E E FR H E A L T H Y L I V I N G
HEALTHY
PLANET
HEALING MUSIC & MOVEMENT Vibrant at Any Age
Tune Up Mind, Body and Spirit
SPIRIT FESTIVAL Yoga, Music and Wellness on the River
September 2019 | Greater Hartford County Edition | NAHRT.com September 2019
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Many Paths Many truths One Bridge
BRIDGE HEALING ARTS CENTER Bridge Healing Arts Center is a diverse holistic wellness center, offering the community many choices of complementary and holistic healing modalities, workshops, events, and classes on their journey to wellness.
Meet some of the Bridge community… Chinese Medicine
Hypnotherapy
Donna M. Gordon, RMT, Tui Na Acupressure, Usui Ryoho Reiki, Qi Gong Therapy, Tong Ren Healing, Tai Chi and Qi Gong Instruction myheartsourcewellness@gmail.com www.heartsourceintegrative.com 860-978-2938
Carl Brown Hypnosis Licensed Hypnotherapist Easily change limiting beliefs. You can have, be, or do anything you want! www.carlbrownhypnosis.com 860-309-9004
Psychic/Mediumship/Events/Workshops
Life & Behavioral Coach Elizabeth Hill, MSW, ACC Green Heart Living - Compassionate Coaching for Overwhelmed Professionals, Parents, and Caregivers liz@greenheartliving.com www.greenheartliving.com • 860-913-6918
Reiki/Intuitive Readings
Keiko Broyles, Psychic Spiritual Medium Willows Healing Path, LLC - Owner Tested Member of Shay Parker’s Best American Psychics • Usui Reiki Master Teacher keiko@keikomedium.com www.keikomedium.com • 860-280-5548
Spiritual Intuitive, Medium & Psychic
Deborah Lyons, RMT Owner/Operator of The Lotus Petal, LLC Reiki Master Teacher, Spiritual Counselor, Psychic/Medium, Nutrition Health Coach LotusPetalReiki@gmail.com www.TheLotusPetalReiki.com • 860-335-4060
Denise Ann Atkinson, Owner of Soul Centered Mediumship. Private and group readings, CT and New York • Reiki Master/Teacher Facebook.com/Deniseaapsychicmedium www.deniseatkinsonmedium.com 860-930-9515
Our Village is Growing!
There is currently a wide variety of services available at The Bridge Healing Arts Center. Please visit our website at www.BridgeHAC.com for a complete list. If you are a practitioner who is interested to move your practice to the Bridge, please be in touch today! We have limited space available for you to join our growing village!
��� Main St. | Farmington, CT �6��� | bridgehac.com | 86�-���-���� | info@bridgehac.com 2
Hartford County Edition
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September 2019
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Contents 18 RADHA AGRAWAL ON Creating Connections and Community
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19 RECAPTURE SPIRIT
ON THE RIVERFRONT Yoga, Music, Community and Healing at Spirit Festival
20 HEALING HARMONIES Music As Medicine
21 GOOD VIBRATIONS Healing Power of Tibetan Singing Bowls
22 HAVE YOU HEARD? Sound Healing Tunes
20
Up Body, Mind and Soul
Three days of yoga, wellness and music on the breathtaking Connecticut River. Dozens of sessions with professional yogi, presenters and performers. Yoga Tracks for Beginners & Advanced Practitioners Yoga for U.S. Veterans | Vendors & Food Trucks | Healing Huts CLASSES INCLUDING Morning Meditative Walk SocaRobix What is Ashtanga Restorative Yoga The Sustainable Self
MUSICAL PERFORMANCES SEPT 13 Mixashawn, People of Goodwill, DJ Kered
SEPT 14 Fiery String Sistas, Girish, DJ Wasine SEPT 15 Taikoza
Soul Flow Chair Yoga Hot Hatha Fusion
PRESENTED IN AFFILIATION WITH
Creating a Spiritual Life Yoga Para Todos
September 13–15, 2019
Hartford, CT
Tickets, Schedules, Presenters, and more at
spirityogafestival.com 4
Hartford County Edition
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26 THE POWER OF YOGA Tapping Into the Life Force
28 STRETCH, RELAX AND CONNECT
Yoga Retreats Engage Energy of People and Place
30 MOVING PARTS
Use Your Body to Stay Healthy
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31 WELLNESS CHECKLIST Staying Vibrant At Every Age 33 VENOUS RISING
Natural Help for Varicose Veins
34 TRULY MAGIC
MUSHROOMS
Fungi Heal What Ails You
DEPARTMENTS 8 news briefs 16 global briefs 18 wise words 19 event spotlight 20 healing ways 21 therapy spotlight
26 fit body 34 conscious
eating 37 inspiration 38 calendar 43 resource guide 46 display ad index
Natural Awakenings is a family of more than 70 healthy living magazines celebrating 25 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.
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ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings, please contact our sales team: Ads@NAHRT.com or 860-507-6392. Our fax is 860-357-6034.The due date for ads is the 10th of the month prior to publication. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Submit articles, news items and ideas to Editor@NAHRT.com or call 860-507-6392. The due date for editorial is the 10th of the month prior to publication. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Submit ALL calendar events on our website at NAHRT.com. The due date for calendar is the 10th of the month prior to publication. 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. September 2019
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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET
letter from publisher
N
atural Awakenings is a free monthly publication that is for, by and about the local community. Our mission is to inspire, empower and educate people to feel, do and be better. This is why we have been so excited to partner with the organizers of the first Spirit Festival, which embodies the same principles and energy we have here at the magazine. Spirit Festival’s inaugural event is happening September 13-15 at Hartford’s beautiful Riverfront Recapture park system on the banks of the Connecticut River. Offering three packed days of yoga, music, wellness, connection and community-building, this special event promises
GREATER HARTFORD COUNTY EDITION
PUBLISHER Nicole Miale MANAGING EDITOR Patricia Staino EDITOR Michelle Bense DESIGN & PRODUCTION Kathleen Fellows Erica Mills CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alison Birks Janice Messino Vivian Sovinsky Patricia Staino Danielle Sullo SALES & MARKETING Shirley R. Bloethe Nicole Miale Nicole Miale something for every taste. Natural Awakenings is thrilled to be a part of the festival and Lisa Toczko SOCIAL MEDIA Amy Hass sponsor the Healing Huts, where you can experience the work of some terrific WEBSITE Erica Mills practitioners as part of your festival-going experience. Don’t have your festival tickets COVER PHOTO Bill Morgan Media
CONTACT US 137 Danbury Rd, #323, New Milford, CT 06776 Ph: 860-507-6392 • Fax: 860-357-6034 Publisher@NAHRT.com NAHRT.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $30 (for 12 issues) to the above address.
NATIONAL TEAM
CEO/FOUNDER Sharon Bruckman COO/ FRANCHISE SALES Joe Dunne NATIONAL EDITOR Jan Hollingsworth MANAGING EDITOR Linda Sechrist NATIONAL ART DIRECTOR Stephen Blancett ART DIRECTOR Josh Pope FINANCIAL MANAGER Yolanda Shebert FRANCHISE SUPPORT MGR. Heather Gibbs WEBSITE COORDINATOR Rachael Oppy NATIONAL ADVERTISING Kara Cave Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4933 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 203 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-434-9392 • Fax: 239-434-9513 NaturalAwakeningsMag.com © 2019 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.
Natural Awakenings Magazine is ranked 5th Nationally in CISION’S® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines
Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.
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Hartford County Edition
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yet? You can get one-day tickets or a full-weekend pass at SpiritYogaFestival.com. Check out the website or page 19 for much more detail about what you can expect to find once there. Come on out and support this great local event—we hope to see many of you there, stretching, connecting and getting your groove on! In the same vein of community-building, I am thrilled this month to announce the addition of an important new team member. Managing Editor Patricia Staino is fully on board as of this edition and I could not be happier. I have known Patricia for more years than either of us cares to count at this point (we first met in high school…let’s just call it decades!) and having the opportunity to work with her again is wish-fulfillment for me. Take a look at page 8 to meet Patricia and find out how you can connect with her about submitting an article for an upcoming issue. Contributing editorial in Natural Awakenings is free and independent of advertising commitments; Patricia’s leadership and integrity will ensure that remains the case as we continue to expand. You’ll get a taste of her writing style in two different articles this month. We hope you enjoy her exploration of sound healing—featuring input from several beloved practitioners in this area—as well as her review of options for increasing movement in pursuit of keeping oneself vibrant and feeling young. As always, we appreciate the support of our diverse advertisers, contributors and distributors! We look forward to welcoming more of you to the Natural Awakenings’ community. Looking for something to do this month? With Spirit Festival leading the way, there is an astounding array of options in our area! Check out the news briefs, display ads and calendar for ideas about what to do and where to go. Take advantage of this richness…it is not available in some other areas of the country. We are truly blessed. With love and light,
See our display advertiser index on page 47, making it easier to find the resources you need.
September 13–15, 2019
Riverside Park & Mortensen Riverfront Plaza * Hartford, CT
FEATURED PRESENTERS & PERFORMERS INCLUDE:
Meredith Evangelisti
Balam Soto
Kenny Frisby
Maya Breuer
Kiley Holliday
Jampa Stewart
LeoRising
Three days of yoga, wellness and music on the breathtaking Connecticut River. Dozens of sessions with professional yogi, presenters and performers. Yoga Tracks for Beginners & Advanced Practitioners | Evening Concerts to Move Your Spirit & Your Feet Yoga for U.S. Veterans | Programs for Children | Vendors & Food Trucks | Healing Huts MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
SEPT 13 Mixashawn, People of Goodwill, DJ Kered SEPT 14 Fiery String Sistas, Girish, DJ Wasine SEPT 15 Taikoza
CLASSES INCLUDING Morning Meditative Walk
Hot Hatha Fusion
SocaRobix
Creating a Spiritual Life
What is Ashtanga
Yoga Para Todos
Restorative Yoga
Mindfulness for Extroverts
The Sustainable Self
Family Yoga
Soul Flow
Perfectly Imperfect
Chair Yoga
Little Creative Hearts
Art Installations
Tango Todo Terreno
Tickets, Schedules, Presenters, and more:
spirityogafestival.com
Presented in affiliation with September 2019
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Do you have a complete picture of your breast health?
news briefs
A Morning of Mushrooms at Holcomb Farm
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he Institute of Sustainable Nutrition in West Granby will host “A Morning of Mushrooms” at Holcomb Farm on September 14. In addition to discussing important sustainability issues around foraging for fungi in our regional ecosystems, participants will explore the medicinal and edible mushrooms found in the area. They will also learn to prepare, dry and store some of the delicious, local mushrooms as well as how to extract their powerful medicine. The event runs from 9:30am to noon and costs $25. The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition integrates traditional food wisdom with the science of nutrition, creating an innovative model of holistic health education. Classes infuse the hands-on components of sustainable regenerative gardening, culinary skills, kitchen medicine and sustainable foraging to skillfully weave together the relationship between soil health, human health and environmental sustainability. For more information, visit the events page at TIOSN.com. Location: Workshop Space at Holcomb Farm, 113 Simsbury Rd, West Granby. See ad, page 12.
CT Natural Awakenings’ Editions Welcome New Managing Editor
P
“I us fo It’s i an e or wo
Call us today to schedule an appointment
860-415-1150
www.ctthermography.com Farmington, CT 06032 8
Hartford County Edition
NAHRT.com
ublisher Nicole Miale is excited to announce that the Natural Awakenings Greater Hartford and Fairfield County/Housatonic Valley editions have welcomed a new managing editor as Patricia Staino joins to take a leadership role on the editorial and digital teams. Staino has worked as a writer and editor for more than 20 years, covering a variety of industries and topics, including: telecom, electronics, the new world of work, the human side of technology, Patricia Staino food, travel, real estate, caregiving, and of course, holistic wellness. After two decades working for marketing, publishing, public relations and consulting firms, she made the decision to spend more time researching, writing and editing stories about topics she truly loves, and established her own freelance writing firm, Best.Last. Word. One of the first projects she chose to take on was the editorial content of Natural Awakenings, in the process reuniting with Miale, a longtime friend and colleague. Staino, who grew up in the northeast but is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, says she loves being a nonfiction writer because every time she sits down to research and write an article, she has the opportunity to learn about a new topic. “Not many professions offer that kind of perk,” she says. “I’m excited to be working with NA because every bit of copy I read or write will educate me on improving my own well-being, as well as that of our readers.” Staino’s favorite yoga poses are Downward Facing Dog and Extended Triangle, but she admits to struggling with a wandering mind during meditation. After editing this month’s issue, she has vowed to eat more mushrooms, experience a sound bath and try ecstatic dancing. “I’m looking forward to working with and meeting the local Natural Awakenings’ communities as we move forward,” she says. “My professional goal is to tell people’s untold stories, or at least tell well-loved stories in new ways. There are so many opportunities for all of us to do that together.” If you have a story you’d like to tell in Natural Awakenings, contact Patricia Staino at PatriciaStaino@gmail.com to discuss opportunities to contribute to or be covered in an upcoming local edition of the magazine.
CT Folk Festival & Green Expo Returns in September
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n September 7, from 11am to 10pm, the CT Folk Festival & Green Expo presents their annual free festival of live music, handmade artisans, food trucks, children’s activities and “green” workshops at New Haven’s Edgerton Park. This is the expo’s 27th year. Festival directors, Nicole Mikula and Michael Skrtic, alongside the CT Folk Board of Directors, unveil an outrageous music lineup that includes Donna The Buffalo, with direct support from Birds of Chicago. Ghost of Paul Revere, Amythyst Kiah, Jim Allyn Band, Quarter Horse, Susan Cattaneo and Professors round out the lineup as well. Also, the Grassy Hill Songwriting Competition highlighting Stan Sullivan, Monica Rizzio, Nick Depuy, Sharon Goldman and Margo Hennebach will kick off the day. The Green Expo, open from 11am to 6pm, highlights over 50 exhibitors that include handmade artisans and exhibitors with innovative ideas and products for sustainable lifestyles. Our Green New Haven tent will feature environmental organizations who will each offer a workshop and a Farmers Market from New Britain ROOTS. For families, the Green Kids Village offers a fun-filled day including interactive drumming with Infinite Roots, hula hooping with BringtheHoopla and children’s yoga with Full of Joy Yoga. There will also be interactive workshops all day with Cyril the Sorceror, cooking demos with My City Kitchen, Songwriting Workshop with Dick Neal, recycled art projects with EcoWorks and activities with Common Ground and Massaro Farm. CT Folk Festival offers a craft beer (New England Brewing Company) and wine garden. There is a $10 suggested donation to support CT Folk’s continued efforts. Proceeds benefit CT Folk’s mission to educate, entertain and inspire a diverse audience through music and conversation to create a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable community. There is parking on the streets surrounding Edgerton Park. There are no vehicles allowed in the park, except for those using the limited number of Americans with Disabilities Act parking spaces. These spaces are available on a “first-come” basis. For more information, visit CTFolk.org, Facebook.com/CTFolk or Instagram.com/CT_Folk. Location: Edgerton Park, 75 Cliff St, New Haven.
Improve Your Quality of Life. Create a Stress-Resilient Lifestyle by Reconnecting with Yourself, Others and Nature. 3 Essential Connections, or 3EC, is a comprehensive stress mitigation training appropriate for anyone who is looking to improve their quality of life while maintaining personal agency. Our 3-day educational and experiential workshop provides an overview of our approach to stress mitigation and an introduction to each connection.
October 25-27, 2019 Bridge Healing Arts Center 304 Main St, Farmington, CT 06032 Cost: $425 Early Bird Pricing by September 25th - $375 To register contact Jessica Goldman at 860-882-9680 or info@3essentialconnections.com
www.3essentialconnections.com
“The Twelve Paths To Enlightenment” Program Is Finally Here! The Enlightenment Method is a Time-Proven, Step-By-Step Path to Living an Empowered, Purposeful Life • A Proven System to Connect You with Your Highest Calling • Calm Your Fears and Anxieties • Get Relief from Heavy Emotions • Gain Clarity and Find Direction • Feel Supported, Connected and Grounded
Manifest the highest vision of your life because you know what you want to create and how to go about making your vision real. Is your mental health worth investing in? If you’re ready to change for the better, this is the class for you! The Twelve Paths To Enlightenment is a year-long program in Woodstock, CT
Monthly meetings 9am-12pm Breakfast served
One-year investment $875 Installment & monthly plans available Contact: Driscoll.h@gmail.com
Visit our website for more detailed information: www.EnlightenmentMethod.com September 2019
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news briefs
Women Empowering Women in Watertown
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he Women Empowering Women NOW Watertown Chapter will hold its next meeting September 25 at 6pm. WEW will be recognizing three local women entrepreneurs in its first WEW Entrepreneurial Awards competition. Awards will be presented in three categories: solopreneur, mompreneur and grandmapreneur. The Watertown chapter meets the last Wednesday of every month. The organization also runs the Girl Boss Leads Group, a woman-only leads group with the sole purpose of passing on referrals and qualified leads, helping to build connections that go far beyond the allotted meeting time. The GB Leads group meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at noon. WEW Now is a growing community of women entrepreneurs who are stepping outside the box and making their dreams come true. Chapters are currently opening in Winsted and New Haven, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and California. The organization was founded by Doreen Dilger, certified business and life coach and author, with a mission to educate, support and empower women by offering networking, leads groups, certification programs, mastermind groups, online inner circle memberships, business coaching, life coaching, workshops and challenges. “If you are a women entrepreneur who is thinking about starting a business, wanting to hit six figures or somewhere in between, then I am sure there is a program that will fit your needs,” says Dilger. For more information about programs, certifications and other offerings, visit WomenEmpoweringWomenNOW.com. To find details on the upcoming events for the local chapter, visit the Facebook Event page at Facebook.com/WomenEmpowering WomenNetworkingWatertown. Location: Princeton Venture Hub, 27 Siemon Company Dr, Ste 304 W, Watertown.
Meditation Retreat at Wisdom House in Litchfield and West Redding
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he Centers for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation in Connecticut and Massachusetts are teaming up to hold a five-day Mahasati meditation retreat from October 10 to 14 at Wisdom House Retreat Center in Litchfield. The retreat will be led by Thai Forest Monks and meditation masters Achan Dha and Achan Niphen and psychologist Michael Bresnan. The retreat provides an opportunity to deepen meditation practice by allowing participants to cultivate self-awareness for an extended period of time without distraction. While the retreat will be conducted mainly in silence, there will also be Dhama talks and question-and-answer periods. As is the tradition with meditation retreats, all attendees will have a private interview period with Achan Dha as a further aid to their practice. Wisdom House provides an excellent atmosphere for meditation. The retreat will take place in a separate 18th-century New England farmhouse, ensuring the group’s privacy throughout the weekend. Wholesome and delicious meals will be served, including breads and desserts baked on the premises by the Wisdom House Staff. The retreat begins at 7pm on Thursday evening, October 10, and concludes at 1pm Monday afternoon, October 14. The cost for the retreat is $75 per night for double occupancy, and $100 per night for single occupancy. The cost covers room and board. Partial attendance is allowed, but a two-night minimum is required. Partial scholarships are available based on need. A $100 deposit is requested to register. There are a limited number of spots for this retreat. Additionally, there will be a one-day retreat on September 14 from 9:30am to 4pm at the Center for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation in West Redding. Participants should bring a bag lunch. There is no formal charge for this retreat, which is also led by Achan Dha and Achan Niphen, but donations are greatly appreciated. To make a reservation, or for more information, please contact Michael at Michael@cfmim.org. Location for one-day retreat: Center for Mindfulness and Insight Meditation, Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding. Location for five-day retreat: Wisdom House Retreat Center, 229 E Litchfield Rd, Litchfield.
SAT, OCTOBER 19 | 9:30–4:30
FRIEND YOURSELF: THE PATH TO INTIMACY
With Stuart Alpert, Psy.D, LCSW & Naomi Lubin-Alpert, Psy.D., LMFT www.hartfordfamilyinstitute.com/intimacy | (860) 236-6009
How can you friend others if you don’t friend yourself? A one-day workshop! 10 Hartford County Edition
NAHRT.com
Martial Arts Book Signing Explore and Work with Tachyon at Sharing the Light Energy in West Hartford
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n September 28, Sharing the Light Wholistic Center in Avon will host a book signing for local author Sifu Michael Fuchs, featuring his new book The Shaolin Butterfly Style Art of Transformation. The book examines a rare style of Chinese martial arts for the first time in print. Fuchs, the Connecticut State Director of the International Chinese Boxing Association, is a Sifu (master teacher) and instructor in the arts of Shaolin Five Form Fist Kung Fu, Taiji, Kali, Reiki, qigong, Min Zin and meditation. He is the former owner and chief instructor of the White Lotus Martial Arts Center and currently leads Butterfly Martial and Healing Arts. He has been elected by his peers into elite halls of fame, including the Action Martial Arts Hall of Honors and The Master’s Hall of Fame, and has been awarded the World Karate Union Lifetime Achievement Award. He has more than 30 years of experience with Asian martial, meditative, and healing arts, and he has published editorials and articles in Massage Magazine, Tai Chi, Qi: The Journal of Eastern Health and Fitness and The Empty Vessel. “All those interested in or involved in martial arts training, Tai Chi, qigong, yoga, meditation and the like will find this book to be enjoyable and insightful,” says Fuchs. The book, which features a foreward by Grandmaster David M. Grago, is an instruction manual that delves into the historical and philosophical significance of the Shaolin Butterfly Style. Admission is free for the event, which will take place from 3 to 6pm, and a signed book is $15. Location: Sharing the Light Wholistic Center, 395 W Avon Rd, Avon. See ad, page 32.
C
eleste Mattingly of Celestial Empowerment in West Hartford will be hosting a series of “Tachyon Field Days” this fall. The first takes place on September 29, followed by October 27, November 17 and December 1. Mattingly will present on “Bringing Energy into Matter,” to explain the basics of quantum physics, Tachyon and zero-point energy. Attendees will be able to handle the products and sit under the powerful Tachyon Generator to experience its intensity. The most exciting moment for previous participants has been their personal experience of bringing energy into matter by bending a fork—with the “Seeing is Believing” demonstration. “There is no denying we are being bombarded daily with environmental and spiritual pollutants, as well as harmful electromagnetic frequencies from our cell phones, computers, microwaves, TVs and other electronic devices,” says Mattingly. “Very soon we might be contending with the highest and most harmful frequency ever—5G. My Tachyon Field Days help attendees learn how they can protect themselves.” Mattingly’s talk will cover reversing the effects of pollutants, entropy-aging and EMFs with positive Tachyon energy frequencies. Attendees will learn about the procedure, the power of intention and the benefits of the healing and anti-aging meditation sessions in the Tachyon Chamber. She will also discuss how to Tachyonize belongings, and where to purchase official Tachyon-Living products. There is no cost to attend. However, preregistration is required. Refreshments and raffle tickets for door prizes will be provided. To register and for more information, visit CelestialEmpowerment.com/news/return-ofthe-tachyon-field-days or email CMattingly100@comcast.net. Location: 10 Grassmere Ave, Ste 300, West Hartford. See ad, page 14.
5th Bi-Annual
Passport to Health & Wellness presented by the Holistic Community Professionals
Statewide Benefit* HoliStic expo
Sunday | October 27 | 10 am - 5pm
75+ Exhibitors and Speakers! DoubleTree by Hilton 42 Century Drive, Bristol, CT 06010 FREE SounD HEaling 4-5pm Speakers all day Free Raffles • Drumming GRAND PRIZE: A Hilton Overnight Stay for Two! * All door donations to benefit: Hartford Hospital’s Integrative Medicine Angie’s Spa and CT Children’s Medical Center.
aDMiSSion Advance Early Bird $5 p/p $7 p/p at the door Children under 5 are FREE FOR TICKETS: Contact Shirley R. Bloethe at 860-989-0033 Email: yourholisticevents@gmail.com Vendors apply at: yourholisticevents.com FB - Passport to Health and Wellness Expo
Holistic Community Professionals
www.HolisticCommunityProfessionals.com September 2019
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news briefs
Institute for Holistic Health Studies Fall Line-up yoga and moving, Mudra and insight meditations. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be served. Wellness Wednesday Workshop Series The Wellness Wednesday workshops will be held in White Hall, room 122, on the WCSU Midtown Campus, at 12:30pm. These workshops are free and open to the public, and you are invited to bring your lunch with you. The speaker lineup includes: On September 18, chiropractor Dr. Anne Brandon will speak about posture, ergonomics and health. On October 16, Bobbi Soares, vocal yoga teacher and energy and sound healer, will discuss stress-reducing techniques of humming and self-created sounds in “Hummingbird Sound Journey.” On November 13, Michael Rosenbaum will speak on positive psychology and stress management.
T
he Institute for Holistic Health Studies at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury is celebrating its 20th year with a full schedule of fall events for everyone. Fourth Annual WCSU Multicultural Meditation The evening will take place on Wednesday, September 4, in the Student Center at Western Connecticut State University’s Midtown Campus, from 4 to 8:30pm. After an introduction from Christel Autuori, MA, Director of the Institute of Holistic Health Studies, there will be a variety of 45-minute meditation workshops starting at 4:15pm and continuing until 8pm. Workshops include themes such as guided visual, inner focus, hummingbird sound, listening and sound, eco-energy,
Special Event: Environmental Chemicals and Mental Health: What We Can Do to Reduce Exposures On November 13 at 7:30pm, Aly Cohen,
MD, will discuss evidence-based data on everyday chemicals and EMF exposures and how they contribute to mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and ADHD. She will provide practical tips and resources to reduce toxicity, and offer information about dietary approaches, sleep hygiene, stress management and the safe use of cellular technology. This event will be held in the Ives concert hall on the WCSU Midtown campus. Tickets will be available online and at the WCSU box office. Monthly Mudra Meditation The monthly mudra meditation series continues at 7pm on the second Tuesday of the month (except for October, when it will be the second Thursday of the month due to Yom Kippur) and is held in Warner Hall room 101 on the WCSU Midtown campus. This meditation series is free and open to the public. Free parking is available for all events at the White Street parking garage. For more information or to register, visit WCSU.edu/IHHS/. Locations: WCSU Midtown campus, 181 White St, Danbury and WCSU Westside campus, Mill Plain Rd, Danbury.
Thousands of Years of Food Wisdom in Twelve Months
The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition
Offering a One-Year Certification Program in Sustainable Health & Nutrition This Innovative School Integrates the Science of Nutrition with:
Practicing Sustainable Gardening Methods
Preparing Traditional Kitchen Medicine
Learning Kitchen Culinary Skills
Identifying Nutrient-rich Wild Plants
Embark on this life-altering journey and be part of the movement to change the paradigm of our food for future generations. Join our experienced staff one weekend a month as you use hands-on education to delve into and explore diverse aspects of how food and herbs enhance the health of your clients, friends, family, yourself and the environment.
Now accepting applications for 2019-2020 | Call 860-764-9070 today! | West Granby, CT | www.tiosn.com 12 Hartford County Edition
NAHRT.com
Mediumship Events in Farmington
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he Bridge Healing Arts Center in Farmington will host two special events in October featuring evidential medium Lauren Rainbow. On Friday, October 4 from 7 to 9 pm, during “An Evening of Mediumship & Inspiration,” Rainbow will deliver heart-centered messages from attendees’ loved ones in Spirit. She will spend some time describing Lauren Rainbow how Spirit changed her life, and then devote the majority of the evening to delivering her signature evidence-packed spirit messages. She will also share some ways for anyone to connect with loved ones who have crossed over, empowering the audience to stay connected with the ones they love. Tickets are $30 if purchased in advance, $40 at the door. Note: purchasing a ticket does not guarantee a reading at the event. On Saturday, October 5, from 10am to 5pm, Rainbow will host “Mechanics of Mediumship,” a one-day explorative workshop for those interested in learning to work with Spirit. Attendees will learn about mediumship and its history as well as basic techniques for developing mediumship. Rainbow will teach the group how to experience meditation for opening and connecting to Spirit, and lead exercises to help them get connected to Spirit and give messages. “If you’ve been feeling the presence of a loved one, getting signs from Spirit, or already have open communication with the Spirit world, this course is for you,” she says. “This is a beginner’s workshop for mediumship. If you are not sure if this path is for you, this is a good way to try it out and get started. If you have been working with Spirit and desire a better understanding of how they connect with us to create a strong connection, this class is for you, as well.” The workshop is $125 in advance, $140 at the door. Lauren Rainbow is a medium, spiritual teacher and sacred journeyer, who is dedicated to Spirit, healing and love. As a medium she has toured the U.S., Canada and abroad, sharing evidential and heart-centered messages from Spirit. As a spiritual teacher she has empowered many to develop their intuitive gifts and been featured at Omega Institute, Kripalu Yoga and Lily Dale. She also leads life-changing, life-affirming journeys to sacred lands including Egypt, Peru and India. To pre-register for both events, visit KeikoMedium.com. Scroll down the page and click “Get Tickets.” For more information about Lauren Rainbow, visit LaurenRainbow.com. Location: Bridge Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St (Rte 10), Farmington. See ad, page 5.
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b. kind is a lifestyle brand, helping others to live healthy, joyous and peaceful lives.
WELLNESS BOUTIQUE
A wellness boutique and collaborative event space. 1000 Farmington Avenue Suite 100 West Hartford, CT 06107 860-338-5499 b.kindct@gmail.com
Every item is organic, natural and hand-chosen to promote mindfulness and nourish the mind-body-spirit connection. We support small businesses across the U.S.A. Victoria Gleixner owner
Seeking Clarity and Insight?
Let Intuitive & Certified Astrologer Peter Marks Help You! • 30+ Years of Experience • Featured in The Huffington Post and on international radio programs • Available for private readings and parties
“After speaking with him, I felt much more at peace with my life.”- MD, educator "His readings are always spot on!" - Joyce Barrie, worldwide radio host & success coach Natural Awakenings’ readers receive 10% off first reading (new clients only)
By appointment 203-206-9353 • Peter_Mrks@yahoo.com
We all have a hand in creating the community where we want to live. It is the support of our wonderful advertisers that makes it possible to provide this resource to you each month.
Please support the businesses that support us... and be sure to mention you saw them in Natural Awakenings. September 2019
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Psychotherapy Healing Services, LLC founded in 1999 by
Celeste Emelia Mattingly, LCSW Quantum Psychotherapist Multidimensional Healing Facilitator & Author of Celestial Psychology®
A Guidebook for Creating Miracles, Luminosity & Conscious Evolution Tachyon Healing & Anti-Aging Meditation Sessions
Relax in a comfy Zero-Gravity Chair under the Tachyon Crystal Generator. Listen to specially prepared music with Bose headset and be surrounded with Tachyon-Living Energy Products—Protect against EMFs, Reverse Aging & Chronic Physical, Mental, Emotional, & SubtleBody Conditions for Increased Quality-of-Life and High-Level Wellness. Celeste has been hailed as a metaphysical visionary. She has been in private practice providing state-of-the-art Integrative & Holistic Psychotherapy for over 20 years.
The Sanctuary for Celestial Empowerment 10 Grassmere Avenue, Suite #300 West Hartford, CT 06110 Call 860-586-8700 to schedule appointments
Insurance and Sliding Scale Accepted Sign up for the Newsletter for updates on workshops and events. Order the Celestial Psychology® Guidebook on Amazon
https://celestialempowerment.com
MONDAZZI An
Book , Bead & Crystal Warehouse Showroom
Square Feet amazing 5000 of SHOPPING!
A little bit of everything for the mind, body and spirit. Beads & Beading Supplies
Hundreds of gemstone beads 50% off strands of beads
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Visit our Salt Room!
860-285-0538
Monday - Friday 9am-5pm | Saturday 9am-4pm | Closed Sunday www.mondazzi.com 570 Hayden Station Rd. | Windsor, CT 06095 14 Hartford County Edition
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news briefs
Self-Care Retreat at Enders Island
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YODestiny is holding an Emotional Self-Care Retreat at Enders Island on October 5 from 9am to 3pm, where attendees will learn how to use their emotions to develop strategies for building positive selftalk and self-acceptance. Recognizing the origin of our thoughts brings about awareness, and with awarePaige Dest ness comes the power to change. Attendees will learn what emotions are, how they affect their thoughts and how to stop negativity and emotional hijacking. Emotions drive thoughts and behavior, but emotional intelligence competencies empower everyone to manage their thoughts. Tickets are $115; two or more are $95 each. The retreat includes lunch, and free parking is available on the island, just off scenic Mystic, CT. Seating is limited, so registration and payment are required in advance. To reserve tickets, visit bit.ly/ESCR_1910. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Paige Dest, Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach, at 860-550-1844 or Paige@BYODestiny.com. Location: 1 Enders Island, Mystic.
Hartford Luncheon Spotlights Wellness
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cBride Hair Restoration in Hartford will host its second annual Reclaim Your Beauty from Within Luncheon on October 5, from 12 to 4pm. The afternoon will include Lamar Price dynamic presentations from professionals representing a variety of wellness fields, with a special focus on healthier relationships, lifestyle changes and cancer treatment. The keynote speakers for the event will be nutritionist/health coach Dr. Lamar Price and relationship expert Stephan Labossierre. Eight additional speakers will discuss topics includStephan ing thermography, listening to your body, Labossierre healthy marriages, moving forward after the loss of a partner, divorce and international relationships. There will be raffles, prizes and giveaways. Tickets are $65 in advance, $85 at the door. Price will also be offering $100 iridology exams, which include a nutritional regimen and 90 days of health coaching, to those who attend. For tickets, visit Eventbrite.com/e/reclaim-your-beauty-fromwithin-luncheon-tickets-48437161855. Location: Promenade Ballroom, 165 Brainard Rd, Hartford.
Hartford Happiness Club Welcomes Bernie Siegel
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n Saturday, September 21 from 1:30-3pm, the Hartford Happiness Club will present An Afternoon with Bernie Siegel, MD. In a sneak preview of his forthcoming book "No Beginnings and No Endings,"Siegel–who prefers to be known as Bernie–will share his signature stories about the neverending wondrous spirit world as only he can do, with heartfelt peace, love and healing. For many, Bernie needs no introduction; he has touched lives all over the planet. In 1978 he first began talking about patient empowerment and the choice to live fully and die in peace. As a physician, who cared for and counseled innuBernie Siegel merable people whose mortality was threatened by illness, Bernie embraced a philosophy of living and dying that has long stood at the forefront of the medical ethics and spiritual issues our society grapples with today. He continues to assist in the breaking of new ground in the field of healing and personally striving to live the message of kindness and love. He has been named one of the top 20 Spiritually Influential Living People on the planet by the Watkins Review.
Eclectic Naturopathic Medical Center, LLC Kathleen M. Riley, ND Wilberto Lugo, ND Naturopathic Physicians
48 Christian Lane, Suite 203 Newington, CT 06111 www.kathleenrileynd.com
Call to schedule an appointment
860-665-1254
For more information, visit HartfordHappinessClub.com or call Audrey Carlson at 860-841-5894. Location: The Town and County Club, 22 Woodland Street, Hartford. See ad, page 27.
September 2019
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Whale Wipe-Out
global briefs
Elephants Never Forget—What They Smell
According to a new report from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, elephants have such sensitive olfactory discrimination that they can determine different amounts of food just by sniffing it. Most animals use visual acuity to determine quantities of food, but this study shows that it’s important for psychologists to incorporate into experimental designs the ways in which different animals interact with their environment using all of their senses.
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Open The Door To New Career Opportunities
Fully Online and On-Campus/Online Hybrid Programs
Spring Semester Classes Start January 13
Goodwin College is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Consumer information about the College and its programs, including gainful employment data, is available at: www.goodwin.edu/institutional-effectiveness/consumer-info-heoa
JSep/Shutterstock.com
Brainy Beasts
More than 160 dead gray whales have washed up on the Pacific Coast this year, including onto beaches in Canada, Mexico and Alaska, and scientists estimate that they represent just 10 percent of the total number of the dead, with the rest sinking into the sea. In Washington, officials have run out of public beaches for the huge carcasses to rot, and have asked for owners of private beaches to volunteer space. This could end up being the deadliest year for gray whales since 2000, when 131 were found on U.S. shores. Many of this year’s victims have been malnourished, according to David Weller, a research wildlife biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Southwest Fisheries Science Center, in La Jolla, California. That could be because of unusually warm temperatures in the northern Bering Sea last year, says Sue Moore, a biological oceanographer at the University of Washington, in Seattle. This results in less of the type of algae that amphipods (shrimplike crustaceans) eat, which in turn lowers the food supply for the whales.
Bob Pool/Shutterstock.com
Record Numbers Starving to Death
Holistic Community Professionals HCP
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. Visit our Site: www.HolisticCommunityProfessionals.com
Coaching & Workshops
Crystal/Sound/White Time Bradford W. Tilden, MM, CMT Universal White Time Gemstone, Energy, and Angelic Sound Healing Individual, Remote, Group Sessions Classes, Workshops, Sound Journeys Bradford@CrystalMusicHealing.com CT/MA locations 860-830-5841
Torin Lee TL Coaching /Zen Events www.MyPathForward.net torin@zenevents.net www.torinlee.com 860-861-9038
Healing & Wellness Center Lily Holcomb, The Water Lily Holistic Empowerment Center, Intuitive & Mediumship Readings, Empowerment Energy Healings, Groups, Classes & Events • 129 Tolland Stage Rd. Tolland, CT thewaterlilycenter.com 860-756-6391 Mind • Body • Soul
Naturopathic Physician
Integrative Psychotherapy The Enlightenment Counseling Center, LLC Holistic psychotherapy & alternative medicine to enhance our clinical services. 998 Farmington Ave, West Hartford 660 Prospect Ave, Hartford EnlightenmentCenterCT.com EnlightenmentCenterLLC@gmail.com 860-729-3284
Quantum Psychotherapy
Dr. Nicole Klughers, ND, PharmD, MSAc Naturopathic Provider & Acupuncture Specialist Vis Wellness Center at Nova Spa Rocky Hill DrNicoleKlughers.com DrNicoleKlughers@gmail.com (234)2-ACU-DOC
Celeste E. Mattingly, LCSW Creator of Celestial Psychology® State-of-the-art energy medicine & quantum healing techniques with Tachyon Zero-Point-Energy products & traditional talk therapy Insurance accepted celestialempowerment.com 860-586-8700
Shamanic/Reiki/Sound Healer
Transformational Healing
Denise Cassella, Stairway to Healing Light, LLC Reiki Master Teacher, Sound Healer, Interfaith Minister, Shamanic, Angelic & Spiritual Guide, Qigong Associate Instructor, CT/RI/Cent. & East. MA StairwaytoHealingLight.abmp.com Stairway2Healing@gmail.com 860-965-6398
Shari Dorman, LPC Inner Mountain Peak Healing, LLC- Owner Licensed Professional Counselor Reiki Master/Teacher InnerMountainPeakHealing.net InnerMountainPeakHealing@gmail.com 860-324-3309
STATEWIDE HOLISTIC EXPO Passport to Health & Wellness Expo SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2019 10am - 4pm
Closing Event - Drumming on the Patio 4 - 5pm The DoubleTree by Hilton 42 Century Drive, Bristol, CT 06010 75 Vendors & Readers • Free Raffles • Drumming GRAND PRIZE A Hilton Overnight Stay for Two!
ADMISSION Advance Early Bird $5 p/p $7 p/p at the door • Children under 5 are FREE For Tickets: Facebook.com/events/443393576471517 Contact Shirley R Bloethe at 860-989-0033 Email: yourholisticevents@gmail.com Vendors apply at: www.yourholisticevents.com
Healing/Coaching Robin Barros, Spirit of the Lotus Integrative Manual Therapy, Medical Shamanism, Holographic Sound Healing, Advanced Soul Coaching® & Past Life Journeys Medical Intuitive, Medium, Channel SpiritoftheLotus.org Columbia, CT 860-709-3903
Intuitive Psychic Medium Celeste Vernale, Celestial Messages Intuitive Psychic Medium, Healer, Animal Communication,Spiritual Guidance, Home Investigator celestialmessagesct.com celestialmessages@att.net 860-770-8997
Reiki/Sound Therapy Ed Cleveland The Ed Cleveland Reiki & Sound Therapy Training Center, Hartford Sound therapy, Reiki, Classes, Workshops EdReiki3@yahoo.com 860-681-3981
Treating Acid Reflux Susan Berman, M.Ed., CHHC Find your unique food & lifestyle triggers. Offering 1:1 coaching via Zoom, Skype, or a DIY program. HealingAcidReflux.com Susan@HealingAcidReflux.com 860-670-4152
We Welcome You! To join the Holistic Community Professionals, contact Shirley R. Bloethe at 860-989-0033 or ShirleyBloethe.com September 2019
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wise words
Radha Agrawal on Creating Connections and Community
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by April Thompson
ntrepreneur, DJ and author Radha Agrawal is on a global mission to catalyze community and connect people meaningfully through shared values, talents and passions. Driven by her love of movement and music, Agrawal founded Daybreaker—early morning yoga sessions followed by live-music, alcohol-free dance parties that are being held in 26 cities worldwide—which are helping to break down the loneliness and isolation increasingly common to urban settings. She also co-founded the THINX line of period-proof underwear with her twin sister Miki and friend Antonia Saint Dunbar, and is now launching LiveItUp, a virtual “life school” featuring 21-day challenges from renowned guides such as Whole Foods CEO John Mackey and functional medicine specialist Mark Hyman, M.D. Her recent book Belong: Find Your People, Create Community and Live a More Connected Life shares her personal journey of finding her place and people in life, and offers hands-on exercises to help others do the same. Agrawal lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, New York, where she still loves to go out and celebrate life with friends several nights a week.
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What inspired your journey to bring people together?
I grew up in a community-driven town in Montreal. My dad is Indian and my mom is Japanese, and I had a built-in sense of community within those two cultures. Yet I sleepwalked through my 20s; at 30 years old, I woke up realizing I didn’t feel a sense of belonging anymore and started on an intentional journey back to community. I was also shocked into action by the statistics around our lack of community. One in four Americans report having no friends to confide in; the number jumps to one in three for those over age 65. Another study showed that not having social ties is as harmful to our health as being an alcoholic, and is twice as harmful as obesity.
What steps can help people that are feeling isolated start to find community?
It starts with an internal journey of self-exploration. Make a list of your values, interests and abilities, and see where they intersect and how you can use them to serve your community. They may be bringing music to a space, asking questions or hosting, which is my particular gift. Then find 10 communities that align with those interests and explore them in a light-touch way until you find the ones you want to participate in more deeply.
What is the key to cultivating nurturing friendships?
Again, start by taking a self-inventory: the qualities you seek in a friend, the qualities you don’t want and the qualities you need to embody as a friend. Take stock on how you are showing up for your friends, and note if you are making excuses for yourself or your friends. I realized in doing this that I was often triple-booking myself and prioritizing everything but friendship, and made an effort to change. Now I look for friends who love adventure and lean in and say yes to life. Now, at 40, I seem to meet new people every day who come from the same star and make friends so much faster having done that hard work in my 30s.
What are the key components of a healthy, thriving community? Community is built on safety and sustained on mystery. With Daybreaker, the mystery is not knowing the next theme or DJ or “Wow!” moment, but our members have the safety of knowing it will be a wellness-oriented event and a safe space where they will be hugged upon entry and can dance with reckless abandon every month. It takes effort to keep the excitement alive, but as a result, Daybreaker is scaling and gaining momentum.
How do we find the proper balance of commitments and interests?
Developing boundaries is key. When I first started Daybreaker, I would say yes to everything, and I was exhausted all the time trying to please everyone. Now that I have a daughter, my time is even more precious. If I ask myself if something is giving me energy and fulfillment and the answer isn’t a deep yes, then I know it’s a deep no. Celebrate your abundant energy, though; it’s a blessing to have lots of interests and friends. Stay curious to where you are in life and what the world has to offer. April Thompson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. Connect at AprilWrites.com.
event spotlight
Recapture Spirit on the Riverfront
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Yoga, Music, Community and Healing at Spirit Festival
pirit Festival, a three-day yoga, music, dance and healing event, will be held September 13 through 15 in Hartford at the Riverfront Recapture’s breathtaking system of parks on the banks of the Connecticut River. In collaboration with and inspired by BaliSpirit Festival—named one of the top 10 yoga events in the world by Yoga Journal—Spirit Festival brings a unique blend of wellness to the U.S. for the first time, offering more than 60 distinct workshops, classes and performances over the course of a single weekend. The event is suitable for all skill levels (beginners to advanced practitioners) with special programming for children and people who have experienced trauma, such as veterans. Venues along the Connecticut River include the boathouse in Riverside Park, Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, Connecticut Science Center and tented spaces within the parks on the river. Over the course of the weekend, yoga classes, concerts, workshops, lectures and
other activities will provide more than 25 hours of varied, all-inclusive programming. Yoga presenters from throughout the Northeast and beyond include: • Peaceful Warrior Flow workshop with Pia Oliveri • Yoga Para Todas workshop in English and Spanish with Nicole Diaz • Soul Flow with nationally renowned teacher Kenny Frisby • Mindful Yoga Therapy for U.S. veterans • Workshops presented by acclaimed yogis Kiley Holliday, Meredith Evangelisti, LeoRising and Randolph Osgood. Talks with conscious practitioners include: • Yoga - A Sacred Rhythm with Maya Breuer • An Ayurvedic Approach to Wellness with Ali Cramer • Perfectly Imperfect: Finding Healing and Love in The Beautiful Mess of Being Human with Simon & Schuster author Chris Grosso
Music highlights include performances by: • All-female jazz ensemble The Fiery String Sistas • World Music artist and author Girish • Hartford’s own RaPoet Khaiim Kelly and Lee Mixashawn Rozie • People of Goodwill, celebrating the musical heritage of the African Diaspora Additional soul-connecting arts experiences include a digital art installation by Balam, a Sound Lounge by The Conduit Center, and late-night dance parties on the riverfront with DJs Kered and Wasine. For parents who may want to include the entire family in their Spirit Festival experience, there are child-centered workshops and performances throughout the weekend including Children’s Yoga, “Trash to Tunes” with homemade instruments, puppet shows by Oompapossum, a hula workshop and much more.
The event will also feature a vendor market selling holistic goods, healing huts offering wellness services in various modalities and food trucks with healthy eating options. Full weekend passes are on sale now for $245. One-day tickets are on sale now with prices ranging from $62 to $135. Children’s tickets are $25 per day and group rates are available for parties of 10 or more. For tickets and programming information, visit SpiritYogaFestival.com. Location: Riverside Park, 20 Leibert Rd, Hartford. See ads, pages 4 and 7.
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healing ways
HEALING HARMONIES Music As Medicine
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by Marlaina Donato
rom ancient Mongolian shamans that used drumming for physical and emotional healing to modern, board-certified music therapists that work with special needs kids, science now confirms what we’ve always known: Music makes us feel better. Decades after Don Campbell’s groundbreaking work about the cognitive effects of listening to the music of Mozart, growing research reveals music’s ability to reduce chronic and acute pain, restore brain connections after a stroke, boost immunity and promote brain development in children. Recent studies of the benefits of music published in BJPsych International show decreased depression in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders and improvement in people with certain types of epilepsy.
Neurochemistry and Pain Reduction
Listening to music we find pleasurable can have an analgesic effect on the body, and researchers theorize that the brain releases a cascade of natural opioids, including dopamine. A pilot study on cancer patients published in the Indian Journal of Palliative Care in 2016 shows a significant reduction of pain when individuals are exposed to music for 20-minute intervals. Music also minimizes chronic pain associated with syndromes like fibromyalgia. Collective studies published in Frontiers of Psychology in 2014 suggest that relaxing, preferred choices of music not only reduce fibromyalgia-related pain, but also significantly improve mobility.
Dementia, Stroke and Brain Development
Board-certified music therapists like Sheila Wall use live and recorded music to catalyze therapeutic changes in their clients. In her Eau Claire, Wisconsin, practice, Wall works with a wide range of 20 Hartford County Edition
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clients ranging in age from 3 to 104. “Music bypasses the language and intellectual barriers in the brain that can prevent healing. Music helps the brain compensate for whatever damage that has occurred through illnesses, disease or trauma,” she says. “I also work with children to help them build language and motor skills through music. Research last year by the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles has shown that music training strengthens areas of the brain that govern speech, reading skills and sound perception in children. The results, published in Cerebral Cortex, indicate that only two years of music study significantly changes both the white and gray matter of the brain. Kirk Moore, in Wheaton, Illinois, is a certified music practitioner who provides live therapeutic music for people that are sick or dying. He says he sees daily changes through music. “I see heart rates slow down and blood pressure reduced. Breathing becomes steadier; pain and nausea cease.” Moore has also witnessed patients with aphasia—a language impairment caused by stroke or other brain damage—spontaneously sing-along to songs and regain the ability to speak. One memorable patient could only utter a single word, but listening to Moore ignited a dramatic change. “I sang ‘You Are My Sunshine’ and within seconds, she was singing. After 20 minutes of music, I expressed to the patient my hopes that the music had been helpful to her. ‘Oh goodness, yes!’ she responded.”
Pick Up a Drum
Drumming has been proven to be able to balance the hemispheres of the brain, bolster immunity and offer lasting physical and emotional benefits for conditions ranging from asthma to Parkinson’s disease, autism and addiction recovery. Medical research led by neurologist Barry Bittman, M.D., shows that participation in drumming circles helps to amp up natural killer cells that fight cancer and viruses such as AIDS. Recent research published in PLOS/ONE reveals a profound reduction of inflammation in people that took part in 90-minute drum circles during the course of the 10-week study.
Music and End of Life
Music’s capacity to bring healing and solace also extends to the end of life. Classically trained musician and certified music practitioner Lloyd Goldstein knows firsthand the power of providing music for cancer patients and the terminally ill. “I feel a deep responsibility to be as present as I can possibly be, to what I’m doing, the people I’m playing for,” says Goldstein, who left a secure orchestra position to join the team at The Arts In Medicine Program at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. “It’s taught me how to be a better musician and a better person.” As much as the musician gives, music gives back. “I end up calmer than when I begin a session. That healing environment travels with me,” Moore says. Marlaina Donato is a composer and the author of several books. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.
therapy spotlight
GOOD VIBRATIONS Healing Power of Tibetan Singing Bowls
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by Janice Messino and Vivian Sovinsky
ound has been used as a tool to promote healing and meditation for millennia. Tibetan singing bowls have existed for more than 5,000 years. When these bowls are scraped, shaken or struck, they produce sound through vibration. Singing bowls come in a broad array of sizes ranging from a few centimeters to more than a meter in diameter. The smaller ones produce more delicate sounds, while the larger bowls produce deeper, full-bodied sounds. Tibetan bowls contain several different metals; therefore, they vibrate at different rates, producing various tones from a single bowl. The knowledge of their metalwork was passed on from one generation of monks to the next. This information was kept secret—so much so that the monks’ sacred text, called the Tibetan Buddhist Canon, did not contain any mention of the bowls. When the Chinese invaded Tibet in the middle of the 19th century, monks fled the monasteries with their most valued possessions, including the Tibetan singing bowls. Today, the bowls are available in the Western world so their physical and emotional healing benefits can be shared with us all. The sounds the singing bowls produce create a kind of energy medicine that is said to fix the broken frequencies of the
body, mind and soul. The holistic qualities of gongs and singing bowls induce a natural meditative state in the mind, supporting an emptying process for the sub-conscious mind. The Tibetan singing bowls have been found to have a calming effect on our brain waves. The sounding of the bowls increases the Alpha brainwaves that are dominant during quietly flowing thoughts, and in some meditative states. Alpha is “the power of now,” when we are here, in the present. In two studies by the National Institutes of Health, the benefits of Tibetan singing bowls—primarily in relieving stress, anxiety and pain—were found to last up to three days. The effects have been attributed to the vibrations produced when the bowl is struck with a mallet. When these vibrations pass through our tissues and cells, the resulting physical vibrational phenomenon positively influences wound and bone healing. “The bowls are really spiritual objects,” says Marie Menut, a practitioner who has been working with Tibetan singing bowls for more than 25 years. “They help you heal spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically from trauma. When you heal a broken bone using the Tibetan singing bowls, the bowls help the bones to vibrate so they attract each other, kind of like electricity, helping the bones
heal faster. It also takes away pain, swelling, inflammation and infection.” Other studies show that in sound therapy, healing effects can be achieved by finding the ideal resonance between the vibrations of the singing bowls and those of the client. The resonance of the bowls’ vibration with the body of the client prescribes the optimal type of sound treatment need to treat pain, anxiety and stress. “The vibration increases our vibration,” Menut explains. “We vibrate, everything on earth vibrates.” Sound therapists typically abstain from melodic structures that could recall previous experiences, however, since this could bring up sad memories and cause a detrimental reaction. When a practitioner works with a client, the bowls may be placed on and around the client. They are sounded in a certain order that strengthens the parasympathetic nervous system, creating a soothing experience. The sounding of the bowls may release a blocked emotion, which can be quite cathartic and may even lessen pain. Often a practitioner will integrate hands-on energy work, which further heightens the experience. A healing session with the bowls can be a therapeutic experience or just a relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Janice Messino is a practitioner of Tibetan singing bowls with Qigong energy and intuitive healing. Formally trained in integrative health and wellness through The Graduate Institute, she offers individual sessions to achieve pain reduction and relaxation. Janice will be teaching Seated Qigong at Manchester Continuing Education this fall and winter. Connect at 860-970-7383, Zenpora.JMessino@gmail.com, Zenpora.com and Facebook/ZenPora.CT. Vivian Sovinsky is a Shambhala Buddhist meditation instructor with more than 20 years of experience and she has practiced Reiki for 10 years. She holds a Master’s degree in environmental engineering and performs research on climate change. Connect with Vivian at 860-966-2916 or VivianSovinsky@yahoo.com. September 2019
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play when they need some cheering up, some calming down or some psyching out. “We’re all moved by music; therefore, all musicians are sound healers in their own way,” says Quintanal.
What Is Sound Healing?
HAVE YOU HEARD? Sound Healing Tunes Up Body, Mind and Soul
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by Patricia Staino
hen a woman of the Himba tribe in Africa decides she wants to have a baby, she steals away to a solitary spot and listens for the song of the child that wants to be born to her. She teaches the song to her husband, and then they sing it as they try to conceive. Throughout her pregnancy, the woman sings the song to her unborn child, and the women of her village sing it to her as she gives birth. A Himba child is born knowing her song, and the tune follows her throughout her life. When she ails or commits some transgression, the tribe gathers around her to sing her song, to remind her who she is. “It’s not a punishment, it’s a remembering,” says Cynthia Quintanal, sound artist and healer. “Sometimes, the tissues in our bodies can be injured or altered by emotion. The idea behind sound healing is to remember how those vibrations should be.” Since ancient times, music, chants and rhythmic instruments have been used in healing rituals around the world. The Aborigines of Australia have employed the didgeridoo’s healing vibrations for 1,500 years, and around 500 BC, Pythagorus began using the lyre and flute music for medicinal purposes. More recently, Native 22 Hartford County Edition
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American drum circles, Aztec rain sticks, and even windchimes we hang on the front porch have elicited calming responses from both the players and the listeners.
The Sound Connection
Today, many are returning to the science of sound, as sound baths, drum circles, kirtan gatherings and other audial assemblies become increasingly popular, whether just a handful or a crowd gather to connect, reflect and relax. Sonic events are becoming so commonplace in some areas of the country that they often serve as the first step for newcomers’ overall holistic wellness journeys. “There’s definitely some kind of evolution happening right now,” says Miriam Zernis, who has been leading heartopening kirtan (ritual chanting) and sacred music events since 2007. “Many people are starting to awaken to the value of spiritual practice over material goods. They want to open their hearts to feel better about themselves and their lives, and events like a kirtan gathering are truly loving, nonjudgmental spaces for them to do so.” In its simplest form, sound therapy may mean listening to a favorite album, musician or piece of music to help yourself relax. Most people have a special song they
But sound healers do so much more, intentionally using specific beats and frequencies to adjust brainwaves and alter the listener’s state of mind. Practitioners use voice, gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, crystal bowls, drums, rattles, tuning forks and dozens of other instruments in sessions to coax the brain into its theta, and sometimes even its delta, state. “Sound healing touches us mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually,” says sound healer Kelvin Young. “It helps us calm the mental chatter; it helps us balance and control our raw, human emotions. It helps relax our bodies and relieve the stress we store there, and it helps connect us to our higher power. Sound, music and vibration do so much on so many levels.” In sound healing, the energy of sound promotes wellness of the body and mind. It is based on the idea that all matter vibrates at a specific frequency, and those vibrations affect the balance and health of our cells, tissues and bodies. Because our bodies are 70 percent water, they are natural conductors for sound energy, which is why we can feel the beat of a bass drum reverberating in our chests. When our bodies are out of sorts, listening to various frequencies can help bring their vibrations back into harmony. “But everyone is different, as some frequencies may be good for one person, but they may not be good for another,” says Ed Cleveland, neuroacoustic sound therapist, gong teacher and holographic sound healer. “We are all different, like snowflakes.” Cleveland is certified to work with 34 instruments (and counting) in his sound healing practice, his favorite of which is the large gong, because it is capable of playing many more notes than can be played on a typical instrument. “The very large bronze is basically a full piano with millions of different sounds, so we’re hitting notes in between the black and white piano keys
that you don’t normally hear in traditional music. The gongs don’t conform to a musical protocol, and if I can make millions of different sounds, I basically have millions of different tuning forks.”
How Does It Work?
