NA Indy December 2019

E E FR H E A L T H Y L I V I N G

HEALTHY

PLANET

JOYFUL GIVING How Generosity Transforms Us

THE MERRY VEGAN PeoplePleasing Holiday Sweets

The Evolution of Community

Gathering to Make a Difference

December 2019 December 2019 | Indianapolis Metro Edition | NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

1

Makes getting there half the fun.

The SUV for all you love.

Lease a 2020 Subaru Ascent Premium for only

383/mo

$

For 36 months. $3,183 down plus tax, title, license and dealer fees due at signing.

Subject to $199 documentation fee.

Offer ends 12/31/19. See dealer for details. On approved credit.

Security deposit waived. 12,000 miles per year. Model #LCB-12.

MSRP $37,510. Vehicle shown is Ascent Limited.

TomWoodSubaru.com 317.608.0019 3300 E 96th St Indianapolis, IN 46240

THE CAR YOU WANT. THE WAY YOU WANT.

INCLUDED WITH ALL NEW VEHICLES EXCLUSIVELY FROM TOM WOOD SUBARU 2

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

Contents

Natural Awakenings is a family of more than 70 healthy living magazines celebrating 25 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

14

12 THE GENEROUS

20

HEART

How Giving Transforms Us

14 THE EMERGING POWER OF ‘WE’

Awakening to the Evolution of Community

18 AN EARTH-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY BENEFITS MOTHER EARTH AND HUMANITY

23

20 WASTE-FREE FEASTING

How to Reduce Holiday Food Waste

22 SURGEON MARY NEAL On Lessons From Heaven

23 THE MERRY VEGAN

People-Pleasing Holiday Sweets

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings please contact us at 317-984-0040 or email Publisher@AwakenIndycom.

Deadline for ads: the 15th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS For articles, news items and ideas, go to NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com to submit directly online.

Deadline for editorial: the 8th of the month.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Go to NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com to submit listings directly online. Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month.

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

26 REFRESH HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

Making the Old New and Green

28

28 PERFECT PET PRESENTS

Safe and Eco-Smart Toys

DEPARTMENTS 5 news briefs 8 health briefs 10 global briefs 12 inspiration 18 plant medicine 20 green living 22 wise words

23 conscious

eating 26 healthy kids 28 natural pet 30 calendar 31 resource guide December 2019

3

letter from publisher

D

ear NA Indy Readers, In the spirit of the season, we rightly turn our attention to metaphysical matters, most notably Linda Sechrist’s uplifting feature, “The Emerging Power of ‘We’: Awakening to the Evolution of Community.” Here you’ll find a compelling argument that collective wisdom, collaborative change and the need to evolve may be the key to addressing the major challenges that confront humankind.

This month’s Wise Words also takes us on a spiritual journey with the story of Mary Neal, an orthopedic surgeon and author of 7 Lessons from Heaven: How Dying Taught Me to Live a Joy-Filled Life, who shares her account of a near-death experience in which she believes she penetrated the veil dividing the physical and spiritual worlds. Her life-altering experience prompted her to pay more attention to those things that are truly important: faith, family and relationships with others.

In addition to feeding the soul, we focus on nourishing ourselves with Earth-friendly holiday practices, from updating family traditions and serving vegan treats, to reducing food waste and choosing safe and eco-smart products. Chef Wendell Fowler’s December feature, “An Earth-Friendly Holiday Benefits Mother Earth and Humanity,” brings our attention to eating and shopping locally, always with the Earth in mind.

We explore the pursuit of healthy living with articles detailing the many benefits of breathwork in “Inhaling the Joy of Life: Conscious Breathwork,” and the importance of maintaining strong skeletal integrity in “Beyond Calcium: Full-Spectrum Bone Health.”

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season,

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

INDY METRO EDITION PUBLISHER Donna Kirk Publisher@AwakenIndy.com

EDITOR Randy Kambic DESIGN & PRODUCTION Kim Cerne Paul Scott CONTRIBUTING WRITER Wendell Fowler WEBSITE Nicholas Bruckman

CONTACT US Call or text 317-984-0040 Facebook.com/AwakenIndy NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Digital subscriptions are available by joining our mailing list at NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

NATIONAL TEAM CEO/FOUNDER Sharon Bruckman COO/ FRANCHISE SALES Joe Dunne

NATIONAL EDITOR Jan Hollingsworth

MANAGING EDITOR Linda Sechrist NATIONAL ART DIRECTOR Stephen Blancett

ART DIRECTOR Josh Pope FINANCIAL MANAGER Yolanda Shebert FRANCHISE SUPPORT MGR. Heather Gibbs WEBSITE COORDINATOR Rachael Oppy NATIONAL ADVERTISING Kara Cave Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4933 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 203 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-434-9392 • Fax: 239-434-9513 NaturalAwakeningsMag.com © 2019 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. 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.

Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.

Natural Awakenings Magazine is ranked 5th Nationally in CISION’S® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines

4

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

news briefs

Help Morter HealthCenter Sponsor Families for the Holidays

M

orter HealthCenter continues their tradition of giving back to community neighbors during the holiday season. Stop by the office anytime during business hours to pick up a gift tag. Then purchase a gift, wrap it, and deliver it to the office by December 12. Donated gifts will be delivered to local families in need. Happy holidays!

Location: Morter Health Center, 10439 Commerce Dr. Ste. 140, Carmel. For more information, or to register for classes at Morter Health Center, call 317-872-9300 or visit MorterHealthCenter.com. See ad on page 7.

Indy VegFest Winter Market at Biltwell Event Center

T

he Indy VegFest Winter Market will be held Sunday, December 8 from 12-4 pm. This free, family-friendly event is open to all. Merchants will sell vegan and cruelty-free products such as apparel, body care, home decor, household items, and prepackaged vegan food. Food vendors will be onsite as well, serving their plant-based dishes.

Even for those that aren’t vegan, Indy VegFest Winter Market has something for everyone. Omnivores are encouraged to come out and sample plant-based foods and products for themselves.

Access Consciousness Bars® Training in Indianapolis

O

n Saturday, December 14, Traci Fraley, Ph.D., Certified Access Consciousness Bars® Facilitator, is offering a one-day training to become an Access Consciousness Bars® Practitioner.

After the training, participants are qualified to facilitate Bars® sessions for the public, and give and receive sessions with other Bars practitioners. Training includes a manual, verbal and video instruction, giving and receiving two full Bars sessions.

Access Consciousness Bars sessions can help release thoughts, beliefs, or emotions that are no longer helpful, and create energetic space for new patterns. Beneficial for adults or children. Recipients report improvements with sleep, anxiety, depression, focus and concentration, energy, pain, and more. Somatic changes have been noted with thermography studies. This training provides 6 hours for massage therapists through NCBTMB. Cost: $350 adults, ½ price ages 16-17, free for those under age 15 with a paying adult. Location: Country Inn & Suites Airport South, 5630 Flight School Dr, Indianapolis. Hours: 9:30 am5:30 pm. For more information, visit TraciFraley.com, or email Dr.TraciFraley@gmail.com. Register at AccessConsciousness. com/en/public-profiles/Traci-Fraley/

Admission: free. Location: 950 S. White River Pkwy. West Dr. For more information, visit Facebook.com/indyvegfest.

December 2019

5

HEALTHY LIVING

HEALTHY PLANET

YOUR LIFE

IN ASCENT.

2020 EDITORIAL CALENDAR HEALTHY LIFESTYLES ISSUE

JAN FEB

Age-Defying Habits Plus: Healthy Immune System Cardiovascular Health Plus: Regenerative Medicine

PLANT-BASED NUTRITION ISSUE

MAR APR

Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet Plus: CBD Grassroots Climate Crisis Strategies Plus: Healthy Home

WOMEN’S WELLNESS ISSUE

MAY JUN

Autoimmune Breakthroughs Plus: Protein & Collagen Connection Inspired Lifestyle Travel Plus: Brain Health

THE FOOD CONNECTION ISSUE

JUL AUG

Beyond Factory Farming Plus: Gut Health Biological Dentistry Plus: Environmental Education

SELF-EMPOWERMENT ISSUE

SEP OCT

Emotional Well-Being Plus: Adaptive Yoga Stress Management Plus: Joint Health

THE DIABETES CHALLENGE ISSUE

NOV DEC

Personalized Diabetes Strategies Plus: Skin Care Creating Community & Connection Plus: Spending Locally

IN EVERY ISSUE...

HEALTH BRIEFS | GLOBAL BRIEFS | ECO TIP | GREEN LIVING HEALING WAYS | FIT BODY | CONSCIOUS EATING HEALTHY KIDS | WISE WORDS | INSPIRATION | NATURAL PET

6

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

Helping Ninjas Continue Efforts with Tom Wood Subaru and TerraCycle to The All-New, Upcycle Plastic 3-Row WasteSubaru Ascent.

Test strike drive at The Tom Wood Subaru. elping Ninjas again! organization continues its efforts to reduce the burden on landfills by gathering items for the TerraCycle box at Tom Wood Subaru.

The dealership sponTomWoodSubaru.com sors a collection box for 855.530.5631 TerraCycle to help area 3300 E 96th St Indianapolis, IN 46240 residents recycle items THE CAR YOU WANT. THE WAY YOU WANT. that are not typically accepted at local recycling centers, including snack wrappers and coffee/tea capsules. Collected items are upcycled and repurposed into items like park benches, which are donated to children’s parks in the Indianapolis area.

Founded in 2017 by Leo Barry and his mom Lindsey, Carmel-based Helping Ninjas began as an initiative to save the pollinators and, in turn, help the environment. Since it began, the student-led group, comprised of area youth, has established a number of programs to educate kids about environmental awareness and action.

H

For more information about Helping Ninjas, visit HelpingNinjas.com. Tom Wood Subaru location: 3300 E. 96th St., Indianapolis. Call 317-705-7011 or visit TomWoodSubaru.com. Also visit TerraCycle.com/en-US/. See ad on page 2.

Katrinbechtel/pixabay.com

Freedom for a Day Program for Shelter Dogs

I

ndy Animal Care Services offers a program called Freedom for a Day for dogs who have spent more than 30 days at the shelter. The program allows individuals to pick up a qualifying dog for a day out on the town for exploration at a park, or a walk around downtown with the goal to get out of the shelter environment to socialize with people. The program began in March of this year, and has proved beneficial in helping dogs socialize and release energy by being in a different environment for the day. Some suggested dog-friendly destinations for these pups are Eagle Creek Park, Garfield Park, or the Monon Trail.

To take a dog out, bring a valid ID to the front desk of the shelter during regular business hours. Adoption counselors will point out which animals qualify for the program. After the day out, return the dog to the shelter no later than 5:30 pm that afternoon. In order to allow the dog as much time out of the kennel as possible, please arrive at the shelter to participate in the program by 2 pm.

Location: Indy Animal Care Services, 2600 S. Harding St., Indianapolis. For more information and program hours, visit Indy.gov/Activity/Freedom-for-a-Day or call 317-327-1397.

Wellness Awaits You!

At Morter HealthCenter, we focus on natural ways to heal the body from the inside out. Using the Bio-Energetic Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.), our doctors remove underlying causes of discomfort from your body to restore its natural healing process. Take the first step to transform your life!

Chasing symptoms simply doesn’t work.

To learn more, attend a complimentary class

Evening With The Doctor

Chef Wendell offers Holiday Special on Plant-Based “Eat Right Now” Book Series

A

uthor and speaker Chef Wendell is offering his plant-based eating series at a special discount as a “healthy living, healthy planet” holiday gift. There are four books in his series, which “contain published food essays, provide scientifically supported dietary information regarding vitamins in food, hundreds of recipes, how to lose weight mindfully, prevent diseases of modern society, label-reading and cooking hacks, and food history.”

Books are available by contacting Wendell directly.

For more information and to purchase books: visit ChefWendell.com or email Chef Wendell at ChefWendellFowler@gmail.com.

See ad on page 19.

Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. • R.S.V.P. Requested

Visit our website for ongoing events and classes www.MorterHealthCenter.com

Morter HealtHCenter

Teaching You to Live Well™

10439 Commerce Dr. | Suite 140 | Carmel

317-872-9300

December 2019

7

Maintain a Healthy Diet and Weight to Lower Cataract Risk A recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition used adherence to dietary guidelines and total diet scores to assess the effects of diet on cataract risk.

The researchers followed 2,173 older Australians for five and 10 years in two phases. They found that maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) of less than 25, combined with a healthy diet, reduced the risk of developing cataracts.

Eat a Better Diet to Improve Gut Bacteria Researchers at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center tested stool samples of 858 men and 877 women in Los Angeles and Hawaii with a mean age of 69—regarded as an ethnically diverse study population with varied food intakes. The study found that those with higher quality diets also had significantly better gut bacteria diversity, a factor linked to reduced risk for a variety of diseases. Diet quality and a reduced risk of developing chronic disease is strongly associated with fecal microbial diversity.

8

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

New research offers potential paths for treatment for the nearly 20 percent of patients with high blood pressure that don’t respond well to medications. University of Florida College of Medicine researchers, testing 105 volunteers, found that the populations of gut bacteria differed between hypertensive individuals with depression and those without depression. A second study by Italian researchers found that patients with heart attacks had different bacteria in their guts than patients with stable angina.

Hong Vo/Shutterstock.com

Researchers followed more than 36,000 Japanese men older than 40 for an average of 13.2 years. They found that those that consumed culinary mushrooms three times a week had a 17 percent lower chance of developing prostate cancer compared to those that ate mushrooms less than once a week. Participants that ate mushrooms once or twice a week had an 8 percent lower risk. The trend was even greater for those men over the age of 50 and was unrelated to other dietary habits.

SK Design/Shutterstock.com

Eat Mushrooms to Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer

Reduce Blood Pressure and Heart Attacks With Better Gut Bacteria

Train Students in Mindfulness to Reduce Stress and Improve Grades Sixth-graders that received mindfulness training each day for eight weeks experienced lower stress levels, less depression and improved academic performance compared to their peers in a control group that studied computer coding, report Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers. In addition to that 100-student study, researchers surveyed 2,000 students in grades five through eight and found those that showed more mindfulness tended to have better grades and test scores. They also had fewer absences and suspensions.

Daxiao Productions/Shutterstock.com

health briefs

dencg/Shutterstock.com Fascinadora/Shutterstock.com

Marry to Halve the Risk of Dementia Wedlock tends to stave off dementia, according to a new Michigan State University study. Analyzing 14 years of data on 15,000 people older than 52, researchers found those in all unmarried groups—cohabiting, divorced, separated, widowed and never married—had significantly higher odds of developing dementia than their married counterparts. The differences were most acute for those divorced, separated or widowed—about twice as prone as married people to develop dementia, with the men faring worse cognitively than the women.

Extreme Weather Events Affect Mental Well-Being People that experience storm and flood damage to their homes are about 50 percent more likely to experience depression and anxiety, British researchers report. Surveying more than 7,500 people after the 2013-2014 season of severe weather, they found that those with homes damaged by wind, rain, snow or floods had mental health risks similar to living in a disadvantaged area. This occurred even when the effects of the extreme weather were relatively minor and did not force people to leave their homes.

MEET YOUR

TRY FOR FREE!

MEET YOUR

TRY FOR FREE!

‘TIS THE SEASON! spiritual and green network of dating sites Welcome to the largest holistic, conscious, online. We invite you to become a member and feel the energy on our site from the moment you first log in.

Join now at NaturalAwakeningsSingles.com

‘TIS THE SEASON! Join now at NaturalAwakeningsSingles.com

December 2019

9

Forests and Shrubs Lower Medical Costs

Making Meat Without Animals

Five major food technology companies have converged to form the Alliance for Meat, Poultry and Seafood (AMPS) Innovation, which seeks to create real meat from animal cells without the need to slaughter animals. The founding members of the coalition are both cell-based seafood companies BlueNalu and Finless Foods and meat makers Fork & Goode, San Francisco-based JUST Inc., and Memphis Meats.

AMPS Innovation (ampsinnovation.org) intends to tackle obstacles presented in the cellular agriculture industry and bring products to the consumer faster with transparency and proper regulatory frameworks for cell-based products. Each member company has made significant strides in the development of these products with the hope they will soon be options in the everyday diets of individuals, as well as a nutrition source for a human population projected to grow to 10 billion by 2050.

A new study based on the National Land Cover Database of 3,086 of the 3,103 counties in the continental U.S. published in the journal Urban Forestry and Urban Greening found that increases in forest and shrub cover corresponded to decreases in Medicare health care spending, even when accounting for economic, geographic or other factors that might independently influence healthcare costs.

Urban and rural counties with the lowest socioeconomic status appeared to benefit the most from increases in forests and shrubs. University of Illinois graduate student Douglas A. Becker, who led the new research with Matt Browning, a professor of recreation, sports and tourism, says, “It occurred to me that low-income communities are getting the biggest bang for their buck because they probably have the most to gain.”

Other studies have shown that people in intensive care units recover more quickly and have fewer complications after surgery if their hospital rooms look out over trees rather than parking lots and that forest walks can influence potentially health-promoting hormone levels or anti-cancer immune cells in the blood.

BK foto/Shutterstock.com

Lab Steak

Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.com

Nature Cure

global briefs

Charge It

The RS Automotive gas station, in Takoma Park, Maryland, has been around since 1958, and Depeswar Doley has been running it for 22 years.

Now, frustrated by the complicated rules, requirements and contracts of oil and 10

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

gas companies, he has completely transitioned away from offering petroleum and become the country’s first exclusively electric vehicle (EV) charging station.

Because there has been a shortage of EV charging stations in the state, the station’s changeover was partially funded by the Baltimore-based Elec-

tric Vehicle Institute and the Maryland Energy Administration. Its new 200-kilowatt electrical system will now be able to recharge up to four vehicles at a time while drivers wait inside. Doley says, “It’s not something that I expect to become rich overnight or something like that, but it’s a good cause [and] good for the environment.”

Petair/Shutterstock.com

Electric Vehicles Get Their Own ‘Gas’ Station

Animal Rescue

Tati9/Shutterstock.com

Government Order Reduces Animal Testing

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler has signed a directive reducing the animal testing that the agency has long required on such animals as dogs, birds, rats and fish to gauge the toxicity of chemicals before they can be bought, sold or used in the environment. The agency also authorized $4.25 million in funding for five universities to research the development and use of alternative test methods and strategies that reduce, refine or replace vertebrate animal testing. He says, “Today’s memo directs the agency to aggressively reduce animal testing, including reducing mammal study requests and funding 30 percent by 2025 and completely eliminating them by 2035.”

Any mammal studies requested or funded by the EPA after 2035 will require administrator approval on a case-by-case basis. It directs leadership and staff in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and the Office of Research and Development to prioritize and direct existing resources toward measurable impacts in the reduction of animal testing while ensuring protection of human health and the environment.

Heave Ho Worachat Sodsri/Shutterstock.com

Cruise Line Abandons Plastic Bottles

As a result of its partnership with Just Goods, Inc., the Norwegian Cruise Line will replace single-use plastic bottles across its fleet by January 1, 2020, beginning with the Norwegian Encore.

The company’s ships will feature JUST, which is 100 percent spring water in a plant-based carton made of 82 percent renewable materials from trees grown in responsibly managed forests.

The cap and shoulder are made from a sugarcane-based plastic. It’s refillable and recyclable.

Just Goods, located in Glen Falls, New York, has a global presence with bottling facilities in New York, Northern Ireland and Australia, allowing the company to meet demand around the world without shipping water from a single production source. It plans to replace more than 6 million single-use plastic bottles every year. CEO Ira Laufer says, “The company is pushing the boundaries of what’s always been done because it knows we all need to do better.”

Pizza | Pasta | Calzones | Sandwiches | Salads Italian Chicken Dinners | Gluten-Free Menu | Beer & Wine

Gluten-free menu.

Vegetarian choices.

Vegan cheese & sausage.

We’re here for you!

Dine In | Carryout | Delivery | Catering Now Open at 131st (Main) & Towne Rd 317-732-9542 82nd & Dean 842-4028 | 86th & Ditch 875-9223 Geist Marina 842-2356 | 79th & Sunnyside 823-0027 136th & Meridian 580-0087 | 116th & I-69 579-0572

PuccinisSmilingTeeth.com

What a

site to see!

NATURAL AWAKENINGS HAS A NEW WEBSITE

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com Publisher@AwakenIndy.com or call 317-984-0040

December 2019

11

We Balance Your System for a Better You

inspiration

 Family Chiropractic Care  Holistic & Integrative Wellness Exams  Nutritional Counseling  Massage Therapy  Restorative Meditation

Dr. Mary Grace Pennella We can’t wait to meet you!

Call Today for Your Appointment

317-863-0365

www.DrPennella.com

change

can do you good Join the Natural Awakenings Franchise Family

For more info visit: NaturalAwakenings.com

Individually appropriate high-quality, biologically compatible, safe and life energy enhancing holistic dentistry.

Our Holistic Menu: • Safe Mercury free fillings • Safe Mercury removal • Fluoride Free Cleaning if needed • Low Radiation, Digital X-rays • Organic Products

• Calming and Comfort Techniques • Sedation Dentistry • Sleep Apnea and Snoring Treatments • TMD/TMJ Therapy • Trigeminal Nerve Therapies

5430 E 86th St • Indianapolis

317-598-8500 DrKatieOrr.com

12

Indianapolis Edition

The Generous Heart How Giving Transforms Us

O

by Cindy Ricardo

ne of the ways we come into balance and connection with each other and with life is by giving from the heart. When we give to others, whether it’s an act of kindness, generosity or compassion, it helps us live from the heart instead of the ego.

Living from the ego is painful and exhausting. It’s like feeding a hungry monster that’s never satisfied. Ego craves, pursues and clings to status, approval, material wealth and control. It views the world through the eyes of fear—constantly evaluating, judging and acting in ways that are self-centered, defensive and protective. Like with Scrooge, ego closes our heart and makes us small, fearful and contracted.

By contrast, generosity requires that we open our hearts to the world and each other. We allow ourselves to be vulnerable. In doing this, we open ourselves fully to life, love and relationships. We let go of striving and pursuing things.

When we stop striving, we begin to see, value and respond to what’s happening in the present moment in ways that are healthy and healing. Our priority shifts from acquiring things to appreciating what we have and being open to sharing with others.

Generosity is a quality of kindness, of living from a place of abundance. We see the world through a clear lens that isn’t clouded by fear, wanting or clinging.

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

When we interact with others, our connection is genuine. We see people instead of judgments or labels.

Being generous arises from the heart, not the wallet. We don’t need to have material wealth in order to be generous. The only requirement is a willingness to open our hearts, to see life as it is and to interact with others from a place of compassion and love.

Some examples of generous acts are: n Doing a household chore without being asked. n Setting aside what we’re doing and listening to someone in need of emotional support. n Telling loved ones what we appreciate about them. n Listening to children and trying to see the world through their eyes before offering advice. n Smiling at a stranger. n When asking, “How are you?” looking into the person’s eyes and taking time to truly listen with an attitude of curiosity and compassion.

Generosity awakens goodness in the heart, and this helps us open to life, love and relationships.

Cindy Ricardo is a Coral Springs, Floridabased psychotherapist who blogs at ACaringCounselor.com.

JANUARY

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES ISSUE

Coming Next Month

HEALING ARTS Practitioners

AgeDefying Habits

Plus: Healthy Immune System

Increase your visibilityinclude your business card here for a full year.

Includes: ■Business Card size ad ■2 Calendar Listings each month ■2 Free News Briefs per year: 175200 words to promote an event or info about you and your business

For rates and more information Email Publisher@AwakenIndy.com or call/text 317-984-0040

HEALING ARTS

Practitioners

To advertise or participate in our next issue, call

317-984-0040 December 2019

13

Franzii/Shutterstock.com

THE EMERGING POWER OF ‘WE’ Awakening to the Evolution of Community

by Linda Sechrist

Z

en master Thich Nhat Hanh’s suggestion that the next Buddha would likely not take form as an individual but rather as a sangha, a community practicing mindful living, led many people to ask, “Why a community?” The author of more than 100 books that explore the Buddha’s core teachings on mindfulness, kindness and compassion, Hanh clarified the meaning of sangha as a good community necessary for helping individuals learn how to encounter life in the present moment, resist the unwholesome ways of our time, go in the direction of peace and nourish seeds of enlightenment. Even the best intentions, he noted, can falter without such a group of trusted family, friends and co-practitioners experiencing mindfulness together.

A Migration to Forming Community

Today’s trend toward collaborative processes and opportunities for transformation through online communities is made easier by the availability of affordable video conferencing providers such as Zoom, Skype and Mighty Networks, as well as online platforms like Facebook and MeetUp. Although many groups form for marketing, political, civic or social purposes—allowing participants to share values and common interests—thousands more gather as online intentional communities associated with personal growth and spiritual awakening.

Myriad individuals have been able to experience some aspect of community through international organizations such as MindValley, Hay House, the Shift Network and Dr. Deepak Chopra’s Jiyo, a wellness-focused mobile app intended to extend the reach of his ideas on health and social transformation from millions of people to more than 1 billion.

In MeetUp, spiritual awakening groups recently comprised 14

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

1,113,972 members in 3,631 groups worldwide. Additionally, co-housing communities, spiritual residential communities and eco-villages continue to form around the intention of designing and implementing pathways to a regenerative future.

The Old Story Versus the New Story

The increased interest in intentional communities may hint at a possibility that the human desire for community might be nature’s evolutionary nudge toward a collective leap that helps us to survive a changing climate and Earth’s potential sixth mass extinction. If so, this possibility needs a new supportive story that includes humans as part of nature, with its evolutionary impulse as a guide for body, mind and soul.

With our modern scientific worldview, when people talk about nature, they typically mean animals, plants, geological features and natural processes, all happening independently of humans. A more suitable new story is cultural historian Thomas Berry’s moving and meaningful narrative in The Great Work: Our Way Into the Future, in which humans aren’t above nature by virtue of superior intellect, but instead are equal partners with all that exists in a materially and spiritually evolving universe. From Berry’s perspective, humans are the eyes, minds and hearts through which the cosmos is evolving so that it can come to know itself ever more perfectly through us.

Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell shared Berry’s perspective. Traveling back to Earth after walking upon the lunar surface, Mitchell gazed out of the spacecraft window, whereupon he was flooded with an ecstatic awareness. “I was a part of the universe I was observing, and I became aware that everything that exists is part of one intricately interconnected whole,”

recounts Mitchell, who founded the groundbreaking Institute of Noetic Sciences to explore the nature of human consciousness.

A Guiding Light

Seijaku Roshi, the abbot and founder of the Pine Wind Zen Community, aptly named for its location in a pine forest in Shamong, New Jersey, advises, “People are searching and hungering for community, which is number one on my agenda. If we aren’t talking about community, we’re squandering the moment. Whether it’s an evolutionary nudge or not, it appears that our tragic world situation is pushing us towards an alternative vision for living a meaningful life that meets the needs of people, society and the environment. We are awakening to the fact we’re interconnected, interdependent and need community, which is the spirit and guiding light whereby people come together to fulfill a purpose, to help others fulfill their purpose and to take care of one another.”

Conscious Evolution

Craig Hamilton, the guiding force behind the movement known as Integral Enlightenment, is the founder of the telecourse training program Academy for Evolutionaries. His spiritual guidance and teachings reach a growing international online community spanning 50 countries. “Transforming ourselves in the deepest possible way is, in fact, an evolutionary imperative, and we need to be able to identify the indicators of emergent shifts and participate creatively with change as an evolutionary force. Evolution up to this point has been playing out unconsciously. We’re now waking up and realizing that we can collaborate and participate in an emerging future.”

Hamilton’s experience is that where humans awake to the one that is expressed through the many, they also begin to engage together. “Practicing community isn’t as simple as it seems. In online communities, a lot less can go wrong. The stakes aren’t as high. People come and go, share and engage as they like.”

A Community of Sisterhood

Laurie McCammon, author of Enough! How to Liberate Yourself and Remake the World with Just One Word, feels certain that humans are evolving. “We were last to the party with our big brains, and now we’re trying to intellectualize our way to an uncertain future without important feminine values such as feeling, intuiting, nurturing, interdependency and vulnerability,” says McCammon, who is deeply involved in the circle movement, in which women gather in small groups to empower each other.

A regular participant in Gather the Women Global Matrix, a worldwide sisterhood that connects thousands of women sharing meaningful conversations and celebrating the divine feminine with the intention of bringing about personal and planetary transformation through cooperation and collaboration, McCammon says, “No one of us can bring about large-scale transformation alone. It’s time to tell the new story wherein our lives and actions demonstrate that together we are enough. Non-hierarchical circles that encourage authentic communication are part of this new story.”

Citing other important circle communities such as Tree Sisters and The Millionth Circle, McCammon suggests that women tap into The Divine Feminine app, which allows them to find circle communities and events anywhere in the world.

Co-Creating With the Intelligence of Nature Teacher and futurist Peter Russell writes books that are focused on consciousness and contemporary spirituality. His lectures help humans free themselves of limited beliefs and attitudes that belie many of humanity’s personal, social and global problems. The author of The Global Brain: The Awakening Earth in a New Century, Russell posits that the evolutionary process naturally draws humans together. “Humans are social creatures that need community, which I find very energizing,” says Russell, who cites the Findhorn Foundation eco-village, in Scotland, as a dynamic experiment in community.

“Although residents went through hard times, they recognized the need for honest communication so they could attune to one another in loving ways that would allow everyone to work through their difficulties. Today, life at Findhorn is guided by the inner voice of spirit, and residents work in co-creation with the intelligence of nature,” he says.

The Collective Wisdom of Community

An uncertain future is emerging, making it necessary for new and more intuitive methods and spiritual practices for developing collective wisdom, human potential and the skills for practicing community. “I’m in the process of finalizing 118 chapters from 90 different authors for a Collaborative Change Library: Transforming Organizations, Revitalizing Communities, Developing Human Potential,” says associate editor Carole Gorelick, who clarifies that spiritual practices are now playing a part in bringing about collaborative change. She notes that several chapters are updated versions of The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today’s Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems (2007 second edition), which included modalities such as World Café, Open Space Technology, Art of Hosting, Appreciative Inquiry and many others.

A living handbook for developing human potential and the skills to practice community, Fred Eppsteiner has been teaching Buddhism for 23 years. A student of Hanh’s since the 1960s, he is the founder of the Florida Community of Mindfulness, in Tampa. Eppsteiner sums up why the next Buddha could be a community: “A better future will be created by people who are living the values they want for the world, not just abstractly using only the intellect. In community, we ask ourselves, ‘Can I be what I want to see in the world? Can I practice these things mindfully in community with love, acceptance, deep listening, compassion and kindness?’ These are values that every Buddha has lived for centuries, and certainly ones we need to evolve from a culture of, ‘It’s all about me’ to a culture of, ‘It’s all about we’.”

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.

Connect at LindaSechrist.com.

December 2019

15

Seven years without a cold?

had colds going round and round, but not me.”

Some users say it also helps with sinuses. Attorney Donna Blight had a 2-day sinus headache. When her CopperZap arrived, she tried it. “I am shocked!” she said. “My head cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.”

Some users say copper stops

By Doug Cornell nighttime stuffiness if used just before cientists recently discovered time. He hasn’t had a single cold for 7 bed. One man said, “Best sleep I’ve had a way to kill viruses and years since. in years.” bacteria.

He asked relatives and friends to try Copper can also stop flu if used early Now thousands of people are using it it. They said it worked for them, too, so and for several days. Lab technicians to stop colds and flu. he patented CopperZap™ and put it on placed 25 million live flu viruses on a Colds start the market.

CopperZap. No viruses were found alive when cold viruses Soon hundreds soon after. get in your nose. of people had Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the teams Viruses multiply tried it and given confirming the discovery. He placed fast. If you don’t feedback. Nearly millions of disease germs on copper. stop them early, 100% said the “They started to die literally as soon as they spread and copper stops colds they touched the surface,” he said. cause misery. if used within 3 People have even used copper on In hundreds hours after the first cold sores and say it can completely of studies, EPA sign. Even up to prevent outbreaks.

New research: Copper stops colds if used early. and university 2 days, if they The handle is researchers have confirmed that viruses still get the cold it is milder than usual curved and finely and bacteria die almost instantly when and they feel better. textured to improve touched by copper.

Users wrote things like, “It stopped contact. It kills germs That’s why ancient Greeks and my cold right away,” and “Is it picked up on fingers Egyptians used copper to purify water supposed to work that fast?” and hands to protect and heal wounds. They didn’t know “What a wonderful thing,” wrote you and your family. about microbes, but now we do.

Physician’s Assistant Julie. “No more Copper even kills Dr. Bill Keevil: Copper quickly kills deadly germs that Scientists say the high conductance colds for me!” cold viruses. of copper disrupts the electrical balance Pat McAllister, 70, received one have become resistant in a microbe cell and destroys the cell in for Christmas and called it “one of the to antibiotics. If you are near sick seconds. best presents ever. This little jewel really people, a moment of handling it may Tests by the EPA (Environmental works.” keep serious infection away. It may even Protection Agency) show germs die Now thousands of users have simply save a life. fast on copper. So some hospitals tried stopped getting colds.

The EPA says copper still works copper for touch surfaces like faucets People often use CopperZap even when tarnished. It kills hundreds of and doorknobs. This cut the spread of preventively. Frequent flier Karen Gauci different disease germs so it can prevent MRSA and other illnesses by over half, used to get colds after crowded flights. serious or even fatal illness. and saved lives.

Though skeptical, she tried it several CopperZap is made in America of The strong scientific evidence gave times a day on travel days for 2 months. pure copper. It has a 90-day full money inventor Doug Cornell an idea. When “Sixteen flights and not a sniffle!” she back guarantee. It is $69.95. he felt a cold about to start he fashioned exclaimed.

Get $10 off each CopperZap with a smooth copper probe and rubbed it Businesswoman Rosaleen says when code NATA15.

Go to www.CopperZap.com or call gently in his nose for 60 seconds. people are sick around her she uses “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold CopperZap morning and night. “It saved toll-free 1-888-411-6114.

Buy once, use forever. never got going.” It worked again every me last holidays,” she said. “The kids ADVERTORIAL

Copper in new device stops cold and flu

S

16

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

Indy’s only Natural and Holistic Lifestyle Magazine for over 10 years

PLANT MEDICINE SECTION

Complementary Medicine is a $30+ BILLION per year industry and is projected to surge even higher in the next year.

Our readers need to know WHO, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE to find these services.

The new Plant Medicine section will deliver them to you and your business!

FEATURING

M Herb and Root Highlights; Informational articles pertaining to plant-based medicines M Plant-based diet articles and recipes M CBD and hemp

education for Indiana

M Interviews from local plant based businesses, practitioners and farmers

Contact Donna Kirk at Publisher@AwakenIndy.com Or via phone or text at 317-984-0040

December 2019

17

An Earth-Friendly Holiday Benefits Mother Earth and Humanity

by Chef Wendell Fowler

T

o guarantee that life as we know it continues on this perfect, albeit exhausted planet, we must be more conscious that our actions have consequences. More and more beautiful, awakening souls are embracing the truth that by working together and eating closer-to-earth with a plant-based diet, together, we can help save and restore the third rock from the sun.

Because we’re all connected, every lifeform on Earth benefits when we reduce our heavy carbon footprint and unburden Earth’s diminishing resources.

What we eat has as much of an impact on

Gluten-free • Vegan Organic • Non-GMO

— Nourish & Recharge — Vibrant Food, Juices & Smoothies Broad Ripple Village

6516 N. Ferguson • Indianapolis

317-255-3972

EzrasEnlightenedCafe.com

18

Indianapolis Edition

our planet as it does on the wholeness of the human body.

“The way humans manufacture and eat food over the last 100 years has and continues to take a toll on our planet, and scientists say we must take urgent action to prevent further degradation of the Earth,” according to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Decreasing demand for meat and dairy and consuming more plant-based foods would significantly reduce energy use, pollution and lessen the production of greenhouse gases (GHGs). A UN report concluded that animal agriculture is a larger contributor to GHGs than all forms of transportation.

In 2014, the Journal of Nature examined 50 years of data from the world’s 100 most-populated world. Their findings: countries where the majority have a diet high in protein as well as rich in refined fats and sugars, like the U.S., produce dangerously high levels of GHGs. These countries also have higher percentages of people suffering from diet-related chronic conditions and diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. In contrast, countries where the majority eat a vegetarian, pescatarian, plant-based or Mediterranean diet produce significantly less GHGs and have lower rates of people that suffer from diet-related chronic con-

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

ditions and diseases. Purchasing meats from local family farmers and eating those products in moderation could be a big help.

Former World Bank Vice President Ismail Serageldin predicted two decades ago that the wars of the next century will be about water. As such conflicts loom, we can protect the water supply while conserving energy. A Cornell University study found that producing animal-based protein requires eight times more fossilfuel energy than creating plant-based protein. VegNews.com states, “more than 70 percent of the earth’s fresh water is used in agriculture of plants and animals: albeit it takes 100 to 200 times more water to produce a pound of beef than it does a pound of plant foods.” Plus, the UN has implicated the livestock sector is most likely the largest source of water pollution.

According to Science Times magazine, 40% of the earth’s land is used to produce food to feed the world’s population. Only about 10% is used to grow fruits, grains, and vegetables for human consumption, and the rest is used to support livestock: pigs, cattle and chicken.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock production uses up approximately one third of the earth’s fresh water supply and is responsible for about 18% of human-caused GHGs around the world. Developed countries like the U.S. are responsible for the majority of these GHGs.

For the well-being of our planet, remember the mantra “think globally— buy locally.” This season, boost the local economy by shopping winter farmers’ markets and small mom-and-pop stores featuring locally-produced goods— compassionate holiday gifts that will keep on giving and support life on this tiny speck in the endless universe we call home.

Chef Wendell is an inspirational speaker, syndicated writer, and author who shares his science-supported message of the mindbody benefits of a plant-based diet and lifestyle, and that disease is not necessarily your fault. Visit ChefWendell.com for more information. See ad on page 19.

Rimma Bondarenko | Dreamstime.com

plant medicine

Eat Right Now with Chef Wendell

Scrub sweet potatoes, pierce a few holes with a knife and bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. Give each potato a squeeze or insert a knife into the center to check for doneness. The knife should slide in and out easily.

Jenifoto406 | Dreamstime.com

Meanwhile, steam the vegetables 3-4 minutes until softened but still al dente.

Place ½ cup of drained, rinsed cashews in your food processor. Add the lemon juice, half the reserved cashew water, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend until semi-smooth, adding more water or lemon juice if needed. Adjust salt and pepper.

When potatoes are done, cut in half and scoop out potato leaving about ½ inch on the bottom. In a bowl, mix together scooped sweet potato, 2 tbsp. cashew “sour cream,” cooked vegetables, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Jolly Twice Baked Sweet Potato with Veggies and Cashew “Sour Cream” 2 large sweet potatoes, washed (fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins and minerals) 2 cups chopped vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, red pepper, peas, mushrooms * for a quick substitution—steam frozen mixed vegetables* (anti-inflammatory, fiber and vitamins) ½ cup drained and rinsed black beans (fiber, folate, B-6, potassium, and protein) 3 tbsp. cashew “sour cream” (recipe below) ¼ tsp. Himalayan salt or to taste (trace minerals) ¼ tsp. ground black pepper Dusting of ground nutmeg (antibacterial, anti-inflammatory) 2 tbsp. chopped green onion (vitamins A, C, & K)

Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato shells and top with an extra spoonful of cashew sour cream. Warm in the oven at 140 degrees.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with chopped green onion and serve warm.

Cashew Cream ½ cup of raw cashews, soaked overnight, then drain, rinse & reserve liquid (heart healthy fatty acids & protein) ¼ cup of filtered water 1 tbsp. lemon juice (vitamin C) 1 small clove of garlic, chopped (anti-cancer, anti-viral) ¼ tsp. Himalayan salt Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Get the perfect gift Order today at ChefWendell.com

December 2019

19

WE LOVE OUR ADVERTISING

green living

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

PARTNERS WE THINK YOU WILL TOO!

Waste-Free Feasting EZRA’S ENLIGHTENED CAFÉ 6516 N Ferguson, Indpls 317-255-3972 EzrasEnlightenedCafe.com

WE ARE GRATEFUL! Thank you to our advertisers who make publishing this FREE publication possible each month. They are leaders in our natural living community. Please support them with your business and tell them you saw it in Natural Awakenings!

CONNECT with our online community at NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

20

Indianapolis Edition

How to Reduce Holiday Food Waste

by Yvette C. Hammett

T

he heaping platters that cheerfully mark the holidays have an unfortunate downside: Americans increase their waste by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The discarded food and packaging burden landfills with an additional 1 million tons of waste each week.

That’s in addition to the 40 percent of food Americans typically waste each year—nearly half of all the food prepared at home or in restaurants. Monica McBride, senior manager of food loss and waste for the World Wildlife Fund, notes that squandered bounty is grown in areas that were converted from natural habitat into farm fields, so it’s also a waste of natural resources.

“Once you start cooking, you realize the impact on the planet,” says chef and caterer Steven Laurence, owner of Vegan Commissary, in Philadelphia. “My grandmother was the kind of person who, if there was one pea left over, she put it in a container and someone ate it the next day.

That kind of informs my cooking. The way

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

I was trained, you didn’t waste anything.

You used everything.”

In individual households, small changes can have a big impact, especially during the holidays; all it takes is awareness and a plan. Frugal cooks can make room for a holiday waste reduction strategy by taking inventory of the pantry and boxing up a load for the local soup kitchen or food bank.

Then, design a menu with the environment in mind, using portion control to avoid food waste and whipping up dishes that can easily be upcycled into new creations that can be used as appetizers in the coming days or tucked in the freezer for future enjoyment.

Start with the Guest-imator at SaveTheFood.com, a great way to determine portions for a holiday party, says Cheryl Coleman, director of the EPA Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division in the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.

The Guest-imator and Save the Food, a program of the Natural Resources Defense Council in conjunction with the Ad Council, tells cooks how much to

Choen photo/Shutterstock.com

make to keep guests happy and includes recipes for leftovers, such as Crispy Sheet Pan Hash, made with leftover roasted vegetables, and Ugly Vegetable Pasta, made with zucchini, tomatoes and eggplant.

Spoilage is another way food finds its way into the garbage can, and that too, can be avoided, Laurence says, pointing out that most food goes bad because it’s not cooked properly or is mishandled in storage. “Mix animal protein with starches and grains in a container and it goes bad because of two different sorts of enzymes.

It is a fuel for bacteria.” He also recommends using as many organic ingredients as possible for longer-lasting leftovers. “We guarantee all of our dishes for two weeks,” he says.

Encouraging visitors to take home leftovers is another effective food-saving strategy, says McBride. “Have Tupperware or to-go boxes you could provide to your guests.”

Reilly Brock, content manager at Imperfect Produce, in New York City, agrees. “Just like repurposing excess product requires creative thinking, food waste around the holidays requires outof-the-box ideas to keep impact low,” says Brock, whose company delivers imperfect produce to customers’ doors for a cost savings. “Why end the fun when the meal ends? The best part about leftovers—and the holidays—is keeping the celebration going.”

“Also, make sure you keep food safe,” McBride says. “The CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has a really great overview of how to do that for parties. Standard guidance is not to leave food out for more than two hours.

So, as a party planner, make sure you mentally note when you put food out.”

Coleman recommends taking it a step beyond the holidays by joining a movement to cut food waste year-round.

She suggests visiting FurtherWithFood.org to learn more. “Through that and additional outreach, we might be able to start to change,” says McBride.

Yvette C. Hammett is an environmental writer based in Valrico, Florida. Connect at YvetteHammett28@hotmail.com.

Advertorial

With so many companies selling essential oils, are you confused????

How to Choose Essential Oils

“We take the stewardship of our planet seriously. Our State of the Art production process brings you the purest (essential) oils on Earth.

We call it Seed To Seal®. It’s not a slogan — it’s our Calling.”

(By the Founder of YOUNG LIVING™ ESSENTIAL OILS)

Y

OUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS — established over 20 years ago—laid the foundation for the company’s total commitment to using the purist seed, sustainable cultivation, optimum distillation, extensive testing of each batch of oils, and quality control inspection of each bottle to assure the purest, most potent essential oils available in the world. (SeedToSeal.com) Today, YOUNG LIVING’S Vision has grown into a world wide, essentialoil trend, and the trend is fueled by the consumer’s strong desire to bypass toxin-laden, synthetic scents used in many products.

Unfortunately, as with any trend, many competitive companies have been spawned that attempt to convince the consumer that their products are “pure essential oils” too, but instead may utilize synthetic oil imitations, or oils made from genetically modified seeds, or oils diluted with carrier oils, or oils distilled from plants grown with pesticides and/or herbicides—all of which distorts, weakens and chemically changes the innate power of essential oils.

Y

OUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS set the standard for authenticity 20 years ago, and that same high standard is still our “Calling” today — via our strict, Seed To Seal requirements used on all our company-owned farms and distilleries (in Utah; Idaho; France; Ecuador; British Columbia; Croatia; Israel, Taiwan) as well as on our Certified Partner-farms around the world. YOUNG LIVING also Partners with local Frankincense Harvesters in Oman to obtain our exclusive Sacred Frankincense Resin (from centuries-old Frankincense trees).

If you value true authenticity, always choose YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS Info at: myYL.com/naturalhealth4u or 877-436-2299 Income opportunities also availabile This Advertorial Sponsored by Young Living Member # 489656

Landscaping with Native Plants n All-Organic Hydroseeding n Natural Hardscapes & Aquatics n Handcrafted Raised Beds & Composters n Prairie Restoration n

We are proud to landscape with 100% native plants that provide habitat to important pollinators and other native wildlife.

We take pride in providing attractive and sustainable solutions for any client.

Call 844-844-3357 Ext. 0 GreenscapeGeeks.com

info@greenscapegeeks.com Indianapolis, IN

December 2019

21

wise words

Surgeon Mary Neal on Lessons From Heaven

by Kajsa Nickels

I

n 1999, while kayaking on the Fuy River in Chile, orthopedic surgeon Mary Neal became trapped beneath a waterfall and drowned.

She was underwater for 30 minutes before the current pulled her out.

During that time, Neal experienced what she believes to be a miraculous event in which she penetrated the veil dividing the physical and spiritual worlds.

There, she was told that it was not yet her time, and of the future death of her eldest son, a prediction that was fulfilled 10 years later. The experience gave her a new perspective on the purpose of our Earthly existence and life after death.

She has since written two books on the subject: To Heaven and Back: A Doctor’s Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels and Life Again; and 7 Lessons from Heaven: How Dying Taught Me to Live a Joy-Filled Life. Her life-altering experience prompted her to pay more attention to those things that are truly important: faith, family and relationships with other human beings. She lives with her family in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where she continues to mend broken bones.

How do you think your medical background makes you uniquely qualified to speak on near-death experiences (NDE)?

I am a very concrete thinker and analyze everything. Being a doctor also gave me access to many resources that the com22

Indianapolis Edition

mon person would not.

I spent many months researching scientific and medical literature to try to come up with a logical explanation of what had happened to me. I was forced to conclude that my experience fell outside of the parameters of both science and medicine. I could not find any examples to disprove what happened, especially when the predicted death of my oldest son came to pass.

What was the most profound moment of your experience?

It’s hard to pinpoint the most profound moment of the entire experience, but what impacted me most was the realization that God is real, and He is present to each and every one of us every moment of our daily lives. I realized to the depths of my soul that all God’s promises are true, not just wishful thinking or a vague hope.

How has your NDE made you a better wife, mother and medical professional?

You can’t have an NDE without having your entire life changed. When you realize that there is more to life than what you can see with your physical eyes, it changes your entire perspective on every moment of every day. The things we say and the things we do create a ripple effect that spreads beyond the boundaries of our human sight. Love is ultimately the only thing that matters, to reflect love to

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

the world and other people. I was a “good person” before my NDE, but I now see differently. I see that each human being is incredibly loved, and that we are all one: We are them, and they are us. Everything else in the world is secondary to God’s love and presence in our lives.

How is your approach to everyday life different than it was prior to your NDE?

I am able to be entirely present in every moment of my life. I can experience deep and abiding joy regardless of my circumstances. I am able to trust that grace covers my past, that there is life after death and a plan for my life. No matter what is happening, even if it is terrible, beauty will come out of it. Most people are trapped in regrets of the past and worry about the future. With complete trust in God, I am able to fully have joy in each and every moment.

Is there a difference between joy and happiness?

Absolutely. Happiness is an emotion based on circumstances. Happiness can accompany joy, but not always. Joy is a state of being, of trusting in God, of believing that his promises are true. Joy comes from freedom—freedom from disruptive emotions like guilt, remorse, unforgiveness.

Even in the devastation of my oldest son’s death, I can honestly say that I experienced a deep joy from trusting in God’s love and promises.

Why do you believe heaven is written in our hearts?

As a scientist, I firmly believe that we are created beings with physical bodies and spiritual souls. I believe that our spiritual self remembers heaven and remembers joy. Part of our journey here on Earth is to rediscover our connection with God. As adults, we often feel that we have to choose between science and spiritualism. The truth is that they coexist, answering questions in different ways.

Kajsa Nickels is a freelance author who lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Connect at fideleterna45@gmail.com.

conscious eating

Petrovich Nataliya/Shutterstock.com

Stick with your favorite recipes that you know are going to be a success and are going to leave everyone’s taste buds happy. ~Pamela Reed

THE MERRY VEGAN

People-Pleasing Holiday Sweets

by Julie Peterson

T

he holidays may send too many sugar plums and frosted gingerbread figures dancing in the heads of people with dietary restrictions. Anyone that chooses to avoid highly processed flours or sugars, artificial ingredients and loads of butter will typically be presented with all of this and more at social gatherings this time of year. They arrive on visually appealing cookie platters that tempt with their cute shapes, vibrant colors and sparkle.

Some, like the gingerbread and reindeer cutouts, will beckon with glazed eyes: “Just one,” they whisper. But one can turn into nine and make someone that may normally avoid sugar or gluten feel bodily regrets. Someone that is vegan

or allergic may feel they can’t have treats.

Making healthier choices about food is difficult for reasons many don’t understand. “People have relationships with food—involving family, comfort and traditions—and they don’t want to give that up,” says James Brandon, of Tampa, founder of Facebook’s Vegan and Plant-Based Beginner’s Community.

Brandon says that holiday treats are tough to resist, but staying true to health goals is most important in the long run.

The best defense to avoid frustration at social food events is to bring a dish to share that meets your dietary needs, says Megan Gilmore, the author of No Excuses Detox: 100 Recipes to Help You Eat Healthy Every Day and a blogger at

Without adequate sleep, depression, anxiety, irritability and fuzzy thinking can result.

The link between sleep and mood is well known. Did you know that people with insomnia are 10 times as likely to experience clinical depression and 17 times as likely to experience clinical anxiety?

Cereset® can help.

Learn more at cereset.com

Discover Award Winning Comprehensive Dentistry with a Holistic Approach Choose from our wide range of state-of-the-art holistic and metal-free dental services, including: n Dental Implants and Dentures n Fluoride Free Gentle Cleanings n IV Sedation Therapy to sleep through appointments n Safe Removal of Mercury Fillings n Ceramic Braces and Invisalign n Laser Gum Treatments n Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentistry n Ceramic Metal Free Implants n IV Therapies for Detoxification n IAOMT Member

Book now in Carmel:

317.922.7588

Ted M. Reese,

DDS, MAGD, NMD (Naturopath Medical Doctor)

“We understand your concerns!” Dr. Ted Reese

Call For An Appointment Today: 317-882-0228 Visit us at CalmingFears.com

December 2019

23

Oh-So-Healthy Holiday Treats

Julie Peterson writes from her home in rural Wisconsin. Contact her at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

24

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan, Gluten Free) Yields: About 18 cookies 1 cup creamy peanut butter ½ cup coconut sugar ½ cup brown sugar 2 tsp vanilla ⅔ cup oat flour 1 tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt ¼ cup almond milk Additional sugar to roll cookies in Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, cream together peanut butter and sugars with a hand mixer. Once combined, add vanilla and continue mixing.

Add flour, baking soda, salt and almond milk into the bowl and mix for a few seconds, until combined. The cookie dough will be a little crumbly.

photo by Pamela Reed

Detoxinista.com. “That way, you can introduce something delicious to your friends, family or co-workers and be sure you’ll have something to eat!”

A batch of simple, delectable, visually appealing and healthful cookies can be that plate to share, a gift to give or something to keep on hand for guests.

Keep the focus on simple, advises Pamela Reed, who blogs at BrooklynFarmGirl. com. There are plenty of recipes that will satisfy the sweet tooth and decorate the holiday buffet (until they’re all eaten, that is). Don’t increase holiday stress by trying a new recipe at the last minute. “Stick with your favorite recipes that you know are going to be a success and are going to leave everyone’s taste buds happy,” she says.

Transitioning to a more conscious way of eating isn’t about deprivation or leaving tradition behind. Bring on the new and healthful cookie recipes and name one after your grandma.

photo by Megan Gilmore

Prepare 2 cookie sheets with silicone baking sheets or spray with nonstick spray. Roll the dough into large balls, and then gently roll in sugar to cover them. Use a fork to gently press down on each cookie a little bit—not too much, or they will crumble.

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil Pinch of sea salt

Bake cookies for 12 minutes. Once out of the oven, allow to cool for 15 minutes.

This is important, as the cookies will be very soft when they come out of the oven, but they will harden up as they cool.

Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the chocolate crust ingredients until a moist dough is formed. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the lined loaf pan and place it in the freezer to set.

Store in an airtight container or freeze.

Recipe courtesy of BrooklynFarmGirl.com.

No-Bake Pecan Snowballs (Grain-Free, Vegan)

photo by Megan Gilmore

Yields: 12 balls 1 cup pecan halves ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut 1 cup soft Medjool dates, pitted (about 10 dates) 1 Tbsp coconut oil ½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp vanilla extract ½ cup arrowroot or tapioca starch Extra arrowroot for dusting, or coconut sugar Place the pecans and shredded coconut in a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, and process until the pecans are broken down and crumbly. Add in the rest of the ingredients and process again, until a sticky dough is formed.

(It should stick together when pressed between two fingers.)

Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons and roll the dough between your hands, forming balls. Arrange the balls on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place them in the freezer to set, about 1 to 2 hours. For a “snowball” look, roll the balls in additional arrowroot or tapioca starch—just a light coating will do—since the starch will not enhance the flavor. It’s just for looks!

Chocolate Topping: ¼ cup cocoa powder ¼ cup melted coconut oil 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Note: If you’d prefer to roll the balls in coconut sugar or shredded coconut, roll them in one of those options before freezing, so the coating will stick better.

Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to two weeks for best texture.

Source: Detoxinista.com/no-bake-pecansnowballs-paleo-vegan

To prepare the filling, you can use the same bowl to stir the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil and salt. Depending on whether you’re using salted or unsalted peanut butter, consider adding more salt to taste. Store-bought peanut butter cups are quite salty, so I like to add a generous pinch of salt to mimic that flavor. Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the peanut butter filling over the top, using a spatula to spread it out evenly. Return the pan to the freezer to set.

Rinse the mixing bowl and use it again to make the final layer. Combine the cocoa powder, melted coconut oil and maple syrup, whisking well to break up any clumps. Once the mixture has become a smooth chocolate sauce, pour it over the peanut butter layer, and return the pan to the freezer to set until firm, about an hour or two.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars (Vegan, Gluten Free) Chocolate Crust: ¾ cup ground almond meal 2 Tbsp cocoa powder 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil Pinch of sea salt Peanut Butter Filling: ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Once the bars are firm, grab the edges of parchment paper to easily lift the solid bar from the pan, and use a sharp knife to slice the bars into your desired size. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or in the freezer for up to a month. (The bars become very firm if frozen for too long, so I prefer serving them from the fridge after the initial firming-up time.)

Source: Detoxinista.com/no-bake-peanutbutter-cup-bars-vegan December 2019

25

Struggled in school. healthy kids

Olesia Bilkei/Shutterstock.com

Couldn’t focus.

Struggled in school.

Refresh Holiday Traditions Making the Old New and Green

“Aidan’s below grade level skills in reading, writing and math are now at or above grade level. It’s been an amazing transformation.”

- DAN G., Brain Balance Parents Brain Balance is a non-medical approach combining physical and sensory exercises with academic skill training and healthy nutrition. We identify the issues, then create a plan that addresses your child’s specific needs.

Individual results may vary.

Our advertising features actual parent testimonials.

FREELearn CONSULTATION more at 7689 South Shelby St.

BrainBalance.com Indianapolis Call317-497-8166 317-497-8166 for a free consultation.

9510 N. Meridian St., Suite D Indianapolis

317-843-9200

BrainBalanceCenters.com 26

Indianapolis Edition

C

by Ronica A. O’Hara

elebrating classic holiday traditions the same way we always have— and maybe the way our parents and grandparents did—is part of the rich family heritage we pass on to our children.

These family rituals are binding, grounding, memorable and much more, says Saul Levine, M.D., professor emeritus in psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.

A survey of 50 years of family research published in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Family Psychology found that family holiday rituals, as well as everyday routines like family dinners and bedtime stories, build stronger family relationships, enhance children’s health and academic achievement, help teenagers’ sense of personal identity and even boost marital satisfaction.

It’s also natural and perhaps inevitable that these traditions undergo changes over the years. “If people from only five or six generations ago could see our modern Christmas, they’d barely recognize it,” says Brian Earl, host of the popular Christmas Past podcast that chronicles holiday traditions. “New trends and customs become traditions in

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

time; every generation has its opportunity to add new chapters to the narrative and continue the story.”

For Elizabeth Newcamp, Christmas festivities took an eco-turn for her military family of five when they were living for a few years in the Netherlands, where “Sinterklaas” traditionally delivers gifts in reusable burlap bags. “In an effort to reduce wrapping paper, we now use the sacks on Christmas,” says Newcamp, who blogs about family travel at DutchDutch Goose.com.

She and her husband Jeff also ask for and give experiences as gifts whenever possible; their 7-year-old son asked if he could organize a little library for their Navarre, Florida, neighborhood.

Anyone that wants to send gifts to their sons is asked to find them used. “I don’t think we’ve lessened any of the fun of the holidays, but hopefully we are eliminating some of the waste,” she says.

For many years, Ginny Underwood’s family in Bluffton, South Carolina, would dress up and go to a restaurant on Christmas Eve, exchange gifts and then return home to watch a movie or play board games. Last year, they tried something new: staying

LightField Studios/Shutterstock.com

home, putting on pajamas, eating cottage pie and playing handmade “Minute to Win It” games that Underwood, a professional organizer who blogs at VirginiasEasyLivingSolutions.com, created. “We had a blast; we didn’t stop laughing all night,” she says. “We saved hundreds of dollars and we had a lovely time.”

Lighting red, green and black candles while focusing on principles like unity, self-determination or purpose are key in the seven-day Kwanzaa celebrations; but, “Instead of just lighting the candle amongst friends and family and discussing, I want my family to spend that day exemplifying the principle,” says Vanessa Davis, executive director of the nonprofit African Village International, in Jacksonville, Florida. Now her children meditate, journal and practice mindfulness to learn about self-determination; volunteer or pick up trash outdoors to learn about collective work and responsibilities; and buy something at a locally-owned store and discuss future finances for cooperative economics. “I was inspired to change because Kwanzaa isn’t really a religious holiday, but it is a darn good way to reflect on the past year and goal-set for the future,” she says.

“Giving children more hands-on experiences for Hanukkah and taking the emphasis off of ‘What am I going to get?’ makes the holiday more meaningful for the kids,” concurs Pamela Morris, early childhood education director at the East Valley Jewish Community Center, in Chandler, Arizona. Each Hanukkah evening, her family of five lights a menorah and says traditional prayers while also volunteering to wrap food packages at a local Feed My Starving Children event, crafting personal menorahs at a pottery studio, going to see Phoenix ZooLights and gathering to make the traditional potato latkes or jelly donuts. “Each night is a focus on family time and welcoming friends to join us,” she says.

By observing and evolving traditions, family bonds can strengthen through time, relates Earl: “By participating in holiday rituals, children are learning about who they are. And by passing them down, parents reaffirm what’s important to them and keep the connection to the past intact.”

n Instead of buying a Christmas tree or Hanukkah bush in a store lot, get one in a pot that can be replanted later.

Ronica A. O’Hara is a Denver-based natural-health writer. Connect at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

n Take a favorite holiday story, parable or song and have the kids (and adults) act it out with costumes and all.

Updating Favorite Traditions n Take a family holiday photo, either serious or wacky, and recreate it every year with members in the same poses and expressions. n Invite someone to a holiday dinner that’s not part of the family, such as an international student or newcomer in town. n Cook up a batch of healthy, vegan cookies with the kids and organize a neighborhood cookie swap. n Have a $10 or $20 gift exchange challenge in which everyone competes to come up with the most useful, creative or eco-clever use of the money. n String together popcorn and cranberries to make a tree garland or door decoration, and later drape it on outdoor trees to feed birds and wildlife. n Give kids $10 to donate to a carefully selected charity of their choice.

CONNECT WITH OUR READERS | THREE-MONTH EDITORIAL CALENDAR & MARKETING PLANNER PLANT-BASED NUTRITION ISSUE

FEBRUARY

Cardiovascular Health plus: Regenerative Medicine

Contact us to learn about marketing opportunities and become a member of the Natural Awakenings community at:317-984-0040

MARCH

Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet plus: CBD

December 2019

27

Perfect Pet Presents Safe and Eco-Smart Toys

by Julie Peterson

T

he pet aisles are so full of squeaking, plush and colorful toys it can make a dog or cat parent’s head spin like a Frisbee. Add blinking lights, flavors, promises of higher intelligence or cleaner teeth; then toss in concerns about sustainably sourced materials, potentially toxic ingredients and varying degrees of quality. The choices are complex.

It would be nice to look for that gold seal of approval from the Pet Toy Regulatory Agency. But don’t bother: There is no such thing. It’s all up to the consumer to figure it out.

The Problem Is Real

Concern regarding toxicants in children’s toys and the realization that they posed a risk of chemical exposure led to regulatory protections. “Similar safeguards do not exist for pets, even though they exhibit similar chewing and mouthing behaviors,” says Philip N. Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of terrestrial ecotoxicology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. “Owner education is key to limiting unintentional chemical exposure.”

According to a 2013 study coauthored by Smith and published in the journal Chemosphere, common

Sundays Noon - 1 pm

Richard Brendan 28

Indianapolis Edition

Engaging conversations and inspiring stories with today’s leading social change artists ™.

B

... ringing love to life! www.richardbrendan.com All shows podcast on website.

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

New Africa/Shutterstock.com

endocrine-disrupting chemical toxins in plastics can enter a dog’s body through saliva. Concentrations of leachable chemicals can increase in older, degraded toys, according to the National Institutes of Health.

For anyone that has ever had a pet destroy a toy faster than it takes to calculate the cost per second, durable construction may be the highest concern.

After all, if the toy is vigorously ripped to shreds, pieces may be swallowed. The most immediate issue becomes intestinal blockage.

This is a common problem for cats and dogs with a propensity to eat garbage, plants and holiday decorations. But when we spend good money on actual toys, we would like to think that it won’t lead to surgery. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee. Poorly constructed toys have required many pet owners to watch for the parts to pass through the animal or, worse yet, make a trip to the vet.

Even if a toy seems sturdy, it’s best to observe the animal with the toy.

Charlotte Easterling, a graphic designer in Madison, Wisconsin, learned this from her cat, Hazel, who choked on a common cat toy. “She was playing with a glitter ball and then started meowing kind of frantically, scrambling around and pawing at her face. I jumped up and

Yellowj/Shutterstock.com

natural pet

pulled the ball out of her mouth,” recalls Easterling. Hazel only gets big glitter balls these days.

A New Generation Spurs Change

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) National Pet Owners Survey provides insight into the demographics, buying habits and other traits of dog, cat, bird, small animal, reptile, fish and horse owners. The 2019-2020 survey shows that about 85 million U.S. homes, or 67 percent, include a pet. This leads to a lot of money flowing into the pet toy and care community.

Annually, dog owners spend about $124 and cat owners spend about $89 on treats and toys. The survey also indicates that Millennials are the largest pet-owning demographic.

“The pet care community is doing a great job of meeting the demands of a new generation by offering a range of products made from sustainable, recycled and upcycled materials,” says Steve King, CEO of APPA, in Stamford,

Connecticut. King notes it’s expected that as Gen Z pet owners begin to assert themselves in the marketplace, we will see more products based on sustainability and transparency.

Shopping for Safety

Experts offer some guidelines for ways consumers can choose harmless toys: 4 Be suspicious of toys manufactured overseas or cheap ones made in the U.S. 4 Contact the manufacturer and ask if toys contain phthalates, BPA, arsenic, bromine, chemical dyes, chromium or formaldehyde.

4 Look for toys made with ingredients from nature (hemp, leather or wool).

4 Find a pet supply store that has natural, safe and sustainably sourced products.

4 Inspect toys periodically for loose parts and watch the pet with new toys.

4 If a pet plays with a toy and then acts oddly, contact the vet.

Julie Peterson writes from rural Wisconsin.

Connect at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

Your Health Matters Take Control with Lab on Demand.

Fast: Highest quality test results delivered within 24 to 48 hours Confidential: Lab results no one will receive but you or your physician per your request Affordable: Lab services when you pay cash or credit save 25 to 85% Lab on Demand offers a comprehensive range CMP, of lab tests/screens from basic to the complex. CBC, or A1C Tests

Affordable options for self pay and with high $20 each for a limited deductible insurance plans! time Lab Tests can be performed by your own request no physician order required!

Mon-Fri 8am to 6pm Sat by appt.

Sun Closed Call ahead to set an appointment at your convenience Walk-ins Welcome

(317) 405-8057

LabOnDemandInd.com 9240 N. Meridian St, Ste. 120 — Indianapolis —

December 2019

29

ongoing events

JANUARY

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES ISSUE

Coming Next Month

Healthy Immune System Plus: Age-Defying Habits

NOTE: All calendar events must be received via email by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Email Calendar@AwakenIndy.com for guidelines and to submit entries. No phone calls or faxes, please. Or visit NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com to submit online.

daily

tuesday

First Class Free. New students are welcome to take their first class free any day. Select your class and bring your mat. Schedule available at IPYC. org. Inner Peace Yoga Center, 5038 E 56th St, Indianapolis. 317-257-9642. IPYC.org.

Evening with the Doctor – 7pm. Learn more about your body’s ability to self-heal and the benefits of Bio-Energetic work. Free. RSVP requested. Morter HealthCenter, 10439 Commerce Dr, Ste 140, Carmel. 317-872-9300.

MorterHealthCenter.com.

sunday A Positive Path for Spiritual Living – 9:30am Meditation; 10am Celebration Service. Come for music, meditation and inspirational message and stay for fellowship. Youth education and nursery care provided. Free. Unity of Indianapolis, 907 N Delaware St, Indianapolis. UnityOfIndy.com.

Sahaja Yoga Meditation –11am-noon. Unleash your potential for good mental and physical health, balance and maximum performance to help you live fully in the present moment with Sahaja yoga meditation. Free. Southside meeting location, 4950 E County Line Rd, Indianapolis.

317-755-9630. IndianaMeditation.org.

Kundalini Yoga – the Yoga of Awareness – 11am-12:15pm. Experience a vibrant mix of physical postures, breath work, meditation, mantra, mudra and sound vibration with Gong relaxation. $10. CitYoga, 2442 N. Central Ave., Indianapolis. 317-920-9642. CitYoga.biz.

Community Yoga – 4-5pm. Hendricks County residents are invited to an all-levels flow class.

A great opportunity to add an additional class to one’s yoga schedule. $5. Peace Through Yoga, 134 S Washington, Danville. 317-753-1266.

PeaceThroughYoga.com.

monday Mindful Meditation – 12:15-12:45pm. Brief discussion followed by silent practice and concluding with observation, comments, or questions. No experience, fee or registration required. Free. CenterPoint Counseling, 7700 North Meridian, Indianapolis. 317-252-5518.

CenterPointCounseling.org.

To advertise or participate in our next issue, call

Health & Wellness 101 Class – 6:30-8:30pm.

Learn how to support your health naturally and reduce chemical overload in your life. Essential oils, weight-loss support and more, with holistic health practitioner Kim Woods. Free. Held in Irvington. For more info and to RSVP: 317-4094981. BeAmazing.net.

