cigarette and stands half-in/half-out of the door, with one foot on a green slat gone greyish-brown from her long hours spent looking off at nothing, polishing the wood with one foot.

“Damn dog’s 13 years old, and still horny as a son-of-a-bitch.” Now that she’s here, the dogs are quiet, and so is the campground. It’s home to a small number of permanent residents, namely, three: Nicole and her two sons. She and I talk for a while— about the trailer park, about Ricky, about why she thinks the newspaper I write for should cover her and Ricky’s dispute; she doesn’t say much about herself—and then Axel, her youngest, is dropped off from middle school by a yellow bus that stops in the church parking lot on the other side of the campground’s fence. He slips through a hole in the chain link and strolls over to the trailer. He walks coolly, on his own time, across the dirt, gives Gus a pat on the head. He sits down on the edge of the deck, pulls out a pocket knife, and starts shucking at the tip of a stick. “What you doin’ there?” his mother asks. “I’m whittlin’,” says the boy.

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“Here—feel the tip. Ain’t it sharp?” “He likes to whittle. I could probably worry about it. He’ll probably cut himself someday, but boys is boys.” “I cut myself last week. Right here on my thumb.” H e scrutinizes his thumb, sucks at it a little, looks at it again, and keeps whittling. “I’m gonna make this stick so sharp it’ll be like an arrow,” he says. The campground hosts periodic RV families and Airstream-brand motorhome enthusiasts, a trio of whom are camped a hundred yards back, behind the copse of pines that shelters Nicole’s family’s own disheveled trailer. The Airstream set enjoys the snoozy

nostalgia of the place. They mostly keep to themselves. High, slender pines canopy most of the campground. A hedgerow along the western border serves as a windbreak against the stern winds that flash down a nearby ridgeline. The winds buffet and toss the hedgerows. They sway the pines and whistle through the evergreen needles. Nicole reaches up at something on the trailer’s interior wall and pulls out a framed photo. “This is a picture of me and Ricky. It was there at the pole.” In the picture, she and Ricky are standing in the foreground, dressed in black hoodies. The highway slides away behind them and vanishes between the burnished hills. Neither one of them is smiling. Their eyes are cold and sable. They are close, but they are not touching.

Ricky’s father was an original Hell’s Angel. Did security for the Grateful Dead. He roared like his Harley. Once, he bit off a man’s pinky in a bar fight. He ran on fulloctane and whiskey, but swore off hard drugs after crashing his bike through the plate-glass façade of an all-night diner, mistaking the patrons inside for seraphim guarding the gates of heaven. No saint would marry a hardcore biker, and Ricky’s mother was haunted by her own demons. She was a cocaine addict with a venomous mouth that wouldn’t quit, and Ricky grew accustomed to the sight of her lying in a fully reclined vinyl beach chair in the backyard, a steak over each eye. Dad disappeared when he was young. His momma, he loves her, gives her hugs and kisses. Nicole and Ricky met at the Pine Cone Café, where she waitressed and he was the busser. She liked how hardworking he was. He was so polite to the café’s regulars, the old timers. She liked his tattoo—a vulture fighting an angel on his left arm. She wanted to be hisangel. They fell in love and he moved into the trailer with her and the boys. Things went good for a while, but then Ricky started swinging and cussing at the children, so she kicked him out. She says he took some of her things when he left. That’s what the story should be about. “I just want Ricky to give me my stuff back, that’s all.” “Here—feel the tip of this.” We all look at the stick’s pointy end. It could pierce. It could draw blood. “He’s gonna cut himself, I just know it.” ◆ Benjamin Bombard is a producer of Radio West on KUER, a freelance writer and a former newspaper reporter.

GOOD NIGHT!

Insomniac finds sleep Learning to trust the wisdom of the body BY ALICE TOLER

surreal landscapes beyond description. I have decades worth of dream journals. It’s just that eventually I realized that vivid dreaming was another intellectual distraction from true healing rest, the kind of sleep that’s death’s sibling: dark, flat, absolute oblivion. Jaguars can, however, be courted and tamed…and if you’ve got patience and the right touch, they can even be trained. But here you are: you’re stressed out, so you can’t sleep. Worrying about not sleeping stresses you out more, and makes you even less able to sleep. Intellectual distraction may soothe your mind a little, but the body keeps the score. You may think you’re OK, but your endocrine system knows otherwise. How do you stop closing the loop?

Yoga nidra death is the surname of sleep but the surname unknown to us sleep is the daily end of life a small exercise in death which is its sister but not every brother and sister are equally close Peter Murphy,“Shy,”from the album Deep (1989)

leep was always a kind of wild animal to me. A jaguar, something to be in awe of, but also to run from; something that might eat my head on a sudden whim. Threeyear-old me, often too scared to sleep. Six-year-old me, discovering that intellectual distraction eases the fear—I was gifted a secondhand record player, and instead of lying terrified in bed I’d get up and listen to my secondhand vinyls of Danny Kaye and Mary Poppins. When my mother came to tell me to go back to sleep, I discovered that if I turned the volume completely off and put my ear next to the needle as it glided over the grooves, I could still hear Danny whispering the wonderful story of Clever Gretel to me, over and over again. Teenage me, in boarding school, with night owl roommates. If disturbed, I started to talk in my sleep, with lapses of memory and confus-

ing (and sometimes amusing) consequences. In my early 20s, utter inability to sleep told me it was time to leave my then-husband. I’d go to bed at night collapsed in fear, wondering if I’d wake up in the morning or if he’d smother me where I lay. I dreamed—or had nightmares— with my eyes open, bedroom furniture turning into monsters.

Biphasic sleep Even after I’d found more safety in my life in my 30s, sleep was still a nightly wrestling match. Then, in my late 30s I read about the concept of biphasic sleep. In every age before the Industrial, humans have had a tendency to wake in the night, be up for a little while, and then return to sleep. Especially in winter, there’s just too much dark to stay unconscious for all that time. I took this as an excuse for my insomnia—I quit wrestling and submitted to wakefulness, spending an hour or two in the middle of the night on social media with my laptop. Friends asked me, incredulously, if I ever slept. The problem with this biphasic sleep excuse is that, back in the year 1300, humans didn’t have glowing

screens messing with their melatonin levels. What went on in their heads, I don’t know. But at least they were in the dark, maybe chatting or making love or eating a snack or at the most doing some some light chores or socializing. Candles were expensive.

The problem with this biphasic sleep excuse is that, back in the year 1300, humans didn’t have glowing screens messing with their melatonin levels. Years of this half-validated insomnia took a toll on my health. A little over two years ago it completely collapsed. I had to get serious about sleep. My survival was on the line. First I tried sleep medication, but that just made me agitated. Apparently it’s not easy to tranquilize a jaguar! I want to witness here that the jaguar also guided me into fantastic,

One answer: Give your mind a task that keeps it grounded in your body, and learn to trust your body. About 18 months ago I discovered body meditation, particularly yoga nidra (literally “sleep yoga”), and this has become one of the lynchpins of my health recovery in addition to no screen time at night and getting the hell off social media altogether. In yoga nidra, you concentrate your awareness on different body parts in a standard rotation. You shed stress instead of compounding it. It’s not a miracle cure for every episode of sleeplessness, but with consistent daily practice I’ve begun to be able to truly relax for the first time in my conscious life. I nap every day—the nidra siesta is sacred. I get to bed at a reasonable hour. If I’m sleepless at 4:00 a.m. I do a body meditation, and even if all I do is lie there feeling wakeful and exploring my body space I am still way more relaxed than I would be otherwise. I’m not out of the woods, but the trees are thinning, and I’m learning I can trust the jaguar. I can be unconscious and still be safe. She won’t eat my head—she guards me while I heal. ◆ Alice Toler is still an apprentice at sleeping, but she intends to become a master someday. You can listen to her personal yoga nidra script here: CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET/AUDIO/NIDRA.M4A

26 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET December, 2019

CATALYST COMMUNITY

CALENDAR

Get the full calendar online: CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET/COMMUNITY-CALENDAR/ Or sign up for the CATALYST Weekly Reader – updates every Thursday: HTTP://WWW.CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET/SUBSCRIBE-WEEKLY-READER/ Dec. 1: Wheeler Farm Holiday Market @ Wheeler Historic Farm. 9a-5p. Holiday arts, crafts and food market. Free. THEWHEELERFARM.COM

