Natural Awakenings of Grand Traverse Region Michigan - November 2021 by healthylivingmichigan

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HEALTHY LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

DANCE

AS A SACRED PRACTICE

THE HAPPY ENDING How to Die Well and Wisely COGNITIVELY CORRECT How to Preserve Brain Health The Healing Power of a Hug November 2021 | Grand Traverse Region | HealthyLivingMichigan.com November 2021

Nature’s Virus Killer

not a sniffle!” she exclaimed. Businesswoman Rosaleen says when people around her show signs of cold or flu, she uses copper morning and night. “It saved me last holidays,” she said. “The kids had crud going round and round, but not me.” Attorney Donna Blight tried copper for her sinus. “I am shocked!” she said. By Doug Cornell “My head cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.” cientists have discovered a cold never got going. That was A man with trouble breathing natural way to kill germs fast. September 2012. I use copper in the through his nose at night tried copper Now thousands of people nose every time and I have not had a just before bed. “Best sleep I’ve had in are using it against viruses and bacteria single cold since then.” years!” he said. in the nose and on “We can’t In a lab test, technicians placed 25 the skin. make product million live flu viruses on a CopperZap. Colds start health claims,” he No viruses were found surviving soon when cold viruses said, “so I can’t after. get in your nose. say cause and Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the teams Viruses multiply effect. But we confirming the research. He placed fast. If you don’t know copper is millions of disease germs on copper. stop them early, antimicrobial.” “They started to die literally as soon as they spread and He asked they touched the surface,” he said. cause misery. relatives and Some people press copper on a lip New device puts copper right In hundreds friends to try it. right away if a warning tingle suggests where you need it. of studies, EPA and They reported unwanted germs gathering there. university researchers have confirmed the same thing, so he patented The handle is curved that viruses and bacteria die almost CopperZap® and put it on the and textured to increase instantly when touched by copper. market. contact. Copper can That’s why ancient Greeks and Soon hundreds of people had kill germs picked up on Egyptians used copper to purify water tried it. The feedback was 99% fingers and hands after and heal wounds. They didn’t know positive if they used the copper you touch things other about microbes, but now we do. within 3 hours after the first sign people have touched. Scientists say the high conductance of unwanted germs, like a tickle The EPA says copper of copper disrupts the electrical balance in the nose or a scratchy throat. still works even when Dr. Bill Keevil: in a microbe cell and destroys the cell in Early user Mary Pickrell tarnished. Copper quickly kills seconds. said, “I can’t believe how good CopperZap is made cold viruses. Tests by the EPA (Environmental my nose feels.” in the U.S. of pure Protection Agency) show germs die “What a wonderful thing!” copper. It has a 90-day full money back fast on copper. So some hospitals tried exclaimed Physician’s Assistant Julie. guarantee. It is available for $79.95. Get copper for touch surfaces like faucets Another customer asked, “Is it supposed $10 off each CopperZap with code NATA23. and doorknobs. This cut the spread of to work that fast?” Go to www.CopperZap.com or call MRSA and other illnesses by over half, Pat McAllister, 70, received one for toll-free 1-888-411-6114. and saved lives. Christmas and called it “one of the best Buy once, use forever. The strong scientific evidence gave presents ever. This little jewel really Statements are not intended as inventor Doug Cornell an idea. When works.” product health claims and have not been he felt a cold about to start he fashioned Frequent flier Karen Gauci had been evaluated by the FDA. Not claimed to a smooth copper probe and rubbed it suffering after crowded flights. Though diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any gently in his nose for 60 seconds. skeptical, she tried copper on travel disease. “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The days for 2 months. “Sixteen flights and ADVERTORIAL

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

letter from the publishers A Light in the Darkness

GRAND TRAVERSE REGION

n order to die well, we must live well. This month’s feature

Publishers John & Trina Voell III

story explores the mystery of death and how to navigate

life’s final transition with grace and love. With the onset of

Design & Production John & Trina Voell III Martin Miron Theresa Archer Randy Kambic

cold weather, now is the perfect time to warm up with your cup of Joe or favorite herbal tea, kick back and consider what

A2 Sales & Marketing John & Trina Voell III 734-757-7929

it takes to live a truly meaningful, worthwhile life.

Detroit Sales & Marketing John & Trina Voell III 734-757-7929

only one in five attain that gentle final exit. Anxiety about death

TC Sales & Marketing John & Trina Voell III 734-757-7929

Most of us would like to die at home in our own beds, yet often means we defer conversations and practical planning, which makes stressful “medicalization” of the dying process more likely.

CONTACT US P.O. Box 2717, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 734-757-7929 Publisher@HealthyLivingMichigan.com HealthyLivingMichigan.com facebook.com/NaturalAwakeningsAnnArbor https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCRIOgIjWHjdMaHeTDeKgARg

Although death has its own schedule, we can lower the chances of expiring in the ICU

by attaining clarity as to our values and desires, having discussions about our end-of-life choices, and opening to our spiritual process. “Dying Well: Four Steps to a Good Death” offers a fresh perspective on how to live life more fully today.

Meditating on my own death and envisioning transition from this life to the next stage

of my journey was a real eye-opener, and has impacted my perspective on how to live my life now so that when all is said and done, I will have done my best. This experience also inspired me to create a playlist of songs I’d love for my family to play for me on my last day here.

NATIONAL TEAM CEO/Founder Sharon Bruckman COO/Franchise Sales Joe Dunne Financial Manager Yolanda Shebert Asst. Director of Ops Heather Gibbs Digital Content Director Rachael Oppy National Advertising Lisa Doyle-Mitchell Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4851 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 200 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-434-9392 • Fax: 239-434-9513 NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

© 2021 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment. Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.

To help shift the old paradigm of inevitable aging and cognitive decline into a new one

based on the brain’s neuroplasticity, functional medicine experts are using strategies to preserve cognitive skills while reducing inflammation. For advice on many of the good practices and benefits, read “Healthy Brain Strategies: How to Prevent Cognitive Decline,” and learn how to reduce exposure to stress and toxins, as well as the importance of restorative sleep.

All dancing is good for our physical and mental health—spirit-infused dance forms,

ecstatic and yoga-inspired kundalini dance fortify the body’s intrinsic life force. The mostly barefoot classes draw from a deep cultural well and often include the infectious heartbeat of live music. “Sacred Dance: Moving into Divine Energy” offers several groovy energy-movement dances.

Hugs have proven power to soothe and nurture us, and it’s not necessary to have another

human to enjoy their benefits. In a time of chaotic uncertainty, isolation and change, hugs can be medicine and a reminder to remain open, willing and beautifully human. Embrace more in this month’s Inspiration department.

We hope you enjoy life’s special moments and the gentle warmth of autumn’s sunlight

on your face. As always, please support the advertisers in this magazine and let them know you saw their service or product in the pages of Natural Awakenings, because they make this free publication possible. Here is to a healthy and happy Thanksgiving, and big hugs to all!

Natural Awakenings Magazine is ranked 5th Nationally in CISION’S® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines

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

Contents

12 DYING WELL

Four Steps to a Good Death

15 EMOTIONAL BRAIN

HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

16 HEALTHY BRAIN STRATEGIES

How to Prevent Cognitive Decline

18 SACRED DANCE Moving into Divine Energy

20 MINDFULNESS FOR STRESSED TEENS

School Programs Teach Healthy Coping Skills

22 EAT WELL TO FEEL WELL

Thanksgiving Fare that Boosts Mental Health

24 DAVID CROW on the Healing Power of Medicinal Plants

26 HONORING THE LOSS OF A PET

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS

Simple Ways to Grieve and Heal

27 THE HEALING

HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings, please contact us at 734-757-7929 or email Publisher@HealthyLiving Michigan.com. Deadline for ads: the 12th of the month. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Publisher@ HealthyLivingMichigan.com. Deadline for editorial: the 12th of the month. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Submit Calendar Events at: HealthyLiving Michigan.com. Deadline for calendar: the 12th of the month. REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-434-9392. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakenings.com.

POWER OF A HUG

DEPARTMENTS 6 news briefs 10 health briefs 11 global briefs 16 healing ways 18 fit body 20 healthy kids 22 conscious

24 plant medicine 26 natural pet 27 inspiration 28 calendar 29 classifieds 30 resource guide

eating

November 2021

news briefs

Try Amare Wellness Products for Brain Health

Your Brain

ellie Ziehm, a wellness partner of Amare Global, a mental wellness company, says, “We help people optimize their health with holistic, plantbased, natural solutions.” They focus on brain health, gut issues, pain, weight loss and the gut-brain axis, specifically targeting the microbiome. Amare even has a FundaMentals pack for kids. The Amare FundaMentals Pack for brain health this is their flagship product and winner of the 2018 NutrAward for best new finished product. It has been proven to promote a healthy gut; boost cognitive function and clarity; connect the gut and brain to enhance communication between both brains; improve mood and reduce tension; support the growth and vitality of a range of beneficial gut bacteria; and improve psychological vigor (physical energy, mental acuity and emotional well-being). For more information and to place orders, call Kellie Ziehm at 734-344-2339 or visit AmareMentalWellness.com. See ad opposite page.

