June 2022 Natural Awakenings Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties CT by Natural Awakenings Magazine

EE R F

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

Spotlight On

MEN’S HEALTH UNPLUGGED ADVENTURES Eco-Tripping for a Digital Detox

TRAUMA THERAPIES OFFER HOPE HEALING FROM LONG COVID

RIGHT WAYS TO WALK YOUR DOG OVERCOME LYME DISEASE OBSTACLES June 2022 | Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties-Edition | eNaturalAwakenings.com June 2022

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 and clear negative thought patterns. 20+ years experience. Virtual & In Person • 607-319-9161 mindbreathingedge@gmail.com ThetaHealing.com/alexiaclonda

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

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.

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HCP

Holistic Community Professionals

Our professional team of holistic and natural businesses provides community outreach and education. We are committed to improving the health and wellness of body, mind, and spirit in the communities we serve. Certified Intuitive Life Coach Elizabeth Raver, PhD Evidential Psychic-Medium, Loving Hearts Connections™ Facilitator, American Association of Psychics, Red Barn in Durham. Online & in person sessions. Drlizmedium.com • Ravelizabeth516@gmail.com 203-400-9212 Naturopathic Physician Dr. Nicole Klughers, ND, PharmD, MSAc Vis Wellness Center. Naturopathic Physician and Acupuncture Provider. Rocky Hill, CT & TeleMedicine Statewide • DrNicoleKlughers.com info@DrNicoleKlughers.com (234)2-ACU-DOC Reiki Teresa Murphy Costello, Reiki Master/Teacher Healing Touch Reiki Holistic Arts Center Reiki/IET/Animal Reiki/Yoga/Massage/Meditation Bee Well Ridgefield, CT • healingtouchreikillc.com healingtouchreikillc@gmail.com 914-320-5429 Universal White Time / Sound Healing Rev. Bradford W. Tilden, MM, CMT, UWT Certification courses in Universal White Time Healing & Gemstone Healing. Mentoring/healing sessions, Spiritual growth, Vocal toning info@crystalmusichealing.com https://linktr.ee/BradfordTilden • 860-830-5841

HCP

See more holistic practitioners at: HolisticCommunityProfessionals.org To join the HCP contact Shirley R. Bloethe at: 860-255-8844

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Contents 12 ASTROLOGICAL

ENERGY FOR JUNE The Planet Mercury is Direct

14 LONG-HAUL COVID Signs, Symptoms

and Supplements

16 FIVE MAJOR BLOCKS

TO HEALING CHRONIC LYME DISEASE And How to Address Them

18 REPLENISHING TIDES 20 THE FATHER OF

THE YEAR AWARD

22 THE HEALING OF

THE MODERN MAN Men Redefine Their Emotional Power

26 HEALING TRAUMA

Emerging Therapies Offer Fresh Hope

28 UNPLUGGED

ADVENTURES Eco-Tripping for a Digital Detox

30 MISBEHAVING DOG WALKS Ways Humans Get it Wrong

DEPARTMENTS 7 news briefs 7 ad index 10 health briefs 10 global briefs 11 eco tip 20 inspiration

eNaturalAwakenings.com

26 healing ways 28 green living 30 naturally

healthy pet 32 calendar 35 resource guide 39 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.

22 28

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. June 2022

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

letter from publisher

FAIRFIELD & SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD COUNTIES Publisher Erica Mills Editor Michelle Bense Design & Production Kathleen Fellows Erica Mills Contributing Writers William Bless Alexa Lane Berta Prevosti Sales & Marketing Shirley Bloethe Erica Mills Distribution Man in Motion LLC

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.

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

Erica Mills EE FR

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

Spotlight On

MEN’S HEALTH

UNPLUGGED ADVENTURES

TRAUMA THERAPIES OFFER HOPE HEALING FROM LONG COVID

Eco-Tripping for a Digit al Detox RIGHT WAYS TO WALK YOUR DOG OVERCOME LYME DISEASE OBSTACLES

ings.co eNaturalAwakenJune 2022 ld Counties-Edition |

Southern Litchfie June 2022 | Fairfield &

e have a wide range of interesting topics this month. There is something for everyone—and especially the men! This is our Men’s Health edition, so we’re shining a light on wellness for men and fathers. In “The Healing of the Modern Man”, on page 22, we dive into the ways that today’s men are embracing their emotional power, rather than shying away from it. Thankfully, our society has shifted to becoming more inclusive, accepting and encouraging of stepping outside of the “gender norms”. There is much to learn here about how to step into this new normal as a man—but also for anyone who knows a man who would benefit from feeling supported and understood. (Who wouldn’t?) Alongside this subject, on page 26, “Healing Trauma” is a great article that sheds light on how many of us are dealing with various kinds of trauma, including emerging ideas and therapies and a list/explanation of some treatment options that may be beneficial to anyone dealing with hard things. Topics of interest for everyone include some insight into “long-haul COVID” and ways to combat symptoms (page 14), as well as “Five Major Blocks to Healing Chronic Lyme Disease” (page 16). For some fun this month, read “Unplugged Adventures” on page 28, about eco-tripping to unique, off-grid, camping and adventuring spots across the country. Put that phone down and reconnect with yourself—or your companions. 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. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment. Natural Awakenings Magazine is ranked 5th Nationally in CISION’S® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines

Natural Awakenings is proudly printed in Connecticut at Trumbull Printing on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink. 6

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ONLINE @eNaturalAwakenings.com THE EXERCISE POWER OF E-BIKES

Get a Workout on an Easier Ride

eNaturalAwakenings.com

HOW TO RAISE EMPATHETIC KIDS

Simple Ways Parents Can Cultivate Compassion

news briefs

Field & Forest 5K Trail Run at Flanders Nature Center

display advertiser index 203TLC

Academy for Soul Healing

Act Natural Health & Wellness

landers Nature Center & Land Trust will host its 7th Field & Forest 5K Trail Run on June 3 at 6pm, at the Flanders’ Van Vleck Farm & Nature Sanctuary, in Woodbury. All ages and skill levels of runners, joggers and walkers are welcome to register to enjoy this 3.1-mile run/walk through the trails and rolling hills of the picturesque nature center. After the race, participants will enjoy live music by the popular local rock band, BluesyLand Band. Participants and spectators will be able to purchase food from local food trucks, Weenie Lynn’s, GV Bites and Polar Sweets. New this year, Flanders has partnered with The Mobile Pub to serve up beer and cocktails. Awards will be given to top male and female finishers overall, as well as in six age categories ranging from age under 19 to over 60. The race will begin promptly at 6pm and will be held rain or shine; however, Flanders reserves the right to cancel in the case of lightning. The event cannot accommodate strollers or pets on the course. Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that focuses on environmental education and on the acquisition, conservation and stewardship of open space. Flanders actively works to protect important natural sites and the area’s landscape character and quality of life, with over 2,400 acres of preserved land in Woodbury and neighboring towns. Online registration for the trail run will close on June 2. The fee is $25 for all ages (plus processing fees). Same-day, in-person race registration will be $30.

AcuBlend/Dr. Sian James

The Angel Cooperative/ Angel Wing

Chamomille Natural Foods

For more information and to register, visit FlandersNatureCenter.org/5k.

Healing Outdoor Sound Bath at the Transformation Center CT

iane Nickleberg-Barnett and Catherine Barrett from Grounded Meditation are back at Transformation Center CT, in Westport, with their amazing outdoor Sound Baths, on June 8, from 6:30 to 7:30pm. Arrive early for a meditative Labyrinth Walk before the Sound Bath. A Sound Bath is a deeply relaxing experience which calms the mind, body and soul as you listen to the healing sounds of crystal and Tibetan bowls, chimes, gongs, drums and other healing instruments. Mix in the sounds of nature, and it’s the formula for a perfect evening. Bring your own mat, blanket and any other props you desire: eye pillow, bolster, head pillow, etc. Space is limited. Transformation Center CT offers group workshops and trainings, as well as individual sessions, for those seeking healing, spiritual growth and personal transformation. As a Transformation Coach and Spiritual Head of Transformation Center CT, Mataji Katie Augustyn has a passion for empowering people to recognize their awesomeness and to use their innate abilities to reach their highest potential. For more information, call 203-820-3800 or visit TransformationCenterCT.com. Cost: $35 per person. Location: 7 Reimer Rd, Westport. See ad, page 2.

