Natural Awakenings Southeast Texas December 2015

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

H E A L T H Y

feel good • live simply • laugh more

P L A N E T

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Festive Awakening Eat, Bark Vegan Treats to Spirit and Be Merry No Sugar, No Bake, No Guilt

Prayer and Meditation Heal and Free Us

Special Holiday Pet Recipies

December 2015 | Southeast Texas Edition | NA-SETexas.com

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CHIROPRACTOR CONFESSION:

P

“I’ve Never Healed Anyone of Anything.”

eople come to me with their headaches, migraines, chronic pain, neck pain, shoulder/arm pain, whiplash from car accidents, injuries from accidents on the job, backaches, ear infections, asthma, allergies, numbness in limbs, just to name a few.

Several times a day patients thank me for helping them with their health problems. But I can’t really take the credit. My confession is that I’ve never healed anyone of anything. What I do is perform a specific spinal adjustment to remove nerve pressure, and the body responds by healing itself. We get tremendous results. It’s as simple as that.

You Benefit from an Amazing Offer – Look, it shouldn’t cost

you an arm and a leg to correct your health. You are going to write a check to someone for your health care expenses, you may as well write one for a lesser amount for chiropractic. When you bring in this article (by November 24th, 2015) you will receive my entire new patient exam for $27. That’s with consultation, exam, x-rays, report of findings…the whole ball of wax. This exam could cost you $150 elsewhere.

Great care at a great fee – Please, I hope that there’s no misunderstanding about quality of care just because I have a lower exam fee. You’ll get great care at a great fee. My qualifications…I’m a Cum Laude graduate from Texas Chiropractic College. I graduated with academic honors from the University of Maryland, with my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. I’ve been entrusted to take care of tiny babies to collegiate athletes. After practicing in Nederland as an associate for two years, I opened my own practice in Galveston. I just have that low fee to help more people who need care.

Here’s what some of my patients had to say:

“Dr. Duchon has made a big impact on my life.

I have no more headaches.”– C. Flores - Galveston, TX “No more numbness in my feet!”– K. Smith - Galveston, TX My assistants are Shannon, Barbara and Judy and they are really friendly people. Our office is both friendly and warm and we try our best to make you feel at home. We have a wonderful service, at an exceptional fee. Our office is called GALVESTON PHYSICAL MEDICINE and it’s located at 2724 61st Street (right behind Island Car Wash). Our phone number is 409-744-9355.

Call Shannon, Barbara or Judy today for an appointment. We can help you. Thank you and God Bless.

– Dr. Chad Duchon Chiropractor

P.S. When accompanied by the first, I am also offering the second family member this same examination for only $10.

P.P.S. I am now an “In-Network” doctor for Cigna, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United, American National, as well as being “In-Network” for many other plans.

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letterfrompublisher This is a special issue—the first holiday issue for

contact us Publisher Roxanne Pirooz Editor Cheryl Hynes Design & Production Irene Sankey Accounting Michele Valerio Sales & Marketing Roxanne Pirooz Natural Awakenings of Southeast Texas P.O. Box 3603, Houston, TX 77253 Phone: 409-939-8156 NA-SETexas.com Roxanne@NA-SETexas.com Follow us on: Facebook.com/nasetexas

©2015 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

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

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the Southeast Texas edition! Personally, I have always enjoyed the holidays. As a child, certainly presents and playing with new toys on Christmas day were most fun, especially when my Dad joined in. Once off to college and living out of state, it was back to Texas every holiday season to see the family, normally over the New Year’s Eve holiday too (so no fancy trips or parties with friends back in New York).

Well, as you can see, I am back in Texas and once Roxanne, Publisher again living close to my parents. I also now have a house and can host holiday lunch/dinner because I actually have space! Additionally, living close to home and family gives me the guiltless freedom of going away for the holidays (Thanksgiving or NYE mostly), which I have done a few times. This aspect has brought back the excitement and enjoyment as my adult holidays have morphed into part time family sharing and part time adventure/exploration—perfect for my Gemini soul!

So far, this is our 9th issue, and I have had the pleasure of meeting a number of incredibly interesting, genuinely nice people this past year. Every month our Natural Awakenings community grows in many ways, and I feel blessed that we are helping others find what they want/need. I am so thankful for that. I look for inspiration every day to learn how and what I can give to you, the reader, and the businesses that contribute to our healthy and sustainable lifestyles. Sometimes I pray, sometimes I meditate, and sometimes I just veg out. Regardless of what you call it—God, the Universe, or universal consciousness—is there to serve us and make us happy, and remind us that even in what can be a stressful holiday season (between parties, gift shopping in crowded places and family events), LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD! Sometimes the craziness of the holiday season can make us question the superficiality of it all. To that end, we have created a Conscious Gift Giving Guide, providing local options for gifts borne out of awareness.

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or believe in God or the Goddess, we welcome you all into our community this season and wish you the best for the start of your new year.

Roxanne

glossy IS NOT green

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newsbriefs healthbriefs globalbriefs healingways business spotlight consciouseating consciousgift givingguide healthykids therapy spotlight ecotip naturalpet calendar classifieds resourceguide

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 409-939-8156 or email Roxanne@NA-SETexas.com.

Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month.

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Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-449-8309. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

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

10 AWAKENING TO SPIRIT 10 Prayer and Meditation Heal and Free Us

by Richard Davenport

14 HEAVENLY SCENTS How to Make Your Own Natural Oil Fragrances

by Kathleen Barnes

14 HERB OF THE MONTH Sacred Franincense Boswellia sacra

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by Susie Lyons

16 CHANGE YOUR BRAIN Improve Your Life

by Elisa Smith

18 SWEETLY VEGAN No-Bake Holiday Treats Worth Celebrating

by Judith Fertig

24 THESE HANDS

PROVIDE HEALING

The Gift of Energy Healing

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by Elisa Smith

23 GENEROUS

PINT-SIZED GIVERS

Teaching Kids How to Care and Share

by Jennifer Jacobson

26 RECIPE FOR A

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Fail-Proof Ingredients for a Glorious 2016

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26 EAT, BARK AND BE MERRY

Healthy Holiday Treats for Our Pets

by Sandra Murphy

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newsbriefs

Scheduled Sightings of Santa in Southeast Texas!

Annual Family Bike Ride in Pearland

K

eep Pearland Beautiful will be sponsoring its 22nd Annual Tour de Lites Family Bicycle Ride on December 12. The Tour de Lites is a fun, leisurely, family-friendly bicycle or hayride through Green Tee Terrace subdivision in Pearland. This annual event starts and ends at Independence Park. The ride is between six and eight miles long and is not strenuous.

The one-and-a-half hour evening recreational ride begins at 7 p.m. at the pavilion in Independence Park and goes through the Green Tee Subdivision to view the Christmas lights. Registration and check-in for the ride ends at 6:30 p.m. and no vehicles will be allowed into the park after 6:45 p.m. There will be a hayride available for those who cannot ride a bicycle (limit 60), and pre-registration for the hayride is required. No seats for the hayride will be held for onsite registration. The riders then return to Independence Park for hot chocolate and cookies.

Tour de Lites includes a contest for the best decorated bicycles and/or rider.

Trophies will be awarded for first place in adult and youth categories and ribbons for second place. Judging will begin promptly at 6:15 p.m. All proceeds from the ride go toward Hike & Bike Trails in Pearland.

Location: 3929 Liberty Dr., Pearland. For more information, call 281-6521779 or visit KeepPearlandBeautiful.org/event/tour-de-lites.

T

his holiday season, Santa has a busy roster. Not only is he scheduled to fly the world on Christmas Eve dropping presents for deserving girls and boys all over the world, he has set up a buzz campaign visiting the local area’s various holiday events.

First stop is the Christmas Lighting Ceremony in Pearland, 7 p.m. on Friday, December 4, at the Pearland Town Center Pavilion. On December 5, he heads down to Angleton to share lunchtime cookies with children at the Gulf Coast Auto Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The next day, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., he has Sunday brunch planned at the Galvez Bar & Grill in Galveston.

After a few days break, Santa is off to Clute on December 10 to enjoy their 34th Annual Christmas in the Park weekend celebration. He will slide out for a brief time, from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday evening, to visit families in Friendswood for their Tree Lighting Ceremony and Fireworks in Stevenson Park.

These are the confirmed scheduled events, although there are rumors he may join the Santa Hustle Galveston 5K & Half Marathon. Runners will be decked out in Santa gear, so if he is out there hustling with neighbors and friends, he may be hard to spot. Enjoy the holiday season!

Locations: Pearland, Clute, Galveston, Friendswood. For more information, check the Calendar of Events on pg 28.

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Santa’s Hustling for Food in Galveston

O

n December 20, the Santa Hustle Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk will be taking place from 8 a.m. to noon. Just in time for the holiday season, thousands of Santas will be racing along the streets and oceanfront path in Galveston.

Throughout the course, there will be festive music, creative Christmas images and more. The event is designed to help everyone get in the holiday mood. This year, event registration includes a dri-fit half-zip along with the Santa hat and beard.

The official 2015 Santa Hustle Galveston charity is the Galveston County Food Bank. The Food Bank aims to eradicate hunger in the county and improve access to nutritious food sources for the economically disadvantaged.

Location: Saengerfest Park, 2300 Strand, Galveston. For more information, visit SantaHustle.com/Galveston.

News to Share?

Do you have a special event in the community?

Are you opening a new office or moving?

Recently become certified in a new modality?

Let us know about it!

Brain Changers Brings Christian Counseling with Neurofeedback to Galveston

D

r. Stephanie McClung, with a doctorate and practice in Christian counseling, fortuitously met up with whom was to become her partner, and was introduced to neurofeedback. The two modalities were combined and what was born was a most remarkable means of effecting positive change by retraining the brain toward healthier thoughts and behaviors. She and her partner established Dallas Brain Changers in Dallas in 2011.