Featuring handmade gifts by dozens of Utah’s top artisans, vintage vendors and craft foodies. $5, kids free. CRAFTLAKECITY.COM

Dec. 2: Civil Talk: How to Make an Impact @ Hinckley Institute of Politics. 121p. This panel discussion identifies the various levels of government decisionmaking and how to best communicate with various types of elected officials. Free. HINCKLEY.UTAH.EDU

Dec. 7-8: Holiday Market @ UMFA. 9a5p. Eighteen local artisans will display and sell work including silk scarves, pottery, journals, fused glass, paintings and prints, books and more. UMFA.UTAH.EDU

Dec. 3: Utah Permaculture Collective Gift and Bake Sale @ Wasatch Commons Cohousing. 6-9p. Your support will help turn a lawn into a permaculture garden for a community member in need. FACEBOOK.COM/UTAHPERMACULTURECOLLECTIVE/ Dec. 3,10: Revision Toolbox @ SLCC Community Writing Center. 6-8p. Learn tools and techniques for cleaning up any piece of writing. Two-part workshop. Free with registration. SLCC.EDU/CWC/ Dec. 4: World AIDS Day / Day With(out) Art ’19 @ UMFA. 6-8p. Evening of reflection, resources, textile art-making and music to commemorate the ongoing impact of the AIDS epidemic on artists’ lives and our world today. Free. UMFA.UTAH.EDU Dec. 4: Frontiers of Science—The Evolution of Earth’s Carbon Cycle @ Aline W. Skaggs Biology Building. 6-7p. Stanford professor Kate Maher discusses the dramatic transitions between icehouse and greenhouse earths. Free. SCIENCE.UTAH.EDU

Dec. 7-8: Holiday Open House @ Red Butte Garden. 10a-5p. Annual open house and art fair. Enjoy free garden admission and while browsing handmade gifts for sale from 19 local artisans. REDBUTTEGARDEN.ORG

Dec. 7: Annual Elk Festival @ Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area. 10a2p. Management staff host their annual elk festival to kick off the start of the elk-viewing season. All festival activities are free with the exception of $5 horsedrawn carriage rides. WILDLIFE.UTAH.GOV Dec. 4: KRCL’s 40th Anniversary Concert @ The Union Event Center. 6-11p. Opportunity drawings, food trucks, cash bar. Live music from Joshy Soul & the Cool, Talia Keys & the Love, and Mokie. $40. KRCL.ORG Dec. 5: Local Artist Showcase @ Good Grammar. 7-10p. Monthly open mic night featuring five to seven local artists. Pre-register to perform. Free. 21+. GOODGRAMMAR.BAR Dec. 5, 12, 19: Mindfulness @ UMFA. 12p. Charlotte Bell leads slow and mindful looking at artwork as well as traditional, guided meditation. Free. UMFA.UTAH.EDU Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26: Exploring the Foundational Views and Practices of Buddhism @ Mindful Yoga Collective. 7p. Class designed around meditation master Chogyam Trungpa’s “The Path of Individual Liberation.” $10/class or $20/month. MINDFULYOGACOLLECTIVE.COM

Dec. 3: Utah Film Grad Showcase @ The City Library. 7-9p. Annual screening event showcasing the work of seniors from U of U, BYU and UVU. Free. UTAHFILMCENTER.ORG

Dec. 6: Holiday Party @ The King’s English Bookshop. 5:30-7p. Evening of books, hors d'oeuvres, mingling with local authors and 20% off all purchases. Free. KINGSENGLISH.COM Dec. 6: Within and Without Gallery

Stroll @ Urban Arts Gallery. 6-9p. Reception to Urban Arts’ December exhibit exploring the human experience with abstract and figurative work. Free. URBANARTSGALLERY.ORG Dec. 6-21: 36th Annual SLC Arts Council Holiday Craft Market @ Finch Lane Gallery. M-F 10a-6p, Sat. & Sun. 11a-5p. SALTLAKEARTS.ORG

Dec. 7, 14, 21: Weekly Rio Grande Winter Market @ Rio Grande Depot. 10a-2p. Shop for local produce and specialty products for the upcoming holiday season. . SLCFARMERSMARKET.ORG Dec. 7-22: Made in Utah Winter Fest @ The Gateway. 1p. Experience The Gateway's Winter Wonderland holiday light display while you shop locally from some of Utah’s top artists, musicians, artisans, product makers. Free. MADEINUTAHFEST.COM Dec. 8: Rod Decker Lecture - “Utah Pol-

Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27: Climate Strike @ Utah State Capitol. 9a-2p. Join FridaysForFuture every week to march for the climate. Dec. 6 is a Global Climate Strike, with protests happening around the world. Free. FRIDAYSFORFUTURE.ORG Dec. 7: Holiday Used Book Sale @ The City Library. 9a-6p. One-day used book sale featuring hand selected holiday books, DVDs, CDs, children’s items, crafting guides and cookbooks. Free. SLCPL.ORG Dec. 7: Not Yo Mama’s Holiday Market @ Utah Pride Center. 10a-6p. SAGE Utah and Clever Octopus host local artisans and vendors who will sell art, jewelry, photography, and more for under $100. Free. UTAHPRIDECENTER.ORG Dec. 7: First Annual Craft Lake City Holiday Market @ The Monarch. 11a-6p.

Dec. 11: The Land Of Plenty Book Launch @ Clubhouse. 5-7p. Carolynn Bottino hosts a celebration and release of her new book, “A soulpreneur’s guide to finding joy, possibility, and abundance through money empowerment.” Free. MONEYEMPOWERMENTPROJECT.COM

CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET 27 Dec. 11: Writing Circle Social @ Utah Sierra Club. 6-8p. Discuss current, pressing issues and craft letters to local papers and legislators at this monthly writing circle. Free. UTAH.SIERRACLUB.ORG Dec. 12: Studies in Urban Raptor Ecology Class @ HawkWatch International. 6-7:30p. Join HWI scientists to learn more about their studies in urban raptor ecology and what you can do to help participate in its success. Free with registration. HAWKWATCH.ORG Dec. 13: Sugar House Art Walk @ Sugar House. 6-9p. Enjoy an evening of art and music on this monthly art walk. Stay tuned for details. Free. FACEBOOK.COM/SUGARHOUSEARTWALK

Dec. 15, 29: Postcards for Democracy @ Amour Cafe. 2-4p. Gather in a relaxing environment every first and third Sunday afternoons to brainstorm with community members and write postcards to your members of congress. Free. SALTLAKEINDIVISIBLE.COM itics: The Elephant in the Room” @ Marriott Library. 3-4p. Rod Decker analyzes Utah’s early history from the fight for statehood to the evolution of Utah voters from Democrats to Republicans. Free. LIB.UTAH.EDU

JAN. 3-4 | 7:30 0 PM + 2PM SAT.

Dec. 10: Aquarela (film) @ The City Library. 7-9p. A deeply cinematic journey through the transformative beauty and raw power of water. Free. UTAHFILMCENTER.ORG

www w .r dtutah.or g

ROSE WA AGNER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Dec. 9: Brandi Carlile @ Vivint Smarthome Arena. 8p. The three-time

Grammy-winning singer and songwriter will perform her album, “By The Way, I Forgive You.” $33+. VIVINTARENA.COM

W orldpr emier e chor eog gr aphy by the R RD T dancerss and Ar tisticc Stafff. f.

