2022 Natural Living Directory - Natural Awakenings Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties CT

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HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

202 2 NATURAL LIVING DIRECTORY

2022 | Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties-Edition | eNaturalAwakenings.com Natural Living Directory 2022

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203 TLC 203TLC is a community of accredited health and wellness providers offering a wide variety of services and products.

Founded in 1997 by Beth Leas, the TLC Tribe is Fairfield County’s largest holistic health resource -a vibrant and growing community of over 90 Members, committed to living consciously and offering healthy lifestyle opportunities.

We offer high quality private sessions, products, workshops, classes and resources designed to help you live life well.

VISIT US: www.203TLC.com • www.TribeTLC.com • FB: Tribe TLC • 203-856-9566 Breathwork & Spiritual Healing/Coaching Alexia Clonda, The Mind & Breathing Edge ThetaHealing & Mindset Coach. Helping women create healthy relationships, clear negative thought patterns that block your sense of connection & belonging. 20+ years experience. Virtual & In Person mindbreathingedge@gmail.com ThetaHealing.com/alexiaclonda • 607-319-9161

Energy Healing/Meditation/Tarot Beth Leas 25+ Years Experience Private Sessions, Workshops, Events In-person or by phone bethleas.com 203-856-9566

Life Coach Diane Nicosia, MBA, ibalanceLLC Certified Coach & Reiki Master Teacher. Move forward toward your personal & business goals. In person or Zoom.

NicosiaDiane@gmail.com ibalanceuthrive.com 203-858-5848

Transformation Coaching/Healing Katie Augustyn, MA, CPC Transformation Coach, Shamanic Practitioner, Spiritual Evolution Trainer, Energy Healer, TV Host TransformationCenterCT.com 203-820-3800

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Career Coach/Hypnotist Thea Litsios, Certified Career Coach & Hypnotist. Assisting you in creating your dream career. Learn how to use your intuition to guide you on your career path. thealitsios.com • 203-693-1493

Essential Oils Wayne Leiss, LMT, CAO Adventures in Connection. dōTERRA Essential Oils, Symphony of the Cells™ Applications and Massage Therapy 20 Fifth Ave, Apt A, Danbury Wayne@WayneLeiss.com WayneLeiss.com • 203-994-1207

Energy Healing Gail Christie, Joyful Living Reiki Holy Fire Reiki Master, Private Reiki sessions, Reiki-infused meditations & Reiki certification classes Online, Stamford, CT, and Mt Kisco, NY • JoyfulLivingReiki.com 203-979-0918

Holistic Healing Spa Revive Salt Therapy & Wellness Halotherapy/Salt Therapy, Infrared Sauna, Reiki, Quantum Healing, Massage Therapy, Sound Healing, Yoga, Wellness + Crystal Shop. revivesalttherapy.com 374 New Haven Ave, Milford, CT 203-283-5968

Lyme Disease Healing

Salt Cave

Gregg Kirk, Lyme Recovery Clinic & Detox Center Heal from chronic illness through all-natural herbal treatments, intensive detox, cleanses & energy healing.

528 Post Rd, Darien Gregg.Kirk@gmail.com 203-858-9725

Salt Cave of Darien Salt therapy, massage, meditation, yoga & more!

555 Post Rd, Darien Info@SaltCaveofDarien.com SaltCaveofDarien.com 203-658-7667

Get to know us at TLC’s monthly networking breakfast!

Looking for a relaxed group of professionals offering a supportive community, free networking events, many affordable marketing opportunities, and FUN? We meet on the first Tuesday of every month at Valencia Luncheria, 164 Main St, Norwalk, CT, from 8:30 -10:00a.m.

Come the first time as Beth's guest - and if you find your time with us worthwhile, we invite you to become a TLC Member. Please RSVP to Beth Leas at: 203-856-9566 (call/text) or TLCBethLeas@gmail.com so she can reserve your place.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Nature’s Virus Killer Copper can stop a virus before it starts

S

By Doug Cornell

cientists have discovered a with a tip to fit in the bottom of the natural way to kill germs fast. nostril, where viruses collect.

Now thousands of people When he felt a tickle in his nose are using it against viruses and bacteria like a cold about to start, he rubbed the that cause illness. copper gently in Colds and his nose for 60 many other seconds. illnesses start “It worked!” when viruses get he exclaimed. in your nose and “The cold never start multiplying. got going. That If you don’t stop was 2012. I have them early, they had zero colds spread and take since then.” over.

“We don’t Copper kills viruses almost In hundreds of make product instantly studies, EPA and health claims,” university researchers confirm copper he said, “so I can’t say cause and effect. kills microbes almost instantly just by But we know copper is antimicrobial.” touch.

He asked relatives and friends to try That’s why ancient Greeks and it. They reported the same thing, so he Egyptians used copper to purify patented CopperZap® and put it on the water and heal wounds. They didn’t market. know about microbes like viruses and Soon hundreds of people had tried it. bacteria, but now we do.

Feedback was 99% positive if they used “The antimicrobial activity of copper copper within 1-3 hours of the first sign is well established.” National Institutes of bad germs, like a tickle in the nose or of Health. a scratchy throat.

Scientists say the high conductance Users say: of copper disrupts the electrical balance “It works! I love it!” in a microbe cell by touch and destroys “I can’t believe how good my nose it in seconds. feels.”

Some hospitals tried copper “Is it supposed to work that fast?” for touch surfaces like faucets and “One of the best presents ever.” doorknobs. This cut the spread of “Sixteen flights, not a sniffle!”

MRSA and other illnesses by over half, “Cold sores gone!” which saved lives.

“It saved me last holidays. The kids The strong scientific evidence had crud going round and round, gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. but not me.”

He made a smooth copper probe “I am shocked! My sinus cleared, no ADVERTORIAL

more headache, no more congestion.”

“Best sleep I’ve had in years!”

The handle is curved and textured to increase contact. Copper can kill germs picked up on fingers and hands after you touch things other people have touched.

The EPA says copper works just as well when tarnished.

Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the science teams. He placed millions of viruses on a copper surface. “They started to die literally as soon as they touched it.”

Customers report using copper against: Colds Flu Covid Sinus trouble Cold sores Fever blisters Canker sores Strep Night stuffiness Morning congestion Skin infections Infected sores Infection in cuts or wounds Thrush Warts Styes Ringworm Threats to compromised immunity CopperZap® is made in the USA of pure copper. It has a 90-day full money back guarantee. Price $79.95. Get $10 off each CopperZap with code NATA28.

Go to www.CopperZap.com or call tollfree 1-888-411-6114.

Buy once, use forever.

Statements are not intended as product health claims and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not claimed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Natural Living Directory 2022

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Contents 18

17 COMMUNITY

GIVE-A-THON

to Benefit Hundreds of Local Charities

18 THE ROMANCE

OF NUMEROLOGY

20 THE GREAT RETURN

TO THE WORKPLACE

Navigating the New Normal of the Workplace Post-WFH

22 WHY WE NEED

WILD PLACES

How to Invite Nature Back into

22

Our Lives and Landscapes

27 NATURE SPEAKS

Storytelling Connects Kids to the Natural World

28 EATING FOR THE PLANET

Diet for a Climate Crisis 32 BUZZ-FREE DRINKING

The Healthy Rise of Non-

38

Alcoholic Beverages

34 TECHNOLOGY

MEETS NATURE

Apps Bring Us Closer to Flora and Fauna

38 PEST CONTROL

Keeping Dogs Safe from Ticks and Fleas

DEPARTMENTS 7 global briefs 8 health briefs 10 ad index 10 book profiles 12 inspiration 14 eco spotlight 17 event spotlight 27 healthy kids 28 conscious eating 4

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

eNaturalAwakenings.com

32 34 36 38

healing ways green living fit body naturally healthy pet 40 2022 natural living directory 69 calendar 71 classifieds

Natural Awakenings is a family of 50+ healthy living magazines celebrating 27 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

2022 NATURAL LIVING DIRECTORY

40 27

BE your Light!

Live Your Soul's Purpose | Attain Deep Peace Have Balance Around Giving and Receiving Have Loving, Supportive Relationships Have the Career that Sings to Your Soul

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Is your Soul calling to be in alignment with your Divinity?

If your Soul says YES, please join us to transform your mind, body, and spirit!

Academy for Soul Healing

The Academy for Soul Healing supports the growth and expansion of humanity, individually and on a global scale.

"I foresee many students from the Academy becoming teachers of this integrated way of service."

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 203-885-4674 or email Advertising@eNaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for ads: the 12th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Visit eNaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for News Briefs: the 12th of the month.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Visit eNaturalAwakenings.com. Deadline for magazine calendar listings: the 12th of the month. Website calendar listings may be entered at any time.

REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets!

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-434-9392. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakenings.com.

One-on-one Sessions, Group Classes, Training, workshops and Events with Eilis Philpott Master Healer and Teacher “I feel a complete transformation in my life since working with Eilis in group and private sessions. Eilis has a magical way she connects with her clients. All the modalities she teaches have a great impact on my life. I was able to reach profound depths for personal development. I have learned about many life enhancing tools and feel confident to share it with the world.

Eilis offers support in a soulful way. She is a guiding light the minute you connect with her. Eilis is a gift!”

See updated offerings and training schedules at: www.SoulHealingJourney.com www.academyforsoulhealing.com

203-767-5954 | Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com Natural Living Directory 2022

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

FAIRFIELD & SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD COUNTIES Publisher Erica Mills Editor Michelle Bense Design & Production Kathleen Fellows Erica Mills Contributing Writers Greer Jonas Sales & Marketing Shirley Bloethe Erica Mills Distribution Man in Motion LLC

CONTACT US

54 Danbury Rd, #354, Ridgefield, CT 06877 Phone/Fax: 203-885-4674 Erica@eNaturalAwakenings.com eNaturalAwakenings.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $30 (for 12 issues) to the above address.

letter from publisher

W

hatever your wellness goals may be, this special, mega, jam-packed edition of Natural Awakenings is sure to help you move forward on that journey.

The annual Natural Living Directory features profiles, resource guide listings and more, designed to get you well acquainted with the health and wellness community of the Fairfield and Southern Litchfield Counties area.

It has been so fun connecting with so many people in the process of developing the annual Natural Living Directory issue, and I am especially excited to bring it Erica Mills to print.

Beginning on page 40, “Build Your Wellness Dream Team” features Q&As with local practitioners and business owners who are eager to meet you. We also have several Business Spotlights on page 58, followed by the Directory Listings on page 60. But, that’s not all!

These pages also contain wonderful articles cover202 2 NATURAL ing wild places, apps related to nature, eating for the LIVING DIRECTORY planet, the rise of fun non-alcoholic beverages and plenty more.

This month, I am also excited about the virtual event hosted by Natural Awakenings of Fairfield and Southern Litchfield Counties and Mindset & Breathing Mentor and Coach Alexia Clonda. On April 5, from 6:30 to 8pm, join us for the Virtual Breathing Workshop, during which Alexia will discuss good breathing, how to do it and how to use it to help reduce stress, relax and open your mind. We are hoping many of our readers join to meet us and learn this breathing tecnique. Sign up for the workshop now at Tinyurl.com/NAVirtualBreathwork.

Keep this issue all year long, to guide you whenever a new wellness need may arise.

EE FR

HEALTHY

LIVING

Litchfield 2022 | Fairfield & Southern

NATIONAL TEAM CEO/Founder COO/Franchise Sales Art Director Layout Financial Manager Asst. Director of Ops Digital Content Director National Advertising Administrative Assistant

Sharon Bruckman Joe Dunne Josh Pope Gabrielle W-Perillo Yolanda Shebert Heather Gibbs Rachael Oppy Lisa Doyle-Mitchell Anne-Marie Ryan

HEALTHY

PLANET

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Be well,

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4851 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 200 Naples, FL 34103 NaturalAwakenings.com © 2022 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

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

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ONLINE @eNaturalAwakenings.com SPRING IS A STATE OF MIND

eNaturalAwakenings.com

BRIAN SAUDER

on Faith-Based Grassroots Change

Sea Change

Broken Promises vector mine/AdobeStock.com

Large Study Addresses Indigenous Biodiversity Decline Simon Fraser University (SFU), in British Columbia, is engaging with more than 150 Indigenous organizations, universities and other partners to highlight the complex problems of biodiversity loss and its implications for health and well-being in the Tackling Biodiversity Decline Across the Globe research initiative. The project is inclusive of intersectional, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary worldviews and methods for research, with activities in 70 different kinds of ecosystems that are spiritually, culturally and economically important to Indigenous peoples. One of the project’s six principal investigators, SFU assistant professor Maya Gislason, of the Faculty of Health Sciences, says, “Our work in health will focus on healing from the stresses and losses caused by colonial practices and on building healthier relationships to nature. By 2027, when the project completes, healing and well-being will have been important considerations within the development of holistic and actionable solutions intended to improve stewardship and care for people and the planet.”

SFU professor John O’Neil, former dean of the faculty of health sciences, says of the enterprise, “It is unique from many other large projects in its embrace of governance models like ethical space, Indigenous research methodologies and Indigenous knowledges.”

Photo by Harry Gillen on Unsplash

Bigger Apple

Climate Change Research in Central Park The Central Park Conservancy, the Yale School of the Environment and the New York City-based Natural Areas Conservancy are launching the Central Park Climate Lab, a new initiative and climate partnership to study the impacts of climate change on urban parks. Their mission is to work with cities across the country to improve urban park mitigation and adaptation to climate change. New York City Mayor Eric Adams states, “The Central Park Climate Lab begins a new era in research and cooperation that will give our park professionals improved tools to combat the climate crisis, and it will be a model for urban parks across the country.”

Because around 55 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, the program will use mapping tools to develop interventions and protect urban parkland. With no national standard in place for characterizing and mapping it, the ability to identify broader climate solutions is limited. Research will begin in Central Park and then other New York City greenspaces before expanding to more parks. The data collected will be used to create new, scalable strategies and protocols. Elizabeth W. Smith, president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, says, “Severe weather events such as unprecedented rainfall, blizzards, high winds and extreme heat and cold, strain resources and impact Central Park’s tree canopy, plants and wildlife.”

Himalayan Glacier Retreat Bodes Consequences for Millions

3532studioAdobeStock.com

global briefs

Glaciers in the Himalayan Mountains have been growing for millions of years, but researchers at England’s University of Leeds conclude in a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports that they are melting at an exceptional rate compared to other glaciers around the world. The Himalayas are home to nine of the world’s 10 highest peaks, including Mt. Everest, and the source of Asia’s longest river, the Yangtze. They contain the third-largest deposit of ice and snow in the world, after Antarctica and the Arctic. Study co-author Jonathan Carrivick, deputy head of the University of Leeds School of Geography, says, “Our findings clearly show that ice is now being lost from Himalayan glaciers at a rate that is at least 10 times higher than the average rate over past centuries ... and coincides with human-induced climate change.”

These glaciers release meltwater that forms the headwaters of several major rivers, and their disappearance could threaten agriculture, drinking water and energy production in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. But the impact is not only regional, it includes the effect on sea level rise and the damage that could wreak on coastal communities globally. Carrivick says, “We must act urgently to reduce and mitigate the impact of human-made climate change on the glaciers and meltwater-fed rivers.”

Natural Living Directory 2022

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health briefs Nurture Your Wellness Asami Green

Reiki Master Certified doTERRA AromaTouch Technique® Practitioner Meditation Muse Intuitive Visual Artist

Reiki Energy Healing doTERRA AromaTouch Technique® Custom Energy Healing Art for Healing and Meditation Reiki Energy Infused Crystal Canvas Art

Eat Lots of Fiber to Improve Melanoma Outcomes

www.museofwellness.com

Weaving Ancient Wisdom With Modern Science To Revitalize Families Holistic Psychology • Shamanic Healing Arts • Craniosacral Balancing Reiki • Energy Medicine • Yoga • Conscious Dance • Somatic Healing Private and collective healing experiences for adults, children and teens Dr. Kristy Vanacore, Psy.D. Holistic Psychologist, Spiritual Visionary, Author kristy.vanacore@kmvgroup.org www.kmvgroup.org 914-497-8006

AcuBlend

Blending the Art Science of Wellness

&

Acupuncture • Cupping Moxibustion • Gua Sha Tui Na • Massage Therapy Movement Therapies Herbal Medicine and much more!

Dr. Sian James, DACM, LAc, LMT, RYT

Locations in Stamford, Westport & Fairfield 203.987.6585 • acublend.com • info@acublend.com Individual, Couples, Group & Spiritual Counseling • Hypnotherapy

WOLF SPIRIT

• Drumming • Energy Work • Traditional & Alternative Modalities

All Ages Welcome Husky and Most Insurance Accepted 203-263-3175 WolfSpiritWellness.org 8

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

A new type of immunotherapy that enables T-cells to fight cancer cells is proving hopeful for people with the deadly skin cancer melanoma, and a new study has found that a high-fiber diet improves the effectiveness of the therapy.

Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported in Science that, by analyzing the gut microbiome in hundreds of patients, they found that higher dietary fiber intake was linked with disease nonprogression among patients receiving immune checkpoint blockade therapy compared to patients eating little fiber.

The results were strongest in patients that ate the most dietary fiber, but did not take probiotics, a finding that was replicated with lab animals.

Consider Berberine and Probiotics to Improve Cholesterol When used together, the plant alkaloid berberine and the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve work synergistically to significantly improve total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, reports a new study in Gut Microbes from Shanghai Jiao Tung University, in China. Researchers tested 365 diabetes patients at 20 centers throughout the country, giving them either a placebo, one of the two substances or both. Comparing post-meal blood samples after 12 weeks, patients that had taken both the berberine and the probiotic had significantly better cholesterol readings and experienced positive changes in the gut microbiome, as well as better fatty acid metabolism.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

knartz/AdobeStock.com``

Rewilding Families m

olga/AdobeStock.com

Individual and group sessions available by appointment only.

Locations at Gravity Bodywork, Bridgeport & Yoga For Everybody, Fairfield info@museofwellness.com ▪ 203.590.1737

Practice Good Dental Care to Lower Heart and Cognitive Risks

popout/AdobeStock.com

A whopping 47 percent of U.S. adults over 30 have periodontal disease, and the consequences can be severe for their physical and mental health, suggests a new study in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers from the UK University of Manchester followed 64,379 people diagnosed with periodontal disease, including gingivitis, marked by swollen and red gums, as well as periodontitis, in which gums pull away from the tooth and bone or teeth are lost. The subjects, with an average age of 44, were compared over an average of three years to 251,161 people without the disease. Those with periodontal disease had a 37 percent higher risk of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and serious mental illness; a 33 percent higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases like arthritis, Type 1 diabetes and psoriasis; an 18 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, stroke and vascular dementia; and a 26 percent higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

“This research provides further, clear evidence why healthcare professionals need to be vigilant for early signs of gum disease and how it can have wide-reaching implications for a person’s health, reinforcing the importance of taking a holistic approach when treating people,” says Caroline Aylott, head of research delivery at the University of Birmingham Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research.

Act Natural Health & Wellness Health Food Store 45 Water Street Torrington, CT 860-482-8477

1 Wolcott Road Wolcott, CT 203-879-4774

Vitamins, Supplements, Homeopathy, Full line of Professional Grade CBD Products Pam Pinto ~ Nutrition Consultant Affiliated with the Wholesome Healing Network Private Member Association www.wholesomehealingnetwork.com

actnaturalhealth.com

info@actnaturalhealth.com Natural Living Directory 2022

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Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

203TLC Academy for Soul Healing Act Natural Health & Wellness AcuBlend/Dr. Sian James The Angel Cooperative/ Angel Wing Chamomille Natural Foods Connecticut Community Foundation Give Local CCF Copper Zap Dr. Michael Wald Feng Shui Joan’s Way Final Journey LLC HGH Gel Hilda Demirjian Laser & Skin Care Holistic Community Professionals Hummingbird Sound Yoga Insight Counseling Institute for Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Therapies New Age Fair KleinSleep KnoWEwell The Market Muse of Wellness Natural Awakenings Westchester for Sale Natural Awakenings Singles Nature’s Way Health Foods Nature’s Temptation New Insights Boutique New Morning Market Optimal Health Medical/ Henry Sobo, MD Passport to Health & Wellness Holistic Expo Rewilding Families/ Kristy M. Vanacore Salon Aponte Sedona Art Soul Healing Journey Touch of Sedona Transformation Center CT Turning Point Healing Arts & Education Center Two Coyotes Wilderness School We Are One/Connie Martin Wellness Metaphors/ Nancy S. Scherlong Whole Foods Wolf Spirit Wellness

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book profiles Photo by ivan_kislitsin on Shutterstock

display advertiser index 2 5 9 8 16 31 33 3 4 12 39 21 13 29 11 19 25 36 23 35 31 8 36 70 31 31 15 31 24 37 8 17 25 5 25 21 14 21 39 12 31 8

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

GUMDROPS & LOLLIPOPS,

by Dr. Moose Dr. Moose has written a Dr. Seussinspired story based on the “Sam I Am” character in Green Eggs and Ham, to teach children how to say no to drugs. With Dr. Moose losing one of her own family members to the opioid crisis, the book has a personal meaning as she hopes it will be a welcomed way to embrace the childhood classic we all know and love, with a lesson we must teach our children.

Young readers and their parents are sure to enjoy a colorful, inspiring and easy-to-read tale of a smart and determined youngster named Mason. The delightful rhyming cadence of this short story makes it easy for youngsters to follow and for parents to read aloud.

The book is colorfully titled Gumdrops & Lollipops.

This is appropriate as drugs are now referred to as candy and drug dealers are known as candy pushers.

The story is about a student who continually encounters the candy pusher, Zee I Bee, on his way home from school. Mason has to learn how to say no, no matter how often Zee I Bee asks him to try the candy (drugs). While the endings of Green Eggs and Ham and Gumdrops & Lollipops differ—where Sam tries the green eggs and ham and likes them, Mason steadfastly refuses—each book illustrates the topic of assertiveness, critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books will launch Seuss Studios, a line of books for early readers by new and emerging authors and illustrators who will create original stories in 2023. Dr. Moose hopes that Gumdrops & Lollipops will serve as a soft launch that will carry forward Dr. Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.

Kalisha Eddington, also known as Dr. Moose, was born and raised in the Old Hill neighborhood of Springfield, Massachusetts.For more information and to purchase, email GumdropsBook@gmail.com or visit Gumdrops.galaxysites.org. eNaturalAwakenings.com

REWILDING:

A Woman’s Quest to Remember Her Roots, Rekindle Her Instincts, and Reclaim Her Sovereignty,

by Kristy M. Vanacore

In Rewilding, Dr. Kristy Vanacore invites you into her raw and honest account of metamorphosing from near death and disassociation to resolving complex trauma, awakening to purpose, reclaiming her truth and reveling in the sovereignty of her spirit.

“After a traumatic birthing experience with my first son catalyzed flashbacks and a quest for truth about my past, I ventured from my comfort zone into the shadows of my anguish for the next 10-plus years, with help from seasoned holistic practitioners and medicine women,” shares Vanacore. “What emerged was the beauty and grace of my feral-foal nature, dancing in the light, singing my truth, sharing my sacred story and finding peace in ceremonial communion with nature. I rediscovered the potent medicine that had been dormant inside of me and created an authentic soul-aligned and heart-centered life from which I could help others do the same.”

Her Rewilding journey is an emancipation from the domestication and conditioning of tolerance, distraction and fear, to the empowered freedom of inherent curiosity, passion, instinctual wisdom and joy. So much more than simply an interesting story, this book is a call to action for readers, to take the wisdom shared from her journey to use as a lantern to light the way for themselves.

Though her story is intimately personal, it is intensely relatable. Readers will come to discover hidden wisdom and gifts while realizing the potential of ancient-futuristic modalities to expand their consciousness, reignite purpose, reclaim lost parts of their soul and activate their self-healing medicine.

Vanacore is a clinical psychologist, spiritual visionary, medicine woman and sacred storyteller who weaves ancient wisdom with modern science to empower families to thrive. A prominent trailblazer in the field of holistic psychology for two decades, she has revolutionized the personal development industry by creating an innovative mentoring program for people of all ages.

Connect at 914-497-8006, Kristy.Vanacore@KMVGroup.org or KristyVanacore. com. Purchase Rewilding wherever books are sold. See ad, page 8.

Natural Living Directory 2022

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©

2021 Barbara Soares

inspiration

"Light will win over darkness." - Volodymyr Zelenskyy One Step at a Time by Barbara Soares Barbara “Bobbi” Soares is a certified sound healing coach and vocal yoga practitioner in New Milford. She is available for concerts, and musical performances for gatherings, workshops, community events. Connect at BSoares@LightOfTheNewMoon.com or 860-946-9470 or find Hummingbird Sound Yoga on Facebook. See ad, page 11.

Change Your Story, Change Your Life!

Restoring Creativity, Wellness, and Balance Nancy S. Scherlong, lcsw,ptr, m/s Coaching, Psychotherapy, Expressive Arts Workshops HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY • COACHING • EXPRESSIVE THERAPIES/TRAINING

914.572.3167 | www.wellnessmetaphors.com 898 Ethan Allen Hwy, Suite 7 | Ridgefield, CT 06877 12

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

eNaturalAwakenings.com

eco tip

Freeze by date denotes when an item should be frozen to maintain peak quality.

Expiration Dates

Sell by date tells a retailer how long to display the product for sale.

