Natural Awakenings Magazine ~ December 2017

F

E E R

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

12 HAPPY HOLIDAY TIPS

FESTIVE CITRUS Colorful Good Health in Holiday Dishes

MAKING INSPIRED LIVING PEACE

Handling Conflicts in a Healthy and Transformative Way

Five Ways to Make the New Year Sparkle

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contents 5 newsbriefs 6 healthbriefs 9 ecotip 10 globalbriefs 6 12 community

spotlight 9 13 chironews 17 fitbody 20 healingways 2 1 consciouseating 26 wisewords 28 inspiration 29 healthykids 3 1 greenliving 34 naturalpet 40 calendar 43 classifieds 10 45 resourceguide

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NEWS BRIEFS & ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS

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

14 PEACE ON EARTH Conflict Resolutions that Work to Bridge Divides

by Linda Sechrist

17 CHAMPIONING

HOLISTIC ATHLETES

The New Face of Sports Medicine

by Marlaina Donato

20 12 HAPPY HOLIDAY TIPS

How to Really Enjoy the Season

by Dianne Bischoff James

22 THE GIFTS OF CITRUS

by Judith Fertig

26 LYNNE MCTAGGART ON THE POWER OF GROUP INTENTION

by April Thompson

28 INSPIRED LIVING

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS

by Kelly Martinsen

Submit Calendar Events online at: NaturalWestMichigan.com.

Calendar deadline is the 15th of the month prior to publication.

30 AWAKE PARENTING

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Colorful Good Health in Holiday Dishes

Email articles to: Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com. Deadline for articles is the 5th of the month prior to publication. Submit News Briefs online at NaturalWestMichigan.com. Deadline for News Briefs is the 12th of the month prior to publication.

WHERE TO PICK UP NATURAL AWAKENINGS

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Five Ways to Make

the New Year Sparkle

Raising Connected, Confident Kids

by Judith Fertig

31 GO ECO LIKE GRANDMA Honor Her Wisdom in New Ways

by Avery Mack

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letterfrompublisher

contact us Publisher/Editor Pamela Gallina

Lifted Views

I

generally don’t anticipate the winter holidays with glee, even though I used to love this time of year!

Something shifted when the pace of my life accelerated, compounded by the pressure perfectionists like me exert on ourselves; it all became overwhelming.

Over several years, my family decided to halt the conventional floodtide of gifts in an effort to return to what’s truly important for us and it’s been a big help. Many people find that simplifying things helps to fix many problems. I still struggle with melancholic thoughts of dear ones loved and lost and continue to seek answers of peace.

Editors S. Alison Chabonais Linda Sechrist Design & Production Interactive Media Design Scott Carvey Printer Stafford Media Solutions Natural Awakenings P.O. Box 330 Spring Lake, MI 49456 Phone: 616-604-0480 Fax: 616-855-4202 Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com

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Subscriptions are available by sending $30 (12 issues) to the above address. © 2017 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business.

We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY

What works for me is to maintain my daily rituals during the holiday season. The familiar nurturing soothes my soul. I depend on my morning ritual to place me in a positive frame of mind and on track each day. If I wake up blue, my gratitude journal reminds me of all the reasons I have to be grateful this day. Morning meditation works to clear mental noise so my true selfhood can emerge, accompanied by a natural state of joy. If irritations or frustrations arise during the day it usually means that I am out of balance in some way. So I use proven tools to bring myself back to center, such as practicing mindfulness, hiking in the woods or journaling about what is deeply important, reminding myself that everything else is just a distraction.

Our annual Uplifting Humanity issue is packed with helpful tips and tools you can use to aid, brighten and uplift this holiday season. My hope is that you feel true content now and always, found in simple joys, inner peace and gentle reminders of what’s truly meaningful in life.

To conscious living,

Pamela Gallina, Publisher

Natural Awakenings is locally owned and operated.

Natural Awakenings Magazine of West Michigan

Never Glossy. Always Green.

Natural Awakenings practices environmental sustainability by printing on post-consumer recycled paper with soy-based ink.

This choice avoids the toxic chemicals and high energy costs of producing shiny, coated paper that is hard to recycle.

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newsbriefs

Third Annual InspiredLifeGR Conference

T

he third annual InspiredLifeGR conference takes place in Grand Rapids from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., February 24, and 8:30 to 2:30 p.m., February 25, at Aquinas College, Wege Ballroom. InspiredLifeGR 2018 is a two-day health and wellness conference featuring holistic health experts.

Attendees will learn how to cultivate an enriched, healthy and inspired life through nutrition, movement, bodywork, mindfulness, and spirituality. The theme is Healing Through Self-Care and emphasis is placed on caring for the self with love and respect which becomes an integral part of the healing of the community and beyond. Registration includes a nutritious breakfast and lunch for both days.

Cost is $160. $130 if registered before December 31.

Student discount is $100. Location: 1607 Robinson Rd. SE, Grand Rapids. For more information and to register, visit InspiredLifeGR.com. See Ad Page 43.

Global Infusion Open For the Holidays

G

lobal Infusion in Grand Rapids has a vast array of merchandise perfect for those who love organic, ethically sourced, and sustainably grown products. They have a continually growing selection of over 140 bulk medicinal herbs and cooking spices from A to Y including salts, spice blends, and sweeteners. All are grown and harvested sustainably and checked and rechecked for quality. Global Infusion also offers coffee that is sustainably shade grown without the use of agrochemicals. If not certified organic, they have ensured that farmer practices are providing a clean, green, and delicious product.

Along with coffee, customers are invited to explore the plentiful options of fresh loose leaf tea. The high quality tea

leaves derived from loose leaf product far exceed anything that can be purchased pre-packaged. In addition, customers can steep and re-steep loose leaf teas so the tea goes even further. All teas are organically grown and fairly traded.

Global Infusion takes great care to make sure the suppliers are the best available. Most products carry the organic label, some do not, but customers can be assured everything in stock is grown without harmful agrochemicals. They also take pride in the quality control and harvesting techniques used by suppliers. Customers will always get a fresh product that tastes like it should. If customers don’t see what they are looking they’re encouraged to ask. Global Infusion adds to their shelves per customer requests.

Location: 143 Diamond SE, Grand Rapids. For more information: visit WeLoveChai.com. See ad page 23.

Natural Wellness Seminar

T

he Remedy House is hosting Breaking Out the ABC’s of Simple Steps to Natural Wellness in Grand Rapids from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., December 9. Each class will emphasize a different area of wellness. The day is divided into three segments so attendees can participate in individual classes or all three. Class A begins at 10 a.m. to noon, and it focuses on activating your body for wellness. This first class is designed to understand the importance and beneficial ways to activate your body emotionally and mentally, including meditation, law of attraction, affirmations, and physically by activating your elimination channels. Class B will start at 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., and it concentrates on building your body for wellness by understanding the importance of the basic building blocks of the body known as minerals. Also it teaches why each one is important to our health and which ones are needed to build health. The Remedy House will test each mineral for each attendee so attendees will know what’s needed to work on. Class C starts at 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., and it focuses on cleansing the body of the toxic waste built up which is vital for optimal health. Participants will gain understanding as to why it should be the third step, not the first, in wellness, and the many different cleansing programs available and the herbal support for each one. Not only is it important to know which area of the body needs cleansing, but what are is cleansed out, chemical toxicity, heavy metals, or parasites.

Fee: $65 for entire day or $25 per class. Location: The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr. NE, Grand Rapids. Call to register - 616-443-4225. See Ad page 16. natural awakenings

December 2017

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Milk Chocolate Also Benefits Heart Health

H

igh-cacao dark chocolate contains high levels of flavanol, a compound known for its heart health benefits, but less is known about diluted foods such as milk chocolate candy.

Harvard researchers followed 55,502 subjects for 13 years, comparing levels of high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease to lifestyle traits. They found those eating one to three servings of chocolate a month (including milk chocolate) displayed a 10 percent lower risk of irregular heartbeat than those eating an ounce or less a month. Eating one serving per week of chocolate yielded a 17 percent lower risk and two to six servings a week 20 percent, and then leveled off after eating one or more servings per day.

“Eating excessive amounts of chocolate is not recommended, because many chocolate products are high in calories from sugar and fat, and could lead to weight gain and other metabolic problems,” advises Elizabeth Mostofsky, author of the study.

Add Volume & Shine...

with proven organic ingredients!

Fifty healthy patients and 50 with chronic fatigue syndrome were tested for bacteria and immune molecules by researchers from Columbia University.

They discovered that imbalances in the levels of certain gut bacteria are prevalent in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome, a disorder often accompanied by extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, cognitive issues and insomnia.

Call Sally Ann

Hair Artist • Educator Organic Color Specialist

CALL TODAY

for your next appointment!

616-299-1796 6455 28th St SE, Grand Rapids, Suite 1

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GUT BACTERIA IMBALANCE LINKED TO CHRONIC FATIGUE Ben Schonewille /Shutterstock.com

Prevent Oxidative Stress

Pink Noise While Asleep Helps Memory

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esearchers from Northwestern University have found that acoustic stimulation using pink noise (random sound with more low frequencies than white noise) increases slow-wave brain activity, thus improving sleep-dependent memory retention. Thirteen mature adults completed two nights of sleep; one with the pink noise and one without, in random order.

Specific brainwave activity increased during the periods when the pink noise was being delivered, suggesting that it could help older adults preserve some memory functions.

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Reduce Thinning Hair

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healthbriefs

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erman researchers studied the correlation between cardiac arrhythmia and alcohol consumption by monitoring 3,000 middle-aged volunteers for 16 days during Oktoberfest. Portable electrocardiographs and breathalyzer machines tested for heart activity and breath alcohol concentration. Arrhythmia showed up in 30 percent of the participants, significantly higher than an estimated 4 percent or less among the general population according to an earlier study. An irregular heartbeat often causes discomfort in the short term and possible heart failure and stroke later.

Tree Nuts Cut Colon Cancer Relapse

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Alcohol Affects Our Heartbeat

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esearchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute examined nutrition and cancer recurrence data from 826 patients with Stage III colon cancer and found those that consumed two or more ounces of tree nuts a week experienced a 42 percent reduction in cancer recurrence and a 57 percent lower risk of death on average compared to those that ate no nuts.

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Regular Sleep Times Promote Health

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report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that 35 percent of U.S. adults don’t get adequate sleep. Dr. W. Chris Winter, of the Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine clinic, recommends we pick a wake-up time that works for every day and stick with it, regardless of bedtime; it pays off by eventually training the brain to fall asleep at the same time every night. Swedish scientists found that sleep loss reduces the presence of hormones that promote feelings of fullness in the stomach and increases the amounts of those that promote hunger, leading to obesity.

DEAR DIARY COMFORTS THE ELDERLY A UK study of 19 elderly volunteers participating in a 12-week training program for providing companionship to dying patients showed that considering their own views about death and dying is an important component of serving in this role.

Evaluation of the trainees’ diary entries focused on key themes such as reflections about dying alone, the importance of being present, self-awareness, personal loss, the meaning of life, self-preservation and coping strategies.

Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing. Believe in yourself.

And believe that there is a loving Source—a Sower of Dreams—just waiting to be asked to help you make your dreams come true. ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

Are You On Your Path?

Discover The Next Step in Energy Medicine

www.energytouchschool.com natural awakenings

December 2017

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healthbriefs

coverartist

R

esearchers at Orebro University, in Sweden, conducted a review of research reported since 1965 on the incidence of glioma brain cancer with continued use of cell phones. They found that the highest cumulative exposures to cell phone radiation correlated with a 90 percent increase in the risk of glioma cancer. The risk increased with time; after 10 years of cell phone use, it increased by 62 percent and doubled after 20 years.

g-stockstudio/Shutterstock.com

Naps Boost Toddler Talk

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esearchers from the University of Oxford, in the UK, have found that infants that take more daytime naps tend to develop a larger vocabulary at an earlier age than their peers by examining sleeping patterns of 246 babies between the ages of 7 months and 3 years for 10 days. Parents also completed a language analysis at the start of the study and three and six months later to determine how many words each child understood from a list 416 words typically learned in infancy. Infants that napped more frequently during the day performed better on both understanding and expressing vocabulary than the others.

TAI CHI EASES THE BLUES

Flashon Studio/Shutterstock.com

Boston researchers found a reduction in depressive symptoms among people that practice tai chi via 50 ChineseAmericans diagnosed with depression. They were divided into three groups.

One group participated in tai chi sessions twice a week and were encouraged to practice the movements at home three times a week. Another group attended twice weekly depression education sessions and a third served as the control group. After 12 weeks, the tai chi group reported significant improvements in depression symptoms, which continued after the study was completed, measured at 24 weeks.

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Long-Term Cell Phone Use a Health Risk

In the Spirit of the Season – May We Walk as One Jody Bergsma Jody Bergsma began creating art at age 3, when her mother suggested that she draw her nightmares to vanquish her fears. Monsters illustrated with pink and green crayons were not so scary, and the budding young artist became hooked.

By her mid-teens, Bergsma was selling her fanciful works and she went on to become an award-winning illustrator.

In her whimsical, elfin watercolors and detailed, dramatic images of wildlife, the artist often uses aboriginal, native and geometric designs and symbols derived from the beautiful patterns of ancient cultures. By respectfully working with these images, she reintegrates them into our modern ethos.

“I propose that all humankind shares a common reality just beyond the range of normal sight,” remarks Bergsma, whose watercolor technique is self-taught. “Each person’s physical adventure is unique, but the abstract language of feelings and realization of existence is our shared experience.

“Art is a tradition that helps define who we are and brings us a vision of who we can become,” Bergsma continues. “My painting is my expression and request for a more beautiful, peaceful and harmonious world.”

View the artist’s portfolio at Bergsma.com.

ecotip Erase E-Waste

When replacing holiday purchases of smartphones and other electronic devices, don’t just trash the old ones. Manufacturing electronics consumes many resources and discarded waste can leak harmful chemicals into ecosystems. There are far better ways to redirect and repurpose them.

Besides trading in phones for a rebate, another good option is transferring them to an official recycling program that makes sure all components are dealt with properly.

Some states offer special provisions. Check the E-Cycling Central website at eiae.org. Major phone makers and carriers offer recycling programs, and some retailers accept select electronic devices.

Best of all, give a device a new life by gifting it. RecyclingForCharities.com accepts obsolete personal electronic devices by mail; the donor selects a charity to receive the proceeds. ShelterAlliance.net, CellPhonesForSoldiers.com and Phones4Charity.org are kindred organizations.