3 6 T H

performance series featuring short works by local artists in many disciplines. Free. SLCPL.ORG Dec. 16: Community Bicycle Class @ Salt Lake Bicycle Collective. 6-7p. Come ask an expert mechanic about questions you have concerning your bike! Free. BICYCLECOLLECTIVE.ORG Dec. 17: Chulas Fronteras (film) @ The City Library. 7-9p. A joyus introduction to the music and cultures of the TexasMexican border. Free. UTAHFILMCENTER.ORG Dec. 17: Thievery Corporation @ Park City Live. 7:30-11:30p. w/ Natalia Clavier. 21+. $50-$100. ParkCityLive.net

Dec. 14: Dance Across the Valley @ Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. 11a. Repertory Dance Theatre's "Ring Around the Rose" brings together dancers of all ages from across the Salt Lake Valley. $6. RDTUTAH.ORG Dec. 14: Free Intro to Massage Workshop @ Healing Mountain Massage School. 10a-12p. Community class covering the basics of Swedish massage, the power of touch and why it's so critical to our wellbeing. Call (801) 355 6300 to reserve a spot. HEALINGMOUNTAIN.EDU Dec. 15: 12 Minutes Max @ The City Library. 2-3:30p. Monthly experimental

Dec. 12: The Bee // Holidaze @ Metro Music Hall. 6-10p. Enjoy a night of community storytelling. The theme of this month is Holidaze: stories of stressful celebrations, disastrous dinner parties, unfortunate family gatherings and holiday mishaps. $15. THEBEESLC.ORG

A N N U A L

DECEMBER 6-21, 2019 Market Hours: Monday-Friday: 10am-6pm S a t u r d a y -S u n d a y : 1 1 a m - 5 p m Finch Lane Gallery 1330 E. 100 S. Salt Lake City

www.saltlakearts.org

28 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET December, 2019 idea for an artwork that he lets others create. Free. UMFA.UTAH.EDU Dec. 22-29: Hanukkah Candle Lighting @ The Cliff Lodge, Snowbird. 5-11p. Hanukkah candles will be lit in traditional ceremony every evening at sundown. Guests are welcome to bring their menorahs. Free. SNOWBIRD.COM Dec. 17: Feed the Homeless @ Frida’s Bistro. 5:30p. Join The Burrito Project to roll burritos and then distribute them to the homeless. Free. BURRITOPROJECTSLC.WEBS.COM Dec. 18: $5 After 5pm @ NHMU. 5-9p. $5 admission. NHMU.UTAH.EDU Dec. 19: Homeless Persons’ Memorial Candlelight Vigil @ Pioneer Park. 5:306:30p. Remember and honor the 75 people experiencing homelessness who died in SLC in 2019. Free. FOURTHSTREETCLINIC.ORG Dec. 20: Trivia Night: Home for the Holidays @ The Leonardo. 6:30-9p. See how much you know about current events, science, pop culture, history, and more. Free with registration. THELEONARDO.ORG Dec. 21: Third Saturday for Families: Conceptual Art @ UMFA. 1-4p. Conceptual artist Sol LeWitt writes down an

Dec. 23: Fluidly Speaking Discussion @ Utah Pride Center. 7:30-9p. Monthly gathering to chat about our place in the community, drag culture, media representation and more. Free. UTAHPRIDECENTER.ORG Dec. 24: 6th Annual “What do Jews do on Xmas Eve” @ The New Golden Dragon. 6-9p. Join the United Jewish Federation of Utah during the second night of Hanukkah. Games and activities. $25. SHALOMUTAH.ORG Dec. 25: Art Jam @ Nostalgia Cafe. 6-8p. Community art meet-up where friendly chat/critique/praise is encouraged. Bring whatever mediums you want to create with. Free. MEETUP.COM/SLC-WEEKLY-ART-JAM/ Dec. 26: Berlin @ Metro Music Hall. 9p. Experience the hall transform into a Berlin dance club featuring techno from Huex, Jake Bergeson, Jesse Walker and Matthew Fit. $5. METROMUSICHALL.COM Dec. 27: PANDOS MMIWG Candlelight Vigil @ SLC Police Department. 5-6p.

Vigil for missing and murdered indigenous women and response to SLCPD silence. Free. PANDOS.ORG Dec. 27: Mokie @ The State Room. 8p. LocaL SLC jam band, playing tunes from The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers and Phish. $25. THESTATEROOMPRESENTS.COM Dec. 28: Birds in the Lab @ Natural History Museum of Utah. 12-2p. Observe live birds of prey up-close while experts explain how to identify common birds in your communities. Normal museum admission fee. NHMU.UTAH.EDU Dec. 28: Pixie & The Partygrass Boys @ The Depot. 7p. Local SLC bluegrass band, w/ openers the Sweet Lillies, female-fronted bluegrass band from Colorado, and Laney Lou & The Bird Dogs, high energy bluegrass band from Montana. 21+. $10. DEPOTSLC.COM Dec. 28: Syndicate Presents: The Abominable Snow Bunny Ball @ Soundwell. 9p. Themed-party featuring headlining performance from WHYT RBBT. $15. FACEBOOK.COM/SYNDICATE.SLC Dec. 29: Nordic Skiing @ Solitude. 10a. Day of cross-country skiing organized by SLC Downhill Enthusiasts. Free. MEETUP.COM/SLC-DOWNHILL-ENTHUSIASTS/ Dec. 30: Torchlight Parade @ Deer Valley Resort. 6p. Light and fire parade held on Big Stick ski run on Bald Eagle Mountain, behind Snow Park Lodge.

Dec. 25: Magic Show: Circus of the Strange @ Urban Arts Gallery. 7p. Ringmaster of Magic, Elias Caress hosts different shows/acts you will never see anywhere else. $10. URBANARTSGALLERY.ORG Complimentary hot cider and cookies. Free. DEERVALLEY.COM Dec. 31: Midnight Madness 5k @ Sugar House Park. 11p-2a. Race the clock to the finish to bring in the New Year right. Starts every 5 minutes from 11:15 to 11:40. $30. FACEBOOK.COM/MIDNIGHTMADNESS5K

THE BEE // STORYTELLING IN SLC D A N C E C L A S S E S F O R A D U LT S

DANCE ALL DAY FOR $10 JANUAR Y 4 | 9AM - 3PM ROSE WAGNER | 138 W 300 S

HIP HOP /// JAZZ // MOD O ERN F L A M E N C O // A F R I C A N B A L L E T /// B O L LY W O O D P R I M E M O V E M E N T ( 4 0 +)

www.RDTutah.o u org

EXTRA! EXTRA! DEC 23 @ METRO MUSIC HALL We’re doing something a little extra this season! At this evening of community storytelling, we’ll be featuring a selection of beloved storytellers from past shows, sharing new true stories! 6PM DOORS, 7PM STORIES // $25 TICKETS ON SALE DEC 9 // 21+

THEBEESLC.ORG

The U.S. incarcerates more people than any nation in the world, including China…. In 2016, the Brennan Center examined convictions and sentences for the 1.46 million people behind bars nationally and found that fully 39%, or 576,000, were in prison without any public safety reason and could have been punished in a less costly and damaging way (such as community service). —The Brennan Center for Justice (inspired by U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr.'s devotion to core democratic freedoms)

hen people first hear about the idea of prison abolition, their first response is often fear. “But what would we do about this person, or that person? What about those types of people?” they ask. Misunderstandings of how prisons and the police operate often lead us to believe they are the bedrock of safety and order. The system has become so normalized that we rarely use our imagination to envision alternatives. What might our world look like without them? Imagination is a dynamic activity, which constantly needs to be exercised. Prison abolitionists use this as a tool to propose different ways of interacting with others in the world. When we rely on the prison system to keep functioning as is, we fail to use the full capacity of our imagination. There’s no telling whether abolition will happen in our lifetime, but many of us see it as a horizon to keep working toward. The abolitionists before the Civil War may never have thought they would see an end to chattel slavery in their lifetime, yet that didn’t stop them from constantly being engaged in that work. So what would Utah look like if we had no prisons, no jails, not even police? First let’s look at where we are today. Prisons take a “one-size fits all” approach, placing people out of sight and out of mind. We presume this isolation promotes public safety or even rehabilitation. This fails to address the needs not only of the victim of a crime, but of the family or friends of the person who is locked away. Further, when you are put on trial, you are encouraged to remain silent or deny any wrongdoing to evade prosecution. Our approach to wrongdoings is essentially, “who did this, and how can we punish them?” To shift out of that mindset, we could instead ask ourselves, “Who created this hurt, and what kind of obligations evolve from that?” Instead of seeking vengeance and punishment when a wrongdoing occurs, we could be grappling with questions about how we can repair harm, and what or who needs to be involved in that. We could re-examine what keeps us safe and encour-

MODERNDAY ABOLITIONIST

Just imagine....

What would Utah look like without prisons? BY BRINLEY FROELICH age growth to those things that create community and interpersonal harmony. We could almost completely eliminate what we consider to be crimes today by meeting people’s needs. In order to promote healing communities, we must also reconsider the language we use when we throw out words like “crime” and “criminals.” These labels are often used in a way that excludes people from our community. Before we can transform our framework, we must recognize that violence exists, everyone is capable of harm, and through accountable community work, we can resolve that through a variety of methods that meet the specific needs of each situation.

