Natural Awakenings Tallahassee December 2010 by Donna Konuch

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET feel good live simply laugh more

FREE

HOMEMADE HOLIDAYS Do It Yourself This Year

Really Good

RAW

DESSERTS

EVERYDAY

GRACE Finding the Sacred In Daily Living

DECEMBER 2010 |

FAMILY

RITUALS bring meaning to sacred events

Tallahassee, South Georgia, Gulf Coast | www.natallahassee.com natural awakenings

December 2010

contact us Publisher Donna L. Konuch Editor Donna L. Konuch Design & Production Susan McCann jaxgraphicdesign.net Advertising Sales For Advertising questions or a Media Kit please send an e-mail to: NATallahassee@yahoo.com Natural Awakenings Tallahassee 3767 Greyfield Dr Tallahassee, Fl 32311 Phone: 850-590-7024 Fax: 850-270-67NA (6762) natallahassee@yahoo.com www.NATallahassee.com www.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com © 2010 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call for a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available for $18 (for 12 issues). Please call 850-590-7024 with credit card information or mail a check, payable to Natural Awakenings–Tallahassee, to the above address.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

contents 28

7 wisewords

8 healthbriefs

10 healingways

11 inspiration

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

7 THE GLOBAL COHERENCE HYPOTHESIS

12 greenliving

by Linda Sechrist

14 naturalpet

10 GRIEVING DURING

16 healthykids

by David Kessler

THE HOLIDAYS

22 consciouseating

12 HOMEMADE HOLIDAYS 18

24 fitbody

14 PRESENTS FOR PETS

28 globalbriefs

coverartist

Bearing Gifts by Will Bullas

Combining award-winning artistic skills with a humorous point of view, Will Bullas makes fine art fun. The birds and animals that populate his enchanting watercolors are full of personality, reflecting the artist’s ebullient sense of sparkle and mischief. Bullas has been drawing since he was a youth, and his first professional pieces were pencil portraits of fellow soldiers in Vietnam sent to loved ones back home. Returning from military duty, he enrolled in the Brooks Institute of Fine Art, in Santa Barbara, California, and graduated with a degree in oil painting. Today, Bullas’ work graces a wide range of popular products, including high-fashion T-shirts, note cards and coffee mugs. His books, A Fool and His Bunny and A Fool Moon, include introductions by fans Clint Eastwood and Doris Day. A member of the American Watercolor Society and the National Watercolor Society, Bullas is renowned for the zany one-liners that often title his works. “I find that laughter always tips the scales,” he advises. “When you combine an image with one of the countless sayings or bits of jargon we are always using, you end up with a pretty funny package.”

by Brita Belli

by Gail Condrick

16 KID-CENTERED CEREMONIES

by Charlotte Eulette

18 EVERYDAY GRACE

by Lisa Marshall

22 EXCEPTIONAL ENDINGS

by Judith Fertig

24 PRAYER WORKOUTS by April Thompson

26 Film Celebrates

“The Heart To Lead” by Karen Adams

View the artist’s portfolio at WillBullas.com. natural awakenings

December 2010

letterfromthepublisher

appy Holidays Everyone! Did 2010 go as quickly for you as it did for me? Each month, Natural Awakenings magazine strives to provide up-to-date, engrossing articles on the natural health, inner growth and earth friendly movements, both here locally and around the country. As publisher, I make it my goal to enlighten our readers that the Tallahassee community has as much to offer in these areas as anywhere else. We are blessed in this region with dedicated health care providers, business people, coaches, therapists, artists, teachers and a variety of other professionals dedicated to your good health and your desire for a positive uplifting lifestyle. To bring you a fascinating article in this month’s issue, I have actually gone a bit north of Florida and southern Georgia. Karen Adam’s is an editor of Natural Awakenings magazine in the southwest Virginia area. She has written an exclusive article based on her interview with producers Bonnie Kelly and Cheryl Ingram who created the movie, The Heart to Lead. This movie was 10 years in the making and the film premiered at the 2010 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Conference. It encourages women to be allies for the greater good. The movie is a heartfelt plea for women to come together to help change the world, and to come together to support and connect with one another. I have met many women in this area who fit the mold represented in this movie, and I knew I just had to share this article. It is on page 26 and I hope it touches you as it touched me. On a completely different topic, but one that is also close to my heart, is the article we have on Raw Desserts (yum!). Did you know that you can make raw versions of cookies, cakes, puddings, crisps and a variety of other treats, that do not include animal products, wheat or white sugar? Does it sound intimidating? Well, I can attest from personal experience that it can be very easy. The article on Raw Desserts can be found on page 22, but to start you off, I thought I would share with you my all-time favorite raw dessert. I have served this Chocolate Mousse at parties and have brought it to pot-luck meals. It has always received rave reviews (and I have never had any left over!). I did not invent this recipe, but I am sharing this with you as a small gift from me in honor of this holiday season. Raw Chocolate Mousse ½ cup of soaked, pitted Medjool dates ½ cup of maple or agave syrup 1 tsp. of vanilla 3 mashed up avocados ¾ cup of cocoa or carob powder ½ cup of water Place the first 3 ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend, pushing down the sides with a spatula when necessary. That’s it! It can keep for 3 days in the refrigerator or 2 weeks in the freezer. Enjoy. I promise you it is Delicious!! Please eat in good health, count your blessings and share and support one another during this holiday season. See you in 2011….!

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

Donna K.

www.natallahassee.com

advertising & Submissions How to Advertise

To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at natallahassee@yahoo.com. Deadline for ad space reservation for the January issue is Sunday, December 12.

News Briefs and article submissions

Email articles, news items and ideas to: natallahassee@yahoo.com. Deadline for editorial for the January issue is Sunday, December 5.

calendar submissions

Email calendar events to: natallahassee@ yahoo.com or fax to 850-270-6762. Please see page 31 for details Calendar deadline for January issue is Friday, December 10.

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 1-239-449-8309. For franchising opportunities call 1-239-5301377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

Nontoxic Cleaning: Good for You and Your Home!

ith everything else that goes on in our day, how many of us have the time, let alone the desire to really CLEAN our homes? Sure, we’ll straighten things up, usually when having visitors over, but don’t we deserve to feel the comfort of knowing that things are all in their spot and dusted? Another important consideration these days is the fact that we’re assaulted by chemicals everywhere we turn. At least we can have control of that situation in our own homes, making them a sanctuary to relax and feel healthy in. Welcome Tina’s Cleaning! Thank goodness someone has taken the time to locate and use nontoxic products when doing their great job of cleaning our homes. Owner Tina Galante has offered house cleaning and organizing services in Tallahassee for 15 years, with an attention to detail that’s incredible. See examples at: www.HouseCleaningTallahassee.com. Tina has personally trained the 3 maids on her staff to do as thorough and meticulous a job as she does. All their vacuums are equipped with HEPA filtration systems, helpful to people with allergies and dust mite problems. And their eco-friendly, “green cleaning” products protect both customers and employees from chemical exposure. She provides weekly and bi-weekly services for regular cleaning and deep cleaning services when you need that too. Unorganized? She’ll get you back on track in no time. Call Tina at (850) 212-1223 for an estimate and she’ll come out in person to meet you and assess your situation. Now…..relax!

Divas & Desserts Boasting More Than Just Sweets

usiness & Professional Women of Tallahassee (BPW/ Tallahassee) is hosting the 3rd Annual Divas & Desserts Holiday Marketplace to benefit Chelsea House, a transitional home for women in crisis within our community. The event will be held on Thursday, December 16, 2010, at the University Center Club in Doak Campbell Stadium from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Tickets are $15 for members and $20 for non-members and are available for purchase at www.bpwtallahassee.com or at the door. Divas & Desserts will feature a holiday marketplace with approximately 40 vendors offering a variety of gift options, seated massage and mini-manicures. Signature cocktails, complementary desserts and coffee bar, and cash bar are also provided. This event promises to be an evening of fun, shopping and eating dessert first! A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Chelsea House and additional donations are accepted. Some of Chelsea House’s needs are: interview-appropriate attire, shoes, handbags, jewelry, unopened hair and skin care products, cosmetics and personal hygiene products. Items may be dropped off at the donation table at the event. BPW/Tallahassee’s mission is to achieve equality for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information. We help women build their careers and businesses. For more information about Divas & Desserts, please visit www. bpwtallahassee.com.

Announcing New Training and Future Workshops

lizabeth Markovich, Nurse Practitioner and owner of Integrative Healthcare is excited to announce that she has enrolled in the new Florida State University Doctor of Nurse Practice program (DNP). This is a new type of practice doctorate for nurse practitioners. DNP is designed to help improve clinical knowledge and practice, knowledge of the healthcare system as well as practice management. Elizabeth is planning a project to teach workshops in Functional Medicine at Nurse Practitioner conferences. Functional Medicine helps find and treat the cause of chronic health problems. For more information of Functional Medicine, please check out the Functionalmedicine.org website. To contact Elizabeth for any of your healthcare concerns, she can be reached at 850-878-4434 or through her website at http:// www.ihcfl.com.

natural awakenings

December 2010

Abundance Wellness Center Hosts Holiday Open House and Art Extravaganza

bundance Wellness Center is known for their many community events which include lectures on health and nutrition, healing events such as The Bruno Groening Circle of Friends, holistic health seminars, and spiritually based workshops. Their location supports therapists practicing a wide variety of modalities, ranging from CranioSacral Therapy, Feldenkrais Method, Structural Integration, TMJ Dysfunction, Reiki, Aromatherapy, Foot Reflexology, and more. Their two studios host ongoing exercise classes such as Hatha and Kundalini Yoga, Awareness Through Movement, and Gyrokinesis. The center has been blessed by the Deprung Gomang Tibetan Monks who are visiting again in December of this year! One of the most rewarding things they do at Abundance Wellness Center is to partner with local non-profits. They host an annual Holiday Open House and Art Extravaganza the second Friday in December of each year. This event features a festive vegetarian fare and local artists displaying wonderful creations for holiday gift shopping. This year the event will include a silent auction with the proceeds benefiting The Chelsea House. Beth Burns, the executive director and founder of the Good Samaritan Network and Chelsea House will be on hand to provide more information about her mission. For more information please visit www.gsncares.org. Everyone is encouraged to come to the Holiday Open House and Art Extravaganza on Friday, December 10, from 4-8pm! For directions and more information about Abundance Wellness Center visit their web site www.awc-tallahassee.com.

Open Artist Studio & Sale On Sunday, December 12th from noon to 6pm, Julie Guyot will be hosting her second annual Open Studio & Sale featuring her ceramic work. This year’s other featured artists include Kim Round, jeweler, and Tracie Kelly, watercolor artist. Julie graduated in 2008 from FSU with her Master’s Degree in Studio Art. Her work combines the use of printmaking techniques and clay to form a unique blend of contemporary style and nostalgia. She incorporates old photographs into her work and then fires the image into the clay making it permanent and food-safe. She will be selling berry bowls, tumblers, plates, hanging bird-baths and more. After her Artist Residency at 621 Gallery in 2008-2009, Julie decided to start up her studio, design her own line of pottery and market it, not only in Tallahassee, but nationwide. She recently returned from the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago and her work will be shown in two exhibitions in Tampa during the annual National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in March 2011. Her work will also be in the exhibition, “30 North by 84 West”—New Ceramics Directions during the Seven Days of Opening Nights at the MoFA at Florida State University. Stop by the Open Studio & Sale on December 12th to tour the studio at 1124 Morningside Court Tallahassee. Enjoy some holiday cookies and hot apple cider and find unique holiday gifts that are handmade by Tallahassee artists. 6

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

Be selfish with your mind: Why let negative thoughts dominate?? Look at the abundance of good in your life and feel a sense of gratitude that grows even stronger. Fill your mind with great memories from the past, recalling the smallest details. Experience a deeper sense of self love by complimenting yourself on every triumph over tragedy. Cure what is curable, prevent what is preventable, and enjoy the rest.

‘Tis The Season To Be Selfish by Dr. Darlene Treese “Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live” -Goethe

he holidays are here!! Are you celebrating in joyful anticipation or wishing you could hide in a cave until it’s all over? When did you lose the sacredness of your “holy-days” in the demands of doing what you think others expect? We blame the media and merchants for commercializing these times yet seldom accept responsibility for our personal choices. Indeed, it is a time for outrageous celebrations and good memories will last a lifetime if you are filled with joy and happiness. But how often are you truly happy and peaceful? What memories are you creating? Consider how wonderfully different your holidays will be this year if you choose to be selfish.

Be selfish with your time: Will rushing add enjoyment to each activity?? Set realistic parameters about what you choose to do. Allow more time than you think you will need. Say “No, thanks” to anything that you are doing out of guilt or obligation or to make someone else indebted to you. Plan something fun to do while you are waiting in line. Do worthwhile things that bring you joy and satisfaction to create more joy and inner peace.

Be selfish with your money: Who are you trying to impress?? Decide to cut back on your spending. Agree to exchange white elephant

gifts. Honor others with donations to charities made in their name. Tell the kids that there are so many children in the world that Santa is limited to one special gift for each child. Let them be a Santa’s helper by purchasing a gift for a needy child with their own money.

Be selfish with your world: What small thing can you do to make it better?? Love your neighbor. Allow for differences of opinions. Be kind to a newcomer. Celebrate diversity. Learn something new about another culture or religion. Teach tolerance. Look at the night sky and know we can truly have a silent night, a holy night where all is calm and all is bright when we are selfish enough to love unconditionally. Dr. Darlene Treese has been in private practice in hypnosis and counseling since 1983. She is a Diplomate in Counseling with the National Institute of Sports, and has served as President of the American Psychotherapy and Medical Hypnosis Association. Darlene has been internationally acknowledged for her positive action and solution-based therapies and work with corporations. “A person for the people”, Dr. Dar is always available to help with your questions and dilemmas through office visits, email or telephone consultations. Call her at 850-201-0073 or visit www. AskDrTreese.com

Be selfish with your body: Why be cranky and tired?? Get sufficient rest. Take hot baths with candlelight and soft music. Avoid fasting then binging. Take long, slow walks, especially with children. Look. Move gracefully. Skip. Sing. Dance without caring what others think. Smile. Breathe in all the wonderful sights and smells. Breathe out kind words to those who are cranky and tired. natural awakenings

December 2010

healthbriefs

Cranberries’ Red Power

hile the properties of cranberries for warding off urinary tract infections have been well documented, researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) are now reporting a surprise finding that expands the red berries’ healing characteristics. They discovered that cranberry juice cocktail evidently helps block a strain of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus from bringing on staph infections, which can range from minor skin rashes to serious bloodstream problems. One particular strain, Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), is a growing public health concern because it doesn’t respond to most antibiotics. To cause an infection, bacteria must first adhere to host tissue, and then gather in colonies to form a biofilm. In their study, the scientists found that in participants who had recently consumed cranberry juice, the ability of bacteria such as E. coli and S. aureus to form biofilms was significantly decreased, thus reducing the chance of contracting a urinary or staph infection. “We saw essentially no biofilm in the staph samples,” reports Terri Camesano, a WPI professor of chemical engineering.

Kindness is Contagious Pass it On

he best gift of all can be as simple as an act of kindness, generosity and cooperation. Even better, we hope that our good acts may spread. Now, a study published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides the first laboratory evidence that kind behavior is indeed contagious and that it spreads from person to person. In short, the researchers found that when just a few people benefit from kindness, they pay it forward by helping others who were not originally involved. This cascade of cooperation can influence many known and unknown participants in a broadening social network. Here’s how researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Harvard University illustrated the principle: When one person gave money to help others in a public-goods game where people had the opportunity to cooperate, the recipients were more likely to give away their own money to other people in subsequent games. This type of behavior created a domino effect, in which one person’s generosity spread first to three people, then to nine and then to others in subsequent waves of the experiment. Better yet, the effect of being part of such a kindness circle persists, observes James Fowler, associate professor at UCSD, who co-led the study, observing, “You don’t go back to being your old selfish self.” 8

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

Holiday Binge Alert Here’s another reason to take it easy at the holiday buffet: A study published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Nutrition & Metabolism has found that just a four-week episode of excessive food consumption, accompanied by limited physical activity, can have long-term negative impacts on our body weight and fat storage, even after weight initially gained is lost. Research participants were in their 20s and early 30s.

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~ Charles Dickens

Tap Away Food Cravings

electable morsels are traditionally hard to resist, but psychologists from Griffith University’s School of Medicine, in Australia, show us how we can successfully reduce food cravings by using a technique they refer to as psychological acupuncture. It involves gently tapping on pressure points along the body’s energy meridians using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), while focusing on particular emotions and thoughts. “Participants in the trial were surprised by how quickly the technique works—that it doesn’t take a lot of time to eliminate food cravings they may have had for many years,” notes Peta Stapleton, Ph.D. Food cravings for sweets and salty snacks significantly lessened after just four, two-hour sessions, and were confirmed as being maintained at a six-month follow-up consultation. Find more information on EFT, including certified practitioner resources by state, at EFTUniverse.com.

Cinnamon Extract A favorite holiday spice might soon be recognized as a natural medicine. An investigative study led by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chemist suggests that a water soluble extract of natural cinnamon, which contains antioxidant compounds, could help reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and heart disease. More research is needed.

Toy Story

Sustainable Toys are In With Walmart, the biggest toy seller, now stocking its store shelves with more toys made from natural or recycled materials, industry analysts expect other big retailers to follow. Reyne Rice, a trend specialist for the Toy Industry Association, told Reuters that about 25 percent of retail buyers at last year’s American International Toy Fair wanted to see and consider more eco-friendly products. Thus, the Toy Fair earlier this year featured a green pavilion, exclusively showcasing such toys for the first time. It’s a step toward propelling green toy sales toward an anticipated $1 billion market in the next five years, representing some 5 percent of overall toy sales. While sustainable toys tend to cost a bit more than traditional ones, many are priced at less than $25 retail. Meanwhile, even though many major manufacturers aren’t yet on board, several are making moves to green and reduce the amount of packaging they use.

Source: USDA/Agricultural Research Service, 2010

Cocoa Takes the Pressure Off

If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing. ~ Gail Sheehy

Fifteen scientific studies attest to the good news: For people with hypertension, eating dark chocolate or cocoa can significantly dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Researchers attribute the positive effects to the flavanol compounds in cocoa. Source: BioMed Central Limited, 2010

natural awakenings

December 2010

healingways

Grieving During the Holidays by David Kessler

rief at the loss of a loved one is an emotionally painful and debilitating condition at any time of the year, as the mind struggles to make sense out of what may seem like the destruction of our internal compass. Time may eventually help heal our wounds, but meanwhile, life goes on as usual for the rest of the world, and that includes holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah and New Year’s are the biggest and usually most challenging of all to endure, let alone enjoy. It is possible to get through the holidays on your own terms. Rather than avoiding the feelings of grief, lean into them, because it is not the grief you want to avoid, but the pain. Grief is the pathway out of the pain of internal feelings, and mourning is its external expression.

Have a strategy Have a Plan A and Plan B – Plan A is where you go for the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinner with family and friends. Then, if it doesn’t feel right, have your plan B ready: maybe a movie you and your loved one enjoyed together or a photo album to look through or a special place you went to together. Many people find that when they have Plan B in place, just knowing it is there is enough. You can even cancel the holiday altogether. If you find yourself just 10

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

going through the motions and feeling nothing, cancel them. Take a year off. The same holidays will come around again and your family and friends will understand. Most of all, do not feel guilty about “spoiling” anyone else’s merriment. Times of crisis like these can often serve to bring the true message of the holiday home to everyone.

Externalize your loss Just as there are rituals that have served mankind throughout the ages, we can create our own personal rites to see us past our grief. n Dedicate a prayer at the holiday

dinner to them. n Light a candle. n Chat or create an online tribute

to their memory. n Share a favorite shared story. n Ask others to relate a funny

anecdote. n Remember them in prayer at your

place of worship. For some, staying involved with the holidays is a symbol of continuing life. Let the holiday routine provide a framework for surviving these tough times. Try experiencing the holidays in a new way. Grief has a www.natallahassee.com

unique way of giving us the permission to really evaluate what parts of the holidays we enjoy and what parts we don’t. There is no right or wrong way to handle the holidays in grief. You have to decide what is right for you and do it. You have every right to change your mind, even more than once. Friends and family members may not have a clue how to help you through the holidays and neither may you. It is very natural to feel like you may never enjoy the holidays again. It is true that they never will be the same as they were, but in time, most people are able to find meaning again in the traditions as a new form of the holiday spirit grows inside of them. Even without grief, our friends and relatives often have strong opinions about how our holidays should look and what we should and shouldn’t do.

Grieving 101 DO be gentle with yourself and protect yourself. DON’T do more than you want to, or anything that does not serve your soul. DO allow time for feelings to express themselves. DON’T keep feelings bottled up. If you have 500 tears to cry, don’t stop at 250. DO allow others to help. We all need help at times in our lives. DON’T ask if you can help a friend in grief. Just help. DO pay extra attention to the children in grief. These holidays are clearly some of the roughest terrain we can navigate after a loss. The ways we deal with them are as individual as we are. These holidays are a normal part of the journey of life, to be felt fully and completely. Holidays can be sad, but we may catch ourselves doing alright, and even experience laughter. There are all kinds of sadness, but grief is a rite of passage. David Kessler is the author of Visions, Trips and Crowded Rooms: Who and What You See Before You Die and On Grief and Grieving with Elisabeth Kübler Ross. For more info visit Grif.com.

inspiration

GUIDELINES FOR ENLIGHTENMENT

Be a FUNdamentalist—make sure the Fun always comes before the Mental. Realize that life is a situation comedy that will never be canceled. A laugh track has been provided, and the reason we are put in the material world is to get more material. Have a good “laughsitive” twice a day to ensure regularhilarity.

Stubborn Health Problems? Call Today!

by Swami Beyondananda

Remember, each of us has been given a special gift just for entering, so you are already a winner!

Want a More Natural Approach?

If we want world peace, we must let go of our attachments and truly live like nomads. That’s where I no mad at you and you no mad at me. That way, there’ll surely be nomadness on the planet. Peace begins with each of us. A little peace here, a little peace there, and pretty soon all the peaces will fit together to make one big peace everywhere. I know great Earth changes have been predicted for the future, so if you’re looking to avoid earthquakes, my advice is simple: When you find a fault, don’t dwell on it.

We can help find solutions for: Hormone Balance Reflux and digestion Blood pressure and sugar Allergies and Immune Fatigue • Arthritis General Medical Care

Elizabeth Markovich

The most powerful tool on the planet today is Tell-a-Vision, in which I tell a vision to you and you tell a vision to me. That way, if we don’t like the programming we’re getting, we can change the channel.

There’s no need to change the world—all we have to do is toilet train the world and we’ll never have to change it again.

Hypnosis and Acupuncture with Dr. I.B. Price

Life is like photography—you use the negative to develop. No matter what adversity you face, be reassured: The Universe has us surrounded. Might as well surrender.

Massage with Angele LaGrave, LMT

It’s true that as we go through life thinking heavy thoughts, thought particles tend to get caught between the ears and cause a condition called “truth decay.” So use mental floss twice a day, and when you’re tempted to practice “tantrum yoga,” remember what we teach in the Swami’s Absurdiveness Training Class: Don’t get even, get odd.

Nurse Practitioner -

If you’re looking for the key to the Universe, I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The bad news: There is no key to the Universe. The good news: It was never locked. Finally, everything I’ve told you is channeled. That way, if you don’t like it, it’s not my fault. But remember… Enlightenment is not a bureaucracy, so you don’t have to go through channels. Swami Beyondananda is the alter ego of writer and humorist Steve Bhaerman. Find him online at WakeUpLaughing.com.

Nutritionist, Leah Gilbert-Henderson, PhD.

Integrative Healthcare

850.878.4434 www.ihcfl.com

*Most insurances accepted!

natural awakenings

December 2010

greenliving

HOMEMADE

HOLIDAYS I’m Dreaming of a GREEN Christmas…

by Brita Belli

local nursery made a vivid impression on her as a child. “My parents would get the tree with the roots still very much alive in the burlap bag of dirt,” recalls Devine, who was raised in Connecticut. “We’d put the tree in a big galvanized tub and just wrap it with a white sheet; then, when Christmas was over, we’d plant the tree somewhere in the four-acre yard.” That appreciation for the vibrant details of the holidays lives on. Now, this mother of three takes a homemade, family-oriented approach to her young family’s annual celebration. Last year, they all wrapped recycled glass jars with colored tissue paper as tea lights and pencil holders for adults and made homemade play dough for the kids’ friends. They also baked together and made decorations for the house and tree. “It’s one thing to teach kids about being responsible adults and good stewards of this planet, but when we spend time together learning how to do it, it’s so much more meaningful,” Devine remarks. “When the kids enjoy learning about something and it involves love, it will become important to them.”

Sparking Inspiration

new movement is afoot to reclaim and refocus the holidays. Part of it stems from a desire to cut back on the wastefulness that comes from accumulating mountains of store-bought gifts and wrappings. Another is the growing desire to generate more meaningful memories during the holidays. One answer is to embrace a do-it-yourself, or DIY, mentality that makes everything—from decorating to tree trimming, cooking and gift giving—personal. There is no better time to join in activities as a family than Christmastime. Subtract the frenzied consumerism and there is little for a child not 12

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

to love: being with loved ones in the kitchen, measuring flour, rolling dough and cutting cookies; happily sitting around a table, pasting, stamping and glittering; decorating a tree that magically transforms with each addition; and the scents of cookies, candles and cinnamon-dotted wreaths.

Evergreen Centerpieced Elevating the holiday atmosphere starts with the tree—the centerpiece of holiday celebrations, which too often resembles a department store version these days. Erin Devine, of Portland, Oregon, remembers how her parents’ tradition of buying a living Christmas tree from a www.natallahassee.com

Those who are not naturally crafty will find lots of resources for creating beautiful and personal Christmas keepsakes online, as well as on bookstore and library shelves. Many publications offer ideas for decorating the branches of your living—or not-so-living—tree, using household objects that would otherwise be discarded. Yoga teacher and holistic lifestyle expert Anna Getty went so far as to write I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas, a book that’s all about using less, spending less and enjoying family time more. She details a whole new perspective: how to turn recycled chandelier gems into Christmas tree icicles; eggshells and teabags into vintage-style ornaments; and old sweaters into festive wreaths.