AmericanCellPhoneDrive.org lets users find nearby charity recycling initiatives via zip code. It provides scholarships for U.S. children that have lost a parent through warfare or terrorism, feeds malnourished children in Asia, builds lowincome housing and donates prepaid calling cards to military personnel.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, other unwanted electronic devices can be recycled so that incorporated copper, steel and glass can be recovered and reused. Other materials like lead (in circuit board solder, glass cathode ray tubes of many TVs and computer screens, and batteries) and mercury (in fluorescent backlights of many flat-panel screen displays) can be captured and recycled, instead of polluting the environment.

Small appliances like toasters, coffee makers and clothing irons aren’t considered e-waste and generally aren’t recyclable because they are made of a mix of plastic and metal. Using them for many years helps.

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

New Tech May Relieve Elder Isolation

Approximately a third of those older than 65 and half of elders at least 85 live alone, as do many people with illnesses and mental disorders. All can suffer from feelings of profound loneliness. Emerging virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies provide avenues to alleviate such isolation, instilling contentment, peace of mind, enrichment, fun, a sense of companionship and contributing to physical and mental health.

Instead of passively watching TV, seniors can travel virtually to World Heritage sites, revisit old haunts or even attend family events they would otherwise miss. In terms of benefits attained, VR is predicted to measurably improve seniors’ quality of life.

Healthcare applications of AI and telemedicine include reminders to eat, be active or take medications, perhaps assisted by a robotic companion that can share information with practitioners, children, caregivers and emergency personnel. Social applications include helping to form and maintain social connections.

It may also serve as a personal concierge by reminding seniors of appointments, playing games with them and initiating dialogue to spark outward engagement.

Animal Smarts

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Chimps, Zebrafish and Birds Communicate Like We Do Chimps, orangutans and bonobo apes are now known to be capable of understanding what others are thinking and recognize human thoughts, an ability once thought to be impossible. A team led by Christopher Krupenye, of Duke University, had apes take part in a visual experiment where they watched videos on a monitor while their gaze was being tracked. They discovered an anticipation of events that went beyond the visual cues presented.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has determined that zebrafish are social animals, similar to humans and other mammals— they form friendships, experience positive emotions and have individual personalities. The group advises people that eat fish or keep them as pets to consider the moral implications.

Honey hunters in sub-Saharan Africa have a unique form of communication with honeyguide birds that fly ahead to point out beehives which the hunters raid, leaving wax for the birds to eat. A study in the journal Science reports that they listen for a specific call made by their human collaborators.

Dr. Claire Spottiswoode, of the University of Cambridge, in England, and University of Cape Town, in South Africa, observes, “It seems to be a two-way conversation between our own species and a wild animal.”

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Robot Roomies

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Tree Tally

Digitalizing Data Helps Rainforest Census The Amazon rainforest is thought to harbor a greater diversity of trees than anywhere else on Earth, but the exact number has long been a mystery.

In 2013, scientists estimated that the number of species was around 16,000, but no actual count had been done. In a new paper in Scientific Reports, researchers delved into museum collections from around the world to confirm the current number of tree species recorded in the Amazon and assess possibilities of those yet to be discovered.

“Since 1900, between 50 and 200 new trees have been discovered in the Amazon every year,” notes Nigel Pitman, a Mellon senior conservation ecologist with the Field Museum. “Our analysis suggests that we won’t finish discovering new tree species there for three more centuries.”

The study relied upon the digitization of museum collections data— photographs and digital records—of the specimens housed there and shared worldwide through aggregator sites like IDigBio.org. “It gives scientists a better sense of what’s actually growing in the Amazon Basin, aiding conservation efforts,” says Pitman.

Senior Sisterhood Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

New Options for Independent Co-Housing For 20 years, Maria Brenton, an outspoken proponent of older people living independently, has been campaigning and planning for the opening of a different kind of retirement home run by its residents, supporting each other through old age.

She says, “Attitudes to older people in this country are out of date. Most members of the older population don’t wish to have everything done for them.”

She attests that institutions and agencies dealing with older people encourage dependency and are patronizing and paternalistic. “Older people internalize it, and they learn to wait for people to do things for them,” advises Brenton.

New Ground, in Barnet, North London, is the first UK cohousing development set up just for older women, with 26 women from age 50 to 87. Also in London, The Collective has created something similar with enhanced amenities such as a cinema room and a launderette with a disco ball. WeWork is an American company that has set up communal offices, and recently established WeLive, in New York City.

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Microplastic Mess Threatens World Oceans Scientists from the University of Hull and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have published research in the journal Science of the Total Environment showing levels of microplastics are five times higher in the Antarctic than previous estimates.

Co-author Dr. Claire Waluda, a BAS biologist, says, “We have monitored the presence of large plastic items in Antarctica for more than 30 years. While we know that bigger pieces can be ingested by seabirds or cause entanglements in seals, the effects of microplastics on marine animals in the Southern Ocean are as yet unknown.”

The tiny beads of plastic come from cosmetics or are shreddings from larger plastic items like clothing or bottles. According to United Nations sources, they may number as many as 51 trillion particles across the seafloor, throughout the oceans and on beaches worldwide. They are considered a serious threat to marine life in general. More international monitoring of the situation is needed, including a requirement for all polar research stations to provide waste treatment options.

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. ~Oprah Winfrey

For more information, see Tinyurl.com/PlasticInAntarctica.

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December 2017

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communityspotlight

Down to Earth Elegance at London Studios Salon

by Marlaina Donato

S

ally Loew, master stylist and owner of London Studios Salon in Grand Rapids began using her talents at a young age, and she’s never looked back.

“I started cutting hair when I was 13, even before I knew the meaning of the word entrepreneur,” says Loew, who ventured into the sophisticated realm of European hair artistry after her early success as a barbershop stylist.

Through the years, Loew’s passion for beauty and creativity was evident, and so, too, the price tag for working with chemicals daily.

“I would notice a significant pattern of illness, especially after an exceptionally busy stretch after the holidays. I would end up flat on my back,” recalls Loew.

Her sinus infections and other symptoms seemed to only intensify with antibiotic treatments, and she eventually discovered her textbook-case allergy to ammonia.

Through meticulous research, she learned about the health risks of conventional hair color and most products found in the beauty industry.

Following her passion to be as close to the earth as possible in her work, Loew shifted her focus 14 years ago.

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West Michigan Edition

Today, her eco-friendly hair and makeup studio offers cutting edge, ammonia-free services and has an air purifier and water filter on site. Most importantly, her health is better than ever, and she takes pride in using certified organic products that are also free of parabens, formaldehyde and plastics. “Standards in the United Kingdom are much higher than those in the United States, so you know you’re getting the purest product.

The results from Organic Color Systems are extraordinarily long lasting, yet there is no line of demarcation as hair grows out. The colors are also very vibrant, especially the full spectrum of beautiful reds. Traditional hair coloring methods use ammonia to administer pigment into the hair shaft, but we use gentle heat instead, and the results are far superior,” clarifies Loew.

She is also a distributor of Monat, a company that has direct sales in both Canada and the United States. “Their products are for all hair types including thinning hair, and they are free of sulfates, parabens and harsh toxins.

The results are wonderful. Clients can order and have them delivered right to their home.” Color correction is Loew’s favorite area of expertise, and she hap-

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pily takes on challenging cases that are often deemed hopeless by other stylists. “For me, when a client like this comes in, that’s where the magic begins,” says Loew.

Ashley Woods, Loew’s talented salon partner, is also an organic color specialist who offers color correction and organic, hair-strengthening keratin treatments. In addition, she brings her array of skills to onsite wedding parties and offers both traditional and air-brush make-up services, elegant updos and romantic styles for that special day.

Loew and Woods are a dynamic duo, both highly trained and loyal to an individualized approach based on European cutting techniques, something not commonly found in most American salons. “There seems to be a factory, almost cookie-cutter approach here in the United States. The European guide is much more creative and offers so much more for the client, especially sophisticated beveled and chiseled cuts that add volume and flatter individual features,” says Loew. London Studios salon has a large female clientele, but both stylists offer men’s grooming services including beards.

Loew stays close to nature when she’s not at the salon and takes pleasure in gardening and canning the bounty of the seasons. In life, she finds the deepest satisfaction in helping people feel their most beautiful. “Hair is so deeply tied to our identity, and if a person feels better on the outside, they feel better on the inside. You just can’t put a price tag on helping people feel their best. For me, I have the best of both worlds—technical and creative,” confides Loew, adding, “I am always explaining exactly what I am doing and why I am doing it. Educating people is by far my favorite part of what I do.”

London Studios Salon is located at 6455 28th St. SE in Grand Rapids. For more information, call Sally at 616299-1796 or Ashley at 616-443-9583.

Visit LondonStudiosSalon.com. See Ad Pages 6 & 49.

Marlaina Donato is a regular contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

chironews

What’s all the buzz about Detox??

and stool. Chemicals can be detected using a test for porphyrins.

Symptoms of toxicity include most of the major chronic conditions involving fatigue, pain, digestive upset, allergy and auto-immunity.

There are a number of foods that naturally enhance detoxification. They include: • Beets • Cabbage, broccoli, Brussels • Radish • Artichoke • Mushrooms

By Dr Dan Gleason

M

any people think of alcohol or drug rehab when they think of detox which is, often associated with in-patient care or hospitalization.

This is detoxification in the extreme.

Detox is our birthright,; a process that our bodies constantly perform. It is how we rid ourselves of those nasty chemicals that are in our environment.

Without it, we would soon succumb to toxic overload. While your liver and kidneys do most of the work, your skin, lungs, and intestines also do their share.

How do we accumulate toxins on the first place? Our industry produces thousands of different chemicals, most of which have not been tested for safety.

Our air, water, food and skin-care products are filled with of chemicals that are foreign to our bodily systems. Luckily, we are like self-cleaning ovens and are able to excrete most of these poisons as fast as we take them in.

I like to divide toxins into two major categories—major and minor.: Major are toxins we consume in quantity, minor are the ones in smaller amounts which still can cause severe problems. Major toxins include refined sugar, refined grains and refined fats.

Refined sugar includes: • Soda • Candy • Fruit juice • Dried fruit • High fructose corn sugar Refined grains include: • Commercial bread • Pastries • Cereal • Crackers • Chips

Refined fats include: • Margarine and Crisco • Deep-fried foods • Vegetable oils • Bottled salad dressings • Many prepared foods

Avoiding the major toxins will reduce the load on your body. This means making major changes in what you eat. This is complicated and affects us financially. In the short-term, healthy, organic foods are more expensive, but in the long run, they are our best investment. If these are our favorite foods, then there is an emotional price to pay because we crave and are addicted to them. Making the required changes can take weeks, months and years, but it is the only way to enjoy vibrant physical and mental health into our later years.

Minor toxins include chemicals like DDT, Dioxins, PCB’s, heavy metals and parabens. Bacteria, yeasts and parasites in our GI tract also produce minor toxins. To be healthy and avoid diseases requires their removal by our detox systems. Reducing our exposure to these insidious compounds requires change in what we eat, use on our skin, what cleaning products we use, and water we drink. Recent stories of lead contamination in Flint and other Michigan cities are just one example.

Another recent example is the Scotchguard toxins found in well water in the Rockford area. The ingredients labeled on shampoo or lotion can’t even be pronounced, much less excreted.

There are tests to determine how toxic you are and how effective your detoxification system is. Heavy metals can be measured in your blood, urine

Many herbs help detox including: • Clover • Dandelion • Cayenne • Fennel • Milk Thistle Amino acids help the liver with this process including: • N A C • Glycine • Methionine • Glutathione • Calcium-D-Glucarate

At our center, we have been teaching detox classes for many years.

Participants commit to a three-week diet and supplement program. They learn how to prepare to make a major change in their life, what to eat, how to shop, what skin-care and cleaning products to use and how to periodically detoxify. In our class, we also focus on mechanical means like exercise, massage, and sauna to enhance this cleansing process.

Detox is not just for alcoholism and drug addiction. It is something that our bodies are doing at every moment.

We can help by avoiding major and minor toxins and consciously enhancing our detox ability.

Dr. Dan Gleason is the owner of The Gleason Center located at 19084 North Fruitport Road in Spring Lake. For more info: go to TheGleasonCenter.com or call 616-846-5410. See ad page 47.

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PEACE ON EARTH Conflict Resolutions that Work to Bridge Divides Healing happens when we handle conflict in a healthy and transformative way.

Call to Action

Roughly 30 years ago, notable voices began urging Americans to embrace a sustainable worldview of unity in diversity, recognizing our core oneness as a solution to an increasingly out-of-balance society. Success in this endeavor depends primarily on the “habits of the heart” of our citizens, developed in local milieus of families, neighborhoods, classrooms, congregations, voluntary associations, workplaces and public places where strangers gather.

Activating Answers

While mainstream media often largely focuses on the negative aspects of conflict—discord, divisiveness, intolerance, violence, incivility, injustice, chaos and complex problems—a countermovement is convening constructive conversations. Participants are initiating dialogue and deliberations intended to resolve conflicts and create cohesiveness, collaboration, cooperation and compromise among local factions that disagree on how to deal with everything from health care and social justice to environmental protection and climate science. Educational training materials and books are giving outdated models of conflict resolution a facelift.

In The Revolution Where You Live: Stories from a 12,000 Mile Journey Through a New America, Sarah Van Gelder devotes a chapter to a Greens14

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boro, North Carolina, battle over a story about a deadly, racially charged incident from the city’s recent past. She quotes James Lamar Gibson, a 20-something AfricanAmerican activist and core organizer for the Counter Stories Project: “We’ve been stuck in an old conversation for a couple of decades. We want to have an army of people with restorative conversation skills, so we can get past the divisiveness and imagine together a different sort of Greensboro,” he says.

The project began with facilitator training, and then developed story circles in which residents were able to have the difficult discussions that don’t ordinarily take place among the police, city council, churches and social agencies.

Today’s conflict resolution experts are discovering that conflict is an essential and powerful call for applying spiritual principles and exercising spiritual practices.

Provocative Questions

“What if we considered conflict as a secret ally or a guidepost, showing us what really matters to us and how much we care? What if our intense emotions are sources of invincible energy, with the power to build the world we want, together? What does having conflict in a healthy and transformative way look like?” queries Ma’ikwe Ludwig, executive director of Commonomics USA,

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an organization which educates and advocates for a world where a commons-based economy creates economic and ecological security for all.

“Conflict has the power to bring to the surface what’s really at stake and to unite people toward a common goal,” advises Ludwig. Her thought-provoking questions can help shift perceptions toward the idea that we need to use conflict; maybe even welcome it.

Ludwig, author of Together Resilient: Building Community in the Age of Climate Disruption, recently helped present new perspectives on conflict resolution during a webinar for Transition US members interested in creating inclusive and diverse communities through collaboration. The nonprofit inspires, encourages, supports and provides networking and training for grassroots initiatives seeking to build community resilience in the face of such challenges as oil spills, climate change and economic crises.

