December 2013 by Natural Awakenings, Birmingham AL

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Peace on TOUCHING GREEN Our Plates HEAVEN Merry-Making Mindful Eating for a More Peaceful World

Retro-Fresh Family Traditions

Proof of Life After Death

December 2013

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contents 8 5 newsbriefs 8 healthbriefs 10 globalbriefs 1 1 greenliving 10 14 newintention 16 healingways 18 consciouseating 20 wisewords 21 inspiration 16 22 naturalpet 24 fitbody 26 calendar 27 classifieds 29 resourceguide

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE Display Ads due by the 10th of the month prior to publication. Contact Us to advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit. 256-476-6537 -or- Editor@AlabamaAwakenings.com

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS* Newsbriefs due by the 10th of the month. Limit 50-250 words. Content limited to special events and other announcements. No advertorials, please. Articles and ideas due by the 5th of the month. Articles generally contain 250-850 words, with some exceptions. No advertorials, please.

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.

11 GREEN MERRY-MAKING Retro-Fresh Family Traditions by Claire O’Neil

12 NEAR-DEATH

EXPERIENCES

Proof of Life after Death by Linda Sechrist

16 ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE WISE

A Prime Time to Rejuvenate and Birth Creativity

by Lane Vail

18 PEACE ON OUR PLATES Mindful Eating for a More Peaceful World

by Judith Fertig

20 HUMANITY’S

ETERNAL QUEST

Eckhart Tolle on the Kingdom of Heaven Within by Eric Nelson

21 BE HAPPY RIGHT NOW

The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware

22 PET FIRST-AID KITS

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS

All-Natural Home Health Care

Calendar of Events and Ongoing Calendar listings due by the 10th of the month. Limit 50 words per entry. Please follow format found in those sections.

by Sandra Murphy

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23 2013 IN REVIEW:

WHAT I ATE

by Steve Dupont, RD, LD

*All submissions are subject to editing and will be printed at the publisher’s discretion. Article space often fills in advance. Deadline dates refer to the month prior to next publication and may change without notice due to holidays, shorter months, or printing schedules.

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December 2013

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hat does it mean to Awaken? To see a reality behind the reality that you thought you knew so well. An overlay of a much larger truth. Everything is still there, but it is now modified in its meaning. Some elements of the world are changed hardly at all, while others are recast dramatically. All are answerable to, and illumined by, a towering truth—a new primary organizing principle: All things are divinely guided, and everything is

contact us Publisher Tom Maples Tom@AlabamaAwakenings.com Cell: 404-395-9634 New Business Development Advertising Sales Cindy Wilson Cindy@AlabamaAwakenings.com Cell: 256-476-6537 Design and Production Melanie Rankin Natural Awakenings Birmingham 14 Woodland Ave. Trinity, Alabama 35673 Office: 256-340-1122 Fax: 256-217-4274 NABirmingham.com © 2013 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $25 (for 12 issues) to the above address.

getting better! Four years ago, I didn't necessarily believe that. I didn't buy into there being any higher reality at all. But then some things happened that I couldn't explain. Some very odd things that I didn't have an answer for in my thoroughly uninspired, unimaginative, and un-magical way of understanding the world. My thoroughly non-spiritual belief set. Not a whole lot of Meaning, there, but that actually never bothered me one bit. I was not a Seeker, you see. The magical weirdness had to come to me. Then it did, and it was all very positive, very loving, very beautiful, and true. Its Truth did not need to fit in little boxes. That's what the higher reality is…it just Is…and palpably so. It's a tangible, felt presence, even though largely unseen. That's the Energy, they said. Right! It's all about energy and higher vibration. I get that now. The explanation feels just as "scientific" to me now as anything ever did. And for the last few years the energies on Earth have been increasing exponentially. I look at my own life, and am amazed at what I've been able to do in the last three years. I recently found a "Goals for the New Year" list that I had forgotten I had written, dated December 31, 2010. I am not a goal-setter. I do not make lists. But I did on that day, and the goals, posed as a question to myself, "What is it that you want most?" were intensely personal and, for the time, wildly ambitious, largely having to do with the getting-my-personal-act-together idea. I was able to check off many of my most passionately wished-for goals from the end of 2010. Believe me, it wasn't my doing…I certainly couldn't have done it without the rising tide of high-vibrational Cosmic and Divine energies that are being gifted to us as ascending humans on an ascending planet Earth. It's there, you can feel it. If you can't feel it…just look at the results. Look how far we've all come, where we've arrived at, as a collective, at the end of 2013. We stopped a war. We're reclaiming control of our food. People are awakening. Consciousness is growing. Compassion no longer sounds like naiveté. "Being realistic" about things now means being wildly optimistic, and confidently so. Cooperation is in. Nobody wins unless everyone's included. Our goal is the liberation of all people from lack and limitation. And all of that would have sounded nuts in 2010.

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Anti-Aging Specialists Peter A. Lodewick, MD and Karen Bishop, RD/LD Introduce The Gourmet Detox Diet This Holiday Season

atients are losing weight and detoxifying their bodies on a delicious holidayinspired, customized nutrition program called The Holiday Detox Diet. This program systematically opens channels of elimination, built upon a framework of delicious holiday-inspired meal plans and easy recipes. Ten-day and 20-day programs are available, and they both target inflammation with powerful dietary strategies and nutraceuticals. Registered Dietitian and Holistic Nutritionist Karen Bishop explains, “After interviewing patients I discovered that many have tried products that contained some botanicals and nutrients for assisting the liver or cleansing the colon but most of the time, there had never been an assessment made of the type of toxins to which they had likely accumulated and an informed choice made about which ingredients would best detoxify those particular substances. Contrary to popular belief, bio-detoxification does not make you sick if it is done properly. Our patients are always glad to hear that! They are also glad to hear that they can enjoy delicious food, maintain or improve their energy level and lose weight in time to look great for those holiday parties…all the while enjoying a delicious menu of easily prepared meals and snacks.” Karen continues, “Just some of the indications that you may need to detoxify include tiredness/fatigue, mental fog, morning stiffness, difficulty concentrating, consumption of fast, fatty or processed foods, use of caffeine, tobacco or sodas to get energy, bruising easily, food allergies, and frequent exposure to chemicals.”

Sleigh Riding in Stockbridge Bonnie White

our life is a reflection of your “beliefs.” These beliefs, usually subconscious, are the cumulative effects of life-long “programming.” As a result of past negative programming, we sometimes think and behave in self-defeating ways. PSYCHK provides a variety of safe and effective ways to “rewrite the software of your mind”—changing beliefs that sabotage you into beliefs that support you quickly and easily. PSYCH-K blends many disciplines such as muscle testing, Educational Kinesiology, Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, NLP, and others. With the synthesis of these methods, PSYCH-K allows you to dissolve internal resistance to change and take the actions you have always wanted to accomplish. Join other like-minded individuals on December 6-7, 2013 at Embody Practice Center in Birmingham. Learn the following in this two day highly experiential and interactive workshop: A simple and powerful way to de-stress, 3 methods to shift limits to potential, how to create your own personal Belief Statements for specific needs in your life, plus receive 175 belief statements on Prosperity, Self-image, Health/Body, Relationships, Grief/Loss, Personal Power, and Spirituality. December 6-7, 2013, Friday and Saturday 9am-5pm. Presenter: Jeanne Northington, Licensed Professional Counselor. Cost: $350 Full Registration, Bring a Friend discount, $250 each, $50 Deposit required to hold your place (balance due at the door).

For 30 years, Bonnie White lived and worked on her family’s horse farm in Canaan, New York, savoring rural life. When the barn closed in 2002, she resumed a passion put aside for more than 20 years: painting. White began attending area craft shows and fell in love with folk art. Her life on the farm and familiarity with the surrounding mountains, valleys, historic homes and villages have sparked unlimited ideas. Today, White’s colorful portrayals of Americana continue to evoke heartwarming memories of small-town life and simple pleasures. She accompanies each work with loving details about the characters that populate her villages and the community events that tie them together. “I’m lucky enough to live a few minutes from this picture-book town in Massachusetts,” she writes of Sleigh Riding in Stockbridge. “It’s especially fun to visit during Christmas time. The original painting can be seen there in the window of Williams and Sons General Store, on Main Street.” In 2007, White was invited to design an ornament for the Blue Room Christmas Tree at the White House. She and her husband still reside on the family farm with their sons, dog and cats.

Location: Embody Practice Center, 3918 Montclair Rd, Birmingham, AL 35213. See ad, page 14.

View the artist’s portfolio at Bonnie WhiteFolkArt.com.

Location: 3918 Montclair Road, AL 35213. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 205-915-0474 or visit DrLodewick.com. See ad, page 9.

Retrain Your Mind with PSYCH-K

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December 2013

newsbriefs Winter Solstice Celebration

he Winter Solstice of 2013 is being celebrated at Birmingham Yoga. The solstice is a time for reflection, resolution and renewal; a time of gift giving, goodwill and kindness. Most importantly, the solstice provides us with rituals to celebrate the balance of light and dark, rituals for welcoming the healing powers of warmth back into our world giving us a common ground, drawing us together as a community. With the solstice this year, As Yogi Bhajan has predicted, we see the energy of the Aquarian Age beginning to take shape even more through consciousness, information and energy healing. As we continue to move through this radical shift in energy, light and darkness play an even greater role. Shining your light is of most importance. “Be to be” as it is said. Join Terri Heiman, Shannon Andrews and Kewal Nam as we come together and honor this time. Celebrate through mediation, Kundalini, energy and sound. Honoring the return of light helps to magnify this energy out into the world. Celebrate the season in peace! The celebration will be held Saturday, December 21 at Birmingham Yoga from 7-9pm. Advance tickets $15 and $20 at the door. Refreshments will be served. Location: Birmingham Yoga, 605 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. Contact: Terri Heiman, 516-457-3885 or 205-201-6985. See listing, page 30.

Master Class at Birmingham Yoga

Master Class is being offered at Birmingham Yoga just in time to renew your body, mind and spirit as we move into the winter season. Release the stress and burn out from the busy holidays. This master class will guide students through five to seven Restorative Yoga poses for relaxing the body and mind while applying the energy of Reiki to renew the spirit. Winter is upon us and dream time is so important. Without a fresh spirit it is hard to create our dreams. Students will be supported with blankets and bolsters while maintaining poses, allowing time in each pose to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system and bring the body’s response system back into equilibrium. Reiki helps calm the mind, taking the student deeper within. What better way to renew and balance during this busy time. The class will be held December 28 from 3-5pm. Cost: $25 early registration by December 21, $30 after. Instructors: Terri Heiman and Christine Schupp-Avery. Location: Birmingham Yoga, 605 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. Contact: Terri Heiman, 516-457-3885 or 205-201-6985. See listing, page 30.

Peace on Earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day. ~Helen Steiner Rice

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Christmas at Unity of Birmingham

t Unity of Birmingham our doors are open, our hearts are open, our minds are open, and we invite you to join us for this beautyfilled season that is upon us. We start off the Advent Season on Sunday, December 1 with “Hope” and continue with “Peace,” “Love” and “Joy.” The word advent comes from the Latin adventus: to come. It signifies an anticipation of something. It is a time of preparation and a time to strengthen our relationships to ourselves and to one another. Advent is a season of opening doors and shining our inner light welcoming all others to join us on our spiritual journey. Our Christmas Eve Candle Light Service is a beautiful and inspiring ceremony that speaks to the way Christ’s light shines as each one of us, illuminating the world around us. The Burning Bowl Ceremony is a sacred time to let go of all that burdens your body, mind, and spirit, and at the same time set a clear intention for those things you are calling in to your life in the coming year. This event is one of our most meaningful “spiritual tune-ups,” and we encourage you to join us. Come One, Come All to Unity of Birmingham where we transform lives through the power of Divine Love. Location: Unity of Birmingham, 2803 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-251-3713. Unity Bham.org. See ad, page 7.

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ONGOING WEEKLY CALENDAR Sundays

Reverend Charles and Reverend Christine Perry Bookstore & Church Office Hours Tuesday–Thursday 9:30–4:30 Friday 9:30–3:00

Chaplain Prayer Line 205-251-4365

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24 hrs Prayer Available 1-800-NOW-PRAY

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10am Adult Sunday School, Beverly Hall 11am Youth Ministry, Artie’s Place 11am Sunday Service 5:30pm Course in Miracles, Main Lobby

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6:45pm CODA, Main Lobby

Sunday, December 15 11am Special Guest Musicians from Nashville, TN “Source” Sunday, December 22 11 am Advent Sunday Tuesday, December 24 7 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Tuesday, December 31 7 pm New Years Eve Burning Bowl Ceremony Sunday, January 5 11 am White Stone Ceremony

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE Each Sunday in December leading up to Christmas will focus on an Advent message:

12/1 Hope, 12/8 Peace, 12/15 Love, 12/22 Joy

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December 2013

healthbriefs

Sprinkle Cinnamon to Avert Alzheimer’s

innamon is known as an excellent antioxidant that improves fasting blood sugar levels and prevents heart disease. Now new research offers yet another benefit and reason to add this potent spice to our daily diet. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have confirmed that cinnamon helps protect against Alzheimer’s disease. They found that the cinnamon compounds cinnamaldehyde and epicatechin help stop the formation of “tangles” of tau protein in the brain, hallmarks of the memory-robbing neurodegenerative disease. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, says these powerful antioxidants that give cinnamon its potent flavor and scent defend mental function in a unique way. “Take, for example, sunburn, a form of oxidative damage,” explains Roshni Graves, of the university’s Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. “If you wore a hat, you could protect your face and head from oxidation. In a sense, this cinnamaldehyde is like a cap,” protecting against tau proteins. The findings suggest that sufficient cinnamon consumption might stop the progression of Alzheimer’s or even prevent it.

Cocoa Calms Inflammation

ew can say no to a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter’s night. “Enjoy!” say Penn State researchers. They have found that a little bit of cocoa may be a powerful diet aid in helping to control inflammation and ameliorate related diseases, including diabetes. Numerous current studies link obesity to inflammation in the body. Cocoa, although a common ingredient of chocolate, by itself has low-calorie, low-fat and high-fiber content. The researchers fed laboratory mice the human equivalent of 10 tablespoons of cocoa powder—about four or five cups of hot cocoa—along with a high-fat diet for 10 weeks. The control group ate the same diet without the cocoa. Lead researcher Joshua Lambert, Penn State associate professor of food science, says the study results surprised the team, which did not expect the “dramatic reduction of inflammation and fatty liver disease” associated with obesity. Although the animals lost no weight, the cocoa powder supplement reduced liver triglycerides by 32 percent and plasma insulin levels by 27 percent, indicating it might be a powerful obesityfighting tool. But there is a catch: Adding sugar, an inflammatory substance in itself, to healthy cocoa will likely neutralize the benefits. Try stevia as a sweetener instead; it’s been used for decades to lower blood sugar. 8

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Meditation Helps Heal Traumatized Veterans

ranscendental Meditation (TM) has a dramatic healing effect on people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can also result in lower blood pressure, according to two new studies. TM—a technique to avoid distracting thoughts, decrease stress and promote a state of relaxed awareness— reduced PTSD symptoms in combat veterans by as much as 50 percent in just eight weeks, according to a study from Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., published in the journal Military Medicine. The veterans also reported decreased depression and improved quality of life, with a greater ability to come back to their civilian lives after returning from duty. Vietnam War vets randomly assigned to TM sessions at a Denver Veterans Center also experienced greater reductions in alcohol usage, insomnia and depression than those in conventional counseling. At the conclusion of a landmark three-month study, 70 percent of the meditating veterans felt they no longer required the services of the center. A separate American Heart Association report on the general U.S. population showed that the practice of TM generally reduced systolic blood pressure in subjects by five points and diastolic by three points, enough to put many of them into normal range. Previous clinical trials have shown that lower blood pressure through TM practice is associated with significantly lower rates of death, heart attack and stroke. TM is usually practiced for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day by sitting comfortably and focusing on an individually selected word or series of words.

Cranberries Support Healthy Circulation

egularly drinking cranberry juice may help control blood pressure, according to new findings presented at the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions. Cranberry juice, the researchers note, is rich in antioxidants—naturally occurring molecules that have been associated with the blood pressure-lowering benefit. U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers discovered a moderate systolic pressure reduction—about three points—for people that drank two eight-ounce glasses of cranberry juice every day for eight weeks. Because of the sugar calories in juice, consider the alternative of a whole-food cranberry supplement.

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Button Batteries Imperil Bambinos

Karen Bishop, RD/LD

utton-type lithium batteries are all around us, powering remote controls, keyless entry devices for cars, flameless candles, watches, greeting cards and other devices. Parents should be aware that these batteries are attractive to small children and if swallowed, can dissolve and cause serious damage to the esophagus in as little as two hours. The National Safety Council reports that the number of children swallowing these batteries quadrupled between 2005 and 2010, to 3,400 cases, yet 62 percent of parents are unaware of the danger.

Registered Dietitian Anti-Aging Program Coordinator

Call Today for Your Appointment 3918 Montclair Road, Suite 217 Birmingham, Alabama 35213

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To Get More, Give More

iving away money or spending it on others increases the giver’s sense of personal wealth, according to research by Michael Norton, of Harvard Business School, and co-author Elizabeth Dunn, of the University of British Columbia. The latest in a series of studies showed that people that support others, from helping with homework to shoveling a neighbor’s driveway, feel that they had more time in general and that giving time away relieved the sense of “not having enough time,” even more than gaining unexpected free time.

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December 2013

globalbriefs

Tagging Toxins

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

Online Database Identifies Safe Products

Intuitive Generosity Spontaneity Sparks Altruism

What makes people put “we” ahead of “me”? To find out, a group of Harvard University researchers enrolled thousands of people to play a “public good” game in which subjects were divided into small groups, given some money and the choice to keep it or contribute it to a common pool that would grow and benefit the entire group. Researchers discovered that those that made their decisions quickly were more likely to contribute to the common good. Taking it a step further, the researchers applied time pressure to the decisionmaking process. They then found that those faced with making a quick decision most often chose the “we” option, while those that spent more time deliberating ended up giving less money to the group kitty. The Massachusetts research team, which tested thousands of online worldwide participants, concluded that spontaneity and intuition guide people into rapid acts of kindness.

Arctic Rescue

Finland Calls for North Pole Sanctuary The Finnish government has adopted a new Arctic Strategy that calls for a global sanctuary around the North Pole as one of the key demands of the growing Save the Arctic movement, reversing its long-held position of backing corporate interests over the environment. The populace responded strongly to a series of actions taken by Greenpeace against government icebreaker ships aiding corporate oil exploration in order to heighten awareness of the issue. The new Finnish policy reflects a mounting world citizenry’s view that the Arctic deserves protection. Greenpeace points out that companies can wreck the Arctic with little penalty and the current Arctic Council oil spill agreement does nothing to protect the Arctic or impose liability in this the most vulnerable place on Earth. The hope is that the other seven Arctic Council countries will see the light, as well. Sign the petition and pitch in at SaveTheArctic.org.

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SafeMarkets.org offers a new clearinghouse of information gathered by advocates investigating toxic chemicals in food, baby products, toys, furniture, construction materials and other consumer goods. Families, municipalities, builders and businesses can use it to identify potentially harmful products and find safer alternatives. Hosted by the Workgroup for Safe Markets (WSM), it’s a one-stop shop to provide information for consumers, retailers and manufacturers that are demanding safer products, says Beverley Thorpe, a WSM co-leader and consulting co-director for Clean Production Action. Mia Davis, vice president of health and safety at Beautycounter, who is expecting her first child, sees it as a resource for parents to find a full complement of safe products for their families. “More than ever,” she says, “people understand how important it is to shop with companies they trust and to support businesses working to create truly safe products.”

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For the holiday table, mix and match settings of plates, glasses, linens and cutlery. “Use the real thing,” Eisenberg recommends, “and recruit guests to help wash up afterwards.” She recalls that while growing up, her mother supplemented her silverware with grandmother’s for large holiday dinners. Save your own energy (and sanity) by asking family and friends to bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert. The hostess can assign a dish and corresponding recipe or use a potluck approach, says Eisenberg. Leftovers go home in non-plastic, reusable containers.

GREEN

Merry-Making Retro-Fresh Family Traditions

Gift Giving

by Claire O’Neil

hroughout the year, Santa’s good girls and boys of all ages make every effort to buy only what’s needed, plus recycle, reuse and repurpose. Then the holidays hit and discipline often gives way to indulgences. The season seems consumed by uptempo decorating, feasting, shopping, gift-giving and merrymaking at any cost. Yet, creative green living experts show us how easy it is to tweak timehonored family traditions to align with the green way we wish to live and feel even more satisfied with festivities.

Decking the Halls

For Danny Seo, author of Upcycling Celebrations: A Use-What-You-Have Guide to Decorating, Gift-Giving & Entertaining, “Upcycling is basically a form of recycling that elevates something to a better level than before.” Based in New York City and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Seo always has an eye out for green possibilities. “Opt for vintage pieces and re-imagine them in new and interesting ways,” he advises. For example, he likes to upcycle a vintage glass cake stand with a collection of bright ornaments for a unique holiday focal point. Michele Johansen, a lifestyle writer in Bellevue, Washington, suggests bringing in the outdoors. Instead of decorating the tree with tinsel and the home with plastic faux greenery, she suggests stringing popcorn and cranberries on the tree and decking the halls with fresh wreaths and garlands

accented with boughs of holly. “Local nurseries are good sources for holiday décor that you can later mulch or put in yard waste bins,” she says. “The smells are much more authentic and festive.” Save energy by using LED lights whenever possible, suggests Sheryl Eisenberg, a writer for the National Resources Defense Council. Plug lights and electronics into a power strip, and then unplug it when not in use to save “ghost” energy pulled by electronics that are plugged in, but not activated. Buy a live tree to later plant or recycle, Seo suggests. This supports regional Christmas tree farmers while retaining the integrity of local forests. Many communities offer recycling of holiday trees to provide mulch or habitat for aquatic life in local lakes.

Keeping the Feast

Organize a cookie exchange to get together and save time and energy on holiday baking, suggests Sara Novak, a food policy and health writer at SereneKitchen.com, from Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina. Generally, a hostess asks guests to bring several dozen of their favorite cookies. Once gathered, attendees share the treats and recipes, taking home several of each variety. To “green it up”, Novak recommends emailing the recipes rather than printing them, encouraging invitees to use fresh and local ingredients and bring favorite reusable containers from home, like a colorful, time-honored cookie tin.

Many families enjoy giving traditional gifts to children at certain ages, like dollhouses or train sets. Re-imagine these and, when possible, buy local to save energy and support area businesses, suggests Eisenberg. Cintia Gonzalez, an Australian mom, crafted a dollhouse from an old suitcase, inventively using black chalkboard paint for the exterior, wooden shelves as floors and fast food ketchup cups as lampshades (Tinyurl.com/ UpcycleDollhouse). Another mom transformed a discarded coffee table into a painted train table for her boys. Upcycle paint chip cards into colorful gift tags, suggests Seo. Plus, use gift wraps that become part of the gift itself, such as placemats swaddling a bottle of wine, fabric to encase quilting supplies or sheet music enveloping concert tickets. As a general rule, “Give experiences, not gifts,” counsels Eisenberg. “Giving loved ones experiences reduces wrapping paper, ribbon and packaging and is an easy way to be a bit more personal over the holidays. Your teenage niece may love a spa day, complete with hair styling, while your favorite aunt and uncle may be thrilled to attend a local wine tasting. If you think a young child can tolerate a few less presents in exchange for a pass to an ice show or dance class, go for it.” “It’s the holiday experience that counts,” counsels Seo. “It’s what makes memories.” Claire O’Neil is a freelance writer from Kansas City, MO.

natural awakenings

December 2013

Near-Death Experiences Proof of Life after Death by Linda Sechrist

he advice that the White Queen gave to young Alice in Lewis Carroll’s Through the LookingGlass might be some of the best to offer non-believers and skeptics that question the credibility of near-death experiences (NDE). When Alice protests, “One can’t believe impossible things,” the White Queen famously retorts, “I daresay you haven’t had much practice. When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

Glimpses of Grace

The majority of physicians and clinical researchers in the medical community continue to consider NDEs as impossible and merely pure fantasies generated by a surge of electrical activity as a dying brain runs out of oxygen. However, according to a Gallup poll, the 8 million Americans whose transcendental NDEs freed their consciousness to leave the body and enter into a wondrous reality that exists completely free of physicality, believe them to be real, meaningful and lifechanging experiences. Recently, the renowned NDE narratives of Anita Moorjani, author of Dying to Be Me: My Journey from Cancer to Near Death, to True Healing, and Dr. Eben Alexander, author of Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife, have sparked fresh public interest in NDEs, a word coined by Raymond Moody, Ph.D., in his 1975 classic, Life After Life. Moody, a psychiatrist and professor of philosophy who 12

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I was overwhelmed by the realization that God isn’t a being, but a state of being… and I am that state of being… pure consciousness. ~ Anita Moorjani has spent nearly 50 years investigating what happens when people die, has interviewed thousands of individuals that have personally experienced an NDE. “Over the past 20 years there have been enormous strides in resuscitation technology. Defibrillators and public access defibrillation programs, as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, are major factors that allow modern medicine to bring people back from a state that 100 years ago would have been labeled death,” observes Moody. Through his research, he has identified numerous common elements that occur in NDEs—an out-of-body experience, the sensation of traveling through a tunnel, encountering a bright light (usually interpreted as God, Jesus or an angel), communicating with deceased relatives, feeling emotions such as profound peace, well-being and love, plus a flood of knowledge about life and the nature of the universe. Perhaps the most significant element he reports is the supremely conscious and superbly blissful state that exists beyond both limitations of the senses and intellect and the confines of space and time—

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the pure conscious form of each one’s truly real Self.

Life as Love

Rushed to the hospital in a coma, Moorjani, whose body had been devoured for four years by cancer of the lymphatic system, describes the real self that she discovered during her NDE. “There I was, without my body or any physical traits, yet my pure essence continued to exist. It was not a reduced element of my whole self; in fact, it felt far greater and more intense and expansive than my physical being. “I felt eternal, as if I’d always existed and always would, without a beginning or end. I was filled with the knowledge that I was simply magnificent,” explains Moorjani, whose cancer completely disappeared within five weeks after her release from the hospital. “Not only did I come back with a clean slate, I brought back one of my biggest lessons—to love myself and be an instrument of love. I also returned to life here with a sense of purpose—to fearlessly be as authentically me as I can be. This means,” she clarifies, “that in whatever I do, I am acting from my sense of passion and the sheer joy of doing it.” During Alexander’s seven-day coma in a hospital, brought about by antibiotic-resistant E. coli meningitis that attacked his brain, he left his mortal identity behind. “My brain wasn’t working at all,” he relates. “My entire neo-cortex, the part that makes us human, was entirely shut down. I had no language, emotions, logic or memories of who I was. Such an empty slate granted me full access to the true cosmic being that I am, that we all are,” says Alexander. He further recalls that as his NDE unfolded, it occurred to him that he was being granted a grand overview of the invisible side of existence. He also had a lovely ethereal companion that floated along on a butterfly wing, telepathically teaching him to accept the universal truth that, “You are eternally loved and cherished, you have nothing to fear, and there is nothing you can do wrong.” “If I had to boil the whole message down to just one word, it would be Love—the incomprehensibly glorious truth of truths that lives and breathes at the core of everything that

“We need to accept—at least hypothetically—that the brain itself doesn’t produce consciousness.” ~ Dr. Eben Alexander exists or will ever exist. No remotely accurate understanding of who we are and what we are can be achieved by anyone who does not know it and embody it in all their actions,” Alexander now understands. Prior to his life-threatening illness, this neurosurgeon’s sophisticated medical training had led him to dismiss the possibility of NDEs. Today, he works at returning to his NDE state of oneness and unconditional love by using meditation and sacred acoustics, as well as quantum mechanics, to explore the nature of consciousness and higher brain function. Like Moody, Alexander studies the ancient Greek philosophers Parmenides, Pythagoras and Plato, who took the notion of an afterlife seriously and questioned “what” survives bodily death. Alexander’s consequent nonprofit organization, Eternea, fosters cooperation between science and spirituality by sponsoring research and education about spiritually transformative experiences and holistic consciousness beyond conventional definitions. “I had to learn a whole lot more about consciousness than I had to know about neuroscience,” quips Alexander, who now believes that the brain blocks access to knowledge of higher worlds. “We need to accept—at least hypothetically—that the brain itself doesn’t produce consciousness. That it is, instead, a kind of reducing valve or filter that dumbs down consciousness for the duration of our human experience. “Neuroscience can’t give you the first sentence about how the physical brain creates consciousness,” he states, while many are finding how science and spirituality strengthen each other. At age 37, a blood vessel exploded in the left hemisphere of Jill Bolte Taylor’s brain. A Ph.D. Harvard-trained scientist specializing in anatomy of the brain, she was fascinated to observe the breakdown of her brain-related functions.

As described in her book, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, she became the witness to her stroke, which initially left her unable to talk, walk, read, write or remember anything prior to that occurrence. As her left brain shut down, Taylor lost her ability to process all language; with her mind suspended in newfound silence, she experienced an unprecedented sense of deep peace. She also experienced an inability to visually distinguish edges and boundaries between herself and the outer world. Absent conventional orientation, “I could actually see that my skin was not my physical boundary.

“In touch with our wholeness, illness can’t remain—in ourselves, others or the planet.” ~Anita Moorjani “As a result of such a glorious state of blissful realization that I am—as we all are—connected to everything and everyone around us, I no longer see myself as a single, solid entity, separate from other human beings,” advises Taylor. “Although my left mind still thinks of me as a fragile individual, capable of losing my life, my right mind realizes the essence of my being as eternal life.” She now understands that she is part of the cosmic flow of energy, which she characterizes as a tranquil sea of euphoria.

Present Possibility

In The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth, author Gerald L. Schroeder, Ph.D., suggests that each of us is a part of the universe seeking and finding itself. Could it be that without the mental filter and self-limiting beliefs, we are free to consciously know our higher state of wholeness and the truth of our magnificence? Upwards of 8 million people that have experienced their own NDE are trending the world toward a tipping point into the comforting awareness that anything is possible. Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Visit ItsAllAboutWe. com for the recorded interviews.

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December 2013

newintention Lakota Advice for Life Friend do it this way—that is, whatever you do in life, do the very best you can with both your heart and mind.

“I’ve become focused on seeing the perfection of life in this moment.”

And if you do it that way, the Power Of The Universe will come to your assistance, if your heart and mind are in Unity. When one sits in the Hoop Of The People, one must be responsible because All of Creation is related. And the hurt of one is the hurt of all. And the honor of one is the honor of all. And whatever we do affects everything in the universe. If you do it that way—that is, if you truly join your heart and mind as One—whatever you ask for, that’s the Way It’s Going To Be. Source: Passed down from White Buffalo Calf Woman and Sapphyr.net.

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INSIGHTS WORTH SHARING

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sked why she thought she had cancer, Anita Moorjani, author of Dying to Be Me, sums up her answer in one word: Fear. “I was killing myself, and cancer saved me,” says Moorjani, whose book documents her near-death experience (NDE) and the higher realm she encountered when her body shut down. Allowed to identify with her true magnificence, undistorted by the fear generated by her own lifelong self-judgment, self-criticism, worry and lack of selfforgiveness, she returned with a vital, heartfelt message. “Everyone is an amazing, magnificent being, with great capacity for health, happiness and joy. Although we’ve been conditioned to believe that we need to pursue success and learn to improve ourselves to be happy, such steps are unnecessary, because we already are all we are trying to attain,” she says. “I’d spent a lifetime feeling inadequate, beating myself up for not meeting my own expectations,” she continues. Through the clarity of dwelling in the NDE realm, she understood that the cancer wasn’t a punishment for anything. “It was just my own energy manifesting as cancer, because my fears weren’t allowing me to express myself as the magnificent force I was meant to be,” advises Moorjani. She hopes that her presentations to medical professionals and public speaking will influence how the health profession views cancer and other diseases and illnesses. “Treatment needs to be about more than medicine, because so much of disease has to do with our emotions,” she imparts, “especially the ones we direct toward ourselves.” Through this life-enhancing experience, Moorjani came to understand why she owes it to herself, everyone she meets and life itself to always express her own unique essence. “Trying to be anything or anyone else doesn’t make me better—it just deprives me of my true self and keeps me from interacting authentically with others,” she explains. Moorjani now knows that all life in the universe is one and our core is love. “I was overwhelmed by the realization that God isn’t a being, but a state of being… and I am that state of being… pure consciousness.”

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December 2013

News to Share?

healingways

‘Tis the Season to Be Wise

Do you have a special event in the community? Are you opening a new office or moving? Recently become certified in a new modality?