When to Eat or Toss Food lanych/AdobeStock.com

ACTUAL FOOD LIFE SPAN

A

mericans waste about 40 percent of the food supply every year, which translates to billions of pounds of edible food rotting in landfills and generating dangerous greenhouse gases, along with the dollars leaking out of our wallets. We squander limited resources like water and fuel and needlessly uptick our carbon footprint to produce and transport food that will never be consumed.

One major contributor to this problem is expiration labeling—those ambiguous “best before” or “sell by” dates on canned goods, prepared foods, egg cartons, milk jugs and meat packages. Consumers are not quite sure what they mean, and as a result, they often throw out ingredients that are perfectly good to eat.

Except for baby formula, the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not require or regulate date labels. Generated by food manufacturers, these cryptic markings convey information about the quality and freshness of products rather than their safety.

Experts advise that food that doesn’t show signs of spoilage after a specified date can still be eaten. Instead of allowing a package date to dictate the lifecycle of food, we can rely on an item’s look, smell and taste to make that decision.

To become better stewards of the environment, we need to become food conservationists—purchase only what we will consume, plan meals to cook the most perishable items first, scrape the fuzz off sour cream or yogurt, snip off the mold on a block of cheese, freeze items we aren’t going to consume in a timely manner, and eat everything on our plates.

WHAT LABELS MEAN Best if used by/before date indicates when a product is at peak quality and flavor.

Milk lasts seven to 10 days after the “sell by” date. If it smells bad, chuck it. Otherwise, it’s safe.

Eggs typically stay fresh in the fridge three to five weeks past the “pack date.”

Meat should be cooked or frozen within two days of bringing it home.

Cheese lasts refrigerated from one to eight weeks. Harder, aged varietals last longer. It’s safe to remove mold and continue enjoying the rest.

Canned goods don’t expire. The “best by” or “use by” dates only relate to peak freshness, flavor and texture. Store in a cool, dark place, and don’t buy bulging, dented, leaking or rusted cans.

Fruits and vegetables with blemishes taste the same, are a fraction of the cost and safe to eat.

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eco spotlight

Making Healthy, Farm-Fresh Food Accessible to All

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veryone deserves access to healthy food. Real Food CT is a Newtown-based nonprofit that is running Giving Gardens, connecting local farms to food pantries and figuring out how to make their Small Farm Model a sustainable piece of the regional food system. Serving northern Fairfield, and Southern Litchfield and New Haven Counties, through its programs, Real Food CT was able to donate over 31,000 pounds of fresh produce to 12 different pantries in 2021.

Our land and our food have a very special way of deepening the connection of the human spirit. Real Food CT wants this connection to happen early. The Young Farmer Internship program has already trained 15 high school and college students that are interested in agriculture and service, with another 10 lined up for the 2022 season.

After collecting surplus for donation from local farms for the last two seasons, the

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Real Food CT team is eager to implement the Farm-to-Pantry Direct Purchasing Program this year. Through government grants and regional partnerships, Real Food CT will look to reward farmers with upfront payments for their produce, securing the most nutritious and flavorful food for neighbors in need. Real Food CT will be announcing a “Real Food Fund” this spring to serve as the hub of this project moving forward.

Looking to the future, Real Food CT will continue to build momentum toward replicating a Small Farm Model in underserved communities in the region, particularly Bridgeport and Danbury. The goal will be to provide employment opportunities for aspiring BIPOC farmers to run a small farm, gain valuable experience and become an integral part of the local food system.

The Small Farm Model will replicate the Giving Gardens in Newtown that are producing tens of thousands of pounds of produce on less than an acre of land.

Upon execution, the new Small Farms will

be tied into the Real Food Fund, providing a revenue stream that will connect the new farmer to a local food pantry.

In March, Real Food CT began its “Grow Your Own” education series, a once-a-month series that will take community members through the growing season with helpful demonstrations, troubleshooting and an opportunity to share costs and experiences.

Like any nonprofit, Real Food CT runs on community support, grants, sponsorships and donations. Reach out to Founder and Executive Director, Sean Fitzpatrick, to discuss ways that you can get involved.

For more information, visit RealFoodShare.org.

eco brief

Airbus Switches Focus to U.S.-Sourced Sustainable Aviation Fuel Blend

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irbus has begun delivery of all aircraft from its U.S. manufacturing facility located in Mobile, Alabama, with a blend of U.S.-sourced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and conventional jet fuel. The initiative is a further step in Airbus’s ongoing commitment to carbon-neutral growth in the aviation sector, with a long-term goal of developing a zero carbon-producing commercial aircraft by 2035.

“Delivering every one of our Mobile-produced aircraft with SAF is an important, iterative step toward solving the carbon challenge,” says C. Jeffrey Knittel, Chairman and CEO of Airbus Americas, Inc. “SAF is a positive contributor to enhanced sustainability in aviation, since it enables up to an 80 percent reduction of CO2 across the fuel lifecycle.”

Signature Flight Support is working in partnership with World Energy to provide the U.S.-sourced SAF to Airbus. “This initiative advances our commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of the aviation industry,” says Daryl Taylor, Vice President and General Manager of the Mobile manufacturing site.

Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world, innovating to provide efficient and technologically-advanced solutions in aerospace, defense and connected services.

In commercial aircraft, Airbus offers modern and fuel-efficient airliners and associated services. Airbus is also a European leader in defense and security and one of the world’s leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions and services worldwide.

For more information, visit Airbus.com.

Natural Living Directory 2022 15

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event brief

Passport to Health & Wellness Expo Showcases The Holistic Community Professionals The Passport to Health & Wellness Expo will be held this year on May 1 and October 16, from 10am to 4pm, at The Bristol DoubleTree by Hilton. The benefit holistic expo, presented by the Holistic Community Professionals, will feature speakers on the half-hour and a keynote at 2pm, with more than 75 vendors and readers, free raffles all day and a grand prize of a Hilton overnight stay with breakfast for two, as well as a free sound healing closing ceremony on the patio.

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with vendors and exhibitors as they learn about available resources to help promote healthy living and overall well-being. Visitors will have the chance to gain inspiration by visiting the booths and participating in the scheduled events.

The Passport to Health & Wellness Expo is a free event, and any door proceeds will be donated to the CT Children’s Medical Center (ConnecticutChildrens.org) and Hartford Hospitals Integrative Medicine Debbie Bator Memorial Fund. All funds will be used directly for patient care and will be matched to the maximum allowed by the grants for each organization.

For more information, call Shirley R. Bloethe at 860-989-0033, email YourHolisticEvents@gmail.com or visit PassItOnLLC.com. Location: The Bristol DoubleTree by Hilton, 42 Century Dr, Bristol. See ad, page 37.

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event spotlight

Community Give-A-Thon to Benefit Hundreds of Local Charities

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ince its inception, record-breaking generosity has been the hallmark of Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills. The campaign will celebrate its 10th anniversary on April 26 and 27, with a 36-hour online giving extravaganza through which individual donors can support over 250 local charities serving the region. Give Local is hosted by Connecticut Community Foundation and presenting sponsor Ion Bank Foundation.

Beginning at 7am on April 26 and ending at 7pm on April 27, all donations made to participating organizations through the Give Local website, GiveLocalCCF.org, will be boosted with over $130,000 in bonus funds contributed by Connecticut Community Foundation, Ion Bank Foundation and other local business—making the impact of giving bigger. Nonprofits can also compete for nearly $50,000 more in cash prizes.

Since 2013, donors have contributed over $11 million to area nonprofits through Give Local. In 2021, a record-breaking 6,753

donors made over 12,000 gifts and donated over $2 million, benefitting 282 local nonprofit organizations. The campaign channels flexible, unrestricted revenue to participating nonprofits serving the region—the kind of funding organizations most often need to apply the dollars most effectively to meet pressing community needs.

“We’re so grateful every year to see Give Local empower more donors, whose gifts

make it possible for organizations to bring countless benefits to local residents: access to health care, musical performances, safer recreational trails, animal shelters and so much more,” says Julie Loughran, president and CEO of Connecticut Community Foundation. “It’s incredibly inspiring to see the entire community coming together and giving back.”

One local organization working to address homelessness—St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury—plans to use Give Local funding to support a new culinary training program for homeless shelter residents and others experiencing barriers to employment. Students in the program will achieve food service certification and benefit from job placement assistance. “We hope this will serve as a catalyst for social change by helping the unemployed bridge the skills gap, enter the workforce and achieve economic self-sufficiency,” says Edwin Rodriguez, the agency’s director of development and public relations.

Established in 1923, Connecticut Community Foundation aims to foster an equitable and inclusive community in Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills by inspiring generosity, supporting organizations, and cultivating effective leaders.

For more information and to make donations April 26 to 27, visit GiveLocalCCF.org.

For more information about Connecticut Community Foundation, visit ConnCF.org.

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Understanding the various aspects of these catalyst numbers can give much insight into what may be the pressure points, pro or con, in any relationships. Here is an opportunity to learn about the strengths as well as the challenges that manifest with your love, your siblings, friends or business colleagues. It is all a lesson, so do not be alarmed. This is why we are here on this planet—to learn about the human psyche.

To illustrate, here is a typical question a numerologist might receive.

Question: My partner and I seem to be fighting a lot lately. Can numerology give us some insight? My birthday is August 1 and my partner’s birthday is March 1.

Answer: Yes, this explains a lot.

8+1=9. What motivates a person with a 9 inspiration number is to look at the inner meaning, and bigger purpose of all aspects of life. The 9 focuses on transformation and change. What would be an enjoyable day?

A walk in nature, meditation or a meaningful conversation.

Tango by Greer Jonas

Your partner’s birthday is 3+1=4. The 4 is the builder and very practical. Do you sometimes feel like you are on another planet? The 4 is inspired by building or organizing the home or business.

The Romance of Numerology

by Greer Jonas

“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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here are many ways to look at how you and your partner can inspire each other— as well as how you may irk each other. Using numerology, we can examine the association of your birth numbers to what inspires you and what may turn you off.

By adding your month and day of birth, you can discover the catalyst energy that moves you to excitement, motivation or disappointment.

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While the 4 is realistic and grounded, the 9 is into the psychology and existence of the inner dimension. You may clash when you feel like you are on two different wavelengths. However, you can inspire each other by showing a different point of view. Both of you will love nature, for example. The 4 can show the 9 about the best time to plant the garden. While the 9 can inspire the 4 to sit still and listen to the sounds of the wind and the birds flying by.

Find Your Catalyst Number Now it is your turn. Add your birth month and day and reduce to a single digit.

(However, if it adds to a “master 11”, do not reduce it further. The 11—double ones—represents a powerful influence on leadership.) Do the same for your relationship. Use the chart below and compare the inspiration numbers of each of you.

What motivates your partner’s vision?

In addition, does your partner encourage your passions?

Numerology can be a key to enriching relationships. See the actions below that you can take to support a deeper connection with anyone in your life. Of course, it is important to share what inspires you on your path.

Your relationship can become challenging if you do not appreciate, or are impatient with, what may inspire your partner.

Inspiration Numbers and Their Meaning

9 11

Nines are dedicated to a higher spiritual path and understanding of the nature of the mind and the heart.

Action: Join them in meditation, or a program based on transformation and change.

When two numbers are the same they are called master numbers and you do not reduce (August 3 would be 8+3=11). The 11 is inspired by new and often lifechanging ideas and actions.

Action: Encourage your partner to manifest their dreams. Get involved if it moves you.

Greer Jonas is an intuitive numerologist who conducts a vast array of numerology readings by phone, online and in-person in NYC. She is also a teacher and an artist.

To ask specific numerology questions, email GreerDJonas@gmail.com. Connect at Numerology4YourSoul.com and GreerJonas.com.

1

Someone with a 1 inspiration number is inspired by action and taking the lead in some way.

Action: Encourage ideas and get involved in their projects.

2 3

Inspiration 2 is connecting and loving.

Action: Open up to their gestures and do not pull away. Be romantic.

Creative expression in every form— art, music, writing.

Action: Welcome creativity and appreciate their style of expression. Join in if it moves you.

4

The builder and organizer.

Action: Appreciate, and perhaps join in, as they build a cabinet, design your living room or work in the garden.

5

The 5 is inspired by change and being out there with people and having fun.

This energy does not enjoy stagnation or criticism.

Action: Take pleasure in their vibrant personality and encourage them to take challenges.

6

Six is the number of compassion, family and service.

Action: Do not freeze up. Share the love and open up to each other and share your world with others.

7

Sevens are inspired by the unknown, the spiritual and the unique.

Action: Explore “discovery” in nature, thoughts and new ideas. Watch the sunrise or the end of the day on the beach.

8

Eight is inspired by charisma and accomplishment, being out there as a leader and achieving success.

Action: Participate and encourage a project or idea that may be unfolding.

Natural Living Directory 2022 19

The Great Return to the Workplace

Navigating the New Normal of the Workplace Post-WFH

by Susan Ahlstrom

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hat a relief to be finally coming out of the pandemic and moving on with life these days. Or is it? After two years (plus) of living with the threat of a virus that no one had even heard of before January 2020, constantly bobbing and weaving through changes in our day-to-day routines, and navigating social strife and upheaval like we haven’t seen since the 1960s, it’s safe to say, most of us are not the same people we were when COVID first reared its ugly head.

By now, most employees have successfully made the transition to working from home and the thought of going back to the office full of people, reintroducing commuting time and having to dress for success every day, feels like a real imposition.

The challenges that came out of the pandemic, like feelings of isolation, being disconnected from the workplace and broader community and managing life-work balance, were eventually met with the adoption of new ways to communicate and fill the need for human connection. Technology helped the world overcome the obstacles that quarantine and other restrictions presented. Zoom, Slack, Marco Polo and social media have all moved into the top spot on the list of priorities for individuals and families.

Although healthcare workers, teachers, frontline workers and retail associates have remained in-person in the workplace and we are profoundly grateful to them, many people have had the luxury of adapting to a life of WFH (working from home) over the past two years. The complications that working parents and school teachers initially had to navigate 20

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gave way to an acceptance (or even enjoyment) of the benefits of not having to commute or get fully dressed to greet coworkers every morning.

We found ways to make the unpleasant feelings of disruption and isolation less intense by adapting to new work routines and new habits (maybe not all of them good for us). We’ve been lifting weights between phone calls, spending less money on lunch and conserving energy by avoiding the gas pump. We’ve become reacquainted with our neighborhoods during lunchtime walks around the block, rediscovered the joys of cooking (or discovered DoorDash and Uber Eats) and found new ways to use the existing spaces in our homes or apartments in an attempt to accommodate more than one person talking on the phone at a time or listening to the teacher or manager on Zoom. In short, we’ve been flexible, whether we’ve liked it or not.

Now that it’s time to take off our masks, return to the office and return to some sense of “normal”, one might think people would be excited. Not so.

A return to the workplace means, once again, turning life inside-out in order to organize the day to allow for a commute, making financial adjustments for gas, lunch and clothing expenses, and in many cases rethinking or rearranging childcare altogether. In addition, not only do we have to mentally and emotionally prepare for being back in group settings on a regular basis, but we have to fire up our social skills once again. The truth is, many of us will have to face the reality of all that we have discovered about ourselves over the past two years.

The political climate during the pandemic forced many people to really check in with their personal values and their sense of right and wrong. Whether it had to do with the definition of equality, individual rights or what defines “safe” when it comes to washing hands and what is the appropriate distance for social distancing, we’ve all spent a lot of time thinking about these things and learning.

Returning to the same old workplace with a brand new sense of the world and ourselves is not only going to be challenging for employees, but the transition presents a mountain of issues for employers.

One of the first things that comes to mind is the challenge of creating (or re-creating) a sense of community and consistency in the workplace. With employees returning to flexible calendars like “three days in, two days out” of the office, communications, scheduling, managing personnel and defining protocols for the workplace become much more complicated.

The work that lies ahead for employers as society moves back to the in-person environment cannot be underestimated. An employer’s greatest task will be to re-establish and communicate clear goals and objectives for this new way of operating (employees’ schedules flexing all over the place, for one thing), while also demonstrating compassion for the burden this return to the workplace will add to the lives of their employees who are already nearing the last few ounces of their resilience reserves after several years of adjustments.

While it’s exciting to think that life may once again be returning to “normal”, no one really knows what “normal” is anymore.

There’s bound to be more challenges ahead as we uncover what our new normal is in the workplace.

Susan Ahlstrom is a Certified Accredited EFT Practitioner, Reiki Master and Wellness Coach. She is the owner of Lighter & Brighter Wellness. Connect at LighterAndBrighterMe@gmail.com and LighterAndBrighterWellness.com.

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Why We Need

WILD PLACES How to Invite Nature Back into Our Lives and Landscapes

danita delimont/AdobeStock.com

by Sheryl DeVore

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n a blustery day, Julian Hoffman stood outdoors and watched wild bison grazing in the restored grassland of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, fewer than 50 miles from downtown Chicago. For him, it was a wild place, affording a glimpse of what North America looked like hundreds of years ago when bison roamed the continent by the millions. “We’re witnessing, in a way that’s both terrible and tragic, just what the profound cost is of continuing to destroy the natural world,” he writes.

Saving wild places is critical for human health and wellbeing, say both scientists and environmentalists. But defining what a wild place is or what the word wilderness means can be difficult, says Hoffman, author of Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places. “If wilderness means a place untouched by humans, then none is left,” he says. Even the set-aside wildernesses where no one may have ever stepped have been altered through 22

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climate change, acid rain and other human interventions.

Humans are also losing the wilderness that is defined as land set aside solely for plants and creatures other than humans. Prominent naturalist David Attenborough, whose most recent documentary is A Life on Our Planet, says that in 1937, when he was a boy, about 66 percent of the world’s wilderness areas remained. By 2020, it was down to 35 percent.

A wild place can be as spectacular as Yellowstone, a 3,500-square-mile national park in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, filled with hot springs, canyons, wolves, and elk. It can also be as simple as a sky filled with a murmuration, or gathering, of thousands of swooping starlings, which once caused two teens to stop taking selfies and photograph the natural scene above them instead, as Hoffman witnessed in Great Britain.

Such regions that offer vast tracts of natural beauty and biodi-

eNaturalAwakenings.com

versity are even found in and around major cities like Chicago, says Chicagoland nature blogger Andrew Morkes. “A wild place is also where you don’t see too many people, or any people, and you can explore,” he says. “You can walk up a hill and wonder what’s around the next bend.”

“A wild place could be a 15-minute drive from home where we can walk among plants in a meadow, or a tree-lined street, or front and back yard, if landscaped with wild creatures in mind,” says Douglas Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard.

“We need these places to save ourselves,” says Tallamy, who heads the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. “Humans are totally dependent on the production of oxygen and clean water, and that happens with the continued existence of flowering plants, which are dependent on the continued existence of all the pollinators. When you lose the pollinators, you lose 90 percent of the flowering plants on the Earth. That is not an option if we want to stay alive and healthy.”

Our mental and emotional health is also at stake. According to a recent overview in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, studies have shown that natural settings can lower blood pressure, reduce depression and anxiety, and help the immune system function better.

People have saved wild places over time, of course. “The world’s ancient redwoods are still with us today because people

gajus/AdobeStock.com

Sustaining Our Species

in the early 1900s fought to protect and preserve what they could already see was rapidly diminishing,” Hoffman says. “In the year 2022, we are the beneficiaries of those past actions. Yet less than 5 percent of those old-growth redwood groves are left, and we live in an age where we’re losing an extraordinary range of wild species; for example, 3 billion birds have disappeared from the skies of North America in just the past 50 years. That’s

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why people need to continue to fight for wild spaces.”

CREATING A WILD SPACE AT HOME In their book The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, University of Delaware ecology professor Douglas Tallamy and landscape designer Rick Darke show how to create wild spaces in yards, including what and where to plant and how to manage the land. They advise homeowners to: Stop using pesticides and herbicides.

Replace non-native plants with those native to the region.

Reduce lawn space, converting it to native plants.

Leave leaf litter, withering plants and dying trees alone to provide shelter and food for wildlife. n Create a small pond or another water feature. n n n n

“Mourning cloak butterflies overwinter as mature adults. If you say, ‘Hey, let’s just clean up all of that so-called leaf litter,’ you could be cleaning up the habitat of mourning cloaks and killing them,” says Darke, who has served as a horticultural consultant for botanic gardens and other public landscapes in Texas, Maryland, New York, Illinois and Delaware. “That’s not litter. It’s meaningful habitat.

“A dead tree in your home landscape, called a snag, often contributes as much to the local ecology as a living tree,” he adds. “For example, woodpeckers build nests in holes or cavities in a snag, and countless insects find shelter and nourishment in the organic material of the snag.”

Community Crusaders In researching his book, Hoffman went looking for wild-space struggles. In Glasgow, Scotland, he met people that fought to save an urban meadow from being turned into a luxury home development. “I’d never experienced as much joy in any one place as when I spent time with the community fighting to preserve this tiny meadow,” he recalls. “They campaigned and lobbied politicians, and eventually, the government backed down.

And now the whole community is able to enjoy this site where a lot of urban wildlife thrives.”

Once-wild places may also need human help to again become wild refuges. The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, where Hoffman saw the buffalo, “was once an arsenal for the production of extraordinary quantities of ordnance for a number of wars,” he says. After hundreds of die-hard volunteers dug out invasive plants, scat-

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tered seed and documented wildlife on the 18,000-acre prairie, visitors can now walk among big bluestem and golden alexander, and listen for the sweet song of meadowlarks in the grasslands and chorus frogs in the wetlands.

Conservation volunteers working to save wild places hail from every state. In fact, nearly 300,000 volunteers contribute more than 6.5 million hours of volunteer service a year to the U.S. National Park Service, from leading tours to studying wildlife and hosting campgrounds.

One doesn’t have to be an environmental crusader to save wild places, Hoffman stresses. Exploring local wild places and sharing them with others can help save them, as well. “We can only protect those places that we love,” he says. “And we can only love those places that we know.”

Sadly, roughly 100 million people, including 28 million children, do not have access to a quality park within 10 minutes of home, according to The Trust for Public Land. Projects, such as the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, which enables urban communities to create outdoor spaces, can help. The U.S. Department of the Interior committed $150 million to the program in 2021. “Every child in America deserves to have a safe and nearby place to experience the great outdoors,” says Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

A Homegrown National Park Tallamy says one of the most important ways to get people to appreciate and save wild places is to begin in their own yards. “We have wilderness designations. We have national forests. We have national parks. We have 12 percent of the U.S. protected from development,” he says. “Yet, we are in the sixth great extinction. Our parks and our preserves are not enough. My point is that we have got to focus on the areas outside of parks and preserves.” He urges what he calls a “homegrown national park,” in which homeowners, land managers and farmers create a habitat by replacing invasive plants with native species.

Tallamy speaks from experience. He lives on a 10-acre former farm in Oxford, Pennsylvania. “It had been mowed for hay and when we moved in, very little life was here,” he says. “We have been rebuilding the eastern deciduous forest here, getting invasive plants under control and replanting with species that ought to be here.”

He’s now counted more than 1,400 different species of moths on

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LEARN MORE The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative, by Florence Williams Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places, by Julian Hoffman A Life on Our Planet, Netflix documentary by David Attenborough Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard, by Douglas Tallamy The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, by Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy Natural Living Directory 2022 25

eurobanks/AdobeStock.com

bill/AdobeStock.com

his property and documented 60 species of birds nesting within the landscape. “We have foxes who raise their kits in the front yard,” he says.

Lots of acreage is not required, he says. In Kirkwood, Missouri, homeowners created a wild place on six-tenths of an acre on which they’ve documented 149 species of birds. “If one person does it, it’s not going to work,” he stresses. “The point is to get those acres connected. When everybody adopts this as a general landscape culture, it’s going to help tremendously. By rewilding your yard, you are filling in spaces between the true wild places and natural areas. The reason our wild spaces are not working in terms of conservation is because they are too small and too isolated. Even the biggest national parks are too small or too isolated.”

Tallamy says people can create wild spaces in their yards by reducing the amount of lawn they have or even getting rid of it. They can grow native plants and discontinue the use of pesticides and herbicides, which are disrupting ecological function of wild places the world over, as research shows. Hoffman agrees, “We’ve cultivated a culture of tidiness. It’s actually very easy to welcome wildlife into your home places, often by doing fewer things, by not bringing the leaf blower out and by leaving some dead wood where it fell, which creates important shelters for insects, for example.

“Such wild yard spaces encourage wonder. Suddenly, the kids are out there and they can be absolutely fascinated by a small glittering beetle. For me, to experience the wild is to go to the shore of a lake, to be present in the mystery, to be among the lake’s reed beds, to see a marsh harrier sleek out of those reeds and to know you’re part of something much larger,” he says. “There’s so much joy and beauty and complexity in being in the presence of other lives besides human.” That in itself is reason enough to save wild places.

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Sheryl DeVore has written six books on science, health and nature, as well as health and environmental stories for national and regional publications. Read more at SherylDeVore.wordpress.com.

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healthy kids

Nature Speaks

STORYTELLING CONNECTS KIDS TO THE NATURAL WORLD

natalia/AdobeStock.com

by Carrie Jackson

C

hildren are natural storytellers with imaginations that shape their play and learning. In outdoor settings, everything from puddles to pine cones can engage children and draw them closer to the natural world, opening up a lifelong appreciation of natural environments. Connecting with nature also improves creativity, academic performance and attentiveness, while reducing stress and aggressive behavior, a body of research shows.

Organizations, like the Wilderness Awareness School, a Duvall, Washington-based nonprofit, work to help children and adults cultivate healthy relationships with nature, community and self.

