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contents 8
5 newsbriefs
8 globalbriefs
10 healthbriefs 12 healingways
18
14 healthykids
18 inspiration 19 naturalpet
20
20 consciouseating
32 fitbody
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 GOODNIGHT, MOON
Creating Soulful Bedrooms for Children
by Judith Fertig
14
17 CHAIR YOGA by RoseIyn Ranthun
18 WHO INSPIRES YOU?
19
by Isha Judd
19 DOGGY BREATH by Dr. Shawn Messonnier
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20 SALT
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22 HOMEGROWN HEROES
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by Linda Sechrist
Inspired to Make a Difference
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31 Spring Cleaning Feng Shui
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March 2010
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contact us Publishers Kyle & Amy Hass Editors MaryAnn Lawrence S. Alison Chabonais Linda Sechrist Marketing Stephanie Harding
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Subscriptions are available by sending $30 (12 issues) to the above address. © 2010 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 for 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 Natural Awakenings is locally owned and operated.
or better or worse, change is a fact of life for everyone. It’s also a progressive way of life for those who embrace it. Many have discovered they need to stir things up regularly to keep life interesting. Others bemoan and bewail situations outside their current comfort zone, doing a lot of talking about it, but seldom taking the possibilities presented in hand. We know that the fact that you have picked up Natural Awakenings places you squarely in the first camp. We rejoice to have you with us. This issue is all about encouraging our deep down desire for a shift to something better as we become better stewards of our lives and the places in which we live. March articles are filled with inspiring people and inspired ideas—practical things that you and I can do today. For example, Kyle and I intend to learn how to slow down and savor the best of every day. Our first step was to begin a yearlong monthly meditation class. Inbetween sessions, our assignment is to honor our intention through daily practice, even if it’s just for five minutes. We realize that new habits take time to establish and admit that we don’t make it happen every day. But when we make the conscious choice to pause from daily busyness to meditate, the rewards feel so right that they are life changing. Such a small change in terms of time; what a world of difference for us. Imagine the possibilities should entire communities, regions and nations move in this direction. And that’s only one “for instance.” Kyle and I are happy to report that we recently completed the four-week course on Global Warming with The Northwest Earth Institute. We loved exploring the difference one person can make. It effectively got us all thinking in terms of how “One person can make a difference.” It’s axiomatic that every great accomplishment started with one person acting on an idea, which spread from there. Leading by example is the best thing we can do because it’s infectious. We celebrate some of the thousands of America’s “Homegrown Heroes” who are making a difference, on page 22. Who do you know that deserves to be recognized as a Hometown Hero here in West Michigan? Please tell us why in 200 words or less in an email to Publisher@ NaturalWestMichigan.com. Every day we are blown away by the amazing people we meet through publishing this magazine. We are blessed to have so many local businesses that are striving to help us enhance our lives and make West Michigan an ever better place to live. We celebrate them in our first Annual Natural Living Directory, due out this month. It’s your free local guide to all things healthy, natural and sustainable. We know you will enjoy having the directory as a handy resource all year long. Look for your copy at our booth at the Women’s Expo as well as our normal distribution sites. If you haven’t found one by April 1, let us know and we’ll help you make it happen. Thank you for all you do,
Amy and Kyle Natural Awakenings on 100% recycledEdition Michigan 4is printedWest newsprint with soy based ink.
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newsbriefs Outdoor Fitness Club Braves the Elements
C
arly Starin of 360 Massage and Holistic Care in Grand Rapids established the 360 fit club with two of her clients in the summer of 2009. The threesome trained together to complete their first triathlon. Inspired by their success, the 360 fit club is inviting other clients of 360 and anyone else to join together and get outside to exercise. 360 fit club targets those new to outdoor activities such as running, cycling and swimming to gain the accountability, guidance and support to get fit and active without having to go to the gym. “Post what, where and when you are going to do an activity and ask people to join you. Hopefully we can get a good club started and we can enter some races this upcoming season together,” says Starin. She says the club is about meeting others as well as becoming more fit. Starin plans for springtime runs, cycling rides and swim get-togethers. 360 Massage and Holistic Care is located at 1514 Wealthy St SE Suite 210 in Grand Rapids. 616-242-0034. 360massage. com. See ad page 18 & 28.
Peter and Anne Selby are clairvoyant healers. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience their work at CUP this winter. The Center of Unlimited Possibilities is located at 14998 Cleveland Street, Suite G, in Spring Lake. 616-842-0264.
Three Day Feldenkrais Workshop
J
udith Dila, certified Feldenkrais practitioner, certified massage therapist and bio-energy worker will lead a weekend Feldenkrais ATM (Awareness Through Movement) workshop March 12-14 at Song of the Morning Retreat located at 9607 Sturgeon Valley Road in Vanderbilt. Feldenkrais focuses on the relationship between movement and thought. It is for anyone who wants to reconnect with their natural abilities to move, think and feel. Says Dila, Feldenkrais may be the perfect fit for those who want to radiate vitality, to stand taller and walk with greater ease and to realize a sense of peacefulness and quiet attentiveness. Dila adds that over several sessions, thinking becomes more clear and the ability to express oneself becomes sharper. Feldenkrais, she says, is non-competitive and self-directed, allowing students to progress at their own pace. Judith Dila is the owner of Bodywork by Judith, 310 N. Ferry St. in Ludington. 231-510-5800. To register, visit the Song of the Morning website at GoldenLotus.org. See ad page 29.
Local Wellness Coach Launches New Website
B
arbara Badolati, a wellness and health education coach, announces the launch of her renovated website for her coaching business Alive & Well. The new and improved website is BeAliveAndWell.com. This website has information about services including one-on-one coaching, Workplace Wellness, mindful meditation coaching, supplements and other wellness products. Visitors can also sign up for a monthly newsletter, “Well-BEing Tips,” which has timely health information and insights about living life to the fullest. Contact Barbara Badolati at BeAliveandWell@gmail.com. 616-638-5625. See ad page 35.
New Workshops, New Website Fill the CUP
T
he Center of Unlimited Possibilities has launched a new website, http://theunlimitedpossibilities.com. Also this month, the Center will be hosting three national level workshop providers, Rick Kahler of South Dakota and Peter and Anne Selby of Oregon. Kahler is a regular contributor to the Oprah Winfrey show and has been featured on Good Morning America. He is president of Kahler Financial Group and the author of two books on finance. Both
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March 2010
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Tri-Cities Earth Day Celebration
T
he Lakeshore Earth Day Committee and the Herman Miller Foundation present a weekend of fun in celebration of Earth Day. On Friday, April 16 Environmental musicians Loud and Soft will hold an “Earth Rock Concert” from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Fire Barn. For more information contact Yvonne Olmsted at yvonne@olmsign.com 616846-6068. On Saturday afternoon, from 12 to 1 p.m., an Earth Day Parade begins at Franklin Street south of the courthouse. Afterwards, a Fair is schedule at Central Park until 4 p.m. Visit booths of environmental organizations and businesses, community and educational groups. There will be food, games, live music, and folk dancing instruction. Rain location is the Grand Haven Community Center. For exhibit information, contact Dawn Briegel at debriegel@hotmail.com 616-842-6321. After the Fair, stroll down to the Chili Blues cook-off until 6 p.m. then stay downtown for more great music. Visit Wetland-Watch.org for event updates.
Party For The Planet
P
arty for The Planet is a national Earth Day celebration that will take place at zoos and aquariums around the country on April 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids will play host to more than 5,000 families that day. Demonstrations and vendor booths will focus on earthfriendly products, services and initiatives available in West Michigan. For more information and detail, call Krys at 616-336-4374 or email KBylund@JohnBallZooSociety.org.
New Spa Services Available
A
nne Price Massage now offers spa services in addition to its established practice of medical and therapeutic massage including relaxation massage with optional toning gel and whole-body or spot-treatment body wraps with massage. Both
6
West Michigan Edition
NaturalWestMichigan.com
the toning gel and the body wraps detoxify the system and can take inches from problem areas. Pampering hot stone massages are also available. Anne Price Massage has always featured high-quality, affordable treatment for chronic conditions, such as fibromyalgia, chronic-injury pain, rheumatoid arthritis, sports injury and anxiety. Prenatal and infant massage and wellness assessments are also available. Packages are offered to allow those who need regular massage to receive its benefits at a reasonable rate. Anne Price Massage is located at 3160-A Breton Avenue SE, in Grand Rapids. 616-648-7011. AnnePriceMassage.com. See ad page 29.
SugarBush Festival & Pancake Breakfast
B
landford Nature Center will host a pancake breakfast March 27 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at CA Frost Environmental Science Academy, 1460 Laughlin Drive in Grand Rapids. Right next door, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, Blandford Nature Center host the Sugarbush Festival. Take a walk through the Sugarbush trail to learn more about the process and visit the historical buildings. Come out and enjoy the freshly tapped and bottled maple syrup made right at Blandford Nature Center. Adults are $10, seniors $8 and kids under 12 are $5. If you only plan to attend the festival the cost is $5 per person; kids 2 and under are free. Blandford Nature Center is located at 1715 Hillburn Ave in Grand Rapids. 616-735-6240. BlandfordNatureCenter.org.
Yoga Retreat for Rest and Reflection
N
ationally renowned Kundalini yoga teacher Valerie Brown (Inder Kaur) returns to The Leaven Center in Lyons March 26-28. “Open Heart, Valerie Brown Peaceful Mind: A Yoga Retreat for Rest and Reflection” will offer sustained periods of silence and
mindfulness meditation to quiet the mind, prayer and reflection to open the heart, and small group discussion to build community. There will be opportunities to journal, explore creativity, share laughter and rest deeply. Through these experiences, participants will reclaim their true spirit, restore balance in their lives, nurture awareness of the many gifts of the present moment, and take home new tools to create peace and happiness in their everyday life. The weekend is open to both women and men. Ordained in 2003 by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh as a lay member of the Tiep Hien Order, Brown is a founding member of Old Path Sangha, a Buddhist community in New Hope, Pennsylvania. She studied with Parker J. Palmer at the Center for Courage and Renewal and the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness and received graduate level training in holistic spirituality from Chestnut Hill College. The author of “The Mindful Quaker: A Brief Introduction to Buddhism for Friends,” Brown is a former farmhand, certified biodynamic gardener and Master Gardener. As an attorney, mediator and registered lobbyist representing New Jersey’s lowest income people, her life reflects a confluence of contemplation and action. Cost for the weekend is $190. A limited number of partial scholarships are available. To register, contact Karen Bota at The Leaven Center, 989-855-2606. Leaven.org. See ad page 30.
The Generosity Plan, illustrates how to find an organization that helps Haiti in a way that’s meaningful to you, how to make sure that organization is legitimate—that your money will go to what they say it will, and how to incorporate giving into your budget. As founder, president, and CEO of Raising Change, a fundraising organization working to advance social change agendas and generosity worldwide, LeMay has discovered what millions have only recently discovered: Giving can be easy. “Giving can be easy and straightforward,” LeMay says, “not only during disaster relief campaigns but all year long. The secret? A focused plan that matters to you…the beautiful thing about a generosity plan is that it’s not something new to add to your to do list. A generosity plan isn’t a thing to do, it’s a thing to be.” The Generosity Plan is available now wherever books are sold, or at www.beyondword.com.
Activist Kathy LeMay Reveals New Approach to Long-Term Giving in New Book, The Generosity Plan
Reader Spotlight
A
s the Haitian crisis drops out of the news, will we remember that they still desperately need our help? Without some sort of ongoing plan for giving, we can forget generosity and the good feelings that come with it. “Critical to long-term recovery, and hopefully a stronger and healthier Haiti, is steady, on-going support,” says Kathy LeMay, social change activist and philanthropy coach. Her new book,
W
e always enjoy hearing from our readers about successes and achievements. This month, we introduce reader Marty Dugan. Five years ago, Marty underwent surgery for a brain tumor. Today, he is a running billboard for the Boys & Girls Club in Holland, dedicating his time and energy and serving as an example to children as a marathon runner. Recently, he ran the 25k River Bank Run as well as the GR ½ in October where he finished first in the 55-59 year old age group. When Marty is not running, you can find him at the Boys & Girls Club in Holland where he is a volunteer. Keep up the good work Marty!!
natural awakenings
March 2010
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globalbriefs News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that works for all.
Earth Hour
World Citizens Switch Off the Lights March 27 Now in its fourth year, Earth Hour 2010 is calling upon us all to symbolically cast our vote for Earth by turning off our lights for one hour at 8:30 p.m. local time. Last year, nearly a billion world citizens voted this way in 4,000 cities in 87 countries on seven continents. The event sponsor, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), notes that this year, iconic U.S. landmarks, too, will dim their lights as part of the largest call for action on climate change in history. American landmarks hitting the switch range from the Golden Gate Bridge and Last Vegas strip to Mount Rushmore, joined by local monuments in or near Seattle, Flagstaff, Indianapolis and Atlanta. Cities, schools, businesses and organizations in all 50 states are expected to participate. “Climate change is impacting our water resources, energy supplies, transportation, agriculture and health, putting our livelihoods and economic future at risk in every part of the country,” explains WWF Climate Director Keya Chatterjee. “Americans will not only be sending a signal that they want solutions to the climate crisis, they’ll be helping to turn the lights out on our nation’s dangerous dependency on foreign oil and an unsustainable economic future.” Find information and event tools at MyEarthHour.org; also see EarthHourKids.org.
