news briefs

Avant Garde Hosts Imagine New Age Free Festival

On June 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Imagine New Age Free Festival is celebrating world peace, diversity and oneness at Avant Garde in Branford, Connecticut. The mystical and magical festival will have over 100 vendors, wellness services and all-vegan food as well as fair-trade, eco-friendly, new-age and hand-crafted arts and crafts, jewelry and clothing. There will be henna tattoos, CBD, CBG and CBN. The festival will also have a psychic fair with mediums, astrologers and tarot readers in addition to live music. Avant Garde and Compassionfest are once again joining forces to co-create this peaceful gathering. This shoreline vegan food gathering brings together culinary creations from various cultures and master chefs.

To register as a retail or wellness vendors, contact Ron at 203-481-8443 or avantgardect13@yahoo.com. Vegan food vendors can email CT.Compassionfest@gmail.com. To register for free tickets, visit Eventbrite.com/e/Imagine-byAvant-Garde-Tickets-265349446337. Location: Avant Garde, 328 East Main St., Branford, CT. See ad on facing page.

Summertime is always the best of what might be.

~Charles Bowden The Return to the Fire organization is hosting several multi-day trips. On July 13-17, imagine five days and nights in the beautiful wilderness of the Adirondacks on the Adirondack Canoe Trip. This trip offers connection with nature and self, community building and fun. The men’s weekend, Path of the Open-Hearted Warrior, is a two-day workshop for men on July 23-24. The focus of the weekend, guided by the Jungian archetypes, is to inspire and engage men in assessing and integrating their authentic power Jody Grose while embracing the freedom of full self-expression. For the couples’ weekend on August 13-14, the Opening Communication and the Heart workshop allows the lightness of play and love to flow. Remembering and nurturing the love you experienced at the beginning of your relationship can become covered over by expectations, misunderstandings, withheld communications, unresolved hurts and disappointments. Come rekindle the connection, playfulness, romance and love that brought you two together. On Aug. 27-28, the Father & Daughter Bonding Weekend is for dads and their daughters aged 7-16-years old. This weekend provides you with rich and playful experiences that create a bond and memories for life. Return to the Fire is an organization committed to guiding men and women in accessing their full masculine and feminine spirit, power and love, thus integrating these attributes into their relationships and their community. Founder Jody Grose brings over 30 years of devotion to his personal healing and training to provide compassion, deep listening and experience to those seeking guidance. His life and practice has been informed by

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mentors, Native American spirituality, Buddhism, devotion to his own therapy and guidance from a therapeutic supervisor for over 30 years. The journey of counseling often involves unpacking false beliefs and old patterns while building internal awareness and empowerment to more successfully navigate, relationships, life transitions and the challenges of being human – soul work.

To register for the events, call 203-731-7755 or email HealingBear11@gmail.com. For more information, visit Returntothefire.com.

Indian Mystic Vedaji Offers Events Leading Up to Summer Solstice

Vedaji, life-long yogi, and founder of the nonprofits Mindful Seva Institute and Food4Lives, grew up in a monastery in India and has practiced Bhakti yoga since the age of 5. As creator of The Chitta Cleanse Technique (CCT), he guides people through the process of Self-inquiry in order to release attachments to emotions from past traumas and to uncover their authentic selves. Now based in Atlanta, he leads a life devoted to the service of others and has impacted the lives of thousands of people all over the world. Multiple events will be offered June 17 through June 21 while Vedaji is in Connecticut. On Friday, there will be a donationbased outdoor fireside kirtan in East Haddam. Kirtan, a musical offering of the heart, is available to anyone with an open heart and mind. On Saturday, a free CCT information session will be held at The Red Barn in Durham. Come meet Vedaji and learn about his signature offering. On Monday, Vedaji will team up with Mark Zarrillo to offer a celebratory summer solstice fire ceremony and drum circle at Hammonassett Beach State Park. On Sunday, Vedaji will headline at YogaPalooza at UConn Avery Point in Groton, an event to commemorate International Yoga Day.

Vedaji To learn more about Vedaji, visit ChittaCleanse.com and Food4Lives.org. To inquire about events, email ChittaCleanse@gmail.com or call Keshavi at 860-808-8201. See Calendar listings for details.

New Book Shares Hard-Earned Networking Secrets

Aviva Publishing is proud to announce the publication of Secrets of a Serial Networker by Anne Garland. In this seminal text for networkers, Garland reveals that networking does not have to be scary or hard. Her hilarious stories lead to deeper thought over how to use networking to benefit everyone involved. Readers will learn how to make split-second connections, follow-up and leverage new connections, and practice card connecting. They will learn how to get contacts to connect them to other contacts, be likeable and trustworthy so others will want to know them, and change gears for in-person versus virtual networking. In addition, readers will find out how to master their square on Zoom, use proper netiquette, and rock their own networking events. Garland is a professional speaker, coach, public speaker, intuitive connector, event producer and empowerment

entrepreneur. She has worked for top international brands like BASF, Honeywell, Hanes Knitwear and Nanotex. That background, coupled with her years of architectural interior design expertise, helps her offer creative strategies that bring out the best in individuals and teams. Secrets of a Serial Networker (ISBN 978-1-63618-163-9, Aviva Publishing 2022) can be purchased through local and online bookstores.

For more information, visit AnneGarlandEnterprises.com. For publicity information, contact Anne Garland at 860-575-4970 or Anneg@AnneGarlandEnterprises.com.

Herbal Wildcrafting for Everyday Living

Learn empowered selfcare with mother nature’s wisdom. Realize the healing properties of native herbs in this unique, hands-on, natural living with herbs educational series. Local herbalists Rachael McNerney of World Canopy and Cindy Cleveland of Clevelandia Homestead are leading an interactive, discussionbased series teaching you how to integrate herbs commonly found in Connecticut into everyday life to nourish health and improve well-being. The workshop will take place on June 25, July 23, August 27, September 17 and October 29. The 5-class holistic health series meets once monthly at the Red Barn in Durham, Connecticut from 5-7 p.m. All materials for hands-on herb crafting days are included. Save when you join the full series for $150, or drop-in for $35 per class. The workshops help you gain inspiration and practical knowledge on botanical preparations and clinical applications for common ailments.

To register for the workshops, visit WorldCanopy.com. For more information, call 203-533-9505 or email info@WorldCanopy.com.

Holistic Moms Network Presents End-of-Life Doula Joan Law: How to Leave a Legacy

On June 21 at 6:30 p.m., join the Holistic Moms Network’s New Haven County chapter as we discuss how raising our awareness of death can help enhance how we live. Joan Law is the owner of Stratford-based Feng Shui Joan’s Way (FengShuiJoansWay.com) and maintains a proficiency badge from the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA). End-of-life doulas provide emotional and spiritual support at an intensely personal time in an individual’s life. They assist people and their loved ones in finding meaning, creating a legacy project and planning for how the last days of their lives will unfold. The meeting will be held in person at Nate’s Plates in Milford.

The task of “letting go of” or “re-imagining” sentimental things can be daunting. An important part of end-of-life planning can include work on a “Legacy Project.” The art of feng shui is about managing environments with intention. End-of-life planning is similar. It’s about creating an energy and environment around the process of death with intention. Knowing what and who we or a loved one want around them as they transition, and how possessions are to be retained and remembered, can be a meaningful exercise. “Much of the feng shui work I do is clutter-clearing/downsizing for widows and widowers. As a natural progression of my work to help others manage life’s yin and yang, this new certification allows me to further assist people in a positive way,” says Law. A legacy project is created to honor our life story. It is a physical reminder of who we are and the life we’ve lived, a gift to family and a treasure to cherish. Examples include memory books, letters, video and audio recordings, crafting favorite objects and clothing into keepsakes, and more. The mission of Holistic Moms Network, a nonprofit support and discussion network, is to connect parents who are interested in holistic health and green living. It welcomes people wherever they are on their own holistic path in an environment that does not judge. The New Haven County chapter follows the Holistic Moms Network’s drive to encourage parents to use their innate sense of what is best for their children and the Earth while learning more about healthcare and parenting options. Living healthy and living green is not an endpoint, but an ongoing journey.

The chapter’s general meetings, open to the public, are held on the third Tuesday of each month. RSVP to the meeting on Facebook.com/HMNNewHaven’s event tab.