Courtney Breese, managing director for the nonprofit National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) and her colleagues, together with thousands of innovative thinkers, are helping by introducing people to simple dialogue and deliberation structures, processes and resources that invite meaningful and productive conversations leading to constructive civic

Little Perfect Stock/Shutterstock.com

by Linda Sechrist

Jacob Lund/Shutterstock.com

A community is a group that can fight gracefully…

Chaos is not just a state; it is an essential process of community development. ~Dr. M. Scott Peck, The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace engagement. Breese remarks, “We’re open to working with anyone interested in learning processes that can help bridge divides. We also like sharing stories about what is working.”

Toolbox

The group’s downloadable free tools help newcomers: A beginner’s guide for exploring dialogue (ncdd.org/rc/ beginners-guide); a how-to-guide for Conversation Café (CC) hosts (Tinyurl. com/ManualForConversationCafe); and the American Library Association Libraries Transforming Communities: Models for Change Project (ala.org/ ltc-models). “To date, we’ve had at least 800 librarians participate in free NCDD webinars,” Breese notes.

CC is a simple tool useful in exploring difficult topics and provides a safe space to process different perspectives. “Initial agreement on basic rules includes suspending judgment while listening and seeking to understand others, refraining from persuading or converting and talking only from personal experience,” explains Breese.

One new network member, J. Scott Wagner, author of The Liberal’s Guide to Conservatives, speaks about the importance of using neutral language in dialogue. “I learned from him how words can be emotional triggers and signal one-sided perspectives, leaving some group members feeling angry or excluded because they feel the speaker won’t be open to hearing their perspective,” says Breese.

After three tours of the U.S. and hundreds of interviews with conservative individuals, Wagner, founder of the nonprofit Reach the Right, was inspired to use his knowledge of five arenas—neurology/cognitive psychology, personality, bias, social conformity and morality—to help progressives understand conservatives that are not only their political leaders, but also their relatives, partners, friends and managers.

He offers a simple explanation for anyone drenched in inaccurate biases.

“We inherit unconscious genetic personality characteristics that lead us to develop our ideology, with which we construct our world and align with others that are in agreement. Differences in our personality characteristics are the culprits that create conflict.”

Community Needs Erase Enmity

Drawing on 25 years of experience of enabling sworn enemies to create peace in places such as South Africa, Northern Ireland and Colombia, Adam Kahane, author of Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don’t Agree with or Like or Trust, shares insights into the “enemyfying syndrome” that instigates conflict.

This habit of thinking and acting as if people we are dealing with are our enemies and the cause of our problems is all around us and dominates the media. “The enemies are always the others, ‘those people’. Enemyfying, which feels exciting and satisfying— even righteous and heroic—usually obscures, rather than clarifies, the reality of the challenges we face. It amplifies conflicts, narrows the space for problem solving and creativity, and distracts us with unrealizable dreams of decisive victory from the real work we need to do,” observes Kahane.

Kahane sees the challenge of conflict becoming more acute.

“People today are generally more free, individualistic and diverse, with stronger voices and less deference.

Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity are growing.” Yet, contrary to the common view, it is possible for people that hold contradictory positions to find ways to collaborate.

That’s what he and 40 others representing military officers, guerrillas and paramilitaries; activists and politicians; businesspeople and trade unionists; landowners and farmers; and academics, journalists and young people, accomplished in the Destino Colombia project. They organized to contribute to ending their country’s 52-year civil war.

STARTING TOOLS W

orld Café-style conversations used in Conversation Cafés to discuss issues that matter offer a powerful social technology to engage people in meaningful and constructive dialog in corporate, government and community settings.

Understanding that conversation is the core process that drives personal, business and organizational life, it’s a way of thinking and being together sourced in a philosophy of conversational leadership.

Embracing a combination of these guiding principles can foster collaborative exchanges, active engagement and helpful possibilities for action. n Clarify the Purpose n Create a Hospitable Space n Explore Questions that Matter n Encourage Everyone’s Contribution n Connect Diverse Perspectives n Listen for Insights and Share Discoveries Source: Tinyurl.com/CafeConversation Principles

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Jonathan Bender, founder of The Performance of Your Life, a public speaking and personal development business, has been on a lifelong quest of fostering personal growth and societal transformation. His therapeutic classes and workshops demonstrate how to connect, honor and deeply resonate with others, even if they have different worldviews, and how to listen and hear in the same way we want to be heard.

Acknowledging the adrenalin rush that’s a common response to fear of conflict, Bender says, “When we learn to be mindful and speak from our entire body, rather than just from our head, we notice that the voice resonates and originates from a much bigger place.

This teaches us to cultivate greater awareness of our emotions and how we express them.

“Begin by acknowledging an emotion, and then reduce its intensity through slow, deep breaths, paying attention to the correlating physical sensation. Shifting our focus back to the heart allows us to recognize parts of ourselves in the stories of others and come to understand that our personal history is

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Intense emotions can become sources of invincible energy with the collective power to build the world we want.

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the filter through which we ‘enemyfy’,” says Bender, who speaks and presents publicly, educating audiences and clients about the universally challenging performances of everyday life.

According to Robert Atkinson, Ph.D., author of The Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness, today’s rugged individualism amid conflicts comprises a crisis of consciousness. “No longer can we settle only on seeing things in opposition to one another; we need to shift our consciousness to be able to see the parts coming together in a new whole. Accepting the oneness of humanity as a biological fact, a social necessity and a spiritual reality will lead us further along our journey toward lasting world peace.”

His observation fits with what Joanna Macy, author and scholar of Buddhism and deep ecology, believes is the call of our time: “As planetary citizens, we are being called to wake up together.”

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings who blogs at LindaSechrist.com.

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Motivated to Act

fitbody

The Language of Compassion

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powerful tool for peacefully resolving differences at personal, professional, and political levels, Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s book Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion guides us to reframe how we express ourselves and hear others. Instead of “habitual, automatic reactions,” he writes, “our words become conscious responses based firmly on an awareness of what we are perceiving, feeling, and wanting. We are led to express ourselves with honesty and clarity, while simultaneously paying others a respectful and empathic attention.”

NVC aims to change patterns of blaming, judging and criticizing others to focus instead on what is being observed, felt and needed. When we spotlight our own perceptions, we mitigate resistance, defensiveness and violence.

Using the four components of NVC, we learn to see clearly our own behavior, rather than point the finger at someone else. They are: 1. Observation: the concrete actions you observe that affects your well-being; 2. Feelings: how you are feeling in relation to the observation; 3. Needs: accepting responsibility for what needs, values and desires creating your feelings; 4. Requests: concrete actions you request in order to enrich your life.

Your compassionate communication might sound like this:

“When I see your dog pooping on my lawn (observation), I feel upset (feeling). We have kids who play here and I want the yard to be a safe, clean space for them (needs). Would you be willing to use this plastic bag to remove it? (request)

While the work is not necessarily easy because it is a consciousness shift from the conditioned ways we express ourselves, it is worth the effort to allow compassion to blossom, enriching your life and those around you.

CHAMPIONING HOLISTIC ATHLETES The New Face of Sports Medicine

by Marlaina Donato

From college athletics to Olympic training, sports medicine has a new, holistic face.

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oaches and athletes nationwide are attributing quicker recovery time, less inflammation and better focus to a whole body approach to health care. A nutrient-dense diet tailored to individual needs is at the heart of overall fitness. Like Venus Williams and Tom Brady, tennis and football superstars who prefer raw vegan and organic whole foods, respectively, many of today’s outstanding athletes choose to eat clean and incorporate mind-body practices.

Telling Triumphs

Paralympic snowboard cross racer gold medalist, world champion and International Ski Federation para Nordic World Cup gold medalist Evan Strong, of Nevada City, California, was raised on an organic farm in Hawaii and continues to adopt many holistic practices. “I have a superfood smoothie every day. Liquid food helps me feel lighter and I have more usable energy for training,” says Strong. His regimen also includes organic produce, sprouted grains, occasional raw goat milk products, homeopathic formulas and wildcrafted medicinal herbs.

Strong credits achieving his personal best to a healthy lifestyle and recovery from an automobile accident that led to amputation of his lower left leg as a teen. “After the accident, my family and I opened a raw vegetarian restaurant. We produced as many cultured foods as possible—sauerkraut, kombucha and kefir. Improving my gut health gave me the biggest strides in healing. Yoga and meditation also contributed. It all saved me.”

Six-time Ironman triathlete, U.S. Senior Olympic gold medalist and marathoner Ruth Heidrich, Ph.D., of Honolulu, attributes surviving stage IV breast cancer primarily to her low-fat vegan diet. Already an avid runner and nutritionally conscious, Heidrich was shocked to hear the diagnosis.

“I was 47 years old when I was told the results of the biopsy. I thought I was going to die because of the symptoms I was experiencing,” recalls the 82-year-old, who not only beat multiple malignancies without chemotherapy or radiation, but was the first cancer patient to complete an Ironman Triathlon.

This “Ironlady’s” holistic approach in-

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photo by Tesh

On the Road

Ruth Heidrich cludes a whole food, 100 percent plantbased diet, featuring oats, quinoa and brown rice. “When we give our body its proper fuel, it will function at its optimal level,” remarks Heidrich, who has dedicated her life to re-educating others about diet and investing in her ongoing athletic achievements.

Maintaining good habits while traveling can be challenging. Strong adds healthy salts to structure his drinking water and brings along superfoods such as green vegetable powders to use when he can’t access organic produce. To optimize his air quality while away from home, Strong uses a personalized air purifier that creates ozone.

San Francisco-based, three-time Olympic swimming gold medalist and world champion Natalie Coughlin remains dedicated to better diet choices without deprivation. “When I travel, I always bring my own snacks. I like dark chocolate-covered almonds, a natural sweet that also supplies protein and fiber. To stay hydrated, I drink herbal teas, especially mint,” says Coughlin, who also incorporates a tart green smoothie every morning with kale, parsley, collards, celery, citrus and frozen pineapple.

At home, “I like to be informed about where my meat comes from and how the conditions are for the animal.

If I roast a chicken, I will use every part, including the bones, to make a stock,” she says. Her holistic approach includes

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a consistent yoga regimen, meditation and application of essential oils.

High Expectations

Even under the best of circumstances, professional athletes encounter difficulties, but when faced with enormous obstacles, the best can get even better.

“I’ve faced injuries and illness during pivotal times in my life and career, but I always approached it with the intention to be proactive, rather than being reactive,” advises Coughlin.

For Strong, confronting tragedy with the right attitude offers possibility. “Thirteen years ago, I was hit by a car and lost my leg, but now I see that moment as a blessing instead of a curse. It was a hardship that tested my limits, but in the end, it propelled me to achieving dreams I didn’t even know I had.”

Nearly four decades after her grim diagnosis, Heidrich embodies hope for all of us when she says, “It is never too late to adopt a better way.”

Marlaina Donato is a freelance writer, author and multimedia artist. Connect at MarlainaDonato.com.

community spotlight

Philip Stein is a Leader in Wearable Sleep Technology

by Linda Sechrist

F Ann Sinclair

by Rachel Scott McDaniel

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hen Ann Sinclair’s son was diagnosed with Lyme disease, she sought help for years before coming across alternative health treatments that worked. Convinced by the benefits of alternative health, Sinclair learned about Bioenergetic Pair Therapy and Microbioenergetics. For the past two years, she’s been the owner of BioMag Balance, a therapy that involves the use of magnets.

“Biomagnetic pair is a simple and effective therapy that uses magnets of opposite polarity by pairs, negative and positive, to detect pH imbalances of acidity and alkalinity in specific areas of the body,” says Sinclair. She is certified in Biomagnetism, trained in Microbioenergetics Level 2, Microbioenergetics with children and trained in the 7 Layers of the Heart-Mora Technique which help in releasing emotional blocks that can impair the body’s natural ability to heal. The desire to help those that are interested in a natural way of improving their health is the goal behind BioMag Balance. Anyone can receive treatment with the exception of those who are pregnant, have a pacemaker or had chemo /radiation in the past 5 years. The process is about enabling the body to start to heal itself.

Sinclair explains, “This therapy is different from traditional medicine, homeopathy, herbs and naturopathy, but it can be used in combination with any of these. It is safe, low cost, and can be combined with other therapies.”

Biomagnetic Pair Therapy is located at 2565 Forest Hill Ave SE, Grand Rapids. For more information call 616-450-1174 or online at BioMagBalance.com. See ad page 23.

rom computers, cell phones, smart TVs, DVR players and programmable appliances to a seemingly endless list of other electronic gadgets, we are in constant contact with unnatural electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) generated by technology. In today’s 24/7 society, invisible EMFs are inescapable; they permeate our working and living spaces. What we may not know is how they negatively impact our body’s natural sleep-wake cycle: suppressing melatonin, the hormone that controls the natural circadian rhythm, disturbing slumber and even affecting weight gain, according to University of Tel Aviv research.

On the brighter side, some new technological products promise to restore balance to the body, including deeper and more restful sleep. From the Philip Stein sleep bracelet, sleep number beds and portable sleep trackers to sleep-related apps, devices and applications, user-friendly innovations are addressing America’s sleep deprivation problem.

“Philip Stein lifestyle accessories such as the sleep bracelet are designed to contribute to a better quality of life.

The unique technology inside each one channels beneficial natural frequencies in the environment into your body,” says Will Stein, co-founder and president of the Philip Stein Group. “The result is to help the individual feel centered, balanced, grounded and more easily able to maintain a sense of well-being.” The company defines optimal well-being as a state of harmony achieved through physical, emotional, mental and spiritual alignment.

Although natural-frequency technology was developed earlier by a group of engineers and scientists exploring various frequencies’ influence on water, the initial discovery has been attributed to ancient sages in India that intuited them. For example, 7.83 Hz, the frequency of “om”, happens to be Mother Earth’s natural heartbeat rhythm, now known as the Schumann Resonance. Aligned with the brain’s alpha and theta states, this technology of resonating frequencies has been carefully tuned and tested by Philip Stein researchers, technicians and sleep experts. Today, it is at the core of all Philip Stein products.

Philip Stein’s tuning technology picks up and channels the beneficial natural frequencies that have always surrounded human beings. “We believe that all organisms have evolved or grown accustomed to these natural frequencies, and our systems are tuned to operate best with them, rather than with the increasing number of manmade frequencies we experience in the modern world,” explains Stein.