Earth Ambassadors Filmmakers Activate Environmental Awareness
Disney’s Tinker Bell may be Earth’s most appealing spokespixie, having been named the United Nations Honorary Ambassador of Green prior to the screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ animated film, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, late last year. She’ll likely be on hand for this year’s Disney documentary debut of Oceans on Earth Day, April 22, and she’s in good company. The top 10 environmental documentaries of 2009 hail from around the world, aimed to shock, entertain and inspire humanity to make a difference. They examine everything from the negative effects of America’s industrial agriculture system and the rising domination of the petrochemical industry to the threatened livelihood of trash-recycling entrepreneurs and people’s right to safe drinking water. For details on 2009’s best, visit mnn.com (Mother Nature Network) and search “top films,” which also pulls up a look at what might be the top 10 environmental activist films of all time. 8
West Michigan Edition
NaturalWestMichigan.com
Strange Sanctuary
Old Factories Offer New Hope for Wildlife Visitors are flocking to see the new life emerging in brown industrial lands now morphing into vibrant ecosystems as nature reclaims idle factories, mines, docks, landfills, rail spurs, warehouses and parking lots. The unfolding rehabilitation is getting help from the likes of Julie Craves, a research supervisor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, who monitors eight vacant properties that the Ford Motor Company has remade as wildlife habitat. Not every industrial site within the 48-mile-long Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge will be reclaimed. But, says Craves, “I have come to really love this juxtaposition of the hyper-urban with resilient nature.” She notes how strategic plantings have attracted songbirds and rap-
Virtual Ivy
E-colleges Do Work A recent study by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has found that many types of online education for a college degree are better at raising student achievement than face-to-face teaching is. The big difference, researchers report, is the time spent on task, or flexibility in absorbing content. Able to set their own pace, students often study longer or visualize a problem differently; concurrently, professors are forced to design better instructional techniques.
tors. More than 300 species of migratory birds rest, nest and feed here. Spurred by a need to manage thousands of idle acres, corporations like BP, Gulf Oil, Bridgestone and U.S. Steel have undertaken similar projects. One of the more unlikely is Denver’s Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. When the arsenal, which produced nerve gas and other chemical weapons for the U.S. Army, closed in 1992, its 27 square miles were one of the nation’s most poisonous landscapes. Today, “We’ve restored the habitat back to short-grass prairie, the way it looked in the late 1800s,” says Sherry James, visitor services manager for the refuge. The star of the new staging area is a self-sustaining, growing bison herd.
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The most effective learning, the study concluded, occurs when a school combines e-learning with classroom teaching. Yet for many students, online learning is what they can afford in time or money. The hope is that the e-college trend may help burst the bubble of rising tuition costs, which now average more than $25,000 a year for a degree in a private, bricksand-mortar institution. In the past decade, the number of university students worldwide is up by nearly half to 153 million. The need to have a leg up in the global knowledge economy is reportedly prompting ED plans to create free, online courses for the nation’s 1,200 community colleges—which teach nearly half of our undergrads—to make it easier for them to learn basic job skills. Source: The Christian Science Monitor natural awakenings
March 2010
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healthbriefs March is National Nutrition Month
White Tea Tops Herbal Charts
I
n a recent test to evaluate the health properties of extracts from 21 plant species, white tea considerably outperformed them all. “We were testing very small amounts, far less than you would find in a drink,” says Professor Declan Naughton of Kingston University, in London, one of the UK’s leading specialists on inflammation. “The early indicators are that white tea reduces the risk of inflammation that is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers, as well as wrinkles.” Evidently, the properties of white tea go beyond high levels of antioxidants to also block the activities of enzymes that break down elastin and collagen. Naughton explains that elastin supports the body’s natural elasticity, which helps lungs, arteries, ligaments and skin to function. It also helps body tissues repair wounds and stops skin from sagging. Collagen, a protein found in connective tissues, is also key to skin strength and resilience. Eight of the other plants and herbs analyzed also help protect against the breakdown of both elastin and collagen associated with age-related wrinkling. After white tea, bladderwrack performed well, followed by extracts of cleavers (Galium aparine, also called goosegrass) rose, green tea, angelica, anise and pomegranate. Source: BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Celery as Nutrition Staple
N
oted author and natural health advocate Dr. Andrew Weil sees celery as a versatile kitchen staple. A biennial plant, he notes that celery is in the same family as carrots, dill and fennel. Its versatility lands it in soups, stews, stir-fries and salads, plus it’s good spread with natural nut butter. This crunchy green has long been associated with dieting, due to its natural diuretic effects and low calorie count. Rich in potassium and natural sodium, Weil cites its important role in regulating fluid balance in the body and stimulating urine production, not to mention that celery is a good source of vitamins C and K. Its active compounds, pthalides, may even help lower blood pressure. Always seek out organically grown celery, advises Weil, as pesticides are commonly used on conventionally grown varieties. Source: DrWeil.com 10
West Michigan Edition
NaturalWestMichigan.com
Nature Walks Equal Outdoor Smarts
B
ehavior and health experts at the University of Michigan have found that walking outside in parks or in nature helps improve attention span and memory performance by 20 percent. The researchers, who published their findings in Psychological Science, believe the results may also be relevant to people suffering from mental fatigue. “Interacting with nature can have similar effects as meditating,” reports Marc Berman, a psychology researcher at the university. He adds, “People don’t have to enjoy the walk to get the benefits,” although they do tend to find spring and summer walks more enjoyable. Study participants exhibited increased levels of alertness, satisfaction and mental tranquility after spending just one hour interacting with nature. They reported that their levels of stress had decreased significantly and they felt more in control of their mind. Similar benefits did not accrue from urban walks.
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Genetically Engineered Crops Rife with Pesticides
U.S. growers of genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybeans and cotton increased the use of weed-killing herbicides by 383 million pounds from 1996 to 2008, according to The Organic Center’s analysis of Department of Agriculture data. This swamps the 64-million-pound reduction in insecticides associated with GE corn and cotton, resulting in a net increase of 319 million pounds of poison. Source: Organic-Center.org
Push-Ups for Better Vision
T
here’s another way to see better than just cleaning your glasses when they’re dirty, suggest optometrists at the University of Houston College of Optometry. We can apply their no-cost, at-home approach, called pencil push-up therapy. The simple exercise, when practiced regularly, the doctors say, can improve visual acuity and performance at school and work. How does it work? Visually follow a small letter penned or pasted on a pencil eraser as you move the pencil closer to the nose. The goal is to be able to keep the letter in focus until it touches the nose. The exercise appears to help with a common condition known as convergence insufficiency, which may affect up to 20 percent of the population. The condition refers to someone who can’t cross their eyes. If left unattended, it can affect their reading skills and cause headaches and eye strain. In-office professional vision therapy also can help, but the do-it-yourself exercise works well.
Wrinkles Be Gone
Researchers in Germany suggest that high-intensity visible light from light emitting diodes (LED) applied daily for several weeks resulted in “rejuvenated skin, reduced wrinkles and a more resilient complexion.” They see such treatment as a potential alternative to Botox and cosmetic surgery for easing facial wrinkles. Source: American Chemical Society
Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. ~Henry David Thoreau
natural awakenings
March 2010
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sing herbs for breast health and enhancement is nothing new. Their healing and mastogenic effects (the enlargement and growth of healthy breast tissue), have been recognized by various cultures throughout the world. Modern science is just becoming aware of the healthy aspects of such phytoestrogens (natural plant compounds that mimic estrogen) and their role in increasing the size and health of the breasts.
their milk. In American folk medicine, fenugreek was considered a potent promoter of menstruation. It even became a key ingredient in Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound, one of 19th century America’s most popular patent medicines for “female weakness” (menstrual discomfort).
Fenugreek
Saw Palmetto
For centuries, rumors have floated out of the Middle East noting that harem women historically have been fed fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenumgraecum) to make them more buxom. According to the phytochemical databases of James Duke, Ph.D., a former researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the seeds contain diosgenin and other mild plant estrogens. He notes in his seminal book, The Green Pharmacy, that, like natural estrogen, these compounds can increase healthy breast tissue. In India, traditional ayurvedic physicians have long prescribed fenugreek to nursing mothers to increase
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens; Sabal serrulata), now a popular treatment for prostate enlargement in men, originally had a place in natural medicine as a breast enlarger. Late 19th century author and artist Susan Hale noted that Native Americans in the southeastern United States used saw palmetto berries for both food and medicine, including “the treatment of infertility in women, treatment of underdeveloped breasts, increased lactation [and] painful menstruation cycles.” Duke reports that naturopathic physicians still recommend it today for its breast-enhancing effects; in numerous studies, the herb has shown no side effects or drug interactions.
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Wild Yam In Herbal Healing for Women, author Rosemary Gladstar states that wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) “is the most widely used herb in the world today,” with derivatives of the herb present in thousands of prescription and over-the-counter medicines. It is used both as a breast enhancer and a sexual stimulant, and is recommended by herbalist Susun Weed, author of Breast Cancer?Breast Health! for fostering healthy breast tissue. Weed suggests adding the herb to creams for breast massage and notes that women using this mixture see improvements in both breast health and size. Duke further notes that wild yam contains less disogenin than fenugreek, but contains other compounds that contribute to breast health and enhancement.
Other Herbs Red clover (Trifolium pretense) and soy isoflavones belong to a class of phytoestrogens structurally similar to estrogen. In her book, Menopause with Science and Soul, Judith Boice, a naturopathic physician, notes the balancing effect these nutrients can have and states, “This could at least in part explain why Japanese women tend to be at lower risk for breast and other reproductive cancers.” Research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston has spurred interest in the use of turmeric (Curcuma longa) in both preventing and treating various cancers. Their scientists observe that, “Extensive research over the last 50 years has indicated [curcumin] can both prevent and treat cancer.” Its anticancer potential, they believe, “stems from its ability to suppress proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells.” A study published in Cancer Letters in 1999 showed the herb’s remarkable ability to contain the spread of breast cancer when used in conjunction with other breast cancer treatments.
Herbs and Breast Health Dr. Andrew Weil, author, medical researcher and head of integrative medicine at the University of Arizona, cites large-scale demographic studies of cancer rates as his rationale for recommending diets rich in estrogenic herbs and foods to women. In his online guide, Healthy Aging, Weil notes that in Asian populations, where women consume up to 20 times more phytoestrogens than western women, rates of breast cancer are one-fifth of what they are in the west. These populations also experience the lowest rate of hysterectomies. Finally, for anyone considering breast augmentation, wise use of these herbs could be the answer to avoiding painful and sometimes dangerous surgery, while improving overall breast health. As Duke remarks in his book, “If my daughter wanted her breasts enlarged, I’d certainly encourage her to try natural approaches first.” Joel Faville is the founder of Greenbush Natural (GreenBush. net). Greenbush began offering pure, additive-free herbs for breast health and enhancement in 1999, based on the recommendations of the cited experts. Its archives include thousands of unsolicited letters from women describing positive results with the herbs. natural awakenings
March 2010
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healthykids
Goodnight, Moon Creating Soulful Bedrooms for Children by Judith Fertig
A
child represents “a shift, a celebration, a milestone” in the life of any family, remarks author and artist Jill Butler. In her recent book, Create the Space You Deserve, she explores how loving parents want their little ones to feel happy at home every day in a loving, nurturing safe place, where they can grow into the fullness of who they are meant to be. “All kids need a space of their own, a sacred place, where everyday realities like peer pressure, family issues, bullies at school or low selfesteem cannot penetrate; a place of comfort and creativity that reflects and encourages their own positive intentions and beliefs, values, goals and dreams for life,” elaborates Kellee Katillac, author of Kids’ Sacred Places: Rooms for Believing and Belonging. She advises that no matter what is going on in the outside world, the interior world of a child’s room should be a refuge of calm, comfort, creativity and renewal. “Their rooms are like the French expression le jardin secret... their secret garden,” continues Butler. “It’s their most basic nest, so encourage and allow it to grow into their space just as they want it.” Making a child’s room such a soulful sanctuary is an ongoing project, as periodic changes reflect the individual growth and changing interests of a child, from the crib to a teenager’s digs. 14
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Provide comfy pillows on the bed along with a good reading lamp. New Baby An infant’s room needs to be soft and soothing, so a baby can adjust to the “less-cushioned” life outside the womb, note Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes, authors of The Peaceful Nursery. Babies are stimulated enough by modern lifestyles; the one place they should be able to simply drift off to a peaceful sleep is in their room. Feng Shui principles can help parents create the environment that promotes quiet calm and sleep. To encourage relaxation, consider painting the baby’s room a soft color, such as cream, pale blue or lavender. Add soothing artwork, monochromatic or pale, printed bedding and gentle aromas from traces of essential oils (chamomile, rose, vanilla or lavender) in baby-safe products. Position the crib so that the baby can see the door to help quell anxiety, and remove or push a distracting mobile to the side when it’s not playtime. Also, choose furniture with rounded edges and keep a window open or a ceiling fan on low to let air and energy circulate through the room, suggests Rodika Tchi, a feng shui consultant in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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Young Child Toddlers and grade school kids need calm and quiet periods, too, but they also require a place to be creative. “Children paint every day, and love to show their works on walls and refrigerator doors. We assume, I suppose, that children are just learning motor coordination and alphabets,” comments Thomas Moore in his classic Care of the Soul. “But maybe they are doing something more fundamental: finding forms that reflect what is going on in their souls.” Mimi Doe, publisher of the online magazine SpiritualParenting.com, agrees. “Allow your child’s room to be a safe base for soulful exploration,” she counsels. “Give him a choice in color, fabric, and furniture. Allow her to decorate the door with silver paint, if she so desires, or collage her closet with images she loves, cut from magazines.” “Children are far more concerned with what they can make than with being neat,” observes Katillac. “Like magpie nests, their rooms are typically a collection of favorite things—baubles, souvenirs, picture of their heroes: scientists, superheroes, athletes, musicians and movie stars. They collect stamps, dolls, rocket ships, planetary models, horse statues, records and books. Ant farms and musical instruments sit side-by-side.” Over time, however, all those dinosaurs, pretty rocks and doll clothes
can pile up. More and more stuff can crowd a room and seem chaotic, so a good storage system is a must. Closet systems, bookcases, toy chests, bulletin boards and shelving can help corral kids’ collections and art projects. “Kids like structure, although they would never ask for it, so giving it to them in their room is a real gift,” says Butler. She suggests making an art project space out of a closet or a corner space in the room. “Keep it set up so it encourages art to be happening at any moment.” For example, the door can be removed or closed when not in use. Mount an extra table on the wall to be dropped down as needed, like old ironing boards did. “There are never enough tables,” says Butler, “so find clever ways to create them and teach the kids to clear them while waiting in anticipation of the next project.” Pre-teen From junior high through high school, privacy and respite become crucial for children weathering the turbulent adolescent years. Doe suggests that “If your child wants a cozy, private, snug nest, suspend sheets from the ceiling on all four sides of the child’s bed. Purchase curtain rods from the hardware store that screw into the ceiling; sew tabs on the sheets and hang them up for a low cost, royal canopy bed. If two or more kids share a room, ensure that each has privacy—bookcases or rice paper panels to divide the space is one solution.” Adolescents also need as much freedom as possible to change room colors and posters, arrangement of furnishings and even bedding, in order to reflect their growing individuality. Thus, their room becomes a welcome respite from the peer pressure to be just like everyone else. Judith Fertig is a freelance lifestyle writer in Overland Park, KS; for more, see AlfrescoFoodAndLifestyle.blogspot.com. natural awakenings
March 2010
15
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yoga
Chair Yoga for Physical Challenges and Limitations
with a
view Practice Yoga Overlooking Versluis Lake
by Roselyn Ramthun
W
www.expressionsofgraceyoga.com 5270 Northland Drive NE | Grand Rapids, MI 49525 | 616-361-8580
ithout a doubt, yoga is enjoying a well-deserved surge of interest and popularity in today’s mainstream media, bringing recognition to a practical form of exercise that can not only be practiced for a lifetime, but also in some situations can be adapted for individuals with physical challenges and limitations. For instance Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s patients have been known to realize reductions in symptoms and medications. Seniors have regained the confidence of balance and strength, and wheelchair bound paraplegics have found relaxation, stimulation and renewed life force through a form of “adaptive yoga” that relies on the use of a chair for individuals who are restricted to a wheelchair or for those who can not get down on the floor.