When one is put on trial, one is encouraged to remain silent or deny any wrongdoing to evade prosecution. Instead of seeking vengeance and punishment when a wrongdoing occurs, we could be grappling with questions about how we can repair harm. Utah without prisons, then, would look completely different from how we see it today. Here’s what I imagine. Reciprocity, rather than self-interest, is a primary motivator of actions. In general, our culture would shift from only looking out for our own to caring about everyone in our community. This kind of community would be inclusive and celebratory of differences. It would be the kind of community that recognizes that everyone is capable of harm, and it would be comfortable processing the ambiguity of different circum-

stances where harm is happening. Quality healthcare, with preventive healthcare as a priority, would be accessible to everyone at no charge. Relationship skills classes would be taught in public schools, and therapy would be offered even to those who think they don’t need it. With drug use decriminalized, people who choose to use drugs would not have to suffer from social stigma on top of the potential effects of addiction. Utahns could enjoy being in a place where everyone has a living wage. College, trade schools and universities would be free, with everyone encouraged to attend at any age. All debt would be eliminated. Food and shelter would be a right afforded to everyone. Caretaking roles would be recognized economically as valuable to the community. Teachers and social workers would be paid significantly more, and domestic work would be seen as a necessity in this society. These kinds of careers would have economic and cultural incentives to encourage people to join their ranks. I imagine every block in Utah with a community garden to encourage this shift out of isolation. I imagine these gardens as centers of creative participation. Think of the games, concerts, unions, classes, showers, funerals, or weekly dinners that could take place in these gardens. During the winter, a yurt or simple structure could cover the dormant soil, while neighbors could plan their plots together for the next season. You might be wondering how we would pay for all of this. Consider that the prison relocation in Utah has a budget exceeding over $1 billion, and extra funding for the police during Operation Rio Grande cost around $67 million. This doesn’t even cover the day-to-day operations of the police, jails, courts or prisons. The problem is not where the money would come from. The problem is our lack of imagination and willpower to assert that we have the tools to keep ourselves safe, and that we can determine the outcome of our own lives. ◆ Brinley Froelichis the co-founder of Decarcerate Utah. She is also a writer, yoga instructor and embroidery artist.

30 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

YOGA

December 2019

Human hibernation Yogic help for deeper sleep

ight now, much of the world is sleeping. Creatures such as bears, marmots, bats and bees hibernate. Reptiles fall into a state of sluggishness and inactivity called “brumation.” According to Peter Wholleben, author of the book The Hidden Life of Trees, even trees fall into slumber. Letting their leaves lose their green, and then dropping them altogether, allows them to sleep the cold, dark days away. What do we humans do? In Western cultures at least, we ramp it up. While the rest of the world goes quiet, we spend December shopping, socializing, attending holiday programs and consuming vast amounts of stimulating fare. Some of us travel to see family, a pursuit that can be either edifying or exhausting. It’s true that holiday gatherings can be fun. It’s gratifying to give. It’s pleasing to spend time with dear ones. But at a time of year when our bodies and minds want to turn inward, the extra stimulation runs counter to our natural inclination. The unusual amount of activity can interfere with our ability to sleep deeply. Sugar and alcohol interfere with blood sugar levels. The decibel levels at parties can jangle the nervous system. Often we stay up later than usual. All these factors can lead to lowquality sleep.

Yoga tools to promote sleep Fortunately, we all possess the tools to slow down. First and foremost, we all breathe. Like all autonomic functions, we breathe all day long without having to tell our bodies to do it. But breathing is the only autonomic function that we can control. When we slow the breath, the rest of the nervous system follows suit. We can slow our heart rate intentionally through a process called “sinus arrhythmia.” When we inhale, the heart beats faster; when we exhale, the heart rate slows. So by lengthening our exhalations, we can slow the heart rate. This can potentially lower our blood pressure and help us calm our over-stimulated nervous systems. Another tool we have at our disposal is called the “baroreflex.” Wikipedia describes it like this: “The baroreflex provides a rapid negative feedback loop in which an elevated blood pressure reflexively causes the heart rate to de-

BY CHARLOTTE BELL

1. Gather together a yoga bolster (or two firm blankets) and an additional blanket. If you have a yoga sandbag, eye pillow and/or strap, you can use these as well. 2. Place a bolster, or a stack of a couple blankets folded in the shape of a bolster, parallel to and about four to six inches from a wall.

3. Fold another blanket into a bolster size and crease and also causes blood pressure to place it perpendicular to your bolster so that decrease.” it forms a “T” shape. According to longtime yoga teacher and 4. Sit sideways on the end of the bolster with sleep scientist Roger Cole, we can activate the your right side facing the wall. Then roll onto baroreflex by practicing certain yoga poses. Acyour back, swinging your legs up the wall. tivating the baroreflex not only decreases blood pressure, but it also suppresses the sym- 5. Adjust your position so that your buttocks are off the bolster, but your sacrum is fully suppathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system. This ported. Check to see if your “lake” is horizontal. can help us calm an over-stimulated bodyIf you feel your weight collapsing down into mind, and promote deeper your shoulders, move your hips slightly tosleep. ward the wall. If you feel that your buttocks One of the most efare collapsing off the edge of the bolster, fective poses for move slightly back away from the wall. stimulating the baroreflex is Viparita 6. Your shoulders and head should be resting on Karani. This pose the folded blanket. places the heart 7. Relax here for five to 20 minutes. If at any slightly above the point you feel a need to lower your legs, bend head and puts the your knees and place your legs in a crossneck in a flexed posilegged position. tion, stimulating the 8. To leave the pose, gently roll to your baroreflex. That is why side and relax for a few breaths before Viparita Karani is considmoving to a sitting position. ered to be the “mother” of all restorative poses Modifications for inducing sleep. Often called “Legs The photo shows Up the Wall,” the extra props you pose’s Sanskrit name can use to make actually means the pose even “clear lake.” In the more relaxing, pose the “lake” but you need refers to the abnot use a strap, domen, the entire sandbag or eye area from the botpillow in order tom of the sternum to benefit. If the to the pubic bones. back arch is too When that lake is horizonmuch, you can substital, we can rest easily in the tute a folded blanket for the photo by Roz Newmark pose. If the lake is spilling toward bolster, or even simply lie flat on the head, there will be agitation, both in the the floor with your legs up the wall. lake and in our nervous systems. Sleep is the healing antidote for holiday hyperactivity. Fortunately, we all have the tools to How to practice make satisfying sleep more accessible. Even Viparita Karani five minutes of Viparita Karani, coupled with Viparita Karani is an inversion. While it is long, relaxing exhalations can shift us into temmild, all the usual contraindications still apply. porary hibernation. ◆ If you have unregulated high blood pressure, glaucoma, detached retina or are on your menstrual period, practice lying flat on the floor with your legs on a chair.

Charlotte Bell has been practicing yoga since 1982. She is the author of several yoga-related books including, most recently, Hip Healthy Asana, and founder of Mindful Yoga Collective in Salt Lake City. CHARLOTTEBELLYOGA.COM/

December 2019

CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

COMMUNITY Resource Directory

Psychotherapy and Personal Growth • Abode • Bodywork •Movement Sport • Intuitive Sciences • Health • Spiritual Practice • Psychic Arts ABODE AUTOMOTIVE Schneider Auto Karosserie 8/20

801.484.9400, f 801.484.6623, 1180 S 400 W, SLC. Utah’s first green body shop. Making customers happy since 1984! We are a friendly, full-service collision repair shop in SLC. Your satisfaction is our goal. We’ll act as your advocate with your insurance company to ensure proper repairs and give you a lifetime warranty. WWW.SCHNEIDER AUTO.NET

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, ORGANIZATION Ann Larsen Residential Design DA 10/20 801.604.3721. Specializing in historically sensitive design solutions and adding charm to the ordinary. HOUSEWORKS4@YAHOO.COM

GREEN PRODUCTS Underfoot Floors DA 11/19

801.467.6636, 1900 S 300 W, SLC. We offer innovative & earth friendly floors including bamboo, cork, marmoleum, hardwoods, natural fiber carpets as well as sand and finishing hardwood. Free in-home estimates. Please visit our showroom. KE@UNDERFOOTFLOORS.COM WWW.UNDERFOOTFLOORS.NET

HOUSING Urban Utah Homes & Estates DA 9/20

801.595.8824, 380 W 200 S, #101, SLC. Founded in 2001 by Babs De Lay. WWW.URBANUTAH.COM

DINING Coffee Garden DA

801.355.3425, 900 E 900 S and 254 S. Main, SLC. High-end espresso, delectable pastries & desserts. Great places to people watch. M-Thur 6a-11p; Fri 6a-12p, Sat 7a-12p, Sun 7a-11p. Wifi.