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510 Depot View Dr, Suite 13, Traverse City, MI 231.668.5050 ramonaplevadc.com 6

Grand Traverse Region

orch Cannabis Co., located at 7957 State Street, in Central Lake, is planning to open this month. Torch Cannabis Co. serves as Antrim County’s first adult-use retail establishment. Torch Cannabis Co. is rooted in its passion of providing spiritually uplifting plant products to support holistic wellness and self-care regimens using a foundation of clean, organically grown cannabis. Their commitment is to connect individuals with a new self-care routine and exchange positive vibes while educating individuals about enhanced wellness using cannabinoid therapies. Lounge in the lobby or have a personalized conversation with a “cannasseur” about local strain offerings. From sativa-dominant standbys like Blue Dream, balanced hybrids like Apple Fritter and indica-dominant sleeper hits, including Biscotti Pancakes, they have a tasty rotation of organically grown strains to choose from. Torch Cannabis Co will also be carrying My TCBD products, which is a true vertical Northern Michigan grown and handcrafted fullspectrum CBD product line. Additionally, access to Free Relief, the nonprofit that gifts free cannabinoid oil to cancer patients and veterans, will be made available to those that qualify for the free program. Founder and CEO Kelly Young is passionate about providing safe, comfortable and convenient access to organically grown cannabis and innovative infused products. She says, “Our conveniently located retail storefront serves consumers with our focus being on helping the cannabis curious individuals understand how cannabis works and pairing their goals with the best-in-class products. Our Torch Team is specially trained to offer comprehensive guidance on cannabis-elevated holistic wellness, information on how products work and consumption-best practices. I will be offering private one-on-one con-

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sultations via Zoom to those who may wish to have a more private conversation. And I hope that by the new year, assuming construction and licensing moves swiftly, we will have our production facility open where we will be offering our unique custom blends that have not yet been introduced into the commercial marketplace.” For more information on their Grand Opening date, visit Torch CannabisCo.com. See ad page 9.

Innovative Therapy for Brain Conditions

orthern Lights Chiropractic is now providing multisensory stimulation Clarity Chair treatments for those living with adverse brain conditions. This unique approach allows the brain to retrain itself and create new functional neural pathways. Patients that struggle with communication skills, focus and concentration, memory issues, learning and behavioral challenges, trauma to the brain and other symptoms of brain dysfunction can benefit.

New Digs for Yoga Bellaire

oga Bellaire has moved to a new location at 206 Portage Drive, in Bellaire, and is offering in-person classes, sound journeys, women’s circles and men’s circles in their new community gathering space. With Yoga On-Demand, subscribers can practice anytime, anywhere with unlimited access to mindfulness and yoga practices for $19 per month and try it free for 14 days. For more information, visit YogaBellaire.com.

A Most Satisfying Cup of Coffee

P Dr. Ramona Pleva says, “Many treatments for brain dysfunction focus on one or two senses (i.e., visual and auditory). The Clarity Chair provides five types of sensory stimulation. These treatments are more cost-effective, efficient and productive than many other treatment options. The Clarity Chair is a passive, non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive, non-medical treatment.” Location: 510 Depot View Dr., Unit 13, Traverse City. For appointments and more information, call 231-668-5050 or visit Ramona PlevaDC.com. See ad opposite page.

urchasing a bag of Higher Grounds Harvest Fall Blend from their website or coffee shop at GT Commons through December 15 will add $5 to Groundwork Farm to School programs. Since 1995 as the Michigan Land Use Institute, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities has been giving people an opportunity to create the Michigan they want to see. Personal involvement has enabled this transformational work to protect the environment, strengthen the economy and build thriving communities. Farm to School means that schools purchase food for students from local farms while also offering a curriculum about healthy eating. It’s a simple, but

Live Your Best Life Today! The Amare FundaMentals Pack features cornerstone products that are designed to improve every aspect of the gut-brain axis for optimal mental wellness*

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Kellie Ziehm, Wellness Partner, Amare Global • Call 734-344-2339 NOW! • FundaMentals info at AmareMentalWellness.com November 2021

news briefs powerful idea because it addresses some of our region’s and our nation’s big issues. Farm to School helps reverse the decline in child health and provides economic stability to family farms, thus preserving our beautiful farmland. Store location: 806 Red Dr., Traverse City. For more information, call 231-922-9009 or visit HigherGroundsTrading.com.

Give Generously to Little Artshram

ince 1993, nonprofit Little Artshram has developed classes, projects and opportunities throughout Michigan in visual, musical and puppet artistry; service to the natural world; and inclusive social activism, serving and forming friendships with hundreds of children and their families. #GivingTuesday will be observed on November 30 this year, and all contributions will make an impact. Permaculture Education for Children, Youth and Families is a project created and supported by Little Artshram, maintaining a platform for global networking with permaculture educators and learners, offering community discussion, designing learning opportunities (curriculum) with collaborative partners specifically in Michigan and the midwestern United States. The objective of this project is to design and develop the container/framework, process and content of a series of workshops, programs and trainings using sociocracy and permaculture pedagogy as both a model for further K-12 education and development. A single community garden has bloomed into what is becoming a thriving, centrally located community garden site within the combined plans for development of the Historic Barns Park's 56-acre site. Location: 510 1/2 Second St., Traverse City. Donate online at Tinyurl.com/LittleArtshramDonate. For more information, visit LittleArtshram.org.

Where Climbing the Walls is a Good Thing

lev8, northern Michigan’s first climbing gym, offers full-service climbing, yoga and fitness options to accommodate a range of skillsets and ages from those brand-new to the sport to experienced climbers. Instructional classes and rental equipment are available for newbies looking to test out climbing. 8

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Access options range from monthly all-inclusive memberships and day passes to first-timer passes and youth rates. Two dollars a month from every membership sold goes into an Elev8 Scholarship Fund to make gym access available to those that can’t afford it. Traverse City natives Kevin Vlach and Nick Olson built the 10,000-square-foot facility from the ground up with a 40-foot climbing wall, bouldering areas, aerobic and weight equipment, yoga and fitness classes, and onsite child care. Climbing as exercise strengthens the hands and forearms, biceps, shoulders, neck, traps, upper back, lats, lower back, abs, glutes, thighs and calves. Vlach notes, “Your entire body, including cardiovascular system, benefits from rock climbing. Rock climbing complements and boosts performance in other sports, too.” Location: 77 Boyd Ave., Traverse City. For more information, call 231-600-7260 or visit Elev8Climbing.com.

Merry Marketplace Holiday Fair

he Crooked Tree Arts Center will transform into an art fair on consecutive Thursdays through Saturdays from 4 p.m., December 2, to 2 p.m., December 18, with more than 40 juried artists and vendors selling beautifully crafted gifts and goods. Patrons can shop one-of-a-kind items, including pottery, handmade purses and accessories, jewelry, paper goods, home décor, photography, soaps and salves, artisanal food items and seasonal produce. Each weekend will feature a different group of artists and artisans. Fun holiday workshops allow participants to make their own ornaments, holiday decor and gifts. Crooked Tree, located on historic Sixth Street just steps from downtown Traverse City, offers art exhibitions, classes, events and more. Admission is free. Location: 322 6th St., Traverse City. For more information, call 231-941-9488 or visit CrookedTree.org/tc.

Wild Women Together on the New Moon

ew Moon Yoga will conduct a two-hour Wild Woman Circle led by KPJAYI authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher Shelley Smith at 6:30 p.m. on the occasion of each new moon. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Owner Jessica Merwin states, “We’ll create a sacred space for our circle, explore an inspiring theme, drop deeply inward through guided meditation and visualization, and receive the wisdom and guidance of our own inner voices.” Each Wild Woman Circle includes a theme based on new moon astrology; a guided meditation and visualization; quiet time for reflection and journaling; a heart-centered sharing circle; an intention-setting ritual; and tea and chocolate. Participants should bring a journal and pen to capture the experience and dress in comfortable, layered clothes. Location: 10781 E. Cherry Bend Rd., Traverse City. Preregister (required) at Shelley@YogaFoodLife.com. For dates and more information, call 231-392-5813 or visit NewMoonYogaStudio.com.

Get Started at Pure Pilates

ure Pilates, with three private studios and a group studio, all equipped with high-end, Stott-manufactured equipment, including the Cadillac, Reformer, stability chair, ladder barrel and small apparatus, are an effective means of improving health and quality of life. For those new to Pilates, the Getting Started Package comprises four, 45-minute sessions that teach the basics, modifications to stay safe and how to use the Reformer. Owner Jennifer Cutler is a certified Stott Pilates instructor. She says, “After 20 years of teaching and practicing Pilates, my thoughts on Pilates

has evolved. When I first started my practice, I loved how amazing I felt and how my body changed. Soon after, I noticed my neck pain from an injury decrease and my posture improve d. My most rewarding experience with Pilates has been watching how it has helped so many of our clients feel better and increase their quality of life!” Location: 1371 Gray Dr., Ste. 400,Traverse City. For a private session or more information, call 231-218-4849 or visit PurePilatesTC.com.