“We find that children who feel at home in the outdoors are often more resourceful, creative and allow for curiosity to naturally unfold,” says Leah Carlson, director of marketing and communications at Wilderness Awareness School. “Allowing them to play freely and explore in nature is a wonderful way to build resilience and resourcefulness. When children can be intrigued through a story, it also allows them to understand their own outdoor experiences. They become more adept at finding new solutions to problems using the tools they have access to and creative thinking.”

Weaving storytelling into their programs helps children understand their outdoor experiences. “Regular time spent with experienced nature mentors, playing games, exploring unique plants and animals and getting excited about the possibilities of nature is how a connection begins. When children are outside, the characters of these stories are the plants, animals, rocks and landforms around them. The suburban tree that was always an obstacle on the sidewalk can be seen through new eyes as a dragon, monkey bars or a red alder,” Carlson explains.

Megan Zeni, a public school teacher in Steveston, British Columbia, says there is a global body of research that shows every measure of wellness is improved through time spent outside. She teaches solely outdoors, ensuring that her students have exposure to nature regardless of which neighborhood they live in. “In our modern world, higher-income families generally have better access to green spaces.

Incorporating outdoor activities into the school day gives children equitable exposure to nature and outdoor learning,” she explains.

Zeni uses both non-fiction and fiction storytelling approaches to teaching. “To learn about water cycles, I’ll have kids jump in puddles, observe where the water goes and track where it is in the community. They’ll then relay a fact-based story based on their observations and experiences. For a lesson on squirrels, I’ll ask the students to imagine where their habitat is, who their family is and what they eat. We use loose parts, which are open-ended items, such as pine cones and sticks, to creatively illustrate the story.

“By using storytelling as a measure of knowledge, it is more equitable for students who don’t perform as well using traditional test and essay methods,” she says. Listening to a child’s story can also reveal misconceptions that can be clarified through further exploration and instruction.

Storytelling can take on many forms and be enhanced with the use of props. As the artistic director of Rootstock Puppet Co., based in Chicago, Mark Blashford performs puppet theater rooted in stories that promote mutual kindness and ecological awareness. “Puppets are remarkable storytelling agents because, not only can they play characters and support narrative through movement, they can also tell a story from the very material they inhabit,” he says. “Puppets invite kids to exercise empathy by compelling them to accept and invest in the thoughts, feelings and life of another entity.”

By making puppets out of wood and using them to weave environmental awareness into his shows, Blashford helps to put the natural world in perspective. “My show TIMBER! is about an entire forest and a single tree which is home to a family of spotted owls. I want children to see the role of both the forest and the tree in the lives of an owl family. When they fall in love with little wooden puppet owls, they are able to convert the giant concept of deforestation into a manageable scale,” he says.

He encourages parents to regularly engage their children with their natural habitat. “Go to your local forest or park, find a tree, name it and check on it as often as you can. Prompt children to ask questions about who they think lives in that tree, why the branches stretch out how they do and what happens at night. As children learn to see the outdoor world as part of their own characters and setting, the stories will develop naturally,” he advises.

Connect with writer Carrie Jackson at CarrieJacksonWrites.com.

LEARN MORE Rootstock Puppet Co.: rootstockpuppet.com Wilderness Awareness School: wildernessawareness.org Megan Zeni: meganzeni.com Natural Living Directory 2022 27

conscious eating

Eating for the Planet DIET FOR A CLIMATE CRISIS

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hat we choose to put on our plates influences not only our physical health, but also the health of the environment. While much of the climate conversation focuses on the burning of fossil fuels, commercial food production—particularly livestock—uses large amounts of land, water and energy.

Wasted food contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Leigh Prezkop, food loss and waste specialist for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), says agriculture accounts for about 70 percent of the world’s fresh water use, while pasture and crop land accounts for about 50 percent of the Earth’s habitable land.

“The environmental impacts begin with the soil,” Prezkop explains. “Soil that’s depleted of nutrients loses its ability to capture carbon and produce nutrient28

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by Sheila Julson

rich foods. The long chain continues with the processing and packaging of that food, and then transporting it to grocery store shelves and, eventually, to the consumer’s home.”

Eat Less Meat

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, argues author, screenwriter and playwright Glen Merzer in his latest book, Food Is Climate: A Response to Al Gore, Bill Gates, Paul Hawken & the Conventional Narrative on Climate Change.

“When we have 93 million cattle farmed in the U.S. and 31 billion animals farmed globally each year, they create mountains of waste,” says Merzer, a dedicated vegan of 30 years. “That waste infiltrates water supplies and causes contamination, such as E. coli outbreaks, in foods like lettuce and tomatoes that are grown downstream.”

He adds that cows belch methane, a far eNaturalAwakenings.com

more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and that grass-fed cows belch even more of it than grain-fed, feedlot cows. In addition, nitrogen fertilizers used to grow animal feed run into waterways. Overfishing and ocean warming threaten populations of phytoplankton, which sequester carbon dioxide and seed clouds. Deforestation to create grazing land may be the single greatest future threat to our climate because forests also sequester carbon and provide a home for diverse flora and fauna.

Make Simple Swaps Prezkop emphasizes that despite these problems with the industrial food chain, changing the way we produce food is also the solution. The WWF works with suppliers to educate and promote regenerative production practices. On the consumer

“When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted— the water, the fertilizer and the land.”

–Leigh Prezkop side, changing the way food is produced can be achieved by changing people’s dietary demands.

“We don’t prescribe people to eat a certain way. We do believe different people and cultures have different dietary needs,” she says. “The global north eats a lot of meat, so we do recommend a plant-forward diet while still incorporating animal proteins, depending on individual dietary needs.”

Merzer argues that we have little control over fossil fuel burning, but we can control our diets. He promotes plant-based eating as a primary solution to climate change. Changing mindsets about “normal” traditions, such as having hamburgers on the Fourth of July or turkey on Thanksgiving, can be difficult, but achievable with the planet at stake, he says.

Sophie Egan, founder of FullTableSolutions.com and author of How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good For You, Others, and the Planet, advises to start small by looking at the foods eaten most frequently and identifying ways to make simple swaps. “If you have toast with butter every morning, that could be changed to a nut butter. A sandwich with cold cuts every day for lunch, that can be replaced with a roasted vegetables and hummus sandwich or an avocado sandwich. You can still eat something in a familiar form, but replace ingredients with loweremissions options,” she says.

If someone is intimidated by switching to an all plant-based diet, a flexitarian option emphasizing foods from the plant kingdom while enjoying meat only occasionally may be more sustainable throughout a person’s lifetime. Her book contains a “protein scorecard” from the World Resources Institute that lists animal and plant sources in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein from the worst offenders to the least, with beef (along with goat and lamb) being at the top.

Prezkop recommends eating a wide variety of foods. “Currently, 75 percent of food produced is from 12 plant species and five animal species, despite that there are thousands of varieties. This means there’s less diversity happening in the field. Diversity helps with regeneration and healthy soils. Producing the same crops over and over means there’s no crop rotation and no diversity happening, leading to degraded soils and deforestation to produce more of the same crop.”

Egan adds that diets that are over-reliant on just a few food sources like corn, wheat, rice and soy threaten the Earth and can lead to food insecurity. “Think of it as risk management with a financial portfolio: We have a diversified portfolio of foods available to feed a growing population, but as the climate warms, extreme weather events threaten yields because lack of fresh water and unhealthy soil threaten the planet and, ultimately, food production.”

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Eating food that is as close as to its original state as possible is better for the planet. “The more food is processed, the more resources it took to get it to market,” Prezkop notes.

SCRAP VEGETABLE STOCK Those potatoes that start to sprout, the straggler stalks of celery wilting in the back of the crisper drawer or that pompon of green carrot tops can all be used to make vegetable stock. This is a very general recipe with plenty of creative license to get more mileage from leftover vegetables that normally would have been discarded.

Cut Food Waste

Start by collecting vegetable scraps that typically aren’t used— thick asparagus ends, carrot tops and broccoli stems. Even wilted kale or limp carrots that are no longer good to eat fresh, but are still free from mold or mush, can be added. Coarsely chop scrap veggies and put them into a freezer bag. Store them in the freezer until four to five pounds of vegetable scrap have been accumulated. yield: about 3 quarts

elenabsl/AdobeStock.com

Prezkop says approximately 40 percent of the food produced globally is lost while still on the farm or further up the supply chain. “When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted—the water, the fertilizer and the land.”

A recent WWF report entitled Driven To Waste cites new data indicating that food waste contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions—nearly twice the emissions produced annually by all the cars in the U.S. and Europe.

Egan suggests using a shopping list; impulse buys can be forgotten and are prone to spoiling.

Keeping food visible by putting fruits and vegetables front and center ensures they won’t be forgotten.

Leftovers can be kept from languishing by designating a section of the refrigerator for food to eat first or a day of the week to eat leftovers for dinner. “You can freeze just about anything,” Egan says, from leftover bread to cheese, which can be shredded before frozen. Even scrambled eggs can be poured into a freezer container to use later. (For more ideas, check out SaveTheFood.com and Dana Gunders’ Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook.)

Nonprofits throughout the country are creating solutions to divert food waste from the landfills. Keep Austin Fed, a nonprofit comprised of mostly volunteers, helps neighbors experiencing food insecurity by redistributing wholesome, nutritious, surplus food from any food-permitted business. Volunteers pick up leftover food from urban gardens, rural farms, grocery stores and caterers serving area tech firms. All prepared food accepted and redistributed is handled by licensed food handlers. Executive Director Lisa Barden says that Keep Austin Fed redistributed 982,428 pounds of food, or the equivalent of 818,695 meals, in 2021, thus keeping it out of the waste stream.

Similarly missioned organizations exist nationwide.

FoodRescue.us, with 40 locations in 20 states, provides assistance and even a dropoff/pickup app for people starting local groups. Since its founding in 2011, it has provided 85 million meals and kept 109 million pounds of excess food out of landfills. Its website offers a potent plea: “Fight Hunger. Help the Planet. Be the Rescue.”

4 to 5 lb vegetable scraps (can include the freezer bag of vegetable scraps, green tops from a fresh bunch of carrots, slightly wilted kale, turnips that are starting to turn soft or any combination) 2 bay leaves 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 2 medium onions, cut into quarters 6 quarts water Salt to taste Coarsely chop all vegetables and add to a large stockpot. (If the vegetables are still frozen, dump them into the stockpot; they’ll begin to thaw during the cooking process.) Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently.

Cook for about two hours or until the liquid is reduced by about half and the color begins to fade from the vegetables.

Let the mixture cool. Strain the stock into a large bowl.

Compost the vegetables, as they are now flavorless; all of the flavors have been cooked into the broth.

Strain broth a second time through a cheesecloth or sieve for an even clearer broth. Salt to taste and portion into Mason jars.

Store in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, or freeze if saving for later use.

Courtesy of Sheila Julson.

Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

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healing ways

Buzz-Free Drinking THE HEALTHY RISE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

photo courtesy of Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi

by Ronica O’Hara

SOUR MOCK-A-RITA 1 cup and 2 Tbsp lime juice ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp orange juice 3 Tbsp agave nectar, plus more to taste 2½ cups and 2 Tbsp coconut water Few dashes of salt Lime wheels for garnish Lime wedges and sea salt to rim the glasses To salt the rims of four to six lowball or margarita glasses, pour a thin layer of salt onto a plate or a shallow bowl.

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Slide a lime wedge around the rim of the glass to wet it, or use a finger to apply the juice to the rim, then dip and twist the glass in the salt. Combine all of the drink ingredients in a pitcher. Stir.

Fill the rimmed glasses with ice. Divide the margarita mix among the glasses.

Garnish with lime wheels.

From Mocktail Party: 75 Plant-Based, NonAlcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion, by Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi. eNaturalAwakenings.com

s a former bartender, Katie Cheney enjoys mixing drinks for friends, and one night recently, in her San Francisco apartment, she tried out something new: an alcohol-free “Noquila Sunrise” made with a distilled, plant-based spirit. “I was actually pleasantly surprised.

Even though we were drinking nonalcoholic drinks, we still had just as much fun as usual!” recalls Cheney, who blogs at DrinksSaloon.com.

In New York City, Marcos Martinez has begun drinking virgin piña coladas when out on the town with friends. “The feeling is surprisingly great since I don’t wake up with hangovers. More importantly, I’ve realized that I don’t have to use alcohol as a crutch for my social anxiety,” says Martinez, who owns the black gay lifestyle blog TheMenWhoBrunch.com.

At Chicago’s Kumiko Japanese cocktail bar, owner Julia Momosé offers a menu of what she calls “Spiritfrees,” crafted without alcohol and with ingredients like yarrow, ume—a Japanese fruit—and cardamom.

“Folks comment on how they appreciate that it is ‘more than just juice,’ or how surprised they are at their depth, texture and complexity,” she says.

The “sober-curious”—people experimenting with alcohol-free beverages as a way of prioritizing their health and fitness over a short-lived buzz—are changing America’s drinking culture. For the first time in 20 years, fewer Americans are regularly drinking, reports Gallup, and tipplers are drinking measurably less than they did 10 years ago.

No longer stuck with a seltzer while dodging questions from inquisitive imbibers, today the sober-inclined can sip from a vast array of sophisticated choices—from faux vodka in exotic, crafted drinks to prize-winning sparkling wines to low- and no-alcohol craft beer. No-booze options can be easily ordered at restaurants, picked up at supermarkets or delivered at home with a few online clicks.

“The best part about having a fun, nonalcoholic beverage in hand is that you get the taste and experience of a cocktail or beer, just without the alcohol and potential negative side effects,” says dietitian Kerry Benson, co-author of Mocktail Party: 75

Plant-Based, Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion. “You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning. And alcohol-free drinks are usually less expensive than their alcoholic counterparts.”

Sober-curious strategies range widely.

Some people start tentatively, but increasingly turn to non-alcoholic drinks because they prefer the taste, price and lower calorie count, as well as the diminished risk of heart and liver disease.

Others may go cold turkey for a month or two to break a pandemic-induced habit, alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at a game or bar to avoid getting tipsy, or drink a Bloody Mary for a weekend brunch and virgin versions during the week to enhance work productivity.

The sales of non-alcoholic beverages shot up 33 percent to $331 million in 2021, reports Nielsen, and online sales of non- and low-alcoholic beverages skyrocketed 315 percent. To compete for the Millennials-heavy market, distillers like Seedlip, Suntory and Lyre’s have created beverages evoking tequila, Campari and vodka; breweries like Guinness, Budweiser and Carlsberg and small crafters are offering robust-tasting near- and no-alcohol beers; and wineries are using distillation and reverse osmosis to produce fine, lowalcohol Cabernets, Chardonnays and other varieties. Niche products are growing: for example, Los Angeles-based Optimist Botanicals bills its gin-, vodka- and tequilalike botanical blends as being vegan, gluten-free and paleo- and keto-friendly.

On the home front, people are making their own concoctions, often with natural and herbal ingredients, such as pears, tomatoes, cilantro and spices.

“Garden-grown produce, windowsill herbs and farmers market finds are the ideal foundation for recipes, from tea sangrias to shaken mocktails,” says New Jersey cooking instructor and recipe developer Vanessa Young, creator of ThirstyRadish. com. As an example, she says, “A slice of brûléed fruit gives a non-alcoholic drink a touch of smoky sweetness, plus it is so appealing in the glass.”

Substance abuse counselors caution that beverages that mimic alcohol may not be a good route for recovery from serious alcohol abuse because they can reawaken destructive patterns. And consumers are advised to look carefully at labels. “Alcohol-free” beer contains 0.0 percent alcohol. “Non-alcoholic” beer can contain up to 0.5 percent alcohol, but some have been found to contain up to 2 percent—not desirable if pregnant or in recovery.

Still, says Karolina Rzadkowolska, author of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You, “The popularity of alcohol-free drinks is changing a culture. We are going from a culture that glamorizes drinking at every social situation, with little valid excuse to decline, to a culture that gives people healthier options.”

Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be contacted at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

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green living

APPS BRING US CLOSER TO FLORA AND FAUNA

by Sheryl DeVore

W

k.decha/AdobeStock.com

hile exploring Seattle, Jackie Lentz Bowman noticed some bushes filled with pink and orange berries. She discovered she could safely eat them by using the smartphone nature app called iNaturalist (iNaturalist.org). “I learned they were salmonberries and edible,” says the Chicago area photographer and birder. “I just had to try them. They were very similar to raspberries.”

Bowman is among a growing number of people using their smartphones to enhance their nature experiences. Phone apps are available for free or a modest price to identify mushrooms, bugs, birds, dragonflies, reptiles, beetles, wildflowers and other flora and fauna. “Whether it is to help identify a plant I’ve taken a photo of or to familiarize myself with what a bird looks like and sounds like, these are tools I’m always glad to have in my back pocket,” she explains.

At least 6,300 nature apps were available in 2015, according to Paul Jepson and Richard Ladle, Oxford environmental scholars and co-authors of “Nature Apps: Waiting for the Revolution,” a research paper published in the Swedish environmental journal Ambio.

Such programs are only beginning to scratch the surface of what is possible. They write, “As most people own a mobile phone today, the app—though a small device—is a major way conservationists could be reaching a huge audience with transformative possibilities.”

Right now, some apps allow the user to point a smartphone to a plant or animal to get instant feedback on its common or scientific name. Others ask the user questions about what they are seeing and suggest an identity based on the answers. Some allow the user

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to interact with scientists, share their knowledge, record their observations and contribute to science.

Perhaps the most popular nature app is iNaturalist, which has all those features and more. “Our mission has been to connect people to nature through technology,” says Scott Loarie, co-director of iNaturalist, a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. “By 2030, we want to connect 100 million people to nature to facilitate science and conservation.”

The app began as a master’s degree project at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008, and today 2 million people have recorded about 100 million observations, covering one in six species on the planet. “iNaturalist has grown to the point where it’s helping take the pulse of biodiversity,” he adds.

Newcomers are often mentored and helped with identifications by volunteers that are experts in different fields. One example is a worldwide competition called the City Nature Challenge in which beginning and advanced naturalists document urban flora and fauna for several days.

During the event, people share their photos of plants and animals on iNaturalist.

During Chicago’s Challenge, Eric Gyllenhaal, who blogs about nature on the city’s west side, found an uncommon species. “A Canadian expert helped confirm the identification as a bronze ground beetle native to Europe,” says Cassi Saari, project manager of natural areas for the Chicago Park District. “It’s an introduced species in Illinois and could have implications for wildlife in the region down the line.”

Two other nature apps that Loarie likes

jpc-prod/AdobeStock.com

TECHNOLOGY MEETS NATURE

photo by Jackie Lentz Bowman

are eBird (eBird.org) and Merlin (Merlin.

AllAboutBirds.org), both administered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, in Ithaca, New York. With eBird, users can report on their phones a list of birds they’re seeing in the wild, including when and where, and the sightings are added to a database for scientific research.

Merlin is a field guide app to help folks identify the birds they are seeing. “Merlin has taken on authoring content with great descriptions of birds, something iNaturalist doesn’t do,” Loarie points out. “Merlin also just released sound recognition in the app, so people can identify birds by sound. It’s huge for birders.”

NATURE APPS TO LEARN BY AUDUBON GUIDE: Search a field guide to 800 species of birds found in North America with tips on places to find them (Audubon.org/app).

PICTURE INSECT: Identify thousands of different insects and learn about them using this entomologist in a pocket (PictureInsect.com).

PICTURE MUSHROOM: Identify thousands of different mushrooms using a smartphone (PictureMushroom.com).

PLANTNET: Identify wild plants by posting photos. Images are compared to thousands of images from throughout the world in a database (PlantNet.org).

SEEK BY iNATURALIST: Seek uses data submitted to iNaturalist to show suggestions for species nearby, but unlike iNaturalist, findings made with Seek will not be shared publicly, making it safe for children to use. Users can earn badges as they discover wildlife (iNaturalist.org/pages/seek_app).

TRAILLINK: Search a database of more than 40,000 miles of trails in the U.S. and download trail maps on a smartphone (TrailLink.com).

Award-winning nature photographer Adriana Greisman, of Phoenix, says she uses both Merlin and iBird (iBird.com), another field guide app, to identify birds in the wild and when processing photos. “These are great resources to identify unknown species and to learn about their behavior.”

The favorite app of Joyce Gibbons, a volunteer at the Natural Land Institute, in Rockford, Illinois, is Odonata Central (OdonataCentral.org), which focuses on her passion—dragonflies and damselflies, collectively called odonates.

“I’ve loved solitary walks in the woods, prairies and other natural areas since I was a child,” she says. “I’ve always taken photos and tried to ID the many species I’ve observed. Now, with these apps on my phone, I feel like I am actually contributing to the scientific body of knowledge and connecting with other enthusiasts and not just keeping all this joy of discovery to myself.”

Sheryl DeVore is an award-winning author of six books on science, health and nature.

Connect at SherylDevoreWriter@gmail.com.

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e all know that the more steps we take in a day the better. The Mayo Clinic advocates walking regularly to keep bad cholesterol in check, maintain a heart-healthy weight and keep blood pressure within a normal range. Power walking—going a mile in under 15 minutes—amps up cardiovascular benefits and takes metabolic conditioning to a new level.

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Power walking involves taking longer strides, moving at 4.5 to 5.5 miles per hour and using the arms to propel motion, with or without light weights. “With this more intensive exercise, in comparison to everyday walking, one should note that their breathing is harder and their heart rate is faster with power walking. Compared to someone who walks at a casual pace, a power walker can expect lower blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar and cholesterol numbers,” says Jason C. Robin, M.D., director of cardio oncology at North Shore University Health System, in Glenview, Illinois.

Walking as a Workout In cases of severe coronary artery disease, certain heart muscle disorders, known as cardiomyopathy or valvular diseases, Robin recommends seeing a doctor before taking up fitness walking, but emphasizes, “Obvious injuries or illnesses aside, power walking is great for all ages, genders, sizes and fitness levels and is, in general, very safe with very few contraindications.” He suggests aiming for 15 minutes or less on a first endeavor, and after one week increasing the time to 20 to 25 minutes, eventually working up to 30 minutes. To complement power walking, he recommends resistance training to increase muscle strength and tone, protect joints from injury, and improve flexibility and balance.

Dave McGovern, walking coach and author of The Complete Guide to Competitive Walking: Racewalking, Power Walking, Nordic Walking and More!, points out, “The impact forces of walking, even high-level racewalking, can be one-third of what runners experience, so it’s a lot easier on the joints. Power walking doesn’t have many rules.” A 30-year veteran of the U.S. National Racewalk Team, McGovern underscores the importance of starting out with a regular, easy walk before progressing to a more vigorous pace.

To avoid and reduce injury, he advocates mindfulness of correct posture and taking shorter, faster steps rather than long, stomping strides. He trains on a variety of surfaces, including everyday roads, tartan (rubber) running tracks, treadmills,

dirt trails, grass, and even the occasional concrete sidewalk. “Changing up surfaces uses your muscles in different ways, which can help prevent overuse injuries that crop up from too much training on the same surfaces day in, day out,” he says.

Practical Essentials For optimal results on any surface, proper footwear is vital. “We would typically recommend a running shoe for any fitnessbased walking,” says Josh Saint Cyr, store manager at New Balance, in Highland Park, Illinois. He notes that the right shoes are designed to help align gait and avoid pronation or supination that prompts the ankle to roll inward or outward with movement. “For a more customized experience, someone with medium or lower arches would want a shoe from the stability running section, and someone with higher arches would want a shoe from the cushioned running section.”

In cases of tight calf muscles, Saint Cyr recommends stretching as a daily practice, even on non-exercise days. “Rollers or massage guns can be useful for immediate

6th th 8 Bi-Annual

Bi-Annual

relief, but ultimately, stretching will help by reducing or eliminating tightness.”

Taking it Up a Notch Racewalking, the competitive and highly technical variety of power walking, takes place at track meets. “After you’ve built a base of miles, you can start sprinkling in some longer and faster workouts, and maybe even think about competition,” says McGovern. “There is a bit more technique involved in competitive racewalking, but once you get the hang of it, it will allow you to go much faster.”

In the end, having a goal can be the best motivator. “For the athletes I coach, many of them in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond, racewalking and power walking gives a purpose to their workouts,” says McGovern. “One of my athletes has said that she hates to work out, but loves to train. Having the goal of a race over the horizon gives a lot of athletes a reason to get out the door every day.”

Marlaina Donato is an author and composer. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

Passport to Health & Wellness presented by the Holistic Community Professionals

Statewide Benefit * HoliStic expo

Sunday | May 1 | 10am - 5pm | Vendors 10am-4pm

75+ Exhibitors and Speakers!

DoubleTree by Hilton 42 Century Drive, Bristol, CT 06010 FREE DRUM HEaling 4-5pm Speakers all day Free Raffles • Drumming gRanD PRiZE: A Hilton Overnight Stay for Two!

FREE aDMiSSiOn (Donations Accepted*) * All door donations to benefit: Hartford Hospital's Integrative Medicine, Debbie Bator Memorial Fund, and CT Children’s Medical Center.

For more information please contact: Vendors apply at: yourholisticevents.com Shirley R. Bloethe at 860-989-0033 FB - Passport to Health and Wellness Expo Email: yourholisticevents@gmail.com

Holistic Community Professionals

www.HolisticCommunityProfessionals.org Natural Living Directory 2022 37

The Monthly Naturally Healthy Pet Section Starts Here!

News, articles, resources, events— all dedicated exclusively to happy, naturally healthy living for our furred, feathered and scaled animal companions. To contribute, email Editorial@eNaturalAwakenings.com.