Oasis Cafe DA 11/20

801.322.0404,151 S 500 E, SLC. A refreshing retreat in the heart of the city, Oasis Cafe provides a true sanctuary of spectacular spaces: the beautiful flower-laden patio, the private covered breezeway or the casual style dining room. Authentic American cafe-style cuisine plus full bar, craft beers, wine list and more. WWW.OASISC AFESLC.COM

HEALTH & BODYWORK ACUPUNCTURE Alethea Healing Acupuncture11/19

801.988.5898, 2180 E 4500 S, Ste 210L, Holladay. Relief from acute and chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD. Balance digestive, respiratory, hormonal and reproductive systems. Enhance focus, energy and

concentration. Offering acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion and nutrition guidance. Standard Process Provider. Enhance your winter performance! Winter hours include weekends. www.ALETHEAHEALINGACUPUNCTURE.COM

Keith Stevens Acupuncture 3/20 801.255.7016, 209.617.7379 (c). Dr.

Keith Stevens, OMD, now located at 870 E 9400 S, Ste. 110 (South Park Medical Complex). Specializing in chronic pain treatment, stress-related insomnia, fatigue, headaches, sports medicine, traumatic injury and postoperative recovery. Board-certified for hep-c treatment. National Acupuncture Detox Association (NADA)-certified for treatment of addiction. Women’s health, menopausal syndromes. www.STEVENSACUCLINIC.COM

SLC Qi Community Acupuncture 12/19

sliding scale (you decide), plus $15 intake fee for first visit. We're a nonprofit acupuncture clinic located in the heart of the Salt Lake valley. Open seven days a week. INFO@WASATCHACUPUNTURE.ORG WWW.WASATCH ACUPUNCTURE . ORG

APOTHECARY Natural Law Apothecary 12/19

801.613.2128. 619 S 600 W Salt Lake's premier herbal medicine shop featuring 100+ organic/wild-harvested herbs available in any amount. Specializing in custom, small batch tinctures, salves, green drink and teas. Also features a knowledge center with books, classes & consultation on herbs, bees, massage/bodywork wellness and more! www.NATURALLAWAPOTHECARY.COM

801.521.3337, 242 S 400 E Suite B, SLC. Affordable Acupuncture! Sliding scale rates ($20-40). Open weekends. Grab a recliner and relax in a safe, comfortable, and healing space. We help with pain, fertility, digestion, allergies, arthritis, sleep and stress disorders, cardiac/respiratory conditions, metabolism & more. WWW.SLCQ I .COM

ENERGY HEALING Abi J. Bateman, Reiki Master/Teacher

Wasatch Community Acupuncture12/19

ABIJBATEMAN@GMAIL.COM8/20

801.364.9272, 470 E 3900 S, Ste 103, SLC. Effective, low-cost relief for pain, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, and many other ailments. $15-$40

801.859.2513. Body-mind-spirit-connection. Abi has over seven years experience helping her clients achieve deep relaxation, which taps into the body’s natural healing process. Trained in traditional Usui and Holy Fire Reiki, and the healing use of crystals and minerals. Reiki - good for life!

Cynthia Boshard, Reiki Master12/19

801.554.3053. Center for Enhanced Wellness, 2627 E Parleys Way. Calm,

COMMUNITY

balance, relieve stress, and support your body’s natural abilities to heal. Cynthia has 12 years experience in Usui System of Natural Healing. Intuitive aura readings also offered—all to support improved health and wellbeing. REIKISLC.COM

Kristen Dalzen, LMT 12/19

801.661.3896, Turiya’s, 1569 S 1100 E, SLC. IGNITE YOUR DIVINE SPARK! Traditional Usui Reiki Master Teacher practicing in SLC since 1996. Offering a dynamic array of healing services and classes designed to create a balanced, expansive and vivacious life. WWW.T URIYAS . COM

INSTRUCTION “Energy Codes” Certified Master Trainer, Kathleen A. Bratcher, LMT12/19

801.879.6924. 1555 E Stratford Ave, STE 400, SLC. Embodiment exercises, meditations and principles from Dr. Sue Morter’s book, The Energy Codes, #1 L.A. Times Bestseller. Awaken health potential—grounded in energy medicine, neurobiology, and quantum physics—through EC teachings & exercises. Classes & private sessions available. Community on Facebook at Energy Codes Utah. AFKB @ MSN . COM

MASSAGE

Agua Alma Aquatic Bodywork 5/20 801.891.5695. Mary Cain, LMT, YA

500, MS Psychology. Relax in a warm pool supported by floats, explore the transformative balancing potential of water massage, likened to Watsu. Enjoy table massage using Transformational Neuromuscular technique, hot stones, Reiki and Yoga. We will find the right bodywork blend to meet your specific needs. Wellness coaching, excellent references. www.FROMSOURCE TOSOURCE.COM

Healing Mountain Massage School 12/19 801.355.6300, 363 S 500 E, Ste. 210, SLC. www.HEALINGMOUNTAINSPA.COM

M.D. PHYSICIANS Todd Mangum, MD, Web of Life Wellness Center 801.531.8340, 34 S 500 E, #103,

SLC. Integrative Family Practitioner utilizing functional medicine for treatment of conditions such as: fatigue, fibro-myalgia, digestion, adrenals, hormones, and more. Dr. Mangum recommends diet, supplementation, HRT and other natural remedies in promoting a health-conscious lifestyle. WWW.WEBOFLIFEWC.COM, THEPEOPLE@WEBOFLIFEWC.COM 2/20

R E S O U R C E DIREC TORY

NUTRITION Teri Underwood RD, MS, CD, IFMCP 8/20

801-831-6967. Registered Dietitian/Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner. Food-based, individualized diet plans, high-quality nutrition supplements, and counseling. Digestion, Diabetes, Vegans, Cardio-Metabolic, Autoimmune, Cancer, Cognitive Decline, Food Intolerance, Fatigue, Weight Loss, Thyroid, Chronic Health Problems, Preventive Health. TERI@SUSTAINABLEDIETS.COM

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION Open Hand Bodywork DA

801.694.4086, Dan Schmidt, GCFP, LMT. 244 W 700 S, SLC. WWW.OPENHANDSLC.COM

YOGA THERAPY Dana Levy, C-IAYT, M.A. 4/20 419.309.1190. A Certified Yoga Thera-

pist (C-IAYT), Dana works through the body, supporting clients with a variety of issues to develop greater awareness of patterns, more effective coping skills, and improved health using not only tools of yoga and meditation, but also modern somatic and embodiment practices. DANA@DANALEVYYOGA.COM www.DANALEVYYOGA.COM

MISCELLANEOUS ACCOUNTING/BOOKKEEPING Bonnie Moore 301.875.3739. Experi-

enced, knowledgeable accountant in SLC can set up and manage your bookkeeping on Quickbooks on monthly or quarterly basis. Your office or mine, or remote. SFBMOORE@AOL.COM1/20

ENTERTAINMENT 12/19 Utah Film Center 801.746.7000, 122

Main St, SLC.WWW.UTAHFILMCENTER.ORG

LEGAL ASSISTANCE Schumann Law, Penniann J. Schumann, J.D., LL.M 3/20 DA 801.631.7811. Whether you are planning for your own future protection and management, or you are planning for your family, friends, or charitable causes, Penniann Schumann can assist you with creating and implementating a plan to meet those goals. WWW.ESTATEPLANNINGFORUTAH.COM

MEDIA KRCL 90.9FM DA 801.363.1818, 1971 N Temple, SLC. WWW.KRCL.ORGDA

SPACE FOR RENT Space available at Center for Transpersonal Therapy 3/20

801.596.0147 x41, 5801 S Fashion Blvd., Ste. 250, Murray. Two large plush spaces available for rent by the hour, day or for weekend use. Pillows, yoga chairs, regular chairs and kichenette area included. Size: 395 sq. ft./530 sq. ft. WWW.CTTSLC.COM, THECENTER@CTTSLC.COM

VOICE COACH Stacey Cole 12/19

801.808.9249. Voice training for singing, speaking, and accent modification. Individual and group sessions with Stacey Cole, licensed speechlanguage pathologist and Fitzmaurice Voicework® teacher. Holistic approach. Free the breath, body and voice. Check out singing workhops and drop-in choirs in the “events” section of WWW.VOICECOACHSLC.COM