Dr. Michael Wald

Final Journey LLC

Hemp Lifestyle

Hilda Demirjian Laser & Skin Care

Holistic Community Professionals

Haute Healing Oasis

11, 29

Hummingbird Sound Yoga

Insight Counseling

Institute for Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Therapies

KleinSleep

KnoWEwell

The Market

Muse of Wellness

Natural Awakenings Westchester for Sale

Natural Awakenings Singles

Nature’s Way Health Foods

Nature’s Temptation

New Morning Market

Ojaya Meditation

Optimal Health Medical/ Henry Sobo, MD

Passport to Health & Wellness Holistic Expo

Rewilding Families/ Kristy M. Vanacore

Sedona Art

Soul Healing Journey

Touch of Sedona

We Are One/Connie Martin

Whole Foods

Wolf Spirit Wellness

June 2022

news briefs

CT Trails Day Hike and BioBlitz Hosted by Woodcock Nature Center

oodcock Nature Center is celebrating 50 years of outdoor education on its 150 acres of preserve, which straddles both Wilton and Ridgefield. This month, they’ll feature a Connecticut Trails Day Hike and Ridgefield BioBlitz event. These programs are both free, but registration is required. On June 4, from 10 to 11:30am, Woodcock Nature Center will host a Connecticut Trails Day Hike—a free, informal hike in honor of Trails Day, a two-day national event on the first weekend in June, organized by the CT Forest & Park Association. Woodcock educator Tommy McCarthy will lead hikers of all ages and abilities through the varied and picturesque terrain of the Woodcock preserve. Dress for the weather; rain or shine. Leashed dogs are welcome. On June 11, the Ridgefield BioBlitz will focus on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area (Weir Farm National Historical Park) over a short period of time. Participants will visit different habitats and attempt to identify as many plant, animal and fungi species as they can find. From 7 to 8:30am, the Early Birding Survey will be a short walk through field and forest to identify bird species by sight and listening to calls. Then, Family Sessions will take place between 9 to 11am, 12 to 2pm and 3 to 5pm. Participants will walk trails along field, forest and pond habitats, stopping at stations along the way. Each station will have activities including insect displays, pond scooping for invertebrates, looking under logs, learning about bears and an art station. Since 1972, Woodcock has grown to provide educational programming for over 4,000 learners of all ages each year, including school field trips, summer camp and enrichment programs, which support their educational efforts by immersing the community in direct experiences with nature. They partner with local organizations to present lectures, workshops and films, and their guided hikes, child and caregiver classes and on-site animal encounters provide a means for the public to engage with and learn from our natural world. For more information, visit WoodcockNatureCenter.org. Location: 56 Deer Run Rd, Wilton.

Goat Yoga in the Gardens

For more information and to reserve a spot, visit GrowWellnessTherapy.com/calendar. 8

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

eNaturalAwakenings.com

photo by BluIz60 on Shutterstock

row Wellness will present Goat Yoga, on June 14 at 6pm and June 26 at 6:30pm. This popular class is an uplifting, joyful experience, known for its infusion of heart-warming animal therapy and restorative yoga benefits. Located in the gardens owned by the Dinucci Family, owners of Veronica’s Garden farm stand in Ridgefield, the class will be held alongside a stand full of fresh, sustainably grown, eco-friendly fruits, veggies and other products. This gentle yoga class is perfect for beginners and yogis of all levels. Enjoy nourishing your body with yoga, your mind with animal therapy and your spirit with the whole experience. Guitarist and musician Jay Margolin will round out the class with live music. A complimentary drink bar will be stocked with lemon cucumber infused water and iced herbal tea. Grow Wellness will also feature a stand with yogi products, CBD, crystals and more. Grow Wellness is a one-of-a-kind integrative therapy center that provides many modalities of therapeutic massage, reiki healing and holistic treatments. They offer an array of private sessions, therapeutic products and classes, workshops and courses.

photos by BluIz60 on Shutterstock

AcuBlend Save the Date for 11th Annual Health Wellness and Lifestyle Expo

photos by Alex Rosenfeld

he 11th Annual Health Wellness & Lifestyle Expo 2022, with special thanks to Stamford Health, Exclusive Healthcare Partner, will be returning to beautiful Harbor Point at the boardwalk along the waterfront on September 10, from 10am to 6pm, in Stamford. Parking and admission are free. This one-day-only, family-andpet-friendly, health and wellness extravaganza will feature over 100 exhibitors showcasing and selling health and wellness products and services, plus free yoga, dance and fitness classes led by the area’s top fitness instructors—including Billy Blanks, Jr. of Dance it Out, as seen on Lifetime Television and featured on Shark Tank. All levels and abilities are encouraged to join and register for classes. The eight zones of the expo will showcase: pet wellness; yoga and stretching; dance and fitness; healthy food trucks; healthy food, beverages and restaurants; eco-friendly wine, spirits and craft beers; a demo zone; and a kids zone featuring fun and educational activities. This year’s theme is: Go. Gather. Grow. Let’s go to the expo. Let’s gather by coming together with family and friends and making new connections. Let’s grow by experiencing the many extraordinary sponsors and exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge programs, products and services to help you and your family grow physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually in a healthy direction. The Health Wellness & Lifestyle Expo 2022 is created and produced by TMK Event Marketing, based in Greenwich. For more information, like and follow HWL Expo on Instagram @ HWLEXPO and Facebook.com/hwlexpo. To register as an exhibitor or sponsor, contact TMK Event Marketing at 203-531-3047 or Tamara@TMK-EventMarketing.com. To register online, visit HWLExpos.com/cart. Location: 1 Harbor Point Rd, Stamford. See ad, back cover.

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

Rewilding Families m

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

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!

An Enhanced Year of Healing an 18 Month Program

with Eilis Philpott

Master Healer and Teacher

Shift Into Who You Truly Are. Discover and Know, with Certainty, Your Role In The World. A supportive, non-judgmental environment for everyone to feel what it’s like to stand in the role of leader/teacher from the very early stages of the training. We will meet one weekend a month in person and/or via zoom. See website for more information and pricing. 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."

Academyforsoulhealing.com • SoulHealingJourney.com 203-767-5954 • Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com June 2022

health briefs

global briefs

Cut Back on Booze to Protect the Brain

Off Limits

National Parks Enacting New Regulations

Nitrate-rich beetroot extract and citrulline, a non-essential amino acid, have been shown to be precursors of nitric oxide, which benefits athletic performance by expanding blood vessels and increasing blood flow. To determine whether combining the two produces better results, Spanish researchers gave the two supplements separately and together to 32 male triathletes for nine weeks. The dosages were 3 grams a day of citrulline and 2.1 grams a day of beetroot extract. In a study published in Biology, they reported that the combination did not improve markers of exercise-induced muscle damage, but did reduce cortisol levels, and also enabled those participants to run 5 percent farther in the standard 12-minute Cooper Test. 10

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

Ban Plastics in National Parks

Our national parks are places of unparalleled scenic beauty and wildlife for all of us to enjoy. These national treasures are being threatened by plastic trash. Nonprofit Free the Ocean is circulating a petition to Get Single-Use Plastic Out of U.S. National Parks. Sign it at Tinyurl.com/PlasticParkPetition.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

Run Farther with Beetroot and Citrulline

Because our national parks and protected areas are feeling the pressure of increased demand for outdoor recreation, the National Park Service (NPS) has cracked down on some recreational activities to better manage the human impact on natural environments. In 2021, the national park system hosted nearly 300 million recreational visits, and 44 parks set visitation records. The high number of cars creates congestion, pollution and collisions with wildlife. Overcrowding on trails can lead to higher risk of hiking accidents and illegal off-roading. Two Utah national parks will start requiring reservations. At Zion, Rocky Mountain and Glacier national parks, guests need a permit to hike certain routes. Arches National Park guests will have to book timed entry tickets during the high season. Acadia and Zion announced the temporary closure of some popular climbing sites starting this month to ensure that peregrine falcons can nest without disturbance. In 2021, the NPS gave park superintendents the authority to ban e-bikes if they adversely impact natural resources or other visitors, as well as scenic air tours at dawn or dusk or within a half-mile of the ground. Biologically important behaviors for many species occur during sunrise and sunset such as foraging, mating and communication. The hours of operation provide quiet periods of the day during which visitors can enjoy natural sounds and preserve opportunities for solitude in designated wilderness areas. MichaelVi/AdobeStock.com

Dmitry Naumov/AdobeStock.com

It is widely known that heavy drinking harms the brain, but even drinking as little as a few beers or glasses of wine per week will reduce brain volume, according to a new study of 36,000 adults. Researchers led by a University of Pennsylvania team reported in Nature Communications that alcohol consumption even at modest levels may carry risks to the brain, shrinking it in ways similar to the aging process. The study was conducted using the UK Biobank, a dataset from 500,000 British middle-aged and older adults that includes genetic and medical information, including white and gray matter volume in different regions of the brain. The researchers found that the more alcohol people consumed on average, the greater the brain damage. Going from zero to a daily average of one alcohol unit (half a beer or half a glass of wine) is linked with the equivalent of a half a year of aging in 50-year-olds. Drinking an average of two units a day (a pint of beer or glass of wine) produces changes in the brain equivalent to aging two years. The difference between zero and four units (two beers or glasses of wine) was equal to more than 10 years of aging. “It’s not linear,” says study co-author Remi Daviet. “It gets worse the more you drink. There is some evidence that the effect of drinking on the brain is exponential. That means that cutting back on that final drink of the night might have a big effect in terms of brain aging.”

eco tip

HANDS-ON WAYS TO HELP OUR PLANET THIS SUMMER Helping nature while enjoying the great outdoors is a classic win-win opportunity. Here are a few ideas to join the fun while contributing sweat equity.