Chair Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis
Chair Yoga makes this ancient form of self-care accessible to anyone by adding the safety of the chair and other props. Most yoga poses are adaptable, including floor poses. By adding a second chair in front of the student, the floor rises up to the level of the student. Many are stunned at how quickly they see and feel the results. Balance and flexibility return and the efforts of the practice continue to bear fruit. Other benefits include stress management, increased ability to concentrate, and pain relief, in addition to help with depression, arthritis, insomnia, asthma and weight management. Anyone can benefit from taking a chair yoga class to keep their practice going in those times when a mat and floor practice may not be possible (like a stressful day at the office, while traveling or recovering from illness or injury).
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Wherever you are sitting right now, notice where your feet are resting. Bring your ankles directly below your knees, feet parallel. Breathe. Inhale deeply and slowly. Exhale all stale air out of the lungs. On the next inhale, press your feet gently into the floor and lift your ribs up and away from your waist, sitting tall. As you exhale, relax your shoulders and let your arms hang at your side. On the next inhale, reach through your fingertips, lengthening your arms toward the floor. Keep breathing as you sit tall, engaging muscles throughout your body by simply pressing your feet down, lifting your torso up and reaching through your fingertips. With a soft gaze, relax your face. According to Karen O’Donnell Clarke, a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher and professional yoga therapist, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997, “the philosophy of Yoga offers a way of living peacefully with what is and a deeper knowing that disease does not define the person.” The author of Yoga for Every Body, Clarke also points out, “the practice of yoga can transform our perceptions of our circumstances and ourselves. Each person who has MS has different symptoms and experiences. The yoga practice must be individualized as well. Just as we are not just this body, yoga is more than a body-focused practice.” Roselyn Ramthun is a certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher, who teaches Chair Yoga at The Studio at Wilcox Family Chiropractic, 933 52nd St. in Kentwood at 11am on Wednesdays. Dress comfortably, wheelchairs welcome. See ad page 17. For more information on Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis, visit Karen O’Donnell Clarke’s website http://yogahealsus.com/gpage.html. natural awakenings
March 2010
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inspiration
Who Inspires You? by Isha Judd
S
ome individuals inspire millions by means of their life’s work; they might be artists, leaders, actors, authors, scientists, geniuses or athletes. Anyone who challenges the limits of human capacity can capture our attention and evoke wonderment in our imagination. They make us feel that the possibilities are endless and that the limits we have placed upon ourselves can be surmounted. The ego tells us, “They’re a better human being than I am.” But the wiser voice of the heart whispers, “I can be that.” This voice is the source of your greatness. I have long honored Nelson Mandela, whose acceptance of reality helped him find internal freedom, even in imprisonment, and consequently help end apartheid and forward world freedom. I esteem Michelle Bachelet, the president of Chile, who is a humanitarian before she is a politician. Her commitment to forwarding the welfare of her people has weathered tough times. Like a mother, Bachelet is warm, but firm; she knows that her citizens, like children, will thank her later for insisting that they do the right thing. I admire Walt Disney’s vision of innocent warmth, inspiring the child in all of us to embrace our common humanity and celebrate life. I cherish Mother Teresa, whose humble, compassionate service spoke a language beyond the barriers of religion and touched the hearts of multitudes. And, true to my undying passion for animals, I cannot leave out Phar Lap, Australia’s four-legged racing legend. 18
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During the Great Depression, this ordinarylooking underdog carried the hearts of a nation, pushing beyond all expectations to win the Melbourne Cup and raise the spirits of millions. My grandmother has been another great source of inspiration in my life. Her courage and unconditional acceptance have helped me to trust myself and my abilities. In recent years, I have been privileged to work with inspiring men and women around the world who are working to elevate the consciousness of humanity. I respect them all. Who inspires you in your life and why? Let those heroes be more than an ideal you look up to; allow them to be a reminder of your own potential. Whatever leading quality you admire in another, you can look for ways to be more of that yourself. You don’t need to commit extraordinary feats to live an extraordinary life, and you don’t need to have the eyes of the world upon your actions to make them valuable. That value is set by you, through your own passionate commitment to individual growth and evolution. Let’s use our heroes to become more, to teach us about our own potential. Let us daily walk by their side toward those ideals we so much admire. Who are your heroes? Isha Judd is an internationally renowned spiritual teacher and author; her latest book and movie, Why Walk When You Can Fly? explain her system for self-love and the expansion of consciousness. Learn more at WhyWalkWhenYouCanFly.com.
naturalpet
DOGGY
BREATH by Dr. Shawn Messonnier
U
p to a stunning 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats over the age of three suffer from bad breath, frequently a sign of oral health problems. One of the most serious offenders is periodontal disease, a deterioration of the gums and bones supporting the teeth. In my veterinary practice, more than 90 percent of the pets I see from ages 1 to 3 years already show early symptoms of this infectious disease, such as yellow brown tartar on tooth surfaces. Some also suffer from gingivitis, or inflammation (reddening) of the gums. If left untreated, the teeth can become loose and may need to be pulled. If a pet already has been diagnosed with periodontal disease, twice yearly dental cleanings, under anesthesia, can keep the problem from escalating. I assure clients that otherwise healthy pets generally have low risks associated with anesthesia. Talking with a holistic vet will ensure the minimal amount of anesthetic needed is used. In addition, a few at-home measures will work to minimize an animal’s bad breath: Try daily brushing. ~ Ask a holistic veterinarian to prescribe a pet toothpaste or gel. Many contain chlorhexidine, an antibacterial agent that helps control odor.
bined program can be 80 percent as effective as daily brushing. Consider herbal supplements. ~ Oregon grape root, rosemary, thyme and parsley work to reduce the oral bacteria that can enter the bloodstream and cause infection of internal organs, if left unchecked. All of these herbs are available in capsule form; a vet should recommend the dosage. Employ chew toys. ~ Chewing helps to dislodge odor-causing tartar and bacteria. Avoid giving pets bones, hooves and rawhide products, which are typically contaminated with chemicals; ingested, these can cause choking or intestinal problems. Again, an enlightened vet can suggest alternatives. The most common Finally, before attempting treatment for periodontal disease, remember that other disease in dogs problems, such as kidney or digestive disease, and cats is can also cause bad breath. A thorough exam by a holistic veterinarian will ensure proper dental disease. diagnosis and treatment. Your pet’s fresh The welcome news is that clinical experience indicates that proper oral health may exbreath could tend the life of a pet by as long as two to five mean longer life years. It’s another exceptionally good reason to and lower veterinary tackle both cat tuna breath and doggie breath.
dental expenses.
Apply a plaque-prevention gel. ~ Prescription products like OraVet and the over-the-counter Pet Gel, made with aloe vera, applied two to three times a week, act to repel bacteria and slow development of dental disease. Adding Oral Hygiene Solution to a pet’s daily drinking water is also an easy preemptive plaque attack technique. A regular com-
Shawn Messonnier, a doctor of veterinary medicine, is a national holistic pet columnist and author of The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats and Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets. His radio show airs weekly on Sirius and XM radio. Find his iPhone app at http://PawsForPeace.com. For more of his informative articles, visit PetCareNaturally.com. natural awakenings
March 2010
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consciouseating
SALT OF THE EARTH
by Dr. Rallie McAllister
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mericans love the taste of salt, and most of us eat far too much of it. On average, we consume 10 grams daily, the amount in two teaspoons, and double the 5 grams per day recommended by the World Health Organization. All of this mindless salt consumption is wreaking havoc with the nation’s health. A recent meta-study published in the British Medical Journal confirmed that high salt intake elevates blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Because it increases the amount of calcium we excrete in our urine, it also tends to weaken bones and make us more vulnerable to osteoporosis, according to research at the University of California, San Francisco. Although table salt contains two elements—sodium and chlorine—it’s the sodium that’s responsible for most of the negative effects, which become worsened by the typically low levels of potassium in many diets. “Sodium and potassium must be balanced for good health. Americans need to increase their potassium as much as they need to decrease their sodium,” advises nutrition specialist Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., a certified nutrition specialist and author of The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer. “Fortunately, fruits, vegetables and whole grains aren’t just low in sodium; they’re also rich in potassium.” We can dramatically curb our salt consumption both by eating more plant foods and limiting processed foods, which account for an average 77 percent of our daily sodium intake. Another 12 percent occurs naturally in meats, grains and produce. Only about 11 percent comes from the salt shakers on our tables. “If we cut back on foods that come out of cans and boxes with bar codes, we’d have more wiggle room with 20
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table salt,” says Bowden. Then, it’s vital to pick our salt wisely.
Tasty Treat When used conservatively and creatively, finishing foods with natural salts can make nutritious eating more enjoyable. According to purveyors of natural salt products, these can deliver 50 or more trace minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium and iodine, all within the bounds of good taste. “Good salt has a tremendous impact on the flavors of various foods,” explains Dave Joachim, author of The Science of Good Food and founder of Chef Salts, a line of premier seasoning blends. “It can intensify some flavors, including sweet and savory, or umami, while diminishing others, such as bitter and tart flavors. That’s why a salt rim on an organic margarita glass works so well—salt suppresses the tartness of the lime and brings out its subtle sweetness.” With a mind-boggling variety of culinary salts available, choosing just the right one can be a challenge. “Each type of salt has unique qualities,” advises Joachim. “Differences in color, flavor, and texture are created by the mineral and moisture content of the salt, the size and shape of the crystals and even the harvesting methods used.” Each also stands in stark contrast to common table salt, which is 99.7 percent sodium chloride that has been heat blasted, stripped of other minerals and chemically treated to re-infuse iodine content. Yes, iodine is essential for good health; it is important for the production of thyroid hormones and critical for pregnant women, observes Jim Roach, a medical doctor and founder of Midway Center for Integrative Medicine in Midway, Kentucky. He reports that as more people shy away from their old salt standby, “Americans are getting less iodine than 30 years ago.”
But another way to meet the body’s basic iodine needs is with natural salt, as well as sea vegetables such as kelp, wakame and nori, the seaweed used for making sushi. While remaining mindful of our overall sodium intake, we can take wide-ranging pleasure in experimenting with many varieties of natural salt.
Salt Varieties Following are seven favorites that turn up time and again. n Black salt or kala namak is a pearly, pink-grey mineral salt from India, characterized by a strong, sulfurous taste. n Celtic sea salt, harvested from the salt flats of Northern France, is marked by a mellow flavor with a hint of sweetness; its crystals may be white, pink or grey. n Fleur de sel, the “flower of salt,” is considered the premier quality grey sea salt, with fine crystals, a crisp texture and a delicate flavor and aroma. n Grey salt, or sel gris, comes from evaporated sea water off the coast of Brittany, France; its unrefined crystals are purple-grey in color and have a fresh, light flavor. n Hawaiian black lava salt comprises a blend of sea salt and volcanic charcoal, prized for its dramatic color and smoky flavor. n Hawaiian red sea salt contains alaea, a volcanic clay that enriches the salt with iron oxide and gives it a distinctive pink color and mellow flavor. n Himalayan salt, a full-flavored salt, has traces of iron that give its crystals a soft pink glow. Once a year, Nepali workers harvest this salt from an ancient fossilized seabed. While savoring salt in sensible quantities, remember that, “We eat with our eyes, too,” says Joachim. “We can appreciate the beautiful crystal structures of the different kinds of s a l t s . Th e y ’r e astonishingly varied—large flakes and tiny grains; pyramids and delicate, flat chips. Like snowflakes, there’s an endless variety.” Rallie McAllister is a medical doctor with master’s degrees in public health and environmental health. She publishes as an author, syndicated columnist and co-founder of MommyMDGuides.com, a free website providing tips from integrative physicians who are also mothers. natural awakenings
March 2010
21
HOMEGROWN
HEROES INSPIRED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE by Linda Sechrist
“I
f not me, who; if not now, when?” may well be the mantra of today’s conscious citizen activists, who feel led by an inner spirit to decisively achieve positive change in their communities. In The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism, pioneering author, scholar and mystic Andrew Harvey inspires readers to become sacred activists and to participate in radically transforming the world. Awakened to our divine purpose, Harvey proposes, we each can become an effective and practical agent of change for social justice and sustainability. He urges us to find the particular focus that ignites our individual passion. In doing so, we will come to understand that, “Service is the road to profound and lasting joy.” Natural Awakenings has met scores of joy-filled travelers throughout our nation who have chosen this actionoriented path, Adam Bucko becoming
“Service is the road to profound and lasting joy.” ~ Andrew Harvey, sacred activist an inspiration to others far beyond those they help. Among them are these five “Homegrown Heroes,” who daily choose to shelter the homeless or abandoned, feed the hungry, advocate for animals and energize the economy. Seeing the world with eyes of compassion, they are making a marked difference.