WEALTH MANAGEMENT Harrington Wealth Services DA 2/20

801.871.0840 (O), 801.673.1294, 8899 S 700 E, Ste. 225, Sandy, UT 84070. Robert Harrington, Wealth Advisor. ROBERT.HARRINGTON@LPL.COM WWW.H ARRINGTON W EALTH S ERVICES . COM

MOVEMENT & MEDITATION, MARTIAL ARTS Red Lotus School of Movement 12/19

801.355.6375, 40 N 800 W, SLC. Established in 1994, Red Lotus School offers traditional-style training in the classical martial arts of T'ai Chi and Wing Chun Kung-fu. Located with Urgyen Samten Ling Tibetan Buddhist Temple. INFO@REDLOTUSSCHOOL.COM, WWW.REDLOTUSSCHOOL.COM

YOGA INSTRUCTORS Mindful Yoga: Charlotte Bell DA 1/19

801.355.2617. E-RYT-500 & Iyengar certified. Cultivate strength, vitality, serenity, wisdom and grace. Combining clear, well-informed instruction with ample quiet time, these classes encourage students to discover their own yoga. Classes include meditation, pranayama (breath awareness) and yoga nidra (yogic sleep) as well as physical practice of asana. Public & private classes, workshops in a supportive, non-competitive environment since 1986. WWW.CHARLOTTEBELLYOGA.COM

YOGA STUDIOS Centered City Yoga 12/19

801.521.9642. 926 S 900 E, SLC. Yoga is for Every Body. 80 public classes are available weekly, in addition to

many special workshops and trainings. Experience relaxing yin, restorative yoga and meditation, or energizing power and Ashtanga yoga, and everything in-between. Yoga Soul teacher trainings and immersions are available as well. WWW.CENTEREDCITYYOGA.COM

PSYCHIC ARTS & INTUITIVE SCIENCES ASTROLOGY Transformational Astrology FOG

212.222.3232. Ralfee Finn. Catalyst’s astrology columnist for 20 years! Visit her website, WWW.AQUARIUMAGE.COM, RALFEE@AQUARIUMAGE.COM

CHANNELING Carol Ann Christensen 3/20

c: 801.558.0824 or h: 801.281.9648. Clairvoyant, aura reading, psychometry, astrology, numerology, psychic healing, past lives medium, crystal reading. Practicing since 1975.

PSYCHIC/TAROT READINGS Suzanne Wagner DA 1/20

707.354.1019. An inspirational speaker and healer, she also teaches Numerology, Palmistry, Tarot and Channeling. WWW.S UZ WAGNER . COM

PSYCHOTHERAPY & PERSONAL GROWTH HYPNOSIS Rise Up Hypnosis 4/20

808.755.5224. SLC. Jennifer Van Gorp, QHHT. Past life hypnosis that is truly empowering. Allows the client to realize that they hold the key to every lock they've carried with them - and provides the clarity to unlock it. One-on-one and group sessions available. RISEUPHYPNOSIS@GMAIL.COM WWW.RISEUPHYPNOSIS.COM

THERAPY/COUNSELING Big Heart Healing, Dr. Paul Thielking

801.413.8978. SLC. Helping people on the path of personal growth, healing, and self-discovery. Through workshops and retreats, Dr. Thielking utilizes what he has learned as a psychiatrist, Zen student, and Big Mind facilitator to help others to experience a deeper sense of meaning, fulfillment, and joy in life. PAUL@BIGHEARTHEALING.COM BIGHEARTHEALING.COM5/20

Cynthia Kimberlin-Flanders, LPC 10/20

801.231.5916. 1399 S. 700 E., Ste. 15, SLC. Feeling out of sorts? Tell your story in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Over 21 years specializing in recovery from covert narcissistic abuse, depression, anxiety, life-transitions, anger management, relationships and "middle-aged crazy." Most insurances, sliding scale and medication management referrals. If you've been waiting to talk to someone, wait no more.

Healing Pathways Therapy Center 2/20

435.248.2089. 4465 S. 900 E. Ste 150, Millcreek & 1810 W. 700 N. Ste 100, Lindon. Integrated counseling and neurofeedback services for anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship, life adjustment issues. Focusing on clients’ innate capacity to heal and resolve past and current obstacles rather than just cope. Modalities include EMDR, Neurofeedback, EFT, Mindfulness, and Feminist/Multicultural. Info@PathwaysUtah.COM WWW.HEALINGPATHWAYSTHERAPY.COM

Mountain Lotus Counseling4/20

801.524.0560. Theresa Holleran, LCSW & Sean Patrick McPeak, CSW. Learn yourself. Transform. Depth psychotherapy and transformational services for individuals, relation-ships, groups and communities. WWW.MOUNTAINLOTUSCOUNSELING.COM

Natalie Herndon, PhD, CMHC 7/20

801.657.3330. 9071 S 1300 W, Suite 100, West Jordan. 15+ years experience specializing in Jungian, Analytical, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Are you seeking to more deeply understand yourself, your relationships, and why you struggle with certain thoughts and feelings? Call today for an appointment and let's begin. WWW.HOPECANHELP.NET NATALIEHERNDON@HOPECANHELP.NET

P. Soni, MD 2/20

801-558-4511. Jungian-based therapy using active imagination and dreams to facilitate personal understanding and growth. This is a small practice. I do not take insurance. Salt Lake area.

Stephen Proskauer, MD, Integrative Psychiatry 4/20

801.631.8426. 76 S. Main St., #6, Moab. Seasoned psychiatrist, Zen priest and shamanic healer. Sees kids, teens, adults, couples and families, integrating psychotherapy and meditation with judicious use of medication to relieve emotional pain and problem behavior. Specializes in treating identity crises, and bipolar disorders. Sees patients in person in Provo and Moab. Taking phone appointments. SPROSKAUER@COMCAST.NET

SHAMANIC PRACTICE Sarah Sifers, Ph.D., LCSW 3/ 20

801.531.8051. SSIFERS514@AOL.COM. Shamanic Counseling. Shamanic Healing, Minister of the Circle of the Sacred Earth. Mentoring for people called to the Shaman’s Path. Explore health or mental health issues using the ways of the shaman. Sarah’s extensive training includes shamanic extraction healing, soul retrieval healing, psychopomp work for death and dying, shamanic counseling and shamanic div-

Directory continued on next page

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ination. Sarah has studied with Celtic, Brazilian, Tuvan, Mongolian, Tibetan and Nepali Shamans.

line goes here ORGANIZATIONS Inner Light Center Spiritual Community

RETAIL line goes here APPAREL, GIFTS & TREASURES Blue Boutique 10/20DA

801.919.4742, 4408 S 500 E, SLC. Interspiritual sanctuary. Sunday Celebration: 10am. WWW.T HE I NNER L IGHT C ENTER . ORG 4

801.487.1807, 1383 S. 2100 E., SLC. Shopping Made Sexy since 1987. WWW.B LUE BOUTIQUE. COM

Urgyen Samten Ling Gonpa Tibetan Buddhist Temple

Dancing Cranes Imports DA8/20

801.486.1129, 673 E. Simpson Ave., SLC. Jewelry, clothing, incense, ethnic art, pottery, candles, chimes and much more! Visit Café Solstice for lunch, too. WWW.D ANCING C RANES I MPORTS . COM

Golden Braid Books DA 11/20

801.322.1162, 151 S. 500 E., SLC. A true sanctuary for conscious living in the city. Offerings include gifts and books to feed mind, body, spirit, soul and heart; luscious health care products to refresh and revive; and a Lifestyles department to lift the spirit. www.G OLDEN B RAID B OOKS . COM

iconoCLAD—We Sell Your Previously Rocked Stuff & You Keep 50%

December Discounted Spa Packages

R E S O U R C E DIREC TORY

801.833.2272. 414 E 300 S, SLC. New and previously rocked (aka, consigned) men’s and women’s fashion, summer festival gear and locally made jewelry, clothing, crafts and decor. M-Sat 11a-9p, Sun 1p-6p. Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter @iconoCLAD to see new inventory before someone beats you to it! WWW.I CONO CLAD. COM 3/20

Turiya’s Gifts8/20 DA

801.531.7823, 1569 S. 1100 E., SLC. M-F 11a-7p, Sat 11a-6p, Sun 12-5p. Turiya’s is a metaphysical gift and crystal store. We have an exquisite array of crystals and minerals, jewelry, drums, sage and sweet grass, angels, fairies, greeting cards and meditation tools. Come in and let us help you create your sanctuary. WWW.T URIYAS . COM