Science-Based Therapy to Alleviate Pandemic Stress

rior to the pandemic, one in five adults in America experienced mental health challenges at any given time. However, recent surveys from the American Psychological Association show a drastic increase in the number of U.S. adults that report symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression during the pandemic. Head & Heart Therapeutic Solutions offers individual therapy, trauma, anxiety and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing treatment, couples counseling and adolescent therapy in a safe environment with affirming relationships and science-based therapy. Location: 810 Cottageview Dr., Ste. 101, Traverse City. For more info, visit HeadAndHeart TC.com.

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health briefs

Lose Weight with Small Calorie Reduction A reduction of just 200 calories a day combined with aerobic exercise four times a week produced greater weight loss and better heart health in obese, sedentary adults than exercise alone or a 600-calorie reduction plus exercise, reports a new study in Circulation. Researchers from the Wake Forest School of Medicine, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, tested 160 adults ages 65 to 79. Those that combined exercise with 200 fewer calories a day lost 10 percent of their weight, about 20 pounds, over five months. They had a 21 percent average increase in the aorta’s ability to expand and contract, a key indicator of heart health. Measures of aortic stiffness did not change significantly for the exercise-only group or the 600-calorie-reduction-plus-exercise group. Weight loss was similar for both calorie-reduction groups, even though one group consumed nearly three times fewer calories per day.

Boost Kids’ Learning Abilities with Exercise The right kind of exercise can help kids learn vocabulary better, suggests research from the University of Delaware. An article published in the Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research reports that when 48 children between 6 and 12 years of age were taught new words before swimming, they scored 13 percent higher on a test of the words than children that did CrossFit-like exercises or colored pictures. Lead researcher Maddy Pruitt says that exercise is known to increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein she describes as the “Miracle-Gro of the brain.” Swimming made a difference, she says, because it is an automatic movement, while the CrossFit exercises were new to them and required mental energy. 10

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Boost Cognition with Green Tea Compound A single dose of 100 milligrams of the compound L-theanine—the amount found in four cups of green tea—improved reaction times and working memory of men and women in new research from Japan’s Central Research Institute, in Shizuoka. In the double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 69 adults that self-reported cognitive decline reacted more quickly to computer-generated promptings and answered more questions correctly after ingesting the compound compared to the placebo.

Eat High-Flavonoid Foods to Reduce Cognitive Decline Eating foods high in flavonoids—the antioxidant-rich plant compounds found in strawberries, oranges, peppers and apples—can reduce the risk of cognitive decline by 20 percent or more, reports new research published by the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers followed more than 78,000 people in their late 40s and early 50s for 20 years, asking them what they ate and to evaluate their cognitive skills. They found that those foods with more flavones, such as yellow or orange fruits and vegetables and some spices, reduced cognitive decline the most, at 38 percent—the equivalent of being three to four years younger in age. Anthocyanins, found in blueberries, blackberries and cherries, were associated with a 24 percent reduced risk of cognitive decline. “The people in our study who did the best over time ate an average of at least half a serving per day of foods like orange juice, oranges, peppers, celery, grapefruits, grapefruit juice, apples and pears,” says study author Walter Willett, M.D., a nutrition and epidemiology professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “And it’s never too late to start, because we saw those protective relationships whether people were consuming the flavonoids in their diet 20 years ago or if they started incorporating them more recently.”

global briefs

Sorting Soirée

Renovating the Recycling Stream

Tree House Knock On Wood

A Swedish method of building using cross-laminated timber (CLT) is emerging as a climate-friendly alternative to traditional, concrete-based construction. The foundation is cement, but multistory wooden structures of 13 floors and higher are possible. Using timber has environmental benefits in the form of lowered carbon emissions. Mathias Fridholm, director of Svenskt Tra (Swedish Wood), an industry organization, says, “Wood is in many ways an excellent material for building in dense cities, because we can prefabricate all the elements in factories instead of onsite.” Prefabrication speeds construction and reduces truck traffic. CLT is not only strong and light, it is breathable; it holds heat, but doesn’t need plastic layers to manage moisture like concrete, which also requires sand, a non-renewable resource that requires drudging seabeds. Managed forests are renewable and serve as a carbon storage facility. Anna Ervast Oberg, a project manager at Swedish real estate developer Folkhem, advises that just changing the structure of a building to wood from concrete would result in an immediate 50 percent reduction in emissions. “What we have to do now is to stop the emissions, very fast. This gives us a hint of where we should be focusing; where we can make the biggest difference.”

Americans use a single recycling stream in which everything goes into one bin to be sorted and cleaned at the designated collection point; a system that requires too much labor with less-than-stellar results. A study conducted by the South Korean SK Group asked 1,500 U.S. adults about sustainable packaging and found that 72 percent prefer products with easily recycled or reused packaging, but don’t understand what can actually be recycled. Forty-two percent were not aware that containers such as plastic bottles cannot be recycled without removing the label. When dirty and labeled recyclables are deposited with clean recyclables, they contaminate the whole batch, creating massive amounts of unnecessary waste. SKC Inc. has introduced Ecolabel, the first shrink sleeve label that doesn’t need to be removed from plastic bottles to be recycled. This removes the burden from the consumer and recyclers while making the process easier. Recyclops uses independent drivers to service recycling routes, creating income for locals and sustainable living options for residents. They’re innovating the recycling pickup process by using an Uber Eats-type phone app to enable the pickup of recyclables from areas that aren’t being serviced.

Wicked Wonders

Banned Invasive Weeds for Sale The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has labeled cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), a native plant of Southeast Asia, as one of the world’s worst invasive weeds. It’s banned as an invasive species by the Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974, but a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment by the University of Massachusetts Amherst discovered that this and about 1,300 other invasive plants are sold at garden centers, nurseries and other retailers. Lead author Evelyn M. Beaury, a graduate student in organismic and evolutionary biology at University of Massachusetts, says that she and her fellows found cogongrass was being sold by 33 outlets in 17 states. She notes, “This is a tricky case, because plant breeders are marketing a sterile cultivar, but research shows these plants are not completely sterile and can still become invasive.” According to the USDA, there are no known effective biological control methods. Beaury states, “While patchy state regulations definitely contribute to the widespread availability of invasive plants in the U.S., it’s clear we as a public also lack awareness about which plants are invasive and how they spread to new areas. If we want to continue to protect native ecosystems, regulators and managers need more resources to do so.” November 2021

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Four Steps to a Good Death

by Ronica O’Hara

n his deathbed, Apple founder Steve Jobs looked for a long time at his children, his sister and his wife, then moved his gaze to the space behind them. “Oh wow! Oh wow! Oh wow!” he gasped. No one can know for certain what he was experiencing, but his words point to the deep, mysterious potential of our final hours—the awareness of which can transform our life long before its end. “An awareness of dying, of death, can wake us up to life. It helps us live a life that’s rich and full and meaningful. When we deny the truth of dying, we live less wholeheartedly, less completely,” says Frank Ostaseski, founder of the pioneering San Francisco Zen Hospice Project and author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully. The pandemic has 51 percent of us thinking more about our own mortality, a survey shows. The subject of death has been slowly opening up in America: TV programs like Six Feet Under and Alternative Endings: Six New Ways to Die in America present dying and grief more realistically; thousands of small conversational gatherings called “death cafes” are being held each year; people are designing their own funerals and choosing green burial sites; and the field of “death doulas” is emerging to help families navigate the legal and emotional shoals. Half a century after the release of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ seminal book On Death and Dying, palliative care to ease pain is offered by two-thirds of American hospitals, and Medicare funding for end-of-life hospice care has grown tenfold over the last two decades. Yet for many, death remains the last taboo—85 percent of us have not discussed our last wishes yet with loved ones. Thousands of studies in the emerging field of experimental existential psychology have found that when reminded subconsciously of death, people tend to drive faster, drink harder, smoke more and get meaner to out-groups in attempts to lower their anxiety. But when we look death squarely in the face, that anxiety recedes, the research concludes. Gratitude, self-honesty and the humility of recognizing our place in the larger whole are also proven antidotes. With less fear, we are better able to take the proactive, concrete steps that ease our passage—getting clear on our values and desires, having important conversations, attending to final decisions and opening to our spiritual process. Although death has its own ways and means, these four processes can make it more likely we will die as we would like to. November 2021

Defining What We Value “Deeply consider what your priorities in life are,” says Tarron Estes, founder and CEO of The Conscious Dying Institute, in Boulder, which has trained more than 6,500 doulas since 2013. “Ask yourself, if I had only three months to live, what’s important to me spiritually, emotionally, physically? What do I still need to do or say?” She recommends Stephen Levine’s book, A Year to Live, for exercises and meditations for that process. “Don’t wait until the time of your dying to discover what it has to teach you,” advises Ostaseski, who has sat beside more than 2,000 hospice patients in their last hours. “When I’m with dying people, the things that are important to them are not their spiritual beliefs, but are more about relationships—‘Am I loved? Did I love well?’ Those two questions are useful inquiries now. They help us to discover where value and meaning can be found.” By applying our values to the dying process, we can start sorting through options. Do we want to die at home or in a hospital? What medical procedures will we accept or decline? What measures do we want to be taken to sustain our life? Who do we want to be at our side? And what do we need to say before that time? Having Important Conversations As daunt-