Her partner has since passed on, but McClung carried on in fulfilling their initial plan of opening a second location near the coast. This November, Galveston Brain Changers has opened on Galveston Island, bringing this unique, lifeenhancing therapy to the community.

Location: 3607 Broadway Ave. J, Galveston. 409-300-3117. For more information, read this month’s Community Spotlight and see ad pages 11 & 22.

News Briefs We welcome news items relevant to the subject matter of our magazine. We also welcome any suggestions you may have for a news item.

Call 409-939-8156 for additional information, or visit NA-SETexas.com natural awakenings

December 2015

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healthbriefs

People Double Up on Calories After the Holidays

D

espite the popularity of New Year’s resolutions, scientists have found that post-holiday food shopping decisions don’t necessarily reflect intentions to eat healthier or lose weight.

Scientists from Cornell University tracked resolutions and after-holiday food shopping habits of 207 families. They classified about 20,000 food products as either “healthy” or “less-healthy”.

Calories and dollars spent were also tracked.

Analysis of 37 weeks of activity that included the extended winter holiday period and into the new year found that additional food expenditures and calories began about a week prior to Thanksgiving and peaked during Christmas celebrations. Compared to the rest of the year, this increased shopping averaged just over $16 more a week, about $4 of which was spent on healthy foods.

Food expenditures then continued to increase after the holidays to about $25 more a week compared to the average—showing a 24 percent increase. However, $13 of this was spent on healthier foods.

Calorie levels also increased. “Total weekly per-serving calories increased by 440 during the holiday period relative to the baseline period, and nearly 91 percent of this increase was due to additional purchases of the more calorie-dense foods,” the researchers reported.

“Even more intriguing is that contrary to well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions, additional weekly per-serving calories purchased increased to 890 in the post-holiday period relative to the baseline, more than doubling the 440 calorie increase evident in the holiday season,” the researchers observed. Of this, 63 percent of the additional calories were from high-calorie foods.

Asbestos Found in Crayons and Children’s Toys

R

esearch from the Environmental Working Group’s Action Fund has determined that some popular children’s toys contain a chemical that previous research has linked to lung disease and lung cancers. The researchers tested 28 boxes of crayons and 21 crimethemed toys at the Scientific Analytical Institute in Greensboro, North Carolina. They found that four of the crayon brands and two of the crime-scene toys contained asbestos.

All of the asbestos-containing toys were manufactured in China. The products included the Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle brands of crayons, the EduScience Deluxe Forensics Lab Kit and the Inside Intelligence Secret Spy Kit. The latter two brands contained asbestos within the fingerprint powders.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asbestos from all sources is responsible for up to 15,000 U.S. deaths each year.

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Digital ‘Blue Light’ Reading Disrupts Sleep Rhythms

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ecent findings from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, has determined that reading from a lightemitting tablet or computer before bedtime will disturb sleep and may change the circadian rhythms that govern the body’s clock.

The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, tested 12 people for two weeks. On five nights during one week, the subjects read ebooks on an iPad for four hours before bedtime. Another week, they read from printed books for the same duration.

During the five days of iPad reading, the participants fell asleep later and spent less time in rapid eye movement (REM)-stage sleep. The light-emitting tablet altered the circadian rhythm, changing the body’s natural sleeping pattern. The researchers also tested other blue-light emitting devices, including laptops, tablets, other eReaders, cell phones and LED monitors.

“We found the body’s natural circadian rhythms were interrupted by the short-wavelength enriched light, otherwise known as blue light, from these electronic devices,” says neuroscientist Anne-Marie Chang, Ph.D., one of the study authors.

Dr. Charles Czeisler, Ph.D., a leading sleep researcher, remarks, “In the past 50 years, there has been a decline in average sleep duration and quality.

Since more people are choosing electronic devices for reading, communication and entertainment, particularly children and adolescents who already experience significant sleep loss, epidemiological research evaluating the longterm consequences of these devices on health and safety is urgently needed.”

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

Sentient Beings

New Zealand Enacts Bill Recognizing Animal Intelligence The New Zealand Animal Welfare Amendment Bill that passed into law this year states that animals, like humans, are sentient beings. Dr. Virginia Williams, chair of the National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee, says this acknowledges, “Animals can experience both positive and negative emotions, including pain and distress.” The bill thus bans the use of animals for testing cosmetics.

Williams says the legal recognition of animal sentience provides a stronger underpinning of the requirements of the existing Animal Welfare Act. The bill also provides for penalties to enable low-to-medium-level offenders to be punished more effectively and gives animal welfare inspectors the power to issue compliance notices, among other measures.

Uncommon Devotion Religion in America Shows Resilience

A new sustainability policy by the 3M Corporation, maker of Post-it notes, has drawn support for its goal of making a minimal impact on forests, wildlife and human rights. 3M paper-based products and packaging require pulp and paper from sources around the world. Working in collaboration with ForestEthics and Greenpeace, the company launched a comprehensive review of all of its pulp and paper procurement expectations to ensure the materials are produced from sustainably logged timber.

3M will now hold paper and pulp suppliers accountable to one of the highest standards in the industry for environmental protection and respect of human rights, including tracing origins and obtaining consent of indigenous peoples and local communities before logging operations occur. The company intends to publish semiannual updates of its progress online.

On any given Sabbath, four of 10 Americans travel to a place of worship, a number that hasn’t fluctuated dramatically in the past half-century. Gallup polls report that more than 81 percent say they identify with a specific religion or denomination; 78 percent say it’s an important part of their lives; and 57 percent believe that religion is able to solve today’s problems.

While recent attendance may be off, Americans are no less likely to attend services today than they were in the 1940s and early ’50s, just prior to the ultra-religious following decade. The reason, says Gallup’s Frank Newport, is that U.S. religious worship is cyclical.

Today’s practicing religious communities “tend to consist of the seriously committed, not just those swept along by obligation,” reports Christian Smith, director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame and coprincipal investigator of the National Study of Youth and Religion.

Those that worship regularly are more likely to be older, female and Southern; they also are better educated and stronger financially than those that don’t, according to Newport. At the same time, Mitchell Marcus, a University of Pennsylvania professor, characterizes his Ph.D. students as religiously curious, often devout and eager to talk about their beliefs.

Source: ForestEthics.org

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

Find a link to the legislation at Tinyurl.com/NewZealandSentienceBill.

Fungus Among Us

Mushrooms Offer Pesticide-Free Insect Control Paul Stamets, one of the world’s leading mycologists, invented a fungus (mushroom)-based pesticide in 2006.

An industry executive states, “This patent represents the most disruptive technology we have ever witnessed.” This “smart” pesticide provides a safe and nearly permanent solution for controlling more than 200,000 species of insects.

Entomopathogenic (insect-destroying) fungi are altered so they don’t produce spores. This actually attracts the insects, which then eat them and turn into fungi from the inside-out. The invention has the potential to revolutionize the way humans grow crops.

Source: Earth. We Are One. View the patent at Tinyurl.com/FungusPesticidePatent.

Post-It Progress

3M Requires Paper Sources to Meet Sustainable Standards

natural awakenings

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AWAKENING TO SPIRIT Prayer and Meditation Heal and Free Us

by Richard Davenport

By its intimate connection with divine love, Spirit infuses human experience with qualities of amazing grace—unexpected clarity, vision, wisdom, peace, compassion, emotional release, inspirational epiphanies, deep understanding and comprehensive healing of mind, body and soul.

W

hile society abounds with scientific research, products and practices that promise to enhance our mind or body and the mind-body connection, without Spirit in the mix, neither rises to its full potential. A heart open to a higher power exponentially multiplies the effects of this crucial connection.

“Just as a candle spreads light in a darkened room, people who are living in-Spirit give off a higher energy that can bring light to our hearts and minds.

In other words, we can be inspired just by being in their presence,” according to renowned bestselling author Wayne Dyer, Ph.D.

Experiential, non-verbal and lifechanging encounters with the unbounded power and presence of Spirit in prayer and meditation are difficult to analyze in the same way as mind-body

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science. However, Dyer points to the works and outcomes of Spirit as visible evidence of how it lifts us up.

We see individuals with rapturous hearts sending out signals that they love the world and everyone in it. Those that live in Spirit tend to see the world as a friendly place, are at peace with themselves, appear to be open and accepting rather than judgmental and harsh, and often report being healed of all sorts of diseases, relationship challenges, career fluctuations and questions of purpose and direction. They attest to how Spirit shines a triumphant light in the midst of dark nights of the soul, redefining the essence of life itself and declaring us worthy in our innermost reaches.

Personal Healing

When a 19-year-old woman entered basic military training at Lackland Air

Force Base, in San Antonio, Texas, and was undergoing initial medical and psychological screening, she was identified as having body and mind issues that would require her to be separated from the service. These problems included organ failures and spinal misalignment, as well as severe consequences of an emotionally abusive upbringing. It was determined that she could not handle the physical and mental demands of military life. Because the policy was to not treat such problems if identified upon entering the service, authorities allowed her to remain in training until her separation from the Air Force could be processed.

The woman was impressed and also distressed by the finality of the verdict and assessment tools used by mind and body experts among the medical staff. In talking with a chaplain on the base, she came to understand that she could choose to appeal her case to another jurisdiction, a “higher” court of Spirit. Focusing on the voice of divine love, she grew to see Spirit as more than a higher power. She saw Spirit as a higher authority. She surrendered to divine love’s authority as ultimate law, supremely qualified to reorder her whole being. She trusted that aligning with spiritual power could change her view of her identity and the seemingly inescapable consequences of genetics, environment and human history denying her desire to serve her country in this way.

Listening to a higher witness testifying on her behalf and identifying her authentic being as the magnificent expression of the magnificent Creator, she felt encouraged to the point that her mind and body stopped arresting her progress and became more effective servants, responding with greater freedom and joy. One limitation after another fell away, and the military and medical authorities seemed pleased with her progress as she neared completion of training. Finally, performing a mile-and-a-half run within a required time remained the only obstacle to graduation, and she was still 45 seconds too slow.

This helpful passage from the Hebrew prophet Isaiah became central to her prayer and meditation as she approached her last running attempt:

Young people will get tired;

strapping young men will stumble

and fall.

But those who trust in the Eternal One will regain their strength.

They will soar on wings as eagles.

They will run—never winded, never weary.

They will walk—never tired,

never faint. ~Isaiah 40: 30-31 (The Voice)

She passed her final attempt with 18 seconds to spare, running on eagles’ wings.

So, how can we all discern such a divine witness to our original authentic being amidst loud testimony of all the voices and labels shouting in our head and body, including those imposed by others?

Prayer and Meditation

There are two approaches to listening to the voice within, whether we name it God, higher power, Spirit, grace, Eternal One, or divine love or Love.

Complementary, rather than mutually exclusive, both approaches require a capacity, gained through patient practice, of quieting the inner and outer chatter and learning to hear that which calls us to be more than what human experience suggests is possible. It’s who we are in the eyes of grace.

Sanford C. Wilder, of Grafton, Illinois, author of Listening to Grace, offers personal growth and development programs through EducareUnlearning.com that encourage prayer and meditation that emphasize listening. He practices both approaches and makes distinctions between them.

“When I pray, I am directing my thoughts toward God, listening and often affirming what I know to be divinely true. I am yearning to surrender my will and affections in conscious connection with the divine such that I or another receives a blessing,” shares Wilder. In such prayerful listening, he hopes to gain something, often a new insight and corresponding manifestation.

“When I meditate, my intention is to sacrifice every thought, concept, image and feeling to God, the only consciousness. I trust that listening and observing with nonattachment helps me release conscious and unconscious

To feel Spirit’s presence, we must surrender our own sense of how it will work, its timeline and the impact on our ego or status quo.

As with anything worthwhile, conscientious practice is essential. conditioned thought patterns permeated by a human sense of self.” Through meditative listening, he hopes to release everything rather than receive anything, accepting that everyone is equipped and able to be open to, witness and experience nonstop blessings.

Helen Mathis has been an educator in the Philippines and Swaziland as well as the U.S., including an instructor of religion at Principia College, near St. Louis; she is now part of a Centering Prayer Circle in Stockton, California. She explains that centering prayer may be seen as a hybrid that embraces both prayer and meditation, nourishing what’s beneath the preoccupied self to awaken a deeper and vastly more authentic self.

Mathis appreciates what Cynthia Bourgeault explores in her book Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, that, “This confusion between small self and the larger Self… [the] ‘True Self,’ ‘Essential Self’ or ‘Real I’—is the core illusion of the human condition, and penetrating this illusion is what awakening is all about.”

Like Bourgeault, Mathis believes that it’s not about the absence of natural awakenings

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Through conscious listening we discover that our true nature—as witnessed by Spirit—though sometimes obscured from view, is never altered from its original beauty and wholeness. ~Helen Mathis thoughts so much as detaching from our thoughts, trusting that we can let go and be safe, consent to surrender human will and forgo personal agendas. Only then can spiritual sense come into play.

“The goal is to awaken to, open to and get in touch with our innermost being and Spirit,” Mathis affirms.

“Clearly, centering prayer assumes we each have a spiritual awareness of the divine within us that acts, as Bourgeault puts it, as ‘a kind of interior compass whose magnetic north is always fixed on God.’”

Core Shift

We often approach a Spirit dimension with the attitude of “what it can do for me.” The higher practice that mystics and other deep thinkers of various faith traditions ultimately arrive at instead centers on transforming our whole self to align with Spirit’s purpose for us, which changes everything.

Reverend Dr. Michael Beckwith, founder of the New Thought Agape Spiritual Center, in Los Angeles, and a spiritual mentor to Oprah Winfrey, believes, “The relationship we have with the infinite is more about how we are to serve it than it is to serve us.”

Beckwith describes three primary stages of realizing the power and purpose of divine Spirit expressed as our spirit. The first is that of a victim (feeling powerless, unable to effect change). The second is when an individual learns the existence of universal law that responds to our thinking, emotions and attitude; we learn how to use it to stabilize life structures and demonstrate health and well-being.

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“Ultimately, in stage three, we become a vehicle of life in service to life.

Instead of using the law, the law uses us. Life fulfills its own nature through us,” he says. “All of life is conspiring for our freedom, liberation, wholeness and health.”

He urges us not to stop and stagnate at stage two, using divine laws only to manifest personal conveniences, stuff and even people for our use; this can hijack views of abundance into materialism and consumerism. He quips, “We are not here to go shopping.”

Dwelling in Spirit

Grace and Spirit work in us, through us and between us, yet we can’t simply summon them up or outline their outcomes.

To feel Spirit’s presence, we must surrender our own sense of how it will work, its timeline and the impact on our ego or status quo. As with anything worthwhile, conscientious practice is essential.

Life, defined by Spirit, gives fresh strength and impetus to mind and body. All three are vital elements of the dance of life.

Richard Davenport is a spiritual life educator (HigherGroundForLife.com) and the founding executive director of an inclusive nationwide Bible and spiritual life community (BibleAndSpiritualLife. org). Now based in St. Louis, MO, he is a retired Air Force chaplain, having served at Lackland and other U.S. Air Force bases on three continents.

FIVE WAYS TO PRAY FROM THE HEART

by Richard Davenport

P

rayer from a heart willing to surrender, change, learn, grow and bless others works to keep us centered on pure motives like wellness, wholeheartedness and compassion. Such prayer can help us progress spiritually.

These five forms of prayer, found in the Bible, have a universal application to any spiritual practice. Although differing in their approach, all share the purpose of creating a fuller mindfulness of our true identity and relationship to the divine, while enhancing our capacity to bless all creation. If we are not feeling the desired breakthroughs using one form, perhaps the one most familiar or comfortable to us, we might do well to explore others.

Praise – a posture of adoration, honoring and surrender to a power, vision, and authority greater than our own.

Thanksgiving – or better yet, for its consistency and permeating of our whole self, thanks-living. The garden of our spirit is enriched by embracing a gratitude attitude in all we do.

Petition – a relational posture that opens our heart as we learn to ask for help, to seek perspective beyond a limited self, beyond a smaller, egodriven orientation.

Intercession – praying for others; blessing, honoring and cherishing them as God sees them. When we feel burdened and blocked by our own trials, expressing empathy and compassion for others can unlock our heart and mind. We can lovingly witness the true nature of those that are seemingly tangled in forces blocking or opposing their higher good.

Affirmation – release and rest in divine authority, acknowledging the uni-verse as literally one song reflecting the singular harmony that Spirit knows and is unfolding in every moment to meet our need in forms we can see and feel right now.

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December 2015

13

HERB

healingways

of the month

by Susie Lyons

Sacred Frankincense

HEAVENLY SCENTS

– Boswellia sacra

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his variety of frankincense is distilled from the gum/resin of the desert dwelling frankincense trees in Oman.

Prized as a holy oil in the Middle East, it is renowned for its antitumoral, antidepressant and sedative properties. It also has aromatic qualities that increase spiritual awareness, quiet the mind and aid in meditation and prayer.

To use sacred frankincense, use the essential oil in a diffuser or mix with a carrier oil and apply it topically to the soles of the feet, or burn the incense while meditating.

For more information, call 832-2024391, visit TheHerbalistJournal.com or see me at the Old South Essentials booth, Clear Lake Shores Farmers Market, 1st and 3rd Saturdays, 10am-2pm.

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How to Make Your Own Natural Oil Fragrances

by Kathleen Barnes

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whiff of sweetness can communicate a personal signature of tranquility, alertness or romance, or it can cause a bout of miserable sneezing, wheezing or nausea for those in the vicinity and even the unwitting wearer.

Commercial Chemicals

“When you see ‘fragrance’ on a personal care product label, read it as ‘hidden chemicals,’” warns the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit watchdog Environmental Working Group (EWG). “A major loophole in the [U.S.] Food and Drug Administration’s federal law lets manufacturers of products like shampoo, lotion and body wash include nearly any ingredient under the term fragrance without actually listing the chemical.” Companies that manufacture personal care products are required by law to list the ingredients they use, but fragrances and trade-secret formulas are exempt.

What’s known as a dirty little secret in the fragrance industry is the unlabeled presence of toxic chemicals not only in perfumes, but in any personal care product that includes a scent. Lab tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and analyzed by the EWG confirm the presence of parabens

that interfere with hormone production, cancer-causing phthalates, and synthetic musks that have been linked to hormone disruption, among many other ills.

Naturally Safe Scents

“Opting for natural scents from organic essential oils not only offers a toxinfree alternative, the oils’ aromatherapy benefits have time-proven therapeutic value,” suggests Dorene Petersen, president and founder of the American College of Healthcare Sciences, in Portland, Oregon.

Recent research from the Pontificia Universidade Catolica, in Brazil, confirms that lavender oil has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and pain-relieving properties similar to those of a mild-dose narcotic. Plus, it smells heavenly, says botanical perfumer Roxana Villa, of Woodland Hills, a California-based spokesperson for the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy.

“Considering the part of the plant used will give you an idea of its therapeutic value,” says Villa. “A root base will be good for grounding. Since bark is like skin, oils such as birch will benefit skin and muscles. Oils from flowers are excellent for anything related to the head and mind.”

Oregano and cinnamon oils have powerful antifungal properties, even against Candida-type fungi resistant to prescription drugs, according to Brazilian research from Universidade Federal. A groundbreaking study from the Slovak University of Technology, in Slovakia, even suggests that rosemary oil can kill cancer cells.

These are all scents that can be the foundations of do-it-yourself perfumes.

Customized Blends

“It’s fun to experiment with organic essential oils and create that unique blend that becomes a personal signature,” says Charlynn Avery, an aromatherapist with Aura Cacia, in Norway, Iowa. She explains that essential oils have three basic “notes” and blending them correctly will result in a fragrance suited to last throughout the day.