For more information, visit PhilipStein.com. See ad, page xx. natural awakenings

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healingways

12 Happy Holiday Tips

How to Really Enjoy the Season Join our Natural Awakenings group on Facebook and we’ll directly alert you of upcoming happenings and events.

Find us @: Natural Awakenings Magazine of West Michigan Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.

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Owner & Best-Selling Author

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by Dianne Bischoff James

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eelings of comfort and joy can seem elusive when the holiday to-do list looms or runs amok. The season can seem more like an endless burden than a parade of cheerful events and glad tidings.

Amidst celebratory chaos, these simple rules will help restore inner peace and create greater happiness.

1

Eschew Perfection Guests are much more interested in filling their stomachs with great food than judging the scuff marks and wall dings. The perfection of the season is found in the special moments when families and friends sit down together.

2

Pay Attention to the Smiles The approaching holidays encourage more shared smiles, kind words and thoughtful gestures. While out and about, look for the grins and well wishes.

Hold the door open for others and offer a friendly greeting to store clerks. We’ll find ourselves smiling even more, because thoughtfulness is contagious.

3

Do Nothing for 15 Minutes It’s amazing how refreshed we feel when we take a few minutes to sit in a comfortable chair and simply expe-

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rience a moment of stillness. Inner quiet allows the mind to relax and reinvest energy in the body, so we can return to holiday activities with renewed zest.

4

Give Each Person a Special Gift Think of something thoughtful that both the giver and receiver enjoy doing together and write a promissory note for the shared experience, such as a free backrub, a day spent downtown, a personal manicure or a movie the other person wants to see.

5

Take Advantage of Extended Shopping Hours To avoid crowds and lines, schedule a late-night power-shopping trip.

This is the easiest way to manage a department store visit with sanity, have easy access to the shelves and get immediate service.

6

Take a Holiday Binge Day Designate a day with no limits and no self-judgment. For anyone that mentally monitors their calories or sweets, claim a binge day out loud with permission for total holiday munching freedom. The next day, we can reinstate discipline.

consciouseating

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Sing While We Work Nothing makes meal preparation tasks go faster than crooning along to our favorite carols. Turn up Susan Boyle’s O Holy Night and soon your lungs will be full of air, your heart filled with sentiment, and the turkey stuffed with seasonal goodness will be ready to go into the oven.

8

Express Feelings in a Healthy Way Family gatherings can sometimes test our boundaries and patience.

Avoid repressing feelings by finding a way to speak a personal truth in the moment, in a calm and healthy fashion.

It’s better than returning home stewing about what we wish we could or should have said.

9

Assign Roles to Household Helpers The holiday load is lighter when everyone pitches in. Assign specific roles to household members with clear responsibilities, from taking out the garbage to setting the table and washing up.

10

Leave Some Tasks for Later It’s unrealistic to think the house has to be in perfect order after festive gatherings. After guests leave, put the leftovers in the fridge and watch a movie. Cleanup will feel easier and faster after a good night’s rest.

11

Express Gratitude at the Table Loving feelings can never be expressed enough, so use the holiday as an opportunity to tell others how important they are to you. Create a heartfelt moment at the table by sharing at least one thing that you’re truly grateful for, and ask everyone else to do the same.

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Go Outside for Fun in Nature Hiking in a nearby forest preserve, skating, sledding or building a snow fort with the kids not only burns energy, but is emotionally exhilarating for the whole family. Pick an outdoor activity, don appropriate togs, and share in the laughter and serenity of a sparkling winter day.

Dianne Bischoff James is a life transformation coach, actor, business consultant and author of The Real Brass Ring: Change Your Life Course Now. She specializes in facilitating the midlife reboot and lives in Boston, MA.

THE GIFTS OF CITRUS Colorful Good Health in Holiday Dishes

by Judith Fertig

W

inter citrus fruits that arrive in a gift basket or show up on sale at the grocer present a welcome bright spot on winter’s darker days. Valencia and blood oranges, limes and Meyer lemons are delicious in their own right, and deserve their place on the breakfast table. Yet there are many other intriguing ways to enjoy them in vinaigrettes, salads, main dishes, baked goods and desserts.

Winter citrus is full of health benefits, just when we need them most: during the busy holiday season. To start, they help bolster our immune system, guarding against colds or helping us recover faster. Their high vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, content is water soluble.

According to a comprehensive study by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, a daily intake of 400 milligrams of vitamin C can halve the incidence of colds in adults and cut their duration by 14 percent.

The flavonoid hesperidin in citrus helps boost “good” HDL cholesterol and lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, report researchers in the Journal of Nutrition. In a new study in Nutritional Neuroscience, hesperidin in citrus also was found to ameliorate brain deterioration found in Alzheimer’s patients.

Other studies further show that the grapefruit diet wasn’t wrong; eating half a fresh grapefruit before each meal can help us lose weight. In a study conducted at the Scripps Clinic, in La Jolla, California, and published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, researchers put overweight volunteers on an exercise plan for 12 weeks and asked them to eat either half a fresh grapefruit or drink apple juice and pop a placebo pill before each meal.

The grapefruit group dropped an average of three-and-a-half pounds, compared to only one-half pound for the apple group.

Natural Awakenings recommends using organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) and non-bromated ingredients whenever possible. natural awakenings

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Limonoids, an antioxidant found in most citrus, may help guard against stomach, lung, breast and skin cancer, according to the U.S. Agricultural Research Service. Animal and human cell studies found that limonoids—especially those in fresh oranges—harbor potential as anticancer compounds. Another study in Nutritional Neuroscience showed that the volatile compound limonene, found in the rind of a lemon, can enhance memory.

As nights grow colder and longer, winter citrus “adds a little sunshine to every meal,” says Jamie Schler, author of the recently released cookbook Orange Appeal: Savory & Sweet. Schler grew up in Florida, surrounded by

citrus groves between the Atlantic Coast and Indian River.

“Winters meant Dad’s workbench in the garage groaning under the weight of brown paper grocery bags filled to bursting with navels, tangerines, grapefruits, Valencias and tangelos,” writes Schler. “I fondly recall trips in the old green station wagon to the groves on chilly weekend mornings where we could pick them ourselves.” Today, Schler and her husband own and operate the boutique Hotel Diderot, in Chinon, France, where life’s a feast—especially during citrus season.

Judith Fertig writes cookbooks and foodie fiction from Overland Park, KS (JudithFertig.com).

Zesty Citrus Holiday Recipes Moroccan Spiced Orange Slices with Orange Blossom Water

are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. ~Dalai Lama

photo by Ilva Beretta

Love and compassion

Orange blossom or orange flower water is available at better grocery stores, kitchen shops, Middle Eastern markets or online.

Yields: 4 to 5 servings 5 medium to large navel or large blood oranges 3 Tbsp orange blossom water 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 Tbsp honey or date sugar ½ pomegranate, seeded 1½ to 2 Tbsp coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios 8 to 10 mint leaves, chopped or torn, for garnish Peel the oranges and cut away all of the white pith and outer membrane.

Slice each orange across the core into ¼-inch slices, six per orange, reserving any juice that runs off. Push out and discard any spongy white core.

Fan the slices in concentric circles, slightly overlapping the fruit, on a large round serving platter.

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Drizzle the orange blossom water and any reserved runoff juice over the fruit.

Using a fine sieve, lightly and evenly dust with cinnamon and a generous drizzle of honey.

Chill the oranges for at least 1 hour or longer in the refrigerator before serving.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the pomegranate seeds, pistachios and mint leaves evenly over the top.

Meyer Lemon Chia Seed Bowl with Tangerines Yields: 2 servings for breakfast, or as a snack or dessert ¼ heaping cup chia seeds 1½ cups dairy or non-dairy milk 2 Tbsp maple syrup, or to taste 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice (or other citrus juice) Pinch of sea salt ½ tsp lemon zest Fresh tangerine segments for garnish In a bowl, stir together the chia seeds, milk, maple syrup, Meyer lemon juice, salt and lemon zest.

Yields: 6 servings as side dish or starter or 4 as main dish 2 Tbsp butter or margarine, divided 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more as needed 8.8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced into ¼- to ½-inch strips Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Zest of 1 orange 2 large oranges, juiced, about 1 cup, divided 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped 9 oz Arborio rice 4 cups warm chicken or vegetable stock or broth 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried; or 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp dried 1½ cups young, tiny sweet peas, fresh or frozen

Add ¼ cup orange juice and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the juice evaporates and the mushrooms are very tender and glazed. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining butter and oil to the skillet and return to the heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until softened, transparent and just starting to turn golden.

Add the rice and zest and toss with the onions until all the grains are coated in oil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, stir-

photo by Stephen Blancett

photo by Stephen Blancett

Shiitake Mushroom and Pea Risotto with Orange

Heat 1 tablespoon each of the butter and oil in a large skillet over mediumlow heat until sizzling starts.

Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

To serve, spoon the chia seed mixture into bowls and garnish with tangerine segments.

Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes, adding more oil if needed.

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December 2017

23

ring, until the rice becomes translucent.

Add 2 ladles (about 2/3 cup) of stock and cook, stirring constantly and gently, until the liquid is almost absorbed.

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When the rice has cooked for 10 minutes in this manner, add all the remaining juice and cook until it’s absorbed.

Continue cooking the rice, stirring, adding 2 ladles (about 2/3 cup) of broth at a time until the liquid is absorbed, about another 10 minutes.

When the rice has cooked for a total of 20 minutes, if using frozen peas, stir in the peas, as well as the mushrooms.

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Add any remaining stock and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender and creamy. Total cooking time should be 20 to 25 minutes from the moment the rice is added to the skillet. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

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Yields: 4 servings Charry Lime Vinaigrette: Zest of 2 limes Juice from the grilled limes 1 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp sorghum or maple syrup ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Vegetables: 4 oz baby radishes 4 oz baby carrots, with some of the green top 4 oz baby leeks, trimmed 4 oz baby yellow pattypan squash 2 oz microgreens

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photo by Steve Legato

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If using fresh peas, add them with the first addition of stock. Stir in the fresh or dried herbs at the same time. Continue cooking the risotto over medium heat, adding 2 more ladles (about 2/3 cup) of stock at a time, stirring constantly, allowing each addition of liquid to be almost absorbed before adding more broth.

Prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill.

Brush the radishes, carrots and leeks with olive oil and place in a grilling basket or on a perforated grill rack.

Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, turning often, until the vegetables have just started to brown at the edges.

Zest the limes and set the zest aside.

Halve the limes and grill, cut sides down, for 1 to 2 minutes or until they have good grill marks; adds a smoky, caramelized flavor.

For the Charry Lime Vinaigrette, squeeze the juice of the grilled lime halves into a bowl. Whisk in the reserved lime zest, rice wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sorghum and olive oil together until well blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange the vegetables on salad plates and garnish with microgreens. Spoon the vinaigrette over all and serve.

Adapted lemon and lime recipes are from Red, White, and ’Que: Farm Fresh Foods for the American Grill by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, permission of Running Press.

Adapted orange recipes are from Orange Appeal, by Jamie Schler, permission of Gibbs Smith.

A Case for Heresy

by Barbara Lee VanHorssen

A

ccording to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a heretic is someone who believes or teaches something that goes against accepted or official beliefs. A heretic is someone with a controversial opinion. A non-conformer. A dissenter. A freethinker. Someone who does not accept the words that are held as dogma and doctrine by others.

I suspect there are more than a couple readers of Natural Awakenings that fit that definition!

I began my own heretical journey when I was welcomed into this world

by Lutheran parents. Parents who brought me to church to be baptized at one week of age because the pastor was leaving and they wanted to slip me in quick before he drove away.

When I grew older I attended public school. For a while I thought I was incredibly fortunate. Here I was living in the best place in the whole wide world learning the one true religion in the whole world. I was amazingly blessed.

But by the time I was in third grade I started wondering about things. Here I was being told at school about those terrible Russians that I was supposed to be afraid of. And for some inexplicable reason it started to dawn on me that Russian kids right at that same moment were in school being taught how terrible and frightening I was.

Then I started to think about those kids who lived in the most remote parts of China, who didn’t know about Jesus and would die without ever knowing Jesus. How come I was so lucky and they were not? What weird twist of universal fate left me in the most envious position in all the world and left others consigned to hell? I didn’t even know the words yet, but that was when I became a heretic and a pluralist. I re-

alized that those kids were being raised in another tradition and that I had no more right to tell them they were wrong and try to take that away from them than they had to try to take my beliefs and understandings away from me.

I still feel the same way. I haven’t met anyone yet who shares my exact same concept of reality, my version of Truth as best I have crafted it to date.

And hopefully, neither have you. Because if you have then chances are one of you has not done their own thinking.

I am very proud to be a heretic and I like to be in the company of other heretics. Because I believe that without our own heretical insights and impulses our spiritual journey becomes stiff and halted, if not stagnant and dead. If we are truly caught up in the mystery then we have to discover at some point that no one can give us the answers, because the answers are always inside of us. Truth can be pointed to, suggested, guessed at, but we cannot for all of our attempts ever fully find the words to express the great mystery of our existence. And so we speak in parable and metaphor, not in doctrinal certainties.

How liberating to find those places in which people can bring and share their heresies – not in order to convince everybody that they are the sole holder of truth, but so that we can all admit that the questions are still open and that mystery still remains.

I attended a church conference once where I heard Reverend Paul Rajashaker speak. Paul was raised in a Hindu home and became a Christian later in life. He suggested that the church’s approach to other traditions has been to embrace a “Theology of Hostility.”

Now as we seek to articulate our beliefs and our heresies, we also have to be wary of falling into the trap of a Philosophy of Hostility. Instead of explaining ourselves in contrast to others, as superior, better or above others, we must begin articulating who we are in a way that makes sense to the other and invites them in rather than shutting them out. We must begin to approach people of other traditions and with other beliefs with genuine humility, eager to share not what we have been taught but what we have experienced to be true. We need to ask people who they are and be genuinely interested in the answers. And we must be willing to be changed by the witness they bring to us.

Because heresy does have a shadow side. It does tend to want to establish its own right thinking – declaring itself right and above reproach.

When we end up thinking we are right and everybody else is wrong, we only perpetuate an ideology of hostility, pitting one set of human understandings against another.

The spiritual journey is not the practice of mindlessly repeating everything we have been taught. Nor is it the practice of disagreeing with everything for the sake of disagreement.

The spiritual journey is about opening ourselves up to truth we do not yet have the words to describe or the language to share. Until finally we can move beyond this silly state of us vs. them and arrive together arrive at a spiritual reality that transcends barriers, boxes and boundaries.

Namaste Barbara Lee VanHorssen is an Ordained Interfaith Minister and the ExperiMentor at Extended Grace, a nonprofit, grassroots social lab that believe we should all extend a little more grace to each other. Learn more at www. extendedgrace.org or contact her at barbara@extendedgrace.org. See Ad Page 38.