Waste Not, Want Not Such simple pleasures can make a major environmental impact. During the holidays, household waste generally increases by 25 percent—an extra

1 million tons of garbage across the country—according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Holiday craft projects can transform much of this “waste” by making the most of its decorative potential. Shellie Wilson, the founder of Craftbits. com, a site that provides thousands of free, do-it-yourself craft ideas, says she and her mother Rita are craft hoarders. “We never throw anything out that we think can be turned into something wonderful,” comments Wilson. Her favorites include a T-shirt pillow that maintains the shirt’s shape and a no-

sew baby overalls purse, using glue in place of thread. Instructables.com is the kind of user-submitted, DIY, bake it, fix it and tweak it website that invites hours of surfing. Developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it has become a massive platform for idea sharing, including a page called “Have a DIY Christmas!” that organizes ideas by category. Options range from origami ball decorations and a homemade book clock to gift boxes and tags made from cereal boxes and junk mail. “With the state of the economy lately, people are

ECO-TOY JOYS

Spotting Earth-Friendly Gift Ideas for Kids by Brita Belli If we resist the urge to charge over to the nearest big-box store to load up on the latest plastic marketing ploys, we’ll likely find more satisfaction in picking toys that will create less of an environmental impact—and more of a personal one. It’s easy to look for the following five eco-friendly attributes. SOLAR POWERED. Nearly any toy with batteries and a motor can operate with simple sun power instead. Solar versions of traditional toys range from racing cars and quivering grasshoppers to bullet trains that kids build from snap-together parts (Google by type of toy). Solarpowered toys teach kids the benefits of renewable energy, which unlike those with batteries, require no additional cost and produce no battery waste. BUILT TO LAST. Many toys today are flimsy, cheaply made and even downright toxic. The organization behind HealthyStuff.org tests thousands of products each year to help families steer clear of the worst toxins in many common toys—including lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. High-quality toys don’t have to come from a toy store. Check out yard and tag sales, as well as local craft fairs, for well-constructed toys, from

rocking horses and toy chests to bikes, dollhouses and kid collectibles. Or look for new toys made from sustainable materials, like the handmade hardwood sleds, toboggans and wagons made by Mountain Boy Sledworks. DO-IT-YOURSELF. Craft kits allow a child to make a toy that incorporates his or her own creative vision, all the better when the parts are made of sustainable materials. Artterro offers a collection of eco-friendly craft kits, from jewelry and dolls to garden art and bubble wands. Materials include post-consumer waste paper from India; hand-dyed fabrics, wool felt and glass and wooden beads. The San Francisco Museum of Craft & Design sells a bird cafe that encourages kids to explore nature in their backyards once the craft is complete. Any of these is easily found online, searching by name. Of course, making our own craft kits can be as easy as cutting spare fabric, adding buttons, beads and other found mementos. Assemble all the pieces in a fun container and let kids’ imaginations fly. ALTERNATIVES TO PLASTIC. Plastic toys are everywhere, and when it comes to softer plastic toys like rubber

looking for more ways to stretch their budgets and repurpose used objects,” remarks Sarah James, editor of Instructables’ Living and Food website sections. Along with the benefits of minimizing waste, spending less money and reclaiming quality time with loved ones, making our own gifts and decorations is also fun. The process of discovering, attempting and creating can help unlock our inner artist at any age. Brita Belli is the editor of E – The Environmental Magazine.

duckies, teethers and bath books, they may actually pose a health hazard to growing kids. Such toys often contain phthalates, chemicals that studies like those from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Environmental Working Group have linked to behavioral problems, aggression and autism. Look for wooden versions of classic toys instead—from stacking blocks and puzzles to push toys. If they are painted, verify that it was with nontoxic, water-based paint. Etsy.com represents several designers who specialize in heirloom-quality wooden toys, like Woodmouse animal figures, Just Hatched fruits and veggies and Stump Pond Woodworks creations that spin, dance and tumble through the playroom. RECYCLED CONTENT. One of the best ways to ensure we’re choosing a “green” gift is to find out if it’s made from recycled content. For the teen set, recycled options help them make a statement, whether it’s a belt accessorized with bottle caps, a purse made of license plates or a bag made from former billboards. TerraCycle even makes mini-boom boxes and speakers out of former M&M’s, Skittles and Starburst candy wrappers (DwellSmart.com). Light, portable and super-colorful, they supply a natural complement to any iPod or MP3-player gift this holiday season. For more ideas, visit Education.com and search Green Toys.

natural awakenings

December 2010

naturalpet

Presents for Pets

Healthy, Natural Holiday Treats

cats and 9.8 million dogs with parties and pet gifts. What is a politically correct, Earthconscious shopper to do? We can choose organic and natural products for the same reasons we would go natural in buying decisions for human family members. Concerned citizens are demanding greater use of nontoxic, pesticide- and chemical-free materials that are better for the health of people, pets and the planet. As Patricia Castaneda, owner of Pet’s Life Naturally, in Palmetto, Florida, advises: “Don’t give anything to your pet that you would not put in the mouth of a small child.” That means no dyes or toys that have small parts to swallow or that are made of toxic materials. Pets can be sensitive to fabrics that come in contact with their skin, just like humans are, creating painful and costly allergic reactions. She admonishes, “Your animals count on you to protect them.”

Feline Prowess by Gail Condrick

We have good news for anyone in search of a nifty gift for a furry or feathered family member. Whether the occasion is a holiday, birthday or animal appreciation day, there is a “green” pet gift to celebrate it. The mantra of reduce, reuse and recycle is now present in the pet industry, providing many more eco-friendly options.

t this year’s 2010 Global Pet Expo, buyers attending the annual pet industry gathering were abuzz about a new exhibit area called Natural Pets. “Natural products are expanding the industry. When you have a new trend for humans, this appeals to the pet industry, as well,” observes Steven King, president of the Pet Industry Distributors Association. Just this year, Americans will have spent an estimated $47 billion on pet products and services, according to the American Pet Products Association. 14

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

Categories include food, pet supplies, over-the-counter medicines and vet care services and products, many of them incorporating natural materials. The industry reports that, on average, pet owners annually spend $40 per dog and $19 per cat on toys alone. One more fur-raising fact: American Pet Association statistics reveal that of the nation’s 140 million household cats and dogs, 31 million dogs and 39 million cats will have presents waiting for them under the tree on Christmas morning. Also, people will celebrate the birthdays of as many as 13.5 million www.natallahassee.com

The Humane Society of America believes that wise use of toys, combined with regular playtime, contributes to the health and happiness of cats of all ages. Play satisfies their instinctual hunting drive, develops mental and physical agility and provides bonding time with their humans. The society recommends cat toys that offer variety: one to carry, one to wrestle with, one to roll and one to “baby.” What is right for your cat? Pet store professionals know which products customers purchase and enjoy. As Castaneda remarks, “Cats are so creative and independent they can have fun with ping-pong balls, cardboard toilet paper rolls and plastic shower rings. Just make sure that what they play with cannot be eaten or harm them.” Of course, the whole family can enjoy creating original cat toys using a bit of imagination, along with organic cotton, natural ingredients and a needle and thread. Just follow the same rules of thumb for homemade playthings to keep the animals safe.

Canine Wisdom Dogs need toys to fight boredom when left alone for any length of time, according to the Humane Society. They also recommend four types of toys for

dogs: at least one to carry, one to shake, one to roll and one to “baby,” for play and to release stress. Many dog toys should be interactive, to increase time with people. By focusing on a specific task—such as repeatedly returning a ball or playing hide-and-seek with treats or toys—dogs can take advantage of the opportunity to expend pent-up mental and physical energy. Healthy and organic presents for pets are now widely available in neigh-

borhood natural pet stores, as well as online. At such shops, people and pets can check out the choices firsthand and seek advice from the staff. If there’s a toss-up between products, ask if a portion of the product sales goes to benefit animal causes, making it a gift that gives again. That could be the tiebreaker. Gail Condrick is a freelance writer based in Sarasota, FL. Reach her at NiaVisions.com.

Savvy Shopper Tips Friendly Brands for Pets, People and the Planet

ooking for inspiring pet- and Earth-friendly gift ideas? Here is a list of the top six eco-friendly brands recommended by natural pet store owners in an informal survey. Other local natural pet stores will have additional appealing ideas and products. WEST PAW DESIGN (WestPawDesign.com) – Look for hang tags that say “I used to be a plastic bottle,” on toys and bedding for cats and dogs. The Bumi boomerang invites pooches to bend and tug. The Hurley encourages an active canine to chew, bounce and float it, and even comes with a replacement guarantee. Cats take to their catnip toy mouse. And, if a pet tires of a West Paw Design toy, their Join the Loop program will recycle returned products into new pet toys. THE NATURALLY HEALTHY PET (TallahasseePetStore.com) - Tallahassee’s very own, The Naturally Healthy Pet, stocks a wide variety of holistic grain free dry and wet diets for your favorite animal friends. Also available are 100% organic raw pet foods that have no preservatives, hormones, chemicals, fillers, or additives that could have a negative impact on your pet’s health. Local owners Basil and Jerry provide a unique variety of the finest in American-made treats, rawhide, toys, leashes and other gifts that you can’t find anywhere else. Also available are natural bakery style cookies that look so real even the “pet parents” want to taste them, as well as many special and unique works of art by local Tallahassee artists. DUCKYWORLD (DuckyWorld.com) – If a fish-shaped toy with the aromatic name of “Yeowww! Stinky Catnip Sardines” brings a smile, consider DuckyWorld’s 100 percent organic, leaf- and flower-top catnip toy, grown by a private farmer with no chemicals or pesticides. Company owners swear cats can tell the difference. THE GOOD DOG COMPANY (TheGoodDogCompany.com) – Innovation here includes two Labrador employees, Howard and Ruby, who “lab” test the company’s hemp toys, collars and leashes. Good Dog claims that its lab-sized hemp biscuits and bungee bone tug toy are good to fetch, catch and carry, and can even improve dental health. SWEET FEET & BEAK (SweetFeetAndBeak.com) – If a favored pet is feathered, try this bamboo perch, which offers the gift of a daily calcium supplement, along with an ongoing pedicure for bird friends. In the end, it’s all about just doing what comes naturally for all of our gift-giving. natural awakenings

December 2010

Keep a Family Notebook

healthykids

KID-CENTERED CEREMONIES Shared family rituals deepen bonds and make memories. by Charlotte Eulette

eremonies and rituals are powerful stuff, bringing people together to magically transform the ordinary into something extraordinary. Humans everywhere seem hard-wired to ceremonialize, having gathered to mark milestones essential to healthy and happy coexistence since the dawn of recorded time. First Nation Chief Sun Bear has eloquently stated the vital importance of ceremony: “When humans participate in ceremony, they enter a sacred space. Everything outside of that space shrivels in importance. Time takes on a brilliant dimension. Emotions flow more freely. The bodies of participants become filled with the energy of life, and this energy reaches out and blesses the creation around them. All is made new. Everything becomes sacred.” Making kid-centric rituals a reality 16

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

in our own family not only unites and strengthens us, but also creates unforgettable memories. They remind us of how we are journeying together on this adventure called life. The following ideas, straight from family life, are contributed by Melissa Mendez, of Edina, Minnesota, and Deb Goldman, of Arlington, Massachusetts.

Redress Christmas Encourage children to make their own Christmas tree, totem or other seasonal object, decorated any way they wish, to display in their room or another special spot. Ask them to take a photo of their festive creation and add it to the family album or notebook. Benefit: Kids discover their inner creativity and enjoy expressing themselves individually. www.natallahassee.com

On New Year’s Eve, make it a custom for every member of the family to write down or draw pictures of their goals and dreams for the coming year. The whole family can then gather to consider, “What do we want to do this year?” It’s fun, too, for parents and siblings to recall and reflect upon individuals’ special moments and accomplishments, so that everyone can join in tooting their own horn in sharing the good news on New Year’s Eve. Here’s another idea: Show home movies of good experiences, while crossing things off last year’s list as “done,” “do over” or “do again.” Benefit: Make and realize plans for the new year. Letting children know that the family pays attention to and praises what they do each year empowers kids to realize what roles they play in the family. Everyone knows how they are making it possible to accomplish individual and family goals.

Engage the Senses Maybe Grandfather has a special holiday cranberry-mango-lime relish that he is now passing along to his grandson in the kitchen tonight. The holidays are all about passing down stories, songs, recipes, readings from sacred texts, and the ritual lighting of the treetop or candles, from one generation to the next. In other seasons, take the whole family for a walk in the woods to collect small mementoes of nature’s beauty that won’t disturb the environment. Return with autumn leaves, pine cones, seed pods and berries for a seasonal cornucopia, displayed either in a basket on a table or in an old unused fishbowl or tank. Mostly, kids will remember the time they spent skipping through the forest with their parents. Benefit: The child is engaged in the process of both being in the moment and experiencing connections and continuity. Introducing repeated rituals like these welcome children to be involved in a family ritual from beginning to end. From year to year, they can anticipate and prepare to participate with relish.

Embrace the Neighborhood Cultural cross-pollination expands understanding and cooperation for all. Invite neighbors over for a potluck of their favorite holiday food and to share stories of their heritage and present lives. Benefit: Children will learn about different cultures and life histories, and enjoy and better appreciate the diverse tapestry of life in their own neighborhood.

Children in Charge Engage children in creating ceremonial foods and decorations for any holiday in any season. Teach your children to prepare the special ceremonial foods in the traditional way, so they feel the excitement of making it happen themselves. They will feel the connection with past and present when they hand-grind the wheat, bake the bread, and then smile with pride when everyone says how great it tastes. When they hand-roll candles, they’ll discover details about the art of candle making and come to value the intricate process of creation. Also, facilitate children’s natural urge to perform plays by suggesting that they might tell about and dramatize the origins and meaning of the holiday. Have them take charge of making the sets, costumes and props, choosing roles, memorizing lines, shaking rattles or playing bongos for background sounds… and getting the adults involved. Benefits: Assigning children to be center stage in ceremonies builds their confidence and makes them feel more an integral part of the family and community.