Corral the Cleanup Crew

Becoming a weekend cleanup community leader can be as simple as gathering family, friends and neighbors to beautify the surroundings and save animals from suffering. To improve water quality, pay special attention to beaches and rivers. Get permission from local authorities, arrange a special trash pickup and equip the crew with gloves and garbage bags. Afterwards, stand together proudly before the enormous hill of discarded plastics, fishing lines, beer bottles, aluminum cans, fast-food containers and other refuse. Congratulate the team and take pictures to post on social media. For more tips, visit Tinyurl.com/trashteam.

romul014/AdobeStock.com

Eco-Volunteering

Get on the Community Gardening Bandwagon

Community gardens are springing up on school grounds, at hospitals and correctional facilities, on rooftops and balconies, and in unused public spaces and underserved communities. Researchers have proven what we suspect: Gardening is a great workout and leads to improved heart health and weight loss, while breathing fresh air and helping things grow in kinship with like-minded people is a surefire mood enhancer. Reaping the benefits of locally grown, fresh produce; beautifying a neighborhood with flowering plants or shade trees; and providing food and refuge for pollinators and other wildlife is not too shabby, either. Now is the time to join an existing group or start a new community garden. For inspiring examples and how-to ideas, visit FoodIsFreeProject.org and OneTreePlanted.org.

Lend a Helping Hand at a Park

Local, state and national parks rely on volunteers to conduct tours and maintain green areas and facilities. Even artists and scientists are welcome to lend their expertise. Consider combining a park visit with purposeful assistance. The National Park Service runs a Volunteersin-Parks program (nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm) that offers onetime service projects and longer-term positions at parks throughout the country and in U.S. territories in the Pacific and Caribbean. Visit Volunteer.gov for tasks like a campground host at the Rocky Mountain National Park or climber steward at Joshua Tree National Park. Many state park systems and municipal parks and recreation departments use websites to manage their volunteer opportunities, such as Volunteers.Flo ridaStateParks.org or tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/help-parks. All it takes is an internet search of the name of the state or county plus “park” and “volunteer” to find local openings.

June 2022

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 www.museofwellness.com

Individual and group sessions available by appointment only. Locations at Gravity Bodywork, Bridgeport & Yoga For Everybody, Fairﬁeld info@museofwellness.com ▪ 203.590.1737

WOLF SPIRIT

photo by Gorbash Varvara on Shutterstock

Individual, Couples, Group & Spiritual Counseling • Hypnotherapy • Drumming • Energy Work • Traditional & Alternative Modalities

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Astrological Energy for June The Planet Mercury is Direct by Alexa Lane

he Sun entered the sign of Gemini on May 22. Mercury, the ruling planet of Gemini, has been in retrograde motion in Gemini since May 10. Mercury moved back into Taurus on May 24 and will be back in Gemini on June 14. Mercury is associated with the intellect, transference of information and vocal and written communication. During Mercury retrograde, anything involving communication, the exchange of information or technology can become disrupted. However, when Mercury is retrograde, it can also inspire a time of introspection and planting the seeds of growth. There is an opportunity to review and reflect upon past experiences, which, in turn, can elicit renewal. On June 3, Mercury’s rhythm begins to flow forward, offering time to integrate the insight received during the retrograde.

Gemini Season

Gemini is a mutable air sign associated with a radically open mind, curiosity, speech and intellectual pursuits. Gemini perceives and pays attention to what stimulates the senses. It assimilates the information that enters the conscious mind and shapes it into co12

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herency. Gemini inspires life-long learning and thrives on new ideas. It asks questions and seeks to find the answers. One way to explore Gemini is by engaging in self-inquiry and writing about the experience. Listening to intuition plays a key role. Consider sharing the exercise and experience with a close friend. Life is a quest full of fascinating, magical and, at times, shocking truths. Translating and elucidating the mystical and magical into language is another way to tune into Gemini’s wavelength.

Sagittarius Full Moon in June On June 14, a Full Moon occurs at 23 degrees and 25 minutes in the fire sign Sagittarius at 7:51 a.m., EDT. Sagittarius motivates the expansion of consciousness by seeking education and a wide range of cross-cultural experiences.

The Sagittarius signature of this Full Moon inspires a spiritual quest toward a higher purpose in life. There is support for opening the heart and mind to new spiritual or metaphysical concepts. During this full moon, Venus in Taurus is conjunct Uranus in Taurus. The astrological energy can create an opportunity for change and awakening within relationships. Listening to instincts and truthfully expressing individual needs and values can lead to greater love, freedom, serenity and creativity. Healing can occur through intimate, soul-baring conversation. With each Full Moon, release what no longer supports soul evolution.

Cancer New Moon in June On June 22, the Sun enters the water sign Cancer. Cancer relates to nurturance, soul family and psychological

exploration. It’s a time to indulge in selfcare, quiet time alone or healing modalities. On June 28, the New Moon occurs at 7 degrees and 22 minutes in the sign Cancer at 10:52 p.m., EDT. During this New Moon, the Moon is square Jupiter in Aries. Inner work, focused on feelings, can lead to greater faith in life. Spend time listening to what is rising within the psyche and soul. This process will help uncover a path toward expansion and the manifestation of new intentions. Once intentions are clarified, take action and move forward with courage. Dreams can become a reality with a warrior spirit, conscious effort and belief in the self. Readers can personalize these themes by finding the astrological signs and points on their astrological natal charts. Alexa Lane is a best-selling author, Evolutionary Astrologer and Holistic Consultant. Connect at Alexa@AlexaLane.com or visit AlexaLane.com.

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and with autoimmune conditions, reignite or worsen. This is not a complete surprise, since viruses are a known trigger for autoimmune diseases. Another potential explanation, which researchers are still exploring with longhaul COVID, is the viral load of the RNA virus present in some people’s system may be greater than others, which contributes to the presence of this condition. These people become ill not just with post-COVID symptoms, but with a worsening in their underlying conditions.

LONG-HAUL COVID Signs, Symptoms and Supplements

by Veena Verma-Dzik

OVID-19 has not gone away. One day, numbers are down and there is a light of hope, and then the numbers are back up again. More people have been affected with COVID than those who have not. It has had a significant impact on public health globally, with cases that have been reported to be an estimate of 10 to 30 percent of people experiencing postCOVID, or “long-haul COVID” symptoms. Again, that is just what has been reported. People affected with long-haul COVID usually present with symptoms more than four weeks after first being infected, and can last over weeks to months—perhaps years. What may come as a surprise, much like chronic Lyme disease, is that many people with long-haul COVID are not aware that they were ever even exposed to COVID. 14

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While most people with post-COVID conditions know for certain that they were sick with COVID, there are a handful of people who may not have tested positive or were unaware they were infected with the virus. Testing for long-haul COVID can be just as uncertain as it is for Lyme and tickborne diseases.

Why Are Some Affected? Patients with Lyme disease and autoimmune conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and Epstein-Barr virus, get hit the hardest once infected with COVID. The inflammatory response that is triggered by the virus interacts with the immune system and genetics, most likely causing an adverse reaction. Those with underlying symptoms will have symptoms from previous infections either return or become exacerbated, eNaturalAwakenings.com

The Long-Haul COVID Picture Recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine, it is expected that more than 15 million people will become ill with long-haul COVID, another national health disaster. The reality is the ill-effects of COVID can negatively impact multiple systems of the body. The wide range of symptoms associated with long-haul COVID can be presented in different ways, including unrelenting fatigue, difficulty breathing, cognitive decline, headaches, changes in sleep, neuropathy, irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, hair loss and more. These are all symptoms that are very similar to tick-borne diseases. We must also emphasize the rise in anxiety, depression and other mood disorders—not from the psychosocial consequences the pandemic has had, but as a result of the COVID and long-haul COVID infection. The neuroinflammation induced by the virus has caused a significant impact on the brain, leading to crisis in the state of our mental health.

Long-Haul Symptoms Let’s focus on some of the most prevalent symptoms associated with post-COVID: cognitive decline, migraines, anxiety, depression, fatigue, compromised breathing and pain. How is it that a respiratory virus can cause neurological issues? Many of the neurological symptoms that result from the COVID infection are due to the widespread inflammatory response to the infection and associated blood vessel injury. The presence of inflammatory cytokines within

the brain and spinal cord leads to both neurological and cognitive deficits, with neurological symptoms in more than 80 percent of the severe cases. COVID causes traumatic brain injury. One study revealed several changes including reduction in gray matter thickness and overall size of the brain, and an increase in cerebrospinal fluid. Another study showed that large cells, known as megakaryocytes, were found in the brain, blocking blood flow and starving it of oxygen. This is only a fraction of what has been discovered, and it goes without saying such alterations and more significantly impact both cognitive and mental health. In a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 50 participants assessed after low intensity exercise were found to have low fatty acid oxidation and higher blood levels of lactate, which are findings associated with a defect in mitochondrial function. This is the same type of cellular damage that is thought to play a role in myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. At a complex level, the mRNA virus affects the biogenesis pathways of specific mitochondrial products, which ultimately leads to many of the symptoms with which long-haul patients struggle.