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hirty years ago, speaker, author and journalist Lynne McTaggart recovered from an illness using alternative approaches to health. Since then, she’s been exploring the frontiers of healing through consciousness and alternative medicine. In the 1990s, McTaggart, who lives in London, started a newsletter called What Doctors Don’t Tell You, now an international magazine and popular platform at wddty.com that cites thousands of resources showing what works and doesn’t work in conventional and alternative medicine and how to beat chronic conditions naturally.

McTaggart’s seven books include The Intention Experiment, The Field, The Bond and most recently, The Power of Eight. Her latest work examines the transformative power of small groups of people sending thoughts together for a common goal.

Can you summarize the results of your experiments of healing through collective intentions?

We’ve done hundreds of experiments using small and large groups; 30 were tightly controlled scientific studies conducted in conjunction with researchers at institutions such as the University of Arizona, University of California and Penn State University.

The experiments have involved all kinds of intentions, ranging from the relatively simple to the impossibly complex. The large-scale intention experiments involved upwards of 25,000 participants remotely logging onto a website to view photos of the targets, sometimes 8,000 miles away, and

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sending them a well-defined intention, like changing the pH balance of water or healing a war veteran of post-traumatic stress disorder.

To date, 26 of those 30 experiments resulted in positive, measurable, mainly scientifically significant effects.

We’ve seen the pH of water change by a full pH number and seen seeds grow twice as much as control seeds.

We also conducted three peace intention experiments with interesting results: After our eight-day intention for Sri Lanka during its civil war, violence levels fell; the government had won several decisive battles that week; and within a few months that 25-year war was over. We can’t say with certainty that we had a hand in this, but our other peace experiments showed similar results. If it happens a few more times, that becomes compelling.

What conditions were the most conducive to manifesting positive results?

Was it intention, the power of the group or altruism? I think it’s a little of all of these. We’ve found that larger groups do not have a larger effect, which brought about the “power of eight” concept. I’ve discovered all that’s needed is a group, whether it’s eight or 8,000. In a group, we seem to lose our sense of individuality and separation from the world. We experience an overwhelming sense of oneness with the other intenders, which may be why our influence then becomes more powerful.

How did the act of sending positive intentions affect the senders?

I was most surprised by the rebound effects reported by participants, whom I started surveying after the Sri Lankan peace experiment. Thousands of extraordinary comments related not only how participants felt during the activity, but also afterwards; they were experiencing major shifts in their relationships, health, careers and well-being.

All they had done was sit individually in front of their computer holding an intention, yet they experienced the altered and mystical states of consciousness described by psychologist Abraham Maslow as “peak experiences”.

Life University, a large chiropractic university in Atlanta, worked with us to study the brainwaves of participants in six “power of eight” groups and found that senders had decreased activity in their frontal and parietal lobes, which govern the sense of self. It was like the boundaries between participants were dissolving into a state of oneness. To me, this partly explained the sense of oneness, compassion and love they

experienced. Andrew Newberg, director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, in Philadelphia, recorded similar effects in Sufi masters, and nuns and monks engaged in prayer and meditation, but only after years of learning certain techniques. My participants, all novices, were primed only by watching a 13-minute YouTube video of me explaining how to send intention in a group. Group intention appears to be a fast-track to the miraculous—no experience necessary.

Why does “groupthink” have such a powerful, multiplicative effect?

I think a huge part of it has to do with the power of getting off of yourself and setting an intention for someone else.

Another is the connection created in a group. When we engage together in an activity like praying or setting altruistic intentions, we create a powerful virtual circle that proves healing to both the receivers and senders.

Connect with April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

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inspiration

INSPIRED LIVING Five Ways to Make the New Year Sparkle

by Kelly Martinsen

Just Do It – The Nike slogan has never been more appropriate. We all have something we’ve thought about doing or trying. Whether traveling to a new location, trying a different sport, joining a new-to-us group or club, or making more friends, don’t put it off— just do it.

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Defeat allodoxaphobia – It’s the fear of others’ negative opinions. Everyone suffers from this to some extent, and it can hinder us from living our best life.

Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt remarked, “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

Volunteer – A common excuse for not volunteering is, “I don’t have the time.” Next year, make the time. When researchers at the London School of

Kelly Martinsen is publisher of Natural Awakenings Long Island and author of the new book A Year of Inspired Living (Publisher@AwakeLI.com).

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Journal – People often journal as a way to reflect upon their lives. This can be helpfully revealing, but rather than looking back, look forward, using a journal as a blueprint to manifest the most inspired year yet. Write out plans and dreams with the steps needed to achieve them.

Gratitude – This is the big one.

One way to be and stay inspired is by starting off each day in a state of gratitude. Every morning before getting out of bed, think of at least three things to be grateful for. By doing this, we recognize the blessings we have and greet the day in a positive frame of mind. It’s a perfect way to end each day, too. When someone routinely inquires, “How are you?” answer, “I am grateful.”

Our time on Earth is not infinite.

With only so many days promised, let’s vow to live them inspired.

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Economics examined the relationship between volunteering and happiness in a large group of American adults, they found that the more people volunteered, the happier they were.

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Art Stocker/Shutterstock.com

I

nspiration may strike anywhere, at any time. The trick is nurturing the process to appear on demand when we need it most.

Often, an inspiration is sparked when we perceive someone being selfless, courageous, physically extraordinary or deliciously creative. However, we don’t need to wait for outside stimulus when we can discover internal stirrings by invoking any of these self-inspiring tips.

JAN

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Plus: Understanding Nutraceuticals January articles include: Answers for Stress Reduction Solutions for Digestive System Health Just What Are Nutraceuticals? and so much more!

AWAKE PARENTING Raising Connected, Confident Kids

by Judith Fertig

O

ne of the greatest challenges parents face is connecting with their children in deep and meaningful ways. The aim of awakened families is to raise strong and emotionally resilient children.

Parenting expert and clinical psychologist Shefali Tsabary, Ph.D., author of The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children and The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parenting, offers mindful approaches to benefit the family—and the community. Via her practice in New York City, appearances on Oprah and online courses, Tsabary provides awareness, skills and strategies to revolutionize families. She posts videos and blogs at DrShefali.com.

To advertise or participate in our next issue, call

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How do parents know if they’re on the right track?

To be awakened or conscious means to realize that we carry emotional baggage and conditioning from childhood that affects our relationship with our children. Our old ways of thinking and

being from our own childhood shape the manner in which we react and interact today.

Awakened parents are constantly evolving into their truest and most authentic selves. When parents undertake a daily practice of mindfulness and awareness, they begin to extricate themselves from blind reactivity to see how every problem with their children is a call to their own awakening. Parents will know they are on the right track because they will connect more with their children, empowering them to think and live autonomously—separate from a parent’s fantasies and expectations.

How can each family member connect with their true self?

Parents need to understand that the path to creating a connected relationship with their children is to first create one with themselves. Realizing this, they consider their own inner growth a high priority.

Children need to learn who they are and what they really enjoy. Parents

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December 2017

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Jack Frog/Shutterstock.com

can help by allowing children to just sit by themselves. If inundated with activities and subjected to numerous lessons, how can young people hope to recognize their authentic voice amid the din of all this “doing”?

and shame my children?” In such introspection, they might discover triggers from old wounds that have nothing to do with a child’s behavior.

When they can see the internal link, they can begin to make the transformations they need.

As a parent, I have learned that my role is to step aside, stay in infinite possibility, heal my own wounds, fill my own bucket and let my child fly.

How do children benefit from conscious or awakened parenting?

Conscious parenting mandates that we place the task of connecting with our children front and center, especially before correcting them. Admonishing and punishing them becomes secondary to the main imperative of conscious connection. It’s crucial we realize we aren’t raising a “mini-me”, but a spirit throbbing with its own signature. Thus, it’s vital to separate in our mind who we are from who each child is. Children aren’t ours to possess or own in any way. When we know this in the depths of our soul, we tailor their raising to their needs, rather than molding them to fit our needs.

Children raised in this way grow up to be fearless and infinitely resilient, knowing that their purpose in life is to live in their most authentic and true

How can closer, awakened families co-create a better world via the ripple effect?

way. Conflicts decrease and conscious, connected communication increases.

What can parents do when they fall back into old patterns, shaming children or doing other things that create distance?

When this happens, parents need to sit with themselves and look deeply within, asking: “What is it about me that feels the need to deride, scorn

When children grow up feeling connected with their parents and deeply seen by them, they march into the outer world feeling self-confident and aware of who they truly are, secure in their own inherent inner-connectivity. Children raised in this manner naturally help advocate for peace and harmony in all of their relationships; incidents of bullying, anxiety and discrediting one’s self and others decrease exponentially.

Judith Fertig is a freelance writer from Overland Park, KS (JudithFertig.com).

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greenliving

Nasturtium leaves are fermented, seeds and stems pickled and flowers puréed. “I make nasturtium flower coulis, bright orange and spicy, to dollop on freshwater fish,” Russell says. “Stems are minced into grain salads and seeds sprinkled on slabs of beefsteak tomatoes. Leaves, soft from fermentation, wrap around fresh goat cheese, shred into coleslaw or pair with steamed basmati rice.”

Apply Gardening Tips

Go Eco Like Grandma

Honor Her Wisdom in New Ways

by Avery Mack

U

“

se it up, wear it out, make do or do without,” was the motto of past generations. Today, it’s recycle, repurpose and reinvent. Nostalgia is making a comeback. It’s tempting to revert to successful old-fashioned ways; it’s even better to update the how-to of natural eco-living.

Preserve Food “There are tradeoffs between convenience and environmental impact,” says Kathleen Hanover, executive creative director at Imagine That Creative Marketing Services, in Dayton, Ohio.

“I’d love to freeze all of our family’s produce, but after two power outages, I can veggies, too. Steam canners for jams, jellies, tomatoes and high-acid foods use three inches of water and 10 minutes of energy.”

Shel Horowitz, a consultant for Green and Profitable and co-author of Guerrilla Marketing to Heal the World, joined a food co-op in the 1970s. Today, it has 9,000 members. “I dehydrate

veggies for soup, pasta, stir-fry dishes or as tomato or zucchini chips,” he says.

“Onions, shallots, garlic, leeks, celery, kale, hot peppers, tomatillos and fruit were successful; eggplant, cucumbers and rhubarb were not.”

Use It All The Traditional Line menu devised by executive chef Mark Russell, of Great Performances, a sustainability-oriented high-end catering and food service company in New York City, remarks, “Food trends have changed,” noting preserving, freezing, pickling and canning remain sound. He salutes thrifty Depression-era practices.

“My grandparents picked dandelion greens to fry in bacon fat,” he says. “A salad with olive oil and fresh tomato is healthier.” Fermented grape leaves can be rolled up into dolmas filled with local grains and feta cheese instead of meat.

He also blanches and freezes cauliflower leaves, warmed in butter to serve; he’s then used the whole vegetable.

Containers ease gardening, especially for tomatoes. Hanover repurposes plastic cat litter buckets. “They’re sturdy and hold up in cold weather,” she says. “Alpaca poop fertilizer supplied by a neighbor doesn’t smell and plants thrive.”

Ocala, Florida, reiki master and teacher Debi Goldben employs nature’s bounty at home. “Downspouts collect rainwater for the garden, and it’s much better than chemically treated city water,” she says. Some municipalities, including in Colorado, regulate rainwater collection, mandating the size and number of barrels per property “for outdoor use only”.

Sew Up Repairs Anca Gooje, owner of Chid Kala, a natural ingredient lotion maker in Scarborough, Maine, uses colorful patches to repair tears and update the look of her two children’s clothing.

She also recompressed their sofa’s inner springs to their original shape by encasing them in fabric. “It was timeconsuming, but only cost a few dollars for fabric,” she relates. “Updating avoided creating more landfill. For a fresh look, I made a new cover.”

Multipurpose a Cook Pot “My mother believed pressure cookers would explode, so I bought an Instant Pot and changed the way I cook,” says Sue Ann Jaffarian, a Los Angeles paralegal and mystery writer. “I have a demanding day job and writing deadlines. I toss in healthy ingredients and have a simple homemade meal, often vegan, in a minute. Soup, stew, risotto, pasta, chili, pudding, brown rice and oatmeal work well. It doesn’t heat up the kitchen, either.”

natural awakenings

December 2017

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The Instant Pot works like a crock pot, pressure cooker, steamer, sauté pan, warming pot, rice cooker and yogurt maker, replacing seven appliances.

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“My Hadley, Massachusetts, farmhouse, built in 1743, might be the oldest solar home in the country,” muses Horowitz. “Our farmer neighbors have a methane digester to turn cow poop and restaurant waste into electricity and heat. We’ll hook up to it to replace heating oil.”

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“Retro-style repurposing is smart, fun and easy,” says upstate New York lifestyle writer and cookbook author Cynthia O’Connor O’Hara.

“I glued together assorted cups, saucers and plates with glass-specific glue to create tiered servers that double as a centerpiece. Check your house to find dishware that will look nice together.”

It’s satisfying to combine experiences with updated technology, save time and support a healthier planet, both during the holidays and year-round.

Connect with the freelance writer via AveryMack@mindspring.com.

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A Year of Inspired Living: Essays and Exercises for Self-Reflection

I

gnore those who say life doesn’t come with a manual. Kelly McGrath Martinsen has exactly the guide you need to make life richer and more insightful with her new book, A Year of Inspired Living: Essays and Exercises for Self-Reflection.

This is the handbook for anyone who wants to embrace a better life.

Through entertaining anecdotes and guided journal pages, A Year of Inspired Living helps the reader create their very own personalized self-help book.

Martinsen, who is the publisher of Natural Awakenings Long Island magazine, has designed exercises for each month that include room for reflections, lists to seize the most from life, and culminate in writing your very own “publisher’s letter”, just as she does in her magazine. The letter provides space to reflect on that month’s personal inspiration.

By digging deep and really talking about issues from the heart, Martinsen guides readers to contemplate their own feelings, hopes and dreams.

The interactive book also includes a hashtag (#AYOIL) so that readers can share their insights and experiences, giving solitary readers the group support they need to make lasting change for their best year ever.

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naturalpet

PETS ¤ MUSIC Each Species Grooves to Its Own Beat

by Sandra Murphy

J

GREEN IS SEEN when you advertise with us 616-604-0480

ust as dogs’ and cats’ noses are more efficient than ours, they also have better hearing, reacting to a broader and higher range of frequencies and vibrations.

“We sense our world from where our ears are. Our plane is generally five to six feet high; animals closer to the ground hear things differently,” says Janet Marlow, founder and CEO of Pet Acoustics, in Washington Depot, Connecticut. The internationally renowned musician, composer and sound behaviorist has invented species-specific music based on her 30 years of research.

Humans hear up to 23,000 Hertz (Hz), which differs substantially from that of many other creatures (lsu.edu/deafness/ HearingRange.html). A Hertz is a standard unit of frequency set at one cycle per second.

Horses Hear Up to 33,500 Hz Marlow found that horses prefer rhythmic pieces matching their natural movements. “When a Tennessee walking horse breeder played music during a birth, the foal and mother recovered faster than usual.” After that, “The horses ran to the barn upon hearing the same music.”

Sally Morgan, a physical therapist and advanced certified Tellington TTouch practitioner in Northampton, Massachusetts, who has enjoyed freestyle performance riding, says, “I liked to play our songs in the barn. Five CD players can keep horses relaxed most 34

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He could tell by the way animals walked that they were keeping time to some kind of music. Maybe it was the song in their own hearts that they walked to. ~Laura Adams Armer

Roman Pyshchyk/Shutterstock.com

of the day. They don’t like countrywestern music; it’s often sad and in the wrong cadence. Classical music like Bach is calming. When I played Pachelbel’s Canon in D on my flute, my Morgan gelding, Ten Penny Moonshine, listened for hours.”

Age music for them,” says Morgan.

“Pick music that fits the cat’s personality. You can tell what they like from their body language; it’s not always what you’d expect.”

Rabbits Hear Up to 42,000 Hz

“Fish are frantic animals that must always anticipate their next meal,” says Sam Williamson, a former marine biologist in Edinburgh, Scotland. “When I started playing classical music at feeding time, I noticed my three betas became calmer. A piece by Benjamin Britten, started two minutes before feeding, led to them expect food only when the music played.”

“Rescued rabbits like long tones, common in music accompanying yoga or reiki,” Morgan relates. “Long tones hold a chord with layers of notes on top.”

Makushin Alexey/Shutterstock.com

Dogs Hear Up to 45,000 Hz “People hear in stereo, animals in mono,” says Marlow. It’s why dogs tilt their heads left to right—to allow more sound waves into their ears—collecting information from various angles.

Sound frequency and intensity keeps an animal alive in nature; they learn to flee in another direction, not analyze. Separation anxiety is often due to a sound the dog doesn’t recognize, Marlow explains. Sound triggers behavior, whether good or bad, as dogs relax or are stressed. Music releases tension from their being ever-vigilant as seen in their posture.

To understand what a dog hears, sit or crawl on the floor. Electronic speakers are usually positioned at heights conducive for our ears, not theirs.

“For the holidays, my dogs and horses like We Three Kings, The

Aquarium Fish Hear Up to 3,000 Hz

Holly and the Ivy and especially Greensleeves for their baroque roots and repeating patterns,” notes Morgan.

Cats Hear Up to 64,000 Hz Marlow credits her cat, Osborn, with inspiring her interest in music for animals. When Osborn was injured, she visited the veterinary hospital and sang to him to keep him calm. Her home state’s Litchfield Veterinary Hospital became her initial testing ground for species-specific music.

“We use Pet Acoustics music boxes in the cat ward, recovery rooms and exam rooms,” says Heather Florkowski, a certified technician at the facility. “In our experience, stress inhibits the healing process. Like people, animals are anxious when ill and visiting the doctor’s office. Music helps ease their stress.

At home, when I move the music box to another room, my dog follows it.”

“During a TTouch session, cats are completely relaxed when I play New

Domesticated Birds Hear Up to 8,500 Hz In the wild, birds are part of a flock.

At home, they’re often solitary. “Birds are the most musical and communicative of all animals,” remarks Marlow.

“Without companionship, birds can get neurotic and pull their feathers out. Provide a sense of the outdoors by including nature sounds in played music.”

“Animals need us to be aware of their hearing,” Marlow advises. “Holistic pet people have addressed improved diet and medical procedures. Understanding how music supports their well-being also enables us to better care for them.”

Connect with Sandra Murphy at StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com.

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From offering mercury-free fillings to tackling the most complex dental problems, the team at The Center for Dental Wellness provides an innovative approach to the healthcare of the mouth, integrating the knowledge of natural healing with that of contemporary dental science and technology. The practice’s soothing amenities complement its approach to dentistry. “We practice in a beautiful and spacious office environment designed to be relaxing and tranquil,” notes Dr. Name.

Wellness services offered: Holistic/Biological Dentistry, Cosmetic/Bio-Esthetic Dentistry, Dental Implants and Restoration, Integrative Orthodontic Care.

Areas of specialty: Complex dental problems, advanced TMJ care, Sleep Apnea, safe mercury removal, periodontal wellness.

Philosophy of healing: “Our philosophy is based on the natural laws that govern health and healing,” Dr. says. “When disease is present, it may be viewed as evidence of a disruption in our life force.” The Center for Dental Wellness seeks to bridge the gap between modern dental technology and the ageless traditions of natural healing, he says. “This innovative approach to holistic dental care tends to the health of the mouth in relation to the whole person.”

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Start a New Rewarding

Career in Massage Therapy!

Social and recreational opportunities for individuals with mental illness, addictions and disabilities.

Call 616.414.9111 for information or to enroll

Home of Just Goods Gifts and Cafe’

Fair trade and social cause merchandise and local baked goods.

The café is a place of social interaction and integration where people of all different backgrounds can sit and enjoy a beverage or baked good, in a safe and nurturing environment.

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Saturday, December 16 from 10 am to 1 pm Topic: Veteran’s Issues

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3790 28th Street SW, Suite B • Grandville, 49418

Everyone is invited to this Collaborative Community Event

Brunch/Lunch Served, Registration Not Required Family Support Group:

fourth Tuesday of every month at 7pm

Support Group for Parents of Teens: third Monday of every month at 7pm Always free, always confidential

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A Non-Profit grassroots social lab that builds community while solving problems.

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$ave Time & Energy!

Please call in advance to ensure that the event you’re interested in is still available.

ALL MONTH LONG

BVI School of Ayurveda Accepting Applications: Ayurvedic Consultant Certificate Program. Webinar and On-Site Courses, one weekend a month.

State Licensed. NAMA Member. The Sambodh Society, Inc. 6363 N. 24th St., Kalamazoo. Info and Catalog: AyurvedaMichigan.org or 269-381-4946.

calendarofevents Visit NaturalWestMichigan.com for guidelines and to submit entries. All Calendar events must be submitted online by the 15th of the month prior to publication.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 3

Meditation Class – 3pm. Receive a stocking full of relaxation exercises and learn some helpful meditation techniques from Sherry Petro-Surdel, our meditation teacher. We will accompany this class with beautiful Native American flute music. $10. Bodhi Tree Yoga, 208 W 18th St., Holland.

Info: TheSpiritSpace@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6

Complementary Consultation – A consultation is a conversation, not an examination and certainly not a high-pressure sales pitch. After all, we aren’t the right office for everyone, so doesn’t it make sense to discover that before you begin a relationship with our practice? Brain and Body Chiropractic, 833 E 16th St., Ste. 175, Holland. Info & Appointments: 616-202-6368.

SoulCollage® Workshop – 10am -12:30pm. SoulCollage® offers an engaging way to listen to your inner voice, and express yourself creatively. Through creating collage cards, you explore aspects of your soul. The workshop features a chance to reflect through images; an overview of SoulCollage®; creating two collage cards; and supportive sharing. All supplies and instructions provided. $35 The Remedy House 5150 Northland Dr NE, Grand Rapids. Preregistration required: RuthZWald55@gmail.com

FRIDAY DECEMBER 1

FRIDAY DECEMBER 8

EcoTrek Full Moon Fitness Workout – 8-9:15pm.

Cari Draft will lead a workout including flexibility, strength training, and cardio for all fitness levels.

Participants should bring a flashlight. $5. Grand Haven Park (across from Lake Forest Cemetery), 1313 Lake Ave, Grand Haven. Info: EcoTrekFitness. com or SignUp @ EcoTrekFitness.com

SATURDAY DECEMBER 2

Holiday Tree Lighting – 5:30pm. Start the Holiday Season by visiting Washington Square Holland for our annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. Lots of fun activities, view our Charlie Brown Christmas Windows, play and enter to win a big gift Basket and lots more. Bodhi Tree and Wellness Studio, 208 W 18th St., Holland. Info: info@mibodhitree.com Community Quiet Day & Labyrinth Walk – 10am3pm. Doors will be open for contemplation, centering prayer, healing prayer and walking meditation.

Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, this day will be what you need it to be. Come & go as your day allows and experience the gift of healing peace.

Refreshment for your body & spirit. Donations only.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, corner of Third & Clay, across from Hackley Park, Muskegon. Info: 231744-0377 or lindareynolds21@comcast.net.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY DECEMBER 2 - 3

West Michigan Edition

FRIDAY-SUNDAY DECEMBER 8-10

EnergyTouch Basics – Schedule: Friday, The Dolphin Breath Teachings 9am-1pm. Saturday & Sunday, EnergyTouch Basics 9am-6pm. These three days of intense training will fulfill the prerequisite requirements needed to become a successful applicant to the EnergyTouch School of Advanced Healing. Both experience healers and novices are encouraged to attend. $800. 10% discount if you like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EnergyTouchSchool). The EnergyTouch Center, 1331 Lake Drive SE, Ste. 100, Grand Rapids. Info: EnergyTouchSchool.com.

MONDAY DECEMBER 11

Reiki Share – 6-8pm. Come check out what Reiki is all about and have a mini session done. Open to those that know Reiki and those that don’t. Donations welcome. The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr, Grand Rapids. Register: 616-443-4225.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 13

Hanna Somatics Introductory Class – 11am12pm. Come for a gentle, slow-moving and relaxing movement program to help you naturally relieve chronic pain from stiff joints, accident/trauma, poor posture, repetitive stress injuries and more. Free.

Bodhi Tree Yoga & Wellness Studio, 208 W 18th St, Holland. You’ll learn some basics and receive a free handout for practice at home. Info: Kathy@ hollandsomtics.com Dream Catcher Workshop – 6-8pm. Come explore the benefits and some of the history of dream catchers and then create your own and protect and empower your dreams through an ancient practice of creating a dream catcher. All materials included. $35. The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr, Grand Rapids. Register: 616-443-4225.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 14

Health Solutions Seminar with Dr. Steven Osterhout DC, CCN – 7 pm. In this presentation you will learn to: Prevent chronic diseases, Decrease stress, Avoid common foods that actually destroy your health, Ensure optimal health and healing, Easily get fit and maintain a healthy weight. Free. Vitality Healthcare, 5717 Oakland Drive, Portage. Info: Call (269) 323-4473 to RSVP today!

FRIDAY DECEMBER 15

Customer Appreciation 3rd Anniversary Party – 2-4pm. Come join us and help celebrate our 3rd anniversary. Fun, Food, & Family Wellness. The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr, Grand Rapids.

Info: 616-443-4225.

Crystal Chakra Healing Wand Workshop – 6-8pm. Learn more about the energetic system of the body and the main Chakra system, and then explore the different stones that help bring balance to each chakra. Identify which ones would balance you the most and create a beautiful empowered healing wand made of these stones to take home.

Materials included. $50. The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr, Grand Rapids. Info: 616-443-4225.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 10

SATURDAY DECEMBER 16

SUNDAY DECEMBER 10

Shopping, Refreshments, and A Good Cause – 12-4pm. Shop local Artisan made goods. Featured Artisans: DapperHaberdashery Jewelry by Wendy Ballard, Clothing Designs by Maranda Shear, and Chakra scanning by Gayle Campbell. The Cottage offers natural, handmade bath, body, and comfort care and supports other local artisans on a permanent basis.

Donation to Well House. 351 Cummings, NW, Grand Rapids. Info: MoondropHerbals@Hotmail.com.

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The Dolphin Breath Teachings – 9am-1pm. A two-step energetic breathing practice beginning with opening your Pranic Tube and grounding to the Earth and Universal Energies. Participants will learn to breathe energy with intention through Outer Level Chakras to clear negative energies and reclaim their rightful space in the universe by taking a more active role in their health and happiness. $120. 10% discount if you like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/energytouchschool). The EnergyTouch Center, 1331 Lake Drive SE, Ste. 100, Grand Rapids. Info: EnergyTouchSchool.com.

Customer Appreciation Holiday Party – 2-4pm.

Come Celebrate our third anniversary with activity stations to make your own essential oils facial or foot scrubs, a massage chair, angel card readings, and then a great educational piece from our naturopathic doctor about dealing with the holiday stress, and some fun raffle prizes. Free. The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr, Grand Rapids. Info: 616-443-4225.

Eckankar – 10-11am. “Who Are You as Soul,” is the theme for the ECK Light and Sound Service, the second Sunday each month. Free. Dominican Center at Marywood, Room 4, 2025 E Fulton, Grand Rapids, Info: ECK-MI.org or eck.mi.info@gmail.com.

NaturalWestMichigan.com

Inspire! Veterans Issues – 10am-1pm. Join Extended grace for the Inspire! event on Veterans Issues. Inspire! is a monthly community event that creates an opportunity to grow spiritually and ethically as we explore specific areas of concern and

highlight ways in which those concerns are being addressed. We start by giving ourselves an opportunity for reflection, healing and growth and then challenge ourselves to use our health and wholeness by helping to address the needs of the larger community. This event is participative and experiential.

Free. The Momentum Center, 714 Columbus Ave, Grand Haven. Info: office@extendedgrace.org.

First Annual Blanket Solution Party – 12-3pm.

Crafting class being offered by our newest member of our team, A Solutions B. We will be creating tie blankets for trafficking survivors. Don’t worry you don’t have to be skilled in this, these are quick and simple. Donations appreciated. The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr, Grand Rapids. See flyer in store for more info or call 616-443-4225.

Reiki I & II Class – 9am-5pm. Introduction to Reiki, become attuned to the universal energy, learn how to give treatment to self and others and meet your Reiki guide. $250 which includes a $50 deposit due at registration. The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr, Grand Rapids. Register by December 9: 616-443-4225.

savethedate Monday, Jan. 1

New Year’s Day Yoga –10am-12pm. New Year’s Day is traditionally a time of reflection, resolve and renewal. This special class will begin with a 45-minute, energetic all levels flow, followed by a well-earned 75-minute restorative class with Ria. What a perfect way to honor our bodies and make space for the year ahead. $20. Bodhi Tree Yoga & Wellness Studio, 208 w 18th St, Holland. Info: 616392-7580.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 17

Advanced Reiki Class – 9am-5pm. From 9 am - 5 pm - Enhance energy work to a new level. Learn how to perform psychic surgery, and how to set up and utilize a crystal grid with energy work. $275 which includes a $50 deposit due at registration.

The Remedy House 5150 Northland Dr, Grand Rapids. Register: 616-443-4225.

MONDAY DECEMBER 18

New Essential Oil Class – 6 - 8 pm. Find out what you need to know about making a custom blend, discover what Essential Oils you would benefit from the most, and then create your own custom blend. Materials included. $45. The Remedy House 5150 Northland Dr, Grand Rapids.

Register: 616-443-4225.

Tuesday–Friday, Jan. 2-5

Rainbow Therapy Class – Ages 8-13, 9-11am, ages 13-18, 12-2pm, ages 18+, 4-6pm. This class is designed to give proactive support to those who are struggling with day-to-day anxiety and depression through a holistic approach. We’ll tap into the seven main energy centers of the body, known as the Chakras, teaching ways of understanding, coping, and developing emotions throughout troubled times. Space is limited. Fee includes all materials needed for each project. $275 or $250 for ages 8-1 The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr NE, Grand Rapids. Pre-register

by Dec 22: 616-443-4225.

Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 24-25

InspiredLifeGR 2018 Conference – Feb 2425. Sat 8:30am–4:30pm. Sun 8:30–2:30pm.

Attendees will learn how to cultivate an enriched, healthy and inspired life through nutrition, movement, bodywork, mindfulness, and spirituality from holistic health experts. $160. Register before Dec 31, $130. Aquinas College, Wege Ballroom, 1607 Robinson Rd SE, Grand Rapids. Info: InspiredLifeGR. com. 392-7580.

savethedate

Save The Date Events

Must be submitted online each month at NaturalWestMichigan.com. Events priced $80 or more require a corresponding display ad. There is a $40 charge per listing, up to 50 words. Current advertisers, distribution sites or nonprofits, use this listing in place of your two free listings.

When all else is lost, the future still remains.

Rainbow Therapy Class – Ages 8-13, 9-11am, ages 13-18, 12-2pm, ages 18+, 4-6pm. This class is designed to give proactive support to those who are struggling with day-to-day anxiety and depression through a holistic approach. We’ll tap into the seven main energy centers of the body, known as the Chakras, teaching ways of understanding, coping, and developing emotions throughout troubled times.

Space is limited. Fee includes all materials needed for each project. $275 or $250 for ages 8-13. The Remedy House, 5150 Northland Dr NE, Grand Rapids. Pre-register by Dec 22: 616-443-4225.

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Wednesday–Saturday, Jan. 10, 17, 20, 24, 27 & 31

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TUESDAY – FRIDAY DECEMBER 26 – 29

Children’s Yoga Teacher Training – 4:30pm8:30pm. Get certified this winter to be a leader in youth yoga education with Minds on Mats and Yoga Ed. $0-650. Kula Yoga, 133 Division Ave, Ste 100 (back of building), Grand Rapids. Info: MindsOnMats.org

savethedate

Thursday, Jan. 11 – Feb. 1

Yoga for Men – 7:15pm. Specifically designed Yoga class for men only. $50. Bodhi Tree Yoga & Wellness Studio, 208 W 18th St, Holland. Sign up: MiBodhiTree.com or 616-392-7580.

Coaching gives you an accountability check for your personal and professional goals.

We assist you in developing a timeline, establishing a plan and keep you motivated in reaching your goals!

4 Small Business Development 4 Major Life Crisis and Change 4 Weight Loss & Fitness 4 Relationships 4 Budget Management & Reorganization 4 Decluttering Your Home and Life

~Christian Nestell Bovee

Get started today!

Find us online at LIAConsulting.org/coaching

Call: 616.433.6720 or Email: PamGallina@LIAConsulting.org

natural awakenings

December 2017

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ongoingevents

agility in their movement skills. $15 per class. Bodhi Tree Yoga & Wellness Studio, 208 W 18th St, Holland. Info: call Dr Jessica Roberts at 616-594-0451.

Note: Visit NaturalWestMichigan.com for guidelines and to submit entries. Events must be re-submitted each month by the 15th of the month. Events subject to change, please call ahead.

Open for Prayer – 11- 1pm. In these troubled & uncertain times, stop for a few moments. Bring your thankful hearts, your pain, your hopes & prayers.

Whatever your need, whatever your creed, you are welcome here. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, corner of Third & Clay, across from Hackley Park, Muskegon. Look for the banner: OPEN FOR PRAYER

Sunday

Tuesday

Meditation-Self Realization Fellowship – 1011am. Every Sunday we gather to meditate, chant, & explore the wisdom of the Hindu/Yoga tradition as taught by Paramhansa Yogananda. Free will offering. Marywood Center 2025 Fulton, Grand Rapids.

Info: Fred Stella 616-451-8041, GrandRapids. srf@gmail.com, GRSRF.org

Tibetan Buddhist Meditation/Study Group – 7:15-8:30pm. Explore in a practical way the practices associated with Tibetan Buddhism, including concentration, mindfulness, analysis and visualization. Free. Jewel Heart, 1919 Stearns Ave, Kalamazoo. Info: Call 734-368-8701 or 269-9441575 or email: GregSupa@gmail.com

Sunday Worship and Youth Services – 10:30am. A warm and inviting New Thought Spiritual Community, inclusive and accepting of all, honoring diversity, for those seeking spiritual truth. Unity of Grand Rapids, 1711 Walker Ave. NW, Grand Rapids. Info: UnityGRoffice@gmail.com or 616-453-9909.

A Course in Miracles – 6:30-8:30pm. A Course in Miracles is a complete self-study spiritual thought system. It teaches that the way to universal peace is by undoing guilt through forgiving others. The Course focuses on the healing of relationships and making them holy. It expresses a non-sectarian, non-denominational spirituality. Offering. Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, 6025 Ada Dr SE, Ada. Info: www.Unitycsg.org, zahrt.aj@unitycsg.org, 616-682-7812.

Celebration Services – 10:30am. Join us each Sunday for our Sunday Celebration Service. Unity is a positive, peaceful path for spiritual living. We offer spiritual teachings and programs that empower a life of meaning, purpose, and abundance in all good things. We seek to discover the “universal” spiritual truths that apply to all religions. Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, 6025 Ada Dr SE, Ada. Info: office@Unitycsg.org or 616-682-7812.

Hot Yoga – 5-6:15pm. Sweat with this active, energetic, athletic style of yoga with traditional poses in a hot room. Not recommended for people with heart or lung conditions or those not engaged in regular exercise. $12 drop-in. Hearts Journey Wellness Center, 6189 Lake Michigan Dr, Allendale. Info:HeartsJourneyWellness.com or info@ HeartsJourneyWellness.com Spirit Space Sunday Worship – 10:30am. An interfaith, non-denominational gathering place for worship and spiritual enrichment. Join for inspiring messages called Reasoning’s. Spirit Space, 3493 Blue Star Hwy, Saugatuck. Info: 616-836-1555 or Spirit-Space.org Sunday Series – 6pm. Explore spirituality, universal truths, self-mastery and balanced, positive, loving and joyful living with The Coptic Center and their ongoing offering of enlightening ministers, teachers and guest presenters. Love offering. 0-381 Lake Michigan Dr, Grand Rapids. Info: TheCopticCenter.org

Monday 3rd Monday Support Group – 7-8:30pm. This support group is available for parents, guardians and caregivers of teenagers and pre-teens facilitated by Nicki Kubec, LMSW. Free. Momentum Center, 714 Columbus Ave, Grand Haven. Info: 616-414-9111.

A practice of A Course in Miracles – 7-8:30pm.

Learn miracle-mindedness. Got joy? This is how to have it. Hint: You already do. All are welcome.

Free. Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids. 616-458-5095.

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West Michigan Edition

Gentle Hatha Yoga – 7:45-9am & 9:15-10:30am.

With Mitch Coleman. Drop-ins welcome. White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St, Montague. Info: 231-740-6662 or WhiteRiverYoga.com Beginning Yoga & Meditation – 9:30-10:45am.

This class will introduce you to basic postures, breathing techniques, and mindfulness with an emphasis on building body awareness. Gentle yet relaxing in nature, you will leave feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and having a greater sense of health and well-being. $12 drop-in. Hearts Journey Wellness Center, 6189 Lake Michigan Dr, Allendale. Info: visit us at HeartsJourneyWellness.com or info@ HeartsJourneyWellness.com Nourishing the Lakeshore – 7pm. Meetings the second Tuesday of each month. Open to the Public!

Formed to provide education on the health enriching benefits of traditional diets, to increase access to clean, nutrient dense foods, and to teach traditional preparation and storage methods. Nourishing the Lakeshore of West Michigan is a chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation serving Ottawa, Muskegon, and Oceana counties. The main purpose is to act as a resource for local, clean, nutrient dense food. We also provide informational meetings on health related topics, often those which are politically incorrect. Nourishing the Lakeshore respects that everyone is at a different point on the path to better eating. Our goal is to educate and enrich the wellness of our community. Location: The Century Club on Western Ave, Muskegon. Info:Meetup. com/Nourishing-the-Lakeshore-of-West-MichiganWeston-A-Price Steady Self-Balance Training for Healthy Aging – 2-2:50pm. Led physical therapy doctor, Jessica Roberts, this class effectively and safely addresses all components of the complex balance system using the latest research-based techniques. All exercises will take place in the standing position, but support and rest breaks are available as needed. Appropriate modifications will be made for all functional ability levels to help all participants gain confidence and

NaturalWestMichigan.com

4th Tuesday Support Group – 7-8:30pm. Free support group for family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals with mental illness. Free.

Momentum Center, 714 Columbus Ave, Grand Haven. Info: 616-414-9111.

The Law of Attraction Speaking Club – 6:30-8pm.

Looking to Charter as a Toastmaster Club. Do you want to become a confident public speaker and strong leader? We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth environment that allows you to achieve your goals at your own pace. Toastmaster Dues. Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, 6025 Ada Dr SE, Ada. Info:office@ Unitycsg.org, 616-682-7812.

A Course in Miracles – 9:30-11am. A complete self-study spiritual thought system. It teaches that the way to universal peace is by undoing guilt through forgiving others. The Course focuses on the healing of relationships and making them holy.

It expresses a non-sectarian, non-denominational spirituality. Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, 6025 Ada Dr SE, Ada. Info: Unitycsg.org. 616-682-7812. $20 off BioMeridian Assessments – Food allergies, environmental allergies, organ function and real food menus and shopping lists for families that are healthy and kid-approved. Grand Rapids. 616-3659176. IntegrativeNutritionalTherapies.com.

Meditation – 6-7pm. Join together for meditation that begins and ends with live, native flute music.

Attend the full hour or any portion of the meeting.

Spirit Space, 3493 Blue Star Hwy, Saugatuck. Info: 616-836-1555 or Spirit-Space.org.

Thursday Emotions Anonymous – 12-1pm. This is a 12-step program for recovery of mental and emotional illness. Free. The Momentum Center, 714 Columbus Ave, Grand Haven. Info: 616-414-9111.

Open for Prayer – 11- 1pm. In these troubled & uncertain times, stop for a few moments. Bring your thankful hearts, your pain, your hopes & prayers.

Whatever your need, whatever your creed, you are welcome here. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, corner of Third & Clay, across from Hackley Park, Muskegon. Look for the banner: OPEN FOR PRAYER Meditation Class – 6:30-7:30pm. Learn a variety of meditation techniques in this drop-in class. We will take turns teaching a different technique each week and provide practice time afterward. Come when you can, as each class is independent. No experience necessary. Thursday Nights for one hour.

Love offering. Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, 6025 Ada Dr SE, Ada. Info: Contact the office at 616-682-7812 or office@Unitycsg.org.

Friday 3rd Friday Narcan Training and Distribution – 12-2pm. Red Project offers Free Narcan Training and Distribution for those interested. This event is held the Third Friday of every month from 12:00pm-2:00pm. Free. The Momentum Center, 714 Columbus Ave, Grand Haven. Info: 616-414-9111 or Office@ExtendedGrace.org

Saturday 1st Saturday QiGong Class – 3-4pm. Instructor Raymond Wan teaches about internal energy, self-healing breathing exercises, and meditation techniques. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing, bring a cushion or pillow to sit on, and to not eat a big meal one hour before class.

Donation based. Academy of Alternative Healing Arts, 3790 28th St SW Ste B, Grandville. Info: AOAHA.com or 616-419-6924.

Hot Yoga – 7:30-8:45am. Sweat with this active, energetic, athletic style of yoga with traditional poses in a hot room. Not recommended for people with heart or lung conditions or those not engaged in regular exercise. $12 drop-in. Hearts Journey Wellness Center, 6189 Lake Michigan Dr, Allendale. Info:HeartsJourneyWellness.com or info@ HeartsJourneyWellness.com Gentle Hatha Yoga – 9:15-10:15am & 11-12:15am.

With Mitch Coleman. Drop-ins welcome. White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St, Montague. 231740-6662. Info: WhiteRiverYoga.com

Politeness is the flower of humanity. ~Joseph Joubert

Sweetwater Local Foods Market – 9am-1pm.

A double-up bucks and bridge card market.

Hackley Health at the Lakes building on Harvey St. Located inside during inclement weather.

Muskegon. 231-861-2234.

classifieds Fee for classifieds is $1 per word per month. To place listing, email content to Publisher@ NaturalWestMichigan.com.

Deadline is the 15th of the month.

VOLUNTEERS Volunteer Instructors – Mental illness is a community issue and it requires a community solution. The Momentum Center for Social Engagement offers social and recreational activities for people with mental illness, addictions and disabilities. We are seeking people willing to share their skill, hobby, vocation, or interest with our members once a month or as often as available.

We welcome yoga, tai chi, exercise, dance, self-defense, cooking, sewing, and so much more. Extended Grace, 714 Columbus, Grand Haven. Info: Call Jenna, if you want to be part of the solution, at 616-414-9111 or email office@extendedgrace.org

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Publish One of the Nation’s Leading Healthy Living Magazines Natural Awakenings Magazine

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West Michigan Edition

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Contact us about acquiring an existing publication FOR SALE highlighted in RED* Natural Awakenings publishes in over 80 markets across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic (listed below).

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communityresourceguide ...connecting you to the leaders in natural health and green living in West Michigan. To find out how you can be included in The Natural Directory, log-on to NaturalWestMichigan.com/advertising.

ACUPUNCTURE GRAND WELLNESS

Vikki Nestico, R.Ac. Located at Renewal Skin Spa 6080 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids 616-940-1177 • GrandWellness.net Grand Wellness uses the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine to provide holistic healing and natural pain relief. Call to schedule a free consultation to discuss how acupuncture may be an effective treatment for you. See ad, page 32.

ASTROLOGY KAREN S. KLEMP MA.

Astrology/Numerology 220 Savidge, Spring Lake 616-916-0121 KlempK@yahoo.com KAREN220.com Over 20 year ’s experience.

Readings available in her office, by skype or by phone. Also available for lectures at solstice gatherings. Make an appointment by phone, on the website or stop in and visit Thurs through Sat 11am–5pm.

BODYWORK BLACK TORTOISE QIGONG, LLC

Sally Austin 233 Fulton E, Suite 114B Grand Rapids 616-293-5768 – BlackTortoiseQigong.com BlackTortoiseQigong@gmail.com A practice of gentle dynamic movements that can be done lying, sitting or standing, built for you to use daily and promote your health and well-being. Promotes empowerment, wellness, spirit connection, awareness, confidence.

BUILDING/CONSTRUCTION WOOD & SAW

Andrew Gielczyk Licensed Builder 616-834-2480 • WoodAndSaw.com Wood & Saw is focused on creating a sustainable high quality of life for our clients.

Building simple, costeffective, energy-efficient, toxic-free homes and remodels that achieve the healthiest possible indoor air quality. See ad, page 33.

CHIROPRACTIC CARE DYNAMIC FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC Dr. Ronda VanderWall 4072 Chicago Drive, Grandville 616-531-6050 • DynamicChiro.com

Family owned and operated in the heart of downtown Grandville, Dynamic Family Chiropractic focuses on lifestyle improvements through living a maximized life. A safe and natural approach to health through the combination of exercise, nutrition, detoxification and chiropractic care.

THE GLEASON CENTER

Dr. Dan Gleason 19084 North Fruitport Road Spring Lake, MI 49456 TheGleasonCenter.com 616-846-5410 An alternative, holistic approach combining chiropractic and kinesiology as well as the latest in metabolic and hormone testing.

Using a variety of techniques, we work with our patients to determine the scope and duration of care that’s right for each individual.

COFFEE SHOP / FAIR TRADE JUST GOODS GIFTS AND CAFE’ 714 Columbus, Grand Haven 616-414-9111 justgoods@extendedgrace.org www.extendedgrace.org

Just Goods Gifts and Cafe’ is located within the Momentum Center for Social Engagement.

Fair trade and social cause merchandise. Local baked goods and beverages. Open 9am to 6pm M-F and 10am to 2pm Sat. A creative space for community integration and the end of stigma. See ad, page 38.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY HARMONY ’N HEALTH

Mary De Lange, CCT, LMT 1003 Maryland Ave, N.E., Grand Rapids 616-456-5033 • HarmonyNHealth.net Certified therapist since 1991 offering colon therapy in a sterile and professional environment.

Using a holistic approach, colonics relieve constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, poor digestion, back pain, body odor and more. See ad, page 27.

EMF RADIATION PROTECTION PROTXS EMF SHIELDS & H2O DROPS Clara Vanderzouwen clara.vanderzouwen@gmail.com PROTXS.com/?AFMC=22 616-481-8587

PROTXS contains a proprietary blend of natural products that efficiently reflect, absorb and mitigate the harmful biological and technological impacts of invisible RF/EMF/ Wi-Fi radiation. Living Healthy in a Wireless World. “All who touch Protxs will be blessed” Dr. Mike Halliday.

ENERGY HEALING TONYA NICHOLS, RPH

Certified Energy Medicine Practitioner 332 S Lincoln Ave, Lakeview 989-352-6500 Info@THCOLakeview.com THCOLakeview.com Do you feel like you have no energy? Do you feel disconnected and out of balance? Let Tonya help you find your center again.

Combining Emotional Clearing with Full Spectrum Healing, Tonya helps her clients to remove emotional, mental, and energetic blocks that are keeping her clients stuck and preventing them from reaching their full potential for a healthy, happy, and meaningful life. See ad page 9.

ESSENTIAL OILS BE YOUNG ESSENTIAL OILS

Clara Vanderzouwen • 616-481-8587 BeYoungth.com/partners/claravz Independent Sharing partner clara.vanderzouwen@gmail.com Be Young Essential Oils are exclusive E.O.B.B.D. guaranteed 100% pure & safe for your entire family and pets! Wondering what to use? Just call or email me, I’m here to educate you!

MOONDROP HERBALS, LLC

Cottage of Natural Elements 351 Cummings, NW Grand Rapids 616-735-1285 • MoondropHerbals.com Your local source for all things natural and botanical.

Essential oils, bulk herbs, tea, hand-crafted bath & body products, raw ingredients, containers, local artwork, unique gifts. Practitioner discounts. Space rental and artisan consignment. See ad, page 20.

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YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS Marilyn York Independent Distributor # 489656 877-436-2299 myYL.com/naturalhealth4u

Essential Oils – Revered for thousands of years for their naturally-enhancing support of body, mind, and spirit. Become a Young Living Essential Oils Member/Customer, and/or an Independent Distributor. See ad, page 39.

HAKOMI THERAPY KEN PORTER CST, CHT 3355 Eagle Park Dr. NE Ste. 107, Grand Rapids 616-262-3848 BodyAndSoulGR.com

Hakomi Therapy can truly change your life. It’s a mindfulnessbased, experiential therapy for transforming the unconscious patterns that keep you from the love, joy, and fulfillment you deserve. Offered with exquisite care and attentiveness.

HEALING SERVICES THE REMEDY HOUSE

Jodi Jenks Natural Health Practitioner, Reiki Master 616-443-4225 TheRemedyHouse.org Certified in bodywork, lymphatic drainage, raindrop therapy, CranioSacral, reflexology, iridology, natural health consultations including a zyto bio-communication scan. Emotional clearing with essential oils and energy work, reiki, Energy Touch. See ad, page 16.

HEALTH / WELLNESS CENTER THE HEALING CENTER

332 S Lincoln Ave, Lakeview 989-352-6500 Info@THCOLakeview.com THCOLakeview.com Naturopathic/Holistic Practitioners and retail health store. Natural health consultations, classes, oils, herbs, homeopathy, hypnosis, foods, candles, crystals, books, CDs, massage, reflexology, emotional clearing, foot detox, DOT/CDL health cards for truck drivers. See ad, page 9.

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West Michigan Edition

VITALITY HEALTHCARE

Dr. Steven Osterhout 5717 Oakland Drive, Portage 269- 323-4473 - DrOchiro.com Vitality Healthcare offers a cutting-edge approach to medicine. We integrate the best medical approaches with the most advanced natural therapies to address the underlying causes of poor health. We offer: Physical and Functional Medicine / Chiropractic and Massage / Metabolic and Hormone Evaluations / Nutrition and Detoxification / Food Sensitivity and GI Issue Testing / Medical and Natural Weight Loss. Our highly-qualified team of doctors, nutritionists and therapists have extensive training to serve all your healthcare needs.

HUMAN RIGHTS/ SOCIAL JUSTICE EXTENDED GRACE

barbara@extendedgrace.org 616.502.2078 ExtendedGrace.org Extended Grace is a nonprofit grassroots social lab that builds community while solving problems. It does so through: Community Conversations including Inspire! and Deeper Dive events and Town Hall Meetings on Mental Illness; Mudita Gifts; Pilgrim Spirit Tours cultural immersion experiences; Momentum Center for Social Engagement; Just Goods Gifts and Cafe’. See ad, page 38.

LGBTQIA COUNSELING DILSWORTH COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES

Sue Dilsworth, Ph.D, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT Locations in Allendale and Grand Rapids 616-307-1617 Sue@drdilsworth.hush.com HeartsJourneyWellness.com Counseling services tailored to meet the needs of the individual.

Through various treatment modalities including Cognitive Behavioral, Mindfulness and EMDR, individuals will have an opportunity to explore personal challenges in an open, receptive, and supportive environment. Member WPATH. Most insurance accepted including Medicare and Medicaid.

NaturalWestMichigan.com

LIFE COACH LIA COACHING AND CONSULTING Pamela Gallina, MA CMC 616-433-6720 PamGallina@LIAConsulting.org LIAConsulting.org/coaching

Pam works with highly– motivated individuals as they aim for their highest self.

Focusing on Small Business Development, Major Life Crisis and Change, Weight Loss & Fitness, Relationships, Budget Management & Reorganization, Decluttering Home and Life. Helping you to achieve your very best life! See ad, page 41.

MASSAGE THERAPY DYNAMIC FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC & MASSAGE THERAPY Jaci Timmermans, MT 4072 Chicago Drive, Grandville 616-531-6050 DynamicChiro.com

Offering Swedish massage with integrated techniques, chosen specifically for your unique body. Relieve those tired and sore muscles and rejuvenate.

Call for on-going monthly specials and discounts.

HARMONY ‘N HEALTH

Mary De Lange, CCT., LMT. 1003 Maryland Ave. NE, Grand Rapids 616-456-5033 HarmonyNHealth.net Over 24 years of professional experience and trained in a complete range of modalities.

Whether you are seeking relaxation, renewal or treatment for a specific condition, Mary will help find an approach that is helpful for you. See ad, page 27.

MIDWIFERY FULL CIRCLE MIDWIFERY SERVICE, INC.

Patrice Bobier, CPM Hesperia: 231-861-2234 FullCircleMidwifery.com Jennifer Holshoe, CPM Grand Rapids area: 616-318-1825 WestMichiganMidwifery.com In private practice since 1982 – specializing in home birth and a team approach. Over 1,600 births attended. Offering midwifery care that maintains a family-centered, safe birth experience. Empowering women to stay healthy during pregnancy, give birth naturally and parent in the best ways. Free initial consultations including prenatal check-up.

SALON SERVICES LONDON STUDIOS SALON

Sally Ann Loew, Hair Artist/Educator Organic Colour Speciality 6455 28th St. SE, Suite 1, Grand Rapids 616-299-1796, LondonStudiosSalon.com London Studios Specializes in: Organic Color Systems, Color Corrections, Multidimensional Hair Color, Restorations for Vo l u m e a n d L e n g t h , Organic Keragreen Keratin Treatments, European Cutting Techniques, Natural Hair Extensions, I n t e g r a t i o n , B r i d a l S e r v i c e s , We d d i n g Consultations and other services. See ad, page 6.

NATUROPATHIC INSTITUTE OF THERAPIES & EDUCATION 503 East Broadway St, Mt. Pleasant 989-773-1714 Contact@NaturopathicInstitute.info NaturopathicInstitute.info

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 30.

SPIRITUAL GATHERINGS

CALL NOW TO RESERVE YOUR AD FOR THE 2018 ANNUAL N AT U R A L L I V I N G DIRECTORY! HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER

SCHOOL / EDUCATION BVI SCHOOL OF AYURVEDA Ruth Small, Ph.D., Director 269-381-4946 Ayurveda@SambodhSociety.us AyurvedaMichigan.org

School of Ayurveda. State licensed.

Certificate program for healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, yoga teachers, wellness educators, massage therapists, holistic health specialists, chiropractors, dieticians and those seeking to learn selfhealth-care. Instructors highly qualified (B.A.M.S.).

Unity of Muskegon 2052 Bourdon St., Muskegon

Gather to nurture your Sacred Self on Sunday’s at 11am. We host a variety of classes and workshops on all areas of holistic living. For more information, visit us online at UnityMuskegon.org or call 231-759-7356.

2018

NATURAL

LIVING DIRECTORY

THERMOGRAPHY ADVANCED THERMAL IMAGING OF WEST MICHIGAN

West Michigan Edition | NaturalWestMichigan.com

Julie Bennett 616-724-6368 AdvancedThermalImagingllc.com

Thermography is a safe, tested, painless, and effective procedure providing information for breast cancer risk assessment, breast cancer prevention and early detection, possible hormone imbalance, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, musculoskeletal inflammation, and neurological problems.

Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com

616-604-0480

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December 2017

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A VACATION Unlike ANY

OTHER

10 DAY VEGAN C RUI S E FEB. 15-25, 2018 Our 15th Anniversary 10 Day* Cruise will be the best yet! Join 1800+ like-minded vegans during a vacation that will nourish your body, stimulate your mind and rejuvenate your spirit. Shop at the duty-free capital of the world in St. Thomas, USVI; watch batik-making on St. Kitts and Nevis; sip on coconut water in Fort de France, Martinique; dance in Bridgetown, Barbados; and see the waterfalls of Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe. In addition to our stellar lineup of vegan health luminaries, the 2018 cruise will add a focus on the ethical treatment of animals featuring PETA president Ingrid Newkirk. The latest in diet and nutrition science, cooking classes, yoga, exotic ports... there’s something for everyone! Learn more about the classes, cuisine and itinerary at holisticholidayatsea.com.

LAST CHANCE DISCOUNT BOOK BY JAN. 11!

Chosen b y N ATIONA L G EOG RAPHIC T R A VELER as On e of the 1 00 BEST WO RL DWIDE VACAT ION S to E NR IC H YOUR L IF E Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free & Ship’s Menu Daily Yoga, Meditation, Pilates, Qi Gong, Do-In, Running & Fitness Classes 150+ Lectures & Workshops

CME & CEU Credits Available 45+ Teachers

Author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plantand Other Books; TEDx Speaker; VegNews’

JULIEANNA HEVER, MS, RD, CPT

10+ Cooking Classes Dancing & Social Events Almost Every Evening Singles’ Social Cancer Support Group & Recovery Panel Snorkel, Kayak, Cultural Tours & Other Excursion Types Available Environmentally-Friendly Award-Winning Ship Private Consultations & Treatments Available

West Michigan Edition

New York Times BestSelling Author of The Engine 2 Diet; Featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America and The Dr. Oz Show

RIP ESSELSTYN

Special Panel Focusing on Animal Rights

48

Featuring Renowned Chefs, Teachers & Healers

Founder of the Physicians Commitee for Responsible Medicine; Author of Food for Life and Power Foods for the Brain

NEAL BARNARD, M.D.

LE A RN MOR E 1-800-496-0989 (US) 1-828-749-9537

*Only 6 work days due to Presidents’ Day

NaturalWestMichigan.comhhas_vegan_cruise

PETA President and Cofounder; Author of Numerous Books; Speaker on Animal Rights; Profiled in HBO Documentary I Am an Animal

INGRID NEWKIRK Co-Author of The China Study and author of Whole: Rethinking the ; Featured in the Film Forks Over Knives

T. COLIN CAMPBELL, PH.D. Physician, Speaker and New York Times BestSelling Author; Founder Appeared on Dr. Oz and the Colbert Report

MICHAEL GREGER, M.D.

B OOK TODAY 1-877-844-7977 Opt. 2 must be made through our program.