A Prime Time to Rejuvenate and Birth Creativity

Let us know about it!

by Lane Vail

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 256-340-1122 for additional information, or email Editor@ AlabamaAwakenings.com 16

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or California acupuncturist Daniela Freda, counseling patients that grapple with low energy during winter is routine. “They’re often concerned something is wrong, since our society expects us to feel the same way year-round,” says Freda, who maintains a private practice in San Francisco. “But in fact,” she adds, “everything is right.” According to a study published in Psychiatry Research, only 4 to 6 percent of Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), characterized by a predictable seasonal pattern of major depressive or bipolar disorder. For the vast majority of the population, a slight seasonal variance in mood and behavior is normal, confirms Kathryn Roecklein, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and prominent SAD researcher at Pennsylvania’s University of Pittsburg. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), like Freda, view decreased energy in nature’s wintertime as a reflection of the season’s energy. In this philosophy, rising (yang) and falling (yin) energies cycle as the seasons turn. Winter is governed by quiet, slow, introspective and creative yin energy. As winter yields to spring, the bright, fast, expansive and extroverted yang energy gains momentum to peak in summer. “Nature expresses universal energies in a big way,” says research psychologist and mind-body medicine expert

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Joseph Cardillo, Ph.D., author of The Five Seasons. Who can ignore a blossoming spring or an abundant autumn? “Those same energetic cycles,” says Cardillo, “are mirrored in the microcosmic human body and human experience.”

Chill Out

Although the December 21 winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year, temperatures in most of the U.S. continue to fall through February. Cardillo advises embracing winter’s chill because it diverts our attention from daily activities so that we pause to consider what’s important. “The effect is similar to splashing cold water on our face,” he remarks. As the cold draws animals into hibernation and plants into dormancy, it also beckons us to enjoy extra sleep, notes Freda, as we follow the sun’s path: Earlier to bed; later to rise. She encourages her clients to incorporate restorative activities into daily routines. “Intentionally set aside time to connect with the breath and quiet the mind,” she counsels. Try gentle yoga or t’ai chi, listen to relaxing music, curl up with a cozy book or take nature walks, flush with fresh sensory experiences. Cardillo explains that slowing down naturally creates space for the contemplative and creative qualities of yin energy to rise. Meditating, visualizing and journaling promote access to one’s inner

Spring is a time for new Find Balance points out that within the strong beginnings, summer a time Freda yin energy of winter, “There are yang for growth, autumn for moments, celebratory moments, to us going.” An imbalance can gathering abundance and keep occur when the slowness of winter is winter for introspection. completely counteracted by too much ~Joseph Cardillo wisdom. “Winter is a perfect time to examine the myriad ideas you’ve dreamt up and assemble them into a new you,” says Cardillo. “Now you are prepared to use the robust energy of spring to scatter those ideas abroad.”

Reflect on Water

In TCM, the element of water, symbolizing focus and purity, is closely associated with winter. Highly adaptable, water can be solid, liquid or formless vapor; it can flow over, under, around or through obstacles with ease; and it can be still and contained. Contemplating the power of water in any of its forms can help synchronize one’s consciousness with the season’s gifts. “When your mind is unstuck and flowing like water, your dreams start becoming real to you, simply because you’re in the flow, the present moment,” observes Cardillo, who also authored Be Like Water. He suggests looking to water for guidance in creating solutions, sharpening focus or moving effortlessly on to the next step.

high-energy socializing, working or rushing through the day. “An excess of yang during the winter,” counsels Freda, “rather than a glimpse of it, can deplete us,” contributing to stress, fatigue and depression. Conversely, for those with an already predominantly yin personality (quiet, introverted, low energy) that overindulge in the yin energy of winter, an attempt at restoration and quietude can lead to lethargy and isolation. “I see this clinically,” says Freda. “Instead of embracing a little extra rest and relaxation, some people become exhausted and lose their motivation altogether. They become stuck in the yin.” Cardillo recommends that such individuals engage in mood-brightening outdoor activities to help restore balance. Roecklein agrees, noting that SAD sufferers undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy (which emphasizes positive thinking and beneficial behaviors) likewise are encouraged to participate in physical and social activities that bring joy and meaning. Lane Vail is a freelance writer in South Carolina. Connect at WriterLane.com.

~Art Buchwald

Unpleasant winter memories can affect one’s emotional experience of the season every year like clockwork, says Dr. John Sharp, a physician, psychiatrist and author of The Emotional Calendar. Fortunately, it is possible to take a personal inventory, be aware of such behaviors, innovate on traditions and create a new experience. Holistic Psychologist Joseph Cardillo goes further, suggesting that we create a “personal prescription” to mindfully manage difficult emotions during wintertime. He encourages activating the senses and combining two or more sensory experiences to amplify the effectiveness. Appealing options include: n Light scented candles or diffuse essential oils (citrus brightens; lavender soothes) n Invite bright colors into living spaces (reds excite; greens, blues and whites calm) n Nourish the palate with winter vegetable stews n Create a playlist of soothing nature sounds or uplifting music n Warm up near a cheery fire after spending time in the frosty outdoors

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Mindful Eating for a More Peaceful World by Judith Fertig

s Earth’s population grows to a projected 9 billion people by 2050, can our global community keep eating flesh like we’ve been doing for centuries? No, according to a 2010 report by the United Nations Environment Programme, an international panel of sustainable resource management experts. Examining the food demands of a growing population and associated environmental and sustainability issues, Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production recommends “substantial worldwide diet change away from animal products.” Making the case for a holistic view, Will Tuttle, Ph.D., suggests in World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony that we start to see the connections between our food choices and the health and well-being of ourselves, our families, communities and the world.

Web of Understanding

At the center of the web of life is the food we all share to sustain our bodies. Tuttle insists that we celebrate this and regard each meal as a feast. “Food preparation is the only art that allows us to literally incorporate what we create. It is also the only art that fully involves all five senses,” he says. We honor this wonderful activity most by sharing our cooking efforts with others, blessing the food and eating mindfully. The problem at the center of life, maintains Tuttle, is that we involve animals in our food chain, an act that “introduces

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Tip: Cook whole-grain or spinach pasta, potatoes, rice or another recommended grain in a large quantity to store in the refrigerator for use in stir-fries, salads and other meals later in the week. suffering, whether physical, mental or emotional.” This is a truth we try to hide from, what he calls the ”cultural shadow”. “The worst examples include factory farming, but even the best methods ultimately involve killing other animals for food,” he says. One of Tuttle’s more controversial claims is that the herding culture—raising, dominating, selling, killing and owning animals—sets up a harmful physical, emotional and cultural dynamic, extolling domineering and aggressive behavior. “The herding culture requires male dominance and a mentality that might makes right,” observes Tuttle. “It also sees females as primarily breeders, not beings.” Based on contemporary research in anthropology, sociology and psychopathology, he maintains that the actions required to both dominate animals and eat their meat can lead to more aggressive and violent behavior. One recent study seems to support his claim. Dr. Neil Barnard, in his book, Foods That Fight Pain, remarks that, “Plant-based diets also help tame testosterone’s activity.” Barnard cites a Massachusetts male aging study of 1,552 men ages 40 to 70, which indicated that men eating more fruits and vegetables than meat were less domineering and aggressive, because the increased sex hormone-binding globulin produced by plants helps keep testosterone in check. “If we continue the meat-centric way of eating, we’re going to continue to have the problems that come with it,” says Tuttle. “The way forward is plant-based agriculture.”

Practicing a World Peace Diet The Tuttles shop for fresh, organic and non-GMO (genetically modified organism) foods and favor what they call “blueprint

photo by Stephen Blancett

Peace on Our Plates

Peace Blueprint Recipes When sitting down to eat, look at what’s been created to nourish all those gathered. Enjoy the colors, smells, tastes and love that blesses the food. May the principle of Oneness govern all beings.

Green Smoothie

To start the day, use a high-powered Vitamix-type blender to reduce whole fruits and vegetables to a smooth juice. If using a regular blender, cut the fruits and vegetables into small pieces and strain the purée after blending. Yields two servings recipes”, that vary from day to day. Each outlines the makings of a dish and encourages cooks to be intuitive in how they fill in the details. For a typical breakfast, for example, Tuttle and his wife, Madeleine, will make a green smoothie that includes kale, banana, apple, grapes, ground flax, chia seeds, cinnamon and fresh ginger. “It’s a flexible drink,” says Tuttle. “We will swap out whatever organic fruits and vegetables we have so that we vary the flavor from time to time.” For example, they might use parsley, spinach, or chard leaves in place of kale, or citrus in place of grapes. Lunch is usually a wrap-type sandwich, sometimes using fresh leaf lettuce or a whole-wheat tortilla. One recent example of such a wrap combined tomatoes, peppers, sprouts, walnuts, tempeh and avocado. A dinnertime blueprint recipe involves a base of cooked rice, quinoa, pasta, mashed potatoes or polenta, topped with a vegetable ragout, cooked or raw. “You could live the rest of your life mixing and matching these ingredients and never have the same meal twice,” notes Tuttle. “We have been doing it for 30 years. If we all choose to eat like this, the world could feed everybody on a fraction of the land now consumed by agriculture.” Learn more at WorldPeaceDiet.org/ articles.htm. Judith Fertig blogs at AlfrescoFood AndLifestyle.blogspot.com from Overland Park, KS.

Toast walnuts by placing them on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. Cool, and then chop. Place the tortillas on a flat surface. In a small bowl, mix the Vegenaise and horseradish together. Spread the mixture on the tortillas. Top each tortilla with half the lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, avocado and walnuts. Roll each tortilla into a wrap and serve.

Raw Vegetable Ragout with Brown Rice Start dinner with a base of cooked rice, potatoes, quinoa or polenta and top it with a vegetable medley.

1 banana, sliced 1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped ½ cup seedless green grapes 1 cup chopped kale leaves 1 cup baby spinach leaves 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds ¼ cup ground chia seeds ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground cloves 1 cup purified water

Yields two servings Rice: 1 cup brown rice 2¼ cups water

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Strain, if necessary, to remove larger pieces; pour into two glasses and serve.

Whole Wheat and Vegetable Wrap

For lunch, a simple wrap can provide a daily change-up mixing in different fresh ingredients plus a plant-based flavoring like dried herbs, spices or garlic stirred into the Vegenaise or homemade eggless mayonnaise. Yields two servings 2 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas 2 Tbsp Vegenaise 1 tsp prepared horseradish, or to taste 1 cup fresh lettuce, torn into pieces ½ cup sprouts ½ cup chopped fresh tomatoes ½ cup shredded fresh carrots ½ cup diced fresh cucumber 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced ¼ cup toasted walnuts

Raw Vegetable Ragout: 1 cup red bell pepper, cut into strips ½ cup finely chopped celery ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped ¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley ¼ cup toasted, chopped walnuts 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp coarse kosher or sea salt Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir in the rice, reduce the heat and simmer covered until tender, about 40 minutes. While the rice is cooking, combine the red bell pepper, celery, Kalamata olives, Italian parsley and walnuts in a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, stir until well blended, and then let rest until the rice is done. To serve, spoon the cooked rice onto each plate and top with the raw vegetable ragout. Source: Adapted from Intuitive Cooking, by Madeleine Tuttle (WorldPeaceDiet.org).

natural awakenings

December 2013

wisewords

Humanity’s Eternal Quest photo by David Ellingsen

Eckhart Tolle on the Kingdom of Heaven Within by Eric Nelson

o listen to Eckhart Tolle is to be reminded that anything is possible—for anyone. We’re not talking about living a life of leisure, filled with expensive cars, beach homes and extravagant vacations, but an experience brimming with the kind of spiritual insights that make this life not only worth living, but decidedly more fulfilling. The problem is that when people hear the words “spiritual insight”, there’s often an assumption that it’s about something too ethereal to be practical or too elusive to be achieved in this lifetime.