What Can Help From a functional alternative medicine perspective, there are supplements that have been found useful in helping those with long-haul COVID, many of which can be found on the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance website, Covid19CriticalCare.com. Since long-haul COVID shares several key characteristics with chronic Lyme disease, many of these therapies overlap. Here are just a few of the therapies that have benefited patients. Curcumin It has been shown that after taking curcumin, patients who have exhibited mild, moderate and severe COVID symptoms were able to recover earlier with less deterioration in their health. Diving more into

the science behind curcumin shows broadspectrum antiviral activity against enveloped viruses, exerts immunomodulatory activity by blocking NF-κB inflammasome, alleviates oxidative tissue injury by increasing antioxidant defenses by modulating NRF2 and much more. Quercetin, Vitamin C and Zinc Quercetin is a flavonoid and potent antioxidant with broad spectrum antiinflammatory, antiviral, cardioprotective and neuroprotective properties. The neuroprotective effects of quercetin are due to its antioxidant and free radical scavenging abilities. Quercetin is also beneficial to our mitochondria and energy (ATP) production. Quercetin targets NLRP3 inflammasome, a protein that triggers the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and causes cell death. The extra added benefit is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier. Quercetin, together with zinc and vitamin C, can exhibit synergistic antiviral activity.

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Resveratrol Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol found in red wine and Japanese knotweed. Resveratrol has widely been researched and proven to have many beneficial effects against numerous viruses, including the flu virus, HIV and RSV. Its antiviral and antioxidant benefits may further be enhanced when used in combination with other nutraceuticals. There are many more therapies that can provide great benefit for those suffering from long-haul COVID, including other supplements, herbs and immunotherapy. While more studies and clinical trials are being conducted to find better treatments and perhaps a cure for COVID, it is important to know that there is support to help with recovery. Dr. Veena Verma-Dzik, ND, FIAMA practices at Insight Counseling, 105 Danbury Rd, in Ridgefield. Connect at 203-431-9726, InsightCounselingLLC.com or DoctorVeena. com. See ad, page 21.

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in the middle of treatment, they can block the effectiveness of the treatment.

Five Major Blocks to Healing Chronic Lyme Disease

And How to Address Them

by Gregg Kirk

ost Lyme disease patients in the middle of progressing through the illness have probably been through a variation of the following scenario: Some time ago, you started experiencing a range of non-specific, hard-to-explain symptoms that caused you to seek help from your regular doctor, who put you through a battery of tests that didn’t reach any clear diagnosis. So, you continued testing for years or even decades. At some point, almost by accident, you were diagnosed by a doctor who was more versed in Lyme disease, and you heaved a sigh of relief. Once you knew what you were dealing with, you could treat it and get it over with. Instead, you’ve been on a range of treatments and your doctor only seems to be trained in antibiotics, pharmaceutical pain relievers and mood enhancers. Most of these things have only brought about short-term improvement or haven’t worked at all; some of them have caused symptoms of their own. Your symptomology 16

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is either plateauing or getting worse, which is causing you to feel upset. Your doctor notices this and suggests you see a psychiatrist. Now, what do you do? Instead of giving up, here are a few areas to examine to see if they may be causing a treatment block that can be removed to help you get to where you want to be. None of these should be taken lightly, and all of them will need to be dealt with before any major improvement breakthroughs can be expected.

STRESS Most holistic practitioners understand that the following three forms of stress can not only cause disease in the body, but also thoroughly block treatment improvement. Physical stress: A powerful injury to the body, a concussion or a trauma from a car accident or fall can cause a healthy person’s immune system to go offline until the injury is healed. If any of these things happen eNaturalAwakenings.com

Chemical stress: Ingesting toxins from an unhealthy diet; being exposed to toxins like heavy metals, mold or rotten food; or being exposed to viral or bacterial infections, can all cause disease. These can impair treatment if a patient is exposed in the middle of an illness. Emotional stress: Intense stress at a job, the death of someone close or disruptions in finances can all impact someone so intensely that it can bring down the immune system. Remaining in a constant state of emotional distress, grief or panic will make it almost impossible to heal until the issues are addressed.

DETOXING Expecting treatment improvement while ignoring toxin buildup caused from die-off action is like continuously filling a balloon with air and not expecting it to burst. Toxins and inflammation-causing cytokines that are naturally released during the pathogen destruction that happens in most treatment can build up over time and lodge in a patient’s fat cells and tissue— causing long-term symptoms even after a patient discontinues treatment. If a patient is regularly detoxing during treatment, the buildup of long-term toxins can be avoided, and the patient can stay on treatment with less discomfort.

DIET Most patients understand the importance of regulating their diet during treatment. However, certain foods can block treatment and bring about symptoms of their own. Refined sugar and dairy products in particular are both inflammation-causing, mucous-forming and have been proven to feed a variety of pathogens, most of which Lyme patients are attempting to eradicate. Processed foods that have artificial ingredients can cause symptom crashes, and processed grains like wheat, corn and soy can trigger further sensitivities. Alcohol consumption (even moderated to a single glass of beer or wine per day) can block certain treatments, while promoting intestinal yeast.

ENVIRONMENT Where the patient spends the majority of their time can have a large bearing on treatment success. Patients who live or work in moldy environments or buildings that emit chemical toxins or excess electro-magnetic frequencies (EMF), can suffer from extra symptoms and treatment plateaus. Similarly, patients who spend most of their time around hostile co-workers, relatives or significant others can suffer from similar symptoms. The remedy is to remove the patient from these situations before symptom improvement can be expected.

PARASITES For Lyme patients who have plateaued or feel “stuck” in their treatment, wellknown doctors like Dr. Lee Cowden and Dr. Jay Davidson point out that internal parasites can hinder improvement and should be addressed before trying to move on in treatment. Intestinal parasites are one of the common culprits in creating symptoms and blocks during treatment, and they are much more widespread than most people realize. Patients who experience extended digestive distress, bouts of diarrhea or constipation, bloating after eating, stomach pain and discomfort and strong fatigue directly after a meal, should consider treating for parasites. Effective treatment should last at least three consecutive months and include binders, enemas and ways to expel the parasite bodies, eggs and toxins they generate. Gregg Kirk is an author, energy healer and Lyme disease advocate who runs a clinic in Darien, where he incorporates herbal treatments to help patients with Lyme disease. Connect at LymeRecoveryClinic.com or GreggKirk.com. See ad, page 2.

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inspiration

REPLENISHING TIDES

uch has been written and spoken about teacher burn-out over the past few years. As a high school and community college English teacher, I have certainly been impacted by the pandemic—in ways obvious and not so obvious. What is burn-out? Going through the motions, but not actually inhabiting one’s body might be a workable definition. In this condition, life assumes a dull veneer, like a flat screen TV. It can affect the daily alchemy between student and teacher, the possibilities of fresh knowledge that arise in both, on the best of days. In a state of burn-out, the fickle flame of enthusiasm and understanding becomes an imperceptible smolder. An unsurprising remedy for this is getting outdoors into nature. When it feels like I’m looking at my students through aquarium glass, and I feel an ebbing of interest in my vocation, I know I need to remove myself, if only for a day, and return 18

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by William Bless

to an elemental place. Insofar as I can do this, the country of ancestral familiars is able to reach some salvageable portion of my self, saving “some part,” as Frost wrote in his laconic poem Dust of Snow, “of a day I had rued.” I look for a crow—Frost’s avian messenger—to shake down snow dust to startle me awake. Literature as well (secular or sacred), a return to the books that sustain me, is a second means of rejuvenation. Considering the words and sentences of writers and poets helps as a way to deepen my relationship and perception of life when an internal Gobi Desert threatens to overwhelm with sand storms. No doubt the reader has their own inspiration lists that they turn to in periods of personal or professional depletion. An April morning at Barn Island. The early vernal landscape and salt marshes, though still bare and brown, were alive again with warm sunshine, which shimeNaturalAwakenings.com

mered on the chill blue waters of Little Narragansett Bay. Two snowy egrets moved in a little channel, one large, mature, its head tucked down in its arctic white plumage, elongating the wet quilled tuft of feathers at the back of its head; its rapier beak probed the shallows, ready to lance salt water minnows. The other, foraging nearby, was a juvenile, wading mawkishly in the cordgrass. The mother kept a steady eye on it. These two were the vanguard it seems, from southern coastal regions. The sight of egrets is always arresting, as if the foam of a Carolina or Florida surf had magically shape-shifted into this bony, wading bird. A few moments later, two osprey hovered over the tree canopies in air scented with fresh brine and sap, shellfish and distant forsythia and magnolia, sailing back and forth over the ebbtide mudflats and silty channels. Despite the lure of our cell phones, the primordial earth is a living oracle testing our willingness to surrender. It seems to

me that this is what I seek when I’m out in a wild place—satcitananda in Sanskrit— Being, Consciousness, Joy. An experience that requires no words, that transcends the need for words and the compulsion to find fixity in things and in nature. In his 1841 essay “The Over-Soul”, Emerson speaks of “the wise silence”. Maybe it was this type of silence I was looking for when I went to Napatree Point on a windy grey day, a sandy 1.5-mile barrier spit, tapering toward Fishers Island. Comprised of longshore drift and glacial till like so many other barrier islands on the Atlantic coast, Napatree is in a geologic process of movement from wave and wind, season and tide. The day was cold, and a grey surf pummeled dark boulders and the remnants of a jetty, while a buoy clanged out its forlorn mariner’s ballad. The beach on the inland bay side was calmer. Small blue mussels filled the wrack-line, gritty clumps of pebble and byssus threads. Herring gulls were feasting on them, as was a bird I had never seen in the wild before: the oystercatcher. In total, 17 oystercatchers came into view, pecking at the wrack, their deep orange beaks, black hoods and wintry bellies giving them a distinctly northern, almost polar appearance. To watch anything long enough is to come across astonishing complexity and great simplicity, whether a river current, waves, a migratory bird, an insect or the play of light on water. We are always on the cusp of a natural spontaneity that resists easy categorization and labels. The fluidity of life exists within us too, if we could only get out of our own way. Loren Eiseley, in his book The Firmament of Time, states, “I had touched the lives of creatures other than myself . . . I had struggled, I am now convinced, for a greater, more comprehensive version of myself.” This, undoubtedly, is what I seek when surrendering enough to be replenished by the tides—a redefinition, a sense that I am deeply affiliated with the lunar cycles and with the earth, in a way that I could not possibly have conceived before, and in the process, am enriched in ways I cannot fully comprehend. Nature’s language is always inscrutable, a living orthography, an invitation of sorts

to join in its rhythm and movements, its variety and evanescence, its abiding silence. I wondered at the lives of brant, egret, oystercatcher and osprey, imagination again part of the perpetual life, the fierce burning light in the oystercatcher’s eye, primal as a sunrise. In bearing transient witness to the stillness and motion in nature, I am made more fit to speak with teenagers about what I know—and sometimes, more aptly, what I don’t know. I can again learn how to connect, competing with the distractions of technology. I could also say a thing or two about that rarest of perishable qualities—curiosity—and how to keep it alive in the immense present. William Bless is a writer, musician and educator who lives in Litchfield County. His stories and essays have appeared in numerous national and regional journals, and his music has been played on NPR stations. Connect at 203-560-2923 or BillJ.Bless@gmail.com.

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inspiration

The Father of the Year Award by Berta Prevosti

hat makes an ideal father? If you look up the idea of what makes the “ideal father”, you, like me, might find some of the following qualities: • He is an inspirational role model who maintains a strong commitment and involvement with his family. • He is a role model to the children in the communities with whom he associates. • He makes a significant contribution to the nation and is recognized for his personal, academic and professional achievements.

The list above is lacking. Here are a few more I’d like to add. • A father is someone that stays—stays when it is hard to stay, stays because he loves his children and his family, stays because he knows that some bad days are only a small part of a greater life. • A father is someone that understands that he symbolizes stability for his children and safety, in a way that no one else could ever provide. • A father understands that strength comes from showing how he loves and forgives, rather than his physical strength. • A father understands that he represents the only God that his children will know up until they can venture out into the world of spirituality and find their own. He knows his presence and his actions will mold how his children will view the world and behave in it.

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• He is committed to maintaining an ongoing and further contribution to the nation (through voluntary, unpaid work undertaken and awards and recognition received).

To be honest, I don’t believe that I entirely agree with the criteria. I will admit that I did not have a positive role model for a father, but I certainly know what a good father is. For me, a father is a magical being that I can only imagine, but I have seen them out there in the world. Let’s take this moment to praise those fathers, the fathers that I see playing with their children, carrying them on their shoulders, helping their partners with the endless daily tasks of parenthood—the simple things. Fathers that stay and do the mundane things in life, and do them with such a love in their eyes that at times has evoked jealousy from me, as well as inspiration from knowing that those men do exist.

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• A father teaches his children how to be a man, how to treat women, how to treat humanity and how to be kind when it seems easier not to be kind. • A father shows what true strength is: love, compassion, humility and grace. • A father knows the difference between bravado and courage and teaches by example.

It is a daunting task for sure, but I take this moment to praise the men that have become fathers, through conception, adoption or just from association. The fathers that have stayed while it was unbearable to stay, that have loved in the face of unruly teenagers and that, though faced with divorce, remained to be part of their children’s lives. Bravo to you all! I honor you on this Father’s Day and on every day. What you do, has and will change and shape the lives of your children and of all children. My Father of the Year Award goes to—all of the above. To my grandfather who showed me what love is, to my ex-

husband who showed me what acceptance is, to my brothers who showed me what passion is, to my friends who have shown me what commitment is, to my father who showed me what I could be, and taught me how I should raise my sons, so that they could grow up to be the winners of this most prestigious award. Berta Prevosti offers online yoga and meditation through her studio platform, RajaYogini.com, which offers online classes in meditation, yoga, yoga teacher training programs, certifications, workshops, retreats and metaphysical studies. Connect at 203-902-5090 and RajaYogini.com.

June 2022 21

The Healing of the Modern Man Men Redefine Their Emotional Power

Merpics/AdobeStock.com

by Marlaina Donato

or generations immemorial, men have been builders of culture, solid providers and inspired adventurers, but gender roles and sometimes-conflicting cultural expectations have taken a heavy toll on both the individual and community. The pervasive “tough guy” paradigm has denied half the human race its full emotional expression, resulting in amplified stress levels, compromised physical health, toxic aggression, broken families and a higher risk for addiction. According to research published in the American Journal of Men’s Health in 2020, death by suicide among men is almost four times higher 22

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than that of women and is partly attributed to the stigma of seeking treatment for depression. African American men carry the additional burden of racial and economic inequality, and their depressive symptoms are often more persistent and incapacitating. Contrary to common myth, men are deeply emotional and responsive beings by nature. Centuries overdue, restrictive cultural definitions are slowly shifting to a broader psychosocial view of authentic manhood. Thanks to guy-friendly mental health resources, virtual and in-person support communities and diverse options eNaturalAwakenings.com

in the alternative health field, more men are taking responsibility for their well-being and learning how to embody emotional freedom. They are stepping up to the plate as strong, sensitive leaders, something our world needs now more than ever.

Breaking the Chains and Choosing Authenticity The masculine expectation and requirement have been for most boys to “buck up and tough it out” during childhood and adolescence, and this overt or sometimes very subtle conditioning can promote disproportionate power plays, homopho-

bia and resistance to emotional intimacy well into adulthood. “Every society has ‘feeling rules’ that govern how emotions can be expressed publicly,” says psychologist Michael Reichert, executive director of the Center for the Study of Boys’ and Girls’ Lives at the University of Pennsylvania and author of How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men. “Research tells us that boys are born as emotionally expressive as girls, but in a short time receive constant messages from their loved ones, schoolmates and TV shows that only certain emotions are okay for boys.” Such emotional restrictiveness has a profoundly negative impact on male development, he says. For Todd Adams in Elmhurst, Illinois, cofounder of MenLiving. org and a Tony Robbins-certified life coach, recognizing societal trappings is key. “The first step is to have the awareness that we have been lied to for as long as we can remember about what it means to be a man. We have been conditioned to stay in the ‘man box’, which means if we show any type of vulnerability, our value from the outside, as well as from the inside, plummets.” Reichert concurs. “My belief is that tragic outcomes—addictions, violence, suicide and premature mortality—are a reflection of how men’s human natures are thwarted by cultural norms. Being confined to a man box is hazardous. We humans, including men, are built to express our hearts in close connections to others we love and who love us.” The notion of going the distance solo is discouraged by Adams, whose organization helps men from all walks of life find support

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Vancouver, Canada, an online resource hub for men battling depression, has spearheaded online stress assessment tests for more than 26,000 men over the age of 18 and found surprising consistency. “The results suggest that the two most common stressors faced by the men are a lack of meaning and feelings of loneliness, followed by financial strain, relationship difficulties and problems at work,” he says. According to data gathered by Tulane University, human connection boosts immunity and wards off cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment. For men especially, social bonds are critical in coping with life stresses. Forging new alliances and maintaining old ones can be challenging with or without a pandemic, but online communities offer additional support, camaraderie and nonjudgmental sharing, which can be especially helpful for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction and depression.

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Beyond Talk Therapy

and connection through online meetings and adventure outings. “Once the awareness is there, I would invite family, partners, et cetera, to invite us to show up in a more authentic and human way,” he says.

Stress and the Physiology of Feelings For many men, emotions—other than “socially acceptable” anger and irritation—rarely see the light of day and instead morph into physical maladies such as digestive trouble, headaches, chest pain and high blood pressure. Unmanaged stress can also zap any zing in the bedroom. “I’m certainly not a doctor, but I’m sure there is a correlation for some about their emotional/mental/financial wellbeing being related to erectile dysfunction. The men that I work with often have a habit of not taking good care of themselves, and that lack of self-care ripples into other parts of their life, including their sexual life,” observes Adams. In spite of the fact that many others are struggling with the same condition, out of shame, it is often kept in the shadows. “My advice is that men find safe spaces to discuss these challenges with others. My hope is that men can discuss sexuality and intimacy as openly as women do.” Josh Beharry, project coordinator of HeadsUpGuys.org, in 24

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Male depression can be hidden in plain sight, disguised as hitting the bottle to “relax”, or by working compulsively, engaging in highrisk behaviors or easily flying off the handle at loved ones. Beharry knows firsthand how insidious the disease can be and why seeking help sooner than later is vital. After miraculously surviving a horrific suicide attempt, he unexpectedly found hope and the will to live through walking, breathwork and human connection. Being honest with others, as well as himself, was a turning point in his recovery. “For a lot of men, talking about dealing with depression feels like an admission of weakness or something to feel guilty about,” he says. “Try to think of emotional pain like physical pain. If you get cut, you bleed; that’s part of being human. Then you do something to treat the wound. Or if it’s deeper, you go to a doctor or a hospital. Denying painful emotions is like trying not to bleed when you get cut or trying to pretend you’re not bleeding.” For family members or friends concerned about a man’s mental

HELPFUL RESOURCES MenLiving, MenLiving.org A national program of virtual and in-person opportunities for men to forge healthy and nourishing connections. EVRYMAN, Evryman.com An online men’s community group. Good Men Project, GoodMenProject.com Includes articles on many topics including relationships, dads and families, advice and confessions, and ethics. HeadsUpGuys, HeadsUpGuys.org A program at The University of British Columbia that provides support for men to prevent and manage depression.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

health, he advises, “Vague assertions like, ‘You seem depressed,’ can make a guy feel attacked or put on the spot. Instead, it’s helpful to start by pointing out specific observations you’ve had about changes to his mood or behavior, such as, ‘You seem stressed out,’ or, ‘You haven’t been eating much,’ or, ‘You’ve been isolating yourself from friends or turning down plans more than usual.’” It is estimated that 4 percent of men suffer from the physical and psychological consequences of trauma, and PTSD is certainly not reserved for combat veterans. While traditional therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy are excellent for treating depression, other modalities offer light at the end of the tunnel for men plagued by traumatic overwhelm. Somatic Experiencing, developed by PTSD psychologist Peter Levine during the last 50 years, targets trauma stored in the nervous system and gently helps a person to increase their tolerance for difficult

physical sensations and buried emotions. It is also highly useful in addiction recovery. Therapeutic massage, yoga and regular exercise are all allies for men to combat stress, anchor into their bodies and access unconscious feelings. In the end, little things add up to a whole lot of change for a man. “You are not alone. Take your responsibility in how you experience life. Empower yourself with resources—podcasts, books, therapy, coaching—whatever support might look like for you,” advises Adams. There is no better time than now for the masculine to rise to a new level of greatness. “There is ample evidence that we are in a paradigm-shifting moment in the history of manhood,” says Reichert. “When I speak with parents, I say that there has never been a better time in all of human history to raise a son.” Marlaina Donato is an author and multimedia artist. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

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 June 2022 25

healing ways

Healing Trauma EMERGING THERAPIES OFFER FRESH HOPE by Ronica O’Hara

motortion/AdobeStock.com

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

efugee children with tear-stained faces, the frail elderly being wheeled away from floods or fires, the sobbing families of gunshot victims—the faces of trauma are seen in every heartbreaking newscast. And the faces are even closer to us than that, walking down the street: a woman that recoils from touch, a child that has withdrawn into himself, a man with incoherent bursts of anger. The trauma of death, cruelty and destruction has always been part of the human experience. In the U.S., surveys show that as many as 60 to 70 percent of people report being traumatized by sexual assault, accidents, violence, war combat or other causes, and as many as one in 11 may be diagnosed in their lifetime with the more severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The encouraging news is that in the last few decades, a revolution has occurred in the recognition of how widespread trauma is and how deeply embedded it can be, not only in our behaviors but in our bodies. That, in turn, has led to effective and ever-evolving approaches to heal what’s been broken. “Although trauma and PTSD are visible in the culture everywhere now, from films to popular literature and from legal to mental health fields, until 1980 the topic was virtually non-existent,” says San Francisco psychologist, PTSD researcher and author Harvey Schwartz, Ph.D., who has treated trauma clients in clinical practice for 35 years. “After it became a legitimate diagnosis in 1980, long-overdue research and development of clinical protocols occurred, and today, almost every tradition and subculture within the mental health field has its own model of how to treat trauma.” Shaping the ongoing dialogue has been the research of Boston psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, whose 2014 book, The Body Keeps the Score, has occupied the top rung of The New York Times bestseller list for three years. In magnetic imaging studies, he found that when a person is thrust into a terrorizing incident, the cognitive functions in the brain’s temporal lobe shut down and activity shifts to the self-defense mode of the amygdala. When the person responds by fighting, fleeing or freezing, physiological reactions kick in, which armor the body and trap emotions and thinking in that fraught moment, distorting future perceptions and experiences. He argues that any true healing of trauma must include “bottom-up” modalities focusing on the body rather than only mental “top-down” insights. He also insists that no single treatment alone is likely enough and no combination of treatments will be the same for every person.

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Christine Songco, a Los Angeles dental hygienist and wellness coach, used cognitive therapy, journaling and meditation to relieve the trauma of a grueling bout with cancer, but hearing loud and angry voices still made her panic. What ultimately proved healing was an hour-long session of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), in which she followed a therapist’s prompt to move her eyes back and forth while memories surfaced. “It got to the root of my fear and anxiety and the source of my trauma without hours of therapy talking sessions, but I do think the other work I did set the stage for EMDR to be effective for me,” she says. Schwartz says that two major approaches to treating PTSD have emerged: cognitive and experiential. Cognitive, or “talk therapies”, supported by academic research and insurance companies, emphasize mentally processing painful memories to manage such symptoms as nightmares, flashbacks and explosive anger, often using anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications. They can include such strategies as narrative recall, slowly increasing exposure to the traumatic material, mindfulness training and deep breathing exercises. “Cognitive approaches help survivors learn how to become an expert of themselves so that they can respond to their trauma in a healthier way,” says psychologist Sabina Mauro, of Yardley, Pennsylvania, author of The Mindfulness Workbook for PTSD. This type of therapy can take months to years and effectively treats about half of PTSD sufferers. Experiential approaches, which have been researched less, but have engendered substantial therapist enthusiasm, do a “deep dive” to work through traumatic patterning embedded in a person’s mind, body and psyche. “They help people restore not only their nervous systems, but their capacity for self-trust and self-forgiveness and their capacity for connection to their bodies and others,” says Schwartz. These modalities mostly focus, at least at first, on physical sensations rather than intellectual comprehension. For example, Somatic Experiencing defuses deeply held, fearbased contractions in the body by integrating those sensations with peaceful alternatives. EMDR, once an outlier but now practiced

globally and endorsed by the World Health Organization, uses eye movements to lower the emotional charge of a traumatic memory. Internal Family Systems repairs a wounded psyche by relating a person’s deeply felt, damaged “child parts” to their essential goodness. To re-inhabit parts of the body frozen in the past by trauma, patients may be encouraged to use somatic meditations, trauma-informed yoga, acupuncture, massage and martial arts, as well as art, music, dance and other forms of expression. Psychedelics, which if used carefully can open a trauma sufferer to a larger sense of purpose, may become a legal option in a few years. In a recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved Phase 3 clinical trial on MDMA (previously called ecstasy), 67 percent of participants no longer met the criteria for PTSD after three therapist-guided sessions. Says Schwartz, “It can feel like a supermarket of options out there, so people need to read, become informed consumers and combine treatments at times. We have to think of the mind, the body and the spiritual as all needing attention and integration.” Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be contacted at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

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June 2022 27

green living

UNPLUGGED ADVENTURES ECO-TRIPPING FOR A DIGITAL DETOX

ondreicka/AdobeStock.com

by Sheila Julson

martphones come in handy for emergencies or checking directions while traveling, but a brief glance at a website or social media can quickly turn into a lengthy scroll session, distracting us from why we go on vacation in the first place. For those that want to truly unplug, unique off-grid, eco-options beckon.

Remote and Quirky Camping The National Park Service has many affordable campgrounds at parks, forests and lakeshores with little to no cell connectivity, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in nature. Listings of wilderness/backcountry camping sites, as well as front-country sites easily accessible by vehicles, can be found at nps.gov/subjects/camping/campground.htm. State parks offer closer-to-home refuge from the digital world. California’s Hendy Woods State Park, in Philo, is brimming with old-growth redwoods. “A lot of people head way up north to Sequoia National Forest to see old-growth redwoods, but there are also redwood forests closer to Sonoma and Mendocino counties, and similarly along the coast,” says Milwaukee-based travel writer Kristine Hansen, contributor to Fodors.com, NationalGeographic.com and other travel outlets. “Standing beneath these towering trees, you can’t help but feel like a small part of this large and wild world.” Hendy Woods’ proximity to wine country allows explorers to drop by a winery or creamery and put together a quick picnic, she notes. Locally owned campgrounds can offer an escape to a pre-cellphone era. Camp Wandawega, in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, has a storied past of hosting both sinners and saints, opening in 1928 as a speakeasy and later becoming a Catholic youth camp. The historic 28

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eNaturalAwakenings.com

charm remains intact. “Spending a night here is like dialing it back to the 1950s. Think The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s upstate New York summer camp,” Hansen says. “You can climb into a treehouse or a glamping tent to completely unplug.”