Restoring internal harmony can be achieved through “entrainment”—the concept that when two vibrating entities are in close proximity to one another, the weaker vibration will eventually synchronize itself with the stronger vibration. When we listen to the sounds of gongs, singing bowls, drums or chants, our fluctuating brain waves attune themselves to the rhythm and frequencies we hear, helping the brain shift from its beta state (or normal waking consciousness) to the more-relaxed alpha state. Some may even reach the meditative theta state. Just as we focus on controlling our breath during meditation, repetitive sound frequencies initiate a similar shift in our brainwaves, with similar results. “I might play a note on a bowl, and when I get to a note where someone’s entire body is vibrating, I know that note is truly resonating with who they are, and that can bring someone back to wholeness,” says Quintanal. Further, practitioners can focus on specific body parts, systems or centers by using the same techniques. While practitioners agree that the therapeutic benefits of sound are more pervasive when the listener believes in its healing potential, the vibrations and frequencies of the instruments will work on even the most reluctant of subjects. “Intention makes it more powerful, but sound and vibration work on a cellular level,” says Young. “No matter what you are thinking, sound is still going to move energy through our bodies. It’s still activating our parasympathetic nervous system. On a physical level, it will still do its job. On a mental and emotional level, once you start to relax, and some of the skepticism falls away, it can deepen the positive effect.” This borne out in Cleveland’s work with children, a passion project that he has extended into outreach to local schools. “Neuroacoustic sound therapy can have a great impact on children’s social, emotional and cognitive development, accelerating brain development in young children, particularly in the areas responsible for processing sound, language development, speech perception and reading skills.”
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Young, who began his healing journey in a drug treatment program in prison, says he discovered sound healing after using music as an aid to support his meditation practice. He was having trouble sitting in silence and focusing on his breath, but says that once he introduced ambient music and soundscapes, he was able to still his thoughts. “It was as if I wasn’t in prison anymore; I was focusing on sounds and vibrations, and I wasn’t worried about my daily stressors. It took me to a whole new level,” he explains. Now Young brings sound healing to institutional settings such as prisons, mental health facilities and schools, to help others who may be struggling with addiction and other challenges. He has found sound healing to be particularly effective in
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treating addiction, as stress is one of the biggest contributors to relapse. Additionally, Young says, sound therapy is more accessible and inclusive than other holistic modalities. “As a black man in prison, I didn’t see a lot of people that looked like me practicing yoga and meditation,” he says. “Sound healing is more accessible because music is universal. People can relate to music, so they are more open to trying sound healing.”
A Symphony of Modalities
Additionally, many practitioners are trained in other modalities, which can enhance the effects of sound healing. Composer, singer and sound healer Bradford Tilden, for example, is also a crystal and gemstone healer. He has found that combining a stone layout with sound healing intensifies his clients’ experiences, so he always encourages them to use at least one crystal during a sound healing session. He shares his voice and crystal bowls at yoga studios, healing centers, and public venues, locally and globally. He also
offers private sessions and workshops in conjunction with his meditative sound healing journeys and concerts. Young uses the crystal and Himalayan singing bowls, gong, ocean drum, tuning forks, rattles, hand drum and other healing tools to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Quintanal combines her experience as a craniosacral therapist and energy practitioner with sound guiding, connecting the physical with spiritual and emotional healing work. Cleveland agrees that “layering” modalities can deepen the experience. “Everything compliments everything else; it’s like putting more spices into your soup,” says Cleveland. “You create a whole, unique flavor, which is important because each individual is different.” Patricia Staino is the managing editor of Natural Awakenings’ Fairfield County/ Housatonic Valley, CT and Greater Hartford, CT editions. She lives near Raleigh, North Carolina, and can be reached at PatriciaStaino@gmail.com.
SLEEP BRACELET Wearers have experienced:
Local Resources: Ed Cleveland Hartford • 860-681-3981 EdReiki3@yahoo.com EdCleveland.net Cynthia Quintanal Ayni Healing Arts • Crystal Cymbalogy Sandy Hook • 203-257-9935 Cynsongs@me.com CynthiaQuintanal.com CrystalCymbalogy.com Bradford Tilden Crystal Music Healing Bristol • 860–830–5841 Info@CrystalMusicHealing.com CrystalMusicHealing.com Kelvin Young • Hartford 860-951-6921 • KelvinBYoung.com Miriam Zernis • Sita’s Light Kirtan 917-854-9016 SitasLight@SitasLight.com SitasLight.com
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Getting Started with Sound Healing
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or those considering immersing themselves in sound healing, there are many affordable ways to stick a toe in the water. Kelvin Young recommends trying sound meditation through an app like Cloud9, Insight Timer or Calm to get a feel for sound’s effects on your body and mind. If you find it enjoyable, try attending a group sound event, such as a sound bath or sonic concert. A quick Google search or a browse through the Natural Awakenings calendar each month can point you in the right direction. “While listening on an app or a CD is a great experience, it’s nothing like experiencing a live sound healing session. In person you don’t just hear the sound, you also feel the vibration penetrating on a cellular level. Live sound can be transformational,” explains Young. If you enjoy the sound bath event, ask the practitioner if they do private sessions or if they can recommend someone who does. Some practitioners, like Bradford Tilden, will also teach you how to use your own voice in self-healing exercises: “No one is healed by another person,” he says. “A good sound healer provides a sacred space for people and gives them energy through sound transmission that they can utilize to heal themselves.” Ed Cleveland agrees. “It is the job of a quality practitioner to empower people to do their own innate healing, so they don’t have to come back for repeated sessions for the same conditions,” he says.
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Yoga gives us powerful tools so we may age gracefully. ~Lisa Moore
The Power of Yoga
Tapping Into the Life Force by Marlaina Donato
L
ongevity is something most of us strive for, and increasingly, research shows that implementing a consistent yoga practice can be a fruitful investment toward that goal. Yoga is an eight-branch system of well-being that encompasses exercise, meditation, conscious breathing, diet and other elements, but how it effects mind-body fitness alone is proving to be a reliable defense against age-related loss of mobility, cardiovascular disease and depression. Its stress-busting capabilities help to support challenged adrenal glands and lower elevated blood pressure. Getting on the mat can improve insulin sensitivity in diabetics and also help balance immune responses in individuals with autoimmune conditions or insufficient natural killer cells. Combined research from 22 studies by the University of Edinburgh reveals that yoga, compared to both sedentary lifestyles and other forms of exercise such as walking or chair aerobics, improved 26 Hartford County Edition
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the lower-body strength and flexibility in individuals age 60 and older. The findings published earlier this year in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity also showed improved quality of sleep and fewer symptoms of depression.
Fewer Health Risks, Stronger Bones
Yoga’s inverted poses increase blood circulation to vital organs, including the intestines, which facilitates assimilation of nutrients and waste elimination. Asanas like shoulder stand, bridge and downward-facing dog stimulate blood flow from the lower extremities to the heart and fortify red blood cells by increasing hemoglobin, guarding against blood clots, stroke and heart attack. Yoga can also strengthen the bones. A 2016 study published in the International Journal of Yoga shows improved bone mineral density in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis.
“Much like a house that sits empty or a car left to sit unused in a garage, our human parts can age and rot without movement. Movement creates more energy,” explains Nancy Poole, a teacher at Clarksburg Yoga and Wellness, in Clarksburg, Maryland. Joints lose flexibility as we age, but yoga movement provides them with essential oxygen, blood and nutrients. Lisa Moore, owner of Free to Be Yoga, in Great Falls, Montana, underscores, “A joint needs to move through its full range of motion to function well. Movement helps lubricate and cushion joints, provides nutrition and removes wastes.”
Stretching Into Joy
A 2014 hatha yoga study published in the Journals of Gerontology revealed increased cognitive function in older adults after eight weeks of yoga three times a week. Yoga’s super power lies in its capacity to reset the autonomic nervous system and ramp up mood-boosting serotonin while decreasing monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that disarms the effects of stress hormones like cortisol. Under the influence of yoga, the brain is bathed in calming neurotransmitters, combatting depression and anxiety, and instilling a sense of optimism.
Each time we show up on our mats, we show up for ourselves, an opportunity to nourish the body, our one and only temple. ~Carmen Ferreira “Yoga also helps us to embrace the hard times and ride the waves. With the tools that yoga provides, we can swim toward the light. It also helps us to experience a more intimate relationship with body and soul, and in turn make better choices in all aspects of life,” notes Carmen Ferreira, owner of the Sunshine Barre Studio, in Rocky Point, New York. Moore concurs, advising, “Yoga
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fit body
gives us powerful tools so we may age gracefully. One of them is to manage stress with equanimity.”
The Breath of Life
Conscious breathing is at the core of a dedicated yoga practice, and a lowered risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease gives us another reason to inhale and exhale deeply. Poole observes, “Our general population does not breathe correctly, and many of us even hold our breath unconsciously. For my students, the hardest part of yoga is learning to take deep, full breaths. Old breathing habits must be unlearned. Once attention is given to the breath, tensions can be released.” “Yoga improves lung capacity and brings more energy to the cells, which in turn creates more energy and life force in our bodies,” says Ferreira. “It helps us to live from the heart’s center and foster a better quality of life,” she adds. “Each time we show up on our mats, we show up for ourselves, an opportunity to nourish the body, our one and only temple.” Marlaina Donato is an author of several books and a composer. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.
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STRETCH, RELAX AND CONNECT
Yoga Retreats Engage Energy of People and Place
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by Danielle Sullo
oga retreats can be spiritual experiences that focus the practice and enrich present-day reality. They help attendees delve deeper into their mindfulness, reminding them that no matter where they are on their journey, it is their own. Attending a yoga retreat combines the love of yoga, travel, adventure and community. Many retreat leaders say they find joy in the wondrous adventures they plan, making lifelong friends and witnessing amazing connections. Retreat leaders often enhance this community-building by choosing locales to which they personally feel a strong connection. Maggie Durbas, founder of Journey of Yoga in Simsbury, describes her upcoming European yoga retreat location as magical. As a self-proclaimed “mountain girl at heart,” and having already visited this region for extended periods of time, she is leading her first international yoga retreat in Lake Como (Lago di Como), Italy, this month. The retreat will center on daily yoga practice, planned excursions, and exploring the beauty of this majestic mountain and lake region. Local yoga studios leave nothing to 28 Hartford County Edition
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chance in the planning process in order to ensure that participants feel completely comfortable and cared for throughout the experience. Retreat leaders usually create all-inclusive packages around these trips, so participants are responsible only for airfare and personal spending money once the trip is booked. Durbas checks and double-checks that all is in order prior to her trips, and even takes the time to meet with all participants to address questions and concerns prior to the trip. Berta Prevosti of the Jiiva Center in Stratford arrives at a retreat’s destination a few days in advance to be sure all is ready for her groups, and that “there are no glitches.” Both Durbas and Provosti expressed feeling both fulfilled and challenged as they prepare for the magic that comes when participants arrive. Attendees can expect to be at ease not just on the mat, but for the duration of their retreat, thanks to the dedication and planning of the retreat leaders. Provosti plans her retreats to include meditation, gathering, lectures, yoga, kirtan (call-and-response chanting) and organic food offerings. “I am proud of the amazing communities that have been formed during these trips,” she says. “I
ensure participants have the right balance of choice and structure.” Jessica Proulx, Director of The Om Center for Yoga and Massage in Watertown, agrees, saying, “It is important to include time for rest and play. It is important for us to teach and help our students to find that balance, which is often lacking as house-holders.” Aside from furthering participants’ yoga practices, retreats are designed to bring people together, and offer opportunities for personal connection. “I pride myself on bringing people together as a community throughout the experience,” says Provosti, who plans one winter, one summer and numerous local retreats each year with her son, Domingo Perez. When planning her retreats, Provosti prioritizes affordability, location for introspection and exploration, and the security that the participants’ money and vacation is well-spent. Most importantly, yoga retreat leaders take pride in offering a holistic experience so that in addition to daily yoga practice, participants have many opportunities to connect with each other as well as the energy of the natural landscape in which they find themselves. As is so intricately woven into the yoga experience, yoga retreats also provide opportunities for spiritual awakening. “My second retreat to Jamaica was more than the location and the yoga,” says Provosti. “It was about the spiritual experience.” She says when she began offering yoga retreats, she didn’t realize how many people were searching for this type of spiritual experience. All three trip organizers describe their retreats as having a deeply spiritual element that honors the spirit of the group and the soul of the location, creating a profound sense of connection that participants will never forget. Retreat leaders offer local and international retreats. Both Provosti and Durbas began planning local yoga retreats before those with an international focus, such as Provosti’s upcoming Bali trip in February 2020. Her first retreat was held four years ago in Vermont during the winter, and she says, “it was the people
and the community, not the location,” that made it special. “On a personal level, leading retreats is and always will be one of the greatest joys of my life,” says Proulx. In addition to offering retreats in places such as Costa Rica, Belize, Sedona and an upcoming Maui trip in April 2020, she is offering a three-week, 200-hour teacher training immersion in Belize in February. “While not a retreat, being able to spend three weeks in deep practice and in such a beautiful location will give it that feel,” she says.
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For anyone interested in attending a yoga retreat, the depth and breadth of the experiences planned by local yoga retreat leaders seems unmatched. Roll up your yoga mat, tap into your sense of adventurous spirituality and plan to see the world. Let it change you. Let it challenge you. Let it be. Danielle Sullo is an educator, writing facilitator and freelance writer based in northwestern Connecticut. Connect with her at DSulloNWH@gmail.com.
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Maggie Durbas, Journey of Yoga Simsbury • JourneyOfYoga.com Berta Prevosti, The Jiiva Center Stratford • JiivaCenter.com Jessica Proulx, The Om Center for Yoga and Massage Watertown NoPlaceLikeOmCenter.com
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Try black light yoga, done under a black light, often to upbeat music—so you won’t be sure if you’re at the yoga studio or an after-hours club—or buti yoga, which is inspired by primal dance and includes fast-paced cardio and strength moves. Or try Cat and Cow with a joyful baby goat on your back. The notions may make purists shudder, but there’s nothing wrong with adding a little goofiness to your practice once in a while. The key thing is that you’re moving!
TAI CHI AND QIGONG
MOVING PARTS
Use Your Body to Stay Healthy
T
by Patricia Staino
here’s no doubt that regular exercise is an important component of a vibrant life. Even knowing that, “exercise” can sound like a dirty word, like something we must do—along with working for a living and cleaning the house—before we can make time for the fun stuff. What if we replaced exercise with something joyful, calming and inspirational, something we look forward to in the way we anticipated recess as a child? Why can’t moving our body feel more like play? Study after study has demonstrated that moving our bodies is the key to aging gracefully, repelling disease, keeping our minds sharp and creating a general sense of well-being. There’s an adage that you’re only as old as your joints feel, and most people over a certain age would probably agree. While media (and social media) hype may have us believe that our only hope is to jump on the next big workout trend—like Peloton, Pound or Battle Ropes, for example—more people are turning to kinder, gentler and yes, more traditional movement to restore both body and soul. 30 Hartford County Edition
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YOGA
While yoga comprises a host of mental, physical and spiritual practices, in the Western world it often focuses on the asanas and vinyasas. The American Osteopathic Association says that among the many physical benefits, yoga lessens chronic pain, lowers blood pressure, reduces insomnia, increases flexibility and muscle strength, improves energy, maintains a balanced metabolism and aids in weight loss. Further, just last month Harvard Medical School announced research it says proves that yoga “provides a retreat from the chaos of life,” citing in particular its tendency to boost body image, encourage mindful eating habits, reduce stress and increase overall physical fitness. Dating back to 600 BC, the poses and philosophy are well-established—and there is something reassuring and grounding in following a tradition that for centuries has provided a mindfulness so easily lost in our fast-paced modern lives. However, if you want to switch up your yoga practice, try teaching your Downward Facing Dog some new tricks.
Tai chi, which translates roughly to “supreme ultimate”, is a Chinese martial art that comprises three elements of practice: health, meditation and the physical movements. Developed around 1200 and taught as a battle technique in the 16th century, it has been taught openly in the US only since 1939. Today, tai chi focuses on a sequence of slow, deliberate movements emphasizing a straight spine, abdominal breathing and a natural range of motion that is gentle on muscles and joints. Once considered a form of self-defense, the practice is now regarded as a low-impact regimen that is quite popular in retirement homes and senior centers. Qigong is similar to tai chi in that it uses a series of slow movements in sequence, but it is less disciplined, and the moves are more free-form and adaptive according to the participant’s abilities. According to the Tai Chi Society, both tai chi and qigong are ancient practices that cultivate the qi—the life energy that flows through the body’s energy pathways—by combining movement, breathing and meditation. The main difference between the two is that tai chi is considered a martial art, while qigong is a method of wellness. Tai chi’s moves are more complex and athletic, and it can take months of practice to master just one. Both practices can decrease stress, increase aerobic capacity, improve energy and stamina, develop flexibility and balance and build strength. There are some studies that indicate they may also enhance
the quality of sleep, boost the immune system and reduce the risk of falls in older adults. It seems that even the most creative fitness types choose not to mess with the basics of the movements; while there are no black light or hip-hop versions just yet, some studios are combining the moves with yoga and Pilates. As an added benefit, since many classes take place outside, they can be a spirit-boosting experience that connects you to the natural world.
DANCE
Thinking of dance as exercise may seem a bit like cheating because it’s so much fun. It’s also affordable and accessible—just turn on the radio and throw your hands in the air—requires no special clothing or equipment, no training or gym membership, and can be practiced by almost anyone, almost anywhere. Sure, if you prefer ballet, toe shoes and tutus can get pricey; but in general, dance is one of easiest forms of exercise to take up right here, right now. In just the past year, two studies reported that dancing may keep us healthy into old age, possibly reducing the risk of disability and dementia. One of the studies, which examined 32 past studies (involving 3,500 people ages 50 to 85), found evidence that one to two hours of dance (or tai chi) per week could improve cognition, even in adults who already had some impairment. Now more than ever, there are many options from which to choose. Many gyms, dance studios, parks and rec departments and community centers offer classes in tap, hip-hop, belly dance, dance fitness, Zumba and our current favorite—Bokwa. It fuses step aerobics, hip-hop and African dance with steps that trace out letters and numbers on the floor. It’s intense, it’s sweaty and every cell will be vibrating when you’re done.
MEDITATIVE MOVEMENT
Unlike specific dance forms where there may be prescriptive techniques, choreography and directions, there is growing interest in forms of dance called medita-
tive movement. In these, there is minimal instruction, no learning specific steps and no way to do it right or wrong. All that’s needed is a willingness to move and an openness to be moved. Across Connecticut we can find classes, meet-ups and community events including Ecstatic Dance, Journey Dance, Yoga Dance, Chakra Dance, Shake Your Soul, Contact Improvisation and other forms of meditative movement. Each of these forms views dance as a language to connect with our heart and soul and provide physical entrance into our inner world.
JUST DO IT
Healthy movement isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. Start small and over time build your stamina; the easiest way to do that is to find an activity you love. Even just a few steps at a time will increase your energy and put a smile on your face. Patricia Staino is the managing editor of Natural Awakenings’ Fairfield County and Hartford editions.
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Wellness Checklist
4 Processed sugar: Sugar is a neurotoxin that amplifies pain, especially in the joints. Remember: you’re only as young as your joints feels so toss out the processed sugar now. 4 Natural flavorings: “Natural” flavorings are disguised chemicals. Try a diet of whole, clean foods instead.
Staying Vibrant At Every Age by Robin Barros
T
he media barrages women with message after message about how to remain vibrant and healthy as they age. Often this advice is touted as “natural” and “organic,” even though it’s clear that the often-costly treatments are neither. Yes, we all age, but we can age with grace. Much of what we perceive as aging and the failure of our bodies to remain “young” is actually the natural course of our wellness journey. But rather than hide or replace these “badges” of experience and knowledge, you can make some small changes in your daily environment that will aid your body in remaining youthful throughout your life, via nourishment and removal of toxins. Clip out this handy list and check under your sinks and in your medicine cabinets for some of these covert aging agents— and consider removing them altogether:
4 Deodorant: Does yours still have aluminum? Toxic chemicals? Try a salt crystal or essential oils in distilled water or, better yet, none. Our body is our largest organ and if it has an odor, it could be a warning sign that there is something wrong that needs to be addressed. 4 Hair dye: There are natural options, or, better yet, go natural. We live in a time where going grey is considered so cool that models in their 20s are dyeing their hair to achieve the look! Some of us are lucky enough to come by it naturally. 4 Laundry soap and softeners: Most are full of heavy perfumes and fillers, so read labels carefully. 4 Air fresheners: These are heavy in chemical perfumes and dyes, so why not try a diffuser with essential oils instead?
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4 Dyes: Avoid food with added color, especially fish. Go for fresh-caught and/or fresh frozen rather than farmed. Let’s not forget the “to-do” list—here are some small additions to your daily routine that will keep you young at heart no matter what your age: 4 Movement: Walking, yoga, dance or tai chi are all fun ways to keep your body moving and your muscles flexible. 4 Meditation: Calming your system will roll back the clock. 4 Conscious breathing: Deep breathing also calms and nourishes the body. 4 Nourishment: Organic and, if possible, locally grown fruits, vegetables, meats and honey or maple syrup will fuel your body with energy to keep it moving. 4 Healing: Find a naturopath, hands-on healer, massage therapist or acupuncturist you trust. We all have options, some good, some not. We need to remember we are worth every effort to be healthy and happy. Vibrancy isn’t just for the young, it’s for everyone. If you’re not feeling vibrant right now, what can you do to enhance your body, mind and spirit? Robin Barros is the founder of Spirit of the Lotus in Columbia, CT. She is a hands-on healer, medical intuitive, shaman, medium and spiritually guided coach, as well as being an Advanced Soul Coach, Advanced Past Life Coach and holographic sound healer. Appointments can be made by calling 860-709-3903. See listing, page 17.
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4 Gluten and other grains that are hard to digest: They cause joint issues and increase pain—a sure sign of the aging process getting away from us.
Solarisys/Shutterstock.com
VENOUS RISING Natural Help for Varicose Veins
by Melanie Laporte
T
he season for wearing shorts and swimsuits may be coming to an end, but the unsightly—and often painful—puffy, blue streaks caused by varicose veins will likely remain an issue for many. While more than 40 percent of adults suffer from them, women are affected two to three times more often, according to a study in the journal BMJ Clinical Evidence. It cites child-bearing, especially more than two pregnancies, as one root cause of varicose veins. However, smoking, family history, obesity and professions that involve extended periods of standing and sitting such as chefs, hairdressers, office workers and healthcare professionals can also contribute to the condition. Birthdays can also be a factor. “As we age, the leg skin gets thinner from wear and tear,” says Marcelle Pick, an integrative OB/GYN nurse practitioner in Falmouth, Maine, resulting in even more visible veins. However, these lumpy blood vessels can cause more than cosmetic issues Varicose veins can promote pain, cramping, itching and swelling of lower legs, ankles and feet, as well as lead to more serious health conditions involving blood clots and poor circulation. There are a number of natural strategies that can alleviate symptoms and even prevent them from developing.
Get Moving
Varicose veins are the result of valve damage and loss of elasticity that allows blood to
pool inside the vessel. “When you’re standing still for a long period of time, the valves stop working and blood fills in the vein, creating more and more pressure, which dilates it like a water balloon,” says Dr. Mary Sheu, assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Walking, swimming, cycling and trampoline jumping are among the most beneficial activities. Sheu says it helps to get up and walk around every half hour for those with a stationary desk job. “Do some squats or go on your tiptoes to get the blood pumping, so it’s not stagnant.” Aerial yoga or headstands are other exercises that help move blood from the feet to heart, along with using an inversion table that holds people upside-down. However, most people can’t stay in that position for any appreciable length of time, so an easy daily option is to elevate the legs on a pillow or small stool. “Any position where your legs are elevated above the level of your heart would help with the flow of fluid back towards the heart,” says Sheu. Work with gravity: the higher the elevation, the quicker blood returns to the heart.
Compression
Supportive legwear is another effective way to reduce water retention and swelling, boost circulation and improve pelvic posture. “Compression stockings help keep everything cinched in so veins don’t stay
dilated and the valves don’t move farther apart,” says Sheu, especially for frequent flyers stuck in a small seat for long flights. In addition to old-fashioned tights, support options range from chic, charcoal, high-denier hose and lacey knee socks to stylish compression leggings, athletic compression socks and light support pantyhose. Most are readily available in airports and retail outlets.
Nutritional Support
Because obesity is a known cause of venous issues, maintaining a healthy weight is essential to lessening pressure on the lower limbs. Pick recommends an antiinflammatory diet rich in antioxidants that helps increase blood circulation. Foods like blueberries, blackberries, leafy greens, beets and ginger are good options. Chamomile and dandelion tea can arrest fluid retention, which relates to swelling and heaviness in the legs, as do botanical herbs. Ascorbic acid and ginkgo biloba stimulate circulation, helping the veins and capillaries contract. Australian naturopath Leah Hechtman, who specializes in reproductive health, often sees women dealing with compromised veins. “Rutin, quercetin, and vitamin P bioflavonoids, taken in conjunction with vitamin C, are effective at improving the integrity of the vein and improving blood flow,” she says. Another flavonoid, red vine leaf, reduces swelling and symptoms of tension and heaviness in the legs. Jill Blakeway, a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in New York City and author of Energy Medicine: The Science and Mystery of Healing, advises, “CoQ10 increases circulation, while horse chestnut and bilberry reduce inflammation and increase fluid circulation.” She also recommends bromelain, which is an anti-inflammatory and reduces the risk of blood clots, with acupuncture to raise central qi, which improves the elasticity of blood vessels and improves blood flow. Melanie Laporte is a freelance writer and licensed massage therapist based in Austin, Texas. September 2019
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conscious eating
Truly Magic Mushrooms Fungi Heal What Ails You
F
by Alison Birks
ungi. Our world could not exist without them. Without them, there would be no soil. No trees. No forests. Many plant species would go extinct along with their animal pollinators. Whole ecosystems would collapse. Our earth would literally be one giant garbage heap of refuse. There would be no wine, no beer, no bread and no cheese. We would not have the life-saving benefits of antibiotics. And most importantly, our agricultural lands would yield crops so deficient in minerals, they could not sustain life. Fortunately for the living things on this planet, the molds, the yeasts, the mushrooms and the polypores are still here. The amazing kingdom Fungi, our distant relatives on the tree of life, are essential to Earth’s survival. Not only do fungi play a key ecological role here on Earth, but many mushrooms and other edible fungi are nutritious foods as well. Fungi are the source of many unique compounds, with a multitude of health benefits. Medicinal fungi excel as natural products in the prevention of chronic diseases, such as type II diabetes, cancer, autoimmunity and more. Medicines from fungi are also employed as adjuncts to conventional medicine, especially cancer. As of 2018, $24 billion were spent in the annual global trade of medicinal mushrooms and products made from them. Medicinal mushrooms are available as fresh produce or dried, as alcohol-based extracts or powders. They are even combined with other herbs and nutrients in the form of nutraceuticals. 34 Hartford County Edition
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Safe Wild Foraging
If you prefer to acquire them for free, wild foraging for edible and medicinal fungi is another option. The mushroom hunter must be educated on the life cycle, habitat and identification traits of each species that is collected. Fungi have relationships with specific trees, whose traits must also be learned. Poisonous look-alike species need to be recognized as well. Identification traits include color, shape, size, spore type, odor, texture, taste, habit of growth, habitat and more. It takes many years of practice to learn to forage for mushrooms. This art can be effectively learned from a trusted mentor, such as a seasoned forager or amateur or professional mycologist. Joining a local mushroom club is also highly recommended for those who are eager to learn. There is a saying worth remembering here: “There are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.” Newbies might take these words of wisdom to heart. Mushroom foragers should also take great care to become educated about the sustainability of mushroom gathering and respect the important ecological niche that fungi occupy on our planet.
Fungi as Medicine
While fungi as medicine may be new to many Westerners, in the Orient the traditional practice of eating fungi to strengthen the immune system and the body’s vital energy or “Qi” dates back a few thousand
years. Classical medical texts from China contain information about several of the most well-researched and highly prized medicinal fungi, such as Ganoderma lucidum or Reishi (“Ling Zhi”). Fungi used in Asian traditional healing have been shown to be immune-modulating in vitro and in multiple animal studies. The polysaccharides (beta glucans) in fungi normalize the immune system, exhibit hepatoprotectant (liver protective) properties and display anti-fatigue effects. Some fungi also contain potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, such as terpenes and polyphenols. All edible and medicinal fungi contain a potent, unique antioxidant called ergothioneine, the importance of which is yet unknown. Fungi have fibrous cell walls which contain chitin. Chitin is unique in that it is only found in one other group of organisms—in the protective shell-like exoskeletons of insects, crustaceans and other arthropods. As a dietary supplement, chitin has been clinically studied for its cholesterollowering effects. The chitin in mushrooms make them a valuable, low-caloric food to add to the diet to help normalize blood sugar, LDL cholesterol and other blood lipids. Mushrooms and edible fungi are high in vitamin D, selenium, B vitamins and several trace minerals, yet contain very few calories. (Note: To enhance the amount of vitamin D present in dried mushrooms, it is recommended to place them directly in sunlight for several hours before eating.) Blenditarian.com supports the “Blended Burger Project,” an effort which entices consumers and chefs to blend minced mushrooms into meat products. The goal is to make meat-based meals healthier and more sustainable. Medicinal fungi can play a role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. While most of this evidence is not supported by human clinical trials, there are a few medicinal fungi preparations which have passed the test. In both Japan and China, the standard of care for cancer treatment is to combine chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment with medicinal mushroom extracts. One adjunct therapy widely used is an extract of the common turkey tail polypore (Trametes versicolor, also known
as Coriolus versicolor), called “PSK.” This extract has a proven safety record and improves quality of life in cancer survivors. There also have been numerous studies on the health benefits associated with Ganoderma spp. or Reishi, which is known as the “ginseng of the fungal kingdom” for good reason. It helps the body combat stress, promotes relaxation, benefits those with allergies and asthma, enhances mental function and reduces fatigue. Recent research conducted by Paul Stamets at Washington State University has also found that extracts of Ganoderma polypore fortify the immune systems of honeybees and may play an important role in preventing colony collapse disorder (for more information visit HostDefense.com/pages/bees). Another important medicinal mushroom is the cultivated Shitake mushroom, or Lentinula edodes. In one human clinical trial, healthy young adults who ate a small portion of dried shitake mushrooms daily for four weeks had improved immunity and lower levels of inflammation.
The amazing kingdom Fungi, our distant relatives on the tree of life, are essential to Earth’s survival. Grifola frondosa or maitake (“hen of the woods”) is another great-tasting, edible fungus which fruits in the autumn. A specific fraction of maitake (D-fraction) has yielded benefits for those with cancer. A different fraction of this fungus was found to be helpful for those with insulin resistance. The exquisite-tasting Lion’s Mane or Bear’s Tooth fungus, Hericium erinaceus, currently is being studied for its beneficial effects on the nervous system. It may enhance nerve re-growth and cognitive function. Compounds called hericenones and erinacines may someday prove to prevent or treat neurological diseases, such as dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. One of the most highly prized (and expensive) kidney and lung restorative tonics of the natural world is Ophiocordyceps (Cordyceps) sinensis and related species. The cordyceps fungus is truly remarkable in that the fruiting body emerges out of an insect (a caterpillar) that is completely devoured by the fungus from the inside out. It’s straight out of a science fiction. But this is not fiction, The Chinese were spot-on when they used this fungus in soups to strengthen the weak and the elderly. And there have been instances where cordyceps extracts help with shortness of breath due to asthma and COPD, as well as improve singers’ voices. This amazing adaptogenic fungus also protects the kidneys, as evidenced by several positive clinical trials in those with chronic kidney disease. There is so much yet to learn about this incredible group of organisms. The next time it rains, go outside and look beneath your feet! The answer to many of our modern-day problems may lie in the soil. Alison Birks, MS, AHG, CNS, CDN is an instructor at The Institute Of Sustainable Nutrition, (TIOSN) which is now enrolling for its certificate program starting this month. For more on Magic Mushrooms, attend “A Morning of Mushrooms” at Holcomb Farm on September 14 from 9:30am to noon. For more information, visit TIOSN.com. See ad, page 12.
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Glastonbury Dental Center 195 Eastern Blvd. Glastonbury, CT 06033
September 2019
35
T
photo by © Nadine Greeff
he rules of Ayurvedic cooking can seem overwhelming, but there are simple ways to start aligning our diet with its principles. “There is a profound knowledge behind Ayurvedic cooking, but the methods of preparation are easy; you don’t need to be a skilled chef,” says chef, restauranteur and author Divya Alter. “One portion of food should fit in your hands when cupped together,” says Nishita Shah, of The Ayurvedic Institute. “Any more is going above and beyond what the body needs and can handle.” “Energetic imbalances can fluctuate, so what you need now doesn’t have to be what you eat for the rest of your life,” says Alter. Shah uses color to guide her cooking, declaring a dish done when its greens are at peak vibrancy. Alter stresses eating according to the strength of your digestion. “Someone with a fiery or strong digestion may need to eat heavier foods and more frequent meals.” Cooking with fresh, high-quality and ideally, organic ingredients is key. Food should be prepared soon after purchase and consumed soon after preparation to maximize flavors and nutrition. Ayurvedic cooking enhances natural flavors, while optimizing digestion, nutrient absorption and waste elimination. “How you experience food after a meal is just as important as how you feel while eating it. Deep frying, charring or cooking at high temperatures makes food hard to digest, overheats the liver and causes acidity,” says Alter.
Simple Ayurvedic Recipes Crunchy Chickpeas
Pitta and Kapha pacifying
While Ayurveda does nor promote snacking, sometimes we just need a little something to peck on now and then. Crunchy garbanzo beans (chickpeas) make a satisfying and supremely healthy choice for Pitta and Kapha. As witnessed by the many packaged chickpea snacks now commonly seen in stores, chickpeas are popular, so make this snack for a quarter of the price. Customize the flavors to satisfy a personal dosha, and palate, by getting creative with the spices. Yields: 5 cup servings 2 cups precooked chickpeas or 2, 8-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 tsp sea salt for Pitta or Himalayan salt for Kapha ½ tsp smoked paprika or ½ tsp ground cumin or ½ tsp garam masala powder (optional) 1 Tbsp sunflower or safflower oil (optional for crunchiness; no oil for Kapha) Spread the rinsed chickpeas on a baking sheet to dry, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450° F. In a mixing bowl, add the chickpeas; salt; paprika, cumin or garam masala (if using); and the oil (if using). Toss well to coat and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and use a spatula to turn the chickpeas over. Place back in the oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are slightly browned. Roast a little longer, if desired, for crunchier chickpeas.
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Golden Milk
Vata, Pitta and Kapha pacifying Golden milk is an age-old recipe that nourishes the body on many levels. Turmeric helps reduce inflammation, ghee distributes the healing properties throughout the body and tryptophan in the milk will encourage sleep. It is calmative, restorative and delicious. Make this a vegan drink by substituting milk and ghee with almond oil and a dairy alternative such as almond milk, hemp milk or coconut milk made without zinc oxide. Yields: 1 serving 6 to 8 oz whole-fat goat’s milk for Kapha and Pitta or cow’s milk for Vata ½ tsp ghee ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp ginger powder 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 pinch ground cinnamon 1 pinch ground nutmeg (to promote sleep) 1 small piece jaggery [sugar] (optional)
Store the crunchy chickpeas in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate. These are great to sprinkle on salads and rice dishes. Don’t make more than can be eaten in three days.
Add all the ingredients to a small pot. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for a minute or two.
To cook dry chickpeas, soak overnight, drain and place into a large soup pot.
Pour into a mug and drink before bed. To enjoy this drink during the day, leave out the nutmeg.
Cover with water, at least double the amount of beans.
Tip: If experiencing constipation, adding more ghee to the milk will help.
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for at least 30 to 45 minutes.
Recipes courtesy of Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide: Essential Ayurvedic Principles and Practices to Balance and Heal Naturally, by Susan Weis-Bohlen.
Check on the beans during cooking. When they are soft, they are done. 36 Hartford County Edition
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The Beginner’s Ayurvedic Kitchen
inspiration
OCTOBER
Chiropractic & Orthopedic Care
plus: Healing With Frequencies ALIGNMENT & LONGEVITY ISSUE
The Advance Guard for Human Ascension by Alison David Bird
L
ight-Workers, Star-Seed, Way-Showers, Code Writers, Keepers of the Flame, Human Portals, Gatekeepers and Truth Seekers: All are being called on to step up and into their power on the path toward self-realization, awakening and reunification with Source, as we return to a state of expanded consciousness. As the next wave of cosmic energy washes over the surface of the planet, many individuals are becoming aware of these intensifying frequencies, and some are struggling to assimilate them. Others may be experiencing a rise in chaos and confusion, because as the Light intensifies, it illuminates darker elements, as the battle for ascension continues to wage. However, these darker energies will be defeated as Light forces have been successful in reaching critical mass, and malevolent forces are rolling in their death throes. The shift will continue, whether in a slow, gentle, progressive and creative way through the ingenuity of mankind with its newfound awareness and increased consciousness, or decisively in a series of cataclysmic Earth-changing events, which will pull the planet through the void into the Fifth Dimension.
To ensure that the timeline of probability we choose is the gentler of the two, it is important now that Light-Workers, Way-Showers and Star-Seed stand fully in their power as “Guardians of Light”, as the advance guard anchoring these new transformative energies to the planetary grid. There are many beautiful souls engaged in the process of raising vibrational frequency in their biological vehicles, but most are discovering that it is not so easy to sustain a shift into higher dimensions unless the physical body can be “re-tooled” for higher purpose and “re-calibrated” to resonate with the Universal Matrix. This nexus point in the story of humanity requires spiritual intervention if Light-Workers are to become the “negative ionic generators” required to draw down higher dimensional frequencies from the cosmos and anchor them to the Earth grid in preparation for the next phase of human evolution. Alison David Bird, CHt is the originator of Marconics Ascension Healing. For more information about Marconics Ascension Energy Workshops, or to buy the book, Marconics: The Clarion Call, visit Marconics.com.
NOVEMBER
Hormonal Health plus: Natural Sleep Solutions & Healthy Home
DECEMBER
Uplifting Humanity plus: Earth-Friendly Holidays
CONNECT WITH OUR READERS THREE-MONTH EDITORIAL CALENDAR & MARKETING PLANNER
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markyourcalendar calendar of events CRYSTAL BED HEALINGS WITH CRYSTAL SOUND VIBRATION Tuesday, September 10 • 11am-5pm Experience physical, emotional, spiritual healing beneath seven 12-sided Vogel Quartz Crystals while surrounded by the healing vibrations of 16 Crystal Singing Bowls. Private Sessions. $100 Healing in Harmony Center 80 Eastern Blvd, Glastonbury 860-430-9801
markyourcalendar A YEAR OF HEALING IN 2020 With Dr. Eilis Philpott Soul Healing Journey, LLC We will meet one weekend a month for 12 months. We will meet once a month and spend Friday evening together and all day Saturday and Sunday. The 2020 dates are: January 10-12 • February 7-9 • March 13-15 April 3-5 • May 1-3 • June 12-14 • July 10-12 August 7-9 • September 11-13 • October 9-11 November 13-15 • December 11-13 I will share with you what I have learned from trainings, from life and from guidance in a way that integrates the various modalities. By the end of this 12 months of training you will have catapulted your personal, professional and spiritual journey into the stratosphere. Location: TBD Investment: Early bird rate - Pay in full $4,200 or pay quarterly $1,050 or pay monthly $350 Regular rate - Pay in full $4,800 or pay quarterly $1,200 or pay monthly $400 Reviewer rate - Pay in full $3,000 or pay quarterly $750 or pay monthly $250 To Register: Choose an option to pay (full, quarterly or monthly) and make that first payment. Be prepared to commit to one full year of healing. NOTE: If you take advantage of the early bird rate and make the initial payment you will be locked into that rate for the year. Registration required. 203-767-5954 Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com AcademyforSoulHealing.com 38 Hartford County Edition
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NOTE: All Calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month prior to publication and adhere to our guidelines. Submit ALL entries at NAHRT.com
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Expressive Movement Class – 2-3pm. 8/4, 9/1 and 10/6. Release tension and stress, have fun and explore creative movement in our monthly workshop. Please register online. $32/per class. Wilcox Wellness Center for Personal Growth, 92 North Summit St, Southington.Help@WilcoxWellness.com. WilcoxWellness.com.
Healing Circle with Drumming: All Levels – 6:30-8:30pm. Second Monday. All levels welcome. Interested in Reiki, Shamanism, Sound Healing or Channeling? This circle has very talented healers that love to learn and love to share the wisdom that has been handed down for eons. $10. Spirit of the Lotus, 5 Gavin Dr, Columbia. Robin: 860-709-3903.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Healing Circle Focused on Sound – 6:30-8:30pm. First Monday. Includes but not limited to Holographic Sound Healing, Crystal Bowls, Tibetan Bowls, Chanting, Drumming and perhaps even a Gong or two. Bring your instruments, there will be group sound, guidance, sharing and teaching. $20. Spirit of the Lotus, 5 Gavin Dr, Columbia. Robin: 860-709-3903.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 Get Ready For Winter Detox – 6:30pm. Dr. Cora Stover will be conducting a 6 week Seasonal Detox from 9/4-10/9. This program will prepare your immune system for the winter ahead. Please call to register. Pronatural Physicians Group, 120 Webster Square Rd, Berlin. 860-829-0707.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Yoga and Mindful Eating Workshop – 7-8:30pm. With Jackie Longworth, registered dietitian, nutritionist and yoga instructor. Learn how to eat more mindfully and pay more attention to your body’s wants and needs. The workshop will begin with an instructed mindful eating exercise and will be followed up with a gentle yoga flow. b. Kind, 1000 Farmington Ave, West Hartford. Facebook.com/WellnessBoutiqueCT.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 CBD Yoga – 7-8:30pm. Reduce anxiety or depression, promote pain relief and improve your overall well-being. b. Kind, 1000 Farmington Ave, West Hartford. Facebook.com/WellnessBoutiqueCT.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Hypnosis, Stress and Your Way to a Happier, Healthier Self – 6-8pm. With Alicia O’Hara, CHT, CLC. Presented by Be In Wellness. In this panel discussion, discover the empowering qualities of your subconscious mind, learn everyday tools that can put you back in charge, and gain useful knowledge to overcome the bad habits in the way of your happy, healthy self. Wu Healing Center, 45 S Main St, West Hartford. 916-524-8907. TranceToChange.com.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 Calm and Creativity: Sit Spotting at Trail Wood – 1-4pm. Practice that can help you unwind, tune into the natural world and generate creativity. Learn more about the psychology of the sit spot. Lead by Katherine Hauswirth, author and writer inresidence. $5/CAS members; $10/non-members. Trail Wood, 93 Kenyon Rd, Hampton. 860-9284948. CTAudubon.org/Trail-Wood-Home.
Healing From Relationship Wounds – 6-7pm. Six-week women’s counseling group with Shawniel Chamanlal, LCSW. Moving beyond past hurts and pains to create deeper meaningful relationships. Wilcox Wellness, 92 North Summit St, Southington. 860-385-1472. Contact@ShawnielLCSW.com. WilcoxWellness.com. The Graduate Institute Information Session – 6:30-7:30pm. Enrolling now. New England’s award-winning school for Holistic Studies. Transformative education. Affordable. One weekend per month. Master of Arts degrees, certificates and sixth-year equivalent programs. The Graduate Institute, 171 Amity Rd, Bethany. Locations throughout CT. Register online: Learn.edu. Signs of Solace – 7-8:30pm. This workshop will help you identify ways in which loved ones show us they are near, identify ways in which you may connect with them and allow you to feel at peace so that healing may begin. $20. The Water Lily Holistic Empowerment Center, LLC, 129 Tolland Stage Rd, Second Flr, Tolland. 860-756-6391. TheWaterLilyCenter.com.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Adult Art Class – 8:30-11:30am. Bring yourself, a subject you want to work on, or still life subject is provided. Relaxed supported work at your own pace, creative time. If you don’t finish your piece in this class, you can keep it going for the next one. Materials and instruction provided by Amy Casazza. b. Kind, 1000 Farmington Ave, West Hartford. Facebook.com/WellnessBoutiqueCT. Gardens and Grounds Group – 9am-12pm. Join a new group of Trail Wood enthusiasts in helping to keep the grounds around the homestead looking lovely and to restore some of the Teale plantings. No
markyourcalendar SPIRIT FESTIVAL September 13-15 Experience a celebration of wellness, yoga, music and dance – in affiliation with Riverfront Recapture and BaliSpirit Festival. Riverside Park & Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, Hartford SpiritYogaFestival.com
experience necessary. Bring gloves, rakes, clippers and spades. Trail Wood, 93 Kenyon Rd, Hampton. 860-928-4948. CTAudubon.org/Trail-Wood-Home.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Healing Circle with Drumming: Advanced Healers Only – 6:30-8:30pm. Third Monday. Advanced practitioners are welcome to expand their knowledge and practice. This is not for beginners; this is for those who work on others and can use a little extra for themselves. $20. Spirit of the Lotus, 5 Gavin Dr, Columbia. Robin: 860-709-3903.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 Cards, Coffee & Conversation – 9:30-11am. Oracle cards, readings, practice your interpretations, new spreads and a lot of fun. Coffee and tea will be ready. $10. Spirit of the Lotus, 5 Gavin Dr, Columbia. Robin: 860-709-3903.
Astrology Lecture: Off With Their Heads! Algol and the Royal Family – 7-9:30pm. With Alex Trenoweth. A look at the fixed star Algol and the astrology of Royal upheavals to see if a new era in the British monarchy is imminent. $10/ non-members. Presented by Astrological Society of Connecticut, Inc. Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, 200 Main St, Wethersfield. MYASC.org.
Nature Sketchbook Journaling – 9am-12pm. Spend time at the Center sketching and painting nature, using pencil, pen and watercolor. Roxanne Steed will teach drawing and watercolor techniques. Call for a list of materials to bring. $10/ CAS members; $20/non-members. Grassland Bird Conservation Center, 218 Day Rd, Pomfret Center. 860-928-4948. CTAudubon.org/Pomfret-Home.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Tree of Life Bookmark Workshop – 10-11:30am. Intuitively select crystals that resonate with you and set the intention for the piece and its purpose in your life. Gain knowledge of basic crystal healing, properties and the chakras the stone’s frequency resonates with. Also learn the significance of number of branches and the power of numerology within creating your tree. Ages 10 & up. $25. The Water Lily Holistic Empowerment Center, LLC, 129 Tolland Stage Rd, Second Flr, Tolland. 860756-6391. TheWaterLilyCenter.com.
Master Herbalist and Iridologist – 9/20 and 9/21. 10am-4pm. Susan Kiefer, Iridologist. Offering 30-minute evaluations for $45. Iridology examines the iris to determine information through a person’s eye to look into their systemic health. Susan will match her observations to iris charts, which divide the iris into zones that correspond to specific parts of the human body. Mondazzi Books, 570 Hayden Station Rd, Windsor. 860-285-0538. Mondazzi.com.
Meditation for Past Lives – 6:30-8pm. With Sue Maisano, Chinese American, author, healer, hypnotist, Reiki Master. Want to experience your immortality through exploring your past lives? This step-by-step guided meditation can transform your life. $25/two-hour session. Huaxia Culture & Arts Center, 45 S Main St, Unionville. Call/text: 860-834-2323.
Sound Healing Concert and Journey – 7-8:30pm. Journey in healing sounds using Tibetan Singing Bowls and Native Drumming. You deserve some time for yourself to release the weekly grind, come detach and relax with sound. $20/advance; $25/at the door. The Water Lily Holistic Empowerment Center, LLC, 129 Tolland Stage Rd, Second Flr, Tolland. 860-756-6391. TheWaterLilyCenter.com.
Back to School: Staying Healthy with Essential Oils – 7-8:30pm. School is back in session. Learn how to stay healthy with essential oils. b. Kind, 1000 Farmington Ave, West Hartford. Facebook. com/WellnessBoutiqueCT.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Bird Walk – 8am. Join Andy in searching for various bird species. Bring binoculars and wear drab colored clothing. We may also visit a nearby Wolf Den Land Trust preserve. $5/CAS members; $10/non-members. Trail Wood, 93 Kenyon Rd, Hampton. 860-928-4948. CTAudubon.org/Trail-Wood-Home. Fall Qi Gong Essence Meditation – 6:30-8pm. $30.Wu Healing Center, 45 S Main St, West Hartford. Register at ChiForHealing.com/classesevents-ct.
Spirit Guide Sessions – With Jessie, third generation Clairvoyant. She is noted for her visionary ability to access the Akashic Records, bringing forth the highest truths and spiritual principles and presenting them in a straightforward and applicable manner. $35/30 minutes. Mondazzi Books, 570 Hayden Station Rd, Windsor. 860-285-0538. Mondazzi.com. SpiritGuideLady.net. DIY “Make and Take” – 9am. Dr. Cora Stover will be offering a mini herbal session including the history of herbs, their properties and the utilization of them in various recipes. Minimal fee for each session to cover supplies. Please call to register. Pronatural Physicians Group, 120 Webster Square Rd, Berlin. 860-829-0707.
Master Herbalist and Iridologist – 9/20 and 9/21. 10am-4pm. Susan Kiefer, Iridologist. Offering 30-minute evaluations for $45. Iridology examines the iris to determine information through a person’s eye to look into their systemic health. Susan will match her observations to iris charts, which divide the iris into zones that correspond to specific parts of the human body. Mondazzi Books, 570 Hayden Station Rd, Windsor. 860-285-0538. Mondazzi.com.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 Essential Oils and Spiritual Awakening – 1112:30pm. Discussion of how essential oils have historically been a part of spiritual practice and how you might use them to enhance your experiences with the Divine. Create a roller bottle of essential oils. $20. The Water Lily Holistic Empowerment Center, LLC, 129 Tolland Stage Rd, Second Flr, Tolland. 860-756-6391. TheWaterLilyCenter.com. Non-Fiction Book Club – 2-4pm. Join us for a lively book discussion led by Jacqueline Jacobsohn. September book: The Nocturnal Brain by Guy Leschziner. Free; donations appreciated. Trail Wood, 93 Kenyon Rd, Hampton. 860-928-4948. CTAudubon.org/Trail-Wood-Home.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
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markyourcalendar
3 ESSENTIAL CONNECTIONS A Comprehensive Stress Mitigation Training
MORNING OF MUSHROOMS AT HOLCOMB FARM
October 25–October 27
September 14 • 9:30am-noon
Improve your quality of life and create a stress-resilient lifestyle by reconnecting with yourself, others and nature.
The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition in West Granby will discuss important sustainability issues around foraging for fungi in our regional ecosystems. Participants will explore the medicinal and edible mushrooms and will learn to prepare, dry and store mushrooms.
Cost: $425; Early bird pricing of $375 until September 25 Bridge Healing Arts Center 304 Main St, Farmington To Register: Call Jessica Goldman at 860-882-9680 or email Info@3EssentialConnections.com 3EssentialConnections.com
$25. Workshop Space at Holcomb Farm 113 Simsbury Rd, West Granby For more information, visit the events page at TIOSN.com.
Drum Circle and Sacred Fire – 6:30-8:30pm. Fourth Monday. In the style of the Wisdom Keepers of Native Americans and Shamans of the world. Learn ceremony, learn how rhythm heals through journeys, respect, friendships and circles. Bring a
markyourcalendar STATEWIDE HOLISTIC EXPO Passport to Health & Wellness Sunday, October 27 • 10am-4pm Drum circle closing event 4-5pm 75 readers and vendors; Free raffles Grand Prize: overnight stay for two at Doubletree by Hilton Doubletree by Hilton 42 Century Dr, Bristol YourHolisticEvents.com September 2019
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markyourcalendar calendar of events TACHYON HEALING CHAMBER FIELD DAYS Sundays 1-5pm September 19 • October 27 • November 17 December 1 • January 12, 2020 Bring energy into matter! Learn the basics of Tachyon, Zero Point Energy and Quantum Physics. Participate in a “Seeing in Believing” demonstration. No cost to enter and get one free raffle ticket for door prizes. To Register: CelestialEmpowerment.com/calendar-events Call Celeste Mattingly at 860-586-8700 for more information
markyourcalendar EMOTIONAL SELF-CARE RETREAT Saturday, October 5 • 9am-3pm We all have negative self-talk, but do you ever say things to yourself that you would never say to another person? Learn the habit of positive self-talk, while relaxing and rejuvenating on tranquil Enders Island. $115 Advanced registration required. http://bit.ly/ESCR_1910 Enders Island, Mystic, CT
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 Crystal Singing Bowls Sound Healing Meditation – 6:30-7:30pm. Restore feelings of well-being; reduce, eliminate and release tension and stress; along with renewed feelings of peace, confidence and clarity of thought. $30. Sea In The Sky Wellness Center, 269 Church St, Amston. 860-530-1552. The Graduate Institute Information Session – 6:30-7:30pm. Enrolling now. New England’s award-winning school for Holistic Studies. Transformative education. Affordable. One weekend per month. Master of Arts degrees, certificates and sixth-year equivalent programs. The Graduate Institute, 171 Amity Rd, Bethany. Locations throughout CT. Register online: Learn.edu.
markyourcalendar MARCONICS LEVEL 1 “NO-TOUCH” CERTIFICATION TRAINING CLASS Saturday, September 28 • 9:30am-5pm and Sunday, September 29 • 10am-5pm Begin your journey back to Source. Everything that came before has been in preparation for this moment; a step along the path. THIS IS ASCENSION! Scale the Mountain and claim SOUL SOVEREIGNTY. $450 Registration Fee Quantum Recalibration, performed over two 1-hour sessions, available for $333. Registration: Marconics.com/level_1_coventry_ri.html The Hampton Inn Coventry - Warwick 850 Centre of New England Boulevard, Coventry, RI Contact: Julie Oakes 203-533-9633 Marconics.com NAHRT.com
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2 Tune in to All Knowing – 6:30-8pm. With Sue Maisano, Chinese American, author, healer, hypnotist, Reiki Master. Divine consciousness envelopes, penetrates and permeates everything and it is allknowing. With guided meditation, you can tune in to the consciousness of all-knowing. $25/two-hour session. Huaxia Culture & Arts Center, 45 S Main St, Unionville. Call/text: 860-834-2323.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6
Author Talk and Book Signing – 7-8pm. Sharon Farber, author of Choosing to be a Medium (Llewellyn, 2019), will talk about mediumship, how to become a medium and her book. Free. East Granby Public Library, 24 Center St, East Granby. SharonFarber.net.
Expressive Movement Class – 2-3pm. 8/4, 9/1 and 10/6. Release tension and stress, have fun and explore creative movement in our monthly workshop. Please register online. $32/per class. Wilcox Wellness Center for Personal Growth, 92 North Summit St, Southington.Help@WilcoxWellness. com. WilcoxWellness.com.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7
Seeking Higher Guidance from Your Spirit Guide – 6:30-8pm. With Sue Maisano, Chinese American, author, healer, hypnotist, Reiki Master. Want to connect with your mighty invisible helper called your spirit guide? This step-by-step guided meditation connects you with power. $25/two-hour session. Huaxia Culture & Arts Center, 45 S Main St, Unionville. Call/text: 860-834-2323.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
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chair, your drums or rattle, mesas, sacred carved pipes and an open mind. $20. Spirit of the Lotus, 5 Gavin Dr, Columbia. Robin: 860-709-3903.
Basic Astrology Workshop – 10am-4pm. Taught by ASC Astrologers. Gain a grasp of astrology’s basic building blocks: planets, signs, houses and aspects. Bring your birth time to follow as you learn chart interpretation. $40/ASC members; $50/ non-members. Presented by Astrological Society of Connecticut, Inc. Fisk Hall, 262 High St, Middletown. MYASC.org.
Shake Your Soul: Yoga Dance – 7-8:30pm. We invite you to find communion within your body and soul through Shake Your Soul, Yoga Dance. Relax your nervous system, energize your body and awaken your soul through this joyful event. b. Kind, 1000 Farmington Ave, West Hartford. Facebook.com/WellnessBoutiqueCT.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Forage Walk with Qigong Practice – 1-3pm. $30. Tyler Mill Preserve, Wallingford. Register at ChiForHealing.com/classes-events-ct. Book Signing – 3-6pm. With local author Michael Fuchs. Book signing event for his new book, The Shaolin Butterfly Style-Art of Transformation. Admission is free. $15/signed book. Sharing the Light Wholistic Center, 395 W Avon Rd, Avon.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Bull Hill Bird Walk – 8am. This is the prime time to find migrating fall warblers, vireos and kinglets. We might also observe migrating hawks at the scenic overlook, if the weather conditions are right. $7/ CAS members; $12/non-members. Grassland Bird Conservation Center, 218 Day Rd, Pomfret Center. 860-928-4948. CTAudubon.org/Pomfret-Home.
Healing Circle Focused on Sound – 6:30-8:30pm. First Monday. Focused on sound including but not limited to drumming, crystal bowls, Tibetan bowls, chanting, sound healing and perhaps even a gong or two. Bring your instruments; there will be group sound, guidance, sharing and teaching. $10. Spirit of the Lotus, 5 Gavin Dr, Columbia. Robin: 860-709-3903.
markyourcalendar A WEEKEND OF MEDIUMSHIP with Psychic Lauren Meadows Presented by Willows Healing Path LLC Friday, October 4 • 7-9pm (the door closes at 7pm, arrive by 6:30 to check in) Gallery Style Spirit Messages Cost: $30 prepay, $40 at the door (cash or credit card only) Saturday, October 5 • 10am-5pm Mechanics of Mediumship Workshop Cost: $125 prepay, $140 at the door (cash or credit card only) Bridge Healing Arts Center 304 Main St, Farmington Pre-register to save $$! Go to KeikoMedium.com – scroll down the page and Click: “Get Tickets”
ongoing events
sunday Bhakti Yoga and Japa Meditation – 8:30-10am. Donations gratefully accepted. Bhakti Center CT, 750 R Main, Willimantic. 860-593-5002. Sunday Sadhana – 9-10:15am. This all-levels class combines gentle yoga with mantra, mudra, meditation and shamanism. Each heart-centered class is designed to bring balance and harmony to the mind, body and spirit. $15/drop-in. Bhakti Center CT, 750 Main St Rear, Willimantic. 860-593-5002. Qi & Tea – 10am-12pm. First and third Sunday. Qigong is much more beneficial when practiced in groups. Our mission is to create the qi community and give people from all places an opportunity to learn and share this ancient healing art form. $20/ drop-in. Registration required. 280 Garden Grove Rd, Manchester. 860-558-6146. Children’s Yoga – 10am-4pm. Ages 3-11yrs. With Melanie Morales, certified kids yoga instructor. Little ones learn to control big emotions, using breath, stretches, mindfulness and movement. $10. Enlightenment Center of CT, 660 Prospect Ave, Hartford. EnlightenmentCenterCT.com. Introduction to Chinese Calligraphy – 10-12pm. Second and fourth Saturday. Chinese calligraphy has 5,000 years of history. It’s one of the most beautiful ancient art forms that has lasted to this day. It’s also known as one of best methods to calm one’s heart and release stress. $20/drop-in. Registration required. 280 Garden Grove Rd, Manchester. 860-558-6146. Creative Collaboratory – 3-4:30pm. Second Sundays. Online and some in person (register). Support for creative artists. Guest speakers, themed programs, meditation, yoga therapy, visualization and supportive counseling for the vows and manifestation process of creative artists. $40/monthly membership includes one private 30-minute coaching session. Phone interview/sign up: 917-8600488. Call for address. DrSklover@gmail.com.
markyourcalendar CRYSTAL SINGING BOWLS SOUND HEALING WITH INTRODUCTION TO THE CRYSTAL HEALING BED Saturday, September 14 • 6:30-8:30pm Experience feelings of peace, joy, confidence, more energy and clarity of thought along with fewer aches & pains, lower blood pressure and reduced stress and tension. $65 Healing In Harmony Center 80 Eastern Blvd, Glastonbury 860-430-9801
Create Financial Freedom with Healthy Products – 4-5pm. Learn how to build a business and create financial freedom for you by distributing natural Aloe Vera nutritional supplements to help others be healthy. Free. Bristol (call for address). RSVP: 860-372-8171. Qigong - All Levels – 5:30-6:30pm. Deep breathing and flowing movements derived from ancient Chinese healing exercises for increased balance, flexibility, muscle and bone strength, immune function, decreased pain and stiffness. $17 drop-in. Yoga Center of Collinsville, 10 Front St, Collinsville. 860-693-9642. Women’s Global Circle – 6:30-8pm. Live/inperson first Sunday. Online the rest of the month. For heart-centered activism and manifestation. Women wanting to make their dreams for self and world come true. $60/monthly fee. Phone interview/sign up: 917-860-0488. Call for address. DrSklover@gmail.com.
monday Complete Strength Class – 9:30-10:30am. Total Strength classes are the #1 priority to burn calories and build lean muscle to boost your metabolism for the long-term. $20. YES Fitness, 292 Spielman Hwy, Burlington. 860-673-4293. Kundalini Yoga – 9:30-11am. Free. Windham Recovery Community Center, 713 Main St, Willimantic. 860-423-7088 or 860-423-9843 for more info. Open Play! For Ages 10 Months to 5 Years – 1011:15am. Join open play in our creative arts studio. Non-instructional play will include gross motor equipment like tunnels and balance beams, dress up and art projects. Donation of canned good. Imagine Studio, 97 South St, West Hartford. ImagineStudioCT.com. Gentle + Restorative Yoga – 10:30-11:45am. Gently held postures for joint health and nurturing. Great for any experience level. $50 for 30 days, unlimited classes/new students. Yoga Center of Collinsville, 10 Front St, Collinsville. 860-693-9642. Meditate Through the Madness – 6pm. Hosted by Torin Lee. Learn to manage the stress of life through mediation. $10. Oneida Holistic Health Center, 16 West Rd, Marlborough. To register: 860-467-6518.
markyourcalendar HOLISTIC CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Tuesdays • 6:30-8pm Do you offer a healing modality or service which will aid those in recovery from cancer? If so, please attend and work with us to build CT’s first holistic cancer support group. BRIDGE Healing Arts Center 304 Main St, Farmington For more information, call Rod Kelly at 860-216-8671 or email Rod@EyeOftheEagle.org
Meditation Mondays – 7-8pm. First Monday. Meditation for all. Beginners and drop-ins welcome. Begin each week with a meditation practice to quiet your mind and let go of all that does not serve. Facilitated by Melanie VanOstrand. $10. Sea in the Sky Healing and Wellness Center, Hebron. 860530-1552. SeaInTheSkyHealing.com. Guided Meditation – 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, 9/30. 7-8:30pm. Connect with self, Spirit and other like-minded souls as we let go and set intentions before Lily leads you into yourself for meditation. Free. The Water Lily Holistic Empowerment Center, LLC, 129 Tolland Stage Rd, Second Flr, Tolland. 860-756-6391. TheWaterLilyCenter.com. Tong Ren Healing Class – 7-8pm. Dr. Ming Wu leads this class focusing on internally healing the body’s energy system by using the collective unconscious. Wu Healing Center, 45 S Main St, West Hartford. To register: 978-790-8888. Vinyasa Yoga For Everyone – 7-8:15pm. Classic yoga postures in flowing sequence linked by breath. Learn breathing techniques that keep you invigorated and calm in your daily life. $50 for 30 days, unlimited classes/new students. Yoga Center of Collinsville, 10 Front St, Collinsville. 860-693-9642.
tuesday Chair Massage – Treat yourself to a relaxing break. You decide how long. $1/minute. Oneida Holistic Health Center, 16 West Rd, Marlborough. Walk-ins welcome or call for an appointment: 860-467-6518. Express Vinyasa Yoga – 6-7am. Touches on all the essentials of the core standing, balancing, and seated postures. Build strength, heat and focus moving through sun salutations linked with breath and clarity. Some yoga experience recommended. $50 for 30 days, unlimited classes/new students. Yoga Center of Collinsville, 10 Front St, Collinsville. 860-693-9642.
markyourcalendar The Hartford Happiness Club Presents AN AFTERNOON WITH BERNIE SIEGEL, MD Saturday, September 21 • 1:30-3pm A sneak preview of his forthcoming book No Beginnings and No Endings Dr. Siegel will share his signature stories about the never-ending wondrous spirit world as only Bernie can do, with heartfelt peace, love and healing. The Town and County Club 22 Woodland St, Hartford Pay $20 to PayPal on the HartfordHappinessClub.com or mail a check to Audrey B Carlson 31 Franklin Circle, Newington, CT, 06111 860-841-5894 September 2019
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ongoing events Weekly Bird Walks – 8am. With Andy Rzeznikiewicz. Bring binoculars and wear drab clothing. $5/ CAS members; $10/non-members. Grassland Bird Conservation Center, 218 Day Rd, Pomfret Center. 860-928-4948. CTAudubon.org/Pomfret-Home. Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong – 11:15am12:15pm. Gentle movements performed standing or sitting activate the acupuncture meridians. Improve your balance, coordination, energy and health. Don Myers, Certified Instructor, 30 years of teaching experience. $15/class. Universalist Church, 433 Fern St, West Hartford. Register at GreatPondTaiChi.com. Tai Chi for Kids (Ages 6-12) – 4-4:45pm. Learning the Chinese art of Tai Chi is a great way for children to relax, have fun and strengthen body and mind. Wu Healing Center, 45 S Main St, West Hartford. To register: 978-790-8888. Ayurveda 101 – 5-6pm. 8-week series. Register online at ScheduleBliss.com/BhaktiCenterCT. $108. Bhakti Center CT. 750 Rear Main St, Willimantic. BhaktiCenterCT@gmail.com. Vinyasa Flow Yoga – 6pm. The Bridge Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St, Farmington. 860-4042578. BridgeHAC.com. Ayurveda 102 – 6-7pm. 8-week series. Register online at ScheduleBliss.com/BhaktiCenterCT. $108. Bhakti Center CT. 750 Rear Main St, Willimantic. BhaktiCenterCT@gmail.com. Tai Chi with Dr. Ming Wu – 6-7pm. Learn from a Tai Chi master who has studied the art of Tai Chi for more than 40 years. Wu Healing Center, 45 S Main St, West Hartford. To register: 978-790-8888. Authentic Movement – First, second and third Tuesdays. 6-7:15pm. Authentic Movement is a simple, self-guided moving meditation practice. By nurturing presence in our physical bodies, we open pathways for self-understanding, creative expression and inner peace. $12/drop-in. Bhakti Center CT, 750 Main St Rear, Willimantic. ScheduleBliss.com/index.php/bhakticenterct. Monthly Information Sessions at The Graduate Institute – 6:30-7:30pm. Join us for an info session every 2nd Tuesday of the month at The Graduate Institute. Please contact us to let us know that you’ll be attending. The Graduate Institute, 171 Amity Rd, Bethany. Call 203-874-4252. Holistic Cancer Support Group – 6:30-8pm. Do you offer a healing modality or service which will aid those in recovery from cancer? If so, please attend and work with us to build CT’s first holistic cancer support group. BRIDGE Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St, Farmington. Call Rod Kelly, 860-216-8671 or email Rod@EyeOftheEagle.org. Soul Circle: A Meditation and Journey Group – 6:30-8pm. First Tuesday. Join us for an evening of meditation, journeying, drumming and healing. Explore power animals and spirit guides, healing light meditations, nature spirit allies and more. Facilitated by Melanie VanOstrand. At Sea in the Sky Healing and Wellness Center, Hebron. $20. 860-530-1552. SeaInTheSkyHealing.com. Free Spirit Dance – 7:15-8:30pm. A non-judgmental community gathering to explore our unscripted authentic movement as a heart opening meditation
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amidst a blend of world music. No experience necessary. All Welcome. Donation based. Luna & Lotus, 50 Depot St, Collinsville. 860-803-9947. Turbo Kick Boxing with Mary – 7:15-8:15pm. Extreme aerobic workout is fun and will get you in shape. Great music. Tuesdays are for beginners and Thursdays are advanced classes. $5. Center for Progressive Therapies, 192 Hartford Rd, Manchester. 860-883-9664. Guided Meditation – First, second and third Tuesdays. 7:30-8:45pm. Discover how the simple practice of deep presence can open us to profound peace, compassion and love within ourselves. $12/drop-in. Bhakti Center CT, 750 Main St Rear, Willimantic. ScheduleBliss.com/index.php/bhakticenterct. Meditation as a Way of Living with Tom Dest – 7:30-8:45pm. Promoting access to intention from deep inside and heart to heart communication - soft live music. Contemplation on our eternal nature and keys to peace. $15. Center for Progressive Therapies, 192 Hartford Rd, Manchester. 413822-8486. Online Mediumship Development Circle/Class – 9-10:30pm. Mixed level circle/class with Sharon Farber to develop evidential mediumship. Support, instruction, practice. $13/session; $100/10 sessions. 860-989-2358. Online in a Zoom room SharonFarber. net/mediumship/mediumship-mentorship.
wednesday Coffee with Coach – 7am. Early morning session facilitated by Torin Lee, Life Coach. Learn ways to handle stress, navigate change and make each day count. $10. Oneida Holistic Health Center, 16 West Rd, Marlborough. To register: 860-467-6518. Gentle Yoga – 10:30-11:45am. Gently held postures for joint health and nurturing. $50 for 30 days, unlimited classes/new students. Yoga Center of Collinsville, 10 Front St, Collinsville. 860-693-9642. Wednesday Noon Walks – 12pm. Join volunteers for fresh air, exercise, good company and naturalist lessons along the way. Seniors and parents with babes in backpacks welcome. Free/CAS members; $3/non-members. Grassland Bird Conservation Center, 218 Day Rd, Pomfret Center. 860-9284948. CTAudubon.org/Pomfret-Home. Yoga by Caroline, All Levels Vinyasa Flow – 9/4, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25. 4:45-6pm and 6:15-7:15pm. Yoga is quite simply a moving meditation. Vinyasa is a flowing yoga that connects breath with movement to flow from one pose to the next. First class free. $15/class. The Water Lily Holistic Empowerment Center, LLC, 129 Tolland Stage Rd, Second Flr, Tolland. 860-756-6391. TheWaterlilyCenter.com. Weight Loss Meetings – 5:30-6:15pm. Second and fourth Wednesdays. Join Dr. Stacey Munro for an informational meeting about effective food-based weight loss and body composition change programs. We will go over program basics, cost and answer questions. All welcome. Please RSVP: 860-758-7808. Nature’s Helper Medical Clinic, 178 Mountain Rd, Suffield. Qigong – 6pm. The Bridge Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St, Farmington. 860-404-2578. BridgeHAC.com.
LivFree All Levels Yoga – 6-7pm. With Tracey. Recharge your batteries midweek in this energetic, then relaxing yoga class. Walk-ins welcome. $10. TriCity Massage and Wellness, 220 Hartford Tpke, Vernon. Tri-CityMassage.com. All Levels Vinyasa – 6-7:15pm. Yoga is quite simply a moving meditation. Vinyasa is a flowing yoga that connects breath with movement to flow from one pose to the next. $15 per class. The Water Lily Holistic Empowerment Center, 129 Tolland Stage Rd, Tolland. 860-756-6391. Epiphany – 6-8:30pm. Second Wednesday. Experience craniosacral therapy, reflexology, Reiki, acupuncture and more. Call for your 30-minute appt during “epiphany”.$20-$40/suggested. 101 River Rd, Canton. 860-693-8040. Yoga Nidra – 6:30-7:30pm. Experience the calming effects of Yoga Nidra. Activate your parasympathetic nervous system and relax your body. $20. Enlightenment Center of CT, 660 Prospect Ave, Hartford. EnlightenmentCenterCT.com. Support Group More Better Happy – 7:158:30pm. When people and circumstances are sucking the energy, motivation and life right out of you, come here. You can recharge while getting what you want. Registration required. Free. Yoga Born, 1735 Ellington Rd, South Windsor. 860-432-5678. Mediumship Development Circle – 7:30-9pm. Mixed-level circle with Sharon Farber to develop evidential mediumship. Beginners welcome. Active since May 2012. $10-$15 donation. Dragonfly Healing Arts, 8 Wickett St, Pine Meadow. 860-9892358. DragonflyHealingArts.net. Qigong Variation – 8-9pm. Class offers students an opportunity to learn different qigong forms. Each form will be taught over five to 10 class periods, depending on the length of the form. $20/drop-in; $65/monthly. 280 Garden Grove Rd, Manchester. 860-558-6146.
thursday Complete Strength Class – 5:30-6:30am. Total Strength classes are the #1 priority to burn calories and build lean muscle to boost your metabolism for the long-term. $20. YES Fitness, 292 Spielman Hwy, Burlington. 860-673-4293. Gentle Yoga – 9am. The Bridge Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St, Farmington. 860-404-2578. BridgeHAC.com. Qigong, All Levels – 9:30-10:30am. An ancient practice that has flowing, focused movements that reduce chronic pain, stress and blood pressure, along with creating an overall state of wellness. In Stafford. Call to register and for directions. 860-970-7383. Bump Day – 10am-6pm. 60-minute prenatal massage or reflexology by Colleen Dumas, LMT and certified in prenatal care. Refreshments, raffle. $40. Oneida Holistic Health Center, 16 West Rd, Marlborough. For an appointment: 860-467-6518. Tai Chi & Meditation – 10:30-11:30am Instruction is focused on empowering Chi and enhancing health and healing of the mind, body and spirit. Wu Healing Center, 45 S Main St, West Hartford. To register: 978-790-8888.
Kids Yoga Summer Program – 1:30-3:30. 6/208/15. Kids ages 4-8 are invited to come explore the world of yoga in a fun and exciting way with a teacher certified in both Art and Yoga. $20/drop-in; $95/eight classes. Journey of Yoga, 730 Hopmeadow St, Simsbury. 860-680-1482. JourneyOfYoga.com. Tween Yoga Summer Program – 1:30-3:30pm. 6/20-8/15. Growing up can be overwhelming – figuring out who you are while navigating school, friends and family. Young people, ages 9-12 are invited to come and explore the world of yoga in a fun and exciting way. $20/drop-in; $95/eight classes. Journey of Yoga, 730 Hopmeadow St, Simsbury. 860-680-1482. JourneyOfYoga.com. Belly Dance Classes with Elisheva – 6-7pm. Learn the ancient art of belly dance in this beginner class. All levels and abilities warmly welcomed. $17. Spotlight Dance, Art & Wellness, 45 S Main St, Unionville. Register: 860-967-9424. Community Acupuncture – 6-7pm. Every other Thursday. 315 E Center St, Manchester. 860533-0179. RSVP required: CTNaturalHealth.com. Blended Style Yoga Classes – 6-7:15pm. Our many styles meet you where you are. Gentle sound allows tuning and awakening improving life and self. Also every weekday. See our website. $5 or $8. Center for Progressive Therapies, 192 Hartford Rd, Manchester. 860-649-9600. Sound Bath Session – 6:30-8:30pm. 3rd Thursday of the month. Enjoy a monthly group sound bath with Karen Fox, Sister of Sound. Let singing bowls, bells, drums, chimes bathe you in angelic healing vibrations. $20 advance, $25 at door. Oneida Holistic Health Center, 16 West Rd, Marlborough. 860-467-6518. Tai Chi for Health and Meditation – 6:457:45pm. Experience the proven benefits of Wu Style Tai Chi and Qigong for superior well-being and stress relief. Don Myers, Certified Instructor, 30 years of teaching experience. $15/class. Universalist Church, 433 Fern St, West Hartford. Register at GreatPondTaiChi.com. Vinyasa Yoga For Everyone – 7-8:15pm. Classic yoga postures in flowing sequence linked by breath. Learn breathing techniques that keep you invigorated and calm in your daily life. $50 for 30 days, unlimited classes/new students. Yoga Center of Collinsville, 10 Front St, Collinsville. 860-693-9642
friday
Intelligent Qigong Level 2 – 10-11:15am. Students continue to study “Lifting Qi Up and Pouring Qi Down” method while learning some basic exercises of Intelligent Qigong Level 2, Xing Shen Zhuang, Physical and Spiritual Stance Method. Intelligent Qigong level 1, prerequisite. $20/drop-in; $75/monthly. 280 Garden Grove Rd, Manchester. 860-558-6146. Self-Care Qigong and Shiatsu – 11:15am-12pm. Class introduces some most profound and easyto-apply methods from Five Element Meridians originated from Traditional Chinese Medicine and shiatsu massage. $20/drop in; $65/monthly. 280 Garden Grove Rd, Manchester. 860-558-6146. Friday Afternoon Walks – 1pm. With Anne Christie and Amy Porter. Leisurely walk on the trails. We’ll see what’s of interest in the plant world and share
tips on how to get good nature shots. All ages welcome. Free/CAS members; $3/non-members. Trail Wood, 93 Kenyon Rd, Hampton. 860-928-4948. CTAudubon.org/Trail-Wood-Home.
saturday Monthly Eco Yoga and Meditation Workshop – With Leesa Sklover, PhD, LPC, C-IAYT, IKYTA. Elemental imagery themes of ether, air, fire, water and earth, along with meditations, Kriya and mantra. Different theme each workshop. Registration required. 917-860-0488. Call for address. DrSklover@gmail.com. Morning Express Vinyasa Yoga – 7:45-8:45am. Touches on all the essentials of the core standing, balancing, and seated postures. Build strength, heat and focus moving through sun salutations linked with breath and clarity. $50 for 30 days unlimited classes (new students). Yoga Center of Collinsville, 10 Front St, Collinsville. 860-693-9642. Tai Chi and Qi Gong – 8-9am. Dr. Ming Wu is a Tai Chi and Qi Gong Master who has dedicated his life to teaching others how to live healing and healthy lives. Wu Healing Center, 45 S Main St, West Hartford. To register: 978-790-8888. Bird Banding – 9am. Observe Andy and fellow banders capture and band numerous birds. You may even get to release a bird or two. $5/CAS members; $10/non-members. Grassland Bird Conservation Center, 218 Day Rd, Pomfret Center. 860-9284948. CTAudubon.org/Pomfret-Home. Massage Ball Yoga – 9am. The Bridge Healing Arts Center, 304 Main St, Farmington. 860-4042578. BridgeHAC.com. Ellington Farmers’ Market – 9am-12pm. Over 40 vendors bringing local and fresh products in a quaint, shaded country setting. Matching SNAP dollars, Kids Power of Produce Club, weekly themes and entertainment. Arbor Park, Main St, Ellington. EllingtonFarmersMarket.com. 32 Movement Tai Chi Sword with Cynthia – 10am. Laoshi Cynthia will be teaching the 32 movement Tai Chi Sword, which is a competition form she used in the Chengdu, China tournament in 2014. If you have experience with the 24 Yang style, you will be able to learn this sword form. $98/6 classes. $20/drop-in. Sharing The Light Wholistic Center, LLC, 395 W Avon Rd, Avon. 860-936-0012. Yoga and Meditation – 10-11:30am. All-level class offers an introduction to the Advanced Yoga Practices to support those interested to establish and/or deepen their meditation and yoga practice and knowledge. Modifications of the postures accommodate every level of practice. Drop-ins welcome. Bhakti Center, 750 Rear Main St, Willimantic. YogaPractices.weebly.com. Qigong, All Levels – 11am-12pm. An ancient practice that has flowing, focused movements that reduce chronic pain, stress and blood pressure, along with creating an overall state of wellness. In Stafford. Call to register and for directions. 860-970-7383.
community resource guide Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. Create your Community Resource Guide Listing online at NAHRT.com.
ASTROLOGY PETER MARKS
103 Nova Scotia Hill Rd, Watertown 860-274-3663/203-206-9353 Peter_Mrks@yahoo.com As an Astrologer, Medium, Intuitive and Numerologist, I work with your spirit guides and convey messages from them. We are all born with spirit guides, and with assistance we can understand our karmic mission to achieve the ultimate happiness in our lives. See ad, page 13.
DEE RANDIS
Watertown 860-274-1690 MetaphysicalCntr.net Dee Randis is an astrologer and psychic medium with over 40 years of experience specializing in personal and relationship counseling. She provides guidance on business matters, real estate decisions, legal issues, as well as missing persons. She does private parties and organizes well-attended holistic/psychic fairs. See ad, page 26.
CHINESE HERBALIST WU HEALING CENTER
Dr. Ming Wu 45 S Main St, Ste 100, West Hartford 978-790-8888 • Center@WuHealing.com WuHealing.com Chinese herbal therapy accounts for the majority of treatments in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Dr. Wu is a master herbalist with decades of experience and thousands of years of wisdom. The herbs he prescribes help stimulate the body toward self-healing. See ad, page 31.
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EDUCATION
FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
ACADEMY FOR SOUL HEALING
Eilis Philpott Fairfield 203-767-5954 • Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com AcademyforSoulHealing.com The academy hosts many trainings including 13th Octave LaHoChi and A Year of Healing in various locations throughout the U.S. The vision for the Academy for Soul Healing is the integration of many modalities, in their purest form, in order to support the growth and expansion of humanity, individually and on a global scale.
EMOTION CODE KEY ENERGY MEDICINE
Margaret Loos 860-386-8330 KeyEnergyMedicine@yahoo.com The Emotion Code is a simple way to get rid of your emotional baggage, helping you feel freer, happier and healthier. As a Certified Emotion Code practitioner, I am trained to discover and release your trapped emotions. The process is non-invasive, safe and requires very little time or effort on your part.
ENERGY HEALING 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.
WU HEALING CENTER
Dr. Ming Wu 45 S. Main St, Ste 100, West Hartford 978-790-8888 • Center@WuHealing.com WuHealing.com Combining Western medical science with ancient Eastern insights into life force or chi energy, Dr. Wu uses energy healing techniques such as Tong Ren and quantum energy healing. These modalities help patients achieve a rapid, safe and natural cure by stimulating the body toward self-healing. See ad, page 31.
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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 ACID REFLUX HEALING ACID REFLUX NATURALLY
Susan Berman, Med, CHHC 860-670-4152 Susan@HealingAcidReflux.com HealingAcidReflux.com I work with health conscious individuals to help heal their acid reflux or GERD in order to avoid further damage to their esophagus and prevent esophageal cancer. Find your unique food and lifestyle triggers. Offers 1:1 coaching via Zoom, Skype, or a DIY program.
HOLISTIC HEALING CENTER SEA IN THE SKY, LLC
269 Church St, Ste 3, Hebron 860-530-1552 SeaInTheSkyHealing.com By appointment Experienced practitioners and therapists offering counseling and psychotherapy, Reiki, Celtic Reiki, shamanic healing, sound healing, yoga, massage, acupuncture, spiritual readings, meditation and a variety of classes and workshops.
SHARING THE LIGHT WHOLISTIC CENTER, LLC
395 W Avon Rd, Avon 860-936-0012 Cheryl@SharingTheLightWC.com SharingTheLightWC.com Sharing the Light is your premier healing destination specializing in Traditional Usui Reiki Practitioner certification classes and sessions with Reiki Master Teachers; Crystal Dreaming; singing bowls; tuning forks; tai chi; yoga; reflexology; drum building; psychic readings; and AngelLinks. Visit website to view our calendar of events that includes programs with full-time and part-time practitioners. See ad, page 32.
HOLISTIC HEALTH LOIS GRASSO AKA MIMI STEVENS Holistic Health Coach, Speaker, Author East Hartford-Glastonbury line 860-796-1480 Lois@LoisGrasso.com LoisGrasso.com
Eliminate painful symptoms and self-sabotage by transforming your breathing, thinking, and eating patterns into powertools. Experience unconditional acceptance and spiritual connection as together we upgrade your subconscious, using Transformational Breathwork, EFT/Tapping, Anger Clearing, Reverse Therapy and superfoods.
HOLISTIC STRESS REDUCTION THE ENLIGHTENMENT COUNSELING CENTER LLC
998 Farmington Ave, Ste 207, West Hartford 660 Prospect Ave, Hartford EnlightenmentCenterCT.com EnlightenmentCenterLLC@gmail.com We are experienced psychotherapists and practitioners providing integrative and holistic psychotherapy clinical services, as well as a wellness center offering complementary alternative medical services. We view mental illness as affecting not just the mind but also the body. We are mindful about the importance of external and internal balance.
HOLISTIC & WELLNESS CENTER RAYA CLINIC
200 Queen St, Southington 860-621-2225 RayaClinic.com
MEDIUMSHIP KEIKO BROYLES
Willows Healing Path, LLC 860-280-5548 • Keiko@KeikoMedium.com KeikoMedium.com
Our 30-year-old Wellness Center consists of a team of doctors combining chiropractic, acupuncture, nutrition, food-sensitivity testing, physical therapy, cold-laser, spinal decompression and neuropathy treatments.
I am a Psychic Spiritual Medium and also a certified Usui Reiki Master and teacher. As a natural psychic and medium, my sincere wish and desire is to promote healing for people in both the physical and spirit worlds. I am a tested member of Shay Parker’s Best American Psychics. See ad, page 5.
HORMONE SUPPORT
NATURE SCHOOL
COLLABORATIVE NATURAL HEALTH PARTNERS 315 East Center St, Manchester 860-533-0179 CTNaturalHealth.com
The clinic offers the best of both worlds; our physicians are trained in both conventional and natural approaches for diagnosis and treatment of many conditions. We combine science with the wisdom of nature to address the causes of disease, not only the symptoms. See ad, back cover.
INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY THE ENLIGHTENMENT COUNSELING CENTER LLC
998 Farmington Ave, Ste 207, West Hartford 660 Prospect Ave, Hartford EnlightenmentCenterCT.com EnlightenmentCenterLLC@gmail.com We are experienced psychotherapists and practitioners providing integrative and holistic psychotherapy clinical services, as well as a wellness center offering complementary alternative medical services. We view mental illness as affecting not just the mind but also the body. We are mindful about the importance of external and internal balance.
NICOLE KLUGHERS, ND, PHARMD, MSAC
Vis Wellness Center 1845 Silas Deane Hwy, Rocky Hill (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 approach addresses the root cause of symptoms with all-natural solutions such as “Food as Medicine” with individualized nutrition, herbal medicine, nutrient therapies, acupuncture and more. In-depth assessment is often done with detailed testing to evaluate the status of nutrients, hormones, inflammation, food sensitivities, toxins or digestive function.
TWO COYOTES WILDERNESS SCHOOL
NATURE’S HELPER MEDICAL CLINIC
Two Coyotes Wilderness School is a nonprofit nature organization dedicated to creating a healthier, more connected future by connecting people to nature, community and their personal empowerment. We offer yearround, wilderness-based mentorship programs, including summer camps, for all ages.
Dr. Stacey Munro, a Naturopathic Physician, specializes in prevention and treatment of chronic health conditions with safe and effective natural treatments. She looks at the whole patient, rather than individual parts, and tries to address the root cause. Treatments include: dietary and lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements, herbs, and other natural therapies. Many commercial insurance plans accepted. See ad, page 31.
P.O. Box 711, Monroe TwoCoyotes.org Facebook.com/TwoCoyotes Instagram.com/TwoCoyotes
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE COLLABORATIVE NATURAL HEALTH PARTNERS
315 East Center St, Manchester 860-533-0179 • CTNaturalHealth.com Receive sustainable and natural solutions for health conditions to address the cause of disease, not only the symptoms. We combine science with the wisdom of nature. See ad, back cover.
ECLECTIC NATUROPATHIC MEDICAL CENTER, LLC
Kathleen M. Riley, ND Wilberto Lugo, ND 48 Christian Ln, Ste 203, Newington 860-665-1254 At ENMC, we specialize in providing gentle, effective treatments for acute and chronic illnesses for pediatrics through geriatrics. The doctors here use nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, hydro-therapy, acupuncture, Bowen, and Frequency Specific Microcurrent. Our therapies are effective in treating allergies, digestive issues, muscle aches and pains, tick-borne illnesses, diabetes, hypertension, and other conditions. See ad, page 15.
Stacey Munro, ND 178 Mountain Rd, Suffield 860-758-7808 Info@NaturesHelperMedical.com NaturesHelperMedical.com
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY THE HAPPINESS CLUB
Audrey Carlson 860-841-5894 • AudreyBCarlson@cox.net HartfordHappinessClub.com Come to Hartford’s Happiness Club monthly meeting on the first Thursday of every month from 7-8:30pm, at Town and County Club at 22 Woodland St in Hartford. Happiness is a choice… make it yours. See ad, page 27.
PRIMARY CARE COLLABORATIVE NATURAL HEALTH PARTNERS
315 East Center St, Manchester 860-533-0179 • CTNaturalHealth.com The clinic offers the best of both worlds; our physicians are trained in conventional and natural approaches for diagnosis and treatment of many conditions. We combine science with the wisdom of nature to address the causes of disease, not only the symptoms. See ad, back cover.
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QUANTUM PSYCHOTHERAPY PSYCHOTHERAPY HEALING SERVICES, LLC Celeste Emelia Mattingly, LCSW 10 Grassmere Ave, Ste 300, West Hartford 860-586-8700 Fax: 860-236-1909 CMattingly100@comcast.net CelestialEmpowerment.com
The Sanctuary for Celestial Empowerment is a safe, uplifting, high-frequency environment for individual psychotherapy, Tachyon Anti-Aging and Reconnective Energy Healings, workshops and more. Distance healings, evenings and some Saturday appointments available. Celeste accepts insurance including Medicare and Husky. See ad, page 14.
TAI CHI/QIGONG WU HEALING CENTER
Dr. Ming Wu 45 S. Main St, Ste 100, West Hartford 978-790-8888 Center@WuHealing.com WuHealing.com Tai chi and qigong focus on empowering Chi, enhancing health and healing the mind, body and spirit using diverse bodywork therapies. Develop physical and mental fitness with calmness, balance and awareness. Dr. Wu is now offering regular classes, workshops and retreats for all levels. See ad, page 11.
THERMOGRAPHY CT THERMOGRAPHY HEALTH SCREENING CENTER
April Beaman, CTT, RDH Farmington 860-415-1150 • April@ctthermography.com CTThermography.com Thermography is a FDAapproved, radiation free, notouch screening procedure. Used as part of a routine health screening program, thermography can increase the chances of detecting breast abnormalities, disease and cancer up to 10 years earlier than traditional methods. See ad, page 8.
TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING SIMPLY PEACEFUL HEALING LLC
Joan Witherell, RMT 2433 Main St, Ste 6, Rocky Hill 860-685-0604 • JoanWitherell@gmail.com
display ad index 3 Connections B. kind Wellness Boutique
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BRIDGE Healing Arts Center
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Joan has a professional office in Rocky Hill, where she offers Angel & Tarot Card Readings, Reiki Healing Sessions, Reiki Certification Training, Transformational Life Coaching Sessions and she also facilitates a variety of inspirational classes.
Cloud 9 App
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SOUL HEALING JOURNEY LLC
Eclectic Naturopathic Medical Center 15
Eilis Philpott 40 Livingston St, Fairfield 203-767-5954 Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com SoulHealingJourney.com
Eilis, a certified Rebirther, has completed Rebirthing and Advanced Rebirthing training. She is a Reiki Master in Usui/ Raku-kei Reiki and Angelic Reiki. She teaches 13th Octave LaHoChi, Angel Light Healing, chakra balancing and other healing techniques. A transformational healing session supports you in healing all aspects of your life.
YOGA
Collaborative Natural Health Partners
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CopperZap 47 CT Thermography
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Enlightenment Method/Back to Eden 9 Glastonbury Dental Center
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Goodwin College
16
The Graduate Institute
25
The Happiness Club
27
Hartford Family Institute
10
HGH Gel
13
Holistic Chamber of Commerce
29
Holistic Community Professionals
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The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition 12
YOGA CENTER OF COLLINSVILLE 10 Front St, Collinsville 860-693-YOGA (9642) info@YogaCenterCollinsville.com YogaCenterCollinsville.com
Peter Marks
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Mondazzi Book, Bead & Crystal Warehouse Showroom
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Experience yoga in the vibrant surroundings of historic Collinsville. Morning / evening classes available: Beginners, Gentle, Mixed, Advanced, Yogalates, Belly Dance and Yoga for Kids. Drop-ins welcome! New student special: $50 for one month of unlimited yoga classes. See ad, page 23.
Natural Awakenings’ Franchise Sales 24
Age is just a number. Life and aging are the greatest gifts that we could possibly ever have. ~Cicely Tyson
Nature’s Helper Medical Clinic
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Nature’s Rite
15
Passport to Health & Wellness Expo
11
Philip Stein Sleep Bracelet
24
Psychotherapy Healing Services
14
Lauren Rainbow Mediumship Events
5
Dee Randis/Metaphysical Center
27
Sharing the Light Wholistic Center LLC
32
ShopRite 27 Spirit Festival
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4&7
Wu Healing Center
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Yoga Center of Collinsville
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Nature’s Virus Killer
sinuses. Attorney Donna Blight had a 2-day sinus headache. When her CopperZap arrived, she tried it. “I am shocked!” she said. “My head cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.” Some users say copper stops nighttime stuffiness if used just before bed. One man said, “Best sleep I’ve had By Doug Cornell in years.” ore and more people are He asked relatives and friends to try Copper can also stop flu if used early saying they just don’t get it. They said it worked for them, too, so and for several days. Lab technicians colds anymore. he patented CopperZap™ and put it on placed 25 million live flu viruses on They are using a new device made the market. a CopperZap. No viruses were found of pure copper, which scientists say Now tens of thousands of people alive soon after. kills cold and flu have tried it. Nearly Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the teams viruses. 100% of feedback confirming the discovery. He placed Doug Cornell said the copper millions of disease germs on copper. invented the stops colds if used “They started to die literally as soon as device in 2012. within 3 hours after they touched the surface,” he said. “I haven’t had a the first sign. Even People have used it on cold sores single cold since up to 2 days, if they and say it can completely prevent ugly then,” he says. still get the cold it outbreaks. You can also rub it gently on People were is milder than usual wounds or lesions to combat infections. skeptical but EPA and they feel The handle is New research: Copper stops colds if used early. and university better. curved and finely studies demonstrate repeatedly that Users wrote things like, “It textured to improve viruses and bacteria die almost instantly stopped my cold right away,” and “Is contact. It kills germs when touched by copper. it supposed to work that fast?” picked up on fingers That’s why ancient Greeks and “What a wonderful thing,” wrote and hands to protect Egyptians used copper to purify water Physician’s Assistant Julie. “No more you and your family. and heal wounds. They didn’t know colds for me!” Copper even about viruses and bacteria, but now we Pat McAllister, age 70, received kills deadly Dr. Bill Keevil: Copper quickly kills do. one for Christmas and called it “one germs that have cold viruses. Scientists say the high conductance of the best presents ever. This little become resistant to of copper disrupts the electrical balance jewel really works.” Now thousands of antibiotics. If you are near sick people, in a microbe cell and destroys the cell users have simply stopped getting colds. a moment of handling it may keep in seconds. People often use CopperZap serious infection away from you and So some hospitals tried copper touch preventively. Frequent flier Karen your loved ones. It may even save a life. surfaces like faucets and doorknobs. Gauci used to get colds after crowded The EPA says copper still works This cut the spread of MRSA and other flights. Though skeptical, she tried it even when tarnished. It kills hundreds illnesses by over half, and saved lives. several times a day on travel days for of different disease germs so it can Colds start after cold viruses get in 2 months. “Sixteen flights and not a prevent serious or even fatal illness. your nose, so the vast body of research sniffle!” CopperZap is made in America of gave Cornell an idea. When he next Businesswoman Rosaleen says pure copper. It has a 90-day full money felt a cold about to start, he fashioned when people are sick around her she back guarantee. It is $69.95. a smooth copper probe and rubbed it uses CopperZap morning and night. “It Get $10 off each CopperZap with gently in his nose for 60 seconds. saved me last holidays,” she said. “The code NATA12. “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The kids had colds going round and round, Go to www.CopperZap.com or cold never got going.” It worked again but not me.” call toll-free 1-888-411-6114. every time. Some users say it also helps with Buy once, use forever. ADVERTORIAL September 2019 47
Copper in new device stops cold and flu
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