This is exactly the point that Eckhart Tolle, one of the world’s most wellknown spiritual teachers and authors, rebuffed during a talk earlier this year at California’s Stanford University. “Some people awaken spiritually without ever coming into contact with any meditation technique or any spiritual teaching,” he says. “They may awaken simply because they can’t stand the suffering anymore.” He went on to cite examples of those that have either been told they have a short time to live or have been given an exceptionally long prison sentence. In both cases, any thought of

a future has been effectively dashed, forcing these individuals into what Tolle describes as an intense awareness that there is only the present moment, with no more future to escape into mentally. The result is a lot less suffering. “That is the real spiritual awakening, when something emerges from within you that is deeper than who you thought you were,” says Tolle. “So, the person is still there, but one could almost say that something more powerful shines through the person.” The good news, according to Tolle, is that in order to experience this awakening, “You don’t have to wait for the diagnosis by the doctor or to be put in prison… nor do you have to do 30,000 hours of meditation or live in an ashram for 20 years. Once you get a glimpse of it, you can invite it into your daily life.” For a growing number of people, it’s this understanding of the always present “spiritual you” shining through that has led to significant improvements in their lives, not the least of which is better health. This would seem to indicate that these kinds of spiritual insights aren’t the least bit ethereal or elusive, but decidedly practical.

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Spiritual insights aren’t the least bit ethereal or elusive, but decidedly practical. “Spirituality and religion belong in the healing paradigm,” writes Airdre Grant, Ph.D., of Australia’s Southern Cross University, in a study published in the Journal of the Australian TraditionalMedicine Society. “They are determinants of health and they are factors in recovery, well-being and longevity.” So where do these insights come from? Is it simply a matter of wishful thinking? Or is it perhaps something more reliable, more effective than that? “Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is within you,’” observes Tolle, implying that this health-inducing understanding may be a lot closer than we thought. “I think if he lived nowadays, instead of ‘kingdom’, he would have said, ‘dimension’. And ‘heaven’ refers to a sense of vastness or spaciousness. So if we retranslate the words of Jesus into modern terms, [it would be] ‘the dimension of spaciousness is within you.’” “And then Jesus said—when they asked him, ‘Where is the kingdom of heaven and when is it going to come?’— he said, ‘The kingdom of heaven does not come with signs to be perceived. You cannot say, ah, it’s over there or look, it’s over there, for I tell you the kingdom of heaven is within you.’” How comforting it is to be reminded that the proverbial “kingdom of heaven” we’ve been hearing about for at least two millennia—this “dimension of spaciousness”, or what might be characterized as the understanding of our true spiritual identity—is “within you.” It’s within us all, here and now. All that remains is the willingness— and the humility—to put this insight into practice. Eric Nelson is a Christian Science healing practitioner from Los Altos, CA, whose articles on the link between spiritual consciousness and health appear regularly in national online publications. Connect at norcalcs.org.

inspiration

BE HAPPY RIGHT NOW The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware

eople grow a lot when faced with their own mortality. As a palliative caregiver for many years, I learned never to underestimate someone’s capacity for personal growth. After wrestling with a variety of intense emotions, every patient I saw found their peace before they departed. When questioned about regrets or what they would have done differently, five themes emerged. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even half of their dreams and died knowing that it was due to choices they had made or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realize until they no longer have it. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. Every male patient that I nursed felt they had missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. They deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence. Women also spoke of this regret, but because most were from an older generation, many had not been breadwinners. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace

with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. As a result, many developed illnesses apparently related to the bitterness and resentment they carried. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. Many were disappointed they had not truly realized the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks, and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip away. Many deeply regretted not giving important friendships the time and effort that they deserved. I wish that I had let myself be happier. Many did not understand until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called comfort of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others and to themselves that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh with gusto and cultivate some silliness in their life. Bronnie Ware is the author of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, a memoir of how people she cared for changed the way she lives. She blogs at InspirationAndChai.com.

natural awakenings

December 2013

naturalpet

Pet First-Aid Kits All-Natural Home Health Care by Sandra Murphy

“

irst-aid is the first thing you can do to help an injured animal if you are prepared,” says Dr. Jason Nicholas, owner of The Preventive Vet, in Portland, Oregon. Attention in cases of injury or sudden illness can help a dog or cat stay more comfortable, stop bleeding and provide temporary relief. A pet first-aid kit can resemble a pantry more than a medicine cabinet. Natural components include: Cool water. Purified water kept in a spray bottle can cool overheated pets. For the fastest results, spray near the pulse points, the “armpits” and where fur is the thinnest. Further, a vet will assess if clinical hydration is needed beyond the water bowl. Saline solution. Versatile saline is available at the vet’s office or any pharmacy, and also easy and inexpensive to make at home. Use it to flush debris from eyes, clean wounds and promote healing from incisions. Two teaspoons of non-iodized salt in four cups of boiled water mimics body fluids. The Ohio State University Medical Center website provides a recipe for normal saline solution at Tinyurl.com/SalineRecipe. Vinegar. It acts as a drying agent, especially for floppyeared dogs taking a dip in a pool or natural waterway, which can leave the inner ear moist. “Don’t use vinegar if the skin is red or broken because it will be painful,” says Dr. Jules Benson, vice president of veterinary services

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at Petplan Pet Insurance, in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Never use it more than twice a week. Honey. Apply this sweet unguent to gums to help counteract low blood sugar and shock, particularly when a diabetic pet’s insulin levels are off. Maple syrup is a good substitute. Sugar. Although not recommended in a regular pet diet, sugar can be a topical antibacterial for the short term. Sugar draws water from the wound and dehydrates bacteria, supporting growth of new tissue. Plain yogurt. Adding this healthy refrigerated topping to dry food will activate a sluggish appetite and supply needed cultures to help balance the digestive system. Cornstarch. This non-toxic remedy helps stop minor bleeding from cuts, scrapes and pedicure accidents. Calendula. Also known as pot marigold, calendula cream may be used as an anti-inflammatory. Bug bites, scrapes, sunburn and itching from allergies also benefit from its application. Aloe. Easily grown in a garden or pot and available in gel form, aloe sooths burns, prevents blisters and speeds healing. It also serves as canine Chapstick. “Older dogs often have cracked skin on their noses,” notes Benson. “Aloe helps to heal the skin and keeps the dog comfortable.” Rescue Remedy. Illness or injury brings stress, and one common solution is Rescue Remedy. To relieve fear or anxiety, rub it onto a paw, nose or ears or add the recommended number of drops to water, a treat

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or food. It helps dogs, cats, horses, birds, fish and even iguanas. Dosage relies on the extent of stress rather than weight or species. Clean cloths. For bee stings or insect bites on the body, cool compresses can reduce swelling and itching. Wet a washcloth with cold water or for larger welts, wrap an ice pack in a towel and apply for a few minutes at a time. For stings on the face or mouth, it’s best to go to the vet’s office immediately, so that airways don’t swell up and hinder breathing. Miscellaneous supplies. Keep on hand gauze, tape, small scissors, tweezers (for removing objects from the roof of the mouth or splinters), a small flashlight, clean socks to cover a bandage and disposable gloves to keep human germs out of open wounds. A dog in pain may bite without realizing it. Nicholas recommends a basket muzzle, so the dog can easily breathe and pant. When a pet eats or drinks non-food items or foods they shouldn’t, such as chocolate, grapes or onions, head to the local vet. Veterinarian Jeff Levy, in New York City, who is also a certified veterinary acupuncturist, counsels, “Always keep contact information for your vet, an emergency hospital and animal poison control center handy.” Also, find out where emergency services are located when traveling. Pets can go into shock just like humans. To prevent or reduce the impact, keep the animal warm and provide a deep massage of the ears, at the base, where ears meet the head. A couple of drops of lavender oil on a collar or bandana will help everyone relax. Do not put essential oils directly on the pet, especially cats, as it can be toxic. Just like children, pets may have accidents or get sick after office hours. Stay calm, head for the natural pet pantry and then call the family’s holistic veterinarian. Sandra Murphy is a freelance writer in St. Louis, MO. Connect at StLSandyM@ yahoo.com.

Cutting Through the Nutrition Nonsense by Steve Dupont, RD, LD

2013 in Review: What I Ate

otal transparency here. I’m often asked by patients/clients not just what I recommend they eat, but what I eat myself on a daily basis. So I’m going to tell you.

BREAKFAST

Starts with a bowl of fruit, maybe 3-4 varieties including blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, oranges, grapefruit and bananas—roughly 1 ½ cups. Topped with granola enhanced with pumpkin seeds, pecans, walnuts and/or almonds, plus flax meal and chia seeds. About 15 g whey protein and 1 tsp cinnamon. About ½ cup plain, whole milk organic yogurt. A teaspoon or so of raw local honey. Coffee with about 1 tsp raw cacao powder and a large dollop of organic whipped cream. Pros: Keeps me satisfied for at least 4-5 hours with no desire to snack. Contains ample calories from carbohydrates (fruit, yogurt, granola, honey), protein (whey, yogurt, nuts, seeds) and fat (yogurt, cream, nuts, seeds). Just about every ingredient is replete with micronutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants, etc. Delicious! Cons: Takes prep time of about 10-15 minutes, largely fruit cutting. Can be very filling, sometimes too much so.

LUNCH

I tend to be quite repetitive with my lunches as well, bringing lunch to work 4-5 days a week. Lately I’ve been alternating on a weekly basis between: Option one, salad made with either fresh broccoli sprouts, chopped kale or chard topped with grilled chicken plus sometimes avocado. Dressed with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ground pepper, pinch of sea salt. Option two, quiche with standard pie crust, eggs, cream, gruyere cheese and a variety of veggies— usually greens plus a combo of tomatoes, garlic, onions, mushrooms and/ or bell peppers—in addition to either ham, bacon or pancetta. With either option I drink a homemade Vitamix fruit smoothie.

Some combination of apple, orange, banana, blueberries, strawberries, etc, plus yogurt, about 10 g whey protein, tsp of flax seeds, scoop of Boku Superfood powder, scoop of Good Cause Wellness Antioxidant Defense powder, carrot juice and coconut water. Pros: Much the same. Very satisfying. Well balanced with carbs (fruit/ juice), protein (chicken, whey, yogurt) and fat (olive oil or cream, cheese). Lots of micronutrients, especially in the smoothie and sprouts. Cons: Prep time. For salad weeks, I like to grill an entire chicken (quartered) on Sunday. Serve the legs for dinner and save the pulled breast meat for use during the week. Quiche is also made ahead, so prep time for it is almost nil during the week. The salad takes about 5 minutes in the morning, and the smoothie another 5 minutes. So total prep time for my breakfast and lunch is only 20-30 minutes, and worth the effort.

DINNER

As much variety as possible—and yes, I’m generally cooking 6-7 nights a week. On average, five or more of those meals will include meat. Say, chicken twice, red meat twice and fish once or twice. Meats are the cleanest, most local I can find. I rarely eat pork, it’s just not my preference. Plus, good clean non-CAFO pork is a little harder to come by. Meatless dishes include pizza, pasta, salads or soups. Top priority is including at least 2-3 different seasonal vegetables—fresh from the garden if possible—which means plenty of tomatoes and peppers in the spring/summer and leafy greens in the fall/winter. Other favorites include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, onions, sweet potatoes, winter squash—and who could forget garlic. Steve Dupont, RD, LD, is a registered dietitian and founder of Dupont Dietary Consulting LLC. Specialties include weight loss, energy balance, supplements, cooking and meal planning. 205-213-7953. SteveDupont.com. natural awakenings

December 2013

fitbody

Too Much Togetherness?

Exercise Helps Keep Family Holidays Merry by Sarah Todd

iven family hopes and often unrealistic expectations that everything will go perfectly, holiday gatherings can sometimes be a recipe for untoward stress. One of the best ways to keep potential ’tis-the-season tensions under control is to carve out some time for exercise, a move supported by research findings at Princeton University. Other experts suggest that from practicing a favorite Eastern modality to taking a natural spin around the neighborhood, we all have instant access to foolproof tactics for staying relaxed, healthy and more even-keeled among kin this winter. To mend nerves frayed by debates at the dinner table, slip into a nearby bedroom for a calming yoga workout. Yoga’s emphasis on controlled breathing makes it ideal for treating family dynamics straight out of Silver Linings Playbook. The Mayo Clinic reports that deep breathing increases the flow of oxygen into the bloodstream, easing headaches, muscular tension and chest tightness. Yogic breathing patterns also are shown to lower resting heart rates, which helps practitioners stay composed in the face of any intrafamily disagreements or other stressors. For a quick, relaxing yoga routine, begin with a 24

Birmingham, AL

few breathing exercises before moving into a sun salutation—a sequence of full-body poses, or asanas, performed in a smooth, continuous flow. Begin standing, palms pressed together in the tadasana, or mountain, pose. Then move through a series of motions that sweep the arms over the head, expanding the chest, before dipping into downward dog and plank poses, which help increase flexibility and strength. End lying down in the shavasana, or resting, pose with eyes closed and let the quiet settle in. Resistance-training exercises are another option. Release pent up tension by pushing against a wall. Stand about three feet away, lean in and push. Position feet at an angle so that a straight body line forms the hypotenuse of a triangle with the wall and floor. This activity drains the limbs of tightness and stretches out hamstrings and calf muscles, enabling us to walk away feeling light and limber. While some people can happily greet and maintain cheerfulness throughout holiday family times, others may feel a bit anxious. For a sure-fire endorphin boost, try a cardiovascular workout like running, which German researchers

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published in Cerebral Cortex confirm produces a flood of euphoria on cue. A quick jog or spirited walk outside helps elevate mood while strengthening the immune system, helping to keep feelings of melancholy at bay. Before heading for the door, those stretching their legs outside in colder climates need to dress as if it’s 20 degrees warmer than the thermometer reads. This helps prevent the body from overheating, especially after being sedentary for an extended period. To get the blood flowing beforehand, do some simple stretching or take a few trips up and down the stairs.

From practicing a favorite Eastern modality to taking a natural spin around the neighborhood, we all have instant access to foolproof tactics for staying relaxed, healthy and more evenkeeled among kin this winter. Exercisers that prefer to stay sheltered from wintry weather entirely have a solid alternative; an indoor cardiovascular workout can mimic jogging’s mood-lifting effects. Try alternating 12 reps of jumping jacks, lunges, squats and crunches to get the heart pumping. Consider a second series for a higher intensity workout. All of it will give muscles that often go slack during holiday loafing a chance to flex. Because these moves don’t require any equipment, such electives are as portable as a travel hair dryer during holiday visits anywhere. After one or more of these solo workouts, many revelers may be ready to up the ante on family togetherness. For a healthy dose of quality time, round up the gang and enlist them in a high-energy outdoor activity like hiking, sledding or even Ultimate Frisbee. Participating in friendly family competition is healthy fun and gives everyone something else to talk about later. Sarah Todd is a freelance writer in Brooklyn, NY. Connect at SarahToddInk.com.

Birmingham Integrative Health is Now Offering Exilis for Face and Body

new high-performance aesthetic device is redefining radiofrequency (RF) technology to reduce wrinkles, treat laxity and reshape both the face and body from head to toe on patients of all ages. Exilis advances the noninvasive treatment of face and body wrinkles, collagen loss and stubborn flab with its delivery of precise heating and cooling, plus real-time monitoring of skin temperature. This constant detection and control of RF flow allows the physician to reach therapeutic temperatures in the shortest amount of time, providing a predictable and beneficial response while ensuring patient safety and comfort. While the RF energy is heating the dermis, patients remain relaxed and pain-free as the system's digital thermometer provides constant feedback as to the skin's temperature, thus ensuring a comfortable, even treatment. The energy causes the collagen support tissues in the skin to remodel and tighten, thereby stimulating and strengthening the collagen network, which improves skin laxity and texture. Exilis delivers the convenience and fast results patients want with redefined RF technology that is safer and more targeted for smoother and youngerlooking skin anywhere on the face and body. Exilis can be used virtually anywhere on the face and body, including around the eye, jaw line, jowls, around the mouth, inner thighs, arms, abdomen, back and ankles. Benefits include: no downtime and maximum comfort due to controlled, gradual warming, no anesthesia, no pre-treatment requirements and no numbing, no injections and no recovery, quick treatment ses-

sions with optimal results after only four sessions; each session lasting about 20 to 30 minutes spaced about 7 to 10 days apart, and immediate and progressive results that last. Following treatment, patients are asked to increase water intake and to engage in light physical activity like walking to maximize cosmetic results.

BEFORE

AFTER

For more information or to make an appointment call Birmingham Integrative Health at 205-655-2110. Location: 159 Main St, Trussville, AL 35173. Birmingham IntegrativeHealth.com. See ad, page 15.

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natural awakenings

December 2013

calendarofevents Global Cuisine @ the Plaza: Italy – 2:30pm. Coffee-ol-ogy Cafe presents a fun, free and interactive program on the food and culture of Italy. Free samples enhance the experience. Hoover Public Library, 200 Municipal Dr, Hoover, AL 35216. 205-444-7821.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 Southeastern Outings Easy Walk – 2pm. Vulcan Trail inside the City Limits of Birmingham. Enjoy an easy walk in the woodlands overlooking Birmingham on the Saturday after Christmas. Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205-631-4680. See SEOutings.org for directions to departure location.

Adaptations Screening Party: The Polar Express – 2:30pm. Read the book. See the movie. Share the experience. Our December title is The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Free. Avondale Regional Library, 509 40th St South, Birmingham, Alabama 35222. 205-226-4000.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2 Tree Lighting Ceremony and Children's Holiday Party – The Tree Lighting Ceremony will begin at 4:30pm outside the library, followed by the Children's Holiday Party inside. Join us for an evening of crafts and fun for the whole family to enjoy. Free. Smithfield Branch Library, 1 8th Ave West, Birmingham, Alabama 35204. 205-324-8428.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 The Birmingham Boys Choir 36th Annual Christmas Concert – 7:30-9pm. This event continues, in its own very special way, to mark for hundreds of people the beginning of the holiday season. Admission is free and open to the public. Canterbury United Methodist Church, 350 Overbrook Rd, Birmingham, AL 35213. 205-767-9219.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5 Happy, Healthy Holidays with Chef E – 3:30pm. Join Chef "E" this Christmas holiday for creative and fun cooking. Learn how to eat and be merry (without regrets). Free. West End Branch Library, 1348 Tuscaloosa Ave SW, Birmingham, Alabama 35211. 205-226-4089. Sloss Holiday Market – 6-9pm (Thu), 3-8pm (Fri), 9am-8pm (Sat). Local vendors selling art, crafts, food, and more, just in time for the Holiday Season. Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, 20 32nd St North, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-324-1911. Tis the Season – 7:30pm (Dec 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14), 2:30pm (Dec 7, 8, 14). Enjoy your favorite holiday hits in this cheerful celebration that is sure to spread the humor and joy of the season. $30-$35. Red Mountain Theatre Company Cabaret Theatre, 301 19th St North, Birmingham, AL 35203. 205-324-2424.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6 Retrain Your Mind with PSYCH-K – 9am-5pm (Fri-Sat). Learn methods to change beliefs that sabotage you into beliefs that support you. A twoday interactive workshop with Jeanne Northington, License Professional Counselor. $350 Full registration, $250 each for Bring-A-Friend discount. Embody Practice Center, 3918 Montclair Rd, Suite 100. Register with JeanneNorthington@gmail.com. BSC Carol Service Featuring the Choirs of Birmingham-Southern College – 7:30-9pm (12/6), 4:30-6pm (12/8). The Birmingham-Southern College Concert Choir, Southern Chorale, and Alumni Choir present glorious and inspiring choral music for the holiday season. Free. Canterbury United Methodist Church, 350 Overbrook Rd, Birmingham, AL 35213. 205-226-4957.

Birmingham, AL

The Magic City Nutcracker – 7pm (12/6), 2pm and 7pm (12/7), 2pm (12/8). A non-profit, volunteer-run, Community Nutcracker utilizing local talent for the performing company. Part of the proceeds go to local charitable agencies. $10. Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, 2061 Kentucky Ave, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216. 205-444-7821. An Intimate Evening with Yo-Yo Ma – 8pm. Admission charged. Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1200 10th Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35294. 205-975-2787.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7 Alabama Waldorf School's 26th Annual Holiday Faire – 10am-3pm. Celebrate the season with an international buffet and bake sale, live music, games, climbing wall from Idelwild, and vendors featuring local artists, crafts and handmade goods. Free. Alabama Waldorf School, 1220 50th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-592-0541. AlabamaWaldorf.org. 5th Annual Artist Market – 10am-4pm. This year's artists will feature pottery, jewelry, watercolors, oil paintings, acrylic paintings, clothing accessories and culinary arts. Free. Shelby County Arts Council Gallery, 104 Mildred St, Columbiana, AL 35051. 205-669-0044. German Christmas Market – 10am-6pm. Stock up on handcrafted, holiday gifts from local and German artists and vendors. Free. Das Haus: German Club, 2318 2nd Ave North, Birmingham, AL 35203. 205-324-5949. Say "Feliz Navidad" in Spanish! – 10:30-11am. Join us for a fun language learning story time. Free. Homewood Public Library, 1721 Oxmoor Rd, Homewood, AL 35209. 205-332-6619. Magic City Choral Society Christmas Concert – 7-8pm. The choir will warm our spirits with the Sounds of the Season with live piano and over 90 voices. Free, no tickets required. Please bring canned goods to donate to needy families. Pell City Center, 25 Williamson Dr, Pell City, AL 35125. 205-338-1974.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8 Southeastern Outings Dayhike, Oak Mountain State Park – 1pm. Enjoy a moderate 4-mile walk in the woodlands near Birmingham on a Sunday afternoon. Depart 1pm from the Oak Mountain Park office parking lot. $3 park admission. Info: Rita Forest, 205-620-1167. SEOutings.org.

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Holiday Concert – 3-8pm. Everyone is invited to Avondale Park for a free Holiday Concert with the Steel City Men's Chorus. The performance will be held in the amphitheater and complimentary hot chocolate will be provided by the Merchant Association. Avondale Park, 4101 5th Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-253-1051. Choral Christmas Concert –4-5pm. The Independent Presbyterian Church Choir, under the direction of Dr. Jeff McLelland, will present their annual Christmas Concert, Baroque by Candlelight, including Vivaldi's GLORIA. Free. Independent Presbyterian Church, 3100 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-933-3700.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10 Adaptations After Party: The Polar Express – 2:30pm. Discussion of the book and film. Free. Avondale Regional Library, 509 40th St South, Birmingham, Alabama 35222. 205-226-4000.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12 Chad Fisher Group Holiday Special – 6:30pm. Trombonist Chad Fisher and his backing band present a special program of holiday classics played jazz style. Free. Hoover Public Library, 200 Municipal Dr, Hoover, AL 35216. 205-444-7821. Holiday Music Concert – 7:30-9pm (Thu-Fri). Get in the spirit at this family-friendly concert in the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater. It features ASFA's Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Choir, and Concerto delle Donne. $10 Adults/$5 Students. Alabama School of Fine Arts, 1800 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35203. 205-490-2345. A Bluegrass Christmas Carol – 7:30pm (Dec 1214, 19-21), 2:30pm (Dec 15, 22). A musical retelling of the classic Dickens classic with an all-star cast accompanied by one of the South’s finest bluegrass groups, The Herb Trotman Band. $20-$25. Virginia Samford Theatre, 1116 26th St South, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-251-1206.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13 Junior Sangha – 5:30-7pm. Dharma and Social Gathering for Teens. Monthly Friday night gathering for kids in their teens. Includes brief meditation and discussion, then social activity (pizza, bowling, movie nights). Birmingham Shambhala Meditation Center, 714 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-587-3710. Birmingham.Shambhala.org. Restorative Yoga at Embody – 6-8pm. Join Lauren Brown for restorative yoga, where your mind and body can rest and renew with the help of props and massage. $25 before 12/12, $35 day of class.

Embody Practice Center, 3918 Montclair Rd, Suite 100. Registration required at lauren@embodybirmingham.com. George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™ – 7:30pm (Dec 13, 14, 20-22), 2:30pm (Dec 14, 15, 21). Dazzling choreography, opulent costumes and extravagant sets make this production unlike any other. $20-$55. Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center, Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Dr, Birmingham, AL 35229. 205-975-2787.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14 The Decked Out Dash 5K and One Mile Fun Run – 8am (registration 7am). Deck yourself out in Holiday clothes or costume and join us. Proceeds benefit The Arc of Jefferson County. $30/5K; $25/ fun run. Oak Mountain State Park, 200 Terrace Dr, Pelham, AL 35124. 205-323-6383. Southeastern Outings Dayhike – 9am. Moderately easy hike in DeSoto State Park. We will hike along the beautiful West Fork of Little River and also visit Lost Falls. This is one of the most scenic state parks in Alabama. Meet 9am at Applebee’s Trussville. Info: Havis Johnson, 205-834-3544. SEOutings.org. Alabama Wildlife Center's Holiday Craft and Bake Sale – 9am-3pm. Meet Santa, enjoy free coffee and hot cider, shop for locally made holiday-themed crafts, ornaments, handmade jewelry, and homemade food. Free. Veterans Park, 4800 Valleydale Rd, Hoover, AL 35242. 205-663-7930 x8.

Southeastern Outings Dayhike, Moss Rock Preserve – 2pm. Explore the wilder side of Hoover on a moderately strenuous 2-4 mile hike with considerable climbing up and walking down steep hills on Shades Mountain. Info: David Shepherd, 205-2404681. See SEOutings.org for departure location. A Christmas Story – 2pm. Ralphie has to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect gift for the 1940s. $8. Alabama Theatre, 1817 Third Ave North, Birmingham, AL 35203. 800-745-3000. A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols – 3-4pm. The Cathedral Choir sings the traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols celebrating the birth of Jesus, modeled after the famous service held annually at King's College, Cambridge. Free. Cathedral Church of the Advent, 2017 6th Ave North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. 205-226-3505.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18 Coffee, Cocoa, and Conversations – 9:3011:30am. Join us for our first ever book group open house. Meet the book group leaders, pick up flyers with next year’s selections and discover a new book group you’d like to attend. Free. Hoover Public Library, 200 Municipal Dr, Hoover, AL 35216. 205-444-7840.

Breath Class with Margaret Pittenger – 9am12pm. With Margaret's training in Feldenkrais and yoga, this will be a unique opportunity to experience lightness and peacefulness within the body through the breath. Appropriate for all ages and abilities. $50. Embody Practice Center 3918 Montclair Rd, Suite 100. Register with mjpittenger@gmail.com. EmbodyBirmingham.com. Children's Program: Little Buddhas – 1011:30am. Group sessions for ages 3-6 years include age-appropriate Buddhist teachings, storytelling, group discussions, movement, crafts, and meditation instruction. Parents are to remain at the Center during program. Birmingham Shambhala Meditation Center, 714 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-587-3710. Birmingham.Shambhala.org. Birmingham Ballet: The Nutcracker – 2:30pm and 7:30pm (Sat), 2:30pm (Sun). Birmingham Ballet’s innovative version of The Nutcracker brings the holiday season to life with unparalleled storytelling, exciting dancing, aerial ballet, whimsical characters, and magical surprises. $25-$45. BJCC Concert Hall, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd North, Birmingham, AL 35203. 800-745-3000.

classifieds Fee for classifieds is $1 per word per month. To place listing, email content to Editor@Natvalley.com. Deadline is the 10th of the month. HELP WANTED MASSAGE THERAPIST wanted to provide corporate chair massage in Birmingham and the surrounding area. Send resume to info@lightworks chairmassage.com or call 205-516-2856.

Winter Solstice Celebration – 7-9pm. Celebrate the season of winter with yoga, meditation and energy. Presented by Terri Heiman, Shannon Andrews and Kewal Nam. Advance tickets $15, $20 at the door. Birmingham Yoga, 605 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-637-4228. BirminghamYoga.com.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22 Service of Choral Evensong – 4-4:45pm. The IPC Camerata, under the direction of Dr. Jeff McLelland, will provide the service music for this Advent Evensong. Free. Independent Presbyterian Church, 3100 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-933-3700.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28 Resolution Run – 8am-12pm. Join the Trak Shak, Birmingham Track Club and the Friends of Red Mountain Park for the 3rd annual Resolution Run at Red Mountain Park. $15 per person. Red Mountain Park, 2011 Frankfurt Dr, Birmingham, AL 35211. 205-882-0587.

Miracle on 34th Street – 7-8:40pm. When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing. $8. Alabama Theatre, 1817 Third Ave North, Birmingham, AL 35203. 800-745-3000.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20

It's A Wonderful Life – 7pm. An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed. $8. Alabama Theatre, 1817 Third Ave North, Birmingham, AL 35203. 800-745-3000.

Stories Under the Stars – 6:30-8pm. What a perfect way to enjoy a crisp, cold night—bundled up around a warm toasty fire listening to entertaining stories from Storyteller Zechariah Hook. $5/ $7 (non-member). Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, 1214 81st St South, Birmingham, AL 35206. 205-833-8264.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21

Children's Program: Young Warriors – 1:30-3pm. Group sessions for ages 7-10 years. Group sessions include storytelling, group discussions, movement, crafts, and meditation instruction. Parents are to remain at the Center during program. Birmingham Shambhala Meditation Center, 714 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-587-3710. Birmingham.Shambhala.org.

Mindful Parenting – 1-3pm. Incorporating Buddhist teachings and meditation practice into parenting. Join us to exchange experiences, give each other support, and learn more about the enriching and gentle Buddhist view of parenting. Birmingham Shambhala Meditation Center, 714 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-587-3710. Birmingham.Shambhala.org.

Southeastern Outings Easy Walk – 2pm. Vulcan Trail inside the City Limits of Birmingham. Enjoy an easy walk in the woodlands overlooking Birmingham on the Saturday after Christmas. See SEOutings.org for departure location. Info: Dan Frederick, 205-631-4680. Reiki & Restorative Master Class – 3-5pm. Refresh, renew and relax your body, mind and sprit with restorative yoga and reiki energy. Master class led by Terri Heiman and Christine Schupp-Avery. $25 by 12/21, $30 after. Birmingham Yoga, 605 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-637-4228. BirminghamYoga.com.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1 Holiday Detox Flow Class – 3-5pm. Join Melissa Scott for a special two-hour flow class that will lengthen, twist, and detox your body, mind, and spirit to a whole new level of freedom. $25. Birmingham Yoga, 605 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-637-4228. BirminghamYoga.com.

MONDAY, JANUARY 6 Introduction to Yoga Series – 5:30-6:45pm, Mondays through 2/10. In this six-week series the student will be given the building blocks for the union of the breath, body and mind through yoga. $72. Instructor: Ingrid Propst. Birmingham Yoga, 605 37th St South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205-637-4228. BirminghamYoga.com.

natural awakenings

December 2013

ongoingevents daily

thursday

Birmingham Yoga – View full calendar online at BirminghamYoga.com.

Tower/Reformer II – 9am-10am. This intermediate level equipment class utilizes the Reformer or Tower to deepen our Pilates practice. This class requires prior teacher approval. Pilates on Highland, 2827 Highland Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-323-5961. PilatesOnHighland.com.

Embody Practice Center – View full calendar online at EmbodyBirmingham.com. Pilates on Highland – View full calendar online at PilatesOnHighland.com.

Lunch Break Yoga – 12-1pm. Join Jean Campbell for an all-levels gentle hatha yoga practice for folks on the go. Late arrivals no problem. Classes focus on reducing stress and creating peace. $60 for 6 classes, $13 drop-in. Embody Practice Center, 3918 Montclair Rd, Suite 100, Birmingham, AL 35213. EmbodyBirmingham.com. Jean.m.campbell@ gmail.com.

sunday Sunday Service – 11am-12:30pm. Unity of Birmingham, 2803 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-251-3713. UnityBham.com. A Course in Miracles – 5-6:30pm. On-going discussion group. Unity of Birmingham, 2803 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-251-3713. UnityBham.com.

monday Mindful Roots with Nicki Noftz – 4-5:15pm. This class will utilize aspects of yoga, Pilates and meditation to create a balanced practice that creates grounding, inner strength, confidence and calmness of mind, essentially tapping into the roots of deeper self-awareness. The Yoga Circle 280, 5291 Valleydale Rd, Birmingham, AL 35242. Soulnicity.com.

tuesday Tai-ji Quan Practice – 6:30-7:30pm. Stephen Guesman. Tai-ji Quan (Tai Chi) is a Chinese slowmotion martial art and moving meditation. Call 205-919-6231 or email GreenWorks.sg@gmail. com to register. Drop-ins welcome: $10 (first class free); 13 weeks for $75, 26 weeks for $120. Embody Practice Center, 3918 Montclair Rd, Suite 100, Birmingham, AL 35213.

wednesday Mat II/III – 9am-10am This all level mat class utilizes the Pilates mat exercises to find synchronicity of our mind, body and spirit. Pilates on Highland, 2827 Highland Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-323-5961. PilatesOnHighland.com. Cardio Jumpboard – 4:30-5:30pm. This beginning/intermediate level equipment class blends the Reformer exercises with the cardio of the jumboard to create an energizing experience. Prior equipment experience required. Pilates on Highland, 2827 Highland Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-323-5961. PilatesOnHighland.com. All Levels Gentle Yoga for All Age Adults – 6-7pm. Join Jean Marie Campbell for an hour of hatha yoga. Classes will focus on applying yoga tools to daily living. $60 for 6 classes, $13 dropin. Homewood Senior Center, 816 Oak Grove Rd, Birmingham, AL 35209. CampbellArts.com. Jean.m.campbell@gmail.com. Mat I/II – 6:30-7:30pm. This all level mat class utilizes Pilates mat exercises to connect to your core mentally and physically. Prior Pilates experience required. Pilates on Highland, 2827 Highland Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-323-5961. PilatesOnHighland.com.

Earth Fare's Family Dinner Night – 4-8pm, kids eat free. One adult meal of $5 or more receives up to 6 free kids meals. We have a cafe where families can sit and eat, or we can package everything to go. Earth Fare, 3230 Galleria Circle, Hoover, AL 35244. 205-988-2938. EarthFare.com.

friday Reformer III – 7-8am. This advanced level equipment class utilizes the Reformer exercises to awaken your mind-body-spirit connection. This class requires prior teacher approval. Pilates on Highland, 2827 Highland Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35205. 205-323-5961. PilatesOnHighland.com.

saturday Pepper Place Saturday Market – 7am-12pm through 12/14. Local growers, food producers and artisans. Rain or shine. 2829 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35233. 205-313-4120. PepperPlace Market.com.

Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year!

Birmingham, AL

NABirmingham.com

communityresourceguide ACUPUNCTURE Ashley Lundy, LAc.

Doctor of Oriental Medicine 4735 Norrell Dr, Suite 5 Trussville, AL 35173 239-240-5428 Alacupuncture.com DocLundy@alacupuncture.com Specializing in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. Using noninvasive treatment to help treat pain, high blood pressure, fertility issues, insomnia, fibromyalgia, and weight loss. Located inside Eastern Chiropractic. Call today for your appointment. See ad, page 14.

ACUPUNCTURECRANIOSACRAL THERAPY MARGOT WALBERT DOM, AP, CST Licensed/Board Certified 3125 Independence Dr, Suite 108 Homewood, AL 35209 205-868-1313

East meets West at McMinn Clinic. Acupuncture Physician (AP), Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DOM), Chinese Massage, and Craniosacral Therapy. Dr. Walbert uses Craniosacral Therapy independently from, or in conjunction with, acupuncture— an approach that established her unique standing within the Integrative Health Care community.

ANTI-AGING MEDICINE PETER A. LODEWICK, MD KAREN BISHOP, RD/LD

3918 Montclair Rd, Ste 217 Birmingham, AL 35213 205-915-0474 • DrLodewick.com Specializing in anti-aging medicine and barriers to weight loss, anti-aging programs, comprehensive nutritional therapy, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, peri-menopausal issues, adrenal health, thyroid optimization, diabetes care, saliva testing, food sensitivities, intracellular nutrient analysis. See ad, page 9.

Coming Next Month

CHIROPRACTIC CHIROPRACTOR & HERBALIST Dr. Jeanne R. Chabot 2116 Rocky Ridge Road Hoover, AL 35216 • 205-822-2177 ChabotChiropractic.com

36 years of Chiropractic experience, certified herbalist, Reiki Master. Conventional Chiropractic adjustments & gentle adjustments, physiological therapeutics, decompression therapy. Private treatment rooms. Massage therapy, Hypnotherapy, Energy Work, Meditation Class, Personal training, and Yoga classes. Most Insurance accepted.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY Healing Waters

Bernadine Birdsong I-ACT & NBCHT Certified Instructor 720 23rd St South, Birmingham, AL 205-323-7582 • MoreThanColonics.com Detox your body with Colon Hydrotherapy, Infra Red Sauna, and BioCleanse Therapy. We are the only hydrotherapist in Alabama providing colonics with ionized, microclustered, antioxidant, alkaline water. We offer Lipoex®, a non-invasive way to melt fat, reduce cellulite, and tighten skin. Computerized Biofeedback, Massage therapy, pain management, light therapy, Korean-style Hip Bath, and VibaBody Slimmer also available. See ad, page 13.

COUNSELING SYDNE STONE

Licensed Professional Counselor AAMFT, Clinical Member 2116 Rocky Ridge Rd, Hoover, AL 35216 205-492-7760 • SydneStoneCounseling.com SydneStoneCounseling@gmail.com With 25 years of experience, Sydne Stone has been successful in helping people in several areas including Life Stage Adjustments, Grief, Divorce, Anxiety, Work and Career, Stress, Self-esteem, Addictions and Co-Dependency, Couple and Family Therapy and Coping with Chronic Illness. See ad, page 10.

SPECIAL EDITION

Health & Wellness Rev Up Healthy Choices in the New Year Local & National Experts Show You How

EMILY TUCKER LPC, NCC

Grow your business with a Community Resource Guide listing in Natural Awakenings. Something for every budget. Call today! 256-340-1122

300 Office Park Dr, Ste 220 Birmingham, AL 35223 205-261-1417 • EmilyTuckerLPC@gmail.com Birmingham-Counseling.com Empathy, compassion and reflection are the foundation of her practice with each client. Specializing in Addictions, relationship issues, trauma recovery, depression and anxiety, wellness coaching. Call today for your free consultation. Wellness Packages now available; pay once—no hassles. See ad, page 13.

For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call

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natural awakenings

December 2013

ENERGY HEALING REV. TERRI A. HEIMAN, RMT, RYT

Natural Forces Studio, LLC 605 37th St South inside Birmingham Yoga Birmingham, AL 35222 205-201-6985 or 516-457-3885 Terri@NaturalForcesStudio.com NaturalForcesStudio.com Workshops, Classes, Private Energy Sessions, Intuitive Readings, EFT, Meditation, Kundalini & Restorative Yoga, Spiritual Counseling, Weddings, Illness.

Soulnicity: Synchronicity of the Soul Nicki Noftz 205-202-9198 Info@Soulnicity.com Soulnicity.com

FAMILY MEDICINE

NUTRITION AND GIFTS

Birmingham Integrative Health

GOLDEN TEMPLE, NOW 3 LOCATIONS 1901 11th Ave. South, Birmingham: 205-933-6333 3309 Lorna Rd, Suite 7, Hoover: 205-823-7002 110 N. Chalkville Rd, Suite 148, Trussville: 205-655-0353

Dr. Melanie Miller 159 Main Street Trussville, AL 35173 205-655-2110 BirminghamIntegrativeHealth.com Facebook.com/Birmingham IntegrativeHealth

Dr. Miller brings a commitment to integrative health to her patients in the greater Birmingham area. Her definition of good health goes beyond freedom from disease. She strives for both physical and mental well-being. She is a Family Medicine Doctor with interest in adrenal, thyroid, hormone balancing, nutrition, food allergies, weight loss, herbs, supplements and acupuncture. See ad, page 7.

HOMEOPATHY CONSULTANT

“Inner peace is standing still in the chaos of life.” Offering Reiki/energy healing, Pilates/Mindful Movement Instruction, meditation, spirituality and workshops. Energy healing can provide deep relaxation, assist in the healing process emotionally and physically, assist in connecting the mind-body-spirit, balance life energies, and help you maintain a healthy mind, body and spirit. Call or email for more information about energy healing or other services. Two locations available in the Birmingham area. See ad, page 18.

JOAN SCOTT LOWE

Homeopathic Consultant 1901 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. South Birmingham, AL 35209 205-939-0071 Joan@HomeopathyBeWell.com HomeopathyForWellness.com Call or email Joan Scott Lowe, Homeopathic Wellness Consultant, to determine your individual constitutional remedy, the FDA-approved nontoxic homeopathic remedy based on the totality of your mental, emotional, and physical condition, chosen according to the Law of Similars ("like heals like"). Achieve wellness and freedom from illness!

Make your community a little GREENER … Support our advertisers For every $100 spent in locally owned business, $68 returns to the community source: the350project.net

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Since 1973, we have been bringing you the best in healthy living. We offer a wide variety of merchandise including vitamins, herbs, supplements, natural foods, organic produce, incense, clothing, books, and gifts.

PILATES Pilates On Highland

2827 Highland Ave South PilatesOnHighland.com Info@pilatesonhighland.com 205-323-5961 Pilates on Highland is a full service studio located in the historic Highlands area, offering a caring, certified staff, personalized attention and top of the line Pilates equipment. The Pilates method increases your strength, tones your body, decompresses your joints, improves flexibility and range of motion, boosts circulation and stimulates your mind. See ad, page 9.

YOGA BIRMINGHAM YOGA STUDIO

605 37th Street South Birmingham, AL 35222 • 205-637-4228 Contact@BirminghamYoga.com BirminghamYoga.com Serving the community, Birmingham Yoga offers and hosts: ongoing yoga classes in two beautiful studios, 200-hour yoga teacher training accredited with Yoga Alliance, morning meditation, exciting workshops and class series, monthly community kirtan, musical events, and rental space for guest speakers and teachers.

EMBODY Practice Center 3918 Montclair Rd, Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35213 205-637-0299 Info@embodybirmingham.com EmbodyBirmingham.com

Embody Practice Center offers Yoga for all ages, levels, and health conditions. Classes include All Levels Yoga, monthly Yoga Nidra and Restorative Yoga, Beginner’s Series, and series specific to injuries (such as neck and shoulders or low back). EPC also offers Tai-Ji Quan (Tai Chi), Breath/ Feldenkrais® Class, Meditation workshops, and various other community and professional workshops. See ad, page 14.

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A Few Drops Can Change Your Life! You could feel better, lose weight or increase energy and mental clarity with a few drops of Natural Awakenings DETOXIFIED IODINE daily in water or on your skin when used as directed. An essential component of the thyroid, iodine replacement has been reported to give relief from: • Depression • Fibromyalgia • Hypothyroidism • Radiation

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