Attending to Medical and Burial Decisions Taking care of business—the paperwork aspects of death known as advance directives— spares loved ones from having to make tough decisions later. A last will and testament precludes pain and infighting among family and friends. A living will specifies what treatments are wanted under what conditions. A medical power of attorney designates a trusted person to make medical decisions if a patient is not capable. A Do Not Resuscitate order approved by a doctor means emergency medical workers are less likely to give CPR, which frequently causes trauma and broken ribs in elderly or frail patients. Either cremation or a burial can be decided upon; environmental options such as a forest burial in a wooden casket can be explored. Local hospice options can be surveyed in advance; nonprofits generally are rated better than profit-making groups. Opening to the Spiritual Process Whether or not we have religious

beliefs to carry us through waves of loss and sorrow, death can spur spiritual insight. “In dying, we withdraw from our outer circles and come Grand Traverse Region

Joan Tollifson, a Zen-trained spiritual teacher and author of Death: The End of Self-Improvement, concurs: “When the future disappears, we are brought home to the immediacy that we may have avoided all our lives. With no future left to fantasize about, the focus of attention may finally be fully on right Now, the only place where our life ever actually is. Really getting that ‘This is it,’ there may be a sudden recognition of the absolute preciousness and wonder of every simple ordinary thing and of the people around us, just as they are, with all their flaws and foibles. Old grudges and resentments often melt away, and love shines through. “All the things which may have been part of our self-image—independence, physical strength, cognitive sharpness, good appearance and so on—have either disappeared or are rapidly collapsing, which invites the discovery that none of that really mattered, that what we truly or more fundamentally are is not dependent on any of that. “The greatest gift we can give to a loved one who is dying,” says Tollifson, is to “simply be present, listen, follow your heart, trust the process. Everything else will follow from that. There’s no right or wrong way.” It can be difficult to know what to say to a loved one near the end, but hospice workers recommend five phrases that have deep healing potential, even if a person seems unconscious: “I love you,” “Thank you,” “Please forgive me,” “I forgive you,” and “Goodbye” or “Until we meet again.” As Butler points out, the first four phrases can be said any time in our lives. Increasingly in hospice care, loved ones are encouraged to sit with the body after the death, touching it, sharing stories, perhaps gently bathing it and dressing it in favorite clothes. “Touching the body, feeling the coolness, makes the death real to the family,” Ostaseski says. “Research shows that people that went through that process still grieved, but they were able to be with the emotion and not be overwhelmed by it.” Facing the reality of death—as hard and heartbreaking as that can be—can free us to truly live life, said Jobs. After his terminal cancer diagnosis, he told Stanford students in a commencement address, “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

“Ask yourself, if I had only three months to live, what’s important to me spiritually, emotionally, physically? What do I still need to do or say?”

ing as the prospect of an end-of-life talk with family and friends may seem, it can start with simple words like “I want to talk with you about something important to me.” Without spelling out our desires, death can become inadvertently medicalized: Nine in 10 of us say we want to die in our homes, but only two in 10 do. “The default systems are all to treat, treat, treat, until someone finally says, ‘No,’ so many people end up on a high-tech conveyor belt to the ICU,” says award-winning journalist Katy Butler, author of The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life. Among people that undertake such talks, 73 percent describe the experience as positive, reassuring and productive. A downloadable Conversation Starter Guide (TheConversationProject.org) provides practical guidance for these critical conversations.

into the inner circles of our lives—the relationships that matter most to us,” says Ostaseski, who has worked four decades with hospice patients. “There’s a growing silence that has us becoming more contemplative and reflective. Our sense of time and space changes and we enter into a kind of free flow. The boundaries we have lived by begin to dissolve, and we start to feel ourselves as part of something larger—not as a belief, but as a natural occurrence. Often people realize themselves to be more than the small, separate self they had thought themselves to be.”

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Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be contacted at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

Emotional Brain Health and Happiness

by Julie Chai

motional health has a lot to do with the chemistry and wiring of the brain, but the reverse is also true. Perceptions, feelings and beliefs have a huge effect on the brain. Neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor describes four characters of the brain and how they function in her book Whole Brain Living, thus we need not be stuck in only one way to experience reality. When we feel unsafe, the amygdala, part of our primitive brain, is triggered, and we go into fight-or-flight survival mode as blood rushes from the brain to our arms and legs. Hasty decisions made at this time are often regretted because of decreased oxygen in the brain. Because all parts of the brain can have a relationship and influence each other, Taylor suggests that we have a four-character “brain huddle” to help ourselves out of survival mode. These are the four characters, each occupying a physical position in the brain. Left Brain Thinking. I am, the ego, self-awareness. It is in control. Loves order and being the boss. Gets things done. Defines boundaries, social norms, right/wrong, good/bad. Thinks methodically and consciously. Thinks in language. Is time conscious and linear thinking. Loves detail and comparisons. A critical thinker, it judges and is judgmental. Left Brain Emotional. Fight/flight. Projects past into the future. Pushes away and says no. Self-sabotage. Guilt, shame, trauma pain from past. “I’m going to keep myself small and constricted.” The place of reactive emotions of fear, anxiety, paralysis, hopelessness and shame. It compares the past to the present, always asking, ‘Am I safe?” Addictions and cravings are located here. Character two has to be on board in addiction recovery. Right Brain Emotion. In the present moment. There is no judgment. It is experiential and notices how the body feels. Here, we notice the environment and are aware of ourself as energy. This is our creative, messy selves and the innovative genius. The more we do something, the better we get at it. Feels joyful, adventurous, happy, kind, playful and collaborative. The circuit to character three can be established. We can create new habits. Right Brain Thinking. In the present moment. Right here, right now. It is the observer. It is loving, grateful, nurturing, compassionate and one with all. Our mystical god self that experiences the cosmic consciousness, the one. Here we are grateful for being alive. This part of our brain brings the healing energy of the universe into our body. Because there is no “I” in this space, character four gives into

character three for creative expression of this experience in poetry, song, dance, story, paintings and other expressions. Once we are aware that we are in the fight-or-flight mode of Character number 2, we are not stuck there. We can ask the other parts of our brain to assist us by calling a Brain Huddle and getting help from Characters 1, 3 and 4. The more we do this, the better the connections between these characters will become and the less “stuck” in the fight-or-flight reaction we will feel. We can also make it a practice to take a deep breath and ask ourselves, “What am I feeling right now? Where is this feeling in my body?” This will bring us out of fight or flight and back into our body, which is always in the present moment. The present moment is love.

Visualizations and Affirmations Work. A recent publication by David R.

Hamilton, Ph.D., titled “Why Woo Woo Works” gives scientific evidence that repeated affirmations produce physical changes in specific areas of the brain associated with self-processing. “Repeating affirmations didn’t just make the volunteers feel a little better or more positive in the moment, it actually altered brain networks that essentially wired in the feeling. And those brain changes were found to account for a subsequent change in the volunteers’ behavior.” The author notes that it is important to feel what we affirm or visualize to produce the change in the brain. One reason visualizations and affirmations work is because our brain and body do not know the difference between what actually happened and what we imagine. This is why we can re-imagine a bad dream or painful life experience by giving ourselves more pleasant feelings to associate with the experience and taking the negative charge out of the event.

The Kindness Hormones. Hamilton writes, “The main kindness hormone is oxytocin. Well known for its importance in reproduction, breast feeding and even social bonding. Oxytocin protects the cardiovascular system, and just as stress hormones increase blood pressure, this kindness hormone lowers it. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, helps with digestion and wound healing, and is even involved in the construction of heart muscle and many other cell types from stem cells.“ Hamilton notes, “Your brain will produce kindness hormones when you’re being kind, witnessing an act of kindness, imagining one or even recalling one.” Spending time in day dream visualizations, loving yourself and others and repeating affirmations are powerful paths to an emotionally healthy brain and a fulfilling life. Rev. Julie Chai is an ordained minister and clairvoyant. For more information, visit JulieChai.com and InnerListening.me. See ad page 19. November 2021

healing ways

Healthy Brain Strategies How to Prevent Cognitive Decline by Linda Sechrist

healthy brain performs mental processes known as cognition, which is the acquiring of knowledge and understanding by means of thought, experience and the senses. This includes functions and systems such as memory, learning, language, problem solving, decision making, reasoning and intelligence. The aging process, a stroke or a brain injury can cause a mild to severe reduction in healthy brain functioning resulting in

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impaired memory and concentration, and difficulty in learning new things or making decisions that impact daily living. Functional medicine experts focused on preventive health care agree on the ABC’s for optimizing the brain and protecting against decline: eating a healthy diet, exercising, reducing inflammation and stress levels, balancing hormone levels, cultivating healthy relationships and getting enough restorative sleep. With their expertise, they are helping to shift the old paradigm of inevitable aging and cognitive decline into a new one based on the brain’s neuroplasticity. Harvard-trained neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor, author of the bestseller My Stroke of Insight and the recent Whole Brain Living, is a true poster child for demonstrating the brain’s neuroplasticity and ability to recover from a massive stroke. She writes about the congenital neurological brain disorder that became a problem when an arteriovenous malformation exploded in her brain’s left hemisphere. For four hours, she observed her brain functions systemically shutting down one by one. On the afternoon of her stroke, she could not walk, talk, read, write or recall any of her life. Eight years later, she was not only slalom waterskiing again, but also explaining to the world, “We are the life-force power of the universe, with manual dexterity and two cognitive minds. We have the power to choose, moment to moment, who and how we want to be in the world.” Devaki Lindsey Berkson, author of Sexy Brain, a hormone formulator and former researcher at Tulane University’s estrogen think tank, advises, “Most people think hormones are sexy, reproductive things and when they get older, they’re relieved that they don’t have to think about them. Not true. The body has a virtual physiological internet system. Hormones are the email signals to most cells. While the robustness of hormones and their signals affects lungs, gut, kidney and vocal cord health, it especially affects the brain. Balancing hormones with bioidentical hormones is one solution.” David Perlmutter, neurologist and co-author of Brain Wash, cites food as the biggest player in both brain and overall health in his books and PBS workshops. “Eating inappropriately causes intestinal permeability, resulting in inflammation, which in the brain, threatens good decision making—from deciding on the foods we

eat to turning off our televisions at night, getting a good night’s rest, making sure that we exercise regularly and connecting with other people. Not good for the gut are dairy products, alcohol, highly processed foods that are low in fiber, high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, as well as antibiotics,” he says, adding that meditation and exposure to nature are powerful ways of reducing inflammation in the body and brain. As explained by neurologist Dale E. Bredesen, author of The End of Alzheimer’s, stress leads to an increase in cortisol levels that can be toxic to our brains—in particular the memory—consolidating the hippocampus, one of the first structures affected by Alzheimer’s. Studies show that high stress levels can also contribute to brain fog, involving difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness and mental fatigue. The Bredesen Protocol, available from health practitioners and online, includes exercising, eating a plant-based diet, supplementing to reduce insulin sensitivity and optimize cognitive function, reducing both gut inflammation and exposure to toxins, treating pathogens and optimizing sleep.

Meditation and exposure to nature are powerful ways of reducing inflammation in the body and brain. HealthyBrains.org, Cleveland Clinic’s Healthy Brains Initiative, is an online resource center with information on how to manage brain health and create a brain span that matches a life span. It offers six pillars of brain health as explained by brain health experts, including exercise, sleep, relaxation, mental fitness and social interaction. Supplementing for brain health should be done wisely, says Mark Hyman, author of Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? and director of functional medicine at Cleveland Clinic. He recommends at the very least taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement, omega-3, extra vitamins B3, B6 and B12, folate and a good probiotic that enhances the brain-gut relationship. Mastery of the ABC’s in kindergarten is required as the foundation of language and a lifetime of learning. Living the fundamentals for a healthy brain can result in a brain span that equals our life span. Linda Sechrist is a Natural Awakenings senior staff writer. Connect at LindaSechrist.com. November 2021

fit body

SACRED DANCE

Moving into Divine Energy by Marlaina Donato

eart-healthy dancing of all types is known to promote overall physical and mental health. When they are spirit-infused, forms like African, Middle Eastern, ecstatic and yoga-inspired kundalini dance offer us the opportunity to stay in shape while also fortifying the body’s intrinsic life force. Classes in these styles of dance, which are most often conducted barefoot, draw upon a deep cultural well and include the infectious heartbeat of live accompaniment. Just about anyone can find their own blissful groove when going with the flow is the focus. “In class, I choose to emphasize the feeling more than the step itself. The goal is always to get a spiritual release,” says Darian Parker, a Brooklyn-based West African dance teacher, professor and choreographer. “I always encourage my students to privilege ‘having a good time’ over succumbing to self-criticism from not perfecting a step.”

Modern Moves, Ancient Roots There are more than 3,000 ethnic groups on the continent of Africa, and each dance style has a purpose that is defined by its unique history. In the West African tradition, dances are designed to heal the individual and from the broader perspective,

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restore community. Parker, a faculty member of Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance, in Brooklyn, celebrates the culture and art of the Mande people. “In short, Mande dance trains your spirit just as much as it trains your body,” says Parker. “In many Mande cultures, the ground is thought to be the habitation of our ancestors, who are thought to animate our bodies when we dance. In this way, you can think of dance as a ritual technology that renews our connections with those who came before us.” While an African dance class encourages high energy and joyous expression, ecstatic dance can be a portal to self-discovery and connectedness. Springboarding from ancient societies worldwide, modern ecstatic dance is freeform and hallmarked by trance or tribal beats. “Ecstatic dance has offered me a portal to my subconscious, my spirit, my deep knowing. It’s a way to, as Gabrielle Roth, the creator of 5Rhythms, put it, ‘Get out of my head and into my body,’ and in my body there is wonderful wisdom,” explains Heidi Sheldon, a seasoned ecstatic dancer and licensed counselor in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. “Your spirit knows what to do when it hears and feels the rhythms. You just need to allow your body to follow.”

Belly of Bliss, Heart of Light Middle Eastern dance is comprised of many dance styles—folk and tribal, classical and most widely known, belly dancing. In ancient times, the latter was practiced in rituals for fertile harvests and women’s fertility, including physical preparation for childbirth. In 2017, a pilot study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies showed that belly dance improves depressive symptoms, fatigue and quality of life in women with breast cancer. “Belly dancing is a tantric form of dance that empowers women to release shame and accept and love themselves and their bodies just as they are. The movements open us to pleasure and sensual bliss in our very own skin. In this way, it is very healing and therapeutic,” says Banafsheh Sayyad, a Persian dance artist and founder of the Dance of Oneness Academy, in Los Angeles. Sayyad’s movement, a fusion of Persian and Middle Eastern dance, flamenco, contemporary dance and meditative whirling, is deeply connected to an ancient feminine ethos. As a teacher, she brings the Sama—the dervish (pronounced “darvish” in Persian) dance of the Sufis historically reserved for men—into the hands of women.“In the traditional Sama, the right arm is extended up toward the sky with the palm facing up,” she says. “The left arm is extended out with the palm facing down toward the Earth. In so doing, you transmit and emanate the light you’ve received into the world through your heart. So, this dance is about becoming a channel for light and love in the world.” In essence, stepping into any dance class can be good for the soul. Sayyad reminds us, “Every movement and dance style, if done with the intention of surrendering one’s sense of separateness into an experience of the greater or dissolving one’s identity as a drop of water into the greater ocean of oneness, can be sacred.”

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Marlaina Donato is an author and recording artist. Connect at WildflowerLady.com. November 2021

healthy kids

Mindfulness for Stressed Teens School Programs Teach Healthy Coping Skills Blessings d Fa re

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een stress levels often rival those of adults, concludes data collected by the American Psychological Association in 2017. This is especially true these days with the influx of social media expectations, political unrest and a global pandemic to contend with. Other daily pressures—such as relationship turmoil, bullying, academic challenges, unstable home lives and mood disorders—can add to the stressors. With all of these pressures, it’s no wonder many teens often tune out and turn toward their devices, getting fixated on other people’s lives or compulsively recording their own experiences, but not fully living them. A wealth of research has demonstrated that one of the most beneficial ways to help teens navigate the ups and downs of these tumultuous years is through mindfulness education. A randomized clinical trial published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 2009 was one of the first studies that provided evidence of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction treatment of adolescents. Since then, there has been no shortage of research findings proving its benefits. “In a nutshell, mindfulness is about being keenly aware of your life, in the present, versus the automatic tendency to ruminate about the past or worry about

A BOLD VISION FOR MICHIGAN Bringing back passenger rail to Traverse City and Petoskey from Ann Arbor and Detroit is good for Michigan. A2TC.org

the future,” says Gina Biegel, CEO and founder of Stressed Teens, a Campbell, California, business that has been disseminating mindfulness-based programs tailored to adolescents since 2004. “It’s noticing your thoughts, feelings and physical sensations in the present moment without harmful judgment.” “Mindfulness is a practice in the art of aligning your energy, mindset and emotions,” says Tris Thorp, the San Diego-based author of Healing Your Heart and a Chopra Center-trained leadership coach. “When teens acquire the skills to better navigate what’s happening in the moment, they’ll have more opportunity available to them because they’re calm, centered and grounded.” “The best moments come when a teen realizes their own wisdom, sees it emerge and is able to grow stronger as a result,” says Jem Shackleford, head of curricula for Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP), a leading nonprofit provider of mindfulness training for schools in the UK and internationally. According to Biegel, a regular mindfulness-based practice helps rewire the brain when people focus on pleasant, beneficial and positive experiences. “For survival purposes, our brains are naturally wired to the negative, aka ‘negative selection bias’,” she says. “Thankfully, we can train our brains to be more tilted to the positive. In

fact, just thinking of a positive memory for 12 seconds can create a benefit for your well-being.” While there are multiple approaches to weaving mindfulness practices into a school setting, here are two highly effective practices. n Certify teachers in mindfulness training so they can deliver the materials directly to their students. “MiSP curricula are produced by educators that have many years of experience of what works in the classroom. They are also long-term mindfulness practitioners, giving them a unique perspective of how mindfulness can be used and taught effectively in school,” says Shackleford. n Implement a school-wide approach. Stressed Teens offers online mindfulness-based groups and one-on-one therapy and coaching sessions for teens, as well as professional instructor certifications and the Whole-School Mindfulness-Centered Social-Emotional Learning program. This approach, in which an entire school participates for a calendar year, is especially beneficial because everyone is going through the program at the same time. “Typically, schools complete two lessons per week to fit the curriculum into one semester or one lesson per week to spread learning over two semesters,” Biegel says.

While teens can learn and practice these techniques alone, a whole systems approach that involves the family, school and community has been shown to have the biggest impact. “A teenager with a mindfulness practice can have a beneficial effect on other members of the household. However, there needs to be support from every angle in a teen’s environment for it to be sustainable,” says Thorp. “There’s so much evidence-based research and measurables that demonstrate how impactful these programs are in schools and communities. There’s a clear reduction in acting out, reduced conflict, and more participation and engagement.” “Think of the ripple effect of possible benefits if the whole community and systems a teen are in are also learning and practicing mindfulness,” says Biegel. “Mindfulness-based methods also include and affect positive human values like gratitude, kindness, generosity, self-care, compassion and acceptance. Youth, parents and educators can all benefit from that.” For more information, including free mindfulness-based resources, visit Stressed Teens. com, MindfulnessInSchools.org and TrisThorp.com. Erin Lehn is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

November 2021

conscious eating

Eat Well to Feel Well thanksgiving fare that boosts mental health by Christy Ratliff

cross America, people of all ages are struggling with mental health issues. Nearly one in five people is living with a mental health condition, and the number of people seeking help for anxiety and depression is skyrocketing, reports Mental Health America. According to the organization’s 2021 State of Mental Health in America Report, suicidal thoughts are increasing among both adults and children, and 9.7 percent of youth is experiencing severe major depression compared to 9.2 percent last year. The highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant has only exacerbated these mental health challenges. The hope and help we seek may be as close as our own kitchen. Accumulating research shows that a diet rich in highly processed foods may increase the risk of developing or worsening various mental health conditions. But a nutrient-based diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables; omega-3 fatty acids; nuts, seeds and legumes; whole grains, fresh herbs and spices; fish and olive oil, may help to support and enhance mental health. We can start this Thanksgiving by serving up healthier, nutrient-rich options to alleviate anxiety and depression, stabilize mood and promote mental health and wellness. “The gut/brain connection helps us understand the food/mood connection,” explains Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutrition specialist and author of the national bestseller This is Your Brain on Food. “The enteric nervous system—that is, the nerves supplying the gastrointestinal tract—totals over 100 million neurons and communicates directly with the brain, or central nervous system, by way of the vagus nerve, which is responsible for our ‘rest-and-digest’ response. “It’s also vital to note that the gut contains the highest number of serotonin receptors, and the gut itself produces all the neurotransmitters that are also made in the brain, including serotonin, often called the happiness hormone. In turn, these neurotransmitters are implicated in sound mental health or potential problems when they are deficient.” “What we eat affects mental health in many ways,” adds Amy Spindel, a functional holistic nutritionist in Plano, Texas, and founder of FoodWithThoughtNutrition.com. “Nutrient deficiencies can cause poor neurotransmitter production. Insufficient vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12 can be implicated in depression and anxiety symptoms, as they are all needed for various stages of neurotransmitter production, especially serotonin, dopamine and GABA.”

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“Traditional sugary, high-carbohydrate foods promote unstable blood sugar and selectively feed inflammatory gut microbes,” Spindel says, suggesting that we skip the typical foods many of us associate with the holidays such as pecan pie, marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole and canned cranberry sauce. “Blood sugar fluctuations cause the body to scramble in an attempt to re-regulate glucose, which may mean spikes of cortisol or adrenaline, as well as insulin. The end result can be depression and anxiety from excessive stress hormones and a glucose-starved brain.” But making such changes, particularly during the holidays, isn’t easy. “If the thought of changing up the traditional Thanksgiving menu gives you pause, you are not alone—and this is why I believe in adding in habits (and in this case, dishes) which have a positive ripple effect on our bodies and our brain, allowing for a self-sustaining cycle in our lifestyle,” advises Naidoo. “As a nutritional psychiatrist, I feel that we are more emotionally nurtured by a feeling of abundance in ‘adding’ new Thanksgiving dishes than thinking about this as ‘excluding’ foods,” she notes. “For example, tossing a fresh, folate-rich spinach and arugula salad with bits of antioxidant-rich strawberries, crisp roasted chickpeas and omega-3-rich olive oil adds color, flavor and a plethora of mood-nourishing ingredients to the dinner table. Even adding extra veggies to existing dishes, such as allicin-rich garlic to green beans or extra celery and fresh herbs to stuffing, adds in powerful phytonutrients with gut-loving fiber.” “Thanksgiving favorites that are ample in neurotransmitter-producing nutrients include turkey, shellfish, sweet potatoes and acorn squash, asparagus, leafy greens, oranges and green beans,” Spindel adds. While it’s true that we cannot control a global pandemic or solve the mental health crisis in America with positive thinking alone, we can minimize our feelings of powerlessness and despair by making small but significant dietary changes—not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year. Christy Ratliff is a professional health and wellness writer based in Central Florida.

Seluisauganasda Cherokee Cornmeal Cookies Here’s a creative, nutritious way to celebrate indigenous tradition during the holidays while also being mindful of mental health. ¾ cup softened butter ½ cup organic brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1½ cups flour ½ cup cornmeal 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt ½ cup raisins (Other versions of this recipe include nuts and dark chocolate pieces.) Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Using a wooden spoon, mix butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add egg and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add raisins. Mix well. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonful onto baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden. Makes about 2 dozen small cookies. Courtesy of La Potosina. For more information, visit IndigenousFoods.wordpress.com.

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plant medicine

David Crow on the Healing Power of Medicinal Plants

by Randy Kambic

avid Crow, author of In Search of the Medicine Buddha, among other books, is a foremost expert in botanical medicine and other natural health applications. As a teacher, telemedicine consultant, researcher, certified master herbalist, aromatherapist and acupuncturist, he has studied Chinese, Tibetan, Ayurvedic and Western herbal medicine for more than 30 years. He is a strong advocate of the safe use of herbs and essential oils, and installing gardens in public and private spaces. As one of the first

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medical pioneers to use essential oils and aromatherapy in clinical practice, integrating them into comprehensive treatments, he is also the founder of Floracopeia Aromatic Treasures.

fertility of the soil, the regulation of the seasons and the foundation of the food chain. From those conditions, higher life was able to emerge and evolve: Humans emerged from conditions created by plants. Since we cannot live directly on soil and sunlight as plants do, the structure and function of the human body are designed so that we can extract those energies in forms that plants provide; our physiology, respiration and metabolism is a mirror image of photosynthesis. We have complete biological dependency on plants in every moment; understanding this is the basis of reverence for nature, which is ecological spirituality, the only long-term solution to the environmental crisis we have created through lack of sensitivity and appreciation of our place in the biosphere.

Why do you feel How is self-care changing to humanity needs empower people? The doctor/patient paradigm is changing to reconnect in many ways as a result of the internet, availa sacred relaability of natural medicines and awareness of tionship with the limitations and dangers of pharmaceuplants? tical drugs. The availability of nutraceuticals

For our survival as a species. Plants created the biosphere over hundreds of millions of years, including the ozone layer, the oxygen in the atmosphere, the

and herbal products from around the world has created a golden age of natural medicine, but has also brought widespread confusion from the overwhelming amount of informa-

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tion combined with marketing of products. People are asking more about drugs and prescribed procedures; they are seeking natural alternatives, and in many cases, either reducing or eliminating their need for pharmaceutical drugs. This change is an important step toward greater health consciousness, which is linked directly to other aspects of creating a healthier society, like the increased demand for organic food that’s driving more organic agriculture.

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Why are cultural medical systems inseparable from spiritual and meditative practices? Classical medical systems such as Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, along with indigenous and shamanic uses of plants for healing, have evolved and are inseparable from the spiritual practices of their cultures. For example, Chinese medicine evolved from and with the same philosophical roots and practices as qigong and Taoist alchemy, and Ayurveda emerged from and in turn influenced yoga, tantra and Vedic philosophy. The significance of this is that medical practices were used both for healing the body and to support yogic and spiritual practices, and vice versa. Now we have modern scientific research confirming the health benefits of spiritual practices such as meditation and prayer, but more importantly, traditional medical systems remind us that there is an ultimate spiritual goal that is higher than mere physical health.

What is your view on the resurgence of psychedelic plant medicines for healing? All plants have healing properties and also have potential dangers and toxicity, depending on how they are used. The psychoactive plants, specifically the entheogens (those that awaken the perception of divinity) have been used in ceremonies and mystery cults throughout history for healing conditions of body, mind and spirit, but those traditions have always been under the care of highly trained and experienced priests, priestesses and shamans. The experiences while under the influence of these plants are highly dependent on the container of the environment, the cultural mythologies, the ritual, its leaders and the other people present in the ceremony, and it can be highly unpredictable with both good and bad outcomes. The use of these medicines at higher doses is an excellent opportunity for deep inner transformation, exploration of consciousness and appreciation of the visionary realms that are available to us, but like all intensive spiritual endeavors, requires preparation, orientation and guidance. Using these plants at lower doses, like microdosing daily with psilocybin mushrooms for treating depression and anxiety, offers great benefits for some people without the risks of the psychological, mental or emotional disruptions that can occur at higher doses.

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natural pet

family have moved away to other lives and preoccupations, the family pet remains the faithful dinner or TV time companion,” she says. “A cherished pet is often the last true companion.” Cancelling appointments or taking time off from work after a pet’s passing does not connote emotional weakness. “Treat yourself with the same kindness you would show another person going through this difficult time,” advises Cheryl Wyatt, a certified grief companion at Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, a national network of veterinarians that provides compassionate end-of-life care. “Allow yourself the time to do your mourning work. Tears are cleansing. If they happen to come 10 hours or 10 years from now, you have permission to shed them.”

Compassionate Transitions. Loving an animal until the

last goodbye includes relieving their suffering to the best of our ability. In-home euthanasia can make a heartbreaking time more bearable for both pet and owner. “Providing beloved pets euthanasia at home differs from a clinical setting because it allows them to remain in their safe, happy place. At home, the veterinarian can greet the pet family and provide the loved one’s peaceful passing wherever they are most comfortable—a favorite bed or spot on the couch—surrounded by all those who love them most,” explains Wyatt.

the absence of emotional baggage, and is therefore capable of provoking grief that equals or exceeds losing a close relative. “This is a deep bond that is never judgmental on how we look, spend money or what we do for a living, as long as we love and nurture. And, in return, we receive undying, unconditional love,” says Pam Baren Kaplan, a pet loss grief counselor and life coach in Chicago.

Pet funerals are becoming more common, and ceremonies are as unique as the animal remembered. Stories, poetry and memories can be shared by family and they can include a living memorial such as a tree planted in the animal’s name. Stout, also an accomplished artist, finds joy in painting her pets that have gone and suggests “a scrapbook of pictures and memories, because a look back at puppy or kitten pictures can bring an instant smile.” Kaplan agrees, “Creating what I refer to as ‘a legacy of love’ can be done by the entire family or by one person. This is a book that you put together with favorite photos of your pet and journal the story around the photo. This is a great way to include family member’s memories from their perspective.” Choosing a unique, handmade vessel for ashes can honor an animal. Mary Jane Panebianco, owner of SpiritpetShop on Etsy. com, was inspired by the passing of a co-worker’s dog. “At the time, I worked in a mixed media art gallery, and she had one of our ceramic artists create her dog Sandy’s memorial urn. It was beautiful and so well done. I did some research on the pet industry, and everything I found was so commercial and mass-produced. I knew pets and their owners deserved another option.” Panebianco works with a small number of award-winning American artisans and accepts custom orders for handcrafted urns. “Many of my pet parents have told me how having a beautiful memorial for their beloved pet helps them make peace with their pet’s passing. It’s the last thing you will do for them.” In the beginning and in the end, it’s all about the love. For Stout, it’s what animals teach us. “To play and dance often, to give unconditional love, loyalty and friendship, to find joy in the little things, and that life is too often short.”

Diane Stout, a pet parent and retired dog groomer in Paupack, Pennsylvania, knows the impact of this unconditional love, especially through life’s changes. “Long after a spouse has died and

Marlaina Donato is an author and recording artist. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

Honoring the Loss of a Pet Simple Ways to Grieve and Heal

by Marlaina Donato

rench novelist Anatole France’s sentiment, “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened,” rings true for anyone that shares a love story with a beloved pet. Whether we lose a cat, dog, horse, bird or lizard, the final parting can be quite emotional. Society supports us with empathy and rituals of closure when we suffer the loss of a human love, but grieving an animal companion can be a uniquely silent passage. Surrendering fully to the mourning process, creating a joyful ceremony and celebrating the life of a loved one invites healing and solace.

Sacred Grief. The animal-human alliance is hallmarked by

Grand Traverse Region

HealthyLivingMichigan.com

inspiration

The Healing Power of a Hug by Marlaina Donato

hen we were children, a hug helped to take the sting out of a skinned knee or quell first-dayof-school jitters. In adulthood, hugs are not as plentiful or practical; many people lack partners or loved ones, and the gesture— both giving and receiving—is too often labeled as sentimentality. As we continue to move through life with pandemic restric-

tions, hugs can feel risky at a time when we need them the most. A hug elicits a powerful shot of neurotransmitters like oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine, and we don’t necessarily need another human to reap the benefits. Wrapping our arms around a breeze-swept tree in the backyard or on a hiking trail can lower heart rate and set our brains

abuzz with feel-good endorphins. Earlier this year, the forestry service in Iceland invited people to cuddle up to trees to offset COVID-19 isolation and get in a good dose of forest bathing. Scientific research, including a study from Carnegie Mellon University, backs what unapologetic huggers have always known: Even the most casual embrace can help to lower stress, boost immunity and promote a better night’s sleep. Cuddling up with a stuffed animal is a part of everyday life for 43 percent of American adults, with men taking the lead. Befriending a plush toy is part of some trauma recovery programs and has a soothing effect on those navigating the dark waters of grief, loss and chronic anxiety. Snuggling up under a warm, weighted blanket is also akin to a hug, and has benefits much like the real thing. Holding and being held strengthens the body’s defense systems, as well as romantic partnerships, friendships and our relationship with ourselves. Opening our arms can foster the spiritual discipline of not only giving, but receiving—a vital requirement in self-care. In a time of chaotic uncertainty, isolation and change, hugs can be medicine; they can also be a powerful metaphor and reminder to remain open, willing and beautifully human. Marlaina Donato is a mind-body-spirit author and recording artist. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

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coming in the december holiday issue

calendar of events THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4 Acrylic Pour Painting – 5:30-7:30pm. With Heidi Finley. Perfect opportunity to get creative. All items make wonderful gifts, too. Make glass ornaments. Also held Dec 2. $50, all materials included. Charlevoix Circle of Arts, 220 Clinton St, Charlevoix. Pre-registration required: CharlevoixCircle.org. Fall Paint and Sip – 6-8pm. Join us for this fun fall paint and sip class. Seating limited. $30 covers all supplies, step-by-step instruction and first glass of wine. $30. Cherry Republic, 221 Bridge St, Charlevoix. To register, must text Jennifer: 817-808-5973. Tinyurl.com/4t32rkar.

Boosting Immune System

plus: Uplifting Humanity

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5 The Goddess Workout, Beginner Bollywood: “Hindi Sad Diamonds” – Nov 5, 12, 19. 6-7pm. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the theatrical release of Moulin Rouge and learn Bollywood moves to the song Hindi Sad Diamonds from the movie. $30/series, $15/drop-in. Higher Self Bookstore, 313 E Front St Traverse City. 231-941-5805. Higher SelfBookstore.com.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6 38th Annual Holiday Gift Fair – 10am-3pm. Shop over 60 artists & crafters; all-day raffles and more. Shanty Creek Resorts, Bellaire. More info: 231-5336023 or BellaireChamber.org.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Dabble in the Arts Series – 6-8pm. Macramé Angels for the holidays. Learn how to macramé by creating an angel ornament. No experience necessary. One angel per person; if would like to make more there is a $5 fee. $40. Charlevoix Circle of Arts, 220 Clinton St, Charlevoix. Pre-registration required: CharlevoixCircle.org.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20 Handmade Holiday Craft Show – 9am-4pm. Benefits Brother Dan’s Food Pantry. Local vendors featuring handmade items for sale. Admission: $2 or a nonperishable food item. Emmet County Fairgrounds, The Community Bldg, 1129 Charlevoix Ave, Petoskey. StayHappening.com.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Online: Farm Chef Thanksgiving Sides – 6-7pm. Join Chef Larry for a fun class and learn how to make delish Thanksgiving sides. $10. Register: Oryana.coop.

Cacao Ceremony and Ecstatic Dance – 4-6pm. An exploration in body and spirit. Begin in circle with ceremonial cacao. Then journey into movement through our Ecstatic Dance practice. No prior experience needed. $30. Yoga Roots Petoskey, 444 E Mitchell St, Petoskey. 231-838-8992. YogaRoots Petoskey.com.

Trash Talk – 1-3pm. Terry Amick, Charlevoix County Maintenance Manager. Learn about the process of sorting and recycling and what we can do to make it work efficiently. Charlevoix Public Library, 220 Clinton St, Charlevoix. Register: 231237-7340 or Tinyurl.com/n3abbws.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Pottery Painting – 5:30-7:30pm. Once a month thru Dec. Fun for families, friends or an evening to yourself. All items make wonderful gifts too. All classes include colored glazes, brushes, supplies, step-bystep instructions and professional glaze and firing. Acrylic painting available by request. See website for project details. $40-$60. Charlevoix Circle of Arts, 109 Clinton St, Charlevoix. Pre-registration required: CharlevoixCircle.org.

Grand Traverse Region

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Fall Women’s Circles – 7-9pm. Explore our connection with the Divine Feminine that is within us all. No prior experience is needed. All spiritual practices are honored. Through the theme of the Triple Goddess, will delve into the 3 dominant stages of a woman’s life: the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone archetypes. $33. Yoga Bellaire, 106 W Cayuga St, Bellaire. Details & to register: Yoga Bellaire.com/events.

Owl Prowl – 7-8:30pm. Learn about our local owls and their conservation with an introductory presentation, and then head out for a night hike in search of these amazing birds. $10/person. Grass River Natural Area, 6500 Alden Hwy, Bellaire. Registration required: GrassRiver.org.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Queens are Storming the Castle! – 11am-12pm. Enjoy some brunch, have a laugh and support a great cause. Starring Michigan-made drag queens and a delicious brunch provided by 1918 Cellars, it will be a show you won’t want to miss. Benefit the Paper Angels Project. $40 includes brunch & a mimosa; VIP tickets: $50 includes brunch and a bottle of wine. Castle Farms, 5052 M-66, Charlevoix. CastleFarms.com.

HealthyLivingMichigan.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Harbor Springs Market at the Museum – 4-8pm. Harbor Springs Area Historical Society, 349 E Main St, Harbor Springs. HarborSpringsFarmersMarket.org.

PLAN AHEAD WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1 Holiday Paint and Sip – 6:15pm. With Jen Barratt, founder of Gaudy Giggles Paint Parties. Get step-by-step instruction on how to paint something beautiful for your family, friends, or wall at home. All materials supplied. $35/person. Cherry Republic, 221 Bridge St, Charlevoix. To register, must text Jennifer: 817-808-5973. Tinyurl.com/6rdjaeyd.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 Acrylic Pour Painting – 5:30-7:30pm. With Heidi Finley. Perfect opportunity to get creative. All items make wonderful gifts, too. Make glass ornaments. $50, all materials included. Charlevoix Circle of Arts, 220 Clinton St, Charlevoix. Pre-registration required: CharlevoixCircle.org.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9 Pottery Painting – 5:30-7:30pm. Fun for families, friends or an evening to yourself. All items make wonderful gifts, too. All classes include colored glazes, brushes, supplies, step-by-step instructions and professional glaze and firing. Acrylic painting available by request. See website for project details. $40-$60. Charlevoix Circle of Arts, 109 Clinton St, Charlevoix. Pre-registration required: CharlevoixCircle.org.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16 Dabble in the Arts Series – 6-8pm. Learn how to paint on glass and create a beautiful fun holiday ornament with local artist Sharon Smithem. No experience necessary. All materials included. $40. Charlevoix Circle of Arts, 220 Clinton St, Charlevoix. Pre-registration required: CharlevoixCircle.org.

ongoing events

sundays Girlz Empowered Workshops – 11am. For girls ages 6-17 who want to learn how to show up as their best selves every day in every way. Sessions include yoga, meditation, gratitude practices, self-care, anti-bullying, anti-racism and more. Details: Good VibzYoga.com/girlzempowered.

silience for your leadership. $222/mo. AmbrosiAlanimals.MyKajabi.com/offers/Fcot2cjT/checkout.

thursdays Yoga in East Park – 8:30-9:30am. With Charlevoix Yoga. Weather permitting. $20. East Park 400 Bridge St, Charlevoix. CharlevoixYoga.com. Weekly Facebook Live with Dr. McSwain – 5:306pm. More info: MIHolisticMed.com.

If You Are Reading This, So Are Your Potential Customers.

Mindfulness and Meditation Circle – Thru Dec. 5:30-6:30pm. Every week is different as we learn about the art and science of mindfulness. Co-led by Aria Everts and Eric McDonald. Donation. Yoga Bellaire, 106 W Cayuga St, Bellaire. YogaBellaire.com.

fridays Sacred Drumming Circle – 7-9pm. 2nd Fri. No experience necessary. No drum necessary but feel to bring an acoustic item of your making. Earth Blessing will start each event. Free, but donations accepted. The House of Bear, 4242 Co Rd 633, Grawn. Tinyurl.com/dzpvap92.

saturdays Indoor Farmers’ Market – Nov -Apr 30. 10am-2pm. Presented by The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Free admission. Mercato, 830 Cottageview Dr, Traverse City. TheVillageTC.com/farmers-market. InterPlay: Dive Deep into Creative Self-Expression – 3-5:30pm. 3rd Sat. An active, creative way to unlock the wisdom of the body. Through simple improvisational forms, it uses movement, sound, and storytelling. New Moon Yoga, 10781 E Cherry Bend Rd, Traverse City. 231-421-3120. SoulWaysHealing.com.

Men’s Circle: Stories in Council – 6:30pm. 1st Sun. An open group of men who come together in a safe, confidential space to share and gain from each other’s experience and presence. Free. Yoga Bellaire, 106 W Cayuga St, Bellaire. YogaBellaire.com.

mondays Cancer Care Support Discovery Call – 6-6:30pm. For those looking to incorporate a holistic, functional element of care into their cancer treatment plan by working in conjunction with your oncologists, surgeons, primary care physician and physical medicine practitioners. More info: MIHolisticMed.com.

wednesdays Online: Conscious Leaders Group Coaching – Thru Dec. 3-4pm. A place to receive continuous guidance for leading with compassion and flow. Includes 2 monthly calls, where you can bring questions or issues to be coached around. Learn about your blind spots, tackle your growth edges, and build re-

classifieds HELP WANTED LOOKING FOR DEDICATED AND PASSIONATE DISTRIBUTOR / SALES OF ALLNATURAL PRODUCTS. This is not a MLM, this is based on product sales of retail and sales to the public. This will include contacting the public as well as outdoor and indoor events. Calling on stores and businesses. Must be passionate about healthy living and helping others be healthy. Michiganmade products. We are a licensed, insured, certified Company. Please contact U.P. Chaga Connection 906-282-0787 (Serious inquiries only).

734-757-7929 Publisher@HealthyLivingMichigan.com November 2021

community resource guide ADVANCED WELLNESS EARTH LABS

ARIA MAE EVERTS

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CHAGA PRODUCTS

Providingthe world’s best herbs, spices and teas for your kitchen. We carry over 200 spices from everyday use to the most exotic as well as over 120 different teas. See ad page 23.

SHARED BLESSINGS FARM

7291 18 Mile Rd, Marion 231-743-2286

We are a family farm focused on healthy soils to produce healthy animals so they can produce healthy raw milk for your good. Taste to know the difference. See ad page 20.

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Freshest, cleanest, wildest organic Chaga available in the Upper Peninsula. State certified. Immune-Boosting Superfood. For centuries, people have used chaga mushrooms for medicinal purposes. Packed with antioxidants, its extract may fight cancer, chronic inflammation, improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels. See ad page 24.

Grand Traverse Region

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FRESH MILK HERD SHARES

At Purely CBD Traverse City, we strive to provide our customers with top-quality products that help serve their personal needs. As a locally owned business, we are dedicated to caring for our community and prioritize your overall well-being. See ad page 25.

HALOTHERAPY URBAN OASIS SALT SPA

13709 S. West Bayshore Dr, Traverse City 231-938-6020 UrbanOasisSaltSpa.com

Dry salt therapy, massage, detox, organic facial services, exclusive salt room made from 15,000 pounds of Himalayan pink salt supports overall health and wellness. See ad page 18.

Spiritually integrative coaching, healing and retreats for Conscious Leaders. In-person and virtual personal development for those who envision a world where all life is honored. See ad page 21.

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We are a family farm focused on healthy soils to produce healthy grass-finished animals rich in minerals and omega-3s and omega-6s with real fat that is good for you. See ad page 20.

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HEALTHY PET SQUARE DEAL COUNTRY STORE

900 Woodmere Ave, Traverse City 231-946-5030 SquareDealCountryStore.com

products for your pets. See ad page 27.

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HOLISTIC MENTAL WELLNESS KELLIE ZIEHM

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HYDROPONICS & ORGANIC GARDENING PRODUCTS THE GROW STORE

90 N U.S. Hwy 31 S, Traverse City 231-421-5191 Facebook: The Grow Store Traverse City Serving Traverse City and the Northern Michigan region since 2009. Specilizing in organics, hydroponics and lighting systems for the indoor grower. A locally owned, service-oriented company. See ad page 25.

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Educational programs offered: Natural Health Program: four years (one weekend a month); Massage Therapy Program: one year (two weekends a month); Holistic Doula Practitioner Program: six months (one weekend a month). Individual classes available. See ad page 3.

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

PERSONAL & SPIRITUAL GROWTH WORKSHOPS INNER LISTENING™ WORKSHOPS

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Inner Listening™ workshops for compassionate self-awareness, presence, serenity, love, and joy, offer you the theory, practice, and support to move beyond emotional reactions and into deep healing, compassion, and empowerment. See ad page 19.

Ambrosial Animals is a Spiritual Development Program for Conscious Leaders - an initiation for those ready to step into their missions more powerfully. See ad page 21.

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www. consciousdyinginstitute.com November 2021

Grand Traverse Region

HealthyLivingMichigan.com

Natural Awakenings of Grand Traverse Region Michigan - November 2021

Articles inside

HONORING THE LOSS OF A PET

EAT WELL TO FEEL WELL

DYING WELL

DAVID CROW

EMOTIONAL BRAIN HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

SACRED DANCE

HEALTHY BRAIN STRATEGIES