Highlight the Seasons Ever hear of Michaelmas? It falls on September 29, and celebrates the fall equinox each year. Its title is derived from the archangel and warrior Michael, who is said to protect us from the dark as light diminishes and winter nights become longer. For this glimmering festival, children getting to parade around, wearing golden capes and crowns with tiny electric candles on top that light up. In this pageant for their

Ceremonies and homegrown rituals can mark relationships, weddings, adoptions, coming-of-age milestones, homecomings, achievements and other life transitions, as well as a group’s heritage, language and traditions. family and community, children may sing songs, dance and otherwise show their gratitude to Mother Earth as they honor this natural phase of the seasons. Benefit: Sometimes the dark is something children are afraid of, so in celebrating light and hope, this festival helps dispel their fears, makes them feel stronger and enables them to better understand and celebrate the coming of each season in turn.

Customize an Altar Table Children will feel good expressing themselves any time of the year by creating a sacred space in their home. Elements, for example, may include colored candles, figurines, rocks, dried fruit, flowers, leaves and beads to create a nature table or shrine. Go for adventure walks outdoors, arrange neighborhood scavenger hunts or investigate the basement or attic to locate neat things. Benefit: Children look forward to and anticipate changing their space with the changing rhythms of the year.

Eldest Daughter Pancakes Research the family’s cultural heritage and shine light on a festive tradition

that focuses on the children. For instance, the Swedish festival of St. Lucia, on December 13, customarily includes an important role for the eldest daughter. Early in the morning on this day, she lights special candles and travels from room to room, waking up her family. Then she serves everyone Swedish pancakes and cornbread for breakfast, with a little help from Mom. Benefit: Children come to know more about their heritage and how to prepare traditional and ceremonial foods. This type of coming-of-age ceremony honors the individual child and makes her feel important.

Charity Begins at Home A Jewish harvest festival called Sukkot crosses cultures to teach all kids the key virtue of charity. During the fall harvest, Waldorf School kids travel to a nearby farm to select or harvest fruits and vegetables to carry to a local homeless shelter. They also build a three-sided shelter structure with no roof, called a Sukkah, to symbolize the story of an arduous journey of an ancient people who had no food or shelter, while celebrating their spirit and strength to survive. This festival eloquently involves children and teaches them their responsibility for taking care of everyone in the community. Benefit: Children feel a part of the world and responsible for nurturing and caring for it, as they realize the importance of shelter and food to sustaining everyone through the generations. Passing the torch of tradition on to our children, in whatever forms it takes, imbues every occasion with special meaning. Why not begin a new tradition today? Charlotte Eulette is the international director of the nonprofit Celebrant Foundation & Institute, of Montclair, NJ. The institute educates individuals in the art of facilitating meaningful ceremonies to mark the milestones in people’s lives in ways that reflect and symbolize their values. Reach her at CharlotteEulette@ CelebrantInstitute.org.

natural awakenings

December 2010

Everyday

Grace

Finding the Sacred in Daily Living by Lisa Marshall

sunrise jog, a home-cooked meal with a friend, the smell of moist soil in a freshly tilled garden, a smile from a stranger on the subway… Most would agree that such Earthly experiences can give us something to look forward to or add a spark to an otherwise ordinary day. But to an increasing number of people these experiences are nothing short of spiritual opportunities—a chance to tap into the Divine, beyond the walls of any synagogue or cathedral. “For a long time, there was an idea that there was only one way to do ministry, and that was within the church walls,” says Barbara Brown Taylor, author of An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith. “But there is an explosion of spirit going on right now, and people are experimenting with other ways to serve and seek that go way beyond that definition.” Taylor, an Episcopal minister, left 18

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

a 15-year stint as a parish preacher for life as an organic farmer and professor of spirituality at Columbia Theological Seminary, in Decatur, Georgia. She is among a host of faith leaders who have moved beyond the confines of the altar to shine a light on the sacred nature of the outdoors, physical activity, food, gardening and even mundane workaday tasks. The proliferation of such unconventional sacred practices comes at a time when the number of Americans who identify with one religion is dwindling, while those who consider themselves “spiritual, but not religious” is at an all-time high. According to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, the number of adults who say they are not affiliated with any particular faith has grown to 16.1 percent, twice what it was 20 years ago. Among adults under age 30, onequarter say they are unaffiliated. Meanwhile, 92 percent of Americans believe www.natallahassee.com

in God or a “universal spirit,” threequarters pray and two in five meditate. With the recent publication of such atheist tomes as Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion, and the meteoric rise of conservative Christian personalities like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, those on either end of the spiritual spectrum have taken center stage in an increasingly divisive dialogue in recent years. Meanwhile, former Episcopal priest J. Pittman McGehee points out that the more moderate seekers have been quietly creating a modern-day alternative all their own. “There is a 21st -century spirituality out there that is neither fundamentalist nor atheist,” observes Pittman, a University of Houston psychology professor and co-author of The Invisible Church: Finding Spirituality Where You Are. “People are looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary, the miraculous in the mundane, and the sacred camouflaged in the profane.”

God in the Wilderness Raised in a devoutly Jewish family and ordained at the prestigious Hebrew Union College, Jamie Korngold was following a fairly typical rabbinical path in the 1990s. She presided over Saturday services at an ornate synagogue in Calgary, where she lead a large congregation in songs, chants and readings. Still, she often found herself thinking about the people who weren’t there. “No matter how great my sermons were, I knew I wasn’t going to reach beyond the pulpit,” she recalls, noting that 70 percent of Jews are not affiliated with a traditional congregation. “I needed to meet the people where they are.” Today, she has no synagogue at all. Instead, through her rapidly growing Boulder, Colorado-based Adventure Rabbi program, she leads brief Shabbat services at a mountaintop warming house at the Copper Mountain ski resort, before spending “a holy day” carving turns on powder-filled slopes with her congregants. For the Jewish New Year, she leads them on a hike to a mountain top, where they unroll a giant Torah and toss snow into a rushing stream to bid farewell to past mistakes and welcome new beginnings. At Passover, they—like their Biblical ancestors—gather in the desert, where she tells the story of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt during their hike to a striking red-rock arch in Moab, Utah. “It was an experience like none that I had ever had,” says Lori Ropa, 45, a lifelong Jew who attended an Adventure Rabbi Rosh Hashanah retreat with her husband, a Christian. “The opportunity to have a peaceful connection with God and with myself amidst all of that beauty really creates an intense experience for me,” says Ropa, who now attends Korngold’s services regularly. “I go because I want to be there, not because I feel I need to.” Korngold’s God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors, includes a reminder that Moses had to hike across the desert and climb a mountain to receive the Ten Commandments. “The physical exertion of the desert climb, coupled with the stark desert beauty, helped Moses to arrive spiritually and emotionally

in a place beyond internal chatter—a place often called awe,” she writes, suggesting that, regardless of one’s faith, the very act of experiencing awe (for example, over a beautiful sunrise or the life cycle of a tree in the yard) connects us with something bigger. “So, you spend much of your day in a cubicle… Get a spider plant, and watch the miracle of its growth on top of your file cabinet,” Korngold advises. “Change your route to work so that you can drive through a park.”

The Sacred Track For 58-year-old Warren Kay, Ph.D., a track coach and religious studies professor at Merrimack College, in Boston, the act of running represents a moveable sanctuary where mental clutter falls away and time seems to bend to allow him to connect with himself and his higher power. Kay, author of Running: The Sacred Art, believes that, “Running is the new yoga,” and notes that spiritual traditions have embraced running as a sacred vessel for centuries. In the village of Mount Hiei, Japan, members of a small Buddhist sect, known as the Marathon Monks, engage in a grueling, seven-year challenge in which seekers run as many as 50 miles a day in 100-day blocks in pursuit of enlightenment. In Tibet, the Lung-gom-pa runners use multi-day running journeys as their meditative practice. In Copper Canyon, Mexico, 50-mile barefoot races across the rugged desert comprise an integral part of the Tarahumara Indians’ spiritual fabric. For Kay’s sought-after class, The Spirituality of Running, students read scripture from the religious tradition of their choice, and then go for a run, using the time to reflect on what they read. Or, they run first, and then come back to journal their thoughts. Across the country, at the Shambhala Mountain Center, in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, 51-year-old Marty Kibiloski, an Ironman veteran, combines Buddhist teachings with trail runs during a three-day running meditation retreat. “What we are trying to show is that you can overlay the practice of meditation onto so many aspects of your life, not just sitting on a cushion,” says

We are healthy and green And going…..Greener! If you have a green business • Natural and recyclable • Green and sustainable home building • Solar systems • Windows, insulation • Air and water purifiers • Environmental • More earth friendly

Advertise healthy, green and clean! Call:

850-284-2348

Need Help with those Holiday Cards? get them out faster and easier...

Contact Donna at 850-590-7024

or at http://sendoutcards.com/115168

natural awakenings

December 2010

Audrey Copeland Independent Consultant

850-294-8575

Audrey.MyArbonne.com

“We are rediscovering food as a link between us and God,” says L. Shannon Jung, professor at Saint Paul School of Theology… adding that many of his students have gone on to start congregation community gardening programs in churchyards. Kibiloski. He once lived what he called, “… a high achievement, low satisfaction life,” as a competitive marathoner, but has evolved a less competitive, more thoughtful pace in both his running and personal life. Whether running for miles or walking from the car to the grocery store, simply focusing on your cadence and your breath and being mindful of where your thoughts take you can illuminate great things, he says. “Once you start really paying attention, you will be amazed at all that you’ve been missing.”

Delicious and Divine L. Shannon Jung, a professor at Saint Paul School of Theology, in Kansas City, Missouri, says he sees the burgeoning local food movement and surge in backyard gardening as welcome signs that people are rediscovering the heavenly roots of Earthly bounty. “We are rediscovering food as a link between us and God,” he says, adding that many of his students have gone on to start congregational community gardening programs in churchyards. “When you watch a tiny green bud of spinach break through the surface of the soil, it really reminds you of our dependence upon things far beyond us.” Meanwhile, in Liverpool, England, members of the Somewhere Else “bread church” meet twice a week to bake bread and talk about life as they wait for it to rise, the comforting smell filling the kitchen. Half of the bread, the staff of life, feeds the homeless. 20

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

To McGehee, the mere act of eating can be a reminder of what a divine wonder our own body is, as it stimulates every sense: the smell of an orange, the sound as we bite into it and its texture on our tongue. But when a meal is prepared lovingly and shared with a friend, it becomes even more sacred. “If you buy a sandwich at the drive-up, you are probably just fueling your body,” he comments. “But if you invite someone you care about to sit down with you for a sandwich, it can become a transcendent experience.”

Attend to Community Taylor, whose acclaimed book, Leaving Church, recounts her parting with parish ministry in 1996, finds that some of her greatest moments of spiritual connectedness now come while digging her hands into the soil to find potatoes, bringing water to her chickens or sowing seeds. But she still believes that the traditional, walled church plays an important role, in that it brings us together physically. “My worry is that in a culture that is individualistic and busy, if we aren’t careful, we might end up alone, with no one to talk to about the things that matter most to us,” says Taylor. She encourages everyone to make time for community— whether it is at church on Sunday, a running group, book club or something else—wherever one’s spiritual life resides. Most importantly, adds Korngold, pay attention to the moment: “The point that is often overlooked in the story of Moses and the burning bush is that he was busy tending his father-in-law’s flock, when he saw a bush out of the corner of his eye that was burning, but not consumed by flame. It was only when he stopped what he was doing, turned aside and paid attention that God spoke to him. “If that were to have happened today, Moses’ cell phone probably would have gone off and he may have missed it altogether.” Lisa Marshall is a freelance writer and mother of four whose spiritual life resides along the running trails of Colorado’s mountains. Connect at LisaMarshall08@gmail.com.

Seven Ways from Sunday by Lisa Marshall

xtending our individual spiritual practice into everyday activities may present a challenge, especially during the hectic holiday season. So authors Barbara Brown Taylor and J. Pittman McGehee have uncovered additional ways that some people are tapping into their definitions of a Higher Power. The Practice of Paying Attention Spend 20 minutes observing a patch of Earth outdoors. Observe what lives there. Think of how it came to be and what it takes for it to survive. The Practice of Encountering Others Start a conversation with the cashier at the grocery store. Exchange eye contact and a smile with someone on the subway. Offer help to a mother with a crying child at the airport. Says Taylor: “The hardest spiritual work in the world is to love the neighbor as the self—to encounter them not as someone you can use, change, fix, help or save, but as someone who can spring you from the prison of yourself if you will allow it… to entertain the possibility that this is one of the faces of God.”

The Practice of Saying No Say no for one whole day: to more work, to shopping, to the Internet. Use the time you gain to pay attention. “If you slow down for just one day, alarming things can happen,” observes Taylor. The Practice of Doing Without Go without power for a day. Light candles. Dry laundry on a clothesline. Sleep by the fire. Feel your heart swell with gratitude when the sun comes up. The Practice of Creativity Create something. Paint, write, cook, dance or plant a garden. “Find the creativity, and you will find yourself experiencing the mystical presence of the transcendent, in the most simple and available way,” says McGehee. The Practice of Dreaming Write down dreams and pay attention to recurring symbols. Honor them as a divine opportunity.

The Practice of Living with Purpose Show your gratitude for being alive through contributing to some common good, whether it is via a vocation you love or volunteer work. “Give your stuff away. Share your food. Pray for those who are out to get you. Be the first to say, ‘I’m sorry,’” counsels Taylor.

natural awakenings

December 2010

consciouseating

Exceptional

Endings

Really Good Raw Desserts Over indulging in sweets during the winter festivities can produce unwanted weight gain and a general feeling of sluggishness—a notso-wonderful gift for anyone. But adding a raw food dessert to our holiday repertoire could introduce a new, healthier tradition to holiday occasions that’s welcomed by everyone. by Judith Fertig

raw dessert no longer means only a simple piece of fruit or a handful of nuts. While a traditional holiday story conjures sleeping children with “visions of sugarplums” dancing in their heads, the dreams of raw dessert chefs more likely spring from Medjool dates, cacao nibs and exotic fruits. That’s because raw desserts are made from uncooked, minimally processed and generally plant-based foods. Raw foods aficionados say they are usually first attracted to this type of food preparation because the recipes do not contain wheat, refined sugar, eggs or dairy products, which eliminates the need to work around food sensitivities. Plus, they feel better after they’ve eaten a raw foods dessert, which might feature nuts, fresh and dried fruits, agave nectar and/or chocolate. When these raw foods are ground or puréed in a food processor or blender, they contribute mightily to dessert crusts, fillings, sauces and frostings to grace tarts, cakes, cookies, puddings and ice creams—all of which can be made without cooking. Sometimes, dessert recipes call for using a dehydrator, a simple appliance that dries foods slowly at around 112° to 118° F, to avoid the enzyme changes that occur when foods are cooked at higher temperatures. The dehydrator yields a charac22

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

teristic that raw foods enthusiast Nathalie Lussier describes as “...a warm, chewy, comfort food feeling, so that you can make cookies that come out slightly warm from the dehydrator.” With raw desserts, “You really can have your cake and eat it too, because the recipes are packed with nutrients and fiber,” advises raw desserts chef Heather Pace, the author of four raw dessert e-books, including Just Desserts and Raw Party Parfait. Most raw foods desserts, like most exceptional sweets, involve several steps to make each part. “While at first glance, a raw dessert might appear to be complicated and time-consuming,” notes Pace, “it’s really very simple. Each component can be thrown together quickly and easily and can be made ahead.” The benefits of raw desserts extend beyond the simply nutritional, affirm devoted adherents. Rose Lee Calabro, author of Living in the Raw and Living in the Raw Desserts, had experienced a host of personal health issues that virtually disappeared when she began to eat a mainly raw foods diet a decade ago. But more than that, she says, “Eating raw foods has contributed to a career change and a dramatic shift in my life.” According to eco-lifestylist and raw foods author Ani Phyo, “Eating more organic, fresh, whole foods helps us maintain an ideal weight, lowers cholesterol, boosts the immune system and helps us look and feel our best.” But for her, as well, raw foods are more than a diet. She remarks, “It affects the way I live and interact with planet Earth and all other living beings.” Phyo is the author of Ani’s Raw Food Essentials, Ani’s Raw Food Desserts and Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen. Lussier agrees all the way around. “I believe raw foods can heal you on a physical, emotional and spiritual level,” she comments, because like many others, “I’ve personally experienced it myself.” Judith Fertig is a freelance writer in Overland Park, KS; for more information visit AlfrescoFoodAndLifestyle.blogspot.com.

Raw Food Desserts Kitchen Although no oven is used in making raw desserts, other electronic equipment is necessary. Blender Dehydrator Food Processor Electric Juicer

www.natallahassee.com

Makes sauces, puddings, smoothies and fillings Removes moisture from raw foods at 112° to 118° F; “bakes” cookies Makes nut crusts and fruit purées Presses and juices fruits and vegetables

Three Raw Cookbook Authors Share their Best Holiday Recipes

Chocolate Pecan Brownie with Maple Maca Ice Cream and Spiced Apple Compote

“Picture a dense chocolate nut brownie, smooth, cold ice cream and warm fruit compote that has just the right touch of spice, with a velvety chocolate sauce to round it all out. If that weren’t enough, I garnish it with a drizzle of pure maple syrup,” says raw foods dessert chef Heather Pace. She explains that Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a Peruvian root with a strong flavor and recommends using only a little, until one is acclimated to the taste. Serves 6 to 8 For the brownie: 4 cups raw pecans ½ cup pitted, packed Medjool dates ¼ cup maple or palm sugar 2 /3 cup cacao powder 2 tsp pure vanilla extract Pinch of Himalayan or sea salt For the ice cream: 2 cups raw cashews 2 cups water Seeds from ½ vanilla bean 1 /3 cup maple syrup 1 tbsp Maca root powder or to taste For the compote: 4 medium apples, peeled and cored ½ cup maple syrup ¼ cup raisins 2 tbsp goji berries 2 pitted Medjool dates, chopped 1 tsp lemon zest ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp nutmeg 2 pinches ground cardamom

For the chocolate sauce: /3 cup cacao powder ¼ cup pure maple syrup 2 to 3 tbsp water 2 tsp melted coconut oil 1

1. For the brownie, grind the pecans into crumbs in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and process into a moist, crumbly dough. Press the mixture into an 8-by-8-inch pan. Chill. 2. For the ice cream, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Chill for a few hours. Process through an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions; or fill ice cube trays and freeze. 3. For the compote, soak the raisins and goji berries in water for 2 to 4 hours. Drain. In a food processor, chop the apples into small pieces. Add remaining ingredients to the apples, including the drained fruit, and stir together. Process half the mixture until smooth. Fold into the other half. Dehydrate for a few hours at 115° F, until the apples take on a warm, “cooked” feel. 4. For the sauce, blend all ingredients together until smooth. 5. To assemble the dessert, cut the brownies into portions and place a brownie on each plate. Top with ice cream. Swirl compote around the brownie and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Pineapple Icebox Dessert The pineapple, a renowned symbol of hospitality for centuries, can make a refreshingly welcome holiday dessert. “Pineapple is full of the enzyme bromelaine, which helps decrease inﬂammation and swelling—and that can translate to increased circulation and clear skin,” says Ani Phyo, of Ani’s Raw Food Desserts. “I always choose fresh when available, but frozen pineapple will also work for this recipe.”

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~ Charles Dickens

Makes 6 to 8 servings For the crust: 2 cups cashews Seeds from 1 vanilla bean, or 1 tbsp alcohol-free vanilla extract 2 tbsp agave syrup

natural awakenings

December 2010

fitbody

Prayer Workouts A program that transforms exercise into a platform for spiritual growth by April Thompson

t’s a butt-kicking boot camp. It’s a doorway to God. It’s community. It’s caritas, the Christian virtue of charity. It’s ActivPrayer, a fitness program integrating mind, body and soul, pioneered by a fitness-loving believer in Las Vegas, Nevada. “People have different ways to go about it, but people all over the world are looking for ways to have a more living faith, to integrate spirituality in their daily lives,” says Luke Burgis, founder of ActivPrayer and a member of the Catholic Church. “I was also looking to get more out of fitness, so I experimented with different ways to infuse my workouts with a spiritual element.” After successfully training an entertainment executive turned priest, using his “soul fitness” concept, Burgis recruited participants from various area churches to try out his spiritual boot camps in parks and open gyms. They drew significant interest and in January 2010, ActivPrayer was officially launched.

Off and Running ActivPrayer’s group exercise classes begin with a guided prayer that varies based on the belief system that orients a particular class. The opening prayer is followed by declaring intentions—a chance for individuals to dedicate their workouts to a loved one, a person in need or a spiritual goal. Then, the class is literally off and running, with women and men of all ages doing pushups, sprints, shadowboxing or other high-intensity movements in minute-long bursts, followed by extended rests, for up to 18 cycles. The self-paced intervals, as opposed to a strictly choreographed routine, enable ActivPrayer’s diverse members to participate according to their own workout levels. The rest periods are more than a time for bodily recovery, however; instructors use them to refocus participants on the day’s intention and meditate on the topic of the day. Every class concludes in prayer, with individuals offered as much time as they want to rest in prayer or meditation before returning to the hustle of daily life. “I go to church every week, but I have a hard time focusing on prayer; I need structure,” explains Jenn DiNenna, a Las Vegas high school 24

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

“We’ve been getting an amazing response and results with ActivPrayer. What I say to everyone regarding prayer is, ‘It’s like breathing. We all do it, somehow.’ We help guide students with a construct and purpose to give a greater result.” Nick Morris, owner, Pineapple Fitness, Los Angeles teacher. “I know if I go to this class, I will do my prayer and think about the things that matter.”

Enlarged Perspectives While everyone is encouraged to set specific physical fitness goals, the greater results are often intangible: people changing attitudes, taking up a prayer life or, in some cases, contributing to community services for the first time. Community service is a key component of ActivPrayer, as participants collaborate on organized projects with local nonprofits at least once a week. Members earn one free workout for every five hours of service; in one recent month, 80 percent of ActivPrayer’s members participated in its service programs. “Before coming to ActivPrayer, I wouldn’t have thought to volunteer, and some of the places we’ve gone I would have been scared to go on my own,” says DiNenna. She now regularly volunteers with the Special Olympics and says, “It’s all opened my eyes and helped me to grow as a person.” Because charity begins at home, Burgis is putting the principles he preaches into practice in his own business. ActivPrayer is helping to create free wellness programs for churches, initially working with interested faith communities to pull together a local team of nurses, doctors, nutritionists and fitness instructors to run a wellness ministry for their congregations. With backing from an angel investor, ActivPrayer is on its way to establishing its own flagship club in Las Vegas, and hopes to have clubs in a few other major cities by the end of 2011. While Burgis eventually seeks to establish a class for every major religion, make ActivPrayer as ubiquitous as yoga and get its classes on the schedule at major fitness chains, he approaches the project with humility, anticipating that its development will evolve organically. Much like his fitness goals, Burgis’ goals for ActivPrayer are not growth for growth’s sake—he promises investors he’ll never draw more than a modest salary—but to spread the good word about what adding soul to fitness can do for people. “When you learn to see fitness not as a means to an end, but as a way to grow spiritually, you are adding a dimension to your life that can never be taken away, no matter what your physical condition,” he concludes. For more information, call 888-594-5382, visit ActivPrayer.org or email info@ActivPrayer.org.

LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE THERAPY

www.tallahasseeacupuncture.net

April Thompson is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. Connect at AprilWrites.com. natural awakenings

December 2010

spiritual for a while and I was missing it,” Gould recalls. She needed that more than rest. While wandering through the event, she picked up a card that announced an upcoming “evolutionary women’s retreat” in Santa Barbara. She was intrigued, and despite the demands of her busy advertising agency back home, eventually decided to go. She is eternally glad that she did, for that’s where she met Kelley. Gould had no way of knowing that her need for spiritual connection would bear such powerful fruit. But she and Kelley, and all the women in the film, now know that such yearnings are common among women around the world. The film, and the heart-centered leadership it celebrates, is meant to be accessible to anyone, because anyone, especially women, can do this work. “We’re just ordinary women who answered the call,” Gould says. “We became our ‘big selves.’” She and Kelley want other women to be able to do this, too, and to see how much of it they are doing already. Kelley adds, “Women turn to each other in times of crisis, and this is a time of crisis for our world.” The crises are numerous: war, natural disaster, rampant disease, poverty, starvation, pollution, and on and on. But, as Rev. Mary Omwake says about the unconditional maternal instinct: “The mother heart is not going to let half of the world starve.”

Film Celebrates “The Heart To Lead” By Karen Adams

ooking back now, Cheryl Gould remembers being “called” by her intuition in 2005 to attend a women’s retreat, an event that introduced her to social activist Bonnie Kelley and changed both of their lives. You might say her heart led her there. Out of their friendship has grown the documentary The Heart To Lead, which celebrates the emergence of women’s “heart-centered leadership.” The film’s message is that the feminine approach to leadership, modeled on guiding and serving—rather than dominating—is something the world desperately needs right now. Included are interviews with women who share their world views; some of them are “icons” of the spirituality movement who were at that retreat. But many of them are not, and that is part of the point. The film also includes stories about women whose lives of service can leave them depleted if they are too isolated, and suggests that circles of support will help them, and will help the world as a whole. The film was just recently released, but women around the country, and the world, are embracing it.

Calling “Our Big Selves” Speaking by phone from her home in La Jolla, California, with Kelley by her side, Gould describes how it all began. She had been at a California resort with her husband, Dwight, seeking some much-needed rest, and she was drawn to a conference on spirituality. “I hadn’t done anything 26

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

We Need Each Other In the film, Inga Canfield, wife of Jack Canfield (author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series), describes the loneliness and depression that can befall women who try to do too much by themselves. “It’s a silent killer, and it can feel hopeless,” she says. “We need support.” She offers a heartfelt plea for women to help each other. Rev. Dr. Kathy Hearn echoes Canfield’s observation. Many women today have “exhaustion depression,” she says, and lose strength from within because they are so busy taking care of others. She uses the analogy of a woman pouring tea for everyone except herself, until the pot is empty. “That’s when it starts to burn,” she says. “Women literally get burned out.” But the world needs our “bigger selves,” and it’s important, therefore, to reach out to connect with other women. Dr. Barbara Fields agrees. “There is this feeling of ‘I am not alone,’” she says, both in the sense of having support for the journey, and in the sense that we are responsible for others on this planet. When we do this for each other, Canfield adds, “it’s like turning on our own lights, one by one.”

Heart Intelligence: Inherent and Inclusive Author and “conscious evolution” activist Barbara Marx Hubbard, with whom Kelley has worked for a decade, says in the film, “The heart is the center of our intelligence.” It’s a scientifically proven phenomenon, she says, that shows how our brain waves align with our hearts in coherence. Heart intelligence doesn’t “teach” people how to be, an approach that differs from some other movements. “It’s inherent wisdom; it doesn’t have to be taught,” says Kelley. “Women already know this way of being.” They just need to trust it. And, she adds, this is not “women over men”; men have

www.natallahassee.com

these qualities, too, and they are welcome and needed. They also can benefit from demonstrating and receiving this kind of leadership. For women who share their lives with husbands, sons, fathers and brothers, it may be necessary to explain: “This is important to me right now, to help the world in my way.” What’s different about all of this, Kelley notes, is that it’s not threatening, it’s not political, it’s not exclusive. It’s inclusive. In the film, Hearn quotes His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who once said, “The world will be saved by the western woman.” “We need everybody’s talents, love and abilities to come forward,” Hearn says.

Global Allies for the Greater Good There was a moment early in the project when Gould turned to Kelley and asked, “We’re talking global, right?” Her friend said yes. The global element rang out loud and clear when they were invited to show their film to the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women in New York in March. They were grateful, but they were anxious, too. “We thought we were making the film for western women,” Gould recalls, “and then here were these women from all over the world.” They watched nervously as the women filed in, one by one, among them a princess from Africa and a woman from Lebanon wearing a Muslim habit. Kelley and Gould wondered what they would think. They audience was quiet throughout. Near the end of the film, the Lebanese woman started moving her lips. Gould and Kelley realized she was murmuring “Thank you.” Afterward, the women all applauded loudly. The Lebanese woman, a 38-year-old pediatrician named Fatima, spoke up. “Now I know that American women have the same heart that I have,” she said. “I’m so happy to know that we’re so much alike, that we care about the same things.” Those things being families, children, the environment, an end to war. She said it gave her hope. “The subtitle of the film is ‘Women as Allies for the Greater Good,’” says Kelley. “It’s meant to be an invocation and a call to action.” For more information on The Heart To Lead DVD, accompanying guidebook, and more, please visit www.imaginethegood.com. Karen Adams is an editor for Natural Awakenings magazine. natural awakenings

December 2010

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

Call to Action

Freedoms Foster World Peace Human Rights Day on December 10 honors local and global activities working to initiate, strengthen and sustain the civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights and freedoms enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Such principles are considered the bedrock of peaceful and just societies. President Jimmy Carter sums up the need: “We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes—and we must.” The United Nations Human Rights Council, created in 2006, comprises 47 member states responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world. The protection of fundamental human rights was a cornerstone in the establishment of the United States and remains a central goal of U.S. foreign policy. This country understands that the existence of human rights helps to secure peace, deter aggression, promote rule of law, combat crime and corruption, strengthen democracies and prevent humanitarian crises. In 2048: Humanity’s Agreement to Live Together, author Kirk Boyd maintains that “Peace and prosperity can be attained through the realization of five basic fundamental freedoms for all people: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, freedom for the environment and freedom from fear.” These establish a framework within which other necessary rights can flourish. “That struggle,” declared Robert F. Kennedy, “…will be won by action, by those who commit their every resource of mind and body to the education and improvement and help of their fellow person.” Take action at RFKCenter.org, SpeakTruth.org and CarterCenter.org.

Eco-friendly & Green Cleaning Customized maid services Thorough, deep house cleaning Organize closets, kitchens, garages

(850) 212-1223 www.HouseCleaningTallahassee.com 28

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

World Religions

Survey Shows Americans are Religio-Centric The role of religion as a social force of enduring significance in the modern world is recognized by American historians and sociologists, according to studies published by the American Historic Association and Social Science Research Council. Yet, a new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life indicates that Americans are generally less than knowledgeable about the core teachings, history and leading figures of major world religions. On average, Americans correctly answered half of 32 questions in the survey. Atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons were among the highest-scoring groups, outperforming Catholics and both evangelical and mainline Protestants. At the same time, many Americans are devoted readers of scripture; 37 percent say they read the Bible or other holy scriptures at least once a week, not counting worship services. But Americans as a whole, or 70 percent, are much less inclined to read books or visit websites about other religions. Additional Pew data show that while most countries provide for religious freedom in their constitutions or laws, only a quarter actively respect this legal right. Sixty-four nations, or about one-third of the world’s countries, impose restrictions on religious practice. Take a quiz at Features.PewForum. org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge.

Green Guides

United States Updates Rules for Green Marketing Following three public hearings, a period for public comment on the proposed document that ended December 10 and 35 months of development, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission will publish a much anticipated update to its original Green Guides. First published in 1992, the last update appeared in 1998. The guides comprise a common sense set of rules defining required substantiation and disclaimers for the explosion of evolving green claims made by marketers. Like its predecessors, the new edition will represent a helpful, if low, bar, intended to eliminate outright misrepresentations and fabrications. “The new guidelines [still] don’t really keep up with the world of sustainable business practices,” comments Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz. com. Rather, they address a fraction of what companies are doing—the behind-the-scenes innovations that reduce use of water, energy and materials. While a step in the right direction, they have yet to provide, for example, guidance on reduced packaging or use of the words “sustainable” and “green.” Plus, they don’t yet address the potent eco-claims of cradle-to-cradle, biomimicry and green chemistry. Makower observes that, instead of “greenwashing,” [making false claims or leveraging words like “natural” to intentionally mislead consumers], most companies today are engaging in random acts of greenness—tweaks to their products, facilities, policies or practices, rather than undergoing systemic change. While some are seriously changing their ways, for most companies and consumers, “going green,” notes Makower, means making a series of incremental changes that over time reduce their worst environmental impacts, while perhaps also garnering some PR points.

If a child lives with approval, he learns to live with himself. ~ Dorothy Law Nolte

What is the Source of your Health Problem?

Compassionate, patient-center healthcare using non-drug, science-based and results-oriented approach.

Who do you know who suffer from: n Indigestion

n Chronic n IBS

and reflux

constipation

or Crohn’s Disease

n Fatigue

or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

n Simple

OR complex health problems

n Fibromyalgia n Overweight n Insomnia

Patrice Bullock, MSN, FNP

Family Nurse Practitioner-BC

New Genesis Center

EVOLUTIONARY HEALTHCARE

n Anxiety n Unhappy

with Current Healthcare Results?

229.228.9050

www.NewGenesisCenter.com natural awakenings

December 2010

ecobriefs Undersea Universe

First Comprehensive Look at Marine Life Yields Surprises The results of a decade of discovery by 2,700 scientists from 80 nations in the first comprehensive Census of Marine Life detail the diversity, distribution and abundance of ocean life. New technology “binoculars” provided an unprecedented picture of the world under the waves. Some 540 expeditions estimated diversity at 250,000 species, including 6,000 potentially new species. Researchers found living creatures everywhere, even under extreme conditions. The census affirms that we know less about the small than the large, and that by weight, up to 90 percent of marine life is microbial. It documents a changing ocean—richer in diversity, more connected through distribution and movements, more impacted by humans and yet, less explored than we had known. It reveals long-term and widespread declines in marine life, but also resilience in areas where recovery is apparent. This baseline will help scientists forecast, measure and understand changes in the global marine environment and better inform the management and conservation of its resources. The census’s legacy includes a promising heightened collaboration across borders. Source: Origin.coml.org

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

Sustainable Lifestyles Study Ranks Greenest States

The National Marketing Institute’s in-depth query of 3,000 consumers from varied demographic groups in the 25 largest U.S. states (by population), reveals where demand is greatest for everything green. Leading states, while not without flaws, are known for pioneering new environmental policies, having avid enthusiasts of outdoor activities and driving the market for green products. Research questions focused on the proportion of consumers who have purchased carbon offsets, organic foods, renewable power and hybrid vehicles and those who compost, reuse grocery bags and donate money to environmental groups. Based on the prevalence of these characteristics, the top 10 greenest states are Washington, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, California, Maryland, New Jersey, Minnesota, Michigan and Missouri. They are followed by Florida, Alabama, Wisconsin, Arizona and Texas.

Extraterrestrial Explorers

Searching for a New Earth “By 2020, or even a little before that, we’ll know if there are other Earths out there,” states Laurance Doyle, Ph.D. The astrophysicist is part of the NASA Kepler spacecraft science team monitoring 170,000 of the brightest stars in our galactic neighborhood based on the recent discovery of numerous planets around stars other than the Sun. Launched in 2009, they’re watching for a pattern of three small, annual reductions in brightness that would indicate an Earth-sized planet orbiting another star. “If we don’t find any Earths… then we can say, ‘Wow, Earth is really rare. We need to take care of it,’” says Doyle, who is also a principal investigator at the SETI Institute and president of the nonprofit Planet Quest. If the scientists do find another Earth-like planet, the next step would be to search for signs of biological life by checking to see if free oxygen is present in the atmosphere. Sources: Principia Purpose and NASA.gov

10/10/10 Results

America’s White House Goes Solar President Obama has announced the installation of solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of his White House residence as part of a Department of Energy demonstration project. Interestingly, the move comes after 350.org Founder Bill McKibben carted solar panels to Washington, D.C., in October, as part of his grassroots movement’s 10/10/10 Global Work Party on curbing climate change. The Washington Post reports that the panels were some of the same ones that were donated to Unity College in the 1990s after President Reagan had them removed from the White House and let federal renewable energy subsidies expire. President Carter had the original solar equipment installed in 1979, saying “A generation from now, this solar heater [behind me] can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people.” Remarks McKibben: “If it has anything like the effect of the White House garden, it could be a trigger for a wave of solar installations across the country and around the world.”

Toy Story

FLOORING CENTER

Michelle Roberts (850) 599-2546 1516-B Capital Circle SE

(850) 877-6600

You stand on it. We stand behind it!! natural awakenings

December 2010

Be Authentic

This Holiday Season! by Alice McCall e all do it – we want others to like us and to think highly of us. We worry about what others will think if we choose a career that is unusual, or decide not to follow traditions at holiday time. We put our focus on others and their opinion’s. Our search for acceptance, often takes us down a path of unhappiness. It could lead us to stay in a job that gives us no joy, do an activity we dislike, spend time with people who don’t genuinely care about us, or even have a secret life that is only shared with a few accepting souls. In the larger scheme, this path can take us away from

W 32

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

knowing, experiencing, and joyfully expressing our authentic self. I read an article last year about a group of people that were fed up with the overkill, over stress, and over expectations of Christmas. A few close friends gave personal meaning to the holiday by spending it with people that they truly cared about, and in return truly care about them. Each person was tired of the excessive spending and commercialism that dominated the holiday season. They were tired of spending time with negative people, giving those people gifts, and pretending to be happy, when they hardly spoke to them during the year. Most found themselves doing this every year out of a feeling of duty for family. This group of 4 families, couples and their children, decided to be bold and courageous by spending Christmas day with each other. This non-traditional holiday unit enjoyed a day of laughter, playing games, eating simple foods, and freely gave the gifts of attention and love. My initial thought was, “How brave,” as I knew there was probably a lot of guilt from their families. Then I thought, “How freeing to do exactly what feels right for them, especially at holiday time!” I ask you, how much more joyful could your life be if you stopped making time for unhealthy negative people, regardless of family ties? How much more peaceful would your life be if you simplified it, regardless of customs or societal norms? Moreover, how much more enriching would your life be, if you focused on the important things like taking the time to listen to those you care about? This way of being represents being true to you versus an established routine or other people. I find it interesting that there is more and more written about the importance of joining communities or neighborhoods of like-minded people – people who have the same values as you, whatever your values may be. Many are proposing this as a key strategy for happiness, peace and joy in the future. Let’s go back to you for a minute. Is the view you have of yourself, your own? Is it created by those around you? Is it based on what you think those around you, want you to be? When you are clear about who you are, you will begin to attract others who are similar to you! (Likes attract likes.) These people will love you unconditionally for who you are. They will stick by you and cherish the things about you that make you unique. I recommend that you think seriously about being true to you, who you are, and what you stand for. I invite you, in this holiday season, to be authentic – true to you. Try taking the pressure off for just one day. Spend it in a way that brings contentment and love to you and yours. When you do, you will find an added gift - there is peace and joy in authenticity. God bless you, just as you are! Alice McCall (BS Psychology, MBA, Certified Hypnotherapist,) is a successful author, counselor, and transformational energy healer. Her practice involves the entire mind, body, emotion, spirit connection. Her specialty is helping those with serious diseases. For more information on Alice and her practice visit www.healingpath.info.

www.natallahassee.com

wisewords

The Global Coherence Hypothesis

as well as peoples affected by many of the challenges we see today. We believe that this will create a more powerful heart-filled, supportive and sustainable environment. Personal coherence also promotes a sense of connection and harmonious social interaction. It enhances our ability to deal with challenges and changes more easily and less stressfully.

A Conversation with Howard Martin

Is there a way to measure individual and global coherence?

by Linda Sechrist

An individual can measure their own coherence using the emWave® technology developed by HeartMath. It shows how different patterns of heart activity have distinct links with cognitive and emotional functions. On a larger scale, Earth monitoring will be done by The Global Coherence Monitoring System (GCMS). Two of 12 monitoring sites strategically located around the world have now been deployed, in Northern California and Saudi Arabia. These sensor sites are observing changes in the geomagnetic field and the ionosphere, a plasma-like field that protects the Earth from incoming radiation. Over three years, GCMS will enable a new level of scientific inquiry into the relationship between the Earth’s magnetic field, collective human emotions and behaviors, and planetary changes.

oward Martin is one of the founders of the groundbreaking Institute of HeartMath and one of the creators of the institute’s Global Coherence Initiative. This science-based research initiative currently unites 27,000 members from 85 countries like-minded people engaged in heartfocused care and intention to support the well-being of the planet. One of its goals is to help measurably shift global consciousness from instability and discord to balance, cooperation and enduring peace. Here, Martin discusses how participating in their efforts can help us discover whether our collective hearts’ energy field really can have a decided impact.

What is the Global Coherence Initiative? Many of us at HeartMath have spent years thinking about how to make major changes in the way the world operates, and have concluded that it will require a change in the field of consciousness itself. We, like you, regularly meditate and pray for world peace and the success of good works. We do this based on belief in the principle, explained by quantum physics, that a field of oneness unites us all. At present, however, we have no dynamic proof that this is effective, because we have no means of scientifically measuring the effect. This is one purpose of the Global Coherence Initiative; another is to create a global community of like-minded people interested in increasing the impact of their meditation, prayer and intention efforts. It’s evident that humanity is at a

crossroads, and the initiative exists to help individuals and groups collaborate, both synchronously and strategically, in order to move change in a positive direction.

What is heart coherence? Since 1991, scientists at the Institute of HeartMath have been conducting research in the field of heart coherence, with results most recently published in the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. We know it as a distinct mode of synchronized psychophysical functioning associated with sustained positive emotion; a state of energetic alignment and cooperation between heart, mind, body and spirit. In this dynamic, yet stable, state, various physiological systems within individuals become more ordered and harmonious. Energy accumulates, granting these individuals a larger reservoir of energy to manifest harmonious intention and outcomes. They may also naturally become more sensitive to their environment, other people and the world itself.

How can individually practicing the coherence techniques on your website translate into influencing the world? Our hypothesis is that mass emotion, whether positive or negative, has an impact not only on world thought, but on the planet itself. This means that an active global coherence community can intentionally build an aggregate reservoir of positive energy and send out coherent love and care to the Earth

Can anyone participate in the Global Coherence Initiative? Yes, just register on the website for a free membership. At members’ own discretion, they may use proffered resources to help facilitate desired changes in individual, social and global consciousness, learn about the science behind the project and participate in specific experiments. Members also receive periodic alerts with suggestions about when and where they may help make direct, energetic contributions to planetary needs through coherence practice, meditation, prayer and directed intentions. However, no one has to use the coherence heart-focused techniques provided. We do not designate any particular form of prayer, out of respect for differing belief systems. For more information, log onto GlCoherence.org.

natural awakenings

December 2010

Join Our Family of Publishers...

Be your own boss and make a difference in your community

Elaine Russo Gregory, San Diego, CA “Publishing Natural Awakenings-San Diego has helped me and my 80 fellow publishers become the change we want to see—for ourselves, our communities and the Earth. I’m grateful to be part of this joy-filled journey and adventure... ”

Susan Wood, Ft. Lauderdale, FL “I am blessed by getting to know and helping to grow so many wonderful businesses in my area. Through the sharing of these products, services and information, my life has been enriched beyond words.”

Jerry & Tracy Neale Oxford, MI - “Being a Natural Luis Mendez & Awakenings publisher in East MichiWaleska Sallaberry, Puerto Rico gan for nearly 7 years has given us the op“We have been publishing Natural Awakenings for 8 portunity to learn about and share information years and it has truly been a blessing for our lives, our that helps everyone live a better life. We most family and our community. Coming from a corporate background, it has given us the opportunity to follow our enjoy being able to meet and network with the readers, businesses and practitioners who dreams while transforming people’s lives in Puerto Rico. have the same passions we have—healthy It doesn’t get better than this. We truly love it.” and sustainable living... naturally!”

Our Family Tree Is Growing Strong As a Natural Awakenings publisher, your magazine will help thousands of readers to make positive changes in their lives, while promoting local practitioners and providers who support natural, Earth-friendly lifestyles. You will be creating a healthier community while building your own financial security in the franchise market of your choice. You’ll work for yourself but not by yourself. We offer a complete training and support system designed to help you successfully publish your own magazine.

For more information, contact: John R. Voell, Co-Founder 239-530-1377 or visit us online at NaturalAwakeningsMag.com Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

Become a new Natural Awakenings franchise publisher in the market of your choice, or purchase one of the existing magazines currently for sale: Austin, TX; Lexington, KY; Manhattan, NY; Pensacola, FL; Southwest VA; and Ventura/ Santa Barbara, CA.

Phenomenal Monthly Circulation Growth Since 1994

www.natallahassee.com

Advertisers – up to 5 free listings. Non-advertisers – $10 each for Calendar of Events listings and $8 each for On-Going Calendar listings. Listings must be emailed to natallahassee@ yahoo.com. Classified listings are $1 per word.

Wednesday, December 1

Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www.newleafmarket.coop.

H*A*P*P*Y H*A*N*U*K*K*A*H

Thursday, December 9

Facercise™. 7:45-9:00 pm. FREE! Join Patti Booth for an informative session on the benefits of Facercise™, an exercise program for the face and neck that can be done less than 10 minutes a day, for both men and women, giving the face a more youthful appearance. Facercise™ may also benefit those suffering from birth deformities, TMJ, and Bell’s palsy. Individual testimonials have mentioned relief from migraine and sinus headaches, and neck related issues. Patti was trained and licensed by the founder, Carole Maggio, and is a CPT with IFPA. New Leaf Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www.newleafmarket.coop.

Saturday, December 4 December on the Farm at O’Toole’s Herb Farm. (also Sunday, December 5) Come visit the farm and gift shops and attend New Leaf Market’s demo on Healthy Holiday Dishes. For times, directions, and other details visit: www. otoolesherbfarm.com. 305 NE Artemesia Trail, Madison, FL 32340, www.otoolesherbfarm. com.

Tuesday, December 7 The Law of Attraction. 7:45-9:00 pm. FREE! You may wonder, “How do I use the ‘Law of Attraction’ (LOA) in my personal life and for national or global issues?” In each class Pamela Chamberlynn, M.S.W. reviews the paradigm of the Law of Attraction and teaches the skill sets for consciously transforming your life and the planet using the alchemical and causal power of your mind and emotions. Each monthly class covers one LOA skill in depth. New Leaf Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www. newleafmarket.coop.

Wednesday, December 8 Raw Foods with Marizelia. 7:45-9:00 pm. FREE! Local raw foods enthusiast, Marizelia, will share a tasty raw treat for the holiday season. New Leaf

G Y IN AR M U CO AN J IN

Homegrown Centerpieces for the Holiday Season Part II. 7:45-9:00 pm. FREE! In Part II, Claudia will continue demonstrating how to create more low-cost table arrangements from what you have available in your backyard. She will introduce you to the textures of greens, burgundy, and berries of our local flora to give your decorations a regional flair. New Leaf Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www.newleafmarket.coop.

Friday, December 10 Holiday Open House and Art Extravaganza. 4-8pm. Vegetarian fare and artists wares available for holiday shopping. Proceeds from the silent auction will benefit The Chelsea House. Come out for a good time and a good cause. Abundance Wellness Center, 325 John Knox Road, Building T, Tallahassee.

Saturday, December 11 The Nutcracker. 10:30am Children’s Abbreviated (No Symphony) and 8:00 pm - Opening Night. (Also, another performance on Sunday, December 12th at 2:30pm – Matinee).December brings a beloved holiday tradition - The Nutcracker. A treasured classic, The Tallahassee Ballet delights audiences of all ages from the moment the curtain rises. Joining Clara on her magical journey to the Kingdom of Sweets, audiences are dazzled by stunning dancing, enchanting sets and costumes. Located at Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU.

Sunday, December 12 Open Artist Studio and Sale. 12noon-6pm. Julie Guyot will be holding her second annual Open Studio and Sale. Two other artists will be represented as well, Kim Round – jeweler, and Tracie Kelly – watercolor artist. Holiday cookies, apple cider and beautiful works of art will all be available for an enjoyable holiday

shopping experience. The studio is located at 1124 Morningside Court in Tallahassee.

Tuesday, December 14 Make Your Own Sushi. 7:45-8:45 pm. $5 owners, $7 non-owners, Limit 10. Your pre-payment guarantees your seat! Join self-taught sushi expert Barry Courtney as he shares his enthusiasm for the avocado roll, or vegetarian sushi. Students will learn how to make sushi rice and practice rolling sushi. Families are welcome. Yes, students can, and will, sample their creations! New Leaf Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www.newleafmarket.coop.

Thursday, December 16 Divas & Desserts. 6-9pm. University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium, FSU. Tickets are $15 for members and $20 for non-members and are available for purchase at www.bpwtallahassee.com or at the door. The Business & Professional Women of Tallahassee (BPW/ Tallahassee) are hosting the 3rd Annual Divas & Desserts Holiday Marketplace to benefit Chelsea House. Divas & Desserts will feature a holiday marketplace with approximately 40 vendors offering a variety of gift options, seated massage and mini-manicures. Signature cocktails, complementary desserts and coffee bar, and cash bar are also provided. This event promises to be an evening of fun, shopping and eating dessert first!

Saturday, December 25 M*E*R*R*Y C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S

Sunday, December 26 H*A*P*P*Y K*W*A*N*Z*A*A

Friday, December 31 H*A*P*P*Y N*E*W Y*E*A*R

Saturday, January 1 New Year’s Day Collage Retreat. $69. Licia Berry will be hosting “A Balanced Life” playshop. Start 2011 consciously…. For location and more information contact Licia at 850-661-9370 or go to her website at www.liciaberry.com.

Natural Awakenings’ New Year, New You

OPTIMIZE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Keep it simple, effective and affordable.

natural awakenings

December 2010

ongoingcalendar SUNDAY Unity Eastside Services – 9:30am Meditation Service, 11am Celebration Service and Youth Ministry. 8551 Buck Lake Rd. 850-656-1678, www. transformingourworld.org. Unity of Tallahassee Services – 9:30 & 11am Rev. Bill Williams. Dial-a-Thought 850-562-3766. 2850 Unity Lane, 850-562-5744, www.UnityofTallahassee.org. Pagan Picnic and Red Hills Pagan Council Meeting – 11 am on the second Sunday of each month. Our new location is the Divine Union Spiritual Co-op, 641-B McDonnel Drive in Railroad Square. Come meet local Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids and other Earth worshippers. Bring a potluck dish to share, plates and utensils. Come for the picnic and stay for the RHPC monthly meeting at noon. Tallahassee Buddhist Book Discussion/Meditation Group. 1 to 2pm. Meets every 2nd and 4th Sunday in the Barnes N Noble Cafe in the Tallahassee Mall. Please contact Stacey Turknett for more information stayc1977@yahoo.com or 850-656-7066.

MONDAY Brain-Body-Memory Balance. 1:30-2:30pm. Low impact, seated exercise. Bring water bottle and wear comfortable clothing. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000. Spiritual Growth/Study Group based on the Edgar Cayce readings. 7pm . Join us or let us help you start your own group. Genevieve Blazek - (850) 893-3269. Chan/Zen Group meets at 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. There are two 20-minute periods of seated meditation punctuated by short periods of either walking meditation or mindful Yoga. Each meeting concludes with a short session of question and answers. If you have no meditation experience, please arrive 20 minutes before the meeting for basic meditation instructions. For more information see us at www.tallahasseebuddhistcommunity.org/ mondayevening.shtml. Located at the Tallahassee Buddhist Community in Railroad Square -- 647 McDonnell Drive.

TUESDAY Healing Arts Alliance Meeting – 7-8:30pm 2nd Tues each month. Educational meeting open to all interested in healing arts. Email Susie@FertileCrescent.net to get meeting announcements. www.healingartsalliance.org. Men in Unity, Meets at 11:45 am on the second Tuesday of each month at Honey-Baked Ham, on Capital Circle near Mahan Drive. Join the Light Family for a weekly Light Circle – 7:00pm. And, plant a Light Tree to bless your home

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

and the Beloved Mother Earth! Call 850/443-3428 for further information. Life Exercise - 9:30–10:30am, also Thurs. Aerobics, light weights, stretching. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 850-891-4000. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000. Purpose of Yoga at the Sanctuary – 5:50 – 7:30. This is an ongoing intermediate class limited to 9 people. It is designed for those who wish to explore in more depth the ultimate purpose for the practice of yoga. Key elements of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita are introduced. If you are interested, please call to discuss your interest and yoga experience. JoAnna 222-0291 or email joannadevi@earthlink.net or visit our website at www.lakulishyogatallahassee.com. 2824 Par Lane, Tallahassee. Seated NIA Yoga (Neuromuscular Intergrative Action). 11:00 am-Noon. Taught by Lori Roberts, certified NIA yoga instructor. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000. Blood Pressure Screenings - 10am-12 Noon, also Wed & Thurs. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 850-891-4000. Tallahassee Senior Center. 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

WEDNESDAY Brain-Body- Memory Balance. 2:00-3:00 pm. Low-impact, seated exercise. Bring water bottle and wear comfortable clothing. Heritage Oaks. 891-4000. Blood Pressure Screenings. 10am-Noon, also Tues & Thurs. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 850-891-4000. Blood Glucose Screenings. 10:00 am - Noon. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 891-4000. Wednesdays at the Sanctuary, 6:00-7pm. $12 per class. Simple stretches and breathing to open the body and create some inner space free from the incessant static of the mind. A time to usher in a new consciousness, steeped in peace and tranquil silence. It’s a great way to help make it smoothly through the rest of your week! Class ends with a 20 minute yoga nidra guided meditation. Suitable for all levels. JoAnna 222-0291 or email joannadevi@earthlink.net or visit our website at www. lakulishyogatallahassee.com. Location: 2824 Par Lane, Tallahassee. Prayer and meditation with Dr. Patty Ball Thomas, L.U.T. Noon. Unity Eastside, 8551 Buck Lake Road, admin@unity-eastside.org 656-1678. Gentle Yoga with Geralyn Russell. 10:30-11:45 a.m. At Unity Eastside, 8551 Buck Lake Road. For information, please call Geralyn Russell at 8782843 or email her at yogawithgeralyn@yahoo.com Drop-ins are welcome.

www.natallahassee.com

THURSDAY The Lafayette Street Organic Growers’ Market - 3:00pm – dusk. Rain or shine! On Lafayette Street, across from The Moon in Tallahassee. The Lafayette Street Growers’ Market features fresh local veggies and fruit, sold direct from our local small farmers. Meet your local small farmers at the Growers’ Markets. Life Exercise. 9:30 –10:30am (see Tues). Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 891-4000. Massage 10:00 am – Noon, offered by Jonathan Walker, LMT. 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000. Blood Pressure Screenings. 10am-Noon, also Tues & Thurs. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000. Yoga - 5:30 - 7:00pm at the Episcopal Church of the Advent. Learning to honor the very best in us…the soul...the higher self...the light within...it is called by many names, and yet the urge to know this part of our SELVES is embedded into the very structure of our being. We will combine postures with inward focus, conscious breathing and meditative awareness to allow us to move from the periphery of our being to the center. As the process unfolds tension is released, the body relaxes, the mind calms and the light within begins to burn a little brighter! Please call 222-0291 or email joannadevi@earthlink.net with questions. Visit our website at www.lakulishyogatallahassee.com. Location: 815 Piedmont Drive, Tallahassee. Tallahassee Pagan Meetup - Second Thursday of each month at 7 pm. Come meet local Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids and other practitioners of New-Age spirituality and religion! Make friends, share stories and exchange knowledge. For more information check out http://pagan.meetup.com/1296/ or email KrazyPagan@aol.com. Crystal Connection, 1105 Apalachee Parkway.

FRIDAY Wine Tasting - 5:30-7:30pm. FREE. New Leaf Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www.newleafmarket.coop. Chair Yoga: 11 a.m. – Noon, by Certified Yoga Instructors Bridget Kamke. A gentle yoga workout for increased mobility, bladder control, self-esteem, and mental focus. Tallahassee Senior Center 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000. Intermediate Modern Dance Classes. 6:308:00pm. The classes are ongoing and can be joined at any time. Enjoy moving to beautiful music from all over the world and develop body awareness, flexibility, strength and coordination. The location is Dance Effects Studio, 2900-2 Crescent Drive, off Capital Circle SE. For more information contact Béatrice Corbin at (850) 224-6369 or at beatricecor@gmail.com.

Devotional Chanting and Meditation- 7-9 PM on Second Friday of the month. Enrich your spiritual practice! Join Jeffji in singing easy-to-learn chants from eastern and western traditions. Donations will benefit the church. Unity Eastside, 8551 Buck Lake Road, 656-1678. Drumming Circle. 7-9 p.m. on Third Fridays in the Children’s House behind Unity Eastside’s main building. A willing heart, moving hands and a loving participation is all that’s needed. Some percussion instruments may be provided, but it if you have a drum, please bring it. Contact Mike Smith at msmithdrummerboy37@gmail.com for information. Unity Eastside, 8551 Buck Lake Road, www.unityeastside.org 656-1678.

SATURDAY Beer Tasting – 4:30-6:30pm. FREE! New Leaf Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www. newleafmarket.coop. Tallahassee Farmers Market at Market Square. 8am – 5pm. Year-round. rain or shine. Early Birds get the best selection! The oldest farmers market in Tallahassee. Growers and resellers. Organic and conventionally grown. 1415 Timberlane Rd Tallahassee.

classified PROPERTIES / RETREATS Need a place for retreat/conferences? Full service facility Georgia Mountains. www. Enota.com 706-896-9966, 800-990-8869.

PRODUCTS / SERVICES Himalayan salt inhalers for sinus and breathing relief. Helps lower inflammation resulting in a healthier you! Call Sherry Simpson PT @ 877-7310.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CURRENTLY PUBLISHING NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINES – Be part of a dynamic franchised publishing network that is helping to transform the way we live and care for ourselves. As a Natural Awakenings publisher, your magazinewill help thousands of readers to makepositive changes in their lives, while promoting local practitioners and providers of natural, Earth-friendly lifestyles. You will be creating a healthier community while building your own financial security working from your home. For sale in Austin, TX; Lexington, KY; Manhattan, NY; Pensacola, FL; Southwest VA; and Ventura/Santa Barbara, CA.Call for details 239-530-1377.

natural awakenings

December 2010

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY

healthy solutions, inc. To find out how to advertise in CRG,

email TallaAdvertising@naturalawakeningsmag.com

to request our media kit.

ART Therapy

Licia Berry, Integrative Artist www.liciaberry.com licia@liciaberry.com (719) 850-1890

An artist and art educator with a passion for Jungian psychology, indigenous values, symbolism and writing (and over 25 years of professional experience), Licia blends visual image, written and spoken word, and healing and intuitive arts in original, unique art that reveal profound truths. Licia offers specialty commissioned collages for Rite of Passage, “Message from Spirit”, Birthday, Midlife, and Initiation into New Cycle (wonderful gifts!), playshops and customized Collage Retreats. With an international following on her Blog, FaceBook and Twitter, Licia’s genuine messages of self love and inner wisdom are gently affirming seekers all over the globe.

Cleaning

Tina’s Cleaning & Organizing Services 850-212-1223 Tinacleaning@hotmail.com www.HouseCleaningTallahassee.com

We offer eco-friendly cleaning of your home or office. We specialize in thorough, deep cleaning. This can include organizing your closet, kitchen or garage. We have more than 15 years experience and can provide reliable references.

coaching

Elizabeth Barbour, M.Ed. The Inspired Entrepreneur Life & Business Coach www.elizabethbarbour.com www.inspiredentrepreneur.com 850-893-5211

Ready to shift FROM TIRED TO INSPIRED in your business and life? Elizabeth helps women entrepreneurs to increase the visibility, credibility and profitability of their businesses while practicing self care at the same time! She offers group coaching, individual coaching and leads retreats around the country.

Rick Ferrall, lmt, 850-294-8069 521 E. College Ave., TLH 32301 www.healthy_solutions@comcast.net

CranioSacral Therapy addresses scoliosis, chronic fatigue and MS, infant disorders, learning disabilities, orthopedic problems, emotional difficulties, chronic neck/back pain, stress and tension related problems, TMJ, brain/spinal cord injuries, and cancer issues. MA24604 / MM11960

FITNESS

Sweat Therapy Fitness Studios

850.222.1781 Manor@Midtown, Suites 10 & 5 1122 Thomasville Road (32303) www.SweatTherapyFitness.com

Offering a series of cutting-edge fitness classes featuring Tallahassee’s Only RealRyder® Cycle Studio; Indo-Row Classes; TRX Suspension Group Training; plus Nia - a series of unique and exhilarating cardio/yoga-style classes-all of which propel your body and soul to the next level. These workouts are flexible, spontaneous and FUN and offer special emphasis on activating the core muscles. Come and enjoy a personal training experience in a group settings.

healing

Healing Path Alice McCall

Advanced Energy Healer & Counselor BS Psychology, MBA, Hypnotherapist www.healingpath.info: 850-585-5496

I offer phone sessions, specializing in healing serious health issues and unwanted patterns. My book ‘Wellness Wisdom’ has little known information on natural health and healing; inspired by my journey with cancer. Free 15 minutes phone consultation to learn how I can help you.

healthcare Integrative Healthcare

N. Elizabeth Markovich, MSN, ARNP 850-878-4434 2016 Delta Blvd. Suite 100 Tallahasee 32308 www.IHCFL.com

We offer primary care, preventive care with a holistic approach. We use special testing with 11 outside laboratories to help find the cause of chronic illness and use a functional medicine approach (www.functionalmedicine.org). We also have hypnosis combined with acupuncture by IB Price MD, massage and cranio-sacral therapy by Angele LaGrave LMT and Nutritional Counseling by Leah Gilbert-Henderson PhD nutrition.Accept Medicare, Blue Cross, Universal, Aetna, others.

FLORIDA WELLNESS CENTER OF TALLAHASSEE 850.385.6664 2339 North Monroe Street (next to Boston Market) www.floridawellnessandrehab.com

At Florida Wellness & Rehabilitation Centers we are committed to keeping up with the latest technologies and treatments to provide our patients with the best rehabilitative experience possible. We believe in educating and encouraging our patients to take an active role in their own treatment.

holistic health

NEW GENESIS CENTER Patrice Bullock, MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner-C www.NewGenesisCenter.com 229-228-9050

A healthcare center-Functional medicine, patient-centered approach, non-drug, science-based, results oriented. Getting to the source of your health problems rather than bandaiding. Simple to complex problems. Skin care, digestive problems to the more complex health problems such as Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Chemical Sensitivity. Extraordinary results & health transformation. Functional medicine approach consults, hormone testing, detoxification, weight loss, expert skincare consult & prof. treatments, colonics, far-infrared sauna, physical therapy, massage therapy,

HYPNOSIS

DARLENE TREESE, Ph.D.

State Board Licensed 850-201-0073

Diplomate in Sports Counseling, National Institute of Sports Professionals. Past President, American Psychotherapy and Medical Hypnosis Association. e-Therapy and TherapyChat/Office-Based Hypnosis and Life Coaching/Professional Seminar Training www. AskDrTreese.com

integrative medicine

Archbold Integrative Medicine Center

John Mansberger, MD, Medical Director. 229-228-7008; 2705 E. Pinetree Blvd. #C, Thomasville, GA 31792.

A holistic team approach to a variety of medical problems. Offering acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, pain relief, natural hormone replacement, Cancer therapy, nutrition, weight control, herbal medicine, yoga and physical therapy. www.archbold.org.

photography

Ansley Studio

Ansley Simmons artist . photographer . owner 229.224.6021 • www.AnsleyStudio.com

Specializing in portraits & weddings. MFA in Photography, Arts Administration Doctoral Student, Art Museum Education Certificate Florida State University

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

Physical Therapy.

Sherry Simpson, P.T.

354 Office Plaza Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32301 850-877-7310 SSimpsonpt@embarqmail.com

I have over 27 years of experience in physical therapy working with all ages and disabilities. Treatment modalities are primarily hands-on techniques and include myofacial release, craniosacral therapy, visceral techniques, muscle energy and more. Treatments also include gentle movement re-eduction. For any chronic condition as well as for general health, wellness and stress reduction.

professional SERVICES

Southeastern community blood ctr. 1-800-722-2218. Located in Tallahassee; Marianna, FL; Thomasville & Douglas, GA. scbcinfo.org

Blood donors save lives. Is there any greater reward? Save Lives. Give Blood. M-F, 9am–6pm. (Sat. hours in Tallahassee: 9am–1pm)

Yoga

REAL ESTATE TEAM - KW Debbie Leo - 273-9306 Jennifer Stowell - 567-3223

You can have a green home or find a green home for your family’s health and future. If you’re looking to buy or sell, call Debbie Leo and Jenn Stowell! Your Tallahassee Keller Williams agents.

worship

UNITY EASTSIDE

8551 Buck Lake Road, TLH, 850-656-1678 Rev. Jean Debarbieris Owen, Minister www.unity-eastside.org

Rev. Jean believes the love of God is unfolding in each person, place, Thing. Join us in Worship: Meditation Service 9:30 AM - Celebration Service 11AM; Youth Ministry 11AM, noon prayer Wed.

UNITY OF TALLAHASSEE 2850 Unity Lane, TLH, 850-562-5744, Rev. Bill Williams, Minister,

Hot Yoga Tallahassee www.HotYogaTallahassee.com

1238 Blountstown Highway (West Park Complex) You’re official Hot Yoga Studio in Tallahassee! Variations of Bikram/ Hatha yoga practiced in a heated room allowing for increased flexibility, strengthening of muscles, and full body detoxing. Class schedule and prices are available on our website. Beginners and Advanced students are encouraged to attend!

LAKULISH YOGA

www.lakulishyogatallahassee.com 850-273-1861 joannadevi@earthlink.net

Yoga is so much more than the postures we are so familiar with --- yoga is the science of the soul --- our ultimate journey! Come and explore yoga with us. We offer hatha yoga classes, chanting with Om Sweet Om, a Bhagavad Gita study group, summer yoga camp for children and periodic workshops to delve deeper into the classical 8-step path to liberation. We are dedicated to upholding the integrity of the original teachings in a loving and sacred environment.

A ministry that seeks inspiration from the teachings of Jesus and finds common ground with spiritual masters from other traditions. We invite you to join us. Sunday Services 9:30 & 11 AM. Youth Education 11 AM. Wednesday Service at Noon.

natural awakenings

December 2010

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast