news briefs

Yoga Studio Offers Introductory Svaroopa Class

Time for You Yoga is hosting a free Newcomers’ yoga class from 2 to 3:30 p.m., September 25, at its studio in Cumberland, Rhode Island, for students new to the studio. Participants are invited to explore how Svaroopa yoga can help them feel better and learn how this style of yoga is radically different: easy to do and adaptable for every body.

This session will introduce Svaroopa yoga through four basic poses known as the Magic Four, a short, guided awareness and time for questions. The Magic Four is a sequence of beginning Svaroopa poses that target specific parts of the spine to unravel tension. The poses are adapted to each student and use chairs, blocks and blankets for support and propping. The class will be taught by the studio’s instructors Maria Sichel, Janice O’Brien and Suzanne Lincoln, offering individualized attention, so the poses effectively ease the body and mind.

Sichel explains, “Stress and tension are like boulders in a riverbed blocking the flow of energy. Svaroopa yoga offers people tools to remove those blocks. As tension in the spine is decompressed, inner healing and bliss are unlocked.”

No yoga mat or prior yoga experience is needed. Class space is limited, and reservations are required. Reserve a spot by calling the studio. Dress comfortably and plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to the class start time.

Cost: Free. Location: 2155 Diamond Hill Rd., Cumberland, RI. For more information, call Maria Sichel at 401-305-5319 or visit TimeForYouYoga.com. See Resource Guide on pag 34.

Martha’s Vineyard Photographer Gives Struggling Musicians Support

Martha’s Vineyard photographer Michael Blanchard, dubbed “the Ansel Adams of the recovery world” by Recovery Today Magazine, is donating a share of profits from his award-winning 2019 book, Through A Sober Lens: A Photographer’s Journey, to MusiCares, a charitable organization that gives musicians a support system of services across a spectrum of needs, including physical and mental health, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster, and COVID-19 relief.

Blanchard’s message has found resonance with readers around the world since the launch of his Facebook page in 2012 and the publication of his first book, Fighting For My Life, in 2014. Through A Sober Lens won the Gold Medal for Most Inspirational Book at the 2020 Benjamin Franklin Awards, and the reissue of Fighting For My Life has been nominated for Best Art and Photography Book in 2021. Both books blend personal essays with vivid landscape photos taken on Martha’s Vineyard.

In Fighting For My Life, Blanchard chronicles his journey from the depths of alcoholism, suicidal despair and a court-mandated rehabilitation program to a new life filled with caring, joy and contribution through his newfound gift of photography. The book is credited with helping thousands of people better understand the disease of addiction and take the first steps towards recovery.

He further explores that journey in Through A Sober Lens. “As I looked at life through a sober lens, I began to see the world for the first time,” he writes. “My camera became my transporter to places and people I would have never known. I started chasing light rather than alcohol. I started seeing spiritual energy instead of only darkness. I finally acknowledged that darkness and light are required to make a photograph—and life—beautiful.”

Blanchard has raised tens of thousands of dollars through his writing and photography to support mental health and substance abuse treatment on Martha’s Vineyard. His publisher, Genevieve Press, recently released a “jail-friendly,” updated paperback edition of Fighting For My Life that will allow individuals incarcerated for drug and alcohol offenses to obtain copies of it.

Both books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. For more information, visit BlanchardPhotoMV.com.

Spa Paula B. Adds Organic Skincare to Its Newton Spa

One of the lines available for retail and for use in facial treatments at Spa Paula B., in Newton, is Arboretum Skincare, a Newton-based company, that handmakes anti- aging facial products from nature’s finest ingredients. These plantbased formulas have been perfected by a skin scientist to give noticeable results. Hands Organics Skincare is also available for sale and for use in facial treatments. Hands Organics Skincare is botanical-infused, organic, small-batch skincare made from minimally processed ingredients that support people’s skin while caring for the planet. Spa Paula B. also offers an organic lash lift service that has a low odor and is gentle on the eyelashes.

Location: Inside, My Salon Suites Plaza at 150 California St., Ste. 504, Newton, MA. Online scheduling is available at SpaPaulaB.com/services. For more information, call 877-772-8522. See Resource Guide on page 33.

At-Home Neuro Training with RI Neurofeedback

RI Neurofeedback offers three ways to train the brain to function at peak performance levels: in-office sessions, athome training or monthly rentals. Using the advanced neurotechnology, NeurOptimal, this innovative form of neurofeedback is not a medical treatment, but rather a training for the brain. It doesn’t matter what the starting point is—every brain can benefit and tap into its own unique optimal state. The program is incredibly simple to learn and operate; training is effortless and is also 100 percent non-invasive, which means training can begin at any time.

Science is showing us that we have more control over our moods and mental states than we previously thought. When thought processes are disorganized or dysregulated, simple things feel more difficult and life becomes challenging. Having a calmer, more regulated brain and nervous system contributes immensely to the daily felt experience of our lives. Neuro training can teach people the skills to cope with and overcome all types of anxiety, stress, insomnia, ADHD, mood disorders and depression.

For more information, call 401-282-0230 or visit RINeuro feedback.com. See ad on page 13 and Resource Guide on page 30. Be sure to let our advertisers know you found them in September 2021 9