Adam Bucko, Activist for Homeless Youth During the 1970s and early ’80s, Adam Bucko, co-founder and managing director of The Reciprocity Foundation, lived in Poland under a communist regime that denied its citizens freedom of speech and opportunities for self-actualization. Dissatisfied, Bucko immigrated to the United States at age
17 and, in his quest for a purpose-filled life, spent time in several monasteries here and in Thailand and India. One day, on his way to following a detached life of contemplation and prayer in a monastery in India, Bucko encountered a homeless child who lived on the streets of Delhi. The brief but meaningful interaction became for him a transformational experience. “It made me realize that while meditation left me peaceful, it put me in a sort of spiritual coma,” says Bucko, “and up until then, I was only feeling the edges of my life.” The momentary collapse of an invisible, protective buffer between these two different worlds broke Bucko’s heart wide open. “It allowed me to understand that the pain of others was also my pain, and that my desire for spiritual liberation from the world ultimately prevented me from making true spiritual progress,” he explains. Bucko’s second insight was equally significant: The goal of spiritual work is not just to experience God but also to bring God’s presence into the world, so that we, as well as the world, can be transformed. Today, this former monk is the spiritual driver of the Reciprocity Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit that
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enables homeless and high-risk youth and young adults to permanently exit the social services system and start meaningful, sustainable careers in the creative economy of fashion, design, marketing and public relations. Bucko, who is also a trained sociologist and veteran homeless youth program coordinator, says the foundation aims to build a national network of programs. Expanding from its current base in New York City, he has his sights set on cities such as Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle and Austin, Texas. Contact The Reciprocity Foundation, 100 Church St., Ste. 1604, NY, NY; 347546-2670; ReciprocityFoundation.org.
Karen Day and McCabe Coolidge, Activists for Feeding the Hungry While the recession whittles away at household budgets, Karen Day and McCabe Coolidge work to expand the ancient tradition of gleaning in their Floyd, Virginia community. They explain that in biblical times, the edge of a farmer’s crop was left unharvested to provide food for the poor. Through their Portable Produce project, begun two years ago, overplanted crops, as well as bruised or marked produce that can’t be sold, find new purpose.
McCabe Coolidge
the 100 community volunteers who have eagerly joined the effort, the duo explains their modus operandi in simple terms: “We pay attention to a problem and address it.” That’s evident in Day and McCabe’s initiation of three more local projects underway in the past five years to help feed the hungry of all ages: Healthy Snacks for Hungry Kids, Souper Douper Soup Circles and a local chapter of Empty Bowls, a national initiative. “We’re all about addressing problems when they are small, so that only small, manageable solutions are necessary.” McCabe cites Dorothy Day (18971980), who started a soup kitchen in New York City in the 1930s as his inspiration, as well as Catholic Workers Communities, where he was active in the 1980s. Day’s activism began with an internship at Faithful Fools Street Ministry in San Francisco, inspired and co-founded by Rev. Kay Jorgensen, a Unitarian minister. Contact Portable Produce, Wildfire Pots, Winter Sun-302, S. Locust St., Floyd, VA; 540-357-5657; PlentyLocal.org.
Susan Eirich, Animal-Human Interaction Activist Karen Day
During growing season, the qualifying produce picked and donated by local farmers graciously appears on the doorsteps of Coolidge’s Wildfire Pots pottery studio. There, volunteers separate and deliver it, along with donated freshly baked breads, to individuals and families who are without transportation. Surplus fruits and vegetables are canned or frozen. The project has already doubled in size, now regularly serving 60 recipients. Impressed by the enthusiasm of
Susan Eirich, Ph.D., has been in love with animals for as long as she can remember. Her motivation for rescuing them, however, arrived unexpectedly. First, an unforgettable, scrawny kitten was dropped off at a farm she was renting in Kentucky; then, she made friends with a wolf-hybrid dog that led her to Jean Simpson, a wild-animal trainer who shares her deep connection with animals. Together, the two women established Earthfire Institute, a 40-acre wildlife sanctuary and retreat center on the western slope of Grand Teton National Park, near Driggs, Idaho. “Earthfire was built to expand our sense of connection
with all living beings,” says Eirich, “and to contribute to what we believe is the unfolding story of the transformation in humanity’s relationship to the community of life.” Grounded by her daily interaction with foxes, bears, wolves, lynx, bobcats, cougars, coyotes, buffalo, badgers and other animals cared for at the Institute, Eirich seeks to help her own species share in the indescribable beauty of the human/animal eye-toeye and heart-to-heart connection that she and her small staff experience. A moment-to-moment spiritual practice of communing with nature and listening in the silence for something larger gifts Eirich with an ability to give words to thoughts and ideas that come from a deep inner place. “The directive that comes from the silence within is different and evolves in a way that I wouldn’t plan for if I was only working from the intellect,” she explains. One of the best stories that poign- antly conveys the sacred animal/human interaction experienced at Earthfire involves Thunder, a 17-year-old wolf that laid for several days unconscious in the wildlife garden, beyond the sight of other wolves, ready to slip away to the spirit world. The vet knelt beside Thunder and stroked his fur as he gave a merciful injection. In the second that the once strong and regal wolf died, as his soul passed from his body, all 30 wolves at Earthfire gave up their grieving howl. “The vet was shocked to feel the sound resonate within his body,” recalls Eirich. “Even though Thunder’s pack was nowhere near the garden, they felt his passing and wanted to say goodbye and wish him well on his passage. This
Susan Eirich
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is what it’s like for humans and animals to live in a quiet, meditative space where, undisturbed, we can feel their essence and they can feel ours.” Contact Susan Eirich, Earthfire Institute, P.O. Box 368, Driggs, ID; 208-4560926; EarthfireInstitute.org.
“When the inner joy Mother Teresa spoke of, the joy of compassionate service, is married to a practical and pragmatic drive to transform all existing economic, social and political institutions, a radical and potentially all-transforming holy force is born. This radical holy force I call sacred activism.”
Contact Debbe Magnusen, Project Cuddle, non-crisis 714-432-9681 or info@ProductCuddle.org; crisis hotline 888-628-3353.
thing done, you have to understand how to function inside the political system.” A self-described “half capitalist, half environmentalist,” Von Otnott sells solar products and avidly promotes the renewable energy business via his New Orleans-based South Coast Solar Company. A longtime political activist for clean energy, he has been actively involved with his state’s development of its renewable energy industry. Von Otnott speaks monthly to groups around the state, encouraging his audiences to engage in the political process by demanding that sustainable business practices become the cornerstone of Louisiana public policy. “Citizens must learn to hold their political candidates accountable and let them know that renewable energy is an important industry that can generate the kind of jobs that can’t be exported,” he advises. In the end, he reflects, support for renewable energies supports the betterment of Troy Von Otnott mankind.
Troy Von Otnott, Political Activist for Sustainable Business
Troy Von Otnott, South Coast Solar, LLC, 733 St. Joseph St., New Orleans, LA; 504-529-7869; SouthCoastSolar.com.
~ Andrew Harvey, author and activist
Debbe Magnusen
Debbe Magnusen, Activist for Abandoned Babies Debbe Magnusen felt bereft after hearing about an abandoned baby found suffocated in a trash bag close to her Costa Mesa home in California. As a compassionate woman who had already fostered more than 30 drug-exposed babies while raising two biological children, Magnusen chose to channel her anger and frustration into constructive action. “As a foster mother, I had always hoped that unwanted babies would be brought to me,” she recalls. “But it didn’t occur to me until that moment that no one knew where I was or that I wanted to rescue their newborn.” The insight led her to create a 24/7 crisis hotline in her Orange County living room in 1996. Within 12 hours, she received her first call, from a frantic, frightened woman who had hidden her pregnancy from everyone she knew. To date, Project Cuddle has helped rescue 663 unwanted babies. “No baby deserves to die before having a chance to live,” says Magnusen, who understands the desperation of girls and women who can be in labor while still denying that they are pregnant. This tireless activist imagines herself in the place of every abandoned child and is inspirationally refueled each time she sees a newborn baby crying safely in a hospital. “For me, God is in every 24
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person,” says Magnusen, whose biggest lesson from Project Cuddle, now operating nationally, is the grace to be nonjudgmental. “I’m alive,” she maintains, “so that I can unconditionally love every scared girl or woman [who comes to me] through her ordeal.”
As a child growing up in New Orleans, Troy Von Otnott recalls members of his family embracing politics, interfacing with politicians and working on public policy issues. The lively discussions and debates sparked his curiosity about the political process and eventually led him to visit the halls of power in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Washington, D.C., for a firsthand understanding of how a democracy works. He remarks: “Although we live in a free enterprise society, government still controls how we function in life, particularly from a business standpoint.” In his native city, politics is considered a contact sport, vigorously discussed around dinner tables. “We play for keeps,” explains Von Otnott, “and unlike other larger regional cities, the business community doesn’t run this city, the politicians do. If you want to get any-
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As we begin a new decade, let us see new opportunities to take fresh action on the issues we are most passionate about. With our collective vision and potential, we can go far in meeting today’s challenges and making the type of impact that Robert Kennedy envisioned in 1966: “Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he or she sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. And crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest of walls of oppression and resistance.” Linda Sechrist is a freelance writer and the editor of Natural Awakenings’ flagship magazine in Southwest Florida. Connect via 239-434-9392.
yoga
with a
view
Direct Steps to Becoming a Sacred Activist
Practice Yoga Overlooking Versluis Lake
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS:
1. Write down one thing that has made you feel grateful to be alive today. You will discover that this reminds you of how blessed you are just by being alive in a world full of ordinary wonders. 2. Write down—just off the top of your heart—10 things that are sacred to you. In the act of writing, you will start to be inspired by your deepest values, beliefs and sources of emboldening joy. 3. Think of someone who has hurt or betrayed you, and make a commitment to work on forgiving him or her. Imagine this person in front of you, surrounded by light, happy and well. Pray for this person to realize his or her life’s purpose. 4. Read a short text from any of the world’s spiritual traditions that inspires you with the love-wisdom of the prophets and mystics who know God directly. 5. When the text you have chosen starts to light up your spirit, pray a short prayer that aligns you with the pure deep love that is longing to use you as its instrument in the world. 6.
Make a real commitment to a spiritual practice. If you do not yet have a practice, start now with a simple meditation. Over time, this meditation will awaken you to your own deepest sacred desire to see all beings consciously living in harmony, and to your sacred courage to express this desire in action.
7.
Strengthened by prayer, practice and inspiration, turn now to your life and the people in it. Everyone, especially in a time like ours, has friends who are grieving or ill or looking for a job or in financial difficulty. Commit now to ringing one of them up and asking him or her what you could do to make the burden easier.
8. Make a commitment to skip one meal in the coming 24 hours and send a check for the money you would have spent on it to a reputable organization dealing with world hunger.
Building Your Home Practice March 6 Guided Imagery for Health & Healing March 27
New Session Starts April 5 NeW StUdeNt SPeCIAl:
First 2 weeks Free! Sign up for a 12 week yoga session and receive the first two weeks for free! Come to as many classes as you’d like. This special cannot be combined with any other offer.
Visit our website for class details, upcoming workshops, and more!
9. Make a commitment to keep small change in a pocket so that you can always give something to one of the thousands of homeless on America’s streets. 10.
There are people around you who are suffering. Make a commitment to find out who they are and what they need, and invite six of your friends to make a commitment with you to begin supplying it. In acting like this, you will be helping to animate the heart of your community.
11.
Make a commitment today, even if you are experiencing financial difficulties, to tithe between five and 10 percent of what you earn to a cause of your choice. Over time, tithing will give you a great and healing sense of being useful. The cause you are helping will become increasingly precious and personal to you until you will wish, naturally and simply, to do more.
Source: The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism by Andrew Harvey
5270 Northland Drive NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 616-361-8580
www.expressionsofgraceyoga.com
natural awakenings
March 2010
25
Community Spotlight
Change, For The Raw Heath Hutt Of It by Efrain Sandoval
“W
e really want to promote organic. Because when you buy organic—when you bought that deli item—you just changed the entire world. That means who ever grew those peppers didn’t get sprayed on with chemicals,” so said Erik Johnson, pointing to my taco salad I got from his store’s deli. My taco salad was made with vegan, raw, non-diary, organic (can a natural health enthusiast come up with more superlatives?) products. I was very surprised that it really did taste like a taco salad even without the need of ground beef or the milk-derived sour cream. Johnson and his life partner Polly Wilson are owners of Health Hutt, two branches of which are located in Muskegon and one in Grand Haven. Besides taco salad, there are other raw foods and cooked treats at the deli on the Henry Street location in Muskegon where I had gone to meet Johnson and Wilson. Studying the mélange of raw foods—pizza, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie, coconut haystacks, kale salad—and what they were made of, I was suddenly struck with the reverberation of a comment one of my acquaintance and fellow natural-health-store-goers, Lori Dorgelo, had emailed me: “This store really does cater to the raw foodist with many hard to find raw food amenities.” True, and in fact Health Hutt caters to anyone that is into health food, or to anyone whose doctor-prescribed medications are making them sick because of the side effects and they are looking for an alternative, or to anyone that wants to, as Johnson suggested, change the world. Wilson and Johnson’s health store is highly organized, compartmentalized by products or supplements to cure physical ailments; it has a section for heart issues, one for overweight, one for thyroid problems, an immune-building section, gluten-free products, and so on. Wandering through the store, I noticed Johnson talking to a customer. It must have been close to 20 minutes that he spent talking to this one customer. I noticed too Scott Beacham, the raw food chef that is better known as “Sock,” talking to another customer about the raw food products at the deli area. Wilson and Johnson are jocularly honest and upfront about not having all that together when they first started their venture into natural health, in the business aspect of it, the knowledge of what they were selling, and in their own personal lives. “The hardest part of running a store like this is actually 26
West Michigan Edition
NaturalWestMichigan.com
finding good employees, people that know and understand the importance of the product,” Johnson told me. “As I opened the store, I didn’t know what I was doing. People would come in and they would ask, ‘Do you have anything that is good for blood pressure?’—” Wilson interrupted him with, “And they would shame you into learning.” Wilson and I burst into laughter. “No, I would go to the book and learn it,” he continued. “He would spend hours memorizing the cure to one ailment,” Wilson acknowledged. “I would write down one ailment and learn them one at a time. So the next time customers came in, I had the answer,” he said. The store is in the process of expanding its deli, set to offer even a wider range of deli items as well as soups and smoothies and so on. And there are plans to obtain a specialty liquor license to offer organic wine and beer. A stand-alone hot sauce is also an idea that is beginning to brew. As part of the upgrade, a sitting bar will be placed behind the glass storefront and one at the counter next to the deli. When I was there, a large LSC screen laid on the floor ready to be put up on the wall. It will be used to display the deli menu, which promises to be different from day-to-day. While sitting at the dining area, conducting the interview, my taco salad on the next table, Johnson points out that he too enjoyed a taco salad earlier in the day; he added guacamole, tomato, and hot sauce to it then wrapped all of that into a roll using collard leaves. “I felt great afterwards,” he told me. Unlike raw food, conventional fast food, he notes, makes you feel tired after eating it and there is reason for that. “What percentage of your energy do you think your body uses for digestion?” he asks. I didn’t have an answer for him so he answered his own question. “75% of all the energy your body make goes to digestion if you have a standard American diet, full of meat.” Johnson’s diet is about 70% raw food, a fact I can tell he is not too proud of because he wrinkled his face when I asked him about it, the kind of contorted face one half-consciously does when they feel slightly embarrassed about something. Wilson, on the other hand, says she is 90% raw food. “I was overweight, 220 lbs and a size 22,” a now slender, thin-faced Wilson explains about why she started to change her eating habits. “I was having eye problems, fainting issues, headaches.
I looked up online to see what it was. I was having a two-liter bottle of diet coke everyday. So it was the Aspartame (NutraSweet). I was having aspartame poisoning.” While it does include a variety of things, raw foodism is mostly associated with a raw vegan diet; it is un-cooked, unprocessed, and often organic. It entails a vast array of foods that one not acquainted with raw foodism wouldn’t necessary think of as “raw,” including soups, pasta, brownies, etc. Raw food can be very simple to prepare or it can be richly complex. There’s been some posh restaurants sprouting around in the US and Europe that are devoted to it. Raw foodists claim that their diets provide them with energy, clarity of mind, and an improved mental and emotional state. Health Hutt is doing its part to promote raw food. The Muskegon branch is holding a raw food potluck every third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. Folks can bring their own dish or they are asked to make a $5.00 donation. I asked Johnson how he first got into natural health and the idea of owning a store dedicated to it. He said: “I would go into the health food store mainly to buy junk food and soy milk (he now rejects any notion that soy milk is good for you.)”. Johnson first store was called Natural Health Mart, Inc. in 1997. Years later in 2001 he would take over Health Hutt from the previous owner. Wilson then joined him in 2005. “The only reason I was kept in business is that I had relatives with money (they helped him to the tunes of hundreds of thousands of dollars). I completely wasted all the money that I first got. I bought all the wrong stuff and wasted the money,” Johnson said. “I did the same thing. I owned two health food stores previous to him and I closed them for the same reasons that he did. But I didn’t have rich relatives to bail me out,” Wilson said. Health Hutt is open Monday-Saturday, 9am-8pm and Sundays from 12pm5pm. Visit www.HealthHutt.com for more information. See ad page 15. Efrain Sandoval is a free-lance writer based in West Michigan. Contact at sandoval450@gmail.com.
natural awakenings
March 2010
27
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West Michigan Edition
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A GREEN LIFE STARTS WITH A GREEN HOME. Look for eco-home rehab tips and resources plus other ideas for living more sustainably.
See the April edition of Natural Awakenings. For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call
616-656-9232 natural awakenings
March 2010
29
Community Spotlight D
id you know that olive oil isn’t a health food? Or that animal protein is a powerful cancer promoter? Or that children who consume dairy products are more likely to develop juvenile diabetes? These facts and more are served up by The Wellness Forum to their members as part of their Wellness 101 workshop curriculum, which is a 10-hour series of classes solely dedicated to weeding out the best decisions to make regarding your health. Sue Scharf, who founded the Grand Rapids Wellness Forum 14 years ago, says that the forum’s mission is to empower individuals to take control of their health by providing up-to-date information about how nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices impact health, longevity and the quality of life. “We focus on prevention, which is key,” said Scharf. From learning how to read food labels to finding a type of exercise one likes, members learn the ins and outs of really learning to make healthier habits a permanent part of their lives. “Making lifestyle changes takes time,” said Scharf. “It helps to kind of attach yourself to an organization that will keep you focused on that. The more you hear and the more you like what you’re doing, the more you’re likely to make those changes. “ Membership pricing is $149 for a single member and $199 for a family per year. Benefits include the Wellness 101 program, workshops which teach members how to read food labels, the physiology of nutrition, learn how to make faster and quicker meals that are better than the drive-thru, stress management and the importance of exercise. Cooking classes and health and exercise workshops are also ongoing year-round. “We provide demonstrations of various exercise techniques such as Zumba and Pilates so people can figure out what they like,” said Scharf. The Wellness Forum, which is an international organization that operates in all 50 states and in several other countries, focuses on three main areas: the individual (which includes the Wellness 101 classes, workshops, and cooking demonstrations), the community (which includes organizations and businesses that are trying to improve their employee’s health and to reduce insurance costs), and their foundation (which focuses on children and schools). “Our children are one of the fastest growing sick populations in our country,” said Scharf. “The focus of the foundation is
TheLeavenCenter March 12-14 w “Forgive for Life: A Way of Releasing Resentment,” with Jacki Belile. March 26-28 w “Open Heart, Peaceful Mind: A Yoga Retreat for Rest and Reflection,” with Valerie Brown. For more information or to register: 989/855-2606 or www.leaven.org.
NurturiNg the relatioNship betweeN spirituality aNd social justice. Find us on Facebook!
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Lyons, MI (midway between Lansing and Grand Rapids)
West Michigan Edition
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Sue Scharf schools: instructors, parents and food directors.” The foundation’s Web site, WellnessForumKids.org, states that they offer “support for schools through nutrition and lifestyle programming for students and educators, and works to advise and support those committed to improving nutrition in the schools.” Scharf has learned first-hand that there’s no reason for the average school system to say that they can’t serve healthy food. The information that organizations like The Wellness Forum are disseminating can literally mean life or death for some people. Dr. Neal Barnard, who is the founder of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and a friend and colleague of The Wellness Center, did a study on type 2 diabetes. He found that through changing lifestyle and dietary habits, the disease could be reversed. In the early 80s, Scharf met Dr. Pam Popper, nutritionist, naturopath and Executive Director of The Wellness Forum, while Scharf was researching ways to help her father, who had been diagnosed with bone cancer. “I found weight loss programs everywhere, but none on how to get healthier,” she said. At the time, Popper was in the process of developing the curriculum for The Wellness Forum. With a degree in business and nearly 30 years of experience in marketing and merchandising, Scharf decided that she wanted to share the information with others. “I went through Pam’s program, which required some very rigorous training,” said Scharf. “After that I began visiting doctors offices and teaching their patients.” In 1999, she found the current building on Forest Hill and set up a permanent office. Dining out in Grand Rapids can be a challenge if you’re trying to eat healthy. Though not as progressive in the dining area as other parts of the country, Scharf says that Grand Rapids is on the right path to healthier living. “We’re awakening here in Grand Rapids,” she said. “Although we aren’t as aggressive as even Ohio, there are some great dining options in the city. The Heritage at GRCC, Marie Catrib’s, The Green Well Gastro Pub and Brick Road Pizza Co. have some great vegan and plant-based options. If we can get people to support them, they’ll keep going.” Scharf said that before teaching at The Wellness Forum, she thought she knew what was “good” and “bad”. “Now I’m learning new things all the time,” she said. “I’ve learned so much in the past 14 years. There’s always room to learn, no matter where you are. New research keeps coming out all the time. The best thing to do is to educate yourself.” The Wellness Forum is located at 830 Forest Hill Ave. in Grand Rapids. Call 616-942-7907 or visit wellnessforum.com. See ad page 38. A married mother of two young children, Julie Hurley is a freelance writer with a strong interest in natural living; visit her blog at ourlunchbox.blogspot.com. She is also the Grand Rapids Healthy Food Examiner for Examiner.com. Visit her page at: tinyurl.com/healthyfoodexaminer.
by Sharon Pisacreta
Feng Shui
is based on the belief that a universal energy known as chi can be channeled to bring harmony and balance to our surroundings. Although the Chinese first used it over 3000 years ago, Hollywood studios, Wall Street banks and even Donald Trump have sought the advice of feng shui consultants. Because feng shui clears out negative energy, it is also ideal for cleaning projects. So let’s do a little spring cleaning with feng shui. Front Door: Chi enters through the front door, or whichever door serves as the main entrance to your home. This area should therefore be as attractive and accessible as possible. Prune any shrubbery or branches that hide the door. Plant flowers along both sides of the front walkway to encourage the flow of chi to your home, but clear away weeds and dead vegetation. The door itself should be dusted, and peeling paint removed. Discard the doormat used over the winter, and put a new one in its place. Take care not to slow the energy coming through the entrance. Hang flowering plants and wind chimes off to the side. According to feng shui consultant Richard Webster, wind chimes placed beside the front door will double the amount of chi entering your home. Since a higher level of chi is attracted to the vibrations emanating from crystals, crystal wind chimes are especially desirable. It is important that you remove all clutter around the front door, both inside and out. Clutter blocks energy. If you’re struggling to get around a pile of shoes each time you enter, it indicates you will struggle through life. Clear this area out pronto! Living Room: Feng shui expert Karen Kingston claims that “if your home is dirty, the energy field around your body will be dirty too.” So clean out the dirt - and stagnant energy - beneath furniture, on top of shelves, and behind your TV. Throw away the magazines, newspapers and junk mail scattered on the coffee table. Feng shui recommends not more than one book or magazine should be left lying on a table. Create a feeling of balance by rearranging furniture so the pieces are not placed on just one side of the room. No L-shaped arrangement either; chi prefers to flow along curves, not sharp angles. To further enhance the room’s energy, hang family photos or pictures of water scenes on the walls. If there are dried flowers in your living room, throw them out. Dried flowers represent dying prosperity. Use live potted plants instead, which encourage good chi and help purify the air. After the gloom of winter, it’s now time to let in some light, as well as the positive energy that is drawn to it. Give your body the natural light it needs by replacing regular light bulbs with full-spectrum. Kitchen: According to feng shui, the kitchen is the most important room of the house. Make certain to clean the stove thoroughly: it represents your family’s prosperity. The kitchen should also be as light as possible. If you’re painting the kitchen this spring, choose bright colors. Yellow is particularly recommended. Throw out old dishtowels, sponges and pot holders.
Replace half-filled spices, or spices that have not been used in the past year. After cleaning the refrigerator, fill it with healthy fresh food. In feng shui, a well-stocked refrigerator symbolizes material abundance. Finally buy a new broom and sweep out all the crumbs and dust, along with the stale energy they attract. Bathroom: Don’t forget to throw away expired medications, as well as replacing toothbrushes, toothpaste and soaps. Since the Chinese believe money is flushed away down pipes and drains, it is good feng shui to conceal these whenever possible. Keep the toilet lid down, and the bathroom door closed when not in use. Leaking faucets, cracked tile or unpleasant odors attract negative chi, so address these problems promptly. The best bathroom décor is simple and functional. You want chi to flow in and out of the bathroom quickly and easily. Too many objects block this flow. Clear off the bathroom counter, and place all bottles, jars and brushes in drawers or cabinets. If you’re redoing the room’s color scheme, the best feng shui colors for bathroom walls or towels are blue and green; lighter shades are preferable to dark. Bedroom: The chi that flows through this room is responsible for helping us feel safe and protected. Exercise equipment and computers dissipate the calming energy you need here. Remove clothes, bags or purses that may be hanging from doorknobs. Anything that prevents a door from opening freely also makes it difficult for chi to enter. And clean out your wardrobe. If you haven’t worn it in two years, throw it away or donate it. Try not to store anything under the bed. If that space must be used for storage, only soft objects like bedding or clothing are advised. Because it attracts negative chi, never keep dirty laundry in the bedroom. To help you relax, remove all work-related items, especially from the night table. If a partner shares the bedroom, place objects in pairs: matching lamps, night tables, etc. And photos or mementos of past relationships should not be displayed. Time to let go of the past, and the old energy that lingers with it. Home Office: If your home office is not located in a separate room, use a screen to divide it from the rest of the house. Rearrange the desk so that your desk chair faces the door diagonally, with your back to the wall. In feng shui, this is the power position. Organize paperwork into folders. Clean the computer monitor and keyboard, then clear out electronic clutter by deleting old emails and files. A plant placed beside your computer will help filter electro-magnetic energy, and absorb negative chi. Finally, to prevent the appearance of chaos, secure any exposed cables or wires, tucking them out of sight. The first signs of spring encourage us to pack away snow boots and open the windows. But before rolling up your sleeves to do a little spring cleaning, consider adding feng shui to your routine. You’ll clear the air in more ways than one. Eden Environments sustainable design center will be holding a Feng Shui Workshop on March 13th from 10:00am-1:00pm. You will work with your own home floor plan to enhance harmony and prosperity in your life. Bring a drawing of your home plan. Cost is $65. Sign up via info@EdenEnvironments or call Denise at 616-956-5000. Eden Environments, 5747 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids. See ad page 39. Sharon Pisacreta is a long-time freelance writer who recently followed her bliss to the villages of Saugatuck/ Douglas. She may be contacted at spisacreta@twmi.rr.com. natural awakenings
March 2010
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fitbody by Maggie Spilner
Stair Climbing Fast + Efficient + Age-defying Stair climbing ups the ante of a workout.