Immersive Getaways River rafting tours provide an escape from the virtual world, says John O’Brien, a scientist and environmental advocate who, with his wife, Kellie, owns Fairbanks Trails and Rivers Tour Company, in Fairbanks, Alaska. “The moment that we shove off from the shore, we’re immediately on what we call ‘river time.’ It’s best at that point to put your phone and camera in airplane mode. We’re often in areas where there is no cell coverage,” he says. “There’s something to be said about just unplugging and being in the moment.” Eco-activities such as river rafting might

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conjure up images of young, physically fit adventurers in rafts slapped by wild waves, but O’Brien notes river rafting is suitable for all ages and abilities. In tours with frame-style rafts, the guide does all the rowing. “If you are able to stand, walk and climb into and out of a raft, even with some assistance, you can go river rafting,” he says. Trekking is another proven eco-trip strategy. Sometimes confused with hiking, it involves a long journey across a large swath of land that often requires participants to pare down to the absolute basics, which means ditching the cell phone and charger. There’s often little to no service in these remote stretches.

North American treks include Canada’s the Long Range Traverse, a 22-mile, unmarked, backcountry trail in Newfoundland with moose, bears and caribou. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a 2,100mile stretch that takes explorers through 14 states. Stretching from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine, the trail passes through the diverse terrain of the Appalachian Mountain Range. Hikers of all levels can take advantage of day hikes or longer treks.

Getting Our Hands Dirty For an immersive nature experience that also does good, the American Hiking

Society offers the Volunteer Vacations program, in which people join in public land stewardship projects. Working in small crews of six to 15 people, volunteers handle a variety of land conservation and trail maintenance needs. Project access ranges from backpacking to day-hiking, and accommodations vary from primitive campsites to bunkhouses or cabins. “Some of our Volunteer Vacations are remote backcountry trips that are only accessible via foot, and some are offered at local, state and national parks as well,” says program manager Ellie Place. “There is a Volunteer Vacation for everyone, whether you want to sleep in a cozy cabin with amenities or sleep under the stars miles away from it all.” The American Hiking Society has more than 35 Volunteer Vacations planned this year; more information can be found at AmericanHiking.org. Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines throughout the country.

June 2022 29

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.

Misbehaving Dog Walks WAYS HUMANS GET IT WRONG by Karen Shaw Becker NOT ALLOWING SNIFF TIME. A dog’s most acute sense is that of smell. She explores and experiences the world through her nose. Smell is a dog’s “first sense”, much as sight is ours. Just as we depend on our eyes to inform us of the world around us, dogs depend on their noses.

photomim/AdobeStock.com

If we can imagine how it would feel to take walks with our eyes half-closed, then we can empathize with how it feels to our dog to be prevented from stopping to sniff things. It’s unnatural, slightly intimidating and, ultimately, boring. Dogs need lots of outdoor sniffing opportunities to help them learn about the world around them and stimulate their minds. For a change of pace, instead of a normal walk, try taking the dog on a “sniffari”, letting him take the lead. Allow him to sniff whatever he pleases and make all the navigational and investigational decisions.

ne of the primary activities we do with canine family members is to take walks because they love them and benefit from them. But just as some dogs, for a variety of reasons, are difficult to walk, some people are less-than-ideal dog walkers. When we’re teaching our canine BFFs how to behave at the end of a leash, most of us aren’t nearly as concerned with our own behavior during these outings. We assume we’re doing everything right, and it’s our furry sidekicks that need correcting. But believe it or not, we’re just as capable of bad behavior during walks as the other way around. Here are a few reasons why. 30 30

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

IGNORING THE DOG. Unfortunately, there are pet parents that do everything but pay attention to their dogs during walks. The daily activity becomes so routine that they do it without giving much thought to the furry fellow at the other end of the leash. This is a bad habit primarily for the danger it can pose to the dog that is often busy looking for dead or possibly deadly things to pick up in his mouth or interesting places to lift his leg (like a car door). There is also the potential on walks for unexpected things to happen, like an unfriendly dog appearing seemingly out of nowhere or a car swerving dangerously

close. Staying focused on our dog and our immediate environment affords the opportunity to react quickly when necessary, keeping both owner and pet out of harm’s way. If boredom prevents being fully present on a walk, change the scenery. Instead of heading outside in the same old direction, buckle the dog in and drive a few blocks away or to a neighborhood park or nearby hiking trail. Everyone will find new things to see, smell and experience. CHOOSING THE WRONG TYPE OF COLLAR, HARNESS OR LEASH. Many pet parents don’t realize the importance of choosing the right type of collar, harness and leash for their dog. Certain dogs should wear a harness and should never be leashed or even handled by the collar. These include dogs that pull or lunge while on a leash, those prone to tracheal collapse or a seizure disorder, and dogs with chiropractic issues involving the neck or back. Choke collars and other outdated training devices can cause pain and injury to a dog’s neck and in extreme cases, strangulation. They should be replaced with safer alternatives. For walks, training sessions and whenever the dog will be on leash, use either a head collar or no-pull harness. Be wary of retractable leashes, which have the potential to injure both dogs and their owners. Flat leashes should be no longer than six feet. MULTITASKING. This almost always involves a cell phone. If we have a phone to our ear while walking, we have only one hand available for our dog. And even if earbuds are being used and the phone is in a pocket, it’s impossible to be present for both the pet and the person on the other end of the line. The dog will inevitably be the loser in this deal. And if texting, searching the internet or even listening to a podcast or audiobook while walking, our attention is not on the dog. One of the most important gifts that can be given to our dog whenever we interact with him, including on walks, is our undivided attention. Put down the phone and other distractions and let him know through our focus how much he means to us. 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.

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

pet brief

Senior Paw Project Expands into Litchfield County

he Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary will now ensure that older residents in Litchfield County are able to keep their pets. The nonprofit offers a variety of educational programming, but it has recently focused on expanding its Senior Paw Project, which helps older residents keep their pets through a number of support programs. The nonprofit has expanded the project into Litchfield County and will service the towns of Bethlehem, Kent, Roxbury, Washington, Cornwall Bridge, Canaan, New Milford, Norfolk and Torrington. The sanctuary honors the memory of six-year-old Catherine Hubbard, a kind and compassionate animal lover who lost her life at Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14, 2012. Her mother, Jennifer Hubbard, is the executive director of the sanctuary. Honoring the bond between caregivers and their pets, the Senior Paw Project provides critically needed pet food, veterinary care assistance and foster/respite care to senior pet owners struggling to keep or care for their animals. The program works with service providers in towns to identify residents who might need support. They work with a mobile veterinarian to eliminate a mobility barrier that might have stopped someone from bringing their pet in for vaccines. The project also offers financial support for residents who might be struggling to afford pet food. Hubbard says that a donation of $500 is typically enough to provide needed support to a pet for the rest of its life. For more information, visit CVHFoundation.org/senior-paw-project.

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 June 2022

events calendar THURSDAY, JUNE 2 Revive Your Energy Healing Circle with Gail – 6-7pm. Come enjoy salt therapy in the gorgeous Moroccan Salt Room, community, and energy healing at our reiki circle. Please bring a blanket, yoga mat, or pillow. $33.33. Revive Salt Therapy & Wellness, 374 New Haven Ave, Milford. 203-2835968. ReviveSaltTherapy.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Field & Forest 5K Trail Run at Flanders Nature Center – 6pm. All ages and skill levels of runners, joggers and walkers are welcome to register to enjoy this 3.1-mile run/walk. After the race, participants will enjoy live music by the popular local rock band, BluesyLand Band. $25/in-advance; $30/same-day. Flanders’ Van Vleck Farm & Nature Sanctuary, 596 Flanders Rd, Woodbury. 203-263-3711. FlandersNatureCenter.org.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4 Connecticut Trails Day Hike – 10-11:30am. With Tommy McCarthy, Woodcock educator. Hikers of all ages and abilities walk the varied and picturesque terrain of the Woodcock preserve in honor of this special day. Dress for the weather. Rain or shine. Leashed dogs welcome. Free; registration required. Woodcock Nature Center, 56 Deer Run Road, Wilton. 203-762-7280. WoodcockNatureCenter.org. Demystifying the Bandhas with Karen Pierce – 1:30-3:30pm. Bandhas in yoga are the intelligent cooperation of muscles that create energetic valves that, when utilized properly, are believed to keep your prana (energy or life force) inside your body. $39/per person (Special Offer bring a friend for free). Yogaspace, 78 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel. 203730-1893. Yogaspace-CT.com/events.