HEALTH & WELLNESS Dave’s Health & Nutrition 7/20

SLC: 801.268.3000, 880 E 3900 S & W Jordan: 801.446.0499, 1817 W 9000 S. We focus on health & holistic living through education, empowerment and high-quality products. With supplements, homeopathics, herbs, stones, books and beauty care products, we provide you with the options you need to reach your optimum health. Certified professionals also offer private consultations. WWW.D AVES H EALTH . COM

801.328.4629, 40 N. 800 W., SLC. Urgyen Samten Ling Gonpa offers an open environment for the study, contemplation, and practice of Tibetan Buddhist teachings. W W W.U R GYEN S AMTEN L ING . ORG

Utah Eckankar 9/20

801.542.8070. 8105 S 700 E, Sandy. Eckankar teaches you to be more aware of your own natural relationship with Divine Spirit. Many have had spiritual experiences and want to learn more about them and how they can help us in our daily lives. All are welcome. WWW. ECKANKAR - UTAH . ORG

INSTRUCTION Two Arrows Zen Center 3/20DA

801.532.4975, ArtSpace, 230 S. 500 W., #155, SLC. Two Arrows Zen is a center for Zen study and practice in Utah with two location: SLC & Torrey. The ArtSpace Zendo in SLC offers daily morning meditation and a morning service and evening sit on Thursday. TAZ also offers regular daylong intensives—Day of Zen—and telecourses. WWW.T WO A RROWS Z EN . ORG

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SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER

MEAT YOUR MAKER BY DENNIS HINKAMP

ost days I do want to save most of the planet and most of the people residing on said orb, but there are so many choices. I’ve already made the biggest contribution to the planet’s health by simply not doing something: not procreating. It is going to be hard for anyone to lower their carbon footprint to my level with reusable hemp grocery bags and any model of Prius. Our household does, by the way, also have a Prius and an electric Nissan Leaf. If I want to be especially smug, I drive the Leaf to the recycling center with all our spent box wine cardboard. I’m not sure if the boxes are better for the environment than the bottles but this is an experiment I can get behind. I think of it as sending financial aid to California vintners. I know there is a plethora of people who are glad I didn’t pass on my genes, but it wasn’t much of a sacrifice for me. I never learned to take care of even a dog until I was in my mid-50s; I have spared many unborn children my incompetence. In all seriousness, not having children was a central aspect of my formative years. The two influential books of my generation were The Population Bomb(1968: Paul & Ann Ehrlich) and Diet for a Small Planet (1971: Frances Moore Lappé). Both books assumed we had limited space and limited resources; which, of course, we do. Not coincidentally, 1968 was the year the planet reached peak population growth of 2.1%. In that year the world population was 3.5 billion. It is now 7.7 billion. Though the population has more than doubled, the rate is now only about 1% per year. The only problem with this

analysis is that the available populatable space is increasing at 0% per year. People who drive across Wyoming and say“there is plenty of space for triple the population” are the same ones who laugh at global warming every time the temperatures drop into single digits. All the great places to live in Wyoming have already been claimed. Climate is not weather; but you knew that. Diet for a Small Planet got me interested in eating patterns and led me to become a mostly mocked vegetarian from 1976 to 1990. That’s why it was surprising to see plant-based meat substitutes being purported as a modern planet saver. The most famous is the“Impossible” burger. Another you can find in local grocers is called “Beyond Meat.” Out of intellectual curiosity and boredom I tried both and can’t say they surpass my hippie days tofu and bean burgers. Anything tastes good if you put enough condiments and cheese on it. Of course, maybe I am being shortsighted. Maybe plant-based meat substitutes will lead to plant-based organ replacements that really do grow on trees. Innovation moves in mysterious ways. In summation, I don’t have any answers. For now, live it up. Have 20 kids, eat meat-based plants, burn tires in your back yard and idle your engine all night so you can be sure it is warm in the morning. Drive your F-950 through the drive-through to get your Impossible Taco. Boomers care, but it is getting a little late for us to do anything about it other than get out of the way. Do what you like; just stay off my lawn. ◆ Dennis Hinkamp thinks an Impossible Turducken for Christmas dinner must be on the horizon.

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36 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

December 2019

METAPHORS FOR THE MONTH

December 2019 Be your own source.

Osho ZenTarot: Schizophrenia, The Source, Sorrow Medicine Cards: Grouse, Ant, Hummingbird Mayan Oracle:Dissonance, Adventurer’s Quest, Complex Stability Ancient EgyptianTarot:Ten of Swords, The Hierophant Aleister Crowley Deck: Abundance, Dominion, Princess of Wands Healing Earth Tarot:Man of Shields, Ace of Crystals, Ten of Feathers Words ofTruth:Sacred Fun, Brilliance, Pushing, Domain Shift

here’s a whole lot of Capricorn going on this month. With Pluto (the planet of death, rebirth, transformation, and change), Saturn (the planet of hard work and struggle, the lord of karma, and trials and tribulations), Jupiter (the planet of expansion, money, love and abundance) and Venus (the planet of love, beauty, harmony and negotiation) all in the melancholic, dark, cold, bitter, dry sign of Capricorn, expect a good swift kick in the butt to all things that have been tragically stuck and frozen in the places where humanity fears change. Jupiter, the largest planet, is ready, willing and able to force that entrenched dragon who’s hoarding all the gold out of the castle’s dungeon and into the light. As that begins to happen, on December 2-3, there will be one very pissed off dragon. Clearly this is a metaphor for all the drama as we move towards the Saturn/Pluto conjunction on January 12, 2020. Things have been astrologically frozen in winter for a long time and while the slow plan-

ets are not in any hurry to move, Jupiter is a fiery source of energy that is going to melt those glaciers (just like what’s happening for real in this world) and the ice will move much more rapidly down the slope. Such rapid change can cause major destruction if not prepared for in advance. Jupiter is not super happy in Capricorn and feels a bit displaced—maybe similar to a woman dressed in leather, with spiked purple hair, torn hose and Goth boots walking into a country club setting. In this position, Jupiter’s agenda is to shake up the establishment, shatter the norms and shock those with sophisticated tastes right out of their comfort zone. Over the next few weeks and months, those Goth boots are going to do some damage to that old-school control. All this unraveling may not happen exclusively in December. But know that by the end of 2020, you will be remembering my words. Venus, the planet of what we love and value, will be right between the two “bad boys” of the zodiac, Pluto and Saturn. Foundations that have had cracks growing and expanding for a long time are going to crumble. Venus will enter the friendly sign of Aquarius on December 20, and that should help the holidays out because Venus in Aquarius loves to do the “meet and greet.” But we can’t forget the eclipse in Capricorn on...wait for it…Christmas Day! It is going to be an intense holiday season. My suggestion is to keep it short and sweet. Hanging out too long will make all those unresolved issues too obvious and uncomfortable. January 2020 is no joke and

everyone has to be ready. Start preparing now. Stepping out of the astrology and taking a look at the cards, we discover that we are continuing the back and forth of emotional intensity; the drama does not let up. The way through is to be your own source and connection to higher law and order. Because right now we are not in one world but two worlds, and they are pulling and pushing each other apart.

We are witnessing huge violations of great principles of life. There has been a violent disrespect for life itself and the consequences of that are painfully obvious. That dismantling needs to be felt and honored. We each need to feel the pain, sorrow and suffering that is being inflicted upon so many life forms at this time. Yes, we actually need to be in pain in order to change and do things differently. The word that stands out this month is “dissonance.” When you create sounds that are disharmonious and unsuitable, the tension and clashing of those sounds can be so uncomfortable as to make one unconscious and pass out. There is so much emotion that is playing out loudly in our world that some people and life forms are collapsing under the strain of attempting to make sense out of cacophany.