317-984-0040 30

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com

wednesday Mindfulness Meditation – 5:30-6:15pm. 1st & 3rd Wed. Meditation opportunity open to anyone wanting to practice mindfulness in a supportive community. Drop-in with Cos Raimondi, no registration necessary. $5 suggested donation.

Nourish Wellness, 826 W 64th St, Indianapolis.

MindfulLifePC.com.

thursday Mindful Meditation – 12:15-12:45pm. Brief discussion followed by silent practice and concluding with observation, comments or questions. No experience, fee or registration required. Free. CenterPoint Counseling, 7700 North Meridian, Indianapolis. 317-252-5518.

CenterPointCounseling.org.

Vegan Buffet at Spice Nation – 5:30pm. The Indian restaurant features vegetarian and veganfriendly selection. Spice Nation, 4225 Lafayette Rd, Indianapolis. 317-299-2127.

Community Drum Circle – 7-8pm. Pre-jam begins at 6:45pm. All ages and levels are welcome, no experience necessary. Drums provided

by Bongo Boy Music School and REMO, Inc. Free. Bongo Boy Music School, 8481 Bash St., Ste 1100, Indianapolis. 317-595-9065.

BongoBoyMusic.com.

friday PlayFULL Hours – 9-11am. Little ones can explore their world with different activities and unstructured play every week. These activities require parent participation and include a chance for parents to socialize, too. $3. Holland Park, 1 Park Dr., Fishers. 317-595-3111.

saturday 1st Saturday Bazaar at The Playful Soul – 11 am-4pm. The 1st Saturday of every month we will have live music, local artisans with jewelry, art, apothecary, massages, henna, face painting, local produce, flowers and much more! 1001 E. 86th St. Indianapolis. 317-815-8880.

community resource guide

LAB SERVICES

Natural Networking at its best! Connecting you to the leaders of natural Advertorial healthy living in our community. To find out how you can be included in this With so many companies selling essential oils, are you confused???? directory each month, call 317-984-0040 or visit NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com.

How to Choose Essential Oils

“We take the stewardship of our planet seriously. Our State of the Art production process brings you the purest (essential) oils on Earth.

We call it Seed To Seal®. It’s not a slogan — it’s our Calling.”

CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

BRAIN(ByBALANCE the Founder of YOUNG LIVING™ ESSENTIAL OILS)

Y

7689 S Shelby St, Indpls

OUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS — 317-497-8166 established over 20 years ago—laid the foundation theMeridian company’s total commitment 9510forN St, Ste D to using the purist seed, sustainable cultivation, 317-843-9200 optimum distillation, extensive testing of each batchBrainBalanceCenters.com of oils, and quality control inspection of Our personalized programin the each bottle to assure the purest, most potent essential oils available world. (SeedToSeal.com) uses specific training, exercis-

ESSENTIAL OILS

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

Essential Oils – Revered for thousands of years for their naturally enhancing support of body, mind and spirit. Become a Young Living Essential Oils Member/ Customer, and/or an Independent Distributor. See ad on page 21.

Today, YOUNG LIVING’S Vision grown into a world wide, essentiales, has nutrition and neurological oil trend, and the trend is fueled by the consumer’s strong desireto to byrehabilitation modalities pass toxin-laden, synthetic scents used in many products.

improve behavior, social and Unfortunately, as with any trend, many competitive companies have been academic performance in chilspawned that attempt to convince the consumer that their products are dren may withutilize learning devel- or “pure essential oils” too, but instead syntheticand oil imitations, oils made from genetically seeds, or oils diluted with carrierto oils, or oils distilled opmental issues.modified We offer a drug-free approach HEALTHY EATING/ORGANIC from overcoming plants grown with pesticides and/or herbicides—all of which distorts, weakens challenges of ADHD, learning disaHyperactivity and chemically changes the innate power of essential oils. bilities, and other processing disorders. Call today EZRA’S ENLIGHTENED CAFÉ OUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS set the standard for authenticity 20 years ago, & impulsivity for a free consultation. See ad on page 26.

6516Seed N Ferguson, Indpls and that same high standard is still our “Calling” today — via our strict,

Hyperactivity & impulsivity CHIROPRACTIC CARE

Yget resolved

317-255-3972 To Seal requirements used on all our company-owned farms and distilleries (in Utah;

at Brain Balance.

Idaho; France; Ecuador; British Columbia; Croatia; Israel, Taiwan) as wellEzrasEnlightenedCafe.com as on our

“

get resolved ” IfGrace Mary Pennella D.C. you value true authenticity, always choose at Brain Balance.

9780 Lantern Rd, Ste 230 YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS

Certified Partner-farms around the world. YOUNG LIVING also Partners with local

Indy’s 100% gluten-free & plant-based cafe and wellness bar is an oasis of healing food.

- ELIZABETH M., PARENT Seasonal and rotating menu How it works: The program features vibrant dairy-free, proFishers, IN balances and synchronizes Info at: brain YoungLiving.org/NaturalHealth4U or 877-436-2299 cessed sugar-free and Nonleft brain/right 317-863-0365 interaction. The newly Income opportunities alsoon availabile My daughter stays GMO dishes and desserts. Monthly cooking classDrPennella.com strengthened connections Thissocial Advertorial Sponsored by Young Living Member # 489656 es as well. See ad on page 18. improve behavior, andBrain-based chiropracticfrom care for task now.

And smiles academic performance. the entire family. Balancing your ear to ear.

Brain Balance addresses: HEMP CANNABIS nervous system for better overall • Lack of Focus • Academic, Social function and M., a PARENT better you!

MEDICINE EDUCATION - orELIZABETH • Impulsivity Behavioral • Family Restore, recover and preserve Issues Relationships HEMP HEALTH EDUCATION overall health at our family wellPam Trapp How it works: The program brainbalancecenters.comness center. See ad on page 12.

My daughter stays on Frankincense Harvesters in Oman to obtain our exclusive Sacred Frankincense Resin task now.

And smilesFrankincense from (from centuries-old trees). ear to ear.

STILLPOINT FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC

“

”

balances and synchronizes Certified Medical Cannabis Educator 317-489-7129 left brain/right brain DeliriousHappyLife.com interaction.

The newly Medical cannabis works best DENTISTRY with awareness and knowledge. strengthened connections INDIANAPOLIS DENTISTRY Community educator specializbehavior, social and 7218 improve US 31 S, Indianapolis ing in cannabinoid health and 317-882-0228 academic performance. wellness. Professionally trained CalmingFears.com

Comprehensive, innovative Brain Balance addresses: treatment, expert knowledge • Lack ofandFocus a holistic• Academic, “whole body” $XX off our FREE CONSULTATION approach to dentistry.

Dr.or Ted Social • Impulsivity Comprehensive Reese and his supportive staff Behavioral 1-800-877-5500 Assessment* • Familycreate a dental treatment tailored Issues 7689 South Shelby St. CALL US Relationships Indianapolis • (317) 497-8166to fit your needs, administered

1-800-877-5500 in a relaxing, amenity-filled atmosphere. See ad

9510 N. Meridian St., Suite D on page 23.

Brain Balance Centers Indianapolis • (317) 843-9200 of Greater Middletown

by Dr. Dustin Sulak, nationally recognized expert. Available for private consultations, practitioner luncheons, and wellness training events. Monthly subscription training webinar series available for efficient access to valuable information.

LAB ON DEMAND

9240 N Meridian, Ste 120, Indianapolis 317-405-8057 LabOnDemandInd.com

Take greater control of your health with a comprehensive range of lab tests and screens – support prevention, early detection, and improved health outcomes. Fast, confidential and affordable. No doctors orders required; insured and uninsured are welcome. See ad on page 29.

LANDSCAPE SERVICES GREENSCAPE GEEKS, LLC 844-844-3357 ext 0 info@GreenscapeGeeks.com GreenscapeGeeks.com

Specializing in native plant landscaping and design, custom-built raised garden beds and composters, urban farm installation, and non-chemical turf maintenance. Additional natural landscaping services available. See ad on page 21.

TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING CERESET

Brenda Hanning, Owner, Cereset Tech Coach 160 W. Carmel Dr, Ste 186, Carmel *By Appointment Only 317-922-7588 Brenda@Carmel.Cereset.com Cereset.com

The brain is your central command center. When your brain is out of balance, or stuck, you don’t feel right and it’s impossible to function at your highest level. Cereset is a proven technology that’s non-invasive and highly effective. Cereset can help your brain free itself, enabling you to achieve higher levels of well-being and balance throughout your life. See ad on page 23.

HOLISTIC HEALTH

HEALTHCENTER brainbalancecenters.com MORTER 10439 Commerce Dr, Ste 140

*Valid through XX/XX. Cannot be combined www.brainbalancecenters.com

KATHERINE EYNON ORR, DDS

with any other offer. At participating centers.

5430 E 86th St, Indianapolis 317-598-8500 DrKatieOrr.com

Individually appropriate, high-quality, biologically compatible, safe and life energy-enhancing holistic dentistry. Dr Katie and team strive to perform dental procedures in the gentlest way possible, in a friendly, calm office environment. Offering a complete menu of holistic and comfort services.

See ad on page 12.

Carmel 317-872-9300 MorterHealthCenter.com

We invite you to join us on your journey to vibrant health and lifelong wellness. We help you identify and address interferences to your natural well-being using gentle, non-invasive Bio-Energetic Synchronization Technique, and joyfully support you with classes, programs and techniques designed to help you Live. See ad on page 7.

Happy Holidays!

December 2019

31

COMING In Spring

Indianapolis

2020 NATURAL LIVING

H

E

A

LT Y H OU Y P RH LA N EA E LT T R HY E S LI O V U IN R G C , E G U

ID

E

DIRECTORY

ATTENTION LOCAL BUSINESSES! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to reach Natural Awakenings readers all year long. Attract new customers and increase your business with our cost-efficient advertising, in print and online.

Reduced Pricing for DISPLAY ADS in our Annual Directory Call now to reserve your space!

317-984-0040 NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com 32

Indianapolis Edition

NaturalAwakeningsIndy.com