“The base note is heavier and lasts the longest. Patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, cedarwood and jasmine hang around longer in the atmosphere and on the wearer,” she explains. Blending the base with a slightly lighter middle note like lavender, rosemary or clary sage and a light and short-lasting top note like orange, lime or peppermint will create a complex and pleasing blend.

“That’s the beauty of the art of it,” says Avery. “You can create synergistic blends that harmonize and complement the attributes of each to such an extent that you may not be able to detect the scents of the individual oils.”

There are no hard and fast rules, but our experts offer a few guidelines

for creating our own unique blends that will be well-received as holiday gifts.

Use a base of oil like jojoba or sweet almond to create a perfumed oil.

Note that oils undiluted by a carrier can burn the skin.

For oil-based blends, use a ratio of 50 drops of bottom note oil, 30 drops of a middle note and 20 drops of a top note in two ounces of carrier oil.

Another option is to use an alcohol base of either isopropyl rubbing alcohol or 85-proof vodka to make a spray perfume; the alcohol will evaporate quickly.

Alcohol-based blends generally last longer, especially with fragile citrus oils.

A usual ratio is 10 to 20 drops of essential oil per ounce of alcoholbased carrier.

Oil-based blends are ready to use almost immediately. Alcohol-based blends should age a week or two at least and will become more strongly scented in time.

Store fragrances in bottles in a dark, cool place. Bottles with tiny rollon caps are commercially available.

“It’s very much trial and error to arrive at a preferred scent, so be creative and keep careful notes of experiments and improve on them as you gain experience,” counsels Avery. “If you crinkle your nose at patchouli, you probably won’t like an oil blend with it, either.

Choose scents you like.”

GIFT BLEND FOR MEN Western cultures value “manly” Earth scents like sandalwood and cedarwood, while in other cultures, flowery scents are acceptable for men.

An appealing woodsy blend for an American male blends cedarwood, clary sage and lime.

Kathleen Barnes is author of numerous natural health books including Food Is Medicine. Connect at Kathleen Barnes.com.

The 1-2-3s of Blending Oils Base Notes Middle Notes Top Notes sandalwood lavender orange jasmine bergamot lemon myrrh geranium grapefruit vetiver rosemary eucalyptus patchouli tea tree lime cedarwood clary sage peppermint

Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it. ~Tori Amos

A general ratio of 50 percent base note oils to 30 percent middle notes and 20 percent top notes is recommended.

Source: courtesy of AuraCacia.com natural awakenings

December 2015

15

businessspotlight

Change Your Brain Improve Your Life

by Elisa Smith

R

esults matter to Dr. Stephanie McClung of Galveston Brain Changers. The Christian counselor and neurofeedback expert is passionate about improving lives as quickly and effectively as possible.

McClung learned about neurofeedback when she met her former business partner soon after attaining her doctorate in Christian counseling.

“She had been using neurofeedback for a number of years and felt it was more effective when coupled with counseling,” McClung remembers.

“We soon decided to partner together and opened Dallas Brain Changers in January of 2011.”

Early on, they shared the vision of opening a second location in five years, preferably near the coast, given McClung’s affinity for the beach.

Earlier this year, McClung began the process of establishing Galveston Brain Changers, which opened in November. McClung began formal training in neurofeedback in the spring, and now needs only to complete the exam to achieve formal certification.

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When asked to cite specific successes due to the combination approach of neurofeedback and counseling, she can easily tick off several. One of her favorites is that of a young teen boy whose mother contacted McClung almost as a last resort. The child suffered from reactive attachment disorder (RAD), which McClung notes can be fairly common in adoptive children.

“He had already been through two residential treatment facilities without success,” says McClung, “His mother was concerned that he might never possess the maturity to responsibly operate a vehicle, and worse, that he would end up in prison if his behavior didn’t change.”

After a thorough assessment, McClung and her partner worked with this young man via counseling and neurofeedback for about 18 months.

He continued to improve noticeably throughout that time, and by the end of treatment had not only easily obtained his driver’s license, but had become a standout football player at his high school. “He became courteous

and respectful,” says McClung, adding that his teachers said they had never seen a student transform as much as he had in such a short time.

Another client, also a young male teen, suffered from Asperger’s syndrome, a development disorder which is considered to be on the highfunctioning end of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). “He would not leave the home and had nearly zero social communication skills,” notes McClung.

After about a year of treatment, he completely transformed, joining the Boy Scouts, attending camp, even becoming his troop’s song leader. “That’s what I love about what I do,” McClung says. “Every day is a blessing.”

The initial consultation at Galveston Brain Changers takes approximately two hours. The extensive evaluation includes the client’s past history and a quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG), which measures the areas of the brain function most affected and the degree to which they deviate from typical healthy brain function. Subsequent appointments are about an hour in length, including both counseling and neurofeedback.

McClung typically recommends twice weekly sessions, but sessions can be scheduled more often—even up to twice daily, initially—if faster results are desired. Treatment can typically be completed in several months, with more severe cases like the ones cited previously taking longer.

“Neurofeedback is not designed to treat a specific condition, and diagnosing is not part of the process,” McClung points out. “It looks to overall brain function, training the brain to function more effectively, thereby helping the body to relax better which can greatly improve symptoms. And unlike traditional counseling, when you’re done with treatment, you’re done; very few clients need follow-up sessions, unless they simply want a ‘tune-up’.”

According to McClung, the only time neurofeedback does not work is when the brainwaves aren’t actually out of balance, which would be indicated on the EEG. In that case, treatment would involve intensive counseling only, with possible referral to other sources.

“The counseling with Brain Changers looks different from traditional counseling,” McClung notes, adding that it takes only 15 to 30 minutes per session and is very targeted and goal oriented. “The primary purpose in looking back is to help us determine how the client got where he/she is now, and to help guide us as we figure out how to move forward. We set achievable goals at each session, and are able to set more challenging goals as the client improves.”

Sessions focus on addressing unhealthy thought and behavior processes and setting goals toward healthier thoughts and behaviors, developing social skills when appropriate, strengthening the client’s relationship with God.” McClung notes that her clients recognize that she approaches counseling from a Christian-centered, biblical background. But she points out that she has successfully worked with clients of other faiths, agnostics, and those who define themselves as spiritual but not religious. “The goal is for each of them to find their moral compass and become grounded in their own belief system so they can respond to challenges in the best possible way.”

Galveston Brain Changers is located at 3607 Broadway Ave. For more information, call 409-300-3117 or visit GalvestonBrainChangers.com. See ad, pages 11 & 22.

natural awakenings

December 2015

17

SWEETLY VEGAN No-Bake Holiday Treats Worth Celebrating

by Judith Fertig

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Stress & depression affecting your life?

A Healer wants to End Your Pain.

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isions of sugar plums” have been part of holiday mindsets since the advent of Clement Moore’s classic 19th-century poem commonly known as ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.

We love to give and receive special treats and our tastes are evolving. Instead of yesteryear’s sugary bonbons loaded with calories that we’ve come to regret, today’s preferred confections focus more on naturally sweet dried fruits, bestquality chocolate, healthful coconut and crunchy nuts. Vegan, gluten-free delicacies from chefs and culinary experts the world over help us celebrate the season in a deliciously healthy way, including those we highlight this month.

“Christmas isn’t Christmas without a traditional pudding,” says Chef Teresa Cutter, author of Purely Delicious. Cutter is founder and director of The Healthy Chef company, in Sydney, Australia, which creates functional foods for taste and optimal health. Her no-bake desserts such as miniature Christmas puddings and carrot cake take only minutes to make.

Emily Holmes, a Queensland, Australia, wellness coach who blogs at Conscious-Foodie.com, says her favorite is Holmes’ Chocolate Cherry Mini-Cupcakes. She serves them with a pot of peppermint tea.

Houston-based Joshua Weissman is the author of The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook and blogs at SlimPalate. com. He shares his philosophy on holiday treats: “My first thought is that I don’t want to feel guilty after eating it.

My second is that I still want it to taste and look good.” His Almond Butter Pumpkin Pie Truffles fit the festive bill.

In New York City, noted vegan cookbook author and Pastry Chef Fran Costigan is an expert in all things chocolate, including her Chocolate Orange Sesame Truffles. “When you make something really delicious with real ingredients, your mouth knows it, your brain knows it, your body knows it. You feel satisfied,” she says.

Judith Fertig blogs at AlfrescoFood AndLifestyle.blogspot.com from Overland Park, KS.

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

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Photo by Stephen Blancett

consciouseating

No-Bake Festive Vegan Desserts

Photo by Steve Legato

Simmer the mixture for 30 seconds until it’s shiny and smooth. Remove from heat and wait about 30 seconds until it’s no longer steaming and then pour it over the chocolate.

Fran Costigan’s Chocolate Orange Sesame Truffles Yields: 20 to 24 (1-inch) truffles This creamy chocolate truffle has a slightly chewy texture with a coating for color and crunch. Raw tahini is sweeter than when its roasted and either kind is good.

Truffle Ganache 4 oz dark fair trade chocolate (70 to 72 percent), finely chopped Finely minced zest of half a medium orange 3 Tbsp orange juice ¼ cup agave syrup 1 Tbsp raw or roasted tahini, stirred 1½ Tbsp white sesame seeds, lightly toasted 1½ Tbsp black sesame seeds, lightly toasted Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.

Mix the orange zest and juice and agave in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and add the tahini, whisking vigorously. The mixture will thicken immediately. Don’t be concerned if it looks broken or curdled; it’ll smooth out with whisking.

Cover the bowl with a plate. Wait 1 minute and then stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Note: The ganache will not be perfectly smooth.

Cool to room temperature, stirring a few times using a silicone spatula.

Spoon into a small shallow container and refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours until the ganache is firm. The ganache can be covered and refrigerated at this point for up to 1 week.