MONDAY, JUNE 6 Holy Fire Reiki Level 1 Certification – 10am5pm. Online via Zoom with Gail Christie, Usui/ Holy Fire Reiki Master Teacher. Learn Reiki selfpractice for releasing stress, boosting your immune system and awakening your body’s own ability to heal. Included are an attunement to Reiki 1 energy, an online manual, course materials, practice and a certificate. Joyful Living Reiki. 203.979.0918. JoyfulLivingReiki.com. $200. JoyfulLivingReiki.com.

markyourcalendar ANGEL ENERGY RETREAT with Alison DeNicola and Christy Abate June 3, 4 & 5 Create a divine connection with your mind, body and soul during this weekend retreat conveniently located in Litchfield County. $485/single, private bath; $445/single, shared bath; $275/commuter. Cost includes lodging, vegetarian/vegan meals, and all weekend events. Wisdom House Retreat & Conference Center, 229 E Litchfield Rd, Litchfield 860-567-3163. 32

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 Healing Outdoor Sound Bath at the Transformation Center CT – 6:30-7:30pm. With Diane Nickleberg-Barnett and Catherine Barrett from Grounded Meditation. Arrive early for a meditative Labyrinth Walk before the Sound Bath. $35. Transformation Center CT, 7 Reimer Rd, Westport. 203-820-3800. TransformationCenterCT.com.

THURSDAY, JUNE 9 Sound Healing Meditation – 6-7pm. With Bradford Tilden. He creates powerful sonic transmissions with his voice and crystal bowls for you to relax, recharge and release stress and unwanted energies from your body, mind, and field. Bring blanket, chair or yoga mat. $20 The Bridge Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St, Farmington. 860-404-2578. Register via Eventbrite:Tinyurl.com/BridgeSoundBrad. Holy Fire Reiki Circle – 7-8pm. Online via Zoom with Gail Christie. Join us to release, rebalance and restore with the new World Peace Reiki. Holy Fire peace meditation and shared Reiki. Free. Sign up by 5pm on 6/9 for logon link. Joyful Living Reiki. 203-979-0918. JoyfulLivingReiki.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11 Ridgefield BioBlitz Saturday – 7am-5pm. In partnership with the Ridgefield Conservation Commission and Weir Farm National Historical Park. All ages welcome. A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. Free; registration required. Weir Farm National Historical Park, 735 Nod Hill Rd, Wilton. WoodcockNatureCenter.org. An Afternoon with Spirit at Haute Healing Oasis – 1-3pm. An intimate group reading. Inside this two hour healing experience Jeanne Street, Spiritual Medium and Healer will impart profound messages from departed souls and healing vibrations from God’s Angels to random members of the audience. $75. Haute Healing Oasis, 792 Pacific St, Stamford. 203-595-5304. HauteHealingOasis.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15 Toning for Change: Vocal Toning Circle – 6-7:30pm. Learn to use your own voice to clear your body, mind, and soul of energy that no longer serves you. If necessary, a crash course in toning with a crystal bowl will be given free of charge. $30; $20/each for 2. The Bridge Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St., Farmington. RSVP

markyourcalendar ZERO WASTE FAIRE & SUSTAINABLE LIVING EXPO 2022 June 5 • 11am - 4pm

Thousands of ideas for green living for the entire family. Outdoor community event by Wilton Go Green. BYO Reusable Water Bottle to fill at our hydration station. Wheelchair-Accessible Event. Free admission. Miller-Driscoll Elementary School, 217 Wolfpit Rd, Wilton. WiltonGoGreen.org/zero-waste-fairesustainable-living-expo-2022 eNaturalAwakenings.com

Bradford: 860-830-5841. Info@CrystalMusicHealing. com Tinyurl.com/Toning4Change.

FRIDAY, JUNE 17 Sonic Alchemy – 7-8:30pm. This sound healing meditation concert combines Bradford Tilden’s inspiring piano music, crystal bowls and channeled vocal tones to create a powerful activating, and healing experience. $20-$23/advance; $25/cash at door. Avant Garde Holistic Center, 328 E. Main St., Branford. 203-481-8443. AvantGardeCT13@ yahoo.com. AvantGardeCT.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18 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 6/18 for logon link. Joyful Living Reiki. 203-979-0918. JoyfulLivingReiki.com.

THURSDAY, JUNE 23 Sound Healing Meditation – 6-7pm. With Bradford Tilden. He creates powerful sonic transmissions with his voice and crystal bowls for you to relax, recharge and release stress and unwanted energies from your body, mind, and field. Bring blanket, chair or yoga mat. $20 The Bridge Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St, Farmington. 860-404-2578. Register via Eventbrite:Tinyurl.com/BridgeSoundBrad.

markyourcalendar 11TH ANNUAL HEALTH WELLNESS & LIFESTYLE EXPO 2022

with special thanks to Stamford Health, Exclusive Healthcare Partner September 10 10am - 6pm Harbor Point Boardwalk 1 Harbor Point Road, Stamford HWL-Expos.com

markyourcalendar NEW AGE & CRAFTS EXPO

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Sunday, November 6 • 10am - 5pm Come Experience a Day of Spiritual & Creative Enlightenment Intuitive Readers • Aura Photos & Crystals Tibetan Singing Bowls • Healings Handcrafted Jewelry, Soaps, Oils Reiki Circle • Spiritual Art 2 Rooms of Dynamic Speakers and much more! Wyndham Southbury, 1284 Strongtown Rd, Southbury $6 Admission • $1 off with this coupon VENDOR SPACE STILL AVAILABLE 203-733-6560 • Cryours87@yahoo.com

ongoing events

sunday 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.

monday Monday Mobility Flow Yoga – 9:30-10:30am. Work on your mobility and flexibility in a slow flow yoga sequence designed to target joint and muscle groups in order to explore various ranges of motion. Everybody is different and our mobility expert, Gilly Lusby, will collaborate and take into account your experience level. Please bring your own yoga mat and blanket and wear white socks. $25. Salt Cave of Darien, 555 Post Rd, Darien. 203-658-7667. SaltCaveOfDarien.com.

tuesday 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. 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. 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 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. Good Weeds: A Weed is Just a Plant with a Bad Marketing Program – 7pm. Got weeds? You’ll learn that many weeds are edible, medicinal and nutritious. Each week you’ll meet new “weeds,” learn their materia medica, create an herbal remedy, and join us in the kitchen. $39. Register for Zoom link. Grounded Goodwife. GroundedGoodwife@yahoo. com. GroundedGoodwife.com. Art of Meditation – 7:30-8:30pm. This 4-week Meditation Course is an excellent program for beginners and also a great place for seasoned practitioner who desire to go deeper, to find more in their meditations. This course will introduce you to meditation and its many facets revealing hidden treasures along the way. $60/series; or drop-in rates VIP member discount applies. Yogaspace, 78 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel. 203-730-1893. Yogaspace-CT.com/events.

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.

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.

markyourcalendar ALBERTSON MEMORIAL CHURCH SERVICES Sunday, June 5 Rev. Frank Kotowski Sunday, June 12 Rev. Kathleen James Sunday, June 19 Rev. Liz Hoy Sunday, June 26 Diane Frances (Nudged by Spirit)

UPCOMING VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS: 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 June 2022 33

Natural Awakenings appreciates the generosity of its distributors throughout the area. Please consider supporting these essential businesses and major distributors by shopping there and picking up the magazine each month from one of the racks. Thank you!

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Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

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community resource guide

WHOLESOME HEALING MINISTRIES PMA LEARNING CENTER

Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide email Advertising@eNaturalAwakenings.com to request our media kit.

AMPCOIL CENTER AMPCOIL

CAREER COACH / HYPNOTIST

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

THEA LITSIOS

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.

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.

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 12.

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.

Certified Career Coach Hypnotist, & Teacher of Active Dreaming TheaLitsios.com 203-693-1493

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 9.

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.

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 25.

ENERGY 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.

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.

June 2022 35

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.

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.

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 4.

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

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.

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 23.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

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.

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.

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 wellknown 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 8.

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 17.

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 15.

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 21.

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 4.

NUTRITION OFFICE OF DR. MICHAEL WALD

29 King St, 2nd Fl, Chappaqua NY 10514 914-552-1442 Info@BloodDetective.com DrMichaelWald.com #BloodDetective 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 5.

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 24.

PSYCHOTHERAPY

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.

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.

June 2022 37

REIKI 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.

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 ad, page 2.

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 17.

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 8.

Fairfield & Southern Litchfield Counties

BETH LEAS

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 9.

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 4.

WELLNESS CENTER THE ANGEL WING, A DIVINE SPIRITUAL CENTER

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 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 17.

coming in the july issue

Food Connection

eNaturalAwakenings.com

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.

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 8.

classifieds 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 HEALTH AND WELLNESS PRACTITIONERS Turn your passion for wellness into a second income stream with the booming, work from home e-commerce industry, Contact Michael Rosenbaum of alternativechoices.org to find out more. 914-589-3601.

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