SUZANNE WAGNER WAGNER Some things will never come into

alignment. The continued forceful application of opinions as facts will just manifest more suffering. The “thought universe” is attempting to control the physical world. But that is not realistic. The only choice is to confront confusion either in yourself or your world. The Ant reminds us that patience is the way through. Patience is natural when you are prepared. If you are even slightly prepared, you worry less when things hit hard. You have some wiggle room; things are workable. Life is less scary. Everything in the cards reminds us this month to move. The best ways to integrate huge waves of emotional energy are through dance, exercise, any kind of movement. If you refuse to move with the spin of the physical world, then the spin wreaks havoc on your mind and thoughts. If you are on a sacred path, your vision is clear. If you are sidetracked by the confusing mental projections of others, you will tend to fall into the unresolved issues of your past. We are witnessing huge violations of great principles of life. This is a form of desecration. There has been a violent disrespect for life itself and the consequences are painfully obvious. I suggest engaging in wholehearted, life-affirming activities, perhaps with friends and family, to counterbalance that energy. I personally am planting trees—five trees for every member of my extended family. I need to actively do something useful. I hope you, too, want to do something to help this world. ◆ See more from Suzanne Wagner at WWW.SUZANNEWAGNER.COM/BLOG/

JUNG SOCIETY OF UTAH PRESENTS

A Timeless Way with David Whyte

The Art and Practice of Creating a More Beautiful Mind

Friday, February 7 • 7:00–8:30pm Mingle at 6:30

Libby Gardner Concert Hall, University. of Utah The Jung Society of Utah is pleased to be bring David Whyte, poet, author and internationallyacclaimed speaker, for an exploration of the imagination as a faculty of perception—one that awakens a rested, alert intelligence able to discern complex patterns that surround human beings. Using poetry, humor, stories and deep insight, he illuminates the necessity for courage, and for paying attention to this unique intelligence, calling us to simplify, to act, and to create a life worth living at the center of our endeavors. 1375 President’s Circle, University of Utah Tix/Meet & Greet $29–$125 Info at JungUtah.com Friday Night Tickets: DavidWhyte2020.BrownPaperTickets.com Sat. Workshop Tickets: BrownPaperTickets.com/event/4306112

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CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

December 2019

December

URBAN ALMANAC

2019 COMPILED BY GRETA DEJONG

drawn wagon through an elk herd. Make habitat ornaments. HTTPS://BIT.LY/37RLAIV DECEMBER 8 On this day in 1941, the U.S. entered World War II—a response to Japanese war planes attacking Hawaii (not yet a state) and killing 2,300 American soldiers the day prior. DECEMBER 9 Seasonal classics worth revisiting: A Child’s Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas; A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens; The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry; and A Christmas Memory, by Truman Capote. DECEMBER 10 Christmas trees are thirsty! Keep yours fresh by checking the water level in the stand frequently. Rule of thumb: one quart daily for each inch of the trunk's diameter. DECEMBER 11 Full Moon rises at 4:53pm. Clouds allowing, go for a quiet walk in the moonlight tonight. What do you see? DECEMBER 12 If ordering from Amazon, be sure to select their “frustration-free” packaging. Besides being easier to open, the packing materials are 100% curbside recyclable. DECEMBER 13 When you’re out of traditional gift-wrapping paper, don’t buy more; it’s not recyclable. Make your own, using brown paper bags or newsprint. (Wouldn't the cover of this issue make a stunning wrap for a little present?)

Red Butte Garden in winter

DECEMBER 1 Average temps today: high 43º, low 28º. 20% chance of precipitation. Sunrise: 7:32am. Sunset: 5:00pm. DECEMBER 2 Red Butte Garden in the winter is especially fetching. Enjoy half-price admission throughout December, January and February. DECEMBER 3 The Utah chapter of Slow Food USA works with local farmers, chefs and foodies to build a community based on good, clean, fair food. They gather at tasting events, farm mobs, harvest dinners and workshops. Dues are regularly $60. Today is “Pay What You Can” Day. SLOWFOODUTAH.ORG/ DECEMBER 4 Cozy nights call for candlelight. Consider beeswax over petroleum-based paraffin. Beeswax candles release a subtle honey aroma and are easier on the air. You can find them at Salt Lake City's Winter Market (Saturdays, 10a-2p, Rio Grande Building). Keep the wick trimmed to 1/8-1/4 inch. DECEMBER 5 Prohibition of alcoholic bever-

ages began in the U.S. in 1919, ostensibly putting an end to all manner of civic problems. But after 13 years, it was clear the ban failed to accomplish its goals. On this date in 1933, Utah cast t h e deciding vote that repealed Prohibition and restored beer, wine and spirits legally to the American table. DECEMBER 6 For the budding naturalist, consider a pair of "real" binoculars or a 10X hand lens. Astronomy, anyone? According to the Space Tourism Guide (SPACETOURISMGUIDE.COM), you can get a decent telescope for under $200. Check out the Meade Polaris 130 and Astronomers Without Borders' OneSky 130. DECEMBER 7 Elk Festival at Hardware Ranch (15 miles east of Hyrum) today. Learn how to call elk and participate in the amateur elk calling contest. Ride a horse-

DECEMBER 14 950 tree species are native to North America; 45 of them native to Utah. DECEMBER 15 Be your own sleep lab. In The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan, author Michael Breus, Ph.D. offers lots of practical advice on how to achieve better living through healthy sleep. DECEMBER 16 It's normal, nowadays, to get six to seven hours of sleep each night. Up until 1800, however, it was normal to get 10 hours of sleep. The decline began in 1790 when the gas lamp was invented and proceeded more rapidly after Edison perfected the lightbulb. DECEMBER 17 Confused about the ingredients in your personal care products? Environmental Working Group's guide offers tips on how to read product labels and shop smarter. HTTPS://BIT.LY/2KNQVII DECEMBER 18 There are many ways to procrastinate. This chart helps you identify your particular roadblock and offers thoughtful work-arounds: HTTPS://BIT.LY/33CCQ2V DECEMBER 19 Use a neti pot to clear away viruses that attach in the back of the nose and throat. Choose distilled or fil-

tered water. If using tap water, boil and cool it first. DECEMBER 20 The pollution from one wood-burning stove is equivalent to the amount emitted from 3,000 gas furnaces producing the same amount of heat per unit. DECEMBER 21 Author Charles Eisenstein says a miracle is simply an event or experience that exists outside our current story of what is possible. Tonight, the longest night of the year and so near the end of a decade, is a good night to dream up a few miracles. What unlikely event will you envision for 2020? DECEMBER 22 Walnuts are tasty and full of healthy fats, protein and fiber. For a festive dress-up, toast them in a skillet with butter or ghee. Add honey or maple syrup and some vanilla, stirring to coat. Maybe sprinkle with cinnamon and black or cayenne pepper. Dry on parchment; store in fridge. DECEMBER 23 Clothes moths are seldom seen because they avoid light. Adult clothes moths don't eat your clothes—they don't eat at all! However, they like to visit your wool, fur, silk and feathers upon which they lay pinhead-sized eggs that turn into fabric-eating larvae. DECEMBER 24 Practice random acts of interest. Writer and futurist Richard Watson suggests we randomly pick up books and magazines and strike up conversations with strangers to break our information consumption routines and expose ourselves to new viewpoints. DECEMBER 25 New Moon (10:42pm). Nature-based traditions consider this a time to set intentions and start

new ventures. Within these traditions, the New Moon is second only to the full moon in its ability to lend power to earthly intentions. DECEMBER 26 “Let us give thanks for unknown blessings already on the way.” — a Quaker mealtime blessing. From The Whole Heaven Catalog, by Marcia and Jack Kelly. DECEMBER 27 Got some long winter scarves? Keep warm and look great this winter with this quirky video, "hướng dẫn cách buộc khăn đẹp" ("instructions on how to tie a beautiful scarf"). HTTPS://BIT.LY/2QC5RWK DECEMBER 28 Time seems to speed up as we get older because our brains calculate the perception of time based upon the percentage of time we've lived. When you're two, a year represents half your life. But the years between ages 10 to 20 seem to pass as quickly as those between ages five to 10. DECEMBER 29 Looking for a nature-based outdoor activity that doesn't require hills? Head to the University of Utah campus for a tree identification walk. Locate trees on this map, BIT.LY/2QZVKP5, which links to photos of each tree in all seasons, complete with close-ups of bark. DECEMBER 30 To keep your pointsettia looking good, water thoroughly when the soil is dry down to about two inches. Keep it cool—60 to 70º is per fect—in at least six hours of indirect sunlight each day. DECEMBER 31 Average temps today: high 35º, low 23º. 21% chance of precipitation. Sunrise: 7:51am. Sunset: 5:09pm. ◆

May all beings everywhere bbe hhappy andd ffree, and may the thoughts, words, d andd actions t of my own life contribute t ib t in i some way to that happiness and to that ffreedom d for f all.

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