Shape Truffle Centers Remove the ganache from the refrigerator. Use one spoon to scoop out 1-inch pieces of ganache and another to push it off the spoon into the container. When half the ganache has been used, roll into logs about 1-inch long, washing and drying hands as needed. (If at any time the ganache becomes too soft to shape, refrigerate until cold before proceeding.)

Cover and refrigerate the truffle centers 15 to 25 minutes to set, before final shaping and finishing with the sesame seed coating.

Truffle Coating Mix the sesame seeds in a small bowl.

Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons on the bottom of a shallow container.

Put a few logs at a time into the bowl of sesame seeds and roll until lightly coated. Pinch the ends to form the oval quenelle (football) shape.

Emily Holmes’ Chocolate Cherry Mini-Cupcakes Yields: 2 dozen mini-cupcakes Cake 1 cup raw, shelled, skinned nuts (such as almonds) 1 /3 cup cacao powder 4 fresh dates, pitted Filling 2 cup shredded coconut 1 cup dried cherries 6 fresh dates, pitted ¼ cup coconut cream ¼ tsp vanilla powder Pinch of sea salt Topping 3½ oz melted dark chocolate Process nuts and cacao powder in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground and the mixture is fully combined. Slowly add the dates until the mixture sticks together.

Press the mixture into the bottom parts of a 24-cup mini muffin pan. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Place the finished truffles in the refrigerator to set for 35 to 45 minutes.

Process filling ingredients in a food processor until well combined. Spoon the filling onto the cupcake base in the muffin cups and then top with melted dark chocolate.

Adapted from Vegan Chocolate, by Fran Costigan, used with permission

Place into the refrigerator to set, where it also stores well until served.

natural awakenings

December 2015

19

2016

editorial calendar

greenliving

JANUARY

health & wellness plus: dance power FEBRUARY

friendship

food matters

plus: eye health APRIL

everyday sustainability plus: freshwater scarcity MAY

women’s wellness plus: thyroid health JUNE

happiness

Green Congregations Faith Groups Join in Preserving All Creation

plus: balanced man JULY

independent media

plus: summer harvest AUGUST

empowering youth plus: creativity SEPTEMBER

healing music plus: yoga OCTOBER

community game changers

plus: chiropractic NOVEMBER

mental wellness plus: beauty DECEMBER

uplifting humanity

plus: holiday themes

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photo courtesy of View Dynamic Glass

plus: dental health MARCH

by Avery Mack

T

says Rabbi David Freelund, of the Cape he simple act of switching on a Cod Synagogue, in Hyannis, Masbulb can light a room; preaching sachusetts. “Going solar made sense. that humans are caretakers of the Earth can enlighten a community. “How We leased panels, joined a renewable energy credit program and now generare we faithful to God’s creation?” asks ate 90 percent of our energy.”

Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D., author of The synagogue also upgrades Grounded: Finding God in the World— equipment to more efficient levels A Spiritual Revolution, in Alexandria, when it’s time for replacement, comVirginia. “The connection between the posts waste, maintains a garden to supnatural world and the world we live in ply a local food pantry, helps us understand The film Renewal switched to LED lights, the remarkable responsibility we have to the documents this grass- zoned their facility’s heating and cooling and planet.” roots movement at follows a single-stream Along with an emotional bottom line, RenewalProject.net. recycling program. “We seek to lead by example. many people pose a Members ask, ‘What else can we do?’ greater question: What is the cost to As Jews, our mission is not fulfilled our spiritual life if we act selfishly? unless we lift up others toward the “We need to know what is sacred and divine,” says Freelund. what matters for generations to come,” Windows often make up a large says Bass. “This is an exciting time for portion of a building of worship, but communities of faith to work together.” can be the least energy-efficient comChurches, synagogues, mosques and ponents. Members of Colorado’s Steamother faith groups are sending a mesboat Christian Center, in Steamboat sage to their congregations and comSprings, used to wear sunglasses or munities: We need to care for what the change seats during services to escape Creator has given us. the sun’s glare and heat. After installing smart glass windows, everyone can Showing the Way now fully concentrate on the sermon.

“We wanted to reduce reliance on for“The glass tints like transition eign oil, support local businesses, buy sunglasses, based on available light or American-made and be cost-effective,”

preprogrammed preferences,” explains Brandon Tinianov, a senior director with View Dynamic Glass, the company that supplied the new windows. “It also reduces heating and cooling costs.”

Laying Down Burdens

“Clutter represents postponed decisions,” says Barbara Hemphill, author of Less Clutter, More Life, in Raleigh, North Carolina. “Lack of time, interest and energy keep us from passing along what we no longer want or need. For most of us, 80 percent of what we keep, we never use.”

That includes paperwork, another specialty of her Productive Environment Institute. When the United Methodist North Carolina Conference Center’s new building was ready, there was plenty to sort through before moving.

“We estimate seven tons of items were recycled. It became an example for individual churches,” says Hemphill.

Her own church, Mount Zion Methodist, in nearby Garner, has cleared out two storage rooms. Items were reclaimed, auctioned or donated to a shelter. “We gained Sunday school rooms in return,” she says.

We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. ~Pope Francis

Practice Makes Perfect

Awareness of the environment and eco-friendly living is a concept religions agree on. At the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, in Sterling, Virginia, an education program encourages community members to recycle, plant trees and lower water and energy usage. Including their Sunday School, they reduced their overall carbon footprint by 13 percent and energy consumption by 21 percent.

Interfaith Power & Light is active in most states and can help implement such user- and eco-friendly changes.

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, the director of outreach for the Dar Al

Hijrah Islamic Center, in Falls Church, Virginia, suggests thinking larger and encourages members to ask for changes in public policies by lobbying their representatives. In 2016, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago will promote a Green Ramadan. During Ramadan, members re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance.

Greener than most, The Garden Church, in San Pedro, California, has no building. “People tell me, ‘The outdoors is my church;’ I take them at their word,” says founding Pastor Anna Woofenden. “We have a central table surrounded by gardens. About 90 percent of what we grow is vegetables, the rest is flowers. This church is a living sanctuary, a place to belong, a place of community. God’s love is made visible as people are fed in body, mind and spirit.”

“Eco-friendly teaching represents a new spiritual imagination of how to live well in the world,” observes Bass.

“Faith makes a difference.”

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

Never forget the three powerful resources that are always available to you: love, prayer and forgiveness. ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

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

December 2015

21

Conscious Gift Giving Guide 832-202-4391

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1615 23rd Street, Galveston 409-765-5502 HappyPrettyYou.com

healthykids

Generous Pint-Sized Givers Teaching Kids How to Care and Share

by Jennifer Jacobson

A

mong a parent’s greatest rewards is seeing their children grow up to be productive, contributing members of society, including knowing how to give back and enrich the communities in which they live. Children can start participating in the giving process as toddlers. Having them observe regular charitable acts can make a strong impression and catalyze later independent initiatives.

Learning how to give and developing the associated skill set is a lifelong journey. Giving becomes a way of life—of looking at the world and determining how to help the causes they feel passionate about. Here’s how to take those crucial first steps.

Ask kids how they’d like to help. If giving to a cause is new to the household, explain that the family has many opportunities. Then engage children in a conversation about the general areas they may feel strongly about supporting—perhaps individuals or families in need, animals or wildlife habitat—and start a list of those that the family is interested in.

Next, start researching related local organizations, facilities and institutions, and matching them to the topics on the list. Ideas may include food kitchens, pet shelters and animal

rescues, nature parks, senior citizens’ residences, camps for low-income or physically or mentally challenged children, zoos, museums, aquariums and local libraries.

Make a game plan. Get creative about how to actually help the selected causes. Talk it through together, map out activities—like visiting, donating funds or materials or participating in fundraising efforts—and post the results somewhere at home that is highly visible. “Gamify” it to some degree with tasks that turn into goals that turn into accomplishments that result in chits.

Quick tasks can make a big difference. Clear the clutter. Every six to 12 months, launch an all-family household closet cleaning day that includes the toy chest and maybe the garage. Add nonperishable healthy food items they’ve picked out while grocery shopping.

Make a “donate box” positioned where kids can add to it and deliver the donations often, even if it’s small.

Find ways to raise money for donations. Organize a family or neighborhood yard sale or organic bake sale that involves kids at all stages of the project, and give all or a portion of the proceeds to a selected charity.

Associate getting with giving. For birthdays and holidays, include a

handwritten “certificate of giving” that specifies the amount of money available for them to gift to their favorite charity. Take the child to the charity site to make the monetary donation in person, if possible. For non-local organizations, write a check and have the child include a letter with their thoughts and mail it.

Volunteer to do community service. Public gardens need weeding, historic buildings need painting and food banks need hands. Find goodwill tasks that are age-appropriate and engaging.

Grow the mindset. Tell real-life stories about kids or groups of kids that have found creative ways to give back. Encourage empathy by sharing appropriate stories of struggle. Ask kids, “How would you want people to help you in this situation?” Explain the action the family is taking and the resulting benefit to the recipient.

The conversation might be, “We don’t need to store all this stuff when someone else could really use it.” Or, “I bet there is a kid out there who would really like playing with this toy.

I know you used to love it, but how about if you pass it along to someone else so they can enjoy it as much as you have?” Keep the focus on the people in need and your child’s ability to share an experience through an item.

Establishing an impermanent connection to material things can help kids understand the importance of nurturing relationships over acquiring goods.

Develop a language of giving in the household by creating opportunities to incorporate it into regular conversation. Appropriate comments could share concepts such as seeing ourselves as stewards of the planet and the things we think we own; it’s our duty to help those in need when we have abundance; and if there is ever a time when we are without, we hope that others will think of us and help us.

Teaching children how their thoughts, words and actions impact those around them is a lesson that bears repeating.

Jennifer Jacobson lives in Seattle and has served on the boards of several influential nonprofits and other organizations focused on conservation, education and community.

natural awakenings

December 2015

23

therapyspotlight

These Hands Provide Healing The Gift of Energy Healing

by Elisa Smith

J

ohn Bueche never intended to be a healer. The self-described “guy’s guy” has worked in the oil business, as a railroad engineer, and even rode bulls in his younger years. However, his gift for healing is something he’s unable to ignore and feels compelled to share.

Bueche’s journey with energy healing began in the late 1980s when a then-colleague suggested that he go to Chapel of Prayer, a small church located in Houston’s Harwin Shopping District. “This was way across town,” says John, who resides in League City, “and I wasn’t looking for a church.”

Still, Bueche felt compelled to go.

There, he met the woman described as the church’s leader, affectionately called Mom, and trying to gain clarity, he asked what was special about the church. She answered that the church had a library of books and that they did

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healings on Monday nights. Bueche recalls, “I said thanks, but I’ve got a nice library at home and there’s nothing wrong with me.” As an afterthought, he asked what the healings cost, and when he learned they were free, decided to participate out of curiosity.

Following his first experience, the healer who worked on him said she’d aligned his chakras. Not only was the word foreign to Bueche at the time, he didn’t really feel any different after the session. Still, he decided to return the following week, and experienced a different healer, really feeling the energy that time. He was hooked, returning every Monday night, and after about three months, Mom told Bueche it was “his turn.” Confused, he asked what she meant, and she responded that it was his turn to do the healing. Clueless as to what to do, Bueche simply did what he’d seen the other healers do,

and was shocked by the results. “I felt this stuff coming out of my hands, like a blow dryer,” he explains. “Frankly, it scared me.”

What frightened him turned out to be beneficial for those he worked on. Word spread of his healing ability, resulting in long lines for his services on Monday nights. Bueche remained with Chapel of Prayer until it was lost to fire a couple of years later. “That was when I thought ‘I’m off the hook’,” he laughs. But a minister friend had witnessed Bueche’s gift and felt it would benefit his congregation at First Methodist Church in Pearland. Somewhat reluctantly, Bueche agreed to perform healings there on Wednesday nights, and continued to do so for over four years until his friend relocated.

He knows that the healing does not flow from him but through him.

“I’m just the go-between, like a big extension cord,” he maintains. “God does the healing.

Though he is not currently affiliated with any church, Bueche is Christian by faith. He’s the first to admit he has no idea how or why he received this gift. He only knows that the healing does not flow from him but through him. “I’m just the gobetween, like a big extension cord,” he maintains. “God does the healing.”

During healing sessions, Bueche does not actually touch the body, but rather moves his hands just above the body, along its energy field, noting where he perceives blockages. As his skill has progressed over the years, he says he is now able to “see a white light running through the body, with dark areas indicating areas of pain or illness.”

Those are the areas to which he directs the flow of energy.

Several years ago, he learned how perform remote healings over the phone, and he then started getting calls from all over the country. One, a nurse who had been trying to get pregnant for several years. After try-

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John Bueche ing in vitro fertilization twice without success, she had success on the third attempt after working with Bueche.

Bueche says the energy flowing from his hands is near-constant, even preventing him from sleeping with his hands on his chest. “They feel like thousand-pound weights,” he notes. But being able to draw upon the energy at any time allows him to perform healings on virtually anyone, anywhere. While at the bank recently, the teller mentioned that her back was killing her. Once his transaction was completed, he told her he could help her and asked her to come around from the counter. After placing his hands over her, she looked at him in astonishment, exclaiming, “The pain’s completely gone!” A similar incident happened while picking up take-out recently with the man who processed his order. “How did you know I had a headache?” the man asked, after Bueche had healed it.

Bueche says healings don’t happen 100 percent of the time, and that the recipient’s expectation definitely plays a role. Still, he estimates that over 90 percent of the people he works on find relief. “I hear the word ‘wow’ a lot,” he notes, “even from other healers, once they feel the energy flowing from my hands.”

“I didn’t ask for this gift,” Bueche says, “but I do believe I’m meant to use it to help as many people as possible. And for that, I am grateful.”

To learn more, call 281-686-8668 or visit HolisticHealingHouston.com. See ad, page18.

Last-minute online shopping can be costly in both dollars and pollution.

Choosing next-day delivery puts purchased products on a plane that burns far more carbon-producing fossil fuel than ground transportation. But there’s a better way, and how we package gifts for shipping counts.

Order and ship early. Building in more lead time affords less costly shipping options. Eco-wise, if the shipper has some freedom in scheduling deliveries, it can choose to hold up a delivery truck until it’s full, rather than sending one out half-empty. Also, if a package doesn’t have to reach its destination by a particular day or time, the company can choose the most efficient local delivery routing.

A recent University of Washington study found that a community using grocery delivery services slashed carbon emissions when compared to individuals driving to the supermarket. Plus, they achieved their biggest gains—80 to 90 percent lower emissions—when they could plan deliveries around customer locations, rather than precise delivery windows, thus minimizing driving distance and time on the road.

Seek out available boxes. Many grocery and beverage stores don’t immediately break down incoming cardboard shipping boxes. Ask a store attendant if they have any available. Reusing saved paper bags from checkout (for those that don’t bring reusable bags) can serve to cushion gift-wrapped boxes.

GreenAmerica.org suggests repurposing gently-used wrapping paper or old fabrics, newspapers, magazines or calendars for a creative look. Return any foam peanuts in received packages to a pack-n-ship shop for reuse.

Know the options. While U.S. Postal Service (usps.com) Priority Mail offers flat rates to any state regardless of weight (up to 70 pounds), package tracking and other year-round features, the cost of using other carriers varies by destination zip code, package size and weight. Verify price and timing options, making sure packages arrive in good time to be under the Christmas tree before December 25.

Success is finding

satisfaction in giving a little more than you take. ~Christopher Reeve natural awakenings

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RECIPE FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR Fail-Proof Ingredients for a Glorious 2016

naturalpet

Eat, Bark and Be Merry Healthy Holiday Treats for Our Pets

by Sandra Murphy

A Take 12 whole months.

Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness, hate and jealousy.

Make them just as fresh and clean as possible.

Cut each month into 28, 30 or 31 different parts, but don’t make up the whole batch at once.

Prepare one day at a time with these ingredients: Mix well into each day one part each of faith, patience, courage and work.

Also add to each day one part of hope, faithfulness, generosity and kindness.

Blend with one part prayer, one part meditation and one good deed.

Season the whole with a dash of good spirits, a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play and a cupful of good humor.

Pour all of this into a vessel of love.

Cook thoroughly over radiant joy, garnish with a smile and serve with quietness, unselfishness and cheerfulness.

You’re bound to have a happy new year. ~ Author Unknown

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s with families everywhere, special taste treats are on the menu for many dogs, cats and wild birds during the holiday season.

Owners are cautioned not to share rich, unfamiliar foods from the table that can be detrimental to an animal’s health.

Better fare are homemade treats of organic, safe and tasty ingredients—true gifts from the heart.

Homemade assures the quality of ingredients, avoids unhealthy additives and allows the giver to adjust for individual taste or food sensitivities.

Most healthy recipes can be made from readily available ingredients.

Wild Birds

Offer them a variety of seeds and fresh water. Always use unsalted, unseasoned seeds. Mix harder-to-crack striped sunflower seeds with the smaller black oil version to attract the largest number of birds. Organically grown peanuts in the shell, dried fruit, oranges, pomegranates or rehydrated raisins offer a burst of energy. Impale round fruits, halved, on a small dowel rod attached to the feeding table to hold them in place.

Note that oats go to waste, shelled sunflower seeds spoil and cracked corn attracts raccoons. Pass on any kind of popcorn.

DIY Suet

Mix one part organic peanut butter with five parts organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) corn meal.

Smear into a pinecone to hang from a branch or directly on tree bark for woodpeckers and wrens to

enjoy. Don’t use low-fat peanut butter because birds need to pack in the calories in order to stay warm.

Cats

Organic catnip, fresh or dried and baked into a crunchy treat, will bring kitty running. In recipes, avoid canned tuna because of bisphenol A (BPA) concerns; also minimize the frequency and portion of tuna and salmon treats due to mercury accumulation in the fish.

Unseasoned tuna or salmon packed in water in a pouch is a better choice.

Many recipes labeled for dogs can be converted for cats by making them into smaller bites.

Dogs

“When possible, I put organic and local foods, non-GMO, hormone-and antibiotic-free, grass-fed and humanely raised properties at the top of my list. A healthier dog means fewer

vet visits and more years together,” says Tonya Wilhelm, a dog trainer in Toledo, Ohio. “Buy in bulk from a co-op or farmer and maybe share with friends to get the best price.”

Dehydrated Foods

Dehydrating removes moisture from food while retaining nutrients, and comprises a distinct cooking method.

Stephanie Raya, resident chef at Excalibur Dehydrator, in Sacramento, California, recommends, “For safe chicken and pork, pre-cook before dehydrating. Beef can be dehydrated from a raw state. My Boston terriers also love dehydrated, sweet potato chips.”

A number of commercial dehydrated meat and fish jerkies have been recalled (search DogFoodAdvisor. com/?s=treats). Homemade treats offer superior control of ingredients.

“When I make my pets’ treats, I know what’s in their food, including the herbs used for flavor,” says Raya. After she’s ensured that the food is thoroughly dried, she packs it in vacuum bags and stores them away from light. She notes that dehydrating takes longer than baking, but is cost-effective at 25 to 50 cents an hour. Veggie options include dehydrated zucchini chips, butternut squash chips, cherry tomato bites, matchstick carrots or peach or other fruit slices.

Make it Festive

A cat’s sense of smell is 10 to 15 times better than ours, but is still modest compared to dogs that out-sniff us by a factor of 30 to 60 times; that’s why putting wrapped treats under a holiday tree or in a stocking is a bad idea. Store them securely and then bring them out when it’s time to open gifts. Use blue tissue paper for easy-to-open Hanukkah gifts, red or green for Christmas (bows, yes; ribbons, no). For dogs that love puzzles, placing treats inside a wrapped box adds to the fun.

Remember that rich or unfamiliar foods can make pets sick. Instead, gift them with their own healthy, safe treats from known ingredients so that everyone has a happy holiday.

Connect with Sandra Murphy at StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com.

Special Holiday Pet Recipes Kitty Patties Yields: 8 small patties ½ lb grass-fed, lean ground beef ½ lb lean ground turkey 4 Tbsp low-salt chicken stock 4 eggs ½ cup oatmeal or 1 packet instant oatmeal Mix meat and broth, and then add oatmeal and egg.

Coconut Bites

Form into 8 small patties.

Yields: Approximately 20 cookies

Broil one or two at a time, leaving them fairly rare.

1 orange, peeled, seeded, chopped into bite-size pieces 1 banana, peeled, chopped into bite-size pieces ½ cup coconut flour Lemon zest Preheat oven to 275° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Put the orange and banana into a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth.

Combine blended fruit and coconut flour. Mix well. Form into 3-inch flat discs and place on a lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Lightly sprinkle lemon zest on the uncooked treats.

Allow to cool, and then serve. They’ll keep in the refrigerator up to three days if the meat is fresh.

Freeze the other patties until ready to use, good for up to four months.

Recipe courtesy of Janet Cantrell, Fat Cat at Large

Roxanne’s Beef Jerky Strips for Dogs 3 cups ground lean grass-fed beef 1 cup flour 2 tsp brewer’s yeast 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, drained

Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden on the bottom. Remove cookies and place them on a rack to cool.

Combine ingredients in medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Spread on a nonstick 1/8-inch-thick drying sheet.

Tip: Keep a few treats in an air-tight container and freeze the remainder for later.

Dry at 155° F until thoroughly dry and then cut into strips.

Recipe courtesy of Tonya Wilhelm

Recipe courtesy of Chef Stephanie Raya, Excalibur Dehydrator

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

December 2015

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calendarofevents NOTE: All calendar events must be received via email by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines.

Email Info@NA-SETexas.com for guidelines and to submit entries. No phone calls or faxes, please.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1 Happy Pretty You! Holiday Online Party – Dec 1-23. Join the virtual party, invite friends, and win a $10 gift certificate towards your next service. Everyone will also be entered to win a $100 spa gift basket! Facebook.com/ events/1674808916091408/

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3 Fa La La Ladies Night Out – 6-10pm. Enjoy a special LNO, including dinner, gift bag, style show, purse raffle and more. $70. Brazoria County Fairgrounds, 901 S Downing St, Angleton. 979849-6443. Events@ AngletonChamber.org. AngletonChamber.org.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 Holiday Handbell Concert – 5:30pm, 7pm & 8:30pm. Concerts held at the state’s first wooden built church known for exceptional acoustics. $15. 1859 St Joseph Church, 2202 Avenue K, Galveston. 409-765-7834.

Dickens on the Strand – Dec 4-6. Annual holiday street festival, based on 19th-century Victorian London, features parades, entertainment on five stages, roving musicians, jugglers and other entertainers. 2300 Strand, Galveston. Purchase tickets at DickensOnTheStrand.org.

Walk a Mile in My Shoes – 8-11am. A fundraiser benefit for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Galveston County. Registration includes entry, T-shirt, raffle & giveaways. $15.

Phoenix Fountain, Charles T Doyle Convention Center, 2010 5th Ave N, Texas City. 409-5722552. CASAGalveston.org.

Christmas Lighting Ceremony – 7pm. Friday night features the lighting on the city’s Christmas tree and a very special visit from Santa. Pearland Town Center – Pavilion, 11200 W Broadway St, Pearland. PearlandTX.gov.

Drop-in Lego Brick Yard – 3:30-5:30pm.

Drop-in free play with Legos & Duplos. Free and all materials supplied. Rosenberg Library, 2310 Sealy.

Galveston.

Galveston.com/ RosenbergLibrary.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5 2nd Annual Flapjack 5K Fun Run –8-10am.

Stevenson Park. Friendswood. wwwCI. Friendswood.TX.us.

Friendswood Farmers’ Market – 8am-Noon.

Local vendors selling produce, spices, baked goods and more. Stevenson Park, gazebo area, 1100 S Friendswood Dr, Friendswood.

FriendswoodMarket.com.

Cookies with Santa – 11am-1pm. Kids enjoy coloring Christmas pages, decorating cookies and writing letters to Santa. Gulf Coast Auto Park – Chevy Buick GMC, 1901 West FM 523, Angleton. 979-849-6443. AngletonChamber.org.

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Christmas Parade – 6-10pm. The parade brings out dozens of floats and walking groups each year decked out in lights and holiday spirit.

Free admission, $10 float entry fee. FM518 from Pearland Pkwy to Old Alvin Rd, Pearland.

PearlandParks.com.

Victorian Pipe Organ Extravaganza – 7:30pm.

Trinity Episcopal Church presents their annual Victorian Pipe Organ Extravaganza, featuring acclaimed organist Ronald Wyatt & Edgar Moore. $10. Trinity Episcopal Church, 2216 Ball Ave, Galveston. TrinityGalv.org.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 Sunday Brunch with Santa – 11am-2pm.

Advance reservations recommended. Galvez Bar & Grill, 2024 Seawall Blvd, Galveston.

Reservations 409-765-7721.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 34th Annual Christmas in the Park – Dec 10-12.

Enjoy a wonderful evening with Santa, roasted marshmallows, holiday music, stroll through the decorated tree area, food and craft booths. Clute Municipal Park, 101 Brazoswood Dr, Clute. 979265-8392. www.CI.Clute.TX.us.

Galveston Surfrider Meeting – 7-8:30pm.

Surfrider Foundation, Galveston Chapter is a group of local activists who educate and encourage events and outreach for a better coast. Free. MOD Coffee Shop, 2126 Postoffice St, Galveston. Info VolunteerCoordinator@Galveston.Surfrider.org.

Facebook.com/GalvestonSurfrider.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 Pearland Old Townsite Farmers’ Market – 8am-Noon. 2nd & 4th Saturday. Zychlinski Park, 2243 Grand Blvd, Pearland.

PearlandOldTownSiteFarmersMarket.com.

Family Day: An Offshore Holiday – 10am-3pm.

Learn about the term “Christmas Tree” in the oil & gas industry, and polymer chains. Ocean Star, 1900 Harborside Dr, Galveston. 409-766-7827.

OceanStarOEC.com.

Historic Homes Tour – 10am-5pm. Directions to historic homes provided with ticket, organized by the League City Historical Society. $15. 281-5542994. LeagueCityHistory.org.

Cooking Class: Kids’ Gingerbread House Workshop – 11am-1pm; 2-4pm (two workshops).

Two gingerbread house decorating parties with local baking guru Stephanie Conti. Hot apple cider & cookies served. $25/includes one child accompanied by one adult and a gingerbread house to take home. Kitchen Chick, 528 23rd St, Galveston. Reservations required. 409-497-2999.

TheKitchenChick.com.

Home for the Holidays – 3-8pm Santa in the Park.

7:30pm Tree Lighting Ceremony and Fireworks, and other entertainment available. Stevenson Park, Friendswood. www.CI.Friendswood.TX.us.

Tour de Lites – 6:15pm. Join Keep Pearland Beautiful on a family bicycle ride to view Christmas lights. The 90-minute evening ride departs at 7pm. After the ride, return to Independence Park for hot chocolate, cookies and Christmas caroling. Independence Park through Green Tee subdivision. Pearland. MyKPB.org.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 Coffee & Cranes with Keanna Leonard – 8-11:30am. Designed for beginners and experienced birders alike, Keanna will introduce common vocalizations, body language and other characteristics of sandhill cranes. Moody Gardens Golf Course, 1700 Sydnor Ln, Galveston. 409789-8125. GalvestonNatureTourism.org.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 A Magical Christmas 2015 – Dec 17-27. A new dinner and show production featuring new magic, music & fun. Galveston.

MoodyChristmasShow.com.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 Island Market – 10am-4pm. Browse and shop for unique handcrafted items created by local Galveston artisans and growers. A festive outdoor market featuring beautiful quilts, handmade soaps, photography, jewelry and more. Mechanic St & 22nd St, Galveston.

GalvestonIslandMarket.com.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 Santa Hustle Half Marathon & 5k Run/Walk – 8am-Noon. Race participants will receive a Santa hat and beard to show their holiday spirit during the race. Saengerfest Park, 2300 Strand, Galveston. SantaHustle.com/Galveston.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22 Cooking Class: Kids Bread Baking Class – 1-3:30pm. Chef Bailey is fired up to teach young chefs how to bake fresh homemade bread, including cinnamon rolls & loaves of buttermilk white bread. $30/person. Kitchen Chick, 528 23rd St, Galveston. Reservations required. 409-4972999. TheKitchenChick.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23 Drop-in Holiday Stories – 10-10:30am. Stop by the Children’s Department and listen to a festive story for the holiday season. Rosenberg Library, 2310 Sealy, Galveston. Galveston.com/ RosenbergLibrary.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25 Full Moon Labyrinth Walk: Cold Moon – 6pm.

The public is invited to participate in full moon labyrinth walks. Each walk begins approximately a half hour after sunset. The Moody Methodist Labyrinth, 2803 53rd St, Galveston. 409-7444526. Galveston.com/Labyrinth.

plan ahead WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6 12 th Night of Christmas – 6pm. Annual event including King Cake, wassail and music in the traditional finale to the Christmas season. Public invited. Free. Moody Mansion, 2618 Broadway, Galveston. 409-762-7668.

MoodyMansion.org.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9 Galveston ArtWalk – 6-9pm. For over 20 years, the Galveston Arts Center has organized and produced ArtWalk every six to eight weeks on Saturday nights in the heart of the historic district.

Enjoy a coordinated evening of opening receptions and art-related events that are hosted in existing commercial galleries, nonprofit arts spaces and “other walls”–retail stores and restaurants. Galveston. 409763-2403. GalvestonArtsCenter.org.

MONDAY, JANUARY 11

savethedate EVENING TEA & BOOK STUDY GROUP Join an intimate discussion group meeting weekly for 6 weeks to discuss the book Grain Brain by David Perlmutter, MD., led by nutritional therapist Jennifer Steakley. Through study and stimulating discussion over tea, learn about how grain affects your life! At Wellness Nutrition & Bodywork, 306 S Friendswood Dr, Ste C4, Friendswood. Seating is limited, call to reserve your space at 713-714-3700.

Monday, January 11, 7:00pm ThatWellnessPlace.com See ad pg 22 & 13 FRIDAY, JANUARY 15 Heavenly Night Hike – 5:30-6:30pm. Ranger Lisa leads a cool evening night hike while teaching about the stars. Galveston Island State Park, 14901 FM 3005, Galveston. 409-737-1222.

Lisa.Reznicek@tpwd.texas.gov. Galveston.com/ GalvestonIslandStatePark.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 Mardi Gras! Galveston – Jan 29-Feb 9. A unique Mardi Gras experience expected to draw 350K+ attendees for 30+ concerts, 22 parades, 20 balcony parties and several elegant balls. Galveston.

MardiGrasGalveston.com.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 6th Annual Dawson Winter Dash – 8:30am 1-Mile Fun Run. 9am 5K. Fundraising run in support of the Dawson High School Eagle Band and Color Guard, part of Pearland’s Winterfest. Turner High School, 4719 Bailey Rd, Pearland. Facebook.com/ DawsonWinterDash.

ongoingevents NOTE: All calendar events must be received via email by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Email Info@NA-SETexas.com for guidelines and to submit entries. No phone calls or faxes, please.

sunday Galveston’s Own Farmers’ Market – 9am1pm. Offering locally grown produce, prepared foods and edible farm products. 2508 Postoffice St, Galveston. 832-819-1561. Facebook.com/ GalvestonsOwnFarmersMarket.

Yoga Nidra – 7pm. Opening with a soft flow of yoga asanas to prepare the body and mind for the deep, guided meditation of yoga nidra (yogic sleep), this practice serves to calm the restless mind and deepen conscious awareness. Bring towel and mat. $15/drop-in. The Yoga Haven, 2507 Market St, Galveston. 409-770-9995. TheYogaHaven.net.

monday Yoga 101 – 5:30-6:45pm. With Kathleen. Foundational hatha yoga for students new to yoga or returning to practice. Fine tune basic skills that will deepen your understanding and enjoyment of the practice of yoga. Bring towel and mat. $15/drop-in. The Yoga Haven, 2507 Market St, Galveston. 409-770-9995.

TheYogaHaven.net.

tuesday Senior Tuesday – All day. On Tuesdays, anyone 65 years and up can visit Moody Gardens for $5/ attraction per senior. Restrictions may apply. Moody Gardens, 1 Hope Blvd, Galveston. 800-582-4673.

MoodyGardens.com.

Meditation – 9:30-10:30am. Unity Bay Area Houston, 1911 Hwy 3 S, League City. 281-554-2450.

UnityOfBayArea.org.

wednesday Oneness Blessing Meditation – 6:30-8pm. Visit for a unique experience that brings each person into a closer connection with one another and God. Unity Bay Area Houston, 1911 Hwy 3 S, League City.

281-554-2450. UnityOfBayArea.org.

Small Dog Socialization – 7:30-8:15pm. Bring in small dogs to have fun and socialize. Gimmie a Bark, 101 E Edgewood Dr, Friendswood. 281-482-1911.

GimmieABark.com.

saturday Clear Lake Shores Farmers’ Market – 9am-1pm. A nonprofit outlet operated by volunteers offering locally grown fruit, vegetables and other homemade products.

Texas certified farmers’ market. 1020 Marina Bay Dr, Clear Lake Shores. FarmersMarketAtCLS.com.

classifieds Fee for classifieds is a minimum charge of $20 for the first 20 words and $1 for each additional word. To place an ad, email Info@NA-SETexas.com.

ADVERTISING ADVERTISE HERE – Are you: hiring, renting property/office space, selling products, offering services, or in need of volunteers? Advertise your personal/business needs in Natural Awakenings’ classified ad section. To place an ad, email Info@ NA-SETexas.com.

OPPORTUNITIES LIKE TO DRIVE? – We are looking for you to drop off copies of Natural Awakenings once a month to various locations in your area. Must have a driver’s license, car and valid insurance. Email your name, phone number and your experience to Info@ NA-SETexas.com.

SERVICES HOLISTIC BODY WORK – Bayou Rolfing can re-align the body to ease pain or correct posture.

Rolfing smooths connective tissue for better movement. 281-910-4782.

GOT EVENTS? GET NOTICED! Advertise in our calendar.

natural awakenings

December 2015

29

Turn Your Passion Into a Business

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Natural Awakenings publishes in over 95 markets across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

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Natural Awakenings recently won the prestigious FBR50 Franchise Satisfaction Award from Franchise Business Review. To learn more, visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com

communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide, email Info@NA-SETexas.com to request our media kit.

ACUPUNCTURE HOOKED ON ACUPUNCTURE Clint McCallum, LAc 2505 Market St, Galveston 409-241-3199 HookedOnAcupuncture.com

ENERGY HEALING A HEALER

Individual energy healing for depression, stress, and chronic pain. For years, I have worked with individuals successfully treating these energy imbalances & others.

Let me share my God-given gift with you. See ad, page 18.

CHIROPRACTIC

COUNSELING GALVESTON BRAIN CHANGERS Dr. Stephanie McClung 3607 Broadway Ave, Galveston 409-300-3117 GalvestonBrainChangers.com

Oasis in the heart of downtown Galveston offers freshly made juices, smoothies, coffee, tea and healthy breakfast options.

Lunch options include sandwiches and creative salads. We also offer an organic products market. See ad, page 17.

YOGA

Susie Lyons Pearland 832-202-4391 TheHerbalistJournal.com

THE YOGA HAVEN

Natural health and skin care products (Old South Essentials), classes on herbs, plant medicine and essential oils. Get your body in balance – naturally. See column, page 14 & 22.

HOLISTIC CENTER

2507 Market St, Galveston 409-770-9995 TheYogaHaven.net For 10 years offering the path of yoga for vibrant body, awakened mind and open heart, the studio provides an inspiring environment for yoga classes. Daily classes for students of all levels; special workshops and events offered. See ad, page 13.

ISLAND BRAINWORKS, LLC Brainwave Optimization® 2220 Post Office St, Galveston 713-299-2277/409-599-7268 IslandBrainWorks.com

Brainwave Optimization ® (BWO) is science-based, effective and holistic; a noninvasive method of achieving brain balance and harmony. By es acting like a mirror to brain t to n , isla n d patterns, BWO allows the brain to auto-correct itself with individually tailored realtime methodology for brainwave activity using EEG technology. Appointments only. See ad, page 6. rainwork s db

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A full service salon and day spa in a private and relaxing environment. We combine personal attention with a healing touch for naturally beautiful hair & skin in an oasis of peace. See ad, pages 18 and 22.

From the city to the beach, where you live, work and play. Let me help you buy, sell or lease your Peace of Paradise on beautiful Galveston Island. I will be there every step of the way. See ad, page 17.

THE HERBALIST JOURNAL

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Reiki Salon & Spa 1615 23rd St, Galveston 409-765-5502 HappyPrettyYou.com

Dee Richmond, Realtor, CNE The House Company 409-370-4572 YourPeaceOfParadise.com

HERBALIST

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HAPPY PRETTY YOU!

Individualized nutrition counseling for clients dealing with chronic health issues. Group nutrition classes using the RESTART Program. Let me show you how to eat your way to wellness! See ad, pages 22 & 13.

YOUR PEACE OF PARADISE

409 25th St, Galveston 409-762-8446 OasisJuiceBar.com

Specializing in reducing symptoms of many disorders by improving the brain & body’s ability to relax utilizing neurofeedback and Christian counseling. Our goal is to help our clients achieve improved physical, emotional, and spiritual health. See ad, pages 11 & 22.

DAY SPA

Jennifer Steakley, LMT, NTP 306 S Friendswood Dr, #C4, Friendswood 713-714-3700 ThatWellnessPlace.com

REAL ESTATE

OASIS JUICE BAR & MARKET

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The team here serves the people of Galveston with the best in medical and alternative care. Call today to schedule a consultation.

See ad, page 3.

HEALTHY DINING

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Dr. Chad Duchon 2724 61st St, Galveston 409-744-9355 GalvestonSpine.com

WELLNESS NUTRITION & BODYWORK

John Bueche 281-686-8668 AHealer.com

Hooked on Acupuncture community clinic in Galveston is a healing place that is affordable, welcoming, nurturing, inspiring and educational. We heal with acupuncture and herbs. See ad, page 21.

GALVESTON PHYSICAL MEDICINE

NUTRITION

The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new. ~Pema Chödrön

natural awakenings

December 2015

31

STICK WITH THE BEST

You can trust Natural Awakenings to get your message out to our readers.

Market your products and services in our special

January Health & Wellness Issue Our readers seek specialists offering:

• Acupuncture • Alternative Healing • Aromatherapy • Ayurveda • Bodywork • Chelation Therapy • Chiropractic • Dental Care

• Energy Healing • Fitness/Health Clubs • Herbalists • Homeopathy • Hypnotherapy • Integrative Physicians • Iridology • Natural/Organic Foods

Contact us at: 409-939-8156 Info@NA-SETexas.com NA-SETexas.com

• Physical Therapy • Psychological Counseling • Wellness Trainers & Coaches • Retreats/Workshops • Skin Care • Spas • Spiritual Practices • Yoga ... and this is just a partial list