W
onderful walks are both relaxing and invigorating, but if you want to kick butt, literally—building strong glutes and thighs; strengthening your core, which helps improve posture and tighten abs; and stepping up to cardiovascular fitness quickly and efficiently—try stair climbing. Wayne Wescott, Ph.D., renowned exercise physiologist, military fitness consultant and author of Get Stronger, Feel Younger, states that climbing stairs is one of the more vigorous cardiovascular workouts you can do. Pushing your whole body weight up vertically burns lots of calories and uses lots of energy quickly. I often advise flatlanders to find some stairs in an office building or stadium and climb them regularly to strengthen their legs and increase their endurance. Although I have a one-story house,
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West Michigan Edition
I have found two stair workouts I like to play with. On one, I walk about two miles on a wooded path by the river to a triple flight of stairs that takes me onto a bridge where I can then double back to my car along shaded city streets. It’s my mini-Mount Everest and it really perks up the entire workout. For a more steady and challenging stair workout, I use a Stairmaster at the gym, the kind with an actual revolving staircase. The trick is to start out slowly and find a pace that you can maintain without gasping for breath. I start at level one and move up to level four, and in five minutes my heart rate is in my target zone of 70 percent of its maximum, a feat I rarely reach when walking on a treadmill. Plus, you don’t have to trudge away at those stairs for 30 minutes. As Wescott points out, it’s better to break up the day’s 30-minute workout into three 10-minute sessions. That’s because the body builds cardiovascular endurance during its recovery mode. Three shorter
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workouts deliver three recovery periods, and the workout is less daunting. Neither of my stair workouts requires me to go down stairs, which can be hard on joints, ligaments and tendons. In an office building, you can climb up the stairs and recover while taking the elevator back down. Then, why not make another ascent? While waiting for the elevator, or any time vigorous exercise has elevated heart rate, be sure to walk around to ease yourself back into recovery mode. When hiking hills, it also helps to use walking poles, which serves to take the weight off of knees when going downhill. Here are more of Wescott’s tips that prove helpful: Wear good running or cross-training or walking shoes for good support. You can save your knee joints from damage by wearing the right shoes. Warm up first. Walk around for a few minutes before starting an ascent or jumping on a machine. Stretch after a workout—not before. Gently stretch quadriceps, calves and hamstrings. Lean slightly forward as you climb. But keep your back straight and your head in alignment. Keep your knees soft. Don’t lock them out as you push up. Try intervals. This is a perfect workout for interval training, which studies like those conducted at The University of Alabama and Southern Connecticut State University show gets one fit faster. Work hard, then back off a bit, then go for it again. This comes naturally with stair climbing, as you tend to get out of breath anyway and need to kick back. Drink up afterwards. This is a challenging workout and you need to rehydrate. Be careful going down. If you must walk
back down stairs, take your time; step down deliberately and carefully and use the handrails to take pressure off your knees. People with arthritis or other painful inflammation of the knee should avoid going down stairs. While I love walking for regular exercise, mentally, it’s easier to tackle some stairs to boost my heart, rather than focus on walking fast, which takes more concentration. Consider the comparative calorie burn: In a 150-pound person, 10 minutes of moderately brisk, 3-miles-per-hour walking burns about 40 calories, while 10 minutes of running up stairs burns 179. Be sure to warm up and cool down for five to 10 minutes before and after any workout. And always check with a physician before undertaking a vigorous activity like stair climbing. Then go out and have some good-hearted fun. Maggie Spilner has been writing about health and fitness for 25 years, including 17 as an editor at Prevention Magazine. Her books include Prevention’s Complete Book of Walking for Health and Walk Your Way Through Menopause. See WalkingForAllSeasons.com for information on Spilner’s walking vacations. Source: Adapted from StopAgingNow.com.
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MONDAY, MARCH 1 EcoTrek-SE Grand Rapids Series Begins- 6:157:30pm. With Bridget Meyers. $12 drop in rate. Sign up online at ecotrekfitness.com or email cari@ ecotrekfitness.com. Caledonia Lakeside Park, 370 Lake Street, Caledonia.
TUESDAY, MARCH 2 Trigger Point & Adrenal Fatigue- 6:15-7:15pm. Bring a partner and learn in this hands on workshop how to decrease pain and stress in your life. Free. Call to register. Courtesy of Parkhurst Chiropractic, 364 Garden St, Holland. 616-392-9500.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3 Guided Meditation and Healing Circle- 7:00-8:00 pm. Escape from stress and discover an inner world of calm, peace & joy through guided meditation, and energy healing from Healing in America-trained healers. $5. Holistic Care Approach, 3368 E. Beltline Ct. NE, Grand Rapids. 269-929-6796.
FRIDAY, MARCH 5 Partner Yoga- 6:30-8:30pm. Partner yoga is a unique practice that can strengthen relationships by fortifying trust, communication, & intimacy. $35/couple ($40 at the door). Class limited to 12 couples. All levels welcome. Call to register. Cascade Yoga Studio 5060 Cascade Rd, Grand Rapids. 616-464-1610.
SATURDAY, MARCH 6 Unique Outdoor Group Workouts- 8:00-9:15am. Celebrating owner Cari Draft’s birthday, special rate $5.00 per person for this session! Sign up online at ecotrekfitness.com or email cari@ecotrekfitness. com. Kirk Park, 2 miles south of Lake Michigan Dr. on Lakeshore Dr, Grand Haven. Weekend Intensive with Gabriel Halpern- 9:30am12:30pm. Alignment as Enlightenment $50: 2:006:00pm, Yoga Therapeutics: Back Care Basics $80 Call to register. Space is limited. Cascade Yoga Studio 5060 Cascade Rd, Grand Rapids. 616-464-1610. Antibacterial World- 10:00am. This class will help you understand how bacteria play an important roll in developing our children’s digestive and immune systems. Taught by Micah McLaughlin Naturopathic Practitioner. Sign up at www.hopscotchstore.com. Hop Scotch children’s store, 963 Cherry St. SE. Grand Rapids. 616-233-4008. Community Health & Wellness Fair- 10:00am3:00pm. Free Event Showcases Preventative, Natural & Sustainable Resources the fourth annual Community Health & Wellness Fair will be held at Genesis United Methodist Church, 1601 Galbraith, Grand Rapids. Raise Your Spiritual IQ 100 Points in 1 hour11:00am-12:30pm. This is a chance to upgrade your bible literacy from religious to spiritual. Using the 1963 unearthed actual words of Jesus (old Aramaic). Facilitated by David Mac Fee is $15 Pre-registration required. 615 Lyon NE, Grand Rapids. 616-929-4204. Building Your Home Practice- 1:30-3:30pm. Find out how to build a home practice that really works for you! Join us for an afternoon of community, asana, inspiration and discussion. Taught by Mimi Ray. $18. Expressions of Grace Yoga, 5270 Northland Dr. NE, Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580.
Get Off The Sugar Rollercoaster with Barbara Badolati- 2:00-4:00pm. Eat healthier, lose weight, stabilze your blood sugar and energy levels with this Free class at The Muskegon Yoga Center, 825 Western Ave. Muskegon. Call 616-638-5625 for more information.
SUNDAY, MARCH 7 EcoTrek-SW Grand Rapids Series- 8:00-9:15am. With Kym Matthews. $12 drop in rate. Sign up online at ecotrekfitness.com or email cari@ecotrekfitness.com. Hager Park, 8134 28th Ave, Jenison. Weekend Intensive with Gabriel Halpern9:30am-1:30pm. Yoga Therapeutics: Shoulders and Necks. Entire weekend including events on March 6th , $175.00. Call to register. Space is limited. Cascade Yoga Studio 5060 Cascade Rd, Grand Rapids. 616-464-1610. Family Open Gym- 7:00-9:00pm. Families are welcome to come and play in the gym during this open time. Members $10, Nonmembers $15 per student. Parents free. Gymco, 2306 Camelot Ridge Court SE, Grand Rapids. 616-956-0586.
TUESDAY, MARCH 9 New Solutions to Managing Fibromyalgia - 6:308:00pm. Depression, Anxiety, Aches All Over? Learn the newest approaches in treating this often misunderstood condition. Free. Call to register. Courtesy of Parkhurst Chiropractic. Howard Miller Community Center, 14 S Church St, Zeeland. 616-392-9500. Clutter Causes Stress- 7:00pm. Learn how to declutter your environment. Mary Dykstra,C.P.O., will give us some advice on how to go about de-cluttering your home or your office.. The Wellness Forum, 830 Forest Hill Ave. Grand Rapids. 616-942-7907.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 Individual Silent Retreat (self-directed) 9:00am-5:00pm on 3/11. Meditatively walk 20 acres of meadows and woods, sit and write beside the Grand River, draw, read, or simply catch up on much needed rest. Make time for yourself the second Wednesday and Thursday of each month. $25-$75. The Leaven Center, Lyons.989-855-2606. Intro to Medicine Drum Class- 6:30-8:00pm, also on 3/24. Focus on deciding which changes we want, how changes will help us grow and how percussive experiences such as drumming and rattling support us in healing our lives. Julie-facilitator. Free Will Offering Appreciated. Pre-registration required. 615 Lyon NE, Grand Rapids. 616-929-4204. Guided Meditation, Prayer and Healing Circle7:00-8:00 pm. Relax to guided meditation, and receive energy healing from local healers while church chaplains pray over your prayer requests. Donation. Unity Church on the Lakeshore, 41 So. Washington, Douglas. 269-857-8226. Earth Institute: Voluntary Simplicity (series) with Dolli Lutes- 7:30pm 3/10-4/14. This course explores the concept of simplicity as a religious practice or a philosophy of life. We will explore how different aspects of our lives-material possessions, work, how we spend our time. Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain Street NE, Grand Rapids. 616-459-8386.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 11 Backyard Forestry Workshop- 6:30-8:00pm. Learn how to select, plant, and care for trees in your own backyard, whether you have room for one tree or ten! Free. Michigan Alternative & Renewable Energy Center (MAREC Building), 200 Viridian Dr, Downtown Muskegon. 231-773-0008.
FRIDAY, MARCH 12 Michigan Horticultural Therapy Association Annual Conference – March 12-13 at MSU - Connecting People and Plants - Everyone Welcome from Professionals to Everyday Gardeners - to learn more and download registration form, visit our website at www.MHTAchapter.org. Three Day Feldenkrais Workshop- March 1214. Judith Dila, certified Feldenkrais practitioner, certified massage therapist and bio-energy worker will lead a weekend Feldenkrais ATM workshop. To register, visit the Song of the Morning website at GoldenLotus.org Song of the Morning Retreat located at 9607 Sturgeon Valley Road, Vanderbilt. West Michigan Women’s Expo- Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-8pm & Sun 11am-5pm. Fun, Fashion, Fitness and Friends! A shopper’s delight! Over 400 exhibits and seminars tailored to women and their families. Visit kohlerexpo.com for $1 off coupons, seminar schedule and more. DeVos Place, 303 Monroe NW, Grand Rapids. Spring Bridal Show of West Michigan- March 12-14. Say “I Do”! Talk face-to-face with the area’s leading bridal businesses. More information at kohlerexpo.com and your engaged couples wedding planning connection GRBrides.com. Tickets: $8. DeVos Place-downtown Grand Rapids. Couples Yoga- 7:00-9:00pm. $40/couple. This practice is for everyone, no yoga experience necessary, only a willingness to play and be joyful. Experience a new way to connect, communicate and develop trust. $40/couple. Visit MuskegonYoga. com or call 231-668-4181 to register. Forgive For Life: The Way of Releasing Resentment - 7:00pm-1:00pm on 3/14. Are you on a justice journey? Do you seek to experience and offer healing of past and present wounds? Join others seeking the spiritual freedom that only forgiveness can bring. $190. The Leaven Center, Lyons.989-855-2606. Loom- 7:00pm. Chicago based modern jazz ensemble. Art Opening by Erick Pichardo. Bethlehem Church Sanctuary,250 Commerce S.W. Grand Rapids.
SATURDAY, MARCH 13 Workshop for women - Growing Older...Becoming Wiser- 9:30am-12:30pm. The workshop
explores the possibilities for the third stage of life... the time we reap the wisdom within. $15 each or 2 for $25. For registration or info, contact Irene at reniewalker@att.net. Briarlane Apts. Community Bldg, 450 Briar Lane NE. Grand Rapids. 616285-7995. Babywearing- 10:00am. What is baby wearing and why should you do it? We’ll answer these questions and let you try it out for yourself. Wearing your baby is incredibly helpful in integrating your baby into your daily life. Sign up at www.hopscotchstore. com. Hop Scotch children’s store, 963 Cherry St. SE. Grand Rapids. 616-233-4008. Feng Shui Workshop- 10:00am-1:00pm. You will work with your own home floor plan to enhance harmony and prosperity in your life. Bring a drawing of your home plan. $65. Sign up via info@ EdenEnvironments or call Eden Environments sustainable design center at 5747 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids. 616-956-5000. Naturopathic School of Ann Arbor–Open House – 11:00am-1:00pm. Meet students/staff while program is in a live session. Call to RSVP. NaturopathicSchoolofAnnArbor.net. 734-769-7794. Spiritual Healing- 2:00-4:00pm. Nancy O’Donohue will explain Spiritual Healing as taught by England’s National Federation of Spiritual Healers, the largest healing organization in Europe, now teaching in Michigan. Free Will Offerings appreciated. 615 Lyon N.E. Grand Rapids.
SUNDAY, MARCH 14 Eckankar Worship Service- 10:00-11:00am. Making this lifetime Count, second Sunday each month, Motel 6 Meeting Room, US 131 at 76th St, Grand Rapids. 616-752-8460. Extended Grace Interfaith/Mystic Community Gathering- 1:00pm and Potluck at 1:30pm. Integral Worship embracing the God beyond, between and within. Extended Grace, 233 Washington, Suite 208, Grand Haven. 616-502-2078.
MONDAY, MARCH 15 MomsBloom Volunteer Training- 6:30pm. Do you enjoy working with families and babies? MomsBloom trains volunteers to help out families who have just had a baby. Good postpartum support can get families off to a healthy start! Free. Contact Angie, Grand Rapids Women’s Health Center, 555 Mid Towne NE, Grand Rapids. 616-447-9788.
TUESDAY, MARCH 16 Movie Night- with Popcorn the Nourishing Traditions Way with Paul Keiser. Contact Gil at Nourishing Ways of West Michigan. Grand Rapids. 616-309-9147.
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Cleansing & Weight Loss Workshop- 6:30pm. Loving your body. Take the time to cleanse…feel better and lose unwanted weight. A light dinner served afterwards. Call to RSVP 616-575-9105. Great Lakes Family Chiropractic, 3138 Broadmoor Ave SE, Kentwood. CranioSacral Study Group- 7:00-9:00 pm. Prerequisite: Upledger CSTI. Facilitated by Ellen Costantino. $5. Contact Jamilah, jjfmassage@yahoo. com. Holistic Care Approach 3368 Beltline Ct. NE Grand Rapids. 616-340-0543. Stretching - 7:00-8:00pm. Learn how simple stretching routines can relieve stress; improve heart health, balance, flexibility and strength. Call to register. Free. Courtesy of Parkhurst Chiropractic. Ultimate Fitness, 91 Douglas Ave Ste 140, Holland. 616-392-9500.
FRIDAY, MARCH 19 Dare to Discover Women’s Wellness Weekend Retreat- Mar.19-20 with Barbara Badolati at Maranatha Retreat Center, Norton Shores. Enjoy creative activities that will ignite your passion to discover what is possible for yourself, spa treatments and spend time in peaceful surroundings. Several retreat packages are available. Visit BeWellRetreats.com for more information.
SATURDAY, MARCH 20 EcoTrek-Happy One Year Series Birthday- 8:009:15am. N. Muskegon Series with Lori McCollum. Special $1/person rate. Sign up online at ecotrekfitness.com or email cari@ecotrekfitness.com. Beachwood Park, Beach St. at Resort St, Muskegon (sledding area, park by the playground). Quantum Touch Video Workshop- 9:00am-5:00pm. March 20 & 21. Cost is $90. Certificate included. Class size is limited. Reiki Haus, 77 Birchwood Ave, Holland. reikihaus@att.net. 616-283-6339 Cloth Diapering 101- 10:00-11:00am. Lots of people are returning to cloth diapers as a way to save money and reduce waste and reduce babies exposure to toxins. Cloth diapering today is easy! Sign up at www. hopscotchstore.com. Hop Scotch children’s store, 963 Cherry St. SE. Grand Rapids. 616-233-4008. Yoga for Gardners- 10:30am-12:30pm. Yoga provides the tools to prepare the body for gardening by promoting strength, flexibility and the ability to release tension. Open to all levels of students. $25. Yoga Studio, 955 Cherry SE, Grand Rapids. 616-776-0836. Awaken the Healer in You – 1:00-5:00 pm. This introduction to energy healing as taught by England’s renowned National Federation of Spiritual Healers will teach you energy healing tools you will be able to use immediately to invoke remarkable changes in your life. Taught by licensed trainer Nancy O’Donohue. $40. Holistic Care Approach, 3368 E. Beltline Ct. NE, Grand Rapids. 269-929-6796.
SUNDAY, MARCH 21 The Formation of Self and Spirit with Frank Conner- 9:45am. Participants will actively draw upon the tradition wisdom of poets, storytellers and artists so that the inner voice of authenticity and integrity might be heard. Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain Street NE, Grand Rapids. 616-459-8386.
TUESDAY, MARCH 23 Reiki Share Group- 5:30-7:30pm. A gathering for all those trained in Reiki to share questions, experiences and Reiki. Donations if you can Jan Atwood, LLC, Reiki Master / Teacher, 801 Broadway Ave, NW, Suite 436, Grand Rapids. 616-915-4144. Detoxification Workshop- 6:00pm. This free workshop will provide information how to reduce toxins and lose weight through nutritional counseling. Call to register. Sponsored by The Foundation for Wellness Professionals, 4150 East Beltline Suite #4. Grand Rapids. 616-447-9888. Spinal Decompression Open House - 6:00-7:00pm. Learn about Spinal Decompression and how this treatment can alleviate pain in your life. Call to register. Free seminar courtesy of Parkhurst Chiropractic, 364 Garden St, Holland. 888-567-3391. Movie night--A Delicate Balance- 7:00pm. This award-winning film presents solutions to global warming and the health crisis. A must for anyone who cares for the survival of the planet, our fellow human beings, and all creatures great and small. The Wellness Forum, 830 Forest Hill Ave. Grand Rapids. 616-942-7907. Spiritual Wellness– 7:00-8:30pm. Every 4th Tuesday. A new start to the year with Coptic Minster Denise Iwaniw’s latest year long workshop, “Spiritual Wellness”. Denise brings an evening of spiritual well being and food for the soul covering a various topics each month. $15. The Coptic Center 0-381 Lake Michigan Dr NW, Grand Rapids. 616-531-1339.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24 MomsBloom Infant Massage Class- 6:307:30pm. Two Day Class- 3/24 & 3/31. Infant massage plays a significant role in growth & development. Helps promote better sleeping, relieves discomfort from colic, teething & distress. Taught by a Certified Infant Massage Instructor. $45/ family-includes oil & instructional manual. Call to register. Baby Beloved Inc, 555 Mid Towne NE, Grand Rapids. 616-828-1021.
THURSDAY, MARCH 25 Backyard Forestry Workshop- 6:30- 8:00pm. Learn how to select, plant, and care for trees in your own backyard, whether you have room for one tree or ten! Free. Whitehall City Hall (Garden Room), 405 E Colby St, Whitehall. 231-773-0008.
Healthy3 Weight Loss Seminar- 7:00pm. Free to anyone looking to begin on their journey to a healthy weight. It will include the top 5 weight loss myths and the 3 steps to weight control success. Register by e-mail or phone. Heather David, HHP, CPT. Shoreline Natural Wellness 231-750-2525. heather@shorelinenaturalwellness.com
FRIDAY, MARCH 26 Fire of Transformation Practice- 6:30-8:30pm. This challenging practice is for experienced Anusara yoga students. Taught by Mimi Ray. $18. Expressions of Grace Yoga, 5270 Northland Dr. NE, Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580. Open Heart, Peaceful Mind: A Yoga Retreat for Rest and Reflection - 7:00pm-1:00pm on 3/28. Gentle Kundalini yoga will help you develop mindfulness of the body and support healing. There will be opportunities to journal, explore your creativity, share laughter, and rest deeply. Through these experiences, reclaim your true spirit, restore balance in your life, and nurture awareness of the many gifts of the present moment. $190. The Leaven Center, Lyons.989-855-2606. Restorative Yoga Workshop – 7:30-9:00pm. Enjoy the opportunity to come into balance through a restorative yoga practice. Allow yourself to release muscular tension as well as emotional and mental stress. Preregister to save your spot. Limited to 8 participants. $20. sevayoga.net. Seva Yoga Studio, 2213 Wealthy Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541.
Yoga for Golfers with Peter Violino- 2:00-4:00pm. Get ready for the links! Improve your flexibility and focus. Yoga can help you improve and enjoy your game. $35. Visit MuskegonYoga.com or call 231-668-4181 for more information or to register. Super Hero Training- 6:30-9:30pm. Kids will swing and soar as they train to be the next super hero. Members $20, Nonmembers $25. Gymco, 2306 Camelot Ridge Court SE, Grand Rapids. 616-956-0586.
TUESDAY, MARCH 30 Noon & Nibbles Luncheon Open House – 11:30am-1:00pm. Zeeland Chamber luncheon hosted by Parkhurst Chiropractic & Lakeshore Wellness, 364 Garden St, Holland. 888-567-3391. Natural Solutions to Headaches- 6:00pm. This free community workshop will provide information and natural solutions to headaches. Call to register. Sponsored by The Foundation for Wellness Professionals, 4150 East Beltline Suite #4. Grand Rapids. 616-447-9888
FRIDAY, APRIL 2 EcoTrek-Special Good Friday Session- 8:009:15am. N. Muskegon Series with Lori McCollum. $12 Drop in rate. Sign up online at ecotrekfitness.com or email cari@ecotrekfitness.com. Pere Marquette Park -Beach St., & Lakeshore Dr., (park West of Margaret Drake-Elliot Park, by the boardwalk/channel).
SATURDAY, MARCH 27 Herbal Studies Programs- Gaia Center for Herbal Studies programs begin March 27 with Seven Saturdays (certification option), special workshops, Farmers Market and more. Visit GaiaHerbalStudies. net. Gaia Center for Herbal Studies, PO Box 3599, Ann Arbor. 734-769-7794 Holistic Fair- 11:00am-4:00pm. Showcasing the business members of NSC. Products and services that enrich mind, body and spirit. Booths also available for non-members. Free admission. Call for information. Natures Spiritual Connection, 615 Lyon NE, Grand Rapids. 616-929-4204 Guided Imagery for Health & Healing- 1:303:30pm. Come and enjoy the deep releasing, healing and relaxing benefits of guided imagery. Taught by Susan Duesbery. expressionsofgraceyoga.com. $30. Expressions of Grace Yoga, 5270 Northland Dr. NE, Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580 Green Kids in a Colorful World- 2:00- 3:00pm & 3:15-4:15pm. Abrakadoodle will help you create a garden of flowers using recycled water bottles and a centuries old printmaking technique. Eden Environments sustainable design center at 5747 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids. $10. Sign up at info@EdenEnvironments.com or call 616-956-5000.
Mary a. delange C.C.T. C.M.T. Colon HydroTHerapy Some Benefits of Colon Therapy are: • Remove toxic waste from ones body • Eradicate constipation • Removes stomach bloat • Increases ones energy also offering Therapeutic Massage
The journey of discovery begins not with new vistas but with having new eyes with which to behold them. ~Marcel Proust
Women’s Spring ReNewal Retreat for Women with Barb Badolati Fri & Sat, March 19, 20 Maranatha Resort Muskegon Michigan To Contact 616 638 5625 www.BeWellRetreats.com
P: 616.456.5033 E: mary@harmonynhealth.net www.harmonynhealth.net
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ongoingevents Note: Visit www.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.
Sunday
Monday
Awakening – 9:00-9:45am. Chanting, to meditation, and beyond. Free. Christ Community Church, 225 E. Exchange, Spring Lake. 616-842-1985. Christ Community Church – 10:00am. Gathering service with traditional and contemporary music and progressive message encouraging all to expand their consciousness. Childcare available. 225 E. Exchange, Spring Lake. 616-842-1985. Unity Church of Peace Sunday Service– 10:00am. Presenting uplifting and vibrant spiritual messages in warm and accepting atmosphere. Your ministry grades 1-12 & nursery. Office@Unity-ChurchofPeace.org. Unity Church of Peace, 6025 Ada Dr, Ada. 616-682-7812. Mindfulness Meditation & Dharma Discussion- 4:30-5:00pm.Discussion. Based on the writings of a Buddhist teacher. Meditation5:00-6:00pm. Two 20min periods of sitting & 10min of walking. Free-Donations accepted. The Yoga Studio, 955 Cherry SE, Grand Rapids. 616-776-0836. Vinyasa Class- 5:30-7:00pm. Vinyasa means breath synchronized movement and the root of this practice is Ashtanga yoga. Physically challenging practice and prior experience is recommended. $12 walk-in. Cascade Yoga Studio 5060 Cascade Rd, Grand Rapids. 616-464-1610 The Coptic Center Sunday Series – 6:00pm. An ongoing series of inspirational speakers, centering and the piano music of Karen Lauck as we explore Universal Truths. TheCopticCenter.org. Love Offering. The Coptic Center, 0-381 Lake Michigan Dr NW, Grand Rapids. 616-531-1339.
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50% Off BioMeridian Assessments- Stateof-the-art profiling and tracking of all 58 meridians in the body with take-home color coded charts to assess health progress. Call for an appointment. Grand Rapids. 616-365-9176. Yoga-Beginning – 9:00am. This is where you start. Learn the basic poses, strengthen, breath awareness and relax. Focus on awareness and strengthening the core. Modifications made for those with limitations. For more information visit SmilingLotusYoga.com or call Smiling Lotus Yoga, 103 E. Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-852-0849. Intermediate Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 6:15-7:30pm. Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662. Laughter Yoga with Coptic Teacher Cheryl Oliver- 6:30pm. Learn to “laugh for no reason” and get a great work out too. Wear comfortable clothing & bring a mat or pillow for optional floor exercises. Love Offering. TheCopticCenter.org. 0-381 Lake Michigan Dr NW, Grand Rapids. 616-531-1339.
Tuesday Gentle Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 7:45-9:00am & 9:15-10:30am Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662.
Wednesday 50% Off BioMeridian Assessments- Stateof-the-art profiling and tracking of all 58 meridians in the body with take-home color coded
NaturalWestMichigan.com
charts to assess health progress. Call for an appointment. Grand Rapids. 616-365-9176. Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Class- 6:00-7:00pm. Reconnect with your ability to move, regardless of age. Visit BodyWorkbyJudith.com. Ludington Area Center for the Arts, 107 S. Harrison Street, Ludington. 231-510-5800. Book Discussion-The Shack by William Paul Young- 7:00-8:30pm. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant THE SHACK wrestles with the timeless question: Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? A love offering is suggested but not required. Excludes 3/17. Unity Church of Peace, 6025 Ada Dr. SE, Ada. General Anxiety Support Group – 7:008:30pm. General Anxiety Support Group is open to individuals who have any kind of anxiety problem as well as their friends & family members. Anxiety Resource Center, 312 Grandville Ave, Grand Rapids. 616-356-1614. Shambala Meditation Group– 7:30pm. Sitting and Walking meditation in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Free. Beginners welcome. Instruction provided. Sacred Space, 58 E.Beltline, Grand Rapids. 616-452-2115.
Thursday Green Drinks GR Network – 5:00-7:00pm. 3rd Thursday. Join other environmental enthusiasts for casual networking and drinks. For more Info visit GreenDrinksGR.org contact WMEAC at 616-451-3051. Grand Rapids. Advanced Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 6:15-7:30pm. Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662.
Friday Yoga-Intermediate – 9:00am. Learn the basics. Holding poses longer and moving deeper into your practice and awareness of the core. Gentle back bends, inversions and arm balancing introduced. For more information visit SmilingLotusYoga.com or call Smiling Lotus Yoga, 103 E. Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-852-0849.
Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Class- 9:30-10:30am. In ATM lessons, students engage in precisely structured movement explorations that involve thinking, sensing, moving and imagining. $40/5 week series. Contact Body Work by Judith, 121 E Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-510-5800.
Saturday Sweetwater Local Foods Market - Winter Hours: Saturdays from 9am-1pm. We will be open every other Saturday from January till May beginning 1/9/10. Indoors at Hackley Health at the Lakes, Harvey St. 1/2 Mile South of Lakes Mall. Exit US 31 at Pontaluna Rd. Muskegon. Gentle Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 9:00-10:15am & 10:30-11:45am Dropins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662. Donation Yoga – 10:00am. Class is taught on donation-basis, meaning “the act of giving.” At the end of class, an urn is provided for your donation, suggested at $12. Seva Yoga Studio, 2213 Wealthy Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541. Community Pilates Class- 10:45am11:45am. Pilates mat work class. Beginner to intermediate levels. Bring your own mat and call to reserve a spot. Carolina@bodymindpilates.net. BodyMind Pilates Studio, 6504 28th. St. SE, Ste. H. Grand Rapids. 616-516-6832.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead
thenaturaldirectory ...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 www. NaturalWestMichigan.com/advertising.
ACUPUNCTURE
CHIROPRACTIC CARE
SAMIR RAJANI, MD
DYNAMIC FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC
Medical Acupuncturist mmpc Internal Medicine 890 S. Washington, Ste. 130 Holland: 616-396-1907 www.mmpc.com Medical acupuncture can be an effective treatment for many chronic conditions, including pain, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Samir Rajani, MD is certified in medical acupuncture and practices at mmpc Internal Medicine.
ALTERNATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONER
COLON HYDROTHERAPY HARMONY ‘N HEALTH Mary De Lange, CCT., CMT. 1003 Maryland Av., N.E. Grand Rapids 616-456-5033 www.harmonynhealth.net
OUT of the BLUE inc. Nancy Despres RN, MBE 351 Cummings NW Grand Rapids, MI 49534 616-453-4215 www.OutofTheBlueInc.net
Out of the Blue help others find alternative ways for achieving optimal health through the use of homeopathy, enzyme therapy, nutritional supplements and hair mineral analysis.
Certified therapist since 1991 offering colon therapy in a sterile and professional environment. Using a holistic approach colonics relieve constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloat, poor digestion, back pain, body odor and more. See ad page 35.
THE BODY CENTER-HOLLAND
BODYWORK
Marcella Clark, CMMT, CCHT Kristy Hardinge, CCHT, I-ACT member 650 Riley Street , Ste A Holland, MI 49424 616-834-2596
WHOLISTIC KINESIOLOGY HEALTH SERVICES, LLC Barbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT 616-581-3885 www.WKHealthServices.com
Certified Massage Therapist offering Therapeutic & LaStone Massage. Certified Wholistic Kinesiologist, Reconnection Healing Practitioner, Certified Herbalist, Certified Acutonics Practitioner, Certified Reflexologist, and a Certified Matrix Energetics Practioner. See ad, page 15.
Gentle, effective and professional colon cleansing designed to drop toxin levels and improve nutrient absorption. Get relief from bloating and constipation, fatigue and arthritis pain. Warm, secure environment. www.TheBodyCenter.us. See ad page 21.
TRICIA E. GOSLING Holistic Care Approach 3368 Beltline Ct NE 616-481-9074
BOOKSTORE INDIGO’S AND MYSTIC’S BOOK EXCHANGE & MORE
Dr. Ronson Dykstra & Dr. Ronda VanderWall 4072 Chicago Drive, Grandville 616-531-6050 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.
4485 Plainfield Ave, NE, Grand Rapids 616-447-8298 www.Iambemore.com Featuring used books and new books based on personal growth, spirituality, music, handcrafted book accessories and other gift items. There are also book groups, classes & seminars held monthly. See ad pages 11.
Offering an advanced client-centered dimension of colonics: gentle, safe and effective. Eliminate toxins and enhance well-being. 16 years of experience. Also offering Quantum Biofeedback sessions.
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COUNSELING
ENERGY HEALING AMA DEUS®
DAN ELLINGER, MA, LLP
supervised by Psy. D. Mark Mahacek Healing Ground Wellness Center 857 Summit, Muskegon, MI. 49441 231-755-3832 Stress Management, Neuro Emotional Technique (N.E.T.) practitioner helping to identify & let go of ‘stuck’ emotional patterns. 30 years of counseling experience, a holistic health care approach & setting. Affordable & confidential.
HOLISTIC COUNSELING SERVICES Deborah Jandle, L.M.S.W 346 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids 616-862-3296 www.DeborahJandle.com
Providing services that emphasize balance in mind, body and spirit in order to improve problems related to mental health, family issues or addictions. Insurance accepted, including Priority Health.
JANICE DE LANGE, PH.D
1514 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids 616-451-3008 JDelange06@yahoo.com www.JaniceDeLange.com A mind-body-spirit approach for trauma and abuse recovery, PTSD, low sense of self-worth, panic & phobias, anxiety, depression, relationships. EMDR & Energy interventions. The Body Center 650 Riley Street, Ste A Holland, MI 49424 616-836-1819 www.LearnToStressLess.com Licensed clinical master social worker specializing in stress management. Workshops are offered at “Learn To Stress Less”, on site at the Body Center Studio. Workshops focus on learning about and experiencing modalities that create relaxation and relieve stress. See ad page 21.
DENTISTRY / HOLISTIC DENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER
Dr. Kevin P. Flood DDS 4990 Cascade Rd SE, Grand Rapids 616-974-4990 www.FloodTheDentist.com Comprehensive Holistic Dental Services – Amalgam Removal & Replacement. Bio-Compatible, metal-free materials, LowDose Digital X-Rays, Gentle Anesthesia. See ad page 40.
West Michigan Edition
BARBARA ZIELINSKI, INTERFAITH PRACTITIONER
233 Washington, Suite 208, Grand Haven 616-502-2078 www.barbarazielinski.vepweb.com Ordained Minister, NADA Certified Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist and Reiki Master. Cultivating healing and balance through Auricular Acupuncture for Addictions, Reiki, Integral Workshops/Coaching, Spiritual Care/Counseling, Life Passage Rituals/Ceremonies.
MATRIX ENERGETICS
Barbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT 616-581-3885 www.WKHealthServices.com Matrix Energetics is a system used to heal, transform and create new possibilities in your life. Using principles of quantum physics and subtle energy Matrix Energetics helps you to shift into a more balanced state. See ad page 15.
ESSENTIAL OILS BE YOUNG ESSENTIAL OILS
PRISCILLA SANDERS
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Beth Cosmos Grand Rapids: 616-648-3354 www.Ama-Deusenergy.com Ama Deus healing energy method is a hand mediated technique aligned with love. The energy helps to enhance one’s own and others growth and awareness or physical and emotional healing. See ad page 27.
Clara Vander Zouwen 616-698-6148 www.NaturalHealth4Today.com Offering Be Young therapeutic essential oils, MASAJI whole food drink, Organic meal replacement shakes, Mineral make-up. Services: Ionic detoxing foot baths, Physical and Emotional balancing, biofeedback readings. See ad page 9.
HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER THE WELLNESS FORUM
Sue Scharf, Director 830 Forest Hill Ave., Grand Rapids 616-942-7907 www.WellnessForum.com An international organization committed to health and wellness through education. Learn to make a healthy lifestyle easier through classes, workshops and cooking demos.
NaturalWestMichigan.com
HEALTH FOOD STORES AFFORDABLE NUTRITION
Joel D. Manning, CNC®, Owner 7493 Cottonwood Drive, Jenison 616-667-1346 Certified Nutritional Consultant – member AANC, MI-CNHP, NPA. Nutritional counseling, weight loss, sports nutrition, senior discounts. Available for seminars/lectures. Select high quality vitamins and supplements.
HEALTH HUTT
Grand Haven - 616-846-3026 Muskegon - 231-739-1568 North Muskegon - 231-744-0852 www.HealthHutt.net Natural & organic foods, vitamins & herbs, sports nutrition, gluten free foods, books, natural body care and more. Open 7 days a week. See ad, page 15.
NATURE’S MARKET
1013 S. Washington, Holland 616-394-5250 www.NaturesMarketHolland.com Full service natural food store with all natural/organic deli. Offering organic and natural groceries. Gluten-free products. Organic and local produce. Supplements and natural body care products. See ad, page 12.
UTOPIAN MARKETPLACE 8832 Water St., Montague 231-894-9530 www.UtopianMarketplace.com
Our friendly, knowledgeable staff provides a personalized shopping experience. We have a large selection of gluten-free foods, clothing, jewelry, herbs, supplements, local foods, gifts and more. Open Mic events every month. See ad, page 32.
HOLISTIC HEALTH CENTERS THE HEALING CENTER
352 S. Lincoln Ave, Lakeview 989-352-6500 www.TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com Naturopathic / Holistic Practitioners. Licensed Physician Assistant, Certified Natural Health Professionals. Private consultations. Counseling & Classes. Blood typing, acupressure, emotional release, iridology, homeopathy and more. See ad, page 8.
HOMEOPATHY BOB HUTTINGA
352 S. Lincoln Ave, Lakeview 989-352-6500 www.TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com A Physician assistant since 1976, specializing in naturopathic and homeopathic care. Also, certified Silva Method instructor. See ad, page 8.
KINESIOLOGY WHOLISTIC KINESIOLOGY HEALTH SERVICES, LLC Barbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT 616-581-3885 www.WKHealthServices.com
Certified Wholistic Kinesiologist, Certified Massage Therapist, Reconnection Healing Practitioner, Certified Herbalist, Certified Acutonics Practitioner, Certified Reflexologist, and a Certified Matrix Energetics Practioner. Specializing in muscle testing, massage, energy medicine, nutritional counseling, lectures and classes. See ad page 15.
MASSAGE THE BODY CENTER-HOLLAND
The Team 650 Riley Street, Ste A Holland, MI 49424 616-834-2596 Our Massage Team offers several techniques and modalities. From Ahh-Shiatsu, a firm Sports Massage, Lymphatic Drainage, Detox, Hot Stone, Rossiter-Joint Mobility, Reiki Healing, to using Oils and Aromatherapy to nurture. See ad page 28.
MIDWIFERY
RETREAT CENTER THE LEAVEN CENTER
BIRTH SONG MIDWIFERY SERVICES
Yolanda Visser CM, CPM Grand Rapids 616-458-8144 www.BirthSongGR.com Homebirth services since 1982. Committed to facilitating natural birth, bonding, strengthening the family, informed active participation, and lending dignity to women through their birthing experience.
FULL CIRCLE MIDWIFERY SERVICE, INC.
SKIN CARE
Patrice Bobier CM, CPM Hesperia - 231-861-2234 www.FullCircleMidwifery.com In private practice since 1982 - specializing in homebirth. Over 1200 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.
HOME BIRTH PARTNERS, LLC
Susan Wente, CNM, Dr. PH 231-652-3247 www.HomeBirthworks.com This regions only Certified Nurse Midwife with 28 years experience – over 3000 births attended. Providing pre-natal, home birth and postpartum care. Gynecological and Doula services available.
REIKI REIKI HAUS
Lyons, Michigan 989-855-2606 www.leaven.org A place of beauty on the banks of the Grand River where you can find rest and nourishment for your body and spirit. Offering workshops, retreats, and rental space year-round. See ad page 30.
Paula Bojsen Holland: 616-392-1138 www.ReikiHaus.com Offering quality Reiki classes & treatments at affordable prices. Certified Usui Reiki Master Teacher & Gendai Reiki Shihan. All levels, Reiki Master classes and Gendai Reiki Gokukaiden. Learn pure Japanese Reiki.
TRACY’S FACES DAY SPA HOLISTIC SKIN CARE
7610 Cottonwood Dr., Ste 107 Jenison, MI 49428 616-667-9690 or 616-204-3402 www.TracysFaces.com Tracy’s Faces Day Spa offers a holistic relaxing experience with natural products for skin care & hair removal from head to toe. We offer Dermalogica & Elina Elite product lines. See ad page 28.
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CENTER EDEN ENVIRONMENTS
Denise Hopkins, AIA, LEED AP 5747 28th St. SE Grand Rapids 616-956-5000 www.EdenEnvironments.com Enrich your home and work environment with beautiful, healthy, sustainable design and products. Architecture, interior and landscape design, flooring, paint, cabinets, counters, furniture, accessories. Styled by nature, designed to nurture.
natural awakenings
March 2010
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West Michigan Edition
NaturalWestMichigan.com