Pest Control KEEPING DOGS SAFE FROM TICKS AND FLEAS

F

leas and ticks are different types of pests; so, when considering how best to protect a dog, it is important to make a distinction—fleas are an annoyance, but ticks can be life-threatening. Many veterinarians recommend specific chemicals as a preventive solution, but this is often just a knee-jerk approach that uses chemicals to control nature. Instead, consider more natural alternatives that are both effective and non-toxic.

Fleas 101 Fleas are related to ants and beetles, feed on blood, and their bites can lead to irritation and skin allergies. They aren’t typically attracted to healthy pets; so, one of the best defenses against flea infestations is to feed a dog a nutritionally balanced, species-appropriate, fresh-food diet that will help keep their immune system functioning optimally.

It is also important to remove the environmental factors that can negatively impact immunity, including: n Poor water quality. Make sure to provide fluoride- and chlorine-free drinking water. n Too many vaccines. Insist that the veterinarian runs titer tests instead of giving un-

necessary shots.

n Toxic household chemicals, including cleaning products and dog beds treated with

flame retardants.

n Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used in the yard. n Toxic levels of electromagnetic fields from electrical devices in the home.

38 38

Fairfield Fairfield & Southern County & Litchfield Housatonic Counties Valley Edition eNaturalAwakenings.com eNaturalAwakenings.com

alexei_tm/AdobeStock.com

by Karen Shaw Becker

The Trouble with Ticks Ticks are a type of arachnid related to mites, spiders and scorpions. Because ticks feed on many different animals (including humans, dogs, cats, squirrels, mice, opossums and deer), they are quite good at acquiring and transmitting diseases, some of which can be life-threatening.

Unfortunately, a single tick bite can expose a dog to multiple pathogens, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and babesiosis. Luckily, most dogs mount an effective immune response.

Up to 90 percent of dogs may have been exposed to tick-borne pathogens, but most are able to fight off infection on their own.

The only way to know if a dog has effectively eliminated harmful bacteria is to follow up the typical blood test with a second test called a quantitative C6 that differentiates exposure from infection. Large num-

bers of dogs each year are unnecessarily treated with extensive antibiotic therapy because their veterinarians panic after seeing a positive exposure and fail to check for infection.

To catch tick-borne infections before they take hold, ask the veterinarian to replace the standard annual heartworm test with the SNAP 4Dx Plus (from Idexx Labs) or the Accuplex4 tests (Antech Diagnostics), which screen for heartworm, Lyme disease and four other vectorborne diseases. Completing one of these simple blood tests every six to 12 months is the best way to protect a dog. In tick-infested areas, if a dog tests positive on either of those two tests, it should also be screened for babesia exposure with a polymerase chain reaction test.

ceous earth, pet-friendly, essential oil products and natural deterrent collars.

In many parts of the country, people can successfully control ticks with one chemical dose in the spring and one in late summer. n To detox a dog’s liver afterwards, give

them a supplement such as milk thistle, a detox agent that helps to regenerate liver cells, or chlorella, a super green food. Work with an integrative veterinarian to determine the dosage; one dose daily for seven days following any chemical flea-, tick- or heartworm-preventive application is recommended.

Before Reaching for a Chemical Pet parents should not automatically apply potentially toxic chemical agents to their dogs or around their home to repel or kill pests. The use of spot-on products may cause skin irritation, paralysis, seizures and even death, if used improperly, and there are effective, natural alternatives that are far safer. If these chemicals are used, follow these precautions: n Be very careful to follow dosing directions on the label. If a pet is at the low end of a dos-

age range, use the next lowest dosage. Monitor the pet carefully afterwards for adverse reactions. Do not under any circumstances apply dog product to a cat.

Safe Options to Chemicals There are safe, non-toxic alternatives for flea and tick control for dogs, and they do not have side effects, unlike virtually all forms of chemical pesticides. These include:

n Every other month, rotate chemicals with natural preventives, including diatoma-

Homemade Pest Deterrent for Dogs oil can also be used since it has been proven to be as effective as diethyltoluamide (DEET), the mosquito and tick spray humans use that has a number of toxic side effects.

To add extra punch to the mixture, add five drops of lemon, lemongrass, eucalyptus or geranium essential oil.

Store the homemade pest deterrent in the fridge, and before a dog goes outside, mist them with it, being careful to avoid the eyes. The active ingredients, especially the essential oils, dissipate in about four hours, so the solution may have to be reapplied several times throughout the day.

Energy Balancing for Companion Animals Working together for your companion’s health and well-being.

Connie Martin

We Are One.

Reiki Master Healing Touch for Animal Practitioner E.F.T Practitioner

n Cedar oil, specifically manufactured for

pet health

n Natural, food-grade diatomaceous

earth, applied topically

n A fresh-food diet that is nutritionally

optimal and species-appropriate

adogslifephoto/AdobeStock.com

An all-natural pest deterrent will help a dog avoid a good percentage of the pests they encounter, though not all of them.

To make it, mix eight ounces of pure water with four ounces of organic, unfiltered, apple cider vinegar, and add 10 drops of neem oil.

Neem oil is not an essential oil; it is an expelled or pressed oil. It is effective because fleas and ticks are repelled by it, and it doesn’t bother pets sensitive to odors. Catnip

It is important to bathe and brush a dog regularly and perform frequent full-body inspections using a flea and tick comb to check for parasite activity. If they spend a lot of time outdoors, be sure to check pets and people for ticks every night during tick season.

Veterinarian Karen Shaw Becker has spent her career empowering animal guardians to make knowledgeable decisions to extend the life and well-being of their animals. Visit DrKarenBecker.com.

Final Journey,

LLC

( Pet Euthanasia Service )

Kristen Klie, D.V. M. and Associates

( 203 ) 645-5570 www.finaljourneyllc.com

203-274-3267 • AnimalHealing@optonline.net Natural Living Directory 2022

39

2022 NATURAL LIVING DIRECTORY Photo by Yuganov Konstantin on Shutterstock

DIRECTORY LISTING CATEGORIES

NATURAL LIVING DIRECTORY 2022 INDEX Wellness Dream Team Profiles 41-57

Business Spotlights 58-59

Directory Listings 60-68

WELLNESS DREAM TEAM

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

Practitioner Profiles & Business Spotlights Page 41 • Academy for Soul Healing Page 42 • Adventures in Connection • AmpCoil-East Coast Center & OSYB Page 43 • The Angel Cooperative & The Angel Wing Page 44 • Shirley R. Bloethe • Challenging Minds Wellness Center Page 45 • Edge to Health • Embody the Sacred Page 46 • EyeCare Associates, PC • Haute Healing Oasis Page 47 • Healthful Harmony, LLC • Hummingbird Sound Yoga LLC Page 48 • Institute for Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Therapies • Joyful Living Reiki LLC Page 49 • Beth Leas • Dorina Leslie, LMT Page 50 • Lighter & Brighter Wellness • Dr. Alicia McKelvey

40

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Page 51 • The Mind Breathing Edge • Jenn T. Peterson Page 52 • Rajayogini LLC • Salt Cave of Darien Page 53 • Nancy S. Scherlong, LCSW, PTR, CM • Soul Healing Journey, LLC Page 54 • Bradford Tilden, MM, CMT, UWT • Touch of Sedona & Sedona Art Page 55 • Transformation Center CT • Two Coyotes Wilderness School Page 56 • Dr. Veena Verma-Dzik, ND, FIAMA • Vis Wellness Center Page 57 • The Office of Dr. Michael Wald • Wolf Spirit Wellness Page 58 • Act Natural Health & Wellness • AngelHappiness with Robin Tesei Page 59 • New Insights Boutique • Nikken Wellness with Julie Clark • Past Life Reading with Ronnie Ann Ryan eNaturalAwakenings.com

Page 60 13th Octave/LaHoChi • Acupuncture All Things Health & Wellness AmpCoil Center • Art & Healing Astrology • Ayurveda Page 61 Books • Birth and Postpartum Care Breathwork & Spiritual Healing/Coaching Breast Thermography Career Coach/Hypnotist Cave Rental/Unique Gathering Space CBD • Community Building Counseling • Chinese Medicine Education & Apothecary Page 62 Education • Energy Healing Essential Oils Page 63 Functional Medicine Functional Nutrition Coach Healing Center • Healing Spa Health & Wellness Coaching Holistic Networking Holistic Wellness Center Integrative Natural Medicine Integrative Medicine Physician Page 64 Integrative Optometry Life & Business Coach Lyme + Co-Infections Massage Therapist • Medical Doctor Meditation Page 65 Medium • Metaphysical Artist Metaphysical Store Mobile Manual Therapy for Pain Mobile Reiki • Natural Health Store Naturopathic Physician Page 66 Nutrition • Online Community Online Courses Pain Relief & Health Products Past Life Readings • Past Life Review Private Member Association Page 67 Psychotherapy • Reiki Shamanic Practitioner The Shungite Room • Sound Healing Tarot • Transformative Healing Page 68 Universal White Time, Crystal & Sound Healing Wellness & Gifts • Wellness Center Work From Home • Yoga

Academy for Soul Healing Eilis Philpott Fairfield • 203-767-5954 Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com AcademyForSoulHealing.com

Take Your Health to the Next Level Build your Wellness Dream Team

Summary/services offered: I am a master healer and teacher, certified in numerous modalities as both a practitioner and teacher. I am the owner and founder of the Academy for Soul Healing, which offers trainings in soul-level healing modalities.

What drew you to this profession?

I knew part of my purpose and mission was to spread love throughout humanity and to teach others how to do it too. To fulfill the mission, I founded the Academy for Soul Healing to share the information and techniques that I have learned from this lifetime and many others.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I see my work in the Academy for Soul Healing as the integration of many modalities in their purest form being used to support the growth and expansion of humanity, individually and on a global scale.

What should someone expect from working with you?

I am loving and nurturing. Over the years I have learned how to nurture myself and share that skill with my clients. Fundamentally, we all want to feel loved and many of us have not experienced that unconditional love in our lives. Every class, training and modality I teach is based in love and learning a true acceptance of who we are and where we are in that moment in time.

What changes do you plan in 2022?

2019 saw the introduction of A Year of Healing—students taking their personal, professional and spiritual journey to new heights.

This program has now grown and developed into an 18 month program. All classes can be remote or in person, which means anyone from any part of the country can join us.

The following practitioners and businesses are ready to help you achieve your health and wellness goals in 2022.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

The techniques and processes that students learn in my classes are only the surface layer of what is going on in those trainings.

Some students want to be practitioners and learn the “how-tos”, while others just want to work on clearing whatever is getting in the way of living their truth. Many layers below the surface will be happening for each person. See ad, page 5.

Natural Living Directory 2022 41

Adventures in Connection

Wayne Leiss, LMT, CAO 20 Fifth Ave, Apt A, Danbury 203-994-1207 Wayne@WayneLeiss.com • WayneLeiss.com Summary/services offered: I am a Certified Essential Oil Coach, Symphony of the Cells Educated Professional, Licensed Massage Therapist, world traveler and Adventure Bound Healer. I offer adventures in connection, helping men connect with themselves, and to begin the greatest adventure of their lives—through oils, touch and spoken word.

What drew you to this profession?

The work I do allows me to bring together all my passions: service, connection, travel and helping others reach their potential.

What better way to spend your life than doing something that brings great joy!

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

My extensive travels and 28 years of corporate experience have given me the insight needed to guide men toward a better connection with themselves. This, in turn, will allow them to develop and stand true to their individual purpose, become connected with themselves and then the rest of the world. I work with you to develop a plan that will help support your body systems and maintain optimal health while providing education to support you on your journey.

What should someone expect from working with you?

An Adventure in Connection is unique to each of us. Sometimes it takes the form of a healing touch, sometimes self-discovery, and for others it is impacting the greater good through your grace. I offer you a look at each of these connections: healing, discovery and impact.

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

What changes do you plan in 2022?

In March of 2021 I officially launched my new brand, Adventures in Connection, a redesigned website and a new webcast series called “Living Lives”, where I interview a variety of guests with an emphasis on creating connections. We discuss ways of creating connections to ourselves and others. While women are always welcome, the focus of my business is helping men.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

I have been fortunate to be able to travel the world. My journey has been both in miles and in insight. I am completely honored and humbled to be able to integrate my love of every journey, both interior and exterior, with the healing properties of essential oils, massage and coaching. See ad, page 2.

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

AmpCoil-East Coast Center & OSYB Freddie Kimmel, Rev. Cathy Whelehan 95 Cross Hwy, Redding 833-267-2645 Freddie@AmpCoil.com • AmpCoil.com

Summary/services offered: AmpCoil sessions, health coaching and spiritual counseling. The AmpCoil system is a modern, intelligently designed wellness tool that supports physical, emotional and mental well-being. Your body is like a musical instrument. Every cell in your body needs to stay tuned to a specific frequency to function optimally. Metals, microbes, toxins, stress and many other factors can pull your cells out of tune. AmpCoil is a proprietary system that utilizes sound frequencies delivered via a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) to help get your cells back into tune and resonate your body’s natural frequencies in perfect harmony. When cells resonate at their optimal frequency, it creates balance leading to health and vitality.

Freddie Kimmel is a Functional Health Coach, Reiki Healer, Gut Health Specialist and cancer survivor. He helps people eliminate brain fog, fatigue and belly fat by incorporating PEMF, Bioresonance and energy devices to help activate the body’s natural healing mechanisms.

Rev. Cathy Whelehan is a Spiritual Counselor who creates sacred space to be seen, heard and healed. This in turn helps to integrate core beliefs into the practice of your own life. Experience a brave space of compassionate listening, non-judgement and loving accountability.

What drew you to this profession?

The power of sharing my experience of moving through chronic illness and helping others find the robust health that I experience today.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

We use frequency, magnetics and mindset to allow the body’s innate healing mechanisms to function the way nature intended.

What should someone expect from working with you?

Tune into the best you. Reclaim your vibrancy and your wellness.

Each client will be seen, heard and validated. The working relationship is education-based and filled with joyful energy. Clients are given the tools to continue the work from home and independently progress when they are ready.

What changes do you plan in 2022?

Continued Lyme data collection and studies around recovery from Pandemic Induced Anxiety.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

AmpCoil is one of the most effective technologies we have seen in the field of chronic illness. Magnetics, sound and mindset continue to be the cornerstones of wellness that thousands of clients rely on for better clarity and a direction to move forward. In fact, 90 percent of AmpCoil’s most active users reported that AmpCoil has been instrumental to their personal wellness. See ad, back cover.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

The Angel Cooperative • The Angel Wing Lifestyle Boutique • Shungite Room • Private Rental Space 49-51 Ethan Allen Hwy, Ridgefield 203-431-2959 • TheAngelCoop.com

Summary/ services offered: The Angel Cooperative is a unique metaphysical and lifestyle boutique. Our mission is to be purveyors of positivity (POP), offering one-stop shopping for the home, body and soul. You will find a large selection of crystals, jewelry, inspired gifts, home décor, fashion, accessories, spiritual items, as well as the first Shungite Room in the U.S. Come explore products that create a sense of harmony and balance. From crystals to clothing, love and positivity abounds in the space.

The Shungite Room hosts energy sessions, angelic, tarot and oracle card readings, channeling and mediumship, reiki, workshops, and guided meditation led by a group of talented and experienced practitioners. Shungite is said to be around 2 billion years old. It is the only natural material known to contain fullerenes, a unique carbon molecular structure (also known as a buckyball). A Nobel Prize was awarded in 1996 for the discovery. The energy embodied within this extraordinarily positive ancient stone is said to help absorb and eliminate anything that is a health hazard to human life. It is believed to have active metaphysical properties with strong healing powers.

Next door to The Angel Cooperative is The Angel Wing, a divine spiritual center. The Angel Wing hosts workshops, retreats, readings, energy work sessions, Reiki and Reiki Certification classes, massage, sound and gong baths, guided meditations, acupuncture, and yoga classes and yoga teacher training. The Angel Wing is also available to rent on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis to hold group and/or individual practice sessions, workshops, classes and retreats, or for any therapeutic sessions including yoga, meditation, reiki, massage, musical events and more. Optional rental spaces include a large open room and/or

an intimate private room with massage/reiki table. Our intention is to create a shared sacred space for spiritual practice of all types.

More information on The Angel Wing page on our website.

What should someone expect from working with you?

Partners Laura Ancona and Christy Abate have created a store that embodies positive energy with a wide variety of merchandise and services which reflect that mission. With The Angel Wing, our intention is to create a shared sacred space for spiritual practice of all types.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

There are myriad ways to connect with us. Enjoy our beautiful shop and explore our metaphysical products at the physical location and in our online store; we ship anywhere in the U.S. We offer in-person readings, workshops, yoga, retreats, massage and Reiki Certification classes (Zoom and digital readings are available). We have a weekly podcast hosted by Anna Raimondi available on Apple Podcast, SoundCloud and our YouTube channel (The Angel Cooperative). Find all the information and register for events and readings at TheAngelCoop.com. Be sure to download our monthly calendar so you can see all the happenings at a glance! See ad, page 16.

Natural Living Directory 2022 43

Shirley R. Bloethe

Challenging Minds Wellness Center

Holistic Events/Wellness Promotions/Minister 860-989-0033 YourHolisticEvents@gmail.com YourHolisticEvents.com Summary/services offered: Holistic and wellness matchmaking, holistic events coordinator, ceremonies, referrals and consulting for websites, marketing and collaborations. Business experience spanning more than 40 years in multiple small businesses, both brick-and-mortar and online. I have hosted holistic events for the last 35-plus years and have over 40 years of experience in the holistic community, connecting people with many products, modalities and teachings by numerous practitioners and businesses.

What drew you to this profession?

I have always been drawn to self-help and personal growth opportunities. My passion is to introduce people to their empowerment options through a variety of products, programs, modalities and organizations.

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I have been involved in all types of businesses since my early years and also am a graduate of Hartford College in the Women’s Entrepreneurial Course. I was always on a holistic journey and in the early 1980s, I felt the pull to lead and learn all about wellness in the seven key areas of life: physical, spiritual, financial, family, career, mental health and education. Having connections to so many people allows me the opportunity to give great referrals. I know so many people who are excellent practitioners and I enjoy being a holistic matchmaker. Who do you need to meet? What are you looking for? Just ask!

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

As head of the Holistic Community Professionals, I will offer the 2022 8th and 9th Bi-Annual EXPO: Passport to Health and Wellness. This event features some amazing exhibitors and speakers.

Showcasing quality, reputable, local businesses and practitioners to the public is a win-win opportunity. Additionally, as a holistic matchmaker, I will refer you to your perfect products, client or practitioner. I am happy to help and collaborate with you. Call anytime. My database of holistic practitioners and businesses spans the U.S., and I truly enjoy partnering with them. Natural Awakenings is the perfect partner to share information with the public about what I do. See ads, pages 21, 29 and 37.

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Andrew Matusiak, LCSW 896 Bantam Rd, Bantam 860-385-2867 AndrewM@ChallengingMinds.net ChallengingMinds.com Summary/services offered: Challenging Minds Wellness Center believes in treating the whole person through offering holistic service options, including: Reiki, massage, reflexology, yoga, meditation, breath work and an infrared sauna. Challenging Minds also offers mental health counseling, for both groups and individuals.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

The purpose of developing the Wellness Center in Bantam is to offer our clients more holistic options and also a space to utilize therapeutic group work. When a client’s whole self is considered, the outcomes are always better and more sustainable. Through a holistic approach to mental health needs, the client often feels more empowered, especially as they learn techniques that they can practice on their own, such as meditation and breath work.

What should someone expect from working with you?

Challenging Minds LLC began on Peck Road as a group practice in 2019, and continues to thrive, employing six clinicians. Within the clinical group, there is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, multiple LPCs and LCSWs. All of our clinicians have diverse treatment specialties and the practice accepts all ages and diagnoses. Three of our clinicians are trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy, which is one of the best treatments for anxiety, depression and especially trauma and phobias.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

The Challenging Minds group practice and the Wellness Center staff are committed to working with the teens in our community as well, especially as the community rebounds from COVID-19. Our Yoga Teacher, Amy Motson, and our clinical team support North American Family Institute, by providing yoga to their residents and therapeutic group work multiple days a week. More recently, we agreed to hold a yoga workshop for the local Litchfield boys’ high school team. We hope to continue to support the youth in our community in creative ways.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

Along with our focus on mental health supports for clients of Challenging Minds LLC, the Wellness Center is offering homeopathic options for those who would prefer to avoid only allopathic medicine. Some of the current homeopathic treatment options offered are Reiki, massage, reflexology and an infrared sauna, by Sunlighten. Each of our providers has years of experience and provide the treatment options in a setting that was designed to be very relaxing.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Edge to Health

Renee Edge 4 Brookmoor Rd, Avon 860-681-3427 Renee@EdgeToHealth.com EdgeToHealth.com Summary/services offered: I am a Functional Nutrition Coach, which means I take a holistic approach to health by incorporating food, sleep, stress, fitness and toxic environmental factors, in the effort to reduce the impact of stressors or specific diagnosis on the body. I specialize in supporting children with anxiety, ADHD, autism, depression or trauma histories. I offer group workshops and trainings, in addition to individual coaching and nutrition consultations.

What drew you to this profession?

I am a formerly frazzled mom, whose experience grew from trial and error experimentation with my own children and propelled me back to school to study nutrition. Seeing the impact of food on the attention, behavior and moods of my own children fueled the desire to share this knowledge with other families who were struggling with the behavior of their own children. Now I specialize in nourishing better behavior by helping families to change their child’s attention, behavior and mood using food everyone in the family will enjoy.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

There are two significant differences working with a Functional Nutrition Coach. First, it isn’t just about food—we consider all of the factors in your life, and how they impact you and your food choices. Second, it is not just about me prescribing foods to you, it is about building from what you are already eating to a healthier version that meets your nutritional needs. Foods you value, or culturally specific foods, are integrated into your healthy eating plan. We integrate mindfulness to aid you in developing a greater awareness of and understanding of your choices.

What should someone expect from working with you?

In working with me, you will find that it is possible to honor your cultural foods and preferences, while making small changes to increase your overall health and wellness.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

This year will see the return of live workshops and sessions in addition to expanded virtual offerings via Zoom.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

In addition to your overall health, mood, behavior, sleep and stress are all impacted by the food you consume. Healing is possible with what you put in your grocery cart!

Embody the Sacred Deana Paqua, MA, LMT Ridgefield and New Milford 203-994-5045 Deana.Paqua@gmail.com EmbodyTheSacred.net

Summary/services offered: Classes, training and certification programs in cross-cultural energy medicine and contemporary shamanism for Reiki and holistic practitioners including Andean mysticism, core shamanism, Usui and Karuna Reiki, Integrative Energy Therapy and more. Additional services include healing sessions, mentoring, intuitive readings and space clearings.

What first drew you to this profession?

I was first led to the field of holistic health from my own experiences of healing from major and minor health challenges, including a near-fatal car accident. I have found that a spiritually based, holistic and integrative approach provides maximum benefits for many health challenges including helping resolve trauma from the spiritual perspective. I felt naturally drawn to Reiki, bodywork, other forms of energy medicine and shamanic healing that offer possibilities of deep healing and self-empowerment.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I am a certified Usui and Karuna Reiki master teacher, Integrated Energy Therapy master instructor, licensed massage therapist and ordained minister. I have a master’s degree in integrative health studies, am an adjunct professor at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury and an advisory board member of the Institute of Holistic Health Studies. I’ve also participated in shamanic training with contemporary and indigenous shamans for over 15 years and been a healing arts practitioner for over 20 years.

What should someone expect from working with you?

My sessions and classes are personalized, practical, down-toearth, spiritually based and educational. They are designed to empower and support each individual’s spiritual path and healing journey.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

In addition to new class offerings, I am planning to support clients and students through increased mentoring and writing.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

My approach is focused on supporting students, clients and colleagues in self-healing and self-empowerment through connecting with their own spirituality and connection to nature, in a grounded, safe and professional environment. See ad, page 14.

Natural Living Directory 2022 45

EyeCare Associates, PC

Haute Healing Oasis

Dr. Randy Schulman, MS, OD, FCOVD Dr. Jason Grygier Dr. Diana Ngo Dr. Justin Rapp Dr. Sonia Singh Dr. Magy Tepliz Offices in Trumbull, Southport, Norwalk and Stamford CTEyeCareAssociates.com

Summary/services offered: EyeCare Associates and Dr. Randy Schulman have been serving Fairfield County as a leading provider of optometry services, vision care products, vision therapy, sports vision, neuro-optometric rehabilitation and preventive eye care for nearly 30 years.

With offices in Trumbull, Southport, Norwalk and Stamford, the experienced team of doctors and therapists helps patients of all ages with their vision needs, including those with complex vision needs such as specialty contact lenses, dry eye, reading and learning challenges, brain injury and strabismus.

What drew you to this profession?

When I was 15 years old, I worked for Dr. Carl Gruning, a behavioral optometrist in Fairfield. I was amazed at how much better the patients got after doing vision therapy. The children were more focused and better behaved, and the adults were happier. As a behavioral optometrist, I understand, “how you see is how you be,” and vision can be changed for the better.

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

As an integrative optometrist, I am looking at how the visual system functions. I look at how vision is connected to physical, emotional and mental health and overall wellness. Treatment based on the whole person includes prescribing optimal glasses, as well as giving lifestyle modifications and visual wellness suggestions.

What should someone expect from working with you?

Patients should expect a careful assessment of symptoms, visual demands, health and wellness, visual function and prescription needs. We also give recommendations for optimizing vision and quality of life.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

We place high emphasis on education and offer internships for optometry students from around the country and plan on adding another Optometry resident. We are happy to speak to groups about vision and are actively seeking individuals who want to join our team.

46

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Jessica & Peter Chichester 792 Pacific St, Stamford 203-595-5304 Info@HauteHealingOasis.com HauteHealingOasis.com

Summary/services offered: Haute Healing Oasis is a one-ofa-kind bio energy healing center featuring scientifically tested and internationally proven healing modalities that help the body heal itself naturally. We feature over a dozen wellness services including: infrared saunas, ionic detox foot baths, BEMER treatments, hydromassage services, whole body vibration and oxygen therapies, among others—all inside a relaxing spa-like atmosphere.

What drew you to this profession?

Our personal testimonies in the products and services we endorse. Personal injuries from accidents and sports injuries had us feeling terrible. These technologies changed our lives and we are passionate to share them with others.

How does our work differ from others in your profession?

When it comes to relaxation or detoxification of the body, no other facility can come close to what HHO offers, and at a very affordable price. Our tranquil spa-like atmosphere is the perfect blend of mindfulness and functional healing.

What should someone expect from working with you?

To feel amazing, to understand the power of their own bodies and the healing power that’s within.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

Haute is a constant evolution. We just completed a new addition with four more treatment rooms. We are enhancing our fat loss body contouring services this year and we are currently creating more live events in our new Sage Center. We are also looking into franchising opportunities.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

That your body is self-repairing, all the time… Isn’t that amazing?

However, stress, toxins and other factors weaken the body’s natural ability to heal itself. We need to detoxify and mitigate stress to allow our bodies to heal and function correctly. Haute is your feel-great place. Escape to the Oasis.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Healthful Harmony, LLC Dr. Amy Wiesner 91 East Ave, 2nd Floor, Norwalk 203-962-5887 DrAmyWiesner@gmail.com HealthfulHarmony.com

Summary/services offered: I offer Qest4 Bio-Energetic Screening, personalized homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, nutritional supplementation, herbal medicine, lifestyle medicine, dietary advice and more. I help people with symptoms related to: infertility, diabetes, stress, pain, gastrointestinal issues, allergies, headaches/migraines, cardiovascular disease, Lyme disease, menstrual disorders and other imbalances.

What drew you to this profession?

I wanted to help people to be healthy using natural remedies and techniques that work with the body to heal.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

Having training in two different medical fields—naturopathic medicine and acupuncture—as well as addressing the mental/ emotional component of our health—I treat the whole person. I also use Bioresonence Technology to create a personalized remedy for patients to help to gently balance their bodies both physically and emotionally.

What should someone expect from working with you?

I spend time listening to my patients and hearing what they tell me without judgement. I have multiple tools to support them along their road to health and well-being.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

I have been practicing naturopathic medicine and acupuncture for almost 20 years. By combining my knowledge of western and eastern medicine with modern technology and emotional support techniques, I help patients live a better life. I am a compassionate listener who helps my patients create a complete plan for emotional and physical well-being.

Hummingbird Sound Yoga LLC

Barbara (Bobbi) Soares Merryall, New Milford 860-946-9470 BSoares@LightOfTheNewMoon.com HummingbirdSoundYoga.com Facebook @HummingbirdSoundYoga Summary/services offered: Sound and vocal yoga classes; sound healing immersions including gongs, bowls, tuning forks, voice, transformational energy/shamanic Reiki; humming meditation, toning, deep listening; sacred sound journeys/sound baths/ sacred fire ceremony; workshops, group and private sessions; available for performances, presentations.

What drew you to this profession?

Church bells ringing when I was born! I’ve had a lifelong study of and interest in spirituality, singing and creative arts. Unresolved health issues of Lyme, Ehlers-Danlos and a NDE drew me deeper into the sacred work of the gong and sound yoga healing.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I use a diverse blend of vibrational healing techniques from music, science, creative arts therapy, shamanic light body practices, sacred sound journeys and soul retrievals. Passion for honoring our unique vibration through play grounding, laughter, primal sound and vocal yoga. Giving others hope and inspiration by sharing my “wounded healer” experience of undiagnosed Lyme and EhlersDanlos. Experimental and directed vocal/instrumental compositions and improvisations.

What should someone expect from working with you?

Strong intuitive and cognitive guidance, commitment, compassion and respect. Honoring that we are all unique vibratory beings.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

As an ordained minister and certified sound healer, I will be offering non-denominational sacred sound ceremonies for weddings and other rites of passage. I will be adding earth gong, shruti and Hummingbird Sound Yoga into sound baths, actively promoting Humming For Peace and sacred sound concerts and performances for community events.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

Drink deeply. Hummingbird’s powerful medicine of vibration teaches you to listen deeply and be in the stillness of the present moment. It shows us how to take the journey without hesitation or expectation to find the perfect resonances that tune and nourish mind, body and spirit. It is only in the stillness of the present moment that we can clarify, resonate and reclaim our best self.

See ad, page 11.

Natural Living Directory 2022 47

Institute for Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Therapies

Joyful Living Reiki LLC Gail Christie, Holy Fire Reiki Master Stamford, CT & Mount Kisco, NY 203-979-0918 GailChristie.Reiki@gmail.com JoyfulLivingReiki.com

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

Neeru Kaushik, ND, MS Acu, MS, MA Neha Kaushik, NMD, MPH, MS 805 Kings Hwy E, Fairfield • 203-331-9111 Health@AyurCT.com • AyurvedicInstituteCT.com Summary/services offered: Ayurvedic and Naturopathic medicine allows for the treatment of a multitude of conditions and ailments. At the Institute, we offer individualized treatment with diet and lifestyle recommendations according to one’s dosha (body constitution), panchakarma, acupuncture, homeopathy and more.

What drew you to this profession?

Dr. Neeru: As a child, I was always curious to know about the human body and its functions and am passionate about helping others.

This profession offered me the opportunity to incorporate both.

Dr. Neha: As I was going through figuring my own health out, I turned to Ayurvedic and Naturopathic physicians. Getting to the root cause helped me get in better health, and I was drawn to learn more and provide the same care and opportunities for others.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

Our practice is a unique combination of Ayurvedic, Chinese and Naturopathic medicine. In Ayurveda, health represents a balance of body, mind and spirit. Imbalances cause illness and can be detected before manifestation. By combining the unique therapies of Ayurveda with acupuncture and naturopathy, we create an individualized treatment program to achieve the optimum healing benefits, especially in chronic conditions.

What should someone expect from working with you?

Our aim is to get to the root cause of the condition(s) that a client is going through. We ask detailed questions to get a whole picture of health, diet, lifestyle and environment—as they all play an important role. We educate the client throughout the whole process so that they are aware of what is happening in their body and a possibility of why. With that understanding, they understand what needs to be done, then they will stick to the treatment recommendations more closely. We believe in having a supporting and guiding role for a client and strive for that bond. We strive for our patients to know just how resilient and self-healing their bodies are and can grow to be.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

We are incorporating more pain management modalities as well as adding new Ayurvedic therapies into our practice.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

We offer a patient-centered personalized health plan and focus on our patient’s overall health instead of on just the symptoms.

Healing takes place when the body is brought back into balance; a body out of balance promotes disease. Bringing the body back into balance includes an individual customized plan of diet, supplements and lifestyle changes. We aim at educating and empowering clients toward their optimal health. See ad, page 25.

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Summary/services offered: As a Holy Fire III Usui and Karuna Reiki Master Teacher, I help people tap into an ever-available flow of life force energy, develop enduring spiritual connections and release the energetic blocks to living focused, energized lives. I provide Holy Fire Reiki healing sessions, online Reiki-infused meditations and Reiki certification classes of all levels.

What drew you to this profession?

My spiritual journey started when I was just a child. I knew I was meant to help people heal and had a longing for an ongoing spiritual connection. Years of meditation, Tai Chi, Zen practice and receiving various types of energy healing made me ready to embrace Holy Fire Reiki.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

The refinement and high vibration of Holy Fire energy, and my ability to provide it without an agenda, are what set my practice apart from others. My clients often remark on the deep sense of peace, comfort, balance and renewal it provides.

What should someone expect from working with you?

I provide a safe, welcoming, nurturing space which helps my clients receive healing on all levels. My Reiki certification classes are profoundly healing experiences and more comprehensive than most. They also provide a clear path for spiritual development to those who make Holy Fire Reiki part of their lives.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

I look forward to incorporating more in-person sessions and trainings, in addition to enjoying connection with people all over the world in my online meditations and trainings. I would also like to see clients experience an extension of their single-session healing by trying my new monthly Reiki subscriptions.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

My whole life is an expression of Reiki, compassion, unconditional love and joy. My greatest joy is to help people go from feeling overwhelmed, isolated or in pain to feeling cared for, spiritually supported and on their way to a new level of healing. See ad, page 2.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Beth Leas

Virtual and In-Person Sessions 203-856-9566 TLCBethLeas@gmail.com BethLeas.com 203TLC.com Summary/ services offered: Transformative healing sessions, intuitive readings, coaching programs, unique PlayShops—all designed to inspire and facilitate change in your life. Get unstuck, clarify your intentions, heal and feel more power and perspective. If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.

What drew you to this profession?

My healing journey began when I was drawn to meditation and alternative healing modalities as effective ways to heal from an abusive childhood. I love helping others who are feeling stuck step into their power to transform their lives.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I have more than 30 years of extensive healing experience working with adults and children of all ages. I use four powerful tools: energy healing, meditation, reflective writing and transformative tarot. Your session may focus singularly on one of these or be a combination of several.

Dorina Leslie, LMT

Ridgefield Sports Medicine, Ridgefield Integrated Health & Wellness, Danbury 203-312-3960 Relax@DorinaLeslie.com • DorinaLeslie.com Summary/services offered: Therapeutic massage therapy, reflexology, pre- and postnatal Mother Massage, the Alexander Method of Vibrational Sound & Energy Therapy and wellness coaching.

BEMER vascular therapy is included in all sessions, unless contraindicated. BEMER sessions, monthly rentals and sales are available.

What drew you to this profession?

After having a rather radical spiritual awakening on 11/11/11, it took me quite a bit of time to get grounded in the energy that had literally come into me and embodied every cell in my being. The divine gift of healing came through in a larger-than-life kind of way, and because of that, I followed my soul’s calling and have been an alternative healer and massage therapist since December 2013.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

As one client likes to say, “It’s a cosmic massage experience!” I have had experience working in both a medical setting and in several mainstream spas, but private practice is where I shine. I have added a depth of energy healing into my work. Now, with the addition of BEMER vascular therapy and medical grade tuning forks, it’s quite an energetic, spiritual healing. I am the only practitioner in Connecticut certified in The Alexander Method of Vibrational Sound & Energy Therapy.

What should someone expect from working with you?

You will feel supported and come into a place where it is safe to wake up from what came before. Change is inevitable, but transformation is by conscious choice.

What should someone expect from working with you?

I have learned to look for the root cause of someone’s injury, sadness or anxiety—connecting the body, mind and spirit. My sessions are very individualized, taking the necessary time to fully address the client’s issues—before, during and after our time together.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

I am looking forward to expanding my online programs and retreats, in addition to collaborating with other professionals to best serve our clients.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

I also am an advocate for those who are trying to get and to stay sober. Being sober for 8.5 years, I have begun implementing BEMER vascular therapy programs in select alcohol and drug treatment centers. Additionally, I am passionate about helping families heal from mental health issues.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

My down-to-earth sessions combine my gift of intuition with my personal practice of mindfulness, compassion and lightheartedness. See ad, page 2.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

I am here to enjoy this thing called life, as challenging and complicated as it may be these days—for all of us. I seek clients who are also seeking higher ground for themselves. I am drawn to working with folks who wish to bust through old limiting beliefs, in order to take back their power and live their very best life. I would love to be a source of refuge and healing for those in need of healing.

Natural Living Directory 2022 49

Lighter & Brighter Wellness

Dr. Alicia McKelvey

Susan Ahlstrom, MS Counseling Certified EFT Practitioner, Reiki Master 401-232-4512 LighterAndBrighterWellness.com

Summary/services offered: I help women manage the stress and overwhelm of everyday life with holistic self-care techniques. We’ve all engaged in wine therapy at one point or another and we know that it’s not really the answer. I teach you self-care techniques that you can use to reduce your stress and that you can also share with your family and loved ones to help reduce stress in the household.

If every day you’re wondering WTF (What’s the Future?) and how you’re going to navigate your ever-increasing stress load, I can help.

What drew you to this profession?

I understand the challenges faced by working women and the toll that it’s taking on their health. I knew there had to be a better way. Through my own journey, I learned self-care skills that are simple, help you get immediate relief and relax without the use of pharmaceuticals. After earning an MS in Counseling, I became a certified EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Practitioner in order to share this easy-to-learn, highly effective, self-care method with as many people as possible.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I focus on teaching women how to heal themselves because when you heal the women, you heal the family and you heal their communities.

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

I plan to focus on helping women navigate our transition out of this pandemic. Whether it’s returning to the office, pursuing a different path like starting a business or leaving behind toxic relationships or moving away from self-defeating behaviors like wine therapy and overeating. I am going to help women come out of this pandemic better off than she was when she came into it.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

We’re all doing our best to get it right. You are not alone if you don’t get it right all the time. Give yourself some grace and find a supportive community like the Lighter & Brighter Wellness community.

50

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

51 Sherman Hill Rd, Bldg A, Ste 104C, Woodbury 203-405-1464 Medicine4LivingCT@gmail.com MedicineForLivingCT.com

Summary/services offered: Medicine for Living is an Integrative Medicine practice whose mission is to help clients achieve optimal health and disease prevention. Using powerful genomic tools, we are able to help patients understand aspects of their health and bodies previously unknown to them.

What drew you to this profession?

I want to focus on prevention and disease reversal. After nearly 20 years as a thoracic surgeon, I encountered countless patients with life-threatening disease. My desire led me to study and become board certified in Integrative Medicine.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

Genomics sheds light on what our DNA brings to the table.

Medicine for Living uses genomic testing to get to that root cause of health issues. This knowledge empowers clients to both better understand and take charge of their health.

What should someone expect from working with you?

I personally get to know the client, their health concerns and goals. I will order appropriate testing and review results with them. I develop a personalized treatment plan for each client.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

Traditional medicine treats disease as it occurs. It is in effect a Band-Aid system. Frequently, there is not enough time to do a deep dive into someone’s health problems. Medicine for Living delivers personalized care addressing both known health problems and health risks previously unknown to the patient.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

Dr. McKelvey is dedicating her career moving forward to the prevention of disease for her clients and to working as a team with her clients to achieve the best possible health.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

The Mind Breathing Edge Alexia Clonda ThetaHealing Teacher, Mindset and Breathing Coach Virtual & In-Person 607-319-9161 MindBreathingEdge@gmail.com ThetaHealing.com/alexiaclonda

Summary/services offered: I am a ThetaHealing teacher and Mindset and Breathing Coach with over 20 years of experience. I help mothers and daughters create healthy relationships. I help them clear their negative thought patterns forever.

They release the patterns that block their sense of connection and belonging.

What drew you to this profession?

My healing journey centered on my own sense of belonging due to my mother abandoning me when I was three years old. She kept some of my siblings, which made me feel like there was something wrong with me. I was the odd one out and did not belong. This left me feeling disconnected with no sense of security.

ThetaHealing helped me release the painful emotions that I was carrying from childhood. The process allowed me to experience unconditional love from my mother. It was finally safe for me to connect to her. Our relationship began to heal and we were closer than ever. Now I bring these modalities to my clients to help them build meaningful relationships.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I combined a variety of healing techniques including breath work and energy healing in my program. These powerful techniques help you identify thoughts and release emotions. They help you to awaken your emotional intelligence and resolve issues around maternal bonds that affect your ability to trust and feel safe in relationships. I work on every level of your being, including the mind, body, spirit, emotions and breath of life. After working together, you will understand the truth that you belong.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

Whether you are the mother or the daughter, this work is not dependent upon you both doing the work. It requires only one of you. When you are open to it, it’s possible to resolve any resistance to creating healthy relationships. You are worthy and you are deserving of unconditional love simply because you breathe air.

See ad, page 2.

Jenn T. Peterson

Life & Business Coach with Horses, Shamanic Reiki Master Teacher Virtual & In-Person Rising Starr Horse Rescue, 93 Silver Spring Rd, Wilton 917-340-1328 Hello@JennTPeterson.com JennTPeterson.com Summary/services offered: I am a Certified Life & Business Coach trained by the Koelle Institute for Equus Coaching and a Shamanic Reiki Master Teacher with 15-plus years as a senior executive in advertising.

Through my powerful combination of personal and business development skills, my clients are achieving their goals. I help life coaches and energy healers gain clarity, increase confidence, break through fears to market and sell their services, connect with ideal clients and make money.

What drew you to this profession?

My journey has been centered on following my intuition. I was intuitively guided to working with horses. It made no sense because I had no previous experience with horses. I know that when your intuition guides you to something that makes absolutely no logical sense, that will lead you to straight magic. Following my intuition has led me to becoming a mom with very low fertility, leaving my corporate career to become a life coach, a horse whisperer and a Shamanic Reiki Master Teacher.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

My coaching and energy healing draws on the intuitive nature of horses. Horses are divine mirrors and they can uncover what is happening in your subconscious thought patterns and your emotions. You’ll receive immediate biofeedback from the horse. The horse intuitively is able to uncover what needs to heal and shine a light on your strengths. My method helps you calm down, gain clarity, increase confidence, find courage, self-trust, self-love and self-worth.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

Working outdoors and in nature provides a quiet place for inspiration and healing. All in-person sessions take place on the ground, not on the horse. Though you go on a journey, there is no horseback riding involved. You do not need experience with horses—just come with an open mind and an open heart.

Natural Living Directory 2022 51

Rajayogini LLC

Berta Prevosti Online Meditation, Yoga & Metaphysical Studies Platform 203-902-5090 Support@Rajayogini.com Rajayogini.com Summary/services offered: Get the full studio experience from the comfort of home. Rajayogini.com is an online platform for meditation and yoga. We offer online classes in meditation and yoga, yoga teacher training programs, certifications, workshops, retreats and metaphysical studies. Join us for a free week of classes, along with access to our Member’s Only Pages.

What drew you to this profession?

I dreamt of creating a space where healing on all levels was possible through education of the body, mind and soul. I have had the pleasure of creating a beautiful yoga/meditation studio in the past, but now it appears the Universe would like me to reach more people by creating an online experience. For me, this is not a profession, but an extension of who I am. I didn’t really have a say in it.

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I have over 30 years of experience in this field and feel honored to have worked with and taught thousands of people who, like me, are in search of a higher purpose in life. I am a E-RYT 500hr certified Yoga Alliance Teacher as well as a YACEP provider, with over 1,000 hours of CEUs. I am a certified Reiki Master in Usui and Karuna Systems of Universal Hands On Reiki Healing. Plus, I love what I do, and even more love to see the experience of my students as they become exceptional teachers.

What should someone expect from working with you?

You should expect everything from working with me and you will receive it. You should expect your life to change, and then expect to begin to do the same for others.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

Your experience will feel as if you were in person. We will strive to perfect our online experience to achieve just that. We only hire and teach from our hearts and you will feel as if you have found your community with us. Please join Rajayogini.com and begin your journey with us.

52

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Salt Cave of Darien 555 Post Rd, Darien Text/call 203-658-7667 Info@SaltCaveOfDarien.com SaltCaveOfDarien.com

Summary/ services offered: Our wellness destination offers a rich lineup of therapies and experiences: private cave rentals in our luxurious salt cave, couples/friends date night, salt cave sessions, massage and energy work, unique special events with local healers and weekly yoga classes.

What drew you to this profession?

Stress! I knew I needed to find something to release tension from a stressful job. I enjoyed my own visit to a salt cave and, once I researched it further, I found there were many additional benefits that can help people with different ailments. In today’s increasingly stressful environment, more and more people are seeking natural and calming remedies and are discovering what I experienced during my first salt cave visit.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

We differentiate ourselves with a commitment to providing a full-service wellness destination in a spa like atmosphere. Our cave is luxurious—from the soothing red, yellow, orange and pink colors to the sound of our waterfall and the meditative music, you will surely leave rejuvenated.

What should someone expect from working with you?

Customers should feel relaxation and rejuvenation. Over time, regular exposure to the salt cave should help improve respiratory or skin conditions. We listen to our customers to make their experience even more amazing.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

We got even more creative with our cave rentals for up to eight people. Now you can add reflexology, wine tasting with a virtual expert, do an aerial or flow yoga class (up to five people) or Zoom in your family and friends from around the world on our big screen projector.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

The benefits of dry salt therapy (halotherapy) are clinically proven, and it has been used in Europe for centuries. Dry salt acts like a sponge, attracting foreign substances along its path through the respiratory tract. People find relief from stress, respiratory and skin conditions and joint pain. We offer a positive atmosphere and an amazing experience in our beautiful salt cave and private salt room. See ad, page 2.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Nancy S. Scherlong, LCSW, PTR, CM

470 Main St, Ste 307, Ridgefield and Norwalk (Silvermine) Locations 914-572-3167 WellnessMetaphors.com ChangeYourNarrativeTherapy.com Summary/services offered: I offer life, wellness and creativity coaching as well as experiential and holistic psychotherapy. I utilize techniques such as EMDR and brainspotting, IFS, SE and expressive arts-based groups and workshops.

What drew you to this profession?

Originally an artist, I have been a psychotherapist for over 20 years. I began helping others after my own recovery from an automobile accident in 1991. At that time, I received many of the methods I now use with my clients.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

My work is strength-based and focused on positive psychology and innovative problem solving. I will help you find and express your own unique voice through the creative arts—journal work, poetry and psychodrama.

What should someone expect from working with you?

My philosophy is that we can all change our lives by changing our story or mindset. Once we have shifted how we view things, we can approach them in a new and fresh way.

Soul Healing Journey, LLC Eilis Philpott Fairfield 203-767-5954 Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com SoulHealingJourney.com

Summary/services offered: I am a master healer and teacher certified in numerous modalities.

I offer soul-level healing, which clears blocks, obstacles and challenges that are preventing you from living your life to its fullest potential. I specialize in working with healers to bring their services to the next level.

What drew you to this profession?

I became fascinated at an early age with the impact that thoughts and emotions had on the body and the psyche. As I experienced both working in the corporate world, the teaching world and then the world of energetic healing, I knew my place was in the healing arts.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I have trained in many healing modalities and offer sessions which are a true integration of everything I have learned to date.

I am guided which combination of modalities will serve the highest good for each session. This means that each session is bespoke to the individual and/or group receiving the healing. The work we do together at Soul Healing Journey supports the internal energetic shifts needed in order to live a life of peace, harmony and joy as well as be in alignment with your soul purpose.

What changes do you plan in 2022?

I find I am teaching more and more workshops, facilitating groups and providing training in person, online and at conferences. I am expanding my corporate wellness offerings as well as customizing packages for small businesses.

What should someone expect from working with you?

All sessions are dictated by the needs of the client on that day and every session is thus individualized to each person’s needs. Over more than 20 years, I have seen individuals change their careers, work through major trauma and abuse, and improve their current relationships or create new ones.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

Healing is a collaboration or a partnership involving mind, body and spirit as well as a chosen practitioner. Contact me today for a free 30-minute discovery session about how we can work together to achieve your goals. See ad, page 12.

What changes do you plan in 2022?

I continually strive to educate myself to better serve in my practice. New modalities are often added or incorporated into my offerings. 2022 promises even greater expansion with the addition of Quantum Healing Hypnosis and Spiritual Response Therapy.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

The greatest wish I have for all my clients is that they truly know what it feels like to be loved unconditionally. Many of us have not been given that gift and need to learn how to give it to ourselves.

No matter where you are, where you’ve been and where you’re going, you deserve to know and love every aspect of yourself.

See ad, page 5.

Natural Living Directory 2022 53

Bradford Tilden, MM, CMT, UWT

Crystal Music Healing CT/MA, remotely and globally 860-830-5841 Info@CrystalMusicHealing.com CrystalMusicHealing.com Summary/services offered: I teach professional certification classes in Universal White Time (UWT) Healing. I perform sound healing meditations. I offer sessions in UWT Healing, Lemurian Intuitive crystal and sound healing, guided visualization and vocal activation coaching. I sell crystals, gemstones and original healing music.

What drew you to this profession?

Creating music is my gift to the world. Discovering that my music has inspirational healing qualities led me to the healing arts. These disciplines have guided me through personal health recovery, spiritual growth, empowerment and transformation. Now I provide to others what I have achieved for myself.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I use exclusive, powerful and effective higher vibrational modalities such as UWT, of which I am the only certified Gemstone Healing Teacher in the Northeast.

What should someone expect from working with you?

I strive to ensure my clients and students obtain a sense of peace, empowerment and improved quality of life. Clients feel safe and trusting of my abilities, patience and non-judgement.

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

I am continuing to grow a community of certified UWT practitioners, developing a sound healing certification program and offering the UWT Level 1 Energy Healing Class online.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

I love to be interviewed. Reach out to me! I will also travel to teach the UWT classes to your local community. Also, I am a resident sound healer at the Bridge Healing Arts Center in Farmington, CT and facilitate a sound meditation every other Thursday evening at 6pm. See ad, page 29.

54

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Touch of Sedona & Sedona Art

Purveyor of Art & Spirit Guided Inspiration Marge Courtney, Owner 450-452 Main St, Ridgefield • 203-438-7146 Instagram: @Touch.of.Sedona Summary/services offered: I am a purveyor of art and spirit.

I consider my sister stores a center for spirituality, exploring creativity, expanding intuition and healing energy of the earth. I enjoy being in retail and being part of the healing community.

What drew you to this profession?

My love for the Southwest and Native American arts inspired Touch of Sedona. It has been a unique destination in Ridgefield, CT for over 25 years. It has been my passion to share the beauty and abundance of Native American culture, art and jewelry with the local community and beyond.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

The creative arts have always been important to me and I believe in their power to heal. Sedona Art opened on February 14th, 2020, adding to the other products and services being offered. In opening the art store, I hope to support the arts and artists in the community and inspire positive energy with more art, love and spirit.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

It is my hope that more people, young and old, will discover the benefits of following the inspiration of the earth, the arts and Native American traditions. In 2022, the stores will expand their reach by providing items and services that support the healing arts, such as intuitive readings, crystals, candles, music, incense, sage, singing bowls, tarot cards, etc., as well as art supplies, art materials and intuitive workshops in the expressive arts.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

I invite everyone to explore their creative side and discover the positive energy that is available to us all. This, along with intuitive readings, spiritual guidance and all that Touch of Sedona and Sedona Art offers, couldn’t have manifested at a better time.

See ad, page 25.

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Transformation Center CT Mataji Katie Augustyn 7 Reimer Rd, Westport 203-820-3800 TransformationCenterCT@gmail.com TransformationCenterCT.com

Summary/services offered: We offer group workshops and classes, including the monthly Spiritual Connection & Evolution Class on the second Saturday afternoon, Shamanic Clinics on Zoom the second Tuesday evening and monthly Satsang on Zoom the third or fourth Wednesday evening. We also offer individual coaching and healing sessions, including Shamanic sessions. We recently added a Labyrinth to the Center’s backyard and incorporate that into most sessions. Our offerings are designed for those seeking healing, spiritual growth and personal transformation.

What drew you to this profession?

I have a passion for empowering people to be who they truly are, and to discover their purpose. Once I realized how beneficial energy healing and coaching were for me, I wanted to use them to allow others to create fulfilling and meaningful lives for themselves.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I have training and experience in several modalities that I use to help my clients heal, evolve and transform their lives. Each client receives a personalized session tailored to their individual needs.

We also offer a variety of group workshops and classes.

What should someone expect from working with you?

You will be nurtured and honored, and you will release energy and patterns that don’t serve you, replacing limiting erroneous beliefs with empowering accurate beliefs. You will experience a greater self-awareness, have less fear and achieve clarity on what you need to have the life you want.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

We will continue to hold some of our events outdoors when possible and incorporate the Labyrinth. We will partner with other practitioners to offer Sound Baths, Group Meditations, Intuitive Readings and more.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

We are all connected and are here to help each other thrive. We all have what we need inside of us, and I can assist you in accessing your inner knowing and spiritual resources to be who you truly are and live a life that you love. See ads, pages 2 and 21.

Two Coyotes Wilderness School

197 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown • 203-843-3112 Programs@TwoCoyotes.org • TwoCoyotes.org Facebook.com/TwoCoyotes Instagram.com/TwoCoyotes Summary/services offered: Two Coyotes Wilderness School is a nonprofit nature mentoring organization that connects people to nature, community and self. We design interdisciplinary programs that provide a dynamic environment for students to face challenges, engage their natural curiosity and cultivate an intrinsic love for learning. Since 2000, we have honed our innovative and transformative programs through school day, child and caregiver, rites of passage, mentor-in-training, adult apprenticeship and summer camp programs.

What drew you to this profession?

Two Coyotes was founded in 2000 to help young people foster a connection to nature and their environment. Our work is a response to a history that began, on this continent, with the forcible removal of indigenous people from their land, continued as nature and wilderness environments became white spaces in America and persists today as many urban residents lack easy access to safe outdoor spaces in their community. Today’s youth spend more time indoors and in front of screens, whether at home or in school, than any other generation. We are committed to addressing these inequities and to help today’s youth foster a sense of self that is rooted in a sense of place.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

We believe that nature connection is our birthright as humans, and therefore every activity, game or song that we introduce helps foster connection with the earth. Unlike other youth programs, Two Coyotes Wilderness School challenges young people to learn about themselves as they encounter the natural world and understand their own place in it. We believe our unique emphasis on mentoring, cultural practices and personal growth results in stronger intergenerational connections, deeper community ties, greater self-awareness and profound respect for the Earth.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

We have been running in-person programs successfully, with necessary COVID precautions, since June 2020. We will continue to offer the following in-person, outdoor programs in 2022: Coyote Village School Year Program, Summer Camp, Coyote Pups, Heartwood Wilderness Skills and Mentor-in-Training.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

Two Coyotes has a vision of creating a healthier and more connected future for all people. We inspire enthusiasm for learning in creative and invisible ways by utilizing the abundance of child passions as teaching tools. Our programs nurture values such as service, thanksgiving, leadership, self-trust, respect, teamwork, fun and discovery. See ad, page 21.

Natural Living Directory 2022 55

Dr. Veena Verma-Dzik, ND, FIAMA 105 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield 203-431-9726 DrVerma@InsightCounselingLLC.com DoctorVeena.com

Summary/services offered: Dr. Verma specializes in treating patients with Lyme disease and other vector-borne infections, women’s health, ADD/ADHD, GI conditions, MTHFR, mood imbalances, allergies, fatigue and hormonal imbalances. Therapies she prescribes include herbal medicines, nutritional therapeutics, homeopathic medicines and low dose immunotherapy. To obtain an accurate diagnosis, she makes use of in-depth functional laboratory testing and practices the art of medicine. Capable of integrating her therapies with a conventional medical treatment plan, Dr. Verma’s extensive experience allows her to bridge the gaps between these two approaches.

What drew you to this profession?

I was searching for more. More ways to connect with my patients, to give them the answers and solutions to their health concerns, and give them the support they need. People deserve to have answers to their health concerns, and the utmost quality of care.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

Patients get the time and attention they need for their health, both physically and emotionally.

What should someone expect from working with you?

One will receive a supportive physician that they have long needed, as well as attention and support. Each patient I see receives personalized care involving research-based treatments and therapies from my own clinical experience and success.

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

I will continue to provide all that my patients need, and stay current with the latest research.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

They will have a doctor that listens and will support them in their journey to regaining all aspects of health. My success lies not only in identifying and treating the physiological cause of each individual’s condition, but also in spending time to get to know my patients, educating them on how to make effective lifestyle changes and providing the insight and support each person needs to maintain those changes. My focus is to help my patients achieve both physical and emotional health, as well as to prevent future illness. See ad, page 19.

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Vis Wellness Center

Nicole Klughers, ND, PharmD, MSAc Rocky Hill & Virtual Visits 234-2-ACU-DOC Info@DrNicoleKlughers.com DrNicoleKlughers.com Summary/services offered: As a licensed naturopathic physician, acupuncture specialist, former pharmacist and community educator, I offer all-natural solutions to restore optimal health and help people of all ages reclaim a life of energy, balance and joy. By listening closely to your story and utilizing detailed testing, I work to identify and address the root cause of health concerns. In other words, I serve as a “health detective” who will thoroughly “investigate” to find the culprit of any symptoms.

What drew you to this profession?

While formerly working as a pharmacist, I observed the limitations of conventional medicine in its ability to offer long-term, healing solutions. Oftentimes, patients could only take a medication for so long before another health condition, complication or side effect developed. I knew there had to be a better way for me to provide “health” care to my community and I realized that many people weren’t satisfied with the idea of relying on drugs for the rest of their lives.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

Since I have experience in a variety of healthcare settings, I practice as an integrative physician. I focus on utilizing natural therapies, yet also recommend appropriate conventional approaches if needed. People often come to me after they’ve visited many other doctors for their health concerns yet still have trouble finding answers and effective treatments.

What should someone expect from working with you?

Individuals I work with can expect to become a healer of their own body and mind, be empowered to take charge of their health, and feel well again. I serve as a guide, teacher and supporter and dedicate 60 to 90 minutes per appointment in order to best provide the care that people need.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

The word “doctor” comes from the Latin word docere, which means “to teach”. Fully embracing the role of “Doctor as Teacher”, I’ll be expanding offerings of my free wellness classes both online and in-person. This is a way for me to provide our local and distant communities with tools for healthy living.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

Passionate and knowledgeable about health, healing and nature, I am truly honored to do this work. I am here to help everyone I can to experience a life of wellness—naturally. See ad, page 29.

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The Office of Dr. Michael Wald Dr. Michael Wald, D.C. Board-Certified Nutritionist, Dietitian 29 King St, 2nd Floor, Chappaqua, NY 914-552-1442 • Info@BloodDetective.com DrMichaelWald.com

Summary/services offered: Dr. Michael Wald started out as a doctor of chiropractic, then gained his master’s degree as well as two board certifications in nutrition. The services he offers range from laboratory blood tests, to hyperbaric and low-temperature sauna, to adrenal and body-fat measurements and nonradiation bone density, among others.

What drew you to this profession?

My father was a nutritionist and chiropractor who not only helped hundreds of people, but he stabilized my multiple sclerosis—and at age 56, I run marathons, push weights and enjoy nature and life to the fullest.

How does your work differ from that of others in your profession?

I might be considered different mainly because of my development of the BloodDetective technology (software) and approach to determining healing plans for my patients. My software helps me interpret large amounts of lab data quickly and accurately by comparing my patients’ test results not merely to those of average people, but also to those of healthy people—often uncovering many hidden health problems.

What should someone expect from working with you?

Patients get my full attention and my 30+ years of clinical experience helping people naturally; and I have become an excellent diagnostician. I spent over 20 years developing my BloodDetective software technology that helps me nutritionally interpret large amounts of lab results—figuring out exactly how one should eat, what nutritional supplements and other healthy lifestyle measures to take—not just based on blood type, but more than 100 pieces of lab data. Finally, I know how to create health plans that people can actually follow over the long-term. I encourage patient participation and provide my personal cell number for texting and calls.

This is why they call me the Blood Detective!

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

My goals include incorporating the most advanced natural, nutritional and laboratory sciences into my practice. I continue to teach seminars for health professionals and the public, both live and via Zoom, as well as my podcasts (Ask The BloodDetective).

Wolf Spirit Wellness 670 Main St South Ste B2, Woodbury 203-263-3175 Info@WolfSpiritWellness.org WolfSpiritWellness.org

Summary/ services offered: Wolf Spirit Wellness and Counseling offers both traditional and alternative mental health counseling for individuals, families, couples and groups.

How does your work differ from that of others in your profession?

We specialize in trauma (PTSD, complex trauma, and family trauma) from a neurobiological and somatic perspective. We utilize alternative healing methods such as Reiki, meditation and hypnosis in our traditional sessions, so our clients get the maximum benefit of the mind, body and spirit connection.

What should someone expect from working with you?

We are Mind, Body and Spirit connected and collaborate with MDs, APRNs and BCBAs to ensure our clients and their families have a coordination of care that reflects a holistic and traditional (where warranted) perspective. We feel this is the optimal way for our clients to achieve successful healing while learning to navigate their world in the healthiest manner.

What changes do you have planned for 2022?

We are adding Conscious Parenting and have begun working on an Autism program for adults on the spectrum What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

We are providing telehealth, in office and in-home therapy for individuals, couples and families. We take most commercial insurance, Husky/Medicaid and will work on a sliding scale with clients who have no insurance. The Wolf Spirit Family is ready to assist you on your journey towards your own mind, body and spirit connection. See ad, page 8.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

People deserve health and I have the focus, energy and experience to find healing solutions when many of my patients’ prior practitioners could not. That’s because I have the knowledge, technologies and drive to create healing plans for people that can work and are do-able. An important part of my work is my BloodDetective approach that finds hidden problems by comparing people to “healthy” and not merely “average” people. See ad, page 4.

Natural Living Directory 2022 57

Photo by sun ok on Shutterstock

business spotlights

Act Natural Health & Wellness

AngelHappiness with Robin Tesei

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Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

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ct Natural Health & Wellness was born of one woman’s passion to live a healthy life in today’s less than healthy world.

Community need is one of the main reasons Pam Pinto opened the doors of Act Natural Health & Wellness, in Torrington, in 2014. In the fall of 2021, a second store location opened its doors in Wolcott.

At Act Natural Health & Wellness, customers can find professional, food-grade vitamins and supplements, homeopathic remedies, essential oils, loose herbs and tea and a pharmaceutical grade line of CBD, Delta8 and Delta9 products. Special orders are welcome, and a bulk discount is available. Customers rely on the “PPA” certification—Pam Pinto Approved.

As more and more people become interested and concerned about the foods they eat and their effects on long-term health, one of her main goals is to provide access to organic produce and grass-fed meats. To accomplish this, she offers a 30 percent off Buy Club affiliation with Wholesome Healing Network PMA, hosts a monthly farmer/vendor market in Wolcott and provides access to Amish farm bi-weekly food deliveries to both store locations.

Pinto, a Nutrition Consultant and Reiki Master, began a nutrition consulting practice in 2004, often speaking to local groups and organizations. She has provided health and wellness programs to the Employee Wellness Center at ESPN. Locations: 45 Water St, Torrington; 1 Wolcott Rd, Wolcott. For more information, visit ActNaturalHealth.com. See ad, page 9.

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

obin Tesei is a spiritual coach, angel medium, spiritual teacher and healer, who works in partnership with the angelic realm to guide, spiritually awaken, enhance one’s inner wisdom, strengthen divine connections, release limiting beliefs and heal emotional and physical ailments. Her purpose is to illuminate clients’ spiritual paths of healing and growth.

Tesei’s passion for empowering Robin Tesei others arose 20 years ago when she was experiencing personal challenges and learned to work with and trust the divine angels. When doing so, she saw her life transform into more joy, greater self-love, challenges became manageable, miracles appeared and she felt empowered from the angels’ unconditional love, support and healing. As a result, AngelHappiness was created to nurture these types of positive transformations.

AngelHappiness offers workshops, angel readings, healing sessions, mediumship and meditations, where Tesei and a client’s angels will gently and lovingly guide them along their spiritual journey and support their spiritual development.

Tesei has certifications in Angel Communications, Angel Healing, Angel Therapy, Angelspeake, Angel Card Readings, Spiritual Coaching, Mediumship and Reiki. She continuously enhances her learning and growth by taking numerous spiritual workshops, seminars and trainings.

Connect at Robin@AngelHappiness.com or AngelHappiness.com.

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New Insights Boutique

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ew Insights is committed to nurturing self-awareness and empowerment by offering tools, information and services to help heal and nourish one’s path to spiritual growth. They offer crystals, gemstone jewelry, altar and healing tools, aroma and sound therapy, bohemian accessories, local artists, Zen décor, inspirational gifts and so much more.

In addition to a vast collection of magical and healing products, New Insights hosts practitioners every week including energy healers, astrology, tarot readers, mediumship, Angel communications, Akashic Records and Lenormand readers. Classes and workshops are held in their very own Crystal Healing Room.

The mission of New Insights is to provide an oasis of support for all beings on the journey of cultivating true connection with themselves and the world around them.

“Each of us has a story to tell and each story is important to the whole,” says shop owner, Susan Bucur. “This boutique is meant to be fun, interesting and perhaps add value to your search for truth. We know you will find our space to be a valuable resource of beauty, rejuvenation, guidance and optimism for anyone on the journey of reconnecting to their true nature.”

Location: 111 Church Hill Rd, Ste 2, Sandy Hook. Connect at 203-204-6263, Info@NewInsightsBoutique.com or NewInsightsBoutique.com.

See ad, page 15.

Nikken Wellness with Julie Clark

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ikken is a research and development company that has invested over 46 years to studying health and how to make our lives better. Through the work of consultants like Julie Clark, MT(ASCP), Nikken accomplishes Julie Clark this by helping people achieve balance with the “5 Pillars of Wellness”: healthy mind, body, family, society and finances.

Nikken products make being healthy simple, convenient and affordable.

“I know that Nikken makes a difference in the lives of those who choose Nikken Wellness. I am a retired Medical Technologist who left my hospital ‘sick world job’ to be in the wonderful well world of Nikken,” explains Clark. “My husband and I have been using, loving and benefitting from Nikken for 25 years. Most people are on one of two roads, and I believe in prevention and not prescription. Good health is priceless and prevention is the key.”

Clark’s passion is to help those who are suffering physically or financially to feel better. She teaches about better choices, including organic, grounding, technologies of nature and more. “We create ‘wellness homes’ to give our bodies the environment needed for better health, with products to comfort and support the body for a long, healthy, happy, satisfied, successful life,” she says.

For the best water, Clark recommends the PiMag Waterfall System for purified, structured, mineralized, low-redox, magnetized and alkalinized water. The KenkoAir is a high quality (no ozone) HEPA air purifier, much like the CDC website recommends. She also notes the Magnetic Energy mStride Insoles, MagFlex back magnet and KenkoGround grounding mat.

Some wellness products Clark suggests are Jade GreenZymes (nature’s super food) and Immunity, which is made of 14 strains of organic mushrooms in one capsule.

Connect at 203-206-8640, Jimc133@hotmail.com or JulieClark.mynikken.com.

Past Life Reading with Ronnie Ann Ryan

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onnie Ann Ryan has been a Love and Magical Life Coach for 20 years. She quickly zeroes in on the heart of the matter, offering keen insights from the highest source with compassion.

Clients will come away with helpful answers and practical actions they can take.

Past life trauma can be the root cause of present life drama in the areas of dating Ronnie Ann Ryan and relationships, money, career, family and friendships, or talents and skills.

“Are you stuck at a crossroads, feeling confused and unsure about what to do? Maybe you’ve noticed patterns in your life that make things difficult,” says Ryan. “If you want to understand, clear and resolve issues, a Past Life Reading will help. Gain a spiritual perspective on a situation for deeper insights, powerful solutions and positive next steps. Then clear with energy healing.”

The author of six books including MANifesting Mr. Right and Is He The One: How to Find Mr. Right by Spotting Mr. Wrong, Ryan hosts the Breathe Love & Magic podcast which is all about practical mystical methods (BreatheLoveAndMagic.com) and The Past Life Travelogue radio show where she is your tour guide through time every Tuesday night at 7pm Tinyurl.com/The-PastLife-Travelogue.

She can work with clients via Zoom or phone.

Connect at 203-877-3777 or NeverTooLate.biz/reading to book your reading.

Natural Living Directory 2022 59

HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTORY LISTINGS

This comprehensive resource guide includes community leaders in natural health, green living and personal empowerment.

No matter what your vision or mission is for this year, we are certain you will find someone or something in the following pages that inspires and supports your efforts to become healthier and happier.

Here’s to your vibrant 2022!

13TH OCTAVE/LAHOCHI SOUL HEALING JOURNEY, LLC Eilis Philpott Fairfield 203-767-5954 Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com SoulHealingJourney.com

Eilis is a master healer and teacher and certified in numerous modalities as both a practitioner and teacher. She is one of only two people approved to teach 13th Octave/LaHoChi in the U.S. She offers soul level healing, which clears any blocks, obstacles and challenges that are preventing you from living your life to its fullest potential. See ad, page 5.

ACUPUNCTURE HEALTHFUL HARMONY

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

Dr. Amy Wiesner 91 East Ave, Second Floor, Norwalk 203-962-5887 DrAmyWiesner@gmail.com HealthfulHarmony.com Dr. Wiesner, practicing for almost 20 years, uses acupuncture, lifestyle medicine, nutritional supplementation and homeopathy to help her patients achieve health and well-being. Infertility, Diabetes, Stress, Pain, Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Allergies, Headaches, Cardiovascular Disease, Lyme Disease, Menstrual Disorders, other imbalances.

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

ALL THINGS HEALTH & WELLNESS SHIRLEY R. BLOETHE 860-989-0033 PassItOnLLC.com

Energy worker and Reiki Master Practitioner who channels intuitive messages. She is also an ordained priest in the Order of Melchizedek. Labozzo is passionate about guiding and healing others through her experiences while bringing peace and love into the world. See ads, pages 21, 29 & 37.

AMPCOIL CENTER AMPCOIL

Freddie Kimmel, Product Expert 95 Cross Hwy, Redding 833-267-2645 Freddie@AmpCoil.com AmpCoil.com Extraordinary Wellness!

AmpCoil is an extraordinary system that delivers sound frequencies through PEMF to harmonize, balance, and support you on your journey to wellness. 90% of AmpCoil’s most active users reported that AmpCoil has been instrumental to their personal wellness, and over 55% reported that they experience relief from symptoms related to Lyme or other chronic conditions. See ad, back cover.

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ART & HEALING SEDONA ART - SISTER STORE TO TOUCH OF SEDONA Marge Courtney, Owner Lily Fertik, Store Manager 450 Main St, Ridgefield 203-244-5520 @SedonaArt06877

The expressive arts are alive and well at Sedona Art. Inspiration and supplies for the artist and creatives of all ages. Check out Instagram or SedonaArt.net for intuitive, spiritual and expressive workshops. We look forward to sseeing you. See ad, page 25.

ASTROLOGY EVOLUTIONARY ASTROLOGY AND HEALING ARTS EDUCATION

Alexa Lane, Evolutionary Astrologer and Holistic Consultant 203-988-4190 Alexa@AlexaLane.com AlexaLane.com Evolutionary Astrology can help reveal your gifts, evolve your soul, and guide you toward creativity, prosperity, and love.

Consultations include practices to help manifest the life you envision. The Healing Arts School offers Reiki and Yoga certification that combines modern science with ancient wisdom.

AYURVEDA NEERU KAUSHIK, ND, MS ACU, MS, MA Institute for Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Therapies 805 Kings Highway East, Fairfield 203-331-9111 DrKaushik@AyurvedicInstituteCT.com AyurvedicInstituteCT.com

A combination of Ayurveda and Naturopathy is used to create a unique treatment plan to regain and maintain health. Based on one’s particular body constitution (dosha), a plan may include supplements, diet/ nutrition suggestions, lifestyle management, detoxification, hydrotherapy, 0zone therapy, Panchakarma. See ad, page 25.

BOOKS SONIA SABHARWAL, AUTHOR Scarsdale, NY 10583 914-318-4271 SoniaAabharwalAuthor.com Sgroe2021@gmail.com

Author Sonia Sabharwal’s new book “Spiritual Genocide – The Reincarnation of Earth” is the present commandment and a “celestial” vaccine much needed in the time of world crisis. It sparks celestial light and diminishes optical illusions, and brings insight and clarity to complicated universal concepts. Available now: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Google Play, and international websites.

BIRTH AND POSTPARTUM CARE BIRTH PARTNERS DOULAS OF CONNECTICUT 203-718-6512 lnfo@birthpartnersdoulas.com BirthPartnersDoulas.com

Not Just doulas... Birth Partners! Proudly serving clients for over 30 years, providing quality birth and postpartum doula care.

Contact us anytime for more information.

BREATHWORK & SPIRITUAL HEALING/COACHING THE MIND & BREATHING EDGE

Alexia Clonda Online & Phone Consultations & Sessions, Workshops 607-319-9161 MindBreathingEdge@gmail.com TheMindBreathingEdge.com • Clonda.cc I am a Mindset Healing, Human Growth and Breathing Coach, utilizing ThetaHealing. 20+ years experience, I can help you heal your relationships, pain, health and family, work and life stresses, releasing the fears that have limited you. I can help you create the life you wish, long and desire for, releasing old beliefs, patterns and habits that no longer serve you for living your life to the fullest and your potential. I have helped and witnessed many people clear limiting beliefs and issues enabling them to move forward in their lives with renewed awareness, confidence, clarity and fulfillment. I will provide you with the tools and resources to become the best version of you and live the life you do truly love and deserve.

See ad, page 2.

BREAST THERMOGRAPHY SOPHIA NATURAL HEALTH CENTER Ken Hoffman, DACM, LAc, Medical Director 31 Old Rte 7, Brookfield 203-740-9300 • INM.Center

Women’s Health: hormonal balancing, breast cancer prevention. Breast and full body thermography screening. Screening and treatment of chronic inflammation using medical infrared thermography (MIT). Safe, painless and non-invasive, thermography can detect early changes in breast tissue up to eight years before a mammogram. FDA-registered, our high-definition camera is the most advanced in the region.

CAREER COACH / HYPNOTIST THEA LITSIOS

Certified Career Coach Hypnotist, & Teacher of Active Dreaming TheaLitsios.com • 203-693-1493 I help you clear away subconscious blocks and use intuition to discover your unique gifts. My clients create a meaningful career of their dreams that is Soul Centered.

When you are ready to have a career that lights you up, call for a free 60-minute consultation. 12+ years experience helping clients connect to their soul. See ad, page 2.

CAVE RENTAL/ UNIQUE GATHERING SPACE SALT CAVE OF DARIEN

555 Post Rd, Darien 203-658-7667 Info@SaltCaveofDarien.com SaltCaveofDarien.com

Our wellness destination offers a rich lineup of therapies and experiences: private cave rentals in our luxurious salt cave, couples/ friends date night, salt cave sessions, massage and energy work, unique special events with local healers, and weekly yoga classes. See ad, page 2.

CBD CBD LIVE NATURAL

A DIVISION OF CUSTOM CANDLE CO. 720 North Bedford Rd., Bedford Hills NY 914-705-1111 • CBDLiveNatural.com Free delivery to CT. Now you can feel your best and know that there is a solution to change the quality of life so that you can live naturally without prescription drugs. CBD OILS, DELTA 8 AND DELTA 9 EAGABULES. Products for People and Pets. Please call or visit our online store.

COMMUNITY BUILDING CONNECTICUT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 43 Field St, Waterbury 203-753-1315 Info@ConnCF.org ConnCF.org

Strengthening Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills through the power of giving since 1923. What difference do you want to make in your community — not just today, but years, decades, generations from now? See ad, page 33.

COUNSELING MEG REILLY

MegReilly360.com 203-952-6272 Meg guides people to their own intuitive knowing, their own inner wisdom. Using various modalities, she helps you to overcome the challenges that prevent you from listening compassionately to your inner voice so you can create the life you want.

CHINESE MEDICINE ACUBLEND PLLC

Dr. Sian James, DACM, LAc, LMT, RYT Locations in Stamford, Westport & Fairfield 203-987-6585 AcuBlend.com AcuBlend will serve your healthcare needs by blending the art and science of wellness, offering acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, Gua Sha, Tui Na, massage therapy, movement therapies, herbal medicine and much more. See ad, page 8.

EDUCATION & APOTHECARY TWIN STAR HERBAL EDUCATION & COMMUNITY APOTHECARY Lupo Passero 64 Railroad St, #S, New Milford 860-350-0077 Info@TwinStarTribe.com TwinStarTribe.com.com

Twin Star offers community classes and certificate trainings on Herbalism, Flower Essences, Plant Spirit Healing, Ancestral Healing, Goddess & Herbal Witch Programs. Our Apothecary hosts a variety of herbal products, bulk herbs, handmade tinctures, teas, topical preparations, and more. In-person and Online!

Natural Living Directory 2022 61

EDUCATION EMBODY THE SACRED

Deana Paqua, MA, LMT Ridgefield and New Milford Deana.Paqua@gmail.com EmbodyTheSacred.net Offering classes, training programs, healing sessions and mentoring in cross-cultural energy medicine and contemporary shamanism for healers, spiritual seekers and the energy sensitive. Learn self-healing, self-empowerment and trauma transformation through the sacred. See ad, page 14.

INSTITUTE FOR HOLISTIC HEALTH STUDIES

Christel Autuori, MA, RDH, E-RYT 200, NBC-HWC Western Connecticut State University 181 White St, Danbury 203-837-8559 AutuoriC@WCSU.edu • WCSU.edu/IHHS The mission of the Institute for Holistic health Studies (IHHS) is to provide the University and Greater Danbury area with opportunities to engage in and explore different aspects of holistic and integrative health through programming and instruction. Our programs are currently offered virtually, but we hope to offer programs in person in the near future. Ongoing programs include the monthly Mudra Meditations and Virtual Stressbusters, a series of stress management offerings, accessed through the IHHS website (www. wcsu.edu/ihhs). Our programs are open to the public and offered free of charge. Please visit us online for detailed information about virtual programs.

TWO COYOTES WILDERNESS SCHOOL

P.O. Box 711, Monroe TwoCoyotes.org Facebook.com/TwoCoyotes Instagram.com/TwoCoyotes

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

Two Coyotes Wilderness School is a non-profit nature mentoring organization that connects people to nature, community, and self.

We offer nature-based mentorship programs year-round for all ages, including weekly school day programs, a caregiver and child program, summer camps, and an adult apprenticeship program. See ad, page 21.

WHOLESOME HEALING MINISTRIES PMA LEARNING CENTER Pam Pinto, Founder, Education Director 45 Water St, Torrington 860-482-8477 PPinto@snet.net WholesomeHealingNetwork.com

The Learning Center is an outreach ministry of Wholesome Healing Ministries. A response to the educational paradigm shift as parents become more concerned for their child(s) safety, curriculum, lack of parental control regarding medical freedom, closed door policy and overall stress to the family.

The Learning Center is where children, ages 5-17, are able to learn in a safe and comfortable environment where parents are involved. Self directed learning/education that derives from the self-chosen activities and life experiences of the learner. See ad, page 9.

ENERGY HEALING CALMING CROW NATURAL HEALING Amanda Hynes, Reiki Master, Cert N.H. Terryville 203-231-9709 Facebook: @CalmingCrowNaturalHealing CalmingCrowNaturalHealing@gmail.com

I am a Natural Healer and Empath. Sessions available for Reiki, Crystal Energy Healing, Chakra Balancing (w/pendulum work) and Guided Meditation and Distance Healing. I also offer crystals, eye pillows and hand-made items to bolster any session.

BETH LEAS

Transformative Healing • Tarot Virtual and In-Person Sessions 203-856-9566 BethLeas.com If not now, when? Inspire change on all levels—greater physical ease, emotional freedom, peace of mind and spiritual connection. 30+ years of intuitive healing experience with adults and children of all ages. Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Tarot. See ad, page 2.

SOUL HEALING JOURNEY, LLC Eilis Philpott Fairfield 203-767-5954 Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com SoulHealingJourney.com

Eilis is a master healer and teacher and certified in numerous modalities as both a practitioner and teacher. She offers soul level healing, which clears any blocks, obstacles and challenges that are preventing you from living your life to its fullest potential. See ad, page 5.

ESSENTIAL OILS WAYNE LEISS, LMT, CAO 20 Fifth Ave, Apt A, Danbury 203-994-1207 Wayne@WayneLeiss.com WayneLeiss.com

Essential oils address stress reduction, support the natural functioning of body systems and can enhance overall well-being.

They are used in topical, internal and aromatic applications. Improve physically, emotionally and spiritually as Wayne teaches you about the benefits and uses of massage with natural and pure dōTERRA Essential Oils. See ad, page 2.

MUSE OF WELLNESS

Asami Green, Reiki Master, Certified doTERRA AromaTouch Technique practitioner, Meditation Muse, Intuitive Visual Artist Locations in Fairfield and Bridgeport 203-590-1737 Info@MuseOfWellness.com MuseOfWellness.com Asami helps clients achieve optimal wellness on all levels, encouraging the healthy flow of energy with doTERRA AromaTouch Technique® essential oil healing combined with Reiki. Each essential oil with the power of the human touch provides wholesome benefits. See ad, page 8.

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.” ~John Lubbock 62

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

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FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE TAMARA SACHS, MD

Functional Medicine and Integrative Care LLC 15 Bennitt St, New Milford 860-354-3304 • TSachsMD.com Using Functional Medicine, Dr. Sachs prevents and treats chronic illnesses by addressing their underlying root causes, remaining respectful of the uniqueness, complexity and intuitions that make us human. Trained at Mt. Sinai Medical School and Yale University Hospital in Internal Medicine, in 2003 she opened Functional Medicine and Integrative Care LLC. She has great success with IBS, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, autoimmune problems, toxicity and more, by creating individualized, realistic and comprehensive personalized wellness plans. She consults in her New Milford, CT office, and also by phone or video using telemedicine.

FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION COACH RENEE EDGE

Functional Nutrition Coach Edge to Health 860-681-3427 Renee@Edgetohealth.com EdgetoHealth.com Change your child’s attention, behavior, and mood using food everyone in the family will enjoy. Helping parents make changes to their child’s diet and food choices to bring about healing in their body and brain to promote behavior change.

HEALING CENTER TURNING POINT HEALING ARTS & EDUCATION CENTER

JoAnn Inserra Duncan, MS, RMT 100B Danbury Rd, Ste 101, Ridgefield 203-438-3050 TurningPointReiki.com/Healing-Arts-Center TPHA & EC is a central resource for healthy living and wellness in Ridgefield.

This vibrant, serene, HEALING ARTS & EDUCATION CENTER energetically positive center Heal. Enlighten. Renew. is home to skilled practitioners and teachers offering holistic services and educational programs to empower and enhance both the individual and community. Reiki, Zero Balancing, Evidential Psychic Mediumship, Shamanic and Cross-Cultural Healing and much more. See ad, page 14.

HEALING SPA REVIVE SALT THERAPY & WELLNESS 374 New Haven Ave, Milford 203-283-5968 Hello@ReviveSaltTherapy.com ReviveSaltTherapy.com

A Holistic Healing Spa for Body, Mind, and Soul. We offer Halotherapy/ Salt Therapy, Infrared Sauna, Reiki, Quantum Healing, Massage Therapy, Sound Healing, Yoga, and Wellness plus a Crystal Shop. We offer unique and potent products and services to accelerate physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing.

See ad, page 2.

HEALTH & WELLNESS COACHING AROCO HEALTH & WELL-BEING COACHING

Andrea Rose Cohen Fairfield 646-528-7474 AndreaRoseCohen@gmail.com A-Ro-Co.com Andrea is a Duke-trained Health and Well-Being Coach who empowers clients to make lasting behavior changes. Andrea supports clients in discovering ways to successfully reach and sustain health goals that are transformative and specific to each person’s unique life.

HOLISTIC NETWORKING HOLISTIC COMMUNITY PROFESSIONALS

Shirley R. Bloethe, Executive Director 860-255-8844 HCPinc.ORG@gmail.com HolisticCommunityProfessionals.org Holistic Community Professionals is an organization of holistic practitioners and businesses focused on improving health and wellness with products and services throughout New England.

We also connect consumers with a wide variety of modalities, holistic products, and services as well as offering two EXPOs a year at The DoubleTree by Hilton in Bristol. See website for details. See ad, page 29.

HOLISTIC WELLNESS CENTER OPEN SKY YOGA BARN & WELLNESS CENTER Cathy Whelehan 95 Cross Hwy, Redding 203-648-8023 CWheels33@mac.com

We are a welcoming community offering classes, workshops, spiritual counseling, AmpCoil sessions, concerts. Yoga offerings include asana, restorative, pranayama, chanting, philosophy, meditation, and ritual. Our garden-filled grounds featuring a river and labyrinth are designed to help you along your path. See ad, back cover.

INTEGRATIVE NATURAL MEDICINE SOPHIA NATURAL HEALTH CENTER Ken Hoffman, DACM, LAc, Medical Director 31 Old Rte 7, Brookfield 203-740-9300 INM.Center

Using naturopathic and Chinese medical principles, we get to the source of your health concerns.

Diagnostic methods include functional testing such as advanced bloodwork analysis, cardiovascular testing, hormone evaluation and thermography. Our customized treatment program includes acupuncture, herbal and nutritional medicine, diet and lifestyle counseling and more. Most insurance accepted.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE PHYSICIAN MEDICINE FOR LIVING

Dr. Alicia McKelvey 51 Sherman Hill Rd, Bldg A, Ste 104C, Woodbury 203-405-1464 Medicine4LivingCT@gmail.com MedicineForLivingCT.com Medicine for Living is an Integrative Medicine practice whose mission is to help clients achieve optimal health and disease prevention. Using powerful genomic tools, we are able to help patients understand aspects of their health and bodies previously unknown to them.

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INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE PHYSICIAN HENRY C. SOBO, MD

Optimal Health Medical LLC 111 High Ridge Rd, Stamford 203-348-8805 DrSobo.com Advances in Regenerative Medicine allow Dr. Sobo to offer cutting-edge technologies such as PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) treatments and adult stem cell therapy. Dr. Sobo’s integrative approach addresses a variety of conditions such as: food allergies, Alzheimer’s/ dementia, chronic fatigue syndrome, weight loss, hormonal health, fibromyalgia, anti-aging medicine, and MTHFR-Genetic Mutation.

See ad, page 24.

INTEGRATIVE OPTOMETRY EYECARE ASSOCIATES, PC

Dr. Randy Schulman, MS, OD, FCOVD Dr. Jason Grygier Dr. Diana Ngo Dr. Justin Rapp Dr. Sonia Singh Dr. Magy Tepliz Locations: 6515 Main St, Trumbull • 203-374-2020 444 Westport Ave, Norwalk • 203-840-1991 2600 Post Rd, Southport • 203-255-4005 1425 Bedford St, 1M, Stamford • 203-357-0204 CTEyecareAssociates.com We offer behavioral optometry, comprehensive vision exams, contact lenses and vision therapy. Call to schedule your appointment today.

LIFE & BUSINESS COACH JENN T PETERSON

Rising Starr Horse Rescue, Wilton Virtual & In-Person 917-340-1328 Hello@JennTPeterson.com JennTPeterson.com

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

Life & Business Coach With Horses & Shamanic Reiki Master Teacher. I help life coaches & energy healers gain clarity, increase confidence, breakthrough fears to market & sell your services, connect with ideal clients & make money.

15+ years creating Rising Stars. Virtual & In Person.

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LYME + CO-INFECTIONS ANDREA CANDEE, MH, MSC

30 years successful with Lyme/PANDAS AndreaCandee.com 914-763-8889 ACandee@usa.net Resistant viruses cause chronic Lyme (brain fog/headaches/pain/ fatigue+++). Quantum Physics targets/cancels disease. Protocols are three pronged: vibrational frequencies, including herbs and foods.

TURNING POINT REIKI LLC

JoAnn Inserra Duncan, MS, RMT 100B Danbury Rd, Ste 101, Ridgefield 203-438-3050 TurningPointReiki.com JoAnn uses intuition, experience and a deep spiritual connection in her Reiki, IET and Reconnective Healing sessions. Specializing in care for individuals with cancer, back pain, Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses.

All Reiki levels taught. See ad, page 14. og\

MASSAGE THERAPIST

A.T.B. MASSAGE

Amanda Etcheto L.M.T. 2030 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury A.Therapeutic.Beating@gmail.com Facebook: @ATherapeuticBeating Specializing in providing high-quality, therapeutic massage and body treatments incorporating multiple modalities including integration of energetic therapy. Now offering a 6 hour spa day experience!

KEEP CALM AND HEAL

Natalia K Gioli. LMT In home services 917-415-2451 • NatigiTherapies@gmail.com KeepCalmAndHeal.com Licensed in the states of NY and CT, specialized in Medical and Therapeutic Massages! Provide in home services and my goal with massage is to be able to help in the relief of pain, muscle tension and overall stress.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

MEDICAL DOCTOR VICKI SARA BLUMBERG, MD 105 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield 203-431-9726

Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Blumberg promotes healing via a healthy immune system. She practices low-dose immunotherapy for allergies, chronic diseases, autoimmune and Lyme. She treats opioid addiction with medical-assisted treatment.

For eligible patients, she will provide certification for medicinal marijuana. See ad, page 19.

MEDITATION CENTER FOR MINDFULNESS & INSIGHT MEDITATION

9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding 203-244-3130 • ReddingMeditation.org We teach and practice Mahasati meditation. Mahasati meditation cultivates selfawareness through attention to the movement of the body and, at more advanced levels, to the movement of the mind. No prior meditating experience is necessary. Ongoing weekly meditation classes, retreats and events. Please check monthly event calendar or visit ReddingMeditation.org for updated information.

MUSE OF WELLNESS

Asami Green, Reiki Master, Certified doTERRA AromaTouch Technique practitioner, Meditation Muse, Intuitive Visual Artist At Yoga For Everybody, Fairfield 203-590-1737 Info@MuseOfWellness.com MuseOfWellness.com Offering Weekly Reiki Infused Energy Cleansing and Recharge Guided Meditation to balance, calm and refresh your energy for your well-being at Yoga for Everyone in Fairfield. Please check for other unique monthly classes, meditation and workshops including healing with art. See ad, page 8.

MEG REILLY

Lectio360.com 203-952-6272 Meg helps you connect compassionately with your intuitive, inner voice. Join Meg for Lectio 360, a guided 30-minute contemplation to deepen and strengthen your personal spiritual practice, to help ground you in the sacred in every thing, every day.

MEDIUM DR. ELIZABETH RAVER, PHD 203-400-9212 RavElizabeth516@gmail.com DrLizMedium.com

Evidential Psychic Medium, PhD Psychology, Loving Heart Connections Facilitator (ClearingYoursoul.com), American Association of Psychics (AmericanAssociationOfPsychics. com) and Holistic Community Professionals Group. Offers sessions online and in person at the Red Barn in Durham (TheRedBarnInDurham.com). See ad, page 29.

METAPHYSICAL ARTIST HUMMINGBIRD SOUND YOGA LLC Barbara (Bobbi) Soares Merryall, New Milford 860-946-9470 BSoares@LightOfTheNewMoon.com HummingbirdSoundYoga.com Facebook @HummingbirdSoundYoga

Barbara (Bobbi) Soares, MA, CYT, is a metaphysical artist, photographer and musician available for performances, concerts and ceremonies. Bobbi’s band Hummingbird and Friends is well- known for their eclectic blend of chants, jazz, blues, reggae and country. As a solo performer/ poet & singer, her influences include John Cage, Sun Ra & Laurie Anderson. Her artwork can be viewed at Gallery 25 in New Milford and online. She studied improvisation with Bobby McFerrin, vocal yoga with Heather Lyle, and sound healing with Silvia Nakkach, John Beaulieu and Don Conreaux See ad, page 11.

METAPHYSICAL STORE THE ANGEL COOPERATIVE

51 Ethan Allen Hwy (Rte. 7), Ridgefield 203-431-2959 TheAngelCoop.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube The Angel Cooperative is a unique lifestyle boutique featuring the first and only Shungite Room in the USA. Wide selection of crystals, jewelry, candles, essential oils, divination tools, spiritual gifts, statuary, oracle decks and tarot and home décor. Available in The Shungite Room: readings, Reiki, meditation, sound therapy, energy work, workshops, and special events. See ad, page 16.

NEW INSIGHTS BOUTIQUE

Metaphysical Boutique and Center for Conscious Living Susan J. Bucur 111 Church Hill Rd. Sandy Hook 203-204-6263 Info@NewInsightsBoutique.com NewInsightsBoutique.com New Insights is committed to cultivating a community rooted in positivity and mindfulness.

We offer an extensive variety of tools for spiritual healing and expansion, and a full team of metaphysical practitioners.

Visit us and soak in the good vibes! See ad, page 15.

MOBILE MANUAL THERAPY FOR PAIN QARIB AHMED MS OTR/L

Holistic Healing Manual Therapy, Myofascial Release, COMT-UE, CNS, LSVT, FMT Throughout Fairfield County 203-570-0299 QaribAhmedTherapy@gmail.com ManualTherapyHealing.com Highly experienced Occupational Therapist, providing private in-home therapy with a holistic focus. I utilize many hands-on techniques, myofascial release being my main focus. I treat various conditions throughout the lifespan and am certified in treating many neurological and orthopedic conditions.

MOBILE REIKI REIKI WILL TRAVEL

Cheryl Benanti, Reiki Master Throughout Connecticut 860-966-0121 ReikiWillTravel@gmail.com ReikiWillTravel.com Reiki Will Travel LLC is a mobile service offering reiki in your home, at your business or special events. Office space is also available. Cheryl provides in-person and over the phone tarot readings, group reiki and reading events and horse reiki. See ad, page 29.

NATURAL HEALTH STORE ACT NATURAL HEALTH & WELLNESS

Pam Pinto, AADP, Nutrition Consultant, Reiki Master, Notary Public 45 Water St, Torrington • 860-482-8477 1 Wolcott Rd, Wolcott • 203-879-4774 Info@ActNaturalHealth.com ActNaturalHealth.com We have two locations and offer professional brands of vitamins, supplements, CBD, Delta8, Delta9, homeopathic & herbal & loose tea and more.

Supporting the community since 2014. Become a member of our 30% OFF Produce Buy Club.

Monthly farmer/vendor market. See ad, page 9.

NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN HEALTHFUL HARMONY

Dr. Amy Wiesner 91 East Ave, Second Floor, Norwalk 203-962-5887 DrAmyWiesner@gmail.com HealthfulHarmony.com Dr. Wiesner, practicing for almost 20 years, uses acupuncture, lifestyle medicine, nutritional supplementation and homeopathy to help her patients achieve health and well-being. Infertility, Diabetes, Stress, Pain, Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Allergies, Headaches, Cardiovascular Disease, Lyme Disease, Menstrual Disorders, other imbalances.

NEERU KAUSHIK, ND, MS ACU, MS, MA Institute for Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Therapies 805 Kings Highway East, Fairfield 203-331-9111 DrKaushik@AyurvedicInstituteCT.com

A combination of Ayurveda and Naturopathy is used to create a unique treatment plan to regain and maintain health. Based on one’s particular body constitution (dosha), a plan may include supplements, diet/nutrition suggestions, lifestyle management, detoxification, hydrotherapy, 0zone therapy, Panchakarma.

See ad, page 25.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” ~Henry David Thoreau Natural Living Directory 2022 65

NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN NICOLE KLUGHERS, ND, PHARMD, MSAC

Vis Wellness Center Rocky Hill & TeleMedicine Statewide (234) 2-ACU-DOC DrNicoleKlughers.com Info@DrNicoleKlughers.com Dr. Nicole Klughers offers comprehensive naturopathic care to restore optimal health and prevent disease. Dr. Nicole’s “health detective” approach identifies the root cause of symptoms and provides all-natural solutions such as personalized nutrition (food as medicine), herbal medicine, nutrient therapies, acupuncture and more. In-depth assessment is often done with detailed testing of vitamins/ minerals, hormones, advanced cardiovascular markers, inflammation, food sensitivities, gut/ microbiome and more. See ad, page 29.

ALICIA LAPOLICE ND LLC

47 Oak St, Ste 290, Stamford 203-276-1756 Contact@GreenwichNaturalMedicine.com GreenwichNaturalMedicine.com Naturopathic practice located in downtown Stamford. By using comprehensive testing, we get down to the root of your health needs.

We use education, holistic nutrition and herbal medicine to design individualized plans that promote health and lifelong healing.

DR. VEENA VERMA-DZIK, ND, FIAMA Insight Counseling, Ridgefield 105 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield 203-431-9726 DrVerma@InsightCounselingLLC.com DoctorVeena.com

Dr. Verma specializes in treating patients with Lyme disease and other vector-borne infections, women’s health, ADD/ADHD, GI conditions, MTHFR, mood imbalances, allergies, fatigue and hormonal imbalances. Capable of integrating her therapies with a conventional medical treatment plan, Dr. Verma’s extensive experience allows her to bridge the gaps between these two approaches. See ad, page 19.

NUTRITION OFFICE OF DR. MICHAEL WALD

RONNIE ANN RYAN

Dr Wald is a holistic DC, Nutritionist, and Dietician whose Blood Detective software, labs and detailed consult help get to the cause(s) of persistent health issues. Conditions include autoimmune, weight loss, anti-aging, cancer, GI issues, depression, and more. See ad, page 4.

Stuck at a crossroads? Confused or frustrated? Past life trauma = present life drama in relationships, money, & career. Resolve issues with a spiritual insights, practical solutions, and next steps. Clear with energy healing. Ronnie is grounded, fun, and compassionate. Book Your Reading Today! NeverTooLate.biz/reading or call 203-877-3777. See business spotlight, page 59.

29 King St, 2nd Fl, Chappaqua NY 10514 914-552-1442 Info@BloodDetective.com DrMichaelWald.com #BloodDetective

ONLINE COMMUNITY

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Love & Magical Life Coach Available via zoom or phone 203-877-3777 Ronnie@NeverTooLate.biz NeverTooLate.biz/Reading

PAST LIFE REVIEW

LIGHTER & BRIGHTER WELLNESS Susan Ahlstrom, MS Counseling, EFT Practitioner, Reiki Master 401-232-4514 LighterAndBrighterWellness.com

Get weekly counseling support, connect with other women, and learn self care skills to improve emotional wellbeing and bring more balance into your life.

ONLINE COURSES LIGHTER & BRIGHTER WELLNESS Susan Ahlstrom, MS Counseling, EFT Practitioner, Reiki Master 401-232-4514 LighterAndBrighterWellness.com

De-Stress, Connect, and Heal with a series of online courses, workshops and webinars to improve self care skills; EFT/Tapping, Emotional First Aid, personal growth and self-awareness.

PAIN RELIEF & HEALTH PRODUCTS EARLEEN WRIGHT

CBDa & CBGa products Reiki Master • BEMER Sessions EarleenWright@gmail.com EarleenWright.myctfo.com 203-215-3222 Earleen can help you relieve your pain with CBDa products.

She can show you where to buy the best wholesale Holistic products to enhance your health.

We have CBDa products which is 1,000 times more potent than CBD alone. We also have a CBGa product that helps give you a blissful day. You can also add the Bliss to your CBDa infused Coffee. Free consultation. Free samples upon request.

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PAST LIFE READINGS

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THEA LITSIOS

Certified Career Coach Hypnotist, & Teacher of Active Dreaming PastLifeReview.com 203-693-1493 Discovering your soul’s past lives can lead to understanding, healing and a rejuvenation of your life/ career journey. You can heal difficult relationships, acquire skills from a past life, and heal karma. Your soul came here to do meaningful work. Past Life Review helps you understand your soul’s purpose with more clarity and peace. When you are ready for a career that lights up your soul, call for a free 20-minute consultation. 12+ years experience helping clients connect with their soul. See ad, page 2.

PRIVATE MEMBER ASSOCIATION WHOLESOME HEALING MINISTRIES PRIVATE MEMBER ASSOCIATION Pam Pinto, Founder 1 Wolcott Rd, Wolcott 203-879-4774 • PPinto@snet.net WholesomeHealingNetwork.com

A private member network of support and healing. Outreach ministries include access to organic foods; monthly farmer/vendor market held the second Sunday of the month (Vendors welcome); a Learning Center for children, ages 5-17; Natural Wellness Center with member to member services.

See ad, page 9.

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PSYCHOTHERAPY

HOLISTIC NEW DAY COUNSELING SERVICES

Jessica Lima, MS, LCSW Holistic Psychotherapy/Coaching 158 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield 203-260-5769 • HolisticNewDay@gmail.com Jessica will align with you on your journey to emotional and physical well-being. Combining her traditional psychotherapy background with her certification in integrative healing, she will work with you in exploring a more holistic approach to feelings of anxiety, depression, stress and more.

NANCY S. SCHERLONG, LCSW, PTR, CM

Coaching/Psychotherapy/Consulting Offices in Norwalk and Ridgefield 914-572-3167 WellnessMetaphors.com Manage stress with relaxation techniques. Rediscover your creativity through writing and the expressive arts. Resolve trauma with EMDR, IFS or SE. Or book an experiential workshop! Nancy has over 20 years of experience with children, families, groups, adults and corporate wellness programs.

See ad, page 21.

REIKI GIGI BENANTI, USUI REIKI MASTER Angelic Healing Center 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk 203-852-1150 AngelHealReiki.com

Gigi is an experienced Reiki Master/Teacher. She offers all levels of Reiki training monthly.

All classes and Reiki sessions include the latest techniques including Karuna, Angelic and Jikiden Reiki.

JOYFUL LIVING REIKI LLC

Gail Christie, Holy Fire Reiki Master Stamford, CT and Mt Kisco, NY 203-979-0918 JoyfulLivingReiki.com Gail will help you get in touch with your energy and bring balance to your life with Holy Fire Reiki. She offers gently powerful Holy Fire healing sessions, Reiki-infused meditations and Usui/Holy Fire and Karuna Reiki certification classes. See ad, page 2.

MUSE OF WELLNESS

Asami Green, Reiki Master, Certified doTERRA AromaTouch Technique practitioner, Meditation Muse, Intuitive Visual Artist Locations in Fairfield and Bridgeport 203-590-1737 Info@MuseOfWellness.com MuseOfWellness.com.com Asami offers Reiki, doTERRA AromaTouch Technique® essential oil healing and meditation helping clients achieve optimal wellness in a soothing, safe space. Her sessions provide transformative healing for the mind and body, restoring, rejuvenating, and renewing the vibrant spirit within. See ad, page 8.

TURNING POINT REIKI LLC

JoAnn Inserra Duncan, MS, RMT 100B Danbury Rd, Ste 101, Ridgefield 203-438-3050 TurningPointReiki.com JoAnn uses intuition, experience and a deep spiritual connection in her Reiki, IET and Reconnective Healing sessions. Specializing in care for individuals with cancer, back pain, Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses. All Reiki levels taught. See ad, page 14.

SHAMANIC PRACTITIONER EMBODY THE SACRED

Deana Paqua, MA, LMT Ridgefield and New Milford Deana.Paqua@gmail.com EmbodyTheSacred.net Offering classes, training programs, healing sessions and mentoring in cross-cultural energy medicine and contemporary shamanism for healers, spiritual seekers and the energy sensitive. Learn self-healing, self-empowerment and trauma transformation through the sacred. See ad, page 14.

THE SHUNGITE ROOM THE ANGEL COOPERATIVE

The Angel Cooperative 51 Ethan Allen Hwy (Rte. 7), Ridgefield 203-431-2959 TheAngelCoop.com The first and only Shungite Room in the USA. Shungite is the only natural material known to contain fullerenes, a naturally occurring antioxidant.

Shungite is believed to have active metaphysical properties with strong healing powers. The Shungite Room hosts readings, Reiki, meditation, sound therapy, energy work, workshops, and special events.

The public is welcome to enjoy the room at no charge when the room is not in use. See ad, page 16.

SOUND HEALING HUMMINGBIRD SOUND YOGA LLC Barbara (Bobbi) Soares Merryall, New Milford 860-946-9470 BSoares@LightOfTheNewMoon.com HummingbirdSoundYoga.com Facebook @HummingbirdSoundYoga

Barbara (Bobbi) Soares, MA, CYT, is a sound yoga and vocal yoga teacher, blues/jazz singer, and Reiki master, certified in several modalities of energy and sound healing. She offers Hummingbird Sound Yoga and sound healing immersions for groups and private sessions. Using earth, dance and symphonic gongs, bowls, tuning forks and humming-forhealth meditations, her goal is to help individuals experience becoming “one with sound” to promote a deep relaxation response that balances energy and encourages healing. See ad, page 11.

TAROT BETH LEAS

Transformative Healing • Tarot Virtual and In-Person 203-856-9566 BethLeas.com What’s in the cards for you?

Tarot is a powerful tool for guidance and will empower you to make your best choices. Gain insight to your most thoughtful questions. The answers you receive will illuminate your path, making visible your challenges and ways to overcome them. See ad, page 3.

TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING KATIE AUGUSTYN, MA, CPC

Transformation Coach Shamanic Healer TransformationCenterCT.com 203-820-3800 TransformationCenterCT@gmail.com Katie will assist you in reaching your true potential and heal what has been holding you back. You will experience real selfacceptance and start to live in alignment with who you truly are so you can create a life you love, a life of meaning and purpose.

See ads, pages 2 and 21.

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TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING BETH LEAS

Transformative Healing • Tarot Virtual and In-Person Sessions 203-856-9566 BethLeas.com If not now, when? Inspire change on all levels—greater physical ease, emotional freedom, peace of mind and spiritual connection.

30+ years of intuitive healing experience with adults and children of all ages. Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Tarot. See ad, page 2.

LIGHTER & BRIGHTER WELLNESS Susan Ahlstrom, MS Counseling, EFT Practitioner, Reiki Master 401-232-4514 LighterAndBrighterWellness.com

Susan Ahlstrom helps women manage the stress and overwhelm of everyday life.

She incorporates energy practices and traditional counseling to support emotional health and wellbeing.

SOUL HEALING JOURNEY, LLC Eilis Philpott Fairfield 203-767-5954 Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com SoulHealingJourney.com

Eilis is a master healer and teacher and certified in numerous modalities as both a practitioner and teacher. She offers soul level healing, which clears any blocks, obstacles and challenges that are preventing you from living your life to its fullest potential.

See ad, page 5.

UNIVERSAL WHITE TIME, CRYSTAL & SOUND HEALING CRYSTAL MUSIC HEALING Bradford Tilden, MM, CMT, UWT Remote: Phone or Zoom 860-830-5841 • Info@CrystalMusicHealing.com CrystalMusicHealing.com

My goal is to empower you to develop spiritually and professionally. I offer UWT energy and gemstone healing with guided visualization for spiritual healing and self-actualization, and transformational voice activation coaching sessions. I teach certification classes in Universal White Time (UWT), Lemurian Intuitive (LSINH), Crystal, and Sound Healing. I use these techniques, and more to help you to obtain authentic expression, empowerment, and transformation. You can purchase personally attuned crystals and gemstones through me. My clients and students gain a renewed clarity and a sense of purpose as they perceive their truth and remove blockages that distort their perception. Contact me for a free 30 minute consultation. See ad, page 29.

WELLNESS & GIFTS TOUCH OF SEDONA

Native American Art & Jewelry, Intuitive Readings, Crystals & Gifts Marge Courtney, Owner 452 Main St, Ridgefield 203-438-7146 @Touch.Of.Sedona A unique spiritual boutique offering gifts, healing inspiration and the energy of the American Southwest.

Come explore Native American art and jewelry, crystals, candles, incense, sage, tarot cards and more. Check out our schedule of intuitive readers, guides and more! See ad, page 25.

WELLNESS CENTER THE ANGEL WING, A DIVINE SPIRITUAL CENTER

Photo by 100Y Design on Shutterstock

Located next door to The Angel Cooperative 49 Ethan Allen Hwy (Rte. 7), Ridgefield 203-431-2959 TheAngelCoop.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

DIRECTORY Find local businesses with ease at eNaturalAwakenings.com

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

The Angel Wing is next door to The Angel Cooperative. It has a large yoga room and private treatment room.

The Angel Wing hosts workshops, retreats, readings, energy work sessions, Reiki and Reiki Certification classes, massage, sound and gong baths, guided meditations, acupuncture, and yoga classes and yoga teacher training. It is also available to rent on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Optional rental spaces include a large open room and/or an intimate private room with massage/Reiki table. See ad, page 16.

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CHALLENGING MINDS WELLNESS CENTER

Andrew Matusiak, LCSW 896 Bantam Rd, Bantam 860-385-2867 AndrewM@ChallengingMinds.net ChallengingMinds.com Challenging Minds Wellness Center believes in treating the whole person through offering holistic service options, including: Reiki, massage, reflexology, yoga, meditation, breathwork and an Infrared Sauna. Challenging Minds also offers mental health counseling, for both groups and individuals.

SALT CAVE OF DARIEN

555 Post Rd, Darien 203-658-7667 • Info@SaltCaveofDarien.com SaltCaveofDarien.com Our wellness destination offers an oasis of peace, calm and serenity. Whether you want to release stress, address a health challenge, or gather with friends and family, the Cave is inviting, warm and soothing. Check out our website for the many different ways to experience the benefits of our healing salt! See ad, page 2.

WORK FROM HOME ROSENBAUM WELLNESS

Cindy and Michael Rosenbaum Danbury • 914-806-6559 Rosenbaum.Cindy@gmail.com RosenbaumWellness.com Be part of something big. Be at the intersection of natural health and wellness, and the booming work from home e-commerce industry. Join a positive community. Make your own hours.

Work hard to build your dream, not somebody else’s dream!

YOGA HUMMINGBIRD SOUND YOGA LLC Barbara (Bobbi) Soares Merryall, New Milford 860-946-9470 BSoares@LightOfTheNewMoon.com HummingbirdSoundYoga.com Facebook @HummingbirdSoundYoga

Barbara (Bobbi) Soares, MA, CYT, is a sound yoga and vocal yoga teacher, blues/jazz singer, and Reiki master, certified in several modalities of energy and sound healing. She offers Hummingbird Sound Yoga and sound healing immersions for groups and private sessions. Her goal is to help individuals experience becoming “one with sound” to promote a deep relaxation response that balances energy and encourages healing. See ad, page 11.

events calendar NOTE: All calendar events must be received online by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. No phone calls or faxes, please. Visit eNaturalAwakenings.com to submit online.

SATURDAY, APRIL 2

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

200 Hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Certification 2022 – 4/2 & 4/3. 10am-6:30pm. Empower yourself with a solid yoga foundation, deepen your practice and make teaching a reality. Jump into the teacher training at any time using the module option. Open to anyone at any level of experience. Yogaspace, 78 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel. 203-730-1893. Yogaspace-CT. com/classes/training.

Reiki and Guided Meditation – 1-2pm. Online via Zoom with Gail Christie. Release stress and enhance your body-mind-spirit connection with meditation and shared Reiki. Free. Sign up by 11am on the 23rd for logon link. Joyful Living Reiki. Free.

JoyfulLivingReiki.com.

markyourcalendar VIRTUAL BREATHING WORKSHOP WITH ALEXIA CLONDA

Hosted by Natural Awakenings

Tuesday, April 5 • 6:30-8pm

With Alexia Clonda, Mindset & Breathing Mentor and Coach. In the virtual workshop, Clonda will explain what good breathing is, how to do it and how to use it to help reduce stress; become more relaxed, centered and calm; and open your mind to the limitless opportunities to turn your life around for the better. $18 • Register at Tinyurl.com/NAVirtualBreathwork Email Erica@eNaturalAwakenings.com for more information.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8 Universal White Time Healing Level 1 – 4/8: 6-9pm; 4/9 & 4/10: 9am-6:30pm. Increase your healing abilities with this effective, ground-breaking energy-healing modality that is rapidly gaining recognition. There is an initiation at the end of each of the three sessions. $525. Braulttree Wellness Center, 415 Killingsworth Rd, Ste 9A, Higganum.

860-344-9573. eventbrite.com/e/234993139807.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 13 Moons: A Self-Care Monthly Women’s Healing Circle – 6:30-8:30pm. First Wednesday. Under these 13 moons we will come together as women and healers. This month-Pisces: spirituality, creativity, mindfulness and setting boundaries. $39.

BekahTwinstar@gmail.com. TwinStartribe.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 14 Holy Fire Reiki Circle – 7-8pm. Online via Zoom with Gail Christie. Join us as we reach out to each other while we reach within through a Reiki-infused meditation. Sign up by 5pm on the 10th for logon link.

Joyful Living Reiki. Free. JoyfulLivingReiki.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 21 Women Working for the Earth Summit – April 2124. 10am-9pm. Virtual summit brings together voices of thirty-five women and non-binary leaders ushering in a new paradigm – the nonprofit Organization of Nature Evolutionaries will host the global, Women Working for the Earth Summit. Free to attend live.

Registration required. NatureEvolutionaries.com/ women-working-for-the-earth.

markyourcalendar AWAKEN WELLNESS FAIR LIVE! …Awaken to Your Best Self…

April 24 • 10am to 5pm So excited to be back in person!

Visit our unique Vendors, expert Speakers, intuitive Readers and gifted Healers for a day of education and inspiration!

Sleepy Hollow Hotel + Conference Center Tarrytown, NY 10591 AwakenFair.com

markyourcalendar GIVE LOCAL GREATER WATERBURY AND LITCHFIELD HILLS 7am April 26 to 7pm April 27

Join us in celebrating Give Local’s 10th Anniversary! This 36-hour online campaign unites donors, businesses, and local charities to provide much-needed support for our community. Give Local has raised $11 million since its inception and has supported nearly 300 local nonprofit organizations.

GiveLocalCCF.org GiveLocal@ConnCF.org 203-753-1315

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master Training – 4/29-5/1.

10am-5:30pm each day. Online with Gail Christie, Usui/Holy Fire III Reiki Master Teacher. Raise your Reiki healing and spiritual development to the Holy Fire Master level and become a Reiki Master Teacher. Prerequisite: Reiki Level 2 certification (in any form of Reiki). Three days of healing, course materials and certificate all included. Sign up no later than 4/1 for a $130 early bird discount. Joyful Living Reiki. $1005. JoyfulLivingReiki.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30

markyourcalendar NEW AGE FAIR Sunday, April 24 • 11am-5pm

Come experience a Day of Creative & Spiritual Enlightenment! Crystals, Oils, Singing Bowls, Reiki Healings, Health & Wellness, Intuitive Readers… Angel Cards, Past Life, Astrology, Handcrafted Jewelry, Candles, Soaps … and more.

Free Admission. Please wear a mask.

Edmond Town Hall 45 Main Street, Newtown • 184 Exit 10 For more information: Tinyurl.com/NewAgeFair2022 Cryours87@yahoo.com

SUNDAY, APRIL 24 Holy Fire Reiki Level 2 Certification – 10am-5pm.

Online with Gail Christie, Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master Teacher. Learn the Reiki 2 symbols for enhanced healing of self and others. Prerequisite: Reiki 1 certification (in any form of Reiki). An attunement to Reiki 2 energy, Holy Fire meditation and healing, online manual, course materials and a certificate are included. Sign up no later than 4/10.

Joyful Living Reiki. $275. JoyfulLivingReiki.com.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26 WCSU Health, Fitness, and Wellness Fair – 12pm-3. WCSU will hold its annual Health, Fitness, and Wellness Fair on campus in-person this year at WCSU Midtown campus. This event is free and open to the public. Institute For Holistic Health Studies, Western Connecticut State University, 181 White St, Danbury. 203-837-8559. WCSU.edu/ihhs.

Universal White Time Gemstone Healing Level 2 – 4/30 & 5/7. 9am-6:30pm. Crystals and Color Healing.

Explore stones and layouts for healing the body and the aura and for meditation, and an introduction to healing with color. No experience necessary. UWTGH classes can be taken in any order. $500. Venmo: @BradfordTilden. Avant Garde Holistic Center, 328 E. Main St, Branford. 860-830-5841. Info@CrystalMusicHealing. com. eventbrite.com/e/235009940057.

SATURDAY, MAY 7 The Luminous Energy Field – 1:30-3:30pm. Discover how your energy body, aura and chakras are responsible for self-healing. Learn both philosophical knowledge, practical application and personal experience of working with your own energy system. Come explore this ancient system that weaves the sacred with science. $39. Yogaspace, 78 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel. 203-730-1893. Yogaspace-CT.com/events.

markyourcalendar AN ENHANCED YEAR OF HEALING 18 Month Program Dates from August 2022 through January 2024

No previous experience is needed to participate. This 18-month program is part healing and part certification training journey into the power of YOU! We’ll spend all day Saturday and Sunday together, either in person and/or via zoom.

For more information and to register visit: AcademyForSoulHealing.com/ enhanced-year-of-healing Natural Living Directory 2022 69

ongoing events

markyourcalendar

sunday

tuesday

Online Meditation Practice Session – 10-11am.

While in-person meditation is limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are offering online meditation practice sessions and Dharma talks using Zoom.

All levels welcome. No formal charge. By donation. Center for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation, 9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding. 203-244-3130.

ReddingMeditation.org.

Farmers/Vendor Market – 12-3pm. Second Sunday. Sponsored by the Wholesome Healing Network. Free admission. New vendors always welcome. Contact Pam Pinto for more information. Act Natural Health & Wellness, 1 Wolcott Rd, Wolcott.

203-879-4774. ActNaturalHealth.com.

Shamanic Clinic on Zoom – 6:30-8:30pm. Second Tuesday. Experience the physical and spiritual benefits of Shamanic Healing. Shamanic Practitioners trained and certified by Medicine Woman Ahalya Baguio, offer the community these sacred healing sessions. Each personal session ends with a Medicine Drumming. Limited half-hour sessions available. $20/ suggested donation. TransformationCenterCT.com.

monday Salt Cave of Darien: Salt and Musical Guided Meditation with Christina Connors – 7:308:30pm. Nurture your body and soul in this unique salt therapy and musical guided meditation with healer and recording artist Christina Connors. To learn more, visit ChristinaConnors.com. $40. Salt Cave of Darien, 555 Post Rd, Darien. 203-658-7667.

SaltCaveOfDarien.com.

Wholesome Healing Network Private Member Association Meeting – 7-9pm. Second Tuesday.

Free admission. Act Natural Health & Wellness, 1 Wolcott Rd, Wolcott. 203-879-4774. ActNaturalHealth.com.

wednesday Explore White Time – 6-8:30pm. Second Wednesday. All are welcome to participate in this exclusive round-robin style healing circle featuring White Time Energy and Gemstone healing. $30; $10 discount for UWT Practitioners. Braulttree Wellness Center, 415 Killingsworth Rd, Ste. 9A, Higganum.

860-344-9573. Roslyn@BraulttreeWellnessCenter. com. BraulttreeWellnessCenter.com.

ALBERTSON MEMORIAL CHURCH EVENTS UPCOMING WORKSHOPS: RESTORING & REFRESHING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS with U.K. Medium Elaine Somerville Saturday, April 30 • 10am-3pm Sunday, May 1 • 1-6pm • $120.

LETTERS FROM SPIRIT (Automatic Writing) with Chris DeSerio Sunday, April 3 • 1-3pm • $20

SPIRITUAL MEDIUMSHIP Monday Evenings via Zoom April 25, May 2, 9, 16 & 23 7-9pm • $100 for complete series Space is limited–Register by 4/18

ONGOING VIA ZOOM EVENTS:

Weekly Service Every Sunday • 11am-12pm Children’s Lyceum • 3rd Sunday • 10-10:45am Spiritual Healing Service 3rd Thursday • 7-8pm To Register for any readings or events contact: AlbertsonPCC@gmail.com Cancelled events will be posted on our website Albertson Memorial Church 293 Sound Beach Ave Old Greenwich, CT • 203-637-4615 Email: Info@AlbertsonChurch.org Website: AlbertsonChurch.org

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ongoing events Salt Cave of Darien: Yin Yoga – 6:15-7:45pm.

Limited to 4 people. Please bring your own yoga mat, blanket, towel, 2 blocks, if you have them and wear white socks and a mask. Join Jennifer Duncan, Certified Yoga Instructor, for a 90-minute Yin Yoga class. All levels class. Also via Zoom. $35/ In-person; $17/from home. Reservations required.

Salt Cave of Darien, 555 Post Rd, Darien. 203-6587667. SaltCaveOfDarien.com.

Online Meditation Practice Session – 7-8pm.

While in-person meditation is limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are offering online meditation practice sessions and Dharma talks using Zoom.

All levels welcome. No formal charge. By donation.

Center for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation, 9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding. 203-244-3130.

ReddingMeditation.org.

Mysticism: Where Science, Art and Religion Meet – 7-8:30pm. What is the purpose of life? Our intent here is to address these issues through lectures, readings and guided group discussions. We will present ancient concepts, cutting-edge theories, speculations, assertions, data, and most of all, thought-provoking ideas for discussion. Free. Aleph Talks, 606 Post Rd East, Ste 667, Westport. AlephTalks.com.

thursday Thursday Afternoon & Evening Sound Baths – 12-1:15pm & 6-7:30pm. With Gary Posner, awardwinning composer, musician, educator and Certified Sound Therapist. Each week we will start with chakra toning. We will then lay down for a Sound Meditation. Session ends with a Chakra Energizing Bija Mantra. Time for a Q&A. No previous knowledge is required. $30/$35. Wainwright House, 260 Stuyvesant Ave, Rye, NY. 914-967-6080. Wainwright.org.

Sound Healing Meditation – 6-7pm. With Bradford Tilden. Second and fourth Thursday. Soothing sonic tapestries with his voice and crystal bowls for you to relax, unwind and release stress and unwanted energies from your body, mind, and field. Please Bring your own blanket, chair or yoga mat to sit on. Walkins welcome. Register: tinyurl.com/BradfordBridge.

Walk-ins welcome. $15-$35 sliding scale. The Bridge Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St. Farmington. 860404-2578. BridgeHAC.com.

Attagirl! Herbal Allies for Women from Puberty to Menopause – 7-8pm. Join Velya and Ehris, the mother/daughter Grounded Goodwife duo, to learn how to use herbs like chaste-tree berry, nettle, shatavari, licorice root, and red clover for healing a tornado of health issues, and promoting wellbeing and vitality. Zoom format. $34. GroundedGoodwife @yahoo.com. GroundedGoodwife.com.

Virtual: Yoga Dance Party Livestreamed – 8-9:15pm. Fourth Friday. Dance party to shake your soul, move your energy, emotions, and let it all flow. Short yoga warm up and cool down, ending with prayers and blessings for the well-being of all. Please register to get the Zoom link. $10.

Yogaspace, 78 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel. 203-7301893. YogaSpace-CT.com/Events.

saturday Saturday Dharma and Morning Meditation – 7:308:15am. Every week we will discuss various works on topics such as self-study, meditation, self-improvement, mindfulness, joy and much more. The discussion will be followed by a 30-minute guided breath-based meditation. Proceeds are donated to our charity of the month. $10/cash. Yoga Culture, 105 Mill Plain Rd, Danbury. 203-730-0250. WeAreYogaCulture.com.

One-Day Meditation Retreat – 9:30am-4pm. Second Saturday. Limited in-person meditation retreat. The extended practice is meant to deepen self-awareness and a previously established meditation practice is suggested. Please abide by guidelines listed on our events page. Must register online. By donation. Center for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation, 9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding. 203-244-3130. ReddingMeditation.org.

In-Person Meditation Practice Session – 10-11:30am.

Limited in-person meditation practice offered on Saturday mornings. All levels welcome. If it’s your first time, please let someone know so that we can provide a brief introduction. Please abide by guidelines listed on our events page. MUST register online. Donations encouraged. Center for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation, 9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding. 203-244-3130. ReddingMeditation.org.

Reiki Second Degree Workshop: Online or InPerson – 10am-5pm. Fifth Saturday. With Gigi Benanti, Reiki Master/Teacher (24 years). Learn Reiki Level 2 (Western Style). Learn how to send reiki distance healing, deepen your use of Reiki for yourself and others and more. Two manuals and certificate included. Also held on the last Friday. No drop-ins. $225. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk. 203-852-1150. AngelHealReiki.com.

Mandala Art Class – 12pm. Second Saturday. Join us to create colorful mandalas made of handmade papers on canvas board. No artistic ability needed, just follow your heart and be amazed at the results.

All materials included. Please register to reserve your spot. Suggested Donation: $20 per person (cash only). Act Natural Health & Wellness, 1 Wolcott Rd, Wolcott. 203-879-4774. ActNaturalHealth.com.

classifieds BOOKS ME. ME. ME. THE SPIDER IN THE WEB. Thoughts and words are shells that convey something different than their content — like motivation, feelings, true intentions. These are what determine our fate. Gabriele-Publishing-House.com.

HEALING LEMURIAN CRYSTAL ESSENCE CONSULTATION What is a Lemurian healing essence? Each Lemurian healing essence contains a Lemurian crystal and a customized formula of healing essences, made explicitly for you. You will also receive descriptions of what is included. Investment: Single session $250 NOW $200.

Package of 5 sessions NOW $850.

Add on Essence to any other session $60 +S&H. SoulHealingJourney.com/ lemuria-crystal-essence.

HELP WANTED IS 2022 YOUR YEAR TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING INSPIRING? – WORK FROM HOME PT/FT. Be at the intersection of natural wellness, a positive community and the booming work from home e-commerce industry. Cindy Rosenbaum of Rosenbaum Wellness 914-806-6559.

friday Reiki 1st Degree Workshop: Online or In-Person – 10am-5pm. First Friday. With Gigi Benanti, Reiki Master/Teacher (24 years). Learn Reiki 1st Level (Western Style). Learn how to use Reiki for self-healing and healing for others. Two manuals and certificate included.

Zoom link will be given with e-mail and payment.

Please call to register. Also held on the first Saturday.

No drop-ins. $135. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk. 203-852-1150. AngelHealReiki.com.

Natural Living